Suiren, Fuxi and Shennong are regarded as the Three Sage Kings of ancient China who made personal sacrifices to improve the lives of the people. They are known for one or more unique contributions to mankind.

Suiren who reputedly lived 18,000 years ago discovered how to make fire by drilling wood. This discovering enabled mankind to eat cooked food and use fire to keep warm and ward off wild animals.

Fuxi taught people how to domesticate animals. He also taught them to make nets to catch fish, birds and wild animals and in the process ensure the supply of food all year round. He was also responsible for creating the institution of marriage and the for a 35 string musical instrument. His most important contribution however was the Bagua or Eight Trigram that formed the basis for the all important I Ching or Book of changes.

Shennong, also known as Yandi, invented the ancient rake, spade, plough and sickle and taught people to grow five types of cereals, rice, two types of millet, wheat and beans. He also invented barter trade and further modified Fuxi's 35 strings musical instrument into a 5 strings one.

However he was best remembered for tasting hundreds of wild herbs to find remedies to treat illnesses. In the process he suffered continually from poisoning and eventually die from eating one too many.

The emperors after Shennong were Huangdi, Zhuanxu, Diku, Yao and Shun and they are collectively known as the Five Legendary Rulers.

Huangdi have many achievements attributed to him. He had good management skills and knows how to use men of ability to help him rule the country and come out with innovations.

He commissioned his subject to develop a written language which contributed to the growth of Chinese Culture. With another he studied the art of healing and compiled "The Yellow Emperor's Medicine Classic". Yet with another he developed the 60 year cycle "Jia Zi" calendar that aided in farming.

Huangdi advocated peace and avoided war. During his reign, the people enjoyed peace and prosperity and it ushered in the age of civilization for the Chinese people.

Zhuanxu who succeeded Huangdi was not his son. He was chosen over Huangdi's many sons because of his outstanding ability. Zhuanxu greatest contribution was to bring law and order to the people plus consolidating the power of the central authority.

After Zhuanxu comes Diku who was a great grandson of Huangdi. Diku was a benevolent king who placed the people's welfare above self. He created new official posts and ministries with clearly demarcated duties such as the Ministry of Land, Forestry, Water, Metal Ores and Fire. And he personally conducted inspections frequently to ensure that the country was well run. He also further improved the calendar which contributed to farming.

Yao was Diku's son. He was industrious and benevolent like his father. He further developed the calendar and modified the timing of planting that resulting in bumper harvests.

Shun was Yao's son in law. Although his mother died when he was very young, and his step mother and father ill-treated him, he remained filial to them. His great virtue helped him to gain fame and he was summoned to King Yao's service at 30. He eventually married King Yao's daughter.

Shun drafted the five rules of etiquette and others rules and regulations which the dukes and princes had to observed. He also divided the country into 12 states with each having its own administrator. He continued to implement changes at the administrative level and set up the department of rites, music, farming, mulberry planting, works, water and land.

Shun was succeeded by Yu who founded the Xia Dynasty. Yu was famed for his ability to control flooding but that is another story for another time.



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Samurai (also known as bushi) were members of Japan's military class. The name is also used for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. This is also the etymology of the Japanese word subaru. Some believe subaru was originally samurai and changed over the years. By the end of the twelfth century, subaru became synonymous with the word bushi, or warrior, the root of the word Bushido. The samurai used and were experts in many weapons of their time but their most famous weapon, and the symbol of who they were, was the katana (more commonly known as the samurai sword. The belief structure and culture were based on the idea of Bushido, which means 'the way of the warrior' and advocated unquestioning loyalty to the master at all costs and obedience in all deeds, valuing honor above life.

