Rob_Roy Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 In 2008 I met a guy from China who just arrived in West Midlands to study English. He asked his English teacher about what the people were doing on 11/11 and he got furious after the explaination. Firstly he (and so does many Chinese) doesn't know what this red paper flower is called, in English or Chinese language. Then, when someone informed him its "Poppy", then he looks it up in the English-Chinese Dictionary. The Chinese word of "Poppy" is more likely to be only heard in Chinese history lesson for the topic of Opium War. No dictionary or people stress the difference between 2 kinds of poppies and 2 histories. He got furious because British people are remembering their war dead? Or did he think that we only wear it to remember a war that most people in this country have niether heard of nor care about? If he doesn't like it here he can go home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulgarian Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 Chinese people in Sheffield who don't know this botanic/scientific fact may think that poppies worn by the British is a symbol of conquering China/ remembering its victory in the Opium Wars. if they were really old and tourists from China then maybee (though i really doubt it) but I find it hard to believe anyone living in Britain/Europe for any length of time woudln't know what poppies symbolise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
222Meridian Posted November 4, 2011 Author Share Posted November 4, 2011 He got furious because British people are remembering their war dead? Or did he think that we only wear it to remember a war that most people in this country have niether heard of nor care about? If he doesn't like it here he can go home. At that time he just arrived England for around 30days. I've lost contact with him. He indeed didn't believe his teacher who told him the poppy symbol. The English-Chinese dictionary gave him the chinese word of poppy, eventually made him recall the Opium Wars taught in his school in China. Also the English teacher was explaning too briefly that she didn't mention anything about "poppy was the flower found around battlefields"/"There's a famous poem highlighting poppies". So, what I'm saying is the Chinese may misunderstand the meaning of red poppies and Remembrance, but through better explaination this can be solved! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy Jnr Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 It's quite possible they have no knowledge of rememberance day or the significance of the poppy and possible also that a person could live here for the best part of a year and still be unaware as it is rarely spoken of at any other time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGuy Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 Who gives a monkeys about the chinese all they did for us was ruining our eating habits! Chinese food(or the version of it that we have here that suites the English palate) is absulutly beautiful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy Jnr Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 Who gives a monkeys about the chinese all they did for us was ruining our eating habits! Well that and make a high percentage of everything we buy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bullerboY Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 Thats why we have only a few cutlery works left everyone eats with their fingers now thanks to the take away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rupert_Baehr Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 At that time he just arrived England for around 30days. I've lost contact with him... :hihi: Do you work for the UKBA? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plain Talker Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 quick question... Do the Chinese manufacture tinfoil hats? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harleyman Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 I dont know if China has a remeberance day of their own but they fought a long and bitter war for years against the Japanese invaders and lost a lot of their own during that time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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