Two Chinese Characters
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The 2CC were on NPR's "Only a Game" on Jan. 23, 2010! (You can also hear the full interview here).
Listen to the previous 2CC NPR interview: the full 6-minute version or the 3-minute version.
also, Read the national AP wire story featuring the Two Chinese Characters.

Taiwan isn't Thailand!

The Two Chinese Characters (2CC) explain the difference between Taiwan 台灣 (formerly known as Formosa) and ประเทศไทย Thailand 泰國 (formerly known as Siam).

To our ethnic nationalist Chinese friends: Happy 100th anniversary of the fall of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, marking the end of imperial rule and the beginning of the Chinese Republican Revolution on October 10, 1911. 慶祝辛亥革命一百週年!

To our Taiwanese & Republic of China (ROC) friends: Happy 'Double Ten' National Day! 慶祝中華民國雙十節-國慶日!

To our Thai friends: Happy Chulalongkorn Day วันปิยมหาราช! [October 23, 2011, marks the 101st anniversary of the death of Thai King Rama V, aka Chulalongkorn, the modernizing monarch who reigned 1868-1910]


How to Pronounce "Zheng Jie" 郑洁

The Two Chinese Characters (2CC) offer this lesson on how to pronounce the name of Chinese tennis star Zheng Jie, just in time for the Australian Open 2010. Help us stop the butchering of this woman's good name by western sports broadcasters. Zheng Jie, jiayou! 郑洁,加油!

"How to Pronounce Zheng Jie" also doubles as a linguistics lesson in one of the trickier aspects of Mandarin Chinese pronunciation, namely the distinction between the retroflex and non-retroflex sounds, represented in the Pinyin Romanization system as zh & j, ch & q, and sh & x.

Song written & performed by Jamie Ciocco, with Matt Corriel on piano.


Two Chinese Characters: Chinese Jewish Christmas Spectacular!

In the Chinese Jewish Christmas Spectacular, the Two Chinese Characters answer the age old question: What do Jews do on Christmas? A brilliant example of the Schticky Rice genre of filmmaking, the 2CC offer this video as a special holiday tribute to our Jewish and Chinese friends. Happy Hanukkah! Merry Christmas! 祝大家光明节/圣诞节 快乐!

The Two Chinese Characters are John B. Weinstein & Carsey Yee. Video produced by Jamie Ciocco.


Two Chinese Characters: Chinese National Anthem 中国国歌

To commemorate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) on October 1, 1949, the Two Chinese Characters (2CC) perform the communist Chinese national anthem, with karaoke subtitles in Chinese 汉字 and Pinyin 拼音, and an English translation 英文翻译 for the Chinese challenged.

Happy Birthday, PRC! 庆祝中华人民共和国成立六十周年!

The Two Chinese Characters are John B. Weinstein & Carsey Yee. Video produced by Jamie Ciocco.


Two Chinese Characters: Pinyin Pirate

In the Tale of the Pinyin Pirate 拼音海盗人, the Two Chinese Characters (2CC) teach you how to say the retroflex sounds 卷舌音 in Mandarin Chinese, which are represented in the Pinyin Romanization system as: zh- (zhi), ch- (chi), sh- (shi), r- (ri) & er/-r.

The Two Chinese Characters are John B. Weinstein & Carsey Yee. Video produced by Jamie Ciocco.


Two Chinese Characters: Olympic Cities

In addition to Beijing, six other Chinese cities are hosting Olympic competitions. The Two Chinese Characters (2CC) take you on a brief tour.

The Two Chinese Characters are John B. Weinstein & Carsey Yee. Video produced by Jamie Ciocco.


Two Chinese Characters: Jiayou 加油! How to Cheer in Chinese

The 2CC explain the multiple meanings of the word "jiayou" 加油 and teach you how to cheer in Chinese. Learn the Official Chinese Cheer of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, complete with 'civilized hand gestures' authorized by the PRC government.

The Two Chinese Characters are John B. Weinstein & Carsey Yee. Video produced by Jamie Ciocco.


Two Chinese Characters: How to Pronounce Beijing

This instructional video teaches the proper English pronunciation of "Beijing" based on modern standard Mandarin Chinese. It also describes the two Chinese characters that make up the name "Beijing"-- China's capital city and host of the 2008 summer Olympics.

The Two Chinese Characters are John B. Weinstein & Carsey Yee. Video produced by Jamie Ciocco.