The story of Zhuge Liang / Kong Ming the famous battle strategist

Zhuge Liang 诸葛亮
(courtesy name Kong Ming)
was considered the most accomplished and feared battle strategist of the Three Kingdoms era. Zhuge Liang went by the nick name of Hidden Dragon 臥龍  (also translated as; Crouching Dragon or Sleeping Dragon) due to the fact that many people underestimated his skills and abilities to achieve great accomplishments.

Early life
Zhuge Liang was born in 181 AD in Yangtu, Shantung province. His parents passed away when he was still at a young age and he was raised by his uncle. His family was forced to flee their home when the powerful Cao Cao of the Wei state invaded their village. He then lived in a cottage in the Longzhong district. Legend states that Liu Bei 劉備 heard of Zhuge Liang's wisdom and went to his cottage three times to request his help. After a long conversation Zhuge Liang agreed to become Liu Bei's military advisor as he was interested in his plan for setting up a new kingdom in the west. The first time Zhuge Liang's skills came to the surface was when he convinced Sun Quan of the Wu East to become allies with Liu Bei and fight Cao Cao together. Zhuge Liang warned Sun Quan that if Cao Cao was not opposed now, it would be impossible to deal with him later.

Battle of the Red Cliffs
The famous battle between the allied forces of Liu Bei and Sun Quan against Cao Cao was called the Battle of the Red Cliffs / the Battle of Chibi. Descriptions of the battle differ widely in details. Even the place of the battle is still debated. Most important is that Liu Bei and Sun Quan succesfully defeated Cao Cao, reunited their territory and gained control of the Yangtze.

Aftermath
After their victory Liu Bei took command over several cities in Jing. Another victory followed soon after when Liu Bei's troops invaded the province of Yi and captured general Yan Yan. They fought Liu Zhang and conquered his capital city Chengdu. Cao cao's Hanzhong was also succesfully conquered however, Sun Quan betrayed Liu Bei and took his territories in Jing while they were invading the Yi province. Liu Bei declared war upon Sun Quan but lost at the Battle of Yiling. Liu Bei grew ill and eventually died. Before his death he asked Zhuge Liang to take control of the state and take care of his son. Numerous battles were fought to restore Shu Han and take control of Wei. Zhuge Liang was known for his amazing battle strategies, setting traps and even predicting the weather. Some have said Zhuge Liang's success is based on having supernatural powers.
In AD 234 Zhuge Liang set off on his final campain. The two armies of Shu and Wei faced eachother in another battle but Zhuge Liang became sick and eventually died.

Inventions
During his life it is said that he invented numerous items such as a multi bolt firing crossbow, his own chess game, the hot air balloon / lantern, items to improve transportation and it is even said he invented the steamed bun! How can you ever dislike him now?

More Kong Ming
Zhuge Liang is still a popular topic in modern China.  Many movies, novels, and even video games feature Zhuge Liang as a great hero. See below for some popular examples.
Movies and series;

Red Cliff 2009 - with Takeshi Kaneshiro as Zhuge Liang (see top picture)

The Legendary prime minister 1985


 Three Kingdoms 2010

Games;

Destiny of an Emperor


Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Dynasty Warriors


Kessen II



Romance of the Three Kingdoms 三國演義
And not to forget the story that popularised the excistence of Zhuge Liang is the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. A historical novel set about the years of the Shu Han dynasty. Zhuge Liang is displayed as one of the main characters and a hero. Whether everything written is true is still a debatable topic since some of the mythical and magical plot twists seem questionable. Romance of the Three Kingdoms is one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature and is one of the most beloved works not only in China but trough out East Asia. With 120 chapters and 800000 words, it's still on the top of my to-read list.

I hope you enjoyed reading!
~ mei mei

Learning Vietnamese; Northern or Southern accent

After awakening my interest for Vietnamese I found out that it is quite difficult to get some information online. There is not so much decent information for studying Vietnamese, even on this world wide web. This is can be kind of discouraging for those who want to learn Vietnamese because everyone needs resources and everyone needs study materials. Luckily I have my partner who speaks the language and several colleagues as well. Therefore every single thing that I learn from them I will share with you, as I do with Korean and Japanese. So today is my first Vietnamese language related post.

