Daniel Charvat: Letters From Beijing
Daniel Charvat, a Journalism and English student at the time, was part of the first group of students to study Chinese at Rhodes. After studying the subject for two years and having been to China twice, Daniel decided to pursue his future in the direction of China. Daniel is now studying Global Business Journalism at one of China's most prestigious universities, Tsinghua University in Beijing.
The Confucius Institute at Rhodes will be publishing Daniel's letters about his experience in China over the next two years, not only to serve as inspiration for those students wishing to following the same path but to also shed light on the realities of living and studying in China.
Read Daniel's letters here
China Week Winners
Over the course of China Week, the Chinese Exhibition held in Eden Grove held a competition where students were asked to fill in a quick survey with the chance to win an iPod. The Confucius Institute was curious to know what students would expect from learning Chinese, and what aspect of Chinese Langauage and Culture they found the most interesting and would like to learn more about.
Last week, the Confucius Institute drew 3 lucky students who became the winners of an iPod as well as the Confucius Institute's and School of Langauages poetry and narrative compliation books.
Tai-Qi in the Township
As part of the Confucius Institutes commitment to community engagement, the Chinese Studies 2 students on 21 October introduced pupils from Archie Mbolekwa Higher Primary to Chinese Tai-Qi as well as Kung Fu.
The pupils from the school are part of an initiative called Upstart, which is run by Shireen Badat in conjuction with Grocotts Mail. Pupils choose to be part of the Upstart programme with the hope of learning more about the world around them. At the end of every month, the pupils are asked to contribute to the Upstart newspaper where they share what they have learnt with the rest of the community.
For the last few sessions the Confucius Institute had with the pupils, it was decided to take things outside the classroom for a little bit of physical activity. The pupils were introduced to the basic moves of both Kung Fu and Tai-Qi and were also given a brief history of each of the activities. The pupils were also asked to invent their own "style"of Kung-Fu, which resulted in the "snake", "crocodile"and "lion"styles.
21 October marked the final sessions with the pupils from Archie Mbolekwa. Although it was a heartfelt goodbye, the pupils said they would never have known anything about China if it were not for the effort and dedication of a few Confucius Institute students. With the growing relationship between China and South Africa, it is becoming more important to introduce learners of all ages and backgrounds to this diverse, complex and deeply historic country, highlighting the differences and similaries we have between our two cultures.
Click here to read more about Upstart this year.
Great Wall Chinese for CIRU Students
As of recently, the Confucius Institute at Rhodes University registered with Great Wall Chinese in order to provide and fun and informative learning supplement for Chinese students. Great Wall Chinese assists Chinese language learners to develop communicative competence through the use of multimedia courseware and many combinations of diverse teaching methods, using a wide range of teaching resources. The material is extremely useful for students learning Chinese, and the interface is easy to use, so it is highly recommended that all Chinese students take a look into it.
Great Wall Chinese is particularly helpful when it comes to speaking Chinese. Students are able to record themselves speaking certain sentences given to them and Great Wall Chinese will rate the level of spoken Chinese and show where potential errors were made. Any students, from beginner to advanced, can receive great help from it.
As from next year (2012), all Chinese students will automatically be registered with the Great Wall intranet.
If you would like to try out Great Wall Chinese, send an email to g08d0451@campus.ru.ac.za and I will provide you with necessary usernames and passwords. Everyone is welcome to try it out.
Sai Weng Loses His Horse - Ten Interpretations in Five Languages
Last year for China Week, the Confucius Institute together with the School of Languages and the English Department held a poetry competition in which students from the various language departments were asked to translate a Chinese poem into their langauge of study. This year, students and members from the different languages departments were asked to write their own interpreation, rather than just a translation, of an ancient Chinese tale "Sai Weng Loses His Horse".
Sai Weng is the story of a man who encounters a number of both fortunate and unfortuante events throughout the course of some time. However, his approach to each event is not joyous or stressful, rather, he approaches each event with indifference. The story is a representation of the Daoist philosophy of "going with the flow"of life, and taking each experience one has as neither positive or negative, but as purely consequential.
The collection of stories was presented this year during China week where the interpretations of Sai Weng crossed the boundaries of China into Lesotho, the Eastern Cape, Nazi Germany and a future run by machines.
CIRU China Week Programme
For a detailed description of the various events and activities happening throughout China Week, follow this link: China Week 2011
-China week also coincides with the "Chinese art and textiles" at the Albany History Museum. See details in the full programme.
Chinese Bridge for high school students
By: Mark Havemann
Confucius Classroom students recently took 3rd place at the 4th annual Chinese Bridge language proficiency competition for high school students.
On 23 July six students from DSG and Kingswood College competed in the 4th annual Chinese Bridge competition for high school students. This year the competition was hosted by the Cape Academy of Mathematics, Science and Technology (CAMST) in Cape Town. The students have been studying Chinese with Ma Xiujie and Wang Yan of the Confucius Institute at Rhodes University as part of the Confucius Institute’s Confucius classroom program. This was their first time participating in this event and they all put in a lot of hard work while preparing for the competition. They impressed the judges with their knowledge of Chinese language and culture by presenting a speech and a Chinese cultural performance. The students sang Chinese songs, performed Chinese traditional dance, recited famous Chinese poems and painted tradition Chinese paintings. The judges enjoyed all the performances and one of the Kingswood College students took 3rd place in the competition.
CIRU takes a top spot in 10th Chinese Bridge...again!