Bushido was so important to the samurai that they would die or commit suicide with a strict formal method called Seppuku by cutting their own stomach with a sword before being captured or dying a dishonorable death. Here is a brief history of time periods of the samurai from AD 538 to today:

1. Asuka period (Asuka jidai "period of flying bird"), AD 538 - 710

2. Nara period (Nara-jidai) AD 710 - 794

3. Heian period (Heian-jidai or "time of peace and tranquility" ) AD 794 - 1185

4. Kamakura period ( Kamakura-jidai) AD 1185 - 1333

5. Muromachi period (Muromachi-jidai) AD 1333 - 1573

6. Azuchi-Momoyama period (Azuchi momoyama jidai) 1573 - 1603

7. Edo period (Edo-jidai), also the Tokugawa period (Tokugawa-jidai) 1603 - 1868

8. Samurai culture today

Asuka period (Asuka jidai "period of flying bird"), AD 538 - 710

In 538, Buddhism was introduced to Japan by Baekje, with whom they had an agreement for military support, and it was promoted by the ruling class. Prince Shotoku, was disputedly-reported to be a regent and a politician, devoted his efforts to the spread of Buddhism and Chinese culture in Japan. Shotoku brought relative peace to Japan through the proclamation of theJushichijo kenpo in 604, often referred to in Japan as the Seventeen-article constitution, a Confucian style document that focused on the kinds of morals and virtues that were to be expected of government officials and the emperor's subjects. This thinking became a great influence in the philosophy of Samurai. After Japan's defeat with Tang China and Silla, Japan went through widespread reforms. One of these reforms was called theTaika Reforms (Taika no Kaishin) in 646 after defeat of the Soga clan, which united Japan. This edict legitimized and required Chinese cultural practices and administrative techniques throughout the Japanese government and aristocracy. In 702,Taiho Code, and the later Yoro Code, required the population to regularly report for a census, which was later used for national conscription. With the data from this census, Emperor Mommu introduced the law whereby a quarter to a third of males were drafted into the national military, which was modeled after the Chinese system and called gundan-sei by later historians.

Nara period (Nara-jidai) AD 710 - 794

Japanese society in the Nara period was decidedly agrarian. Shinto was the predominate religion, which was based around the worship of natural and ancestral spirits (kami). One of the effects of the Taiho Code was to stop the practice of moving the capital when the ruler died, which was done because prior to the decree that city would have been considered polluted. The capital was moved to Heijo-kyo, or Nara in 710. Economic activity flourished during the Nara period due to increased road and a more efficient tax-collection structure. Outside of the capital city, however, commercial activity remained low and land reform systems declined. By the mid-eighth century, shoen (landed estates), one of the most important economic institutions in medieval Japan, became more important as land-holders desired to improve their abilities and efficiencies with land-holding. Local administration became stronger and less reliant on the larger government while the old land distribution system developed byPrince ShMtoku and the rise in taxes caused some land owners to lose their property and become furosha ('wave people' - as in tossed around by the waves, or homeless) and "public lands" increasingly reverted to becoming shoen, or government-owned land. As the size of property grew, the need for security grew as well and wealthy land-owners started needing better protection for their land and a way to collect taxes.

Heian period (Heian-jidai or "time of peace and tranquility" ) AD 794 - 1185

Confucianism and other Chinese influences were at their height during the Heian period. This period is also considered the peak of the Japanese imperial court and noted for its art, especially poetry and literature. The role of samurai grew during this period as wealthy and powerful landowners hired them to protect their property. Two military clans,Minamoto and Taira , became so powerful that they seized control over the country and fought viciously against each other. In 1185, Samurai fought at the naval battle ofDan-no-Ura. Due to this battle and their rising military and economic power, Samurai held more sway in the politics of the court. In 1156, the Japanese fought a civil war, called the HMgen Rebellion (over Japanese imperial succession. This set the stage for the samurai to gain real power in the government. In 1160, the Heiji Rebellion brought the Minamoto and Taira clan battle on full-force, resulting in the defeat of the Minamoto clan by Taira no Kiyomori , who then became the first warrior to become a imperial advisor. He eventually took control of the central government and instituted Samurai control, relegating the emperor to a symbolic position.

