Feb032012

Chinese Valentine’s Day

By ACook | February 3, 2012 | Posted in Cultural Celebrations | Comments (0)

Hi everyone, my name is April Cook, and along with Robin Su, I am filling the management intern position here at FWFL where learning a language is FUN! We both will be coming to you bi-weekly giving you some great updates on different cultures, fun facts, and great foods!

Now as you all know, Valentine’s Day is just around the corner! When we think of Valentines Days, hearts, cupids, flowers, cards, and our significant others come to mind. As we know, Valentine’s Day is a day that came from St. Valentine where lovers express their love for one another with greeting cards and flowers. We always celebrate it the same way every year. Now can you imagine Valentine’s Day in China?

In China, Valentine’s Day is referred to as “Qi Qiao Jie” or the seventh eve. Although we are used to getting gifts here in the U.S on Valentine’s Day, in China they do not exchange gifts on this day. On Chinese Valentine’s Day, which is celebrated in August instead of February, there is a legend about the position of the stars on the seventh day in the Chinese lunar calendar. The legend believes that the seven daughters of the Goddess of Heaven caught the eye of a Cowherd during their visit to earth. While the daughters were bathing in the river the Cowherd, named Niu Lang, decided to run off with their clothes because he thought it would be funny.

The prettiest daughter Zhi Nu, who was also the seventh child born, decided to ask him for their clothes back. Since he had seen her naked, they had to be married and were happy for years. After a while, the Goddess of Heaven didn’t like the fact that her daughter was gone, so she made her come back to Heaven. After she made her daughter, Zhi Nu come back to Heaven, she felt bad for the couple and allowed them to reunite once a year. So on the seventh night of the seventh moon, magpies form a bridge with their wings for Zhi Nu to cross to meet Niu Lang.

Now on Chinese Valentine’s Day, they celebrate by having the Seven Sisters Festival. On this day, along with a bunch of other rituals that are performed, young couples wait for their chance to get married and single girls seek to find their life partner and soul mates.

It’s very interesting how people can celebrate the same holiday, but in very different ways based on their cultures. On Valentine’s Day, both celebrate love and yet one is just to show the other that they love them and one is more on the lines of marriage and finding their soul mates. So spend Valentine’s Day how you would like to, whether it is with a friend or a significant other, show them you love them because you never know the person you take out could be your life partner!

Happy Early Valentine’s Day Everyone!<3

By ACook | Posted in Cultural Celebrations | Comments (0)
Jan272012

Chinese New Year

By RSu | January 27, 2012 | Posted in Cultural, Cultural Celebrations | Comments (0)

Happy New Year everyone! Before I begin explaining my seemingly belated New Year greeting, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Robin Su and I am one of the management interns for FWFL this coming spring semester! I am a Business Administration major with a concentration in Management. I look forward to interacting with, not only the staff, but also the parents and children at FWFL. I believe that learning a second language is very important and I am glad to be part of this program. I am excited to be working with all of you!

Again, Happy New Year! Some may already know of this, but many Asian countries including China, Japan, and Korea celebrate a separate New Year. In China, January 1st is indeed celebrated but it is treated as a normal holiday with no special traditions other than the trading of “Happy New Year” greetings among family and friends. January 1st is an official Chinese holiday; government buildings and businesses close on that day. However, Chinese New Year is celebrated on a much bigger scale.

Chinese New Year, more accurately known as Spring Festival, often occurs between late January and mid-February. The date, which is different each year, is based off the lunar calendar. The first thing to note in a new year would be which animal year it is. As you may know, China has its own zodiac consisting of twelve animals: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. With twelve animals, there is a twelve-year cycle in which each year represents one of those animals. This year is the year of the dragon! Those born in 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, and 2012 are all born in the year of the dragon and this is a special year for them!