We will start by asking ourselves; do I want to learn the Northern or Southern accent?
Do I really have to choose? That's what I thought myself too, but the answer is yes. It is definitely better to make a decision right at the start to prevent confusion for yourself. I will help you to choose today.

So let's start with the Northern accent. Northern accent or also known as Hanoi accent, is from my point of view the best to start with because it's 'standard' Vietnamese. When I say standard, I mean it is clean Vietnamese compared to the Southern accent. The Hanoi dialect represents the phonetic system more fully then others which makes it more understandable. However Southern accent sounds amazingly different as of the people are singing to each other when talking. When you have set your mind on learning Southern accent you must be prepared to have some difficulties finding materials since most of the books are written in Northern accent. Many people have to learn the Northern accent first to cover the basics and then adjust their pronunciation to Southern accent.
For those who it is considerable learning the Southern accent is those who come to Vietnam for business purposes. You most likely have to do all your business in Saigon. Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) is the biggest and the most important political, economic center in the whole county of Vietnam. therefore learning the Southern accent would be a good choice.

In the end you can just choose whichever accent you like more or would be more convenient for you. In this case there is no right or wrong. People all over the country still understand each other despite the differences in their accent.



Please look forward to more Vietnamese language related posts!

~ mei mei

If you're not ready for Murakami yet ~ Reading Guide

You have probably heard about Haruki Murakami if you ever tried to start reading Japanese literature. But what I hear often is that people are intimidated by the amount of books Murakami wrote and don't know where to start. I just finished an amazing novel called 'Strangers'which is kind of written in the same vibe Murakami writes his books in. This book is perfect to read before starting on Murakami books or to prepare yourself for Japanese literature. Also for you bookworms who are accustomed to American fantasy novels this eerie ghost story is very refreshing to read. I will introduce you to Taichi Yamada's 'Strangers' today.




Introduction
This book does the magic blending surreal elements into reality in an unique way. It is a nice compact easy to read book and sucks you in from the first chapter.
'Strangers' is narrated by a middle-aged man called Hideo Harada, a television scriptwriter who is recently divorced and is living in an apartment building where most of the apartments are used as offices, leaving the building abandoned in the evening. One night he looks up at the building and notices a lit window and discovers there lives a young attractive woman called 'Kei', which he starts an affair with. A short time after, he goes back to Asakusa where he grew up as a kid before his parents were killed in a car accident. He finds a man who looks exactly like his father at the age he died. The man invites him for a beer at his house and Hideo accepts the invitation, trying to find out more about the man who resembles his father. Arrived at his house, Hideo becomes even more confused to find out the man's wife looks exactly like his mother. As confused as he is, he feels comfortable at the 10 year younger couple's house who treat him like their son. He visits the couple again and again while also building on his relationship with Kei. However Kei puts him in a difficult position, he has to choose between his nostalgic past or embrace the present.
The supernatural feel of the book makes you curious about what is coming after the current chapter and makes you keep reading. With surprising plot twists and an amazing ending Taichi Yamada (who is a famous script writer himself) draws you in to the story.
I do have to say, as subtle as Yamada's way of storytelling is, the translation is less subtle. A sushi chef saying 'Yo' to his customers? I don't think so. Also the translations of the father speaking casually to his son, might be a translated a little too casual. But you amazing translators can see for yourself if you agree to this one.

More 'Strangers'
Apparently 'Strangers' has also been made into a movie which is called  異人たちとの夏 (ijintachi to no natsu) and is directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi, who also made 'The Girl Who Leapt Trough Time'.
It was released in the US under the name of 'The Discarnates'. I have to find the movie somewhere and then see if it is as good as the book. Since it is listed everywhere as a horror movie I do need to come up with some courage though.

Try this short novel to awaken your interest in Japanese literature. It is not really a horror, so if you keep that out of your mind it is an amazing novel.
Please tell me what you
thought of the book when you read it!

~mei mei

Chinese Halloween a.k.a. ''Hungry Ghost Festival'' 鬼节 - No selfies allowed!

Happy Halloween to my dear readers!

Hope your enjoying your day with pumpkin carving, dressing up and watching creepy movies. Ever wondered if they celebrate Halloween in China? Well they do! But of course not in the way you would expect it.

