tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-340619312024-02-02T06:46:12.237-08:00Xiaoning's BlogBringing Chinese<br>Culture & Education<br>to Your Heart & HomeXiaoninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10718818792826896202noreply@blogger.comBlogger71125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34061931.post-35548678120252002162011-03-14T10:16:00.001-07:002011-03-14T10:17:05.556-07:00Win A Copy Of Grace Lin's "Where The Mountain Meets The Moon"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; "><a href="http://chinasprout.com/store/media/BSY065L01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; "><img border="0" height="320" src="http://chinasprout.com/store/media/BSY065L01.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>March is National Reading Month. ChinaSprout is celebrating by giving you free shipping on all <a href="http://ow.ly/4dwwk">book</a> purchases through March 20th. We are also giving away a copy of <a href="http://ow.ly/4dwwT">Grace Lin</a>'s book, "<a href="http://ow.ly/4dwv7">Where The Mountain Meets The Moon</a>."<br /><br />Grace is one of my favorite authors for young children. Her simple and colorful illustrations remind me of <a href="http://ow.ly/4dwDh">Chinese folk paintings</a>. Plus, her stories really capture what it is like to grow up Asian in a Western country. ChinaSprout was fortunate enough to work with Grace on our "<a href="http://ow.ly/4dwxC">One Year In Beijing</a>" book. Her beautiful illustrations take me back to many of my own experiences growing up in Beijing -- the excitement of Lantern Festival, visiting Yellow Mountain, eating delicious candied haws, families gathering for the holidays and studying very hard in school.<br /><br />There are three ways that you can enter to win the "Where The Mountain Meets The Moon" book:<br /><ol><li>Post your favorite Grace Lin book title below in the response section of this blog;</li><li>Post your favorite Grace Lin book title on our <a href="http://ow.ly/4dwyG">Facebook Page</a>; and</li><li>Post your favorite Grace Lin book title on <a href="http://ow.ly/4dwA9">Twitter</a> (you must include @ChinaSprout in your post).</li></ol>You can enter up to three times -- one entry for each platform (our blog, our Facebook Page and via Twitter). Entries will be accepted starting at midnight, March 14 and the deadline for entry is midnight, March 21, 2011. The entries will be catalogued by entry date and time, and the winner will be chosen via a random number generator software program. The winner will be chosen within 2 days of the entry date deadline. The winner must respond within 5 days of receiving notice, or the entry will be forfeited, and another winner will be selected. You must live in the United States or Canada and be 18+ to enter. Read the <a href="http://chinasprout.com/community/staticpages/93">Official Giveaway Rules</a> for further guidelines.<br /><br />Good luck, and happy reading!Xiaoninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10718818792826896202noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34061931.post-14640619037419207422011-03-07T09:28:00.000-08:002011-03-07T09:28:56.376-08:00The Challenges of Race in Transracial Adoption<div style="text-align: right;"></div><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/130/338211675_6b0359b364.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/130/338211675_6b0359b364.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/grapesmc/338211675/in/photostream/">grapesmc</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Adoptive parents in trans-racial families have additional challenges to parenting biological children. In addition to the usual childhood struggles, we must find ways to support and guide our children through issues involving not only adoption, but race, as well. Helping my children to identify themselves as Chinese was something that I believed I was doing pretty well. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">We discuss our children's heritage and culture regularly. It is a deeply ingrained part of our lives. We are active members of Families With Children From China. We attend Jane Brown lectures and playshops. We have watched and discussed "<a href="http://www.adoptedthemovie.com/">Adopted the Movie</a>" together numerous times. And, over the years, we have engaged in any number of <a href="http://www.pbs.org/kcts/preciouschildren/diversity/read_activities.html">activities and conversations</a> in an effort to promote racial awareness within our girls. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Imagine my surprise when my precocious 8 year old asked me how our neighbors knew that she was Chinese after they dropped off some Chinese New Year decorations that they had purchased in Singapore. Confused, I pursued this question with her a little more, and come to find out, she visually identifies herself with her Caucasian brunette friend. My personal lesson here is that no matter how well-adjusted you think your kids are, think again.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Living in Los Angeles, our friends came from extremely diverse backgrounds and the girls' school could be called 'a little United Nations.' Since moving to the Midwest, and more specifically the suburban Midwest, that diversity is harder to come by. While our youngest daughter is Chinese, and her best friend is African American, she is evidently still self-identifying as white. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">No matter how much we love our kids, and no matter how hard we try to introduce them to their culture, the reality is that my husband and I are white, and that cultural color rubs off on our girls. In fact, it is undeniably their primary make-up. We often laugh together about nature vs. nurture moments with our girls. However, those nurture traits are what point up the difference between being raised white and being raised Chinese. There is nothing that I can do to give my transracially adopted children the direct experience of being raised Chinese. It is an ability unique to Chinese parents. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Jana Wolff wrote a thoughtful piece on this subject for <a href="http://adoptivefamilies.com/">Adoptive Families</a> magazine entitled '<a href="http://www.theadoptionguide.com/options/articles/raising-a-child-of-another-race">Raising a Child of Another Race</a>." In the article, she highlights a number of responsibilities that adoptive parents of different-race children must take in raising their children including:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><cite><br />