As I mentioned before, the Spring Festival is celebrated on a scale where New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day in China cannot compete. Businesses are closed for one week and the streets are filled with an air of festivity. In China, red is the color of luck, prosperity, fortune, and happiness; therefore, the streets will be filled with red during the week. Words of luck and joy are written on red banners and are taped around doors. Paper cutouts and signs with “luck” written on them are hung and taped on windows and inside buildings. You will also see many people, if not all, wear the color red. Chinese New Year is a time for family gatherings, thus many activities are done among family to celebrate this occasion. For example, there are some places in China where the tradition is to hand-wrap 1000 dumplings! Dumplings are one of the main foods eaten during Spring Festival and the purpose of making so many is so that they will be able to have enough dumplings to last them a week! That is not to say that they only live off of dumplings for one week, but rather that they have dumplings in at least one meal each day for a week. Around the world, as implied in the name of “New Year”, people welcome the start of new things and new beginnings. This is even more so in China during the Spring Festival. New clothes and shoes are bought and haircuts are done in order to symbolize the fresh start. Sweeping is also taboo on New Year’s Day because doing so would “sweep away” the luck brought in by the New Year.

There is too much to mention in one blog post regarding the traditions and superstitions that surround such an ancient festival in China. If I were to continue explaining all of the traditions and meanings behind Spring Festival, I would have myself a thesis! However, I hope that this post has shed some light on the biggest holiday in China. With this, I wish you a Happy New Year and a prosperous year of the dragon!

Here’s how you say and write Happy New Year in Chinese!

新年快乐

Romanized as: Xīn nián kuài lè

Pronounced: Sheen    knee-an    Ko-why    la

How the words are split up:

新(Xīn)年(nián) 快(kuài)乐(lè)

新 = new

年 = year

快乐 = happy/merry

Happy New Year! 新年快乐！

By RSu | Posted in Cultural, Cultural Celebrations | Comments (0)
Dec062011

My Experience at Fun with Foreign Language

By silverman | December 6, 2011 | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)

Well I can’t believe it is already December.  I hope everyone had a good holiday and great finish to the end of the fall session at Fun with Foreign Language.  I would like to reflect on the experience I have had while interning at Fun with Foreign Language and how much I enjoyed having had this opportunity.

I enjoyed meeting all the students, parents, and of course the fabulous Director Yani Peyton while working at the FwFL Towson location.  It was great to interact with each and every one of you and to be of assistance in any way possible.  I look forward to coming back in years to come to see the development of the Fun with Foreign Language program.

As a student without children I applaud all the parents who have enrolled their child in the FwFL program.  It is just one more activity to add to a child’s busy day, but the results down the road will be worth it.  Having not had an opportunity to learn a language while in elementary school, if I could have done it again I would have liked to have gone through a program that FwFL provides.  Learning another language and the culture behind,  really helps educate students learn about cultural diversity, a topic everyone should learn about.

Once again it was a pleasure meeting all of you and I enjoyed being able to interact with everyone through blogging, facebook, twitter, and of course at the Towson location.  Best of luck to everyone in the future!

By silverman | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)
Nov172011

New ideas for the table this Thanksgiving

By silverman | November 17, 2011 | Posted in Cultural, Cultural Celebrations, Cultural Foods | Comments (0)

As Thanksgiving is just around the corner, I thought I would share a recipe that I found not only very delicious, but unique as it brings traditions of other countries right to your table this holiday season.

Oriental Rotisserie Style Turkey Breast

Ingredients:

  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 4 – 6 pounds turkey breast, thawed and cleaned
  • 2 cups turkey broth, or reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 2 teaspoons flour

Preparation:

1. In small bowl combine butter, garlic, Chinese 5-spice powder and ginger. Evenly spread butter mixture over turkey breast.
2. In shallow roasting pan (10 x 15 x 2 inches) fitted with adjustable V meat rack, place turkey breast on rack. Bake at 350 degrees (Fahrenheit) 30 to 35 minutes. Add 1/2 cup broth to pan and baste with pan juices. Turn turkey breast 1/4-turn every 20 minutes and baste until all sides are golden brown and meat thermometer, inserted into thickest portion, away from bone, registers 170 to 175 degrees (Fahrenheit). Remove turkey breast and cover with foil to keep warm.
3. Strain pan juices and skim off fat. Add broth to equal 1 cup and return to roasting pan. In small bowl combine water and flour. Whisk into broth mixture. Over medium heat, cook mixture 5 to 7 minutes or until slightly thickened.
4. To serve, slice turkey and serve with sauce.
5. Enjoy!
Source: National Turkey Federation

By silverman | Posted in Cultural, Cultural Celebrations, Cultural Foods | Comments (0)
Oct302011

Snow in October?

