Context — introspective and therapeutic blogging; blogging on family, relationships, pff, career…

For years, I have wondered
Q1: why am I subconsciously cautious about /relying/ on Chinese phrases in my blogging [2], even though Chinese phrases are increasingly important o my blogging.

After so many years, today I just noticed the #1 biggest [1] hidden barrier — technical dependency. Ascii-based blogging (without text effects) is the quickest, simplest, most transparent, most reliable, easist in set-up. Available on any device including linux,,,

Conclusion .. in my lifetime, Ascii blogging will remain the most reliable and my default.

— Chinese IME at offices, hotels … I hit progressively fewer (but not zero) issues nowadays, after the technology reached maturity, 20 years after Windows added it!

— printing .. I had hit multiple issues when printing out Chinese text, even when the screen display was fine! Even if hardware support keeps improving, this worry still lingers.

— blogg on smartphones .. Singapore smartphones generally have reliable Chinese support, but in many countries (esp. U.S.), Chinese-made phones may not be so easily available. The cheapest or best phones may not have (decent) Chinese support.

–[1] a #2 hidden barrier, I also worry about the scenario where I seek counselling or I have a written discussion with someone in English, or I present my input in a group discussion.

If a Chinese phrase is central to my writing, then I would have to translate it, crossing the /chasm/.

— case study: 摆烂 .. (躺平, 内卷 to a lesser extent) . I spent an hour researching on the precise meanings, origins/connotations. This Chinese phrase has rich meanings, but limited resonance/awareness outside the internet-age Chinese community. In contrast, many English expressions are easily understood by people unfamiliar with the English language.

Q: How much will I use this and related Chinese phrases in my blog?
A: I think “involution” as defined by myself might be the first exception to my rule (Q1). Bai3lan4 or Tan3ping2 might be the second exception. These Chinese phrases are highly relevant to my family, with RICH meanings.

— other advantages of English over Chinese and other languages

• Rich vocab .. expressive, often due to long history. Note English expressions often consist of 2 or 3 words, and far outnumber /documented/ idioms + phrasal verbs
• English is slightly easier (esp. compared to Chinese) for many beginners, due to plenty of learning resources and accumulated best-practices in teaching/learning. This makes (a simplified version of) the language more accessible to the less educated
• There are more English-speaking countries than Francophone countries or Latino countries.

When American innovators create an online product or service [games], it appeals to the global audience, but when Chinese (or Japanese) innovators do that, they become successful only in home country. This is partly due to the openness of the American culture and English language.