o interacting with people of your child's race<br />
o living in multicultural neighborhoods<br />
o finding same race mentors and role models for your child<br />
o advocating for unbiased learning materials<br />
o confronting racism openly<br />
o cooking and eating ethnic dishes<br />
o providing special maintenance to hair and skin<br />
o celebrating all cultures<br />
o taking part in homeland tours and culture camps<br />
o creating a positive cultural environment at home <br />
</cite></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I've been eyeing <a href="http://chinasprout.com/shop/BAD039"><i>Outsiders Within</i></a> and the <a href="http://chinasprout.com/shop/BAD052"><i>Pieces of Me</i> workbook</a> for the girls, and now they take special priority. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I'm also starting to search for blogs by adult adoptees that will help me to better understand this struggle. So far, two stand-outs include:</div><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li><a href="http://mymindonpaper.wordpress.com/">My Mind on Paper</a> - This blog is written by Kevin Hofmann, an African American man adopted by white parents in the 1960s. He now lectures on the subject of transracial adoption. His posts are thoughtful and insightful. As evidenced by his most recent post where he recalls a childhood relationship, his learning on the subject is on-going. </li>
<li><a href="http://ethnicallyincorrect.wordpress.com/">Ethnically Incorrect Daughter</a> - Blogger Sumeia Williams offers sometimes heartbreaking stories on her struggles to self-identify, a theme which is not uncommon in transracial adoption circles.</li>
</ul><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Do you believe that race or cultural identification is important? If so, what are you doing to help your children learn about their cultural heritage and ultimately embrace who they are? </div>Bethann Buddenbaumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10165894892297900257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34061931.post-32846641666528473602011-02-03T19:53:00.000-08:002011-02-03T19:54:41.024-08:00Congratulations! You Won ChinaSprout's Red Envelope Sweepstakes!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse; ">Thanks to everyone who entered the ChinaSprout Red Envelope Sweepstakes. We used a random drawing to determine the winner. We are pleased to announce that Alfredia Bowers of Georgia was the winning entry. Congratulations, Alfredia, and Happy New Year!</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse; ">Xiaoning</span></div>Xiaoninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10718818792826896202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34061931.post-28404419666278187562011-02-01T07:58:00.000-08:002011-02-01T07:59:50.813-08:00How to Make an Origami Rabbit<div style="text-align: justify;">We're experiencing yet another winter storm, and the kids are home from school today. This has me searching for things to keep them busy. With the <a href="http://chinasprout.com/community/staticpages/90">Year of the Rabbit</a> only two days away, I went looking for projects related to Chinese New Year and found some fun rabbit origami projects. Who knew that there are so many different ways to make origami rabbits? The projects range from easy to difficult and are great for sharing in a classroom or at a Chinese New Year party (or, in our case, for doing when you're snowbound).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">If your children find themselves enjoying creating origami rabbits and are looking for more projects, ChinaSprout carries a great selection of <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_879246794">origami paper</a><a href="http://ow.ly/3O69A%20"> and kits</a> as well as <a href="http://ow.ly/3O66b%20">origami books</a> for all ages.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Have fun watching these fun origami videos. And, if you create any of them yourself, please be sure to share pictures! We would love to see your Year of the Rabbit bunnies!</div><br />
<b>Easy Origami Bunny Face</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="youtube-player" frameborder="0" height="320" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/hio63zy0OiY" title="YouTube video player" type="text/html" width="390"></iframe><br />
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<b>Make an Origami Rabbit</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="youtube-player" frameborder="0" height="320" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/My4gCmtw1LE" title="YouTube video player" type="text/html" width="390"></iframe><br />
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<b>How to Make an Origami Inflatable Bunny</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="youtube-player" frameborder="0" height="340" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Wo9pQmOYkZw" title="YouTube video player" type="text/html" width="390"></iframe><br />
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<b>How to Make an Origami Jumping Rabbit</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="youtube-player" frameborder="0" height="340" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/vmWtDo5ug2U" title="YouTube video player" type="text/html" width="390"></iframe>Bethann Buddenbaumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10165894892297900257noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34061931.post-1618964891673672092011-01-31T06:40:00.000-08:002011-01-31T06:40:49.915-08:00Chinese New Year Crafts For Kids<div style="text-align: justify;">Using crafts is always a fun way to engage kids in learning about Chinese New Year. While their hands are busy creating brightly-colored paper confections, you can tell them about the story of Nian, the Kitchen God, or why dumplings and noodles are a favorite food served at Chinese New Year dinners.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">There are many great crafts for Chinese New Year, and ChinaSprout is pleased to carry a number of really great craft books for the holiday. