Hi Leon, 
a tip on what Kendra has build upon, there is a book from edoardo Fazzioli (http://www.amazon.com/Chinese-Calligraphy-Pictograph-Essential-Characters/dp/0789208709) which shows there some of the characters come from and what there meaning is. For example the word 見 (jian) - which means to see and could be used with the word mian in 見面 (jian mian)- to meet, illustrates an eye. Mian means face - so to meet is to see someones face.