Kamakura period (Kamakura-jidai) AD 1185 - 1333

The Taira and Minamoto clans fought again in 1180, beginning the Gempei War which ended in 1185. Minamoto no Yoritomo, the ruler of the Minamoto clan, then established the superiority of the samurai over the aristocracy. He became the Seii Taishogun, and established the Kamakura Shogunate (or Kamakura Bakufu) in 1185, although it wasn't officially recognized formally until 1192. He had military rule over all other Shogun and instead of ruling from Kyoto, he set up command in Kamakura, near his power base. Over time, the samurai clans became warrior nobility or buke, meaning upper, privileged class. The aristocratic culture began to influence samurai with pastimes such as calligraphy, poetry and music while at the same time, the aristocracy adopted certain samurai customs. In 1274, the Yuan Dynasty of the Mongol Empire invaded Japan near northern Kykshk. 10,000 Samurai gathered to meet this force of over 40,000. In 1281, the Mongol army gathered 140,000 men and 4,400 ships to attack Japan, who had collected 40,000 of their own men. While they were on their ships, preparing to attack, a typhoon hit the island, greatly weakening the Mongol army and aiding their defeat by the Japanese by the defenses at the Hakata Bay barrier. These winds became known as Kamikaze (divine wind'). These great meteorological events helped to solidify the common belief that their lands and people were sacred and protected. During this period, a blacksmith called Masamune (c- Masamune also known as Goro Nyudo Masamune (Priest Goro Masamune)), developed method of constructing samurai swords using layers of both soft and hard steel to make them both flexible and able to hold a very sharp edge without being brittle. This development brought katana to the forefront of weapons development. This development was so legendary that an award for swordsmiths exists called the Masamune prize which is awarded at the Japanese Sword Making Competition. Samurai armor was also advancing during this period.

Muromachi period (Muromachi-jidai) AD 1333 - 1573

Zen Buddhism became very strong throughout the samurai culture during this period and helped to shape their conduct and traditions, especially regarding death and killing.

During the Warring States period (sengoku jidai AD 1467-1573), Japan was under constant upheaval due to warring factions. This placed a great worth on Samurai skills and training with samurai swords was perfected. They brought firearms and the arquebus in to their culture when the Portuguese introduced it to Japan in 1543 but the samurai sword remained the primary weapon of the samurai.

Azuchi-Momoyama period (Azuchi momoyama jidai) 1573 - 1603

In 1582, general Akechi murdered Nobunaga and captured his Azuchi castle. Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a general who fought for Nobunaga, fought back and defeated Akechi, and took over control. Toyotomi Hideyoshi reunited japan and introduced a strict social caste systems. When he died in 1598, Tokugawa Ieyasu took over and increased the power of this system. They forced all the samurai to decide between being a farmer or working as a warrior in a castle town or jMkamachi. He also forbade all but Samurai to wear a sword. He used the samurai to invade China in 1592 and 1598 as well as Korea. These battles were known as Hideyoshi's invasions of Korea, the Seven Year War (in reference to its span) and the Imjin War. The samurai almost succeeded in winning.

Edo period (Edo-jidai), also the Tokugawa period (Tokugawa-jidai) 1603 - 1868

The Warring States period (sengoku jidai) was a time of conspiracy and social strife, resulting in nearly constant military conflict. This period lasted from the middle of the fifteenth century to the seventeenth century. During this time, the name of Samurai became less defined as those born out of the typical social structure became known as warriors and thereby known as Samurai. Bushido was used as an important mechanism by where public order was controlled. During the Edo period, Samurai held the top rank in the social caste structure.

In 1615, a few years after Hideyoshi's death, Tokugawa troops attacked and destroyed Osaka Castle , eliminating Tokugawa's final potential rival: Toyotimi. Peace subsequently prevailed for approximately 250 years. Due to this peace, the importance of martial arts lessened and its teachings and skills suffered. Most of the samurai class became artisans or beurocrats. Their samurai swords became a symbolic emblem rather than a real necessity, although they still retained the right to kill any commoner who did not show proper respect to them or their title.