By silverman | October 30, 2011 | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)

So who would have thought it would be snowing Halloween weekend?  Well, I certainly didn’t see this coming.  This can be the official start of winter.  As exciting or sad the idea that winter is upon us, it brings lots of great sights of winter wonderland. 

Now, imagine being abroad in other countries, there are a couple things to think about here: 1) the sights, and 2) how do other countries deal with snow?  First, the sights are just as breathtaking as is the fall foliage.  Whether it’s seeing the Great Wall of China, or the city of Beijing, the scene is incredible.  Or if you’re in Spain or Mexico, snow is rare so if you are around to see it, enjoy it while it lasts. 

So I am sure you are all familiar with Baltimore and there snow removal process.  Clearly there are some pros and cons, but let’s put it into perspective compared to other places around the world.  In Spain, particularly Madrid for example since snow is so rare, even a nuisance amount of snow can paralyze a city for days.  Or in Beijing, snow isn’t the most common precipitation, but even a small storm of 1 inch of snow, can create a big problem for the city.

As this Halloween weekend storm comes to an end, let’s enjoy what Mother Nature has in store for us.  Enjoy the sites, drink some hot chocolate, and imagine the sites in other wonders of the world!  Until next time…stay warm!

By silverman | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)
Oct172011

Fall Foliage

By silverman | October 17, 2011 | Posted in Cultural, Uncategorized | Comments (0)

As Fall is upon us, it’s only a matter of time because the leaves start changing and falling. This is my favorite season out of the year as the sights can be absolutely breathtaking.  Now, I figured we are all used to the normal areas to sight see the beautiful foliage Mother Nature brings to us, but I wanted to give you a brief tour around the world of some pictures of foliage in different countries.  The sights are unbelievable!  From left to right is a photo from Spain, China, France, and The United States.

By silverman | Posted in Cultural, Uncategorized | Comments (0)
Sep272011

Soccer, the global sport.

By silverman | September 27, 2011 | Posted in Cultural, Cultural Games | Comments (0)

Recently the weather has been perfect for playing and being active outside.  Personally, I like to play soccer with friends.  So I wanted to give some background history behind the sport and how it is incorporated into countries around the world.

Soccer is a sport which is played all around the world in over 200 countries.  Interestingly enough, the name “soccer” is really only used in the United States.  If you were to go anywhere else in the world, it would be called “futbol”. 

Every 4 years, the World Cup takes place.  This is where countries from all around the world play for the world championship.  Although each tournament takes 4 years the finals are held involving 32 teams from around the world competing for one month.  Some countries are well known for having good teams.  For example: The United States, France, Germany, Spain, China, Italy, and Mexico.  Every year there is a breakthrough team that nobody expects which adds to the excitement of the tournament which captures the attention of the glove every four years. 

Soccer is a fun sport that not only has lots of history behind it, but it is a sport played all around the world.   Also, it is the one of the most popular sports in most other countries.  Personally, when I have had the opportunity to travel to places around the world, if I am looking for something to do it usually involves Soccer.  I hope that all of you can get an opportunity to not only travel the world and experience different cultures and society, but play sports of that respective place.  Odds are though, it is probably soccer!

So before the winter season gets into full swing, go outside and play some futbol!  If you have never played before, then I challenge you to try…

By silverman | Posted in Cultural, Cultural Games | Comments (0)
Sep112011

Back to School Snacks!

By silverman | September 11, 2011 | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)

Hello everyone!  Before my first blog I would like to introduce myself.  My name is Josh and I am the management intern with FwFl this fall semester.  I am an international business major and French minor at Towson University.  I am looking forward to having this opportunity to not only work with FwFl, but be able to communicate and enlighten students, and parents about culture and education around the world.

As the school year has recently begun for students in the United States, I believe it is very important to start fresh and with a good mind set.  Not only that, but students must be well rested and nourished.  So I wanted to start out by giving healthy snack ideas to help feed the brain which lets us learn.  These snacks can also represent different cultures.  First I think it is important to know what is negatively affecting our learning.

Foods to avoid while studying and learning:

-Potato Chips

-Unhealthy Dips and Spreads

-Processed Snacks

-Candy

-Soda

-Cookies and Cakes

-Fast Food

Now I understand that many of the foods which we all eat, myself included fall into the categories above.  What can happen is by consuming these foods; it can slow down the productivity of the brain and ultimately lead to fatigue.

