THAT "Gong xi gong xi gong xi ni" song

I've briefly mentioned the Chinese New Year "Gong xi" song twice here and here but I decided to search for more information about this song.

I found it mentioned on this blog http://mumsgather.blogspot.com/2008/01/gong-xi-gong-xi-gong-xi-ni-pinyin-song.html

They are teaching the classic Gong Xi Gong Xi Gong Xi Ni Chinese New Year song at my daughter's kindy. However, during those times when they were singing it, I noticed that my girl was not singing along. (Because she doesn't understand Mandarin and she is new at the school, the others had learned it before).

So what does a Mandarin Character Illiterate Computer Geek Mom do to help her daughter? Well, she searches the internet of course. Lol! And this is what I found. A YouTube Video of the Gong Xi Gong Xi Gong Xi Ni song. Its like singing karaoke with cute little animations. Chinese Character Song Lyrics as well as an English translation of the lyrics is included. You can go here for the Gong Xi Gong Xi Gong Xi Ni Pinyin Song Lyrics.

The kids love it. They listen to it over and over and over again and laugh at the animations. Well, you don't have to be a Chinese Character illiterate like me to enjoy this Chinese New Year classic song with your kids. Just press play and enjoy! Warning: It may sound a little irritating after playing it over and over and over again about 10 times or more. Lol!

Youtube video



Here are the lyrics (translations not by me!):

每条大街小巷
mei tiao da jie xiao xiang
每个人的嘴里
mei ge ren di zhui li
见面第一句话
jian mian di yi ju hua
就是恭喜恭喜
jiu si gong xi gong xi
恭喜恭喜恭喜你呀
gong xi gong xi gong xi ni a
恭喜恭喜恭喜你
gong xi gong xi gong xi ni

冬天已到尽头
dong tian yi dao jing tou
真是好的消息
zhen shi hao di xiao xi
温暖的春风
wen nuan di chun feng
就要吹醒大地
jiu yao chui xing da di
恭喜恭喜恭喜你呀
gong xi gong xi gong xi ni a
恭喜恭喜恭喜你
gong xi gong xi gong xi ni

浩浩冰雪融解
hao hao bing xue rong jie
眼看梅花吐蕊
yan kan mei hua tu rei
漫漫长夜过去
man man chang ye guo qu
听到一声鸡啼
ting dao yi shen ji ti
恭喜恭喜恭喜你呀
gong xi gong xi gong xi ni a
恭喜恭喜恭喜你
gong xi gong xi gong xi ni

经过多少困难
jing guo duo shao kun nan
历经多少磨练
li jing duo sao mo lian
多少心儿盼望
duo shao xin er pan wang
盼望春的消息
pan wang chun de xiao xi
恭喜恭喜恭喜你呀
gong xi gong xi gong xi ni a
恭喜恭喜恭喜你
gong xi gong xi gong xi ni

1
In every avenue and street
From the mouth of everyone
The first sentence when we meet
is congratulations
Congratulations, congratluations, congratulations to you
Congratulations, congratluations, congratulations to you

2
The winter has come to an end
That's really good news
The warm breeze of the spring
will wake up the earth
Congratulations, congratluations, congratulations to you
Congratulations, congratluations, congratulations to you

3
The heavy snow has melted
The plums are about to blossom
The endless dark night is over
We hear the crowing of a rooster
Congratulations, congratluations, congratulations to you
Congratulations, congratluations, congratulations to you

4
After so much difficulty
with so much discipline
How many hearts are looking forward
To the news of spring
Congratulations, congratluations, congratulations to you
Congratulations, congratluations, congratulations to you

Repeat 2,3,4.

Now, for those that don't know... Chinese New Year is also called "Spring Festival" or 'chun jie' 春节 . Why? - I don't know.. because it is not Spring yet and it certainly isn't warm! Also those lyrics kind of aren't applicable right now given it is still freezing and the snow from a week ago hasn't even melted yet.. and I certainly don't see any plum blossoms or roosters crowing! LOL.

Gong Xi Fa Cai

Happy Chinese New Year to everyone... it has been quiet here. Most people have gone 'home' and there are fewer people around and fewer cars out on the road. I heard a few firecrackers going off last night but nothing so far today. It seems very weird it's so quiet ... It must be getting warmer because some of the snow that I saw yesterday on rooftops and sidewalks (am I turning American? footpaths for the rest of you) have melted. There is still some snow though. The weather report says "2 degrees but feels like -2." Having been to Taiwan, Hong Kong and now back to Shanghai, I've seen lots of red/gold/rat decorations around which is pretty cool. Even my flight back on China Eastern (from Hong Kong) was decked out in festive decorations! There were red paper pom pom things on the walls, and paper cut stickers, and mouse/rat cartoon cardboard cut outs stuck all over the plane.

Was reading some blog and they mentioned that annoying Chinese New Year song too! haha
http://shuflies.blogspot.com/

Ron and I were walking down Shida Road today when we heard the most annoying pop song ever. The lyrics were basically "gōng xǐ, gōng xǐ, gōng xǐ, gōng xǐ nǐ [you]!" over and over and over again.

This is a really festive time of year for me/us because not only is there CNY but our first wedding anniversary is coming up soon, then a few days later Valentine's day!

Not sure what I have got in store today (hubby is in nice and warm Thailand!) but I will have (a big) dinner with my relatives tonight!

Last few days in Taipei / A couple of hours in Hong Kong ...

What did I do? Random stuff in no particular order...

* With Chinese New Year coming up (tomorrow actually) I got some red packets. Woohoo! I felt bad about taking them but I couldn't not take them so...

