國際關係

国 = 囗 + 玉 : Mnemonic symbol: a nation's flag. Let's say the Chinese flag.

In the observatory's kitchen (o2) Gitta Giraffe (gu) is practising her ballet performance. She got a whole crate (囗) full of jade bracelets (玉) and flags (国) and fixed one flag to each jade bracelet. This makes a perfect combination for throwing the ring with the flag waving behind it and catching the ring again after a few pirouettes.

国

國

guó

际

際

jì

international

际

際

jì = ji + Ø4

border / edge / boundary / interval / between / inter- / to meet / time / occasion / to meet with (circumstances)

际 = 示 + 阝 : Joan of Arc (ji) and the pope (阝) have an international (际) meeting in the space station's bathroom (Ø4). They decide on the border through the bathroom and mark their territories using standards (示).

关

關

gua̅n = gu + an1

mountain pass / to close; to shut; to turn off / to confine; to lock (sb) up; to shut (sb in a room, a bird in a cage etc) / to concern; to involve

关 = 丷 + 天 : A mean crocodile (丷) is chasing Gitta Giraffe (gu) in front of the anthill (an1). It almost caught up, when an angel (天) appears and pushes its off button (mnemonic symbol for 关) to save Gitta Giraffe.

关

關

gua̅n

系

係

relation / relationship / to concern / to affect / to have to do with / guanxi / CL:個|个[ge4]

系

係

xì = xi + Ø4

to connect / to relate to / to tie up / to bind / to be (literary)

系 = 丿 + 糸 : Mnemonic symbol: As this is the second character in 关系 (guanxi), I'll use shaking hands as the symbol for 系.

系 = 丿 + 糸 : In the space station's bathroom, Marie Curie found a new binding mechanism in chemistry. To demonstrate her findings, she binds two bananas together with a silk scarf. She celebrates her findings by shaking her own hand over her head.