Below is a list which I generated that incorporates different cultures foods that are not only healthy, but delicious as well.   They can help the brain work more efficiently and be more productive while learning.

-Baked Mexican Tortilla Chips

-Mexican Salsa

-Mediterranean Hummus

-Nuts

-Greek Yogurt

-Fruits

-Vegetables

-Juice

-Milk

But as you give the brain the proper nourishment, the results will come naturally.  Personally, when I need to be studying and doing homework, I will eat a nutritious snack from the list above.  I notice that I will not doze off and by not losing my concentration I can be productive for hours. 

By taking these recommendations into consideration, you can expect to see a change in energy while studying and learning in the classroom.  But also remember where some of these snacks originate from.  The world is a large place where people speak different languages, eat different foods, and have different lifestyles. 

I wish everyone luck as classes begin.  I look forward to meeting everyone in the coming weeks!

By silverman | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)
Jun252011

All Good Things Must Come to an End

By Yani Peyton | June 25, 2011 | Posted in Cultural | Comments (0)

Submitted by Yani Peyton

June 25, 2011

I am packing up my bags and heading back to Baltimore, MD on June 26.  My week in China has been an experience of a lifetime; one that I will never forget.

How is it possible to forget all the lovely smiling faces that greeted us at every school we visited?  Definitely cannot forget how a high school student diligently helped me with my Chinese knot…she was so patient with me!  Or how about the elementary school students that serenaded the Maryland delegate with a touching song about a parents’ love and the eventual aging of our parents.  There were very few dry eyes in the room!

It was such a privilege to see first-hand parts of the educational system in China.  Both the US and China can benefit from the future partnerships between Chinese and American schools that the 2011 Chinese Bridge program for American Schools aimed to establish.  The sharing of best-practices is one that will expose both American and Chinese students/teachers to the unique languages and cultures that exist within each country. 

I look forward to working on new initiatives with Hanban/Confucius Institute that will help expose children in China and in the FwFL Chinese program to countries full of rich traditions and  languages that are critical in this global environment. 

Visit our facebook page in the next few days at www.facebook.com/funwithforeignlanguage to view photos from this truly amazing experience. 

By Yani Peyton | Posted in Cultural | Comments (0)
Jun212011

The Forbidden City and The Great Wall of China

By Yani Peyton | June 21, 2011 | Posted in Cultural | Comments (0)

Submitted by Yani Peyton

June 21, 2011

My week-long trip to China has been packed with productive meetings with representatives from Hanban/Confucius Institute Headquarters.  Our wonderful hosts and tour guides are managing to squeeze in cultural excursions in our itineraries…

Our trip to the Forbidden City started off a little bit hectic…how do you get about 50 delegates to one place in 20 minutes?  Walk fast!!!  Even in 90 degree heat!  Our perseverance paid off as we were able to make it in before the doors closed.  And, it was really worth it.  The Forbidden City is a 720,000 square-meter city making it the largest palatial complex in the world with 980 houses!  It is where the Emperors and their families of the Ming and Qing dynasties lived from 1386 to 1911.  The houses were amazing and all made with whole logs of wood and marble…no nails.

The Great Wall was next on our list.  I always knew that the Great Wall existed but never realized that it took you up a very steep mountain and across mountains in China.  It is an absolutely breathtaking structure and amazing to believe that it was man-made more than 2,700 years ago.  Parts of the wall were built by warring states in China as a way to protect their territory.  The actual length of the wall is unknown due to eroding, rebuilding of certain parts, etc but is believed to be about 3,700 miles long.  Very long—it would take more than several days to walk the entire Wall!!  I made it up further than I thought..it is not an easy climb, especially when climbing in 90 degree temperature, because many sections of the Wall have extremely steep steps.  It felt completely invigorating and the higher I climbed, the more fresh breezes brushed my face.  The climb completely drenched me in sweat and I did not get a break going down…the descend was difficult too because of the steepness of certain sections of the Wall..my legs would sometimes wobble as I stepped down.  When I finally got to the bottom, I, along with many of my co-delegates, purchased much deserved popsicles..I never thought popsicles could taste so good!  The Great Wall is surely a sight to see and experience!

Tomorrow (6/22/11), visits to host schools in the city of Tianjin.  Check back for more postings on this awesome experience in China.

By Yani Peyton | Posted in Cultural | Comments (0)