Ghost Festival is written as 鬼节 (guǐ jié) and consists of the character 鬼 meaning 'ghost' and 节 meaning festival. Nowadays it's also called 'Hungry Ghost Festival'.
If you want to 'celebrate' Halloween the Chinese way you are actually too late already. Ghost Festival is held on the 14th or 15th night of the seventh month every year and it's not really a celebration at all. Chinese people cannot wait for it to be over. They believe that during this time of the year the gates of both heaven and hell are open, which allows ghosts and spirits to entertain themselves at earth. These ghosts are said to be old ancestors who didn't get a proper send off or whose family didn't gave any offerings after they died. Families provide different offerings for these ghosts such as food, wine, incense and paper money which is said to have value in the afterlife. They are hoping that these offerings will keep the ghosts from intruding their homes and bringing misfortune. In some cities performances are held where the front rows are reserved for the ghosts. Fourteen days after the festival, people set up floating lanterns in the water to make sure all the fed ghosts find their way back to the underworld.

How to survive 'Ghost Festival'

If you want to prepare for next year already..
The whole 7th month is considered as 'Ghost Month' where the ghosts will be lurking around every corner. Here are some tips on how you can survive 'Ghost Month'.

- It is inauspicious to get married or sign important contracts.

- Wearing black will invite ghosts to come near you.

- Beware of the 水鬼 ( shuǐ guǐ ) a.k.a water ghost when you go swimming. They lurk in the water waiting to drown their victims so they can possess their bodies.

- Don't go out during the evenings.

- And last but not least.. for the modern kids; NO SELFIES allowed! You might capture a ghost instead of capturing that crush of yours with your beautiful selfie.



Thank you for reading & enjoy your Halloween!

~ mei mei

Ultimate guide to Vietnamese sweets & desserts

So many people asked me to write more Vietnamese related posts so here you go. In this post I will be introducing you to the world of Vietnamese desserts and sweets and show you some of my favorite Vietnamese dishes.

Core ingredients 

Vietnamese sweets and desserts are not always sweet and can also contain savory ingredients. Some of the core ingredients for desserts are; glutinous rice flour, mung beans,coconut (milk),jelly,palm sugar, cassava, tapioca, pandan,tofu and a variety of fruits such as mango, durian, longan, lychee or jackfruit.

Popular dishes

- Chè ba màu

Three colored dessert. (see top picture) This refreshing cold dessert is one of my favorite things to eat during a hot summer day. It can consist of different type of beans (red beans, kidney beans, butter beans), water chestnuts, jelly and fruits topped of with coconut milk and shaved ice to keep it cool. Depending on your taste the options are endless and there are many variations for this dish. You can enjoy this dish in many Vietnamese restaurants.

- Bánh Cam

These are fried glutinous rice balls
coated with sesame seeds. The fillings
do vary but consist mostly of mung beans and / or coconut.

- Bánh Khoai Mì Nướng

Sweet cake made out of cassava, coconut and condensed milk. This super delicious cake is also a good alternative when you are on a diet since you can cut out most sugar because the cassava and coconut are already very sweet.

-Bánh Dày Đậu
Glutinous rice balls with mung bean filling. Similar to Japanese mochi this dish is made with glutinous rice and stuffed with a crushed mung bean and coconut filling. Sometimes cassava is also added or the mung beans are replaced with a other type of bean. On the right picture is my own version topped with coconut but mostly you see them topped with crushed mung beans.

-Cà phê sữa đá
Vietnamese style iced coffee. Introduced by the French and then developed by the Vietnamese. This is a really popular treat among tourists. Made with a special stainless steel filter and coarsely ground dark roast coffee, then mixed with condensed milk and served with ice.

-Kem chuối 
Banana pops. Super easy to make and amazingly delicious. Small bananas are pressed a little flat and coated with sweetened coconut milk then topped with desiccated coconut and peanuts. A Popsicle stick is pushed into the bottom and they are frozen into delicious banana Popsicles.   

I hope you gained a little more interest into Vietnamese cuisine after this post. These Vietnamese dishes are fairly simple to make but extremely delicious. Surprise yourself and your family by making one of these dishes or simply enjoy it in the convenience of your local Vietnamese restaurant. These are all worth the try!


