Random notes
[counting]
A child is counting in Chinese to 8.
1 is 'eee', 2 is 'err', 8 is 'baa'. (non-standard spelling, there are 4 tones which I'm ignoring but just to give an idea where the sequence starts and ends, this should do)
8 is a lucky number.
Chinese will sometimes try to work it into something; a phone number, custom license plate, even as a middle name.
"gold, fire, wood, clay, and water"
She's alluding to the 5 Elements. The Chinese Zodiac assigns an element to a year as well as an animal. 'gold' is a metal. 'clay' alludes to earth. 12 animals, 5 elements. 60 years later, someone born a Water Dragon will see the Water Dragon year again.
"in a terrible hurry"
China has undergone tremendous change. Shenzhen is a city larger than NYC. 30 years ago, it apparently barely rated as a place on a map. Now it makes nearly all of our computer devices, and yes that includes non-Apple stuff too. China bulldozes a lot of history. 200 years old in the US is ancient. In a nation that existed before Jesus Christ and the Western calendar, a 200 year old village gate is just a trivial obstacle to a bigger street.
"adagio to allegro"
Adagio is a musical term for slow. Allegro is brisk. The rate of change has gone from slow to frantic.
Random notes [counting] A child is counting in Chinese to 8. 1 is 'eee', 2 is 'err', 8 is 'baa'. (non-standard spelling, there are 4 tones which I'm ignoring but just to give an idea where the sequence starts and ends, this should do)
8 is a lucky number. Chinese will sometimes try to work it into something; a phone number, custom license plate, even as a middle name.
"gold, fire, wood, clay, and water" She's alluding to the 5 Elements. The Chinese Zodiac assigns an element to a year as well as an animal. 'gold' is a metal. 'clay' alludes to earth. 12 animals, 5 elements. 60 years later, someone born a Water Dragon will see the Water Dragon year again.
"in a terrible hurry" China has undergone tremendous change. Shenzhen is a city larger than NYC. 30 years ago, it apparently barely rated as a place on a map. Now it makes nearly all of our computer devices, and yes that includes non-Apple stuff too. China bulldozes a lot of history. 200 years old in the US is ancient. In a nation that existed before Jesus Christ and the Western calendar, a 200 year old village gate is just a trivial obstacle to a bigger street.
"adagio to allegro" Adagio is a musical term for slow. Allegro is brisk. The rate of change has gone from slow to frantic.