Once again the CIRU has walked away with a top prize at the 10th South African Chinese Bridge Competition. Rhodes University student Daniel Charvat will be representing Rhodes University, the CIRU and South Africa in the upcoming finals held in China later this year.
The Chinese Bridge Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students is a worldwide initiative by the Hanban (affiliated to the Chinese government) aimed at promoting the learning of Chinese language and culture and bridging the gap between China and the rest of the world. Students compete at a national level and winners are then selected to go to China and compete in the international rounds leading up to the finals. Participants are required to take a short examination, present a prepared speech and perform a cultural act of their choice – all in Chinese of course.
This year, the South African Chinese Bridge was hosted by the newly founded UCT Confucius Institute in Cape Town. Students from at least 5 different institutions participated and the event saw a range of different talents being showcased. From singing and dancing to calligraphy and paper-cutting, students from all levels of Chinese learning performed and impressed the audience. Rhodes University student Daniel Charvat took second place following a performance of traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy. He will be competing in Hunan Province, China in August this year.
CIRU participants
Last year, Rhodes hosted the 9th Chinese Bridge competition and 1st year student Chinyanta Mwenya took first place. The year before, Gisela Zipp (also a 1st year at the time) took first place in the 8th Chinese Bridge held at UWC. This stands testament to the high calibre of students studying Chinese at Rhodes, and the capabilities of the CIRU and its teachers.
Photos here
China and I writing competition winners
Recently, the Chinese consulate in Cape Town sent out a call for students to submit essays on their experiences of China and studying Chinese.
China and I winner
The China and I writing competition saw over 120 entries submitted from at least three Confucius Institutes in South Africa. At the awards ceremony, prizes were given out to first, second and third place, as well as to a number of participants for excellent performance. Daniel Charvat from the Rhodes University Confucius Institute was awarded first place, receiving a prize from Consul General Hao Guangfeng and his wife Madam Kong Wei.
Two other students, Michele Calista Ellis (2nd year Chinese Studies) and Thula Dlamini (1st year Chinese Studies), were also awarded certificates for their excellent performance.
The competition was a great opportunity for students to start taking their Chinese Studies outside of the classroom and gain a little exposure as well as appreciation for their achievements.
An extract from the winning entry will be published in the Mail and Guardian this weekend (15th May).
The ancient art of paper-cutting
By: Daniel Charvat
Paper-cutting
Almost two thousand years ago, something happened in China that would revolutionize the world as we know it – paper was invented.
Cai Lun, a Han Dynasty official and inventor of paper , not only gave new meaning to the way in which we communicate, but instigated one of the oldest and most beautiful art forms found in China. Paper-cutting began to develop as early as the 5th century CE with the earliest surviving piece dating back over 1400 years.
What began as a simple technique of cutting shapes out of paper, soon flourished in China, and in the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE) it began to mature as a serious art form. Paper-cutting became a prerequisite for the young girl wanting to marry, since it portrayed a basic skill as well as the mark of a cultured individual. The subject matter of paper-cutting began to branch out as well, and what started out as simple circular designs, became intricate patterns depicting landscapes, flora and fauna, gods and folk lore.
Still today, paper-cutting is found throughout China, with cut-outs used in festivals, marriages and cultural rituals. Often they exist merely to perform an aesthetic function, since their beauty and intricacy are often incomparable. Yet their symbolism is rarely ignored in Chinese culture. Infused with modern themes, paper-cutting may be bought in gift shops and from artists alike.
Paper-cutting
The Confucius Institute gave students an opportunity to learn more about the history, techniques and significance behind one of China’s most prestigious art forms. After watching a brief tutorial on basic shapes and techniques used, students chose their own paper and designs, and proceeded to create their own colourful cut-outs.
This workshop was another in the series of workshops offered by the Confucius Institute and Chinese Society, in order to bridge the gap between Chinese culture and our own, as well invite students to share in a practice that has persisted for hundreds of years. More pictures can be found here.
Calligraphy Evening
By: Daniel Charvat
Calligraphy
The Chinese Society and CIRU hosted a Chinese Calligraphy workshop on 10 March. The evening invited all students of both Chinese Studies and members of the Chinese Society to come and learn about Chinese Calligraphy.
Participants were given their Chinese names and a brief history of Chinese characters and calligraphy. With the basics of character writing under their belts, they were given brushes, paper and ink and began creating their own pieces of calligraphy. Famous Confucian proverbs and basic common Chinese characters such as “love” and “dragon” were given to participants as they practiced their hand at the ancient Chinese art form.
The evening was concluded with a competition, allowing participants to submit their final calligraphy pieces to stand the chance of winning a prize. Five participants were awarded prizes for their outstanding calligraphy.
We plan to offer many such evenings in the future. Photos can be found here
What to expect in the year of the Rabbit...
The Rhodes Uniiversity Confucius Institute welcomes both old and new students alike. As we enter into the Chinese New Year (the year of the Rabbit), the CIRU will continue to grow and offer its students even more. Here is a brief taste of what to expect in 2011:
- 10th Chinese Bridge Competition for Foreign College Students in South Africa
- The NEW Chinese Society (see below)
- Events and recreational evenings offered to Chinese Studies students and non-Chinese Studies students.
- The 4th Annual China Week held in the second semester.
- And many other plans we have yet to confirm and implement in the near future.
All upcoming events and activities will be posted on the website beforehand, and students should also take note of the scholarship opportunities provided through the CIRU.
We look forward to seeing you in the coming year.
