<div>Xie xie, Your Grace. </div> <div> </div> <div>I salute your attempt where I seem to have been lacking. I apologise for any misunderstandings of my persona thus far. I have sent out a list of Chinese customs of etiquette to the elfsea ist and have a litle to explain the title/name switchout that is seen in any 'court jesters' of China as well as a little look at a certain legendary You.</div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div>------------------</div> <div> </div> <div class=MsoNormal style="BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: 15pt 0in; LINE-HEIGHT: 160%"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: #222222; LINE-HEIGHT: 160%; FONT-FAMILY: 'MS Mincho'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'MS Mincho'">D</SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: #222222; LINE-HEIGHT: 160%; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana"> (You Zhan)<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"
/><o:p></o:p></SPAN></div> <div class=MsoNormal style="BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: 15pt 0in; LINE-HEIGHT: 160%"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>According to legend, Chinese national hero Yu Sze was the jester of Emperor Shih Huang-Ti, who oversaw the construction of the <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:place>Great Wall of China</st1:place>. Thousands of lives were lost building the Wall, and the Emperor decided to have it painted - which would have cost even more. Yu Sze mocked the Emperor into abandoning the plancI hear this is incorrect and that</FONT></FONT><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: #222222; LINE-HEIGHT: 160%; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"> he actually persuaded the Second Emperor.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></div> <div class=MsoNormal style="BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: 15pt 0in; LINE-HEIGHT: 160%"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: #222222; LINE-HEIGHT: 160%;
FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">You Zhan (erroneously listed by many sites as Yu Sze) is a historical person who was known for his ability to tell jokes and at the same time communicate important ideas through those jokes. Of course, the 'You' in You Zhan is a reference to his title rather than his surname. 'You' is understood in these contexts to be a 'court jester' or a farcical servant of the court. <BR><BR>Another example is a person named You Meng (who served the state of </SPAN><st1:place><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: #222222; LINE-HEIGHT: 160%; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Chu</SPAN></st1:place><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: #222222; LINE-HEIGHT: 160%; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"> during the Spring and Autumn Period, which precedes the Qin Dynasty You Zhan served). In that respect, You Zhan and You Meng can be considered contemporaries.<BR><BR>NOTE: the character </SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: #222222; LINE-HEIGHT: 160%; FONT-FAMILY: 'MS Mincho';
mso-bidi-font-family: 'MS Mincho'">D</SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: #222222; LINE-HEIGHT: 160%; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana"> no longer stands for 'jester' in Modern Chinese, so you probably won't find it in any dictionary. </SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: #222222; LINE-HEIGHT: 160%; FONT-FAMILY: 'MS Mincho'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'MS Mincho'">D</SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: #222222; LINE-HEIGHT: 160%; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana"> now means "excellent" and </SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: #222222; LINE-HEIGHT: 160%; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">at one time it also meant 'actor' [still means 'actor' in Japanese] </SPAN></div> <div class=MsoNormal style="BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: 15pt 0in; LINE-HEIGHT: 160%"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: #222222; LINE-HEIGHT: 160%; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p></o:p></SPAN> </div> <DIV align=center><FONT face="comic sans ms" color=#0060bf
size=3><FONT color=#0000bf><EM>"</EM>A fool judges </FONT><FONT color=#000000><FONT color=#ffff00><FONT color=#ff7f00>people by the</FONT> </FONT><FONT color=#407f00>presents they giv</FONT></FONT><FONT color=#7f7f00>e him. <EM>"</EM></FONT></FONT></DIV> <DIV align=center><FONT face="comic sans ms" color=#0060bf size=3><EM><FONT color=#7f7f00>-C</FONT><FONT color=#c00000>hinese Prove</FONT><FONT color=#bf00bf>rb</FONT></EM></FONT></DIV> <DIV align=center><FONT face="comic sans ms" color=#0060bf size=3><EM><FONT color=#bf00bf>You Xue Xi</FONT><FONT color=#d8a5bb>anXian</FONT></EM></FONT></DIV> <DIV align=center><FONT face="comic sans ms" color=#0060bf size=3><EM><FONT color=#d8a5bb>Misc</FONT><FONT color=#ff0000>reant at L</FONT><FONT color=#bfbf00>arge</FONT></EM></FONT></DIV><!--IBF.ATTACHMENT_4895617--><!-- THE POST --><p> 
<hr size=1>Luggage? GPS? Comic books? <br>
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