The central government forced daimyo ('great name') to reduce the size of their armies, resulting in an increase in the number of masterless samurai (ronin ('drifting person'), causing societal problems. It was during this period that the first non-Japanese became a samurai - William Adams. Adams was the inspiration for the lead character, John Blackthorne in the novel Shogun. He was given two samurai swords to represent his samurai authority. In 1853, Commodore Matthew Perry brought Western trade and culture to Japan, ending their isolationism. In 1854, the samurai army and Japanese navy were modernized and military commanders were sent to the West to learn military tactics, techniques and procedures. The final hurrah of the original samurai was in 1867, when Samurai from Choshu and Satsuma provinces defeated the Shogunate forces on behalf of the emporer during the Boshin War (Boshin Senso, "War of the Year of the Dragon") in 1868. This led to the opening of Japanese society to the West in what is called the Meiji Restoration (Meiji ishin). The members of the Meiji government decided to follow European military structure, basing the country on the concept of "noblesse oblige." This ended the samurai class. The last conflict in which samurai were of any consequence was during the Satsuma Rebellion (Seinan SensM (Southwestern War)) in 1877 in the Battle of Shiroyama (Shiroyama no tatakai)

Samurai Culture Today

We still see many influences on our culture from the Samurai, especially in movies. Tom Cruise's The Last Samurai is probably the most well-known in Western popular culture and is one of my favorites. It shows the end of the samurai culture in the late nineteenth century. Many, many other movies have been made about samurai culture as well, most of them in Japanese but many are now being dubbed or subtitled in English. Star Wars was greatly influenced by samurai culture and bushido. Even the Magnificent Seven was based on a samurai story: the Seven Samurai. Many, many books also deal with the ideals that samurai once stood for.

Samurai culture has influenced many cultures over the years since it ended and will continue to do so as long as people like you are interested in reading about it and retelling its stories. Many people still today collect samurai swords, samurai armor, including the kabuto as well as other samurai accessories.



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The record of the history of the carnival in Rio is dated in year 1723. Refugees from the islands of Portuguese of Cabo Verde and Acores, Madeira has introduced the Entrudo. The idea is generally to get everyone soaked wet. The people will go outside the streets taking their buckets of limes and water where everyone can be a prospective victim. Even the emperors are taking part in this fun activity. There is an inquisitive record about a woman who has been arrested in year 1855 for throwing the lime at the escorts of Dom Pedro I. Many authorities have frowned upon lacking of restraints from the Entrudo and ultimately this fun activity was outlawed.

Ze Pereira also gives an important contribution to the history of the carnival in Rio. It was contributed by a Shoe maker from Portugal whose name is Jose Nogueira de Azevedo at the middle of the XIX century. Every carnival Mondays, Jose are marching around the streets together with his colleagues playing whistles, pans, tambourines and drums. Everyone is welcomed to participate in the fun. Another is the Grandes sociedades or is also called as Great societies who are conducting a well-organized parade, which debuted by year 1855, along with the attendance of the ruler himself. This involves a group of 80 aristocrats with masks paraded with flowers, music and luxury costumes. It was truly a huge achievement. Tenentes do Diabo, Fenianos and democraticos are the 3 most popular groups.

Another fun and interesting activity in the history of the carnival in Rio is the Cordao Carnavalesco. The invention of this event has started in year 1870. Dancers, peasants, witches, kings and queens are the major characters involve and they are performing according to the set of clothes they wear. They also have Cordoes de Velhos that involves participants wearing a vast paper-mache mask while walking in the aged mans gait.

These fun activities in the history of the carnival in Rio have help the people forget the problems and pains encountered in their daily life. These cultures have been provided in order to release the human desires up to the varying extents. A few of the societies repress it, some are controlling it, and some simply set it free for pure celebration. Those Brazilians who are along with the 3rd group sheer unlimited celebrations, either it is soccer, samba or carnival; they are at all times prepared for the chee

Candis Reade is an accomplished niche website developer and author.



