Bridge language news

This Chinese lady learnt Tamil and even published a book. Northies, even now it is not too late for you to learn Tamil - at-least the spoken variety.
btw, what does Kalaimakal mean? kalai I assume is art and makkal means people? What is makal?

http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/chinas-first-tamil-author-looks-to-build-bridges/article4316604.ece


Zhao Jiang’s first Tamil book makes debut at on-going Chennai Book Fair

For Zhao Jiang, who prefers to go by her Tamil name Kalaimakal, writing a book in Tamil would have seemed unthinkable when she first began learning what appeared to be an undecipherable script in a Chinese university classroom some 15 years ago.

Today, as a fluent Tamil-speaker and the director of the government-run China Radio International’s (CRI) Tamil station, which commands an impressive audience of more than 25,000 dedicated listeners in Tamil Nadu alone, Ms. Zhao has taken it upon herself to foster closer ties between China and southern India, a usually overlooked destination for Chinese travellers.

This week, Ms. Zhao’s first book in Tamil — which, as far as she knows, might even be the first ever Tamil book authored by a Chinese — will debut at the ongoing Chennai Book Fair, which runs until January 23 at the YMCA College Ground in Nandanam. The book will be available at the stall of publishers Gowtham Pathippagam.

Titled China’s Travel Attractions, the book provides an introduction of the history and culture of Beijing, Shanghai and Tibet. “The idea I had was to introduce the special features of China for a Tamil audience,” Ms. Zhao told The Hindu in an interview.

Her inspiration, she said, came from the listeners of CRI, who sent in thousands of letters wanting to know more about travelling in China.

CRI’s Tamil station receives as many as five lakh letters every year — more than any other of the station’s 60 international channels — from listeners in India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore and Europe.

The book, Ms. Zhao says, introduces the changes the Chinese capital has seen in its recent history, from its thriving new 798 art district to its modern subway system. It also provides an introduction to China’s most famous historical sites. The book includes sections on Shanghai’s architecture and a guide to travelling in Tibet, written with an Indian audience in mind.

Ms. Zhao has been a broadcaster with CRI for 13 years, joining the channel after completing her undergraduate degree in Tamil at the Communications University of China. The university is the only school in Beijing that teaches Tamil; it caters largely to the hiring needs of CRI and the official Xinhua news agency.

Ms. Zhao, who has travelled extensively in Tamil Nadu in 2003 and 2004 on trips aimed at engaging with CRI’s more than 500 listeners’ clubs, now plans to spend a year studying in Tamil Nadu. She is also considering writing a book, based on her upcoming travels in India, to introduce south India to Chinese travellers, who usually only head to New Delhi or Buddhist pilgrimage sites in the north.

“After the success of the film ‘Life of Pi’ in China [parts of which were shot in Puducherry], there is an increasing interest in south India among Chinese,” Ms. Zhao said.

Keywords: Chinese writer Zhao Jiang, writer Kalaimakal, China Radio International, Chennai Book Fair

Those wily commies. They want to pit the Tamilian against the Hindian in India and the Tamilian against the Sinhala in Sri Lanka. And to legitimize Tibet as a part of China

Hellsangel wrote:Those wily commies. They want to pit the Tamilian against the Hindian in India and the Tamilian against the Sinhala in Sri Lanka. And to legitimize Tibet as a part of China

Yeah, I wonder what their Tamil radio channel broadcasts.

thank you bringing us link language chronicles. it makes for fine reading

Propagandhi711 wrote:thank you bringing us link language chronicles. it makes for fine reading

Glad to be of help. Next time you want to say thank you, say "Nandri" instead.

nevada wrote:This Chinese lady learnt Tamil and even published a book. Northies, even now it is not too late for you to learn Tamil - at-least the spoken variety.
btw, what does Kalaimakal mean? kalai I assume is art and makkal means people? What is makal?

http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/chinas-first-tamil-author-looks-to-build-bridges/article4316604.ece

It should be KalaimaGal.

I used to listen to teh Peking Radio Tamil news broadcast - it was the bestest comedy show on radio in those days.

"Indhiya Naigal assam Makkalai inru bayam urutinaagal" imagine this with an accent...

BBC has a head start in this.

Mr. Nevada,

I posted this thread this morning with the same link..apparently you totally overlooked/ignored it..mikka nandri (thanks a lot!)

https://such.forumotion.com/t10037-chinese-kalaimagal-zhao-jiang

Seriously, no problem, it's good that this gets all the publicity it can..it was odd you posted the same link, that's all.

*It's Kalaimag(k)al..magal is daughter/woman (in some contexts)..so it's daughter/woman of art..(something is lost in translation here).

Maria, thanks for posting the meaning. Actually, Sandilya had posted the same link in a separate thread as well. I am sorry, I missed your post - I don't look beyond the first 5-6 posts and your post is somewhere down below.

nevada wrote:Maria, thanks for posting the meaning. Actually, Sandilya had posted the same link in a separate thread as well. I am sorry, I missed your post - I don't look beyond the first 5-6 posts and your post is somewhere down below.

LOL! Kalaimagal Zhao Jiang is apparently a popular woman..if we are posting so much about her, no wonder she is a lucky and fabulous bridge builder..and getting so much attention/publicity!

No sorry necessary Nevada, appreciate the acknowledgement:) I do the same..come by click on a few threads/read a few posts and respond too!

Maria S wrote:Mr. Nevada,

I posted this thread this morning with the same link..apparently you totally overlooked/ignored it..mikka nandri (thanks a lot!)

https://such.forumotion.com/t10037-chinese-kalaimagal-zhao-jiang

Seriously, no problem, it's good that this gets all the publicity it can..it was odd you posted the same link, that's all.

*It's Kalaimag(k)al..magal is daughter/woman (in some contexts)..so it's daughter/woman of art..(something is lost in translation here).

Kalaimagal also stands for Goddess Saraswathi.

goodcitizn wrote:

Kalaimagal also stands for Goddess Saraswathi.

You are so right..certainly could be why the lady picked that name.

Just remembered the Vasantha Maligai song.."Kalaimagal kai porulay"..referring to the musical instrument Veena/Veenai.