In Taiwan, it is common to eat sweet foods on and after your wedding day. It is thought that eating sweet food will help the newlywed couple have a baby boy. The reason is a Taiwanese proverb:
吃甜甜,生兒子。 (chī tiántián, shēng érzì)
It doesn’t sound as good in Mandarin, but it rhymes in Taiwanese
Continue reading Someone wants us to have kids
One of the most interesting things about learning Chinese is learning the various names for members of the family. In Germanic languages (such as English), this is relatively easy. A brother of either of your parents is an Uncle. Simple. Your parents’ mothers are Grandmothers. Simple. In Chinese, it just isn’t so.
Chinese people
Continue reading Mandarin and Taiwanese family names