Thank you for reading.
~ Mei Mei

The differences between a Japanese and an American business environment

After working for a Japanese company for a year I went back to school for a while. After I finished school I started working for a huge American hotel chain. Some of you asked for my thoughts on both Japanese and American companies so I am sharing my experiences with you in this post today. I hope you will understand that I am not trying to compare whether it is better to work  for a Japanese or a American company. I am just reviewing the pro's and con's of both of them so you can somehow get the feel what it is like to work for one of them. For those of you in America who are thinking about working for a Japanese company, or those who are residing in Europe I hope this will be helpful for you.

Unique Japanese business culture
The one thing I want to mention first is that even though I myself am residing in Europe, working for a American company in my opinion is not that different than working for an European company. But working for a Japanese company was a total change and it really took me some time to adapt to the Japanese work environment. The Japanese business environment is a whole sub-culture by itself with it's own customs. I will write a separate post with typical Japanese work related customs because it's to much to cover into this post. In the part below I will state some pro's and con's from my own experiences working for a Japanese company.

Pro's;

1. The Japanese are highly valued in the business market. They never fail to deliver and even go beyond the expectations. This is really true. Even though many others claim to get jobs done when it obviously exceeds their capabilities, if the Japanese say they get it done they will get the job done.

2. They Japanese value and respect the elders for their wisdom. Many westerners get informal towards their colleagues and guests / customers easily. In my opinion (but I know not everyone shares this one with me) I love how the Japanese talk to their elders. In the way they speak they acknowledge the position, wisdom and status of the person, which shows great respect. I wish more companies were like this.

3. Japanese colleagues are very pleasant to work with. All the time I worked for this company, there was never anyone who has ever been rude to me or who I couldn't get along with. At the time, I was the youngest of our team and my Japanese colleagues always took the time to help me or explain things. They are also never the person who leaves first and even outside of work, they are always ready to help you.

Con's

1. You will never-ever disagree with your manager or those above you in the corporate ladder. This was actually quite new for me. Normally if I have different ideas on how something I do should be done I will just discuss it with my supervisor, manager or whoever is above me. But in Japanese business culture this is a complete no-go. In time even if you did not experience this before you will get used to it. You will acknowledge that those people are promoted to a higher level because of their skills and experience. Don't be one arrogant thinking your own decisions are always better and neglect those people and their decisions, just go with the flow and you will experience yourself that this is the right thing to do.

2. You will never be finished on time. I work in the hospitality industry so I know I never finish exactly on time. But the Japanese will never close the shop at exactly six for example. As I mentioned before they are never the first to leave, and when they leave it is only after permission of the person in charge. Although it is not really a big con, when I know my finishing time is six I'd like to know at what time I can catch the train, or tell my partner I'm home. But seriously you will never know.

The oh so typical Americans
The funny thing is, when I applied for this job I was actually quite nervous when I got it. I felt so comfortable in the Japanese business environment and now I was about to start something totally different. I had a one year contract so what if I didn't like it? I moved especially for this job to this city. So I already started off insecure which is nothing like me at all. In my very short two-day training I really felt the American atmosphere. The over-acting tacky training videos, the emphasis on how amazing the company is and so on. It was all really new for me first. But now I am already used to it. So after working there for two months I will share with you my pro's and con's.

Pro's

1. You always know what to expect. The rules are set a long long time ago and everyone is used to them. All colleagues know them by hart and in only a short while you will be able to drill them out with that oh so American pride as well.

2. They don't take them selves so serious. In my opinion, Americans are very easy to work with. They are very casual in contact with guests / customers and also with colleagues, which makes me feel very comfortable.

3. Because they are so easy-going, in my first week I was already invited by my colleagues to go for drinks outside of work. This really makes it easy to get to know your colleagues and bond with them also outside of work. For me, a good bonding with my colleague outside work brings out great communication between one another at work itself.

Con's

1.  There is always a bad apple in the team. That one negative person that is not so easy to work with but you have to work with because it is your colleague can be quite annoying. I never see this happen in a Japanese work environment, I am used having the person in charge of the team take care of that.