* I went to Guanghua market on Bade Lu and near the Technology University and Nova across the road from Taipei Main station to get me a graphics tablet. My dad took me and we traipsed around in the rain to compare prices. Unlike China they have set prices (price tags) and you can't really bargain much at all which makes it easier to compare prices. I didn't know which size I wanted/needed nor which type. In the end I went for a cheaper, smaller one as I figure I'm not gonna be drawing masterpieces or anything so I didn't really need the high end Intuous model (which cost double the price!). I got the Bamboo Fun model (from Wacom) which has a 'Fun' name (LOL) and from reviews I read online it seems to be pretty good. Yes, this research-aholic actually bought something without researching it beforehand! It cost 3420 NT, which we 'bargained' down from 3490 (other stores were selling it for 3600 and 3700). (and no, it would not be cheaper in China and comparing prices is a nightmare here). I was actually after the Hello Kitty model but they didn't sell it. The Graphire line is being phased out and replaced with the Bamboo/Bamboo Fun line.



* I went to the new Hello Kitty Cafe only to be told there was a minimum 1.5 hour wait (it was that popular) and that next time I should pre-book beforehand!

90 Da'An Road
(very close to Sogo Zhongxiao Fuxing / Zhongxiao Fuxing MRT station).

* Got my Swatch (Menthol Tone - HKD$480) only to realise it was cheaper in Taiwan (2050 NT). ARGH!

* Met up with a friend in Hong Kong (at Times Square, Causeway Bay) for one hour. She is from Taiwan originally, met her in Sydney and now living in Hong Kong.

* Nearly missed my flight in HK after telling myself I wouldn't let that happen again. Of course my plane had to be literally right at the very end of the long terminal in the very huge airport (again!) I don't know how this happened. I checked the board and it didn't say anything. It did not say "Boarding". A few minutes later I looked at it again and it said "Final Call". WTF? Needless to say I ran like crazy but I was surprisingly not even the last person to go on board. You don't want to know what it is like to travel with Mainland Chinese people (roll eyes). They think catching a plane is like catching a bus or a train!

* Can't get the Chinese New Year song out of my head. I am sure there is only one song? They play the same song in stores in China and in Taiwan. There is an English version too. OMG. It is so annoying yet so funny, I can't get that crazy song and wacky lyrics out of my head. "Gong Xi Gong Xi Gong Xi Ni..."

* I went to Core Pacific Living Mall - A 19 storeys and open 24 hours a day mall in Taipei

* I left my video camera at my grandparent's place! :(

* When I came home last night I thought "Wow, our place looks so big and so clean and tidy!" (the joys of having an ayi who cleaned our place and washed and dried and put back on all our bedding and stuff was pretty nice, as was having a chauffeur-driven taxi take me home from the airport at around midnight!)

* I'm feeling quite sad and missing my family :(

* I'm feeling quite hungry and cold so must go out now to buy food and another heater!!

一生絕望 Our whole life is hopeless

Love this song. It is from the Singaporean film "I not stupid too." （小孩不笨 2). Highly recommended viewing for any overseas Chinese. Seriously beautiful, thought-provoking, and gut-wrenching stuff.
The song has a real 'teen angst' melancholy feel to it, kinda the way I'm feeling at the moment ;)




曲/濨波 诿/梿智强 唱/洪俊扬

Verse
我们肆无忌惮 我们房群结党
我们目无尊长 对什么事都不满
看翀我们的房长 忪会制造麻烦
我们就是一无是处你忈能怎样

我们don't give a damn那看不起的眼光
我们什么都不是 我们什么都不管
我们之间为什么会渿渿地没有语言
我们之间有鿓墙

1st verse
学校耿师濟手无策父毿臭骂我们不会想
这个社会的标准已绿超出了我们这年纪的有陿想象
忪认定会读书就一定是好孩子的榜样
别以为看不起我们 就告诉自己比人家强

有多少人关心我们为何会走错迷失方忑
忈有谿会 替我们想想苹果为何忘烂
其实我们也曾努力覿争忖所有人的称赞
扪心自问你们究竟给了我们多少希望

2nd verse
泪水已绿浿干，剿途也很渺茫
迷失的翵魂，我们应该怎么办
惩罚我们就是堂皇的忿助房长
然忎让我们一生絕望

有些人幸迿天生没有战场
我们一出世就是自己孤军作战
站在忿字路忣的风雨中呿喊
不覿让我们一生絕望

(back to 1st verse)

---
As a challenge to myself I'm going to translate the lyrics to English (of which I can understand about 70% of). Someone who knows Mandarin better than me - tell if me I've done it incorrectly ;)
---

We have no morals, our group formed a clique
Our goal is not to have superiors, we are not satisfied with anything
(don't get this bit), we're restless, we meet up to make trouble
We are just not here, what can you do?

We don't give a damn about those that look down upon our vision
We are all nothing, we don't care about anything
Why isn't there any communication between us?
There is only a wall between us

School teacher doesn't have a method, father scolds us for being unable to think
This society's criteria has already exceeded the imagination of people our age
The restless maintain it is possible to study, this is a model of a good child
Don't think that if you look down on us you, yourself must be stronger than us

How many people care about how the people in our group are going astray?
Why don't you look at it from our point of view; why did the apple become rotten?
Actually, we try very hard to earn praise
With a heavy heart I only ask you, how much hope have we given ourselves?

2nd verse
The tears have already dried, the road is very uncertain
We've lost our souls, what are we supposed to do?
To punish us is a grand...(?)
Then our whole lives will be hopeless

Some people are lucky, they don't have an internal battlefield,
As soon as we were born we were a lonely soldier
Standing at the vehement road in the middle of the wind and the rain to cry out
Don't let everyone see our whole lives be hopeless

(This was harder than I thought! In translating I also discovered some of the characters are wrong. I just copied and pasted the lyrics and some of the characters are not the same as the ones in the song! D'oh!)