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There are lots of advantages of bringing your family with you to teach abroad. Your children will learn the language, culture and customs and broaden their perspectives. However, there are practical matters to take into consideration before planning the big move. Wherever you decide to go, be sure to research that country carefully beforehand. Dave's ESLcafe is a good place to start. Not only do you have yourself to worry about, but your family as well. You'll want to be sure that everyone's happy with the decision to live abroad.

If you're planning on teaching with a family, take a look first at teaching with a partner. The first thing that you will have to think about is your budget. Most teaching jobs pay enough for you to live off of while teaching and living in that country, but having enough for a spouse/partner and kids is a whole other story. If money is a concern, try to take on a couple of private classes and ask your school about overtime pay. You'll also need to consider benefits, such as education, medical insurance, housing allowance, shipping allowance, and flight allowance when considering relocating with a family. Be sure to ask your employer beforehand and get it in writing before hopping on the plane.

Money Matters
Keep in mind that the higher paying jobs usually require experience, qualifications and often connections. Getting a DELTA, PGDE, teaching license, or an MA would be very useful. Add a couple of years of experience and you're good to go.

If your partner works or teaches, than there will be less constraints, but you still might have to struggle to make ends meet. In general, the countries that pay the most are Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, and countries in the Middle East. Many families are happy in the Middle East, benefits are great (such as free education and housing) and it's a chance to learn about a very different culture. The one downside is that foreigners and locals do not mix that much. Also, international and bilingual schools, as well as DOD schools and Teaching Fellows from Fulbright often offer excellent packages that may include education for your children. You'll have to weight the pros and cons before you go.

Your Children's Education
Education is a big concern for parents overseas. Although there are plenty of international schools, fees are usually out of reach for many English teachers. That being said, many top tier schools offer free or discounted rates to their teachers, so if you can get into an international school, your child's education will be one less thing to worry about.

If international schools are beyond your reach, don't worry, there are plenty of great local schools out there. Just be sure to ask around for recommendations and visit the school a couple of times before enrolling your child there. Keep in mind that if your child doesn't speak the local language, he or she will need time to adjust. This is normal, give them a few months and soon they'll be speaking like a native.

Another option would be to home school, but that would mean one parent would have to stay home. If money-wise that would work out for you, you could try that. Or try half the time at a local school and half at home. That way your child could integrate more into the society, as well as learn the language and make friends, and you could still educate your child as you saw fit. It's not uncommon for children to attend some classes, such as Maths and language at school, and the rest at home. Talk to your school beforehand.

Where to Live
Housing will also be a concern. Some schools will get you housing, but it might not be big enough for your family. Ask your employer about larger housing for people with a family or if they give a housing allowance of some sort.

Visas
Visas are not to be forgotten, although may people teach on tourist visas, you'll have to make sure that you can get visas for everyone in your family. Once you get a visa it should be no problem, countries usually have dependent visas for family members. But getting your visa might be tricky, Some countries like Korea and China are relatively easy to get visas for. Other countries, such as EU ones, are more difficult, especially if you're American. Ask your school about visas before you go and it's always better to have the visa in your passport before you arrive in country. Be wary of those schools that say that they will get you a work visa after you arrive.

Contracts
You'll have to consider time as well. Institutes usually have you sign a year contract, but schools may ask for two or three years. Consider how long you will be in the country of your choice and also how you will transition back to life at home. If you plan on going for a couple of years, putting things in storage will be the least of your worries, you will also need to have a job to come back to. And reverse culture shock is something that you will have to expect when going home. It's not impossible, but planning and careful research will make sure that your transition goes smoothly.

Sharon de Hinojosa (naturegirl321) has lived and worked (mainly teaching English) in the US, Scotland, Spain, the Czech Republic, China, Korea, and Peru. As well as teaching short-term in Venezuela and Taiwan.



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