2. Sometimes they are really difficult to understand. It's is only a small issue I have sometimes with guests and with colleagues as well. I had a couple of moments where they act really polite when they are mad, which makes it difficult for me to guess what they actually need. Like this gentleman who asked for my manager, because he said he had the worst experience in a hotel ever. And all of this with a smile, a thank you and a please. He said it in the way you just had to turn around right away and run for your manager. I don't know if I explained this well but it was kind of creepy.


In the end every company is different, as well as the people we work with. For the people who do not like their jobs, or the environment they are working in, please do something about it. Talk with your manager, a colleague you trust or someone in human resources. Whatever it is, it is easier to try and solve it with someone else than coping with it on your own. If there is nothing to do about it, maybe it's a sign it is time for a change. You are the only one who chooses your job.



Thank you for reading.

~ mei mei

The history of tofu - Mapo Tofu recipe 麻婆豆腐

In 1986 USA Today reported that tofu was America's most hated food. Years later tofu is gradually making it's comeback. And it should be! I love tofu, and if you grew up in an Asian family you grew up with tofu. My boyfriend born and raised in Vietnam cannot look any more happy than when I serve tofu on the dinner table. He very well remembers the times where he was younger and they had to share a block of tofu with the whole family. Eating a whole tofu dish now equals wealth for him.

In western countries tofu is getting more popular because it's natural, inexpensive and nourishing. In those countries people manly use tofu in stir-fry dishes or as a substitute for meat, but there is so much more you can do with it! In this post I will explain you where tofu originated from, how tofu is made, the health benefits of soy products and a delicious typical Chinese tofu dish.

How tofu is made

First let me explain how tofu is made. The process begins with soaking and then mashing soy beans. They will separate the mashed soy beans into two containers. One container for the milk and one for the pulp. The factories sell the pulp and keep the milk for making tofu. Tofu is made by coagulating soy milk and then pressing it into those familiar blocks you see in your local supermarket.
Tofu originated from China. Legend says it was discovered in the Han Dynasty more than 2000 years ago when a Chinese cook accidentally curdled soy milk when he added seaweed. Some people also state that Lord Liu An discovered the technique for making tofu, but there is not much effort supporting that statement. Back in that day inventions were mostly attributed to important leaders.

Health benefits

Tofu contains more than double the protein in meat or fish, contains all eight essential amino acids, has high value of magnesium, copper, zinc and vitamin B1! Also daily intake of soy foods are associated with reducing risk of at least one cancer type. Quite amazing for such a simple looking product right?

Mapo tofu 
One of the most famous and my all time favourite tofu dish; mapo tofu. Mapo tofu is a spicy tofu dish that originated from the Szechuan province. It has that numbing spiciness which I adore and is flavoured with Szechuan pepper and fermented black beans. Most of the time the tofu is combined with pork or minced meat but if you are a vegetarian you can just leave the meat out and it will still taste amazing.
I will share the recipe with you today and I hope you have a chance to try it out. If you are not used to spicy food, remember if you are the cook the spiciness is all up to you. This is such an easy and nutritional recipe for those days where you don't have much time to prepare dinner.

Ingredients;

- one block of soft tofu cut into cubes
- 250 gram of minced pork or beef (optional)
- one cup of chicken stock
- 2 cloves of chopped garlic
- one cup of chopped spring onions
- cornstarch
- one tbsp fermented black beans
- chili bean paste (to taste)
- 2 tbsps soy sauce
- 1 tbsp of Chinese rice wine
- sesame oil
- ground Szechuan pepper (to taste)

Instructions;

1. Heat up a skillet or a wok and add the sesame oil. Add the fermented black beans and break them a little with the back of a spoon. Add the garlic, chili bean paste and toss until fragrant.

2. Add the meat and cook for another minute.

3. Pour in the chicken stock, rice wine and soy sauce. Carefully add the tofu blocks to the mixture and stir gently until all the blocks are coated with the sauce. Be careful not to break the blocks. Add half of the spring onions and cook for 2-3 minutes.

4. Add a tsp of cornstarch in the middle of the pan and allow the sauce to thicken for another minute or two. The sauce is thick enough if it sticks a little to the spoon.

5. Pour everything in a bowl or serve on a bed of rice. Put the other half of the green onions on top and finish with some ground Szechuan pepper to taste.


I hope you enjoyed reading my post and try out my recipe.

~Mei mei