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://chinasprout.com/store/media/BSF076L01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://chinasprout.com/store/media/BSF076L01.jpg" width="116" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://chinasprout.com/shop/BSF076">Paper Crafts for Chinese New Year</a> - Written by puppeteer and storyteller, Randel McGee, this children's craft book mixes information about the history and traditions of the holiday with eight related crafts. Enlargeable patterns make individualizing the projects easy. Chinese New Year craft projects include dragon puppets, red envelopes, shadow puppets, Chinese lanterns, firecrackers, and more. This book is perfect for children 6 and up, but can be used for younger children if they have adult support with cutting.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://chinasprout.com/store/media/BSF016L01-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://chinasprout.com/store/media/BSF016L01-1.jpg" width="112" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://chinasprout.com/shop/BSF016">Chinese New Year for Kids</a> - This workbook for both parents and teachers can be used at home or in the classroom. Published by ChinaSprout, the 30-page, full color book is practically a child's handbook for the holiday. Explanations of Chinese New Year, the Chinese New Year calendar, the importance of ancestors in China, as well as ways the Chinese celebrate the holiday are accompanied by hands-on crafts, games and activities. Children will learn to make dragon puppets, red envelopes and paper lanterns. They will also participate in a lion dance and dragon parade. Pair this with ChinaSprout's <a href="http://chinasprout.com/shop/AKA067">Chinese New Year Packets</a>, and you have everything you need to share the holiday with a classroom or create a Chinese New Year party. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://chinasprout.com/store/media/BSF045L01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://chinasprout.com/store/media/BSF045L01.jpg" width="112" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://chinasprout.com/shop/BSF045">Chinese New Year Crafts</a> - The combination of detailed instructions on the left pages with step-by-step photographs on the right create an easy-to-follow format. This 32-page book features 10 crafts including a dragon streamer puppet, a ribbon lantern, Chinese zodiac pictures, and more. The introduction includes some brief information about the holiday. <i>Chinese New Year Crafts</i> is a geared toward kindergarten through fifth grade students, though it will be more appealing to younger children.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div>Bethann Buddenbaumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10165894892297900257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34061931.post-84689329177417572642011-01-28T09:07:00.000-08:002011-01-28T09:07:44.608-08:00Favorite Chinese New Year Books for KidsThe Chinese New Year is quickly approaching on February 3. This year, we say goodbye to the Year of the Tiger, and welcome the Year of the Rabbit. Chinese New Year is the perfect time to introduce children to Chinese culture. Although a good percentage of the world celebrates the holiday, it is a uniquely exciting celebration to many kids.<br />
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Whether you are sharing the holiday with a classroom or at home, there are many great ways to present Chinese New Year for kids. Even if you don't know a lot about the holiday, there are many resources available that you can use either to learn about Chinese New Year or as a teaching resource. Books are a great tool because they can be read together or independently. Following are some of ChinaSprout's best-selling Chinese New Year books:<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Pre-School</b></span><br />
<a href="http://chinasprout.com/store/media/BSF066L01-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Kitchen God" height="200" src="http://chinasprout.com/store/media/BSF066L01-1.jpg" width="140" /></a><b><i>Kitchen God</i></b> - According to Chinese legend, the <i><a href="http://chinasprout.com/shop/BSF066">Kitchen God</a></i> watches over families throughout the year. Just before the New Year, he travels to heaven to report on the family's activities to the Jade Emperor. This beautifully illustrated picture book is full of fun and mischief. Children will relate as the story unfolds about a family and their misbehavior, which occurs under the watchful eye of the Kitchen God. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://chinasprout.com/store/media/BSF094L01-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://chinasprout.com/store/media/BSF094L01-1.jpg" width="140" /></a></div><b><i>The Year of the Rabbit: Tales from the Chinese Zodiac</i></b> - This is the sixth in a planned 12-book series that introduces children to the animals of the Chinese zodiac. Oliver Chin introduces young readers to the characteristics of each zodiac animal through lively stories accompanied by exuberant illustrations. <i><a href="http://chinasprout.com/shop/BSF094">The Year of the Rabbit</a></i> follows the escapades of Rosie, a long-eared hare with a nose for adventure. Along the way, she meets the boy Jai and other animals from the Chinese lunar calendar. By story's end, Rosie discovers that her unique traits serve her well.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Elementary School</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://chinasprout.com/store/media/BSF074L01-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://chinasprout.com/store/media/BSF074L01-1.jpg" width="120" /></a></div><b><i>Celebrate Chinese New Year with Fireworks, Dragons and Lanterns</i></b> - This vibrant and informative book is part of National Geographic's "Holidays Around the World" series. It is filled with concise, but informative details about many aspects of the Chinese holiday, including giving lucky <a href="http://chinasprout.com/shop/ANR051">red envelopes</a>, the Chinese zodiac, the importance of the colors red and gold in the Chinese culture, the use of couplets, lion dancers, dragons, and more. <i><a href="http://chinasprout.com/shop/BSF074">Celebrate Chinese New Year</a></i> also includes a section on crafts and recipes that ties the learning in with more hands-on fun.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://chinasprout.com/store/media/BSF015L01-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://chinasprout.com/store/media/BSF015L01-1.jpg" width="120" /></a></div><b><i>Moonbeams, Dumplings and Dragonboats</i></b> - This is a long-time favorite book of teachers and families, alike. This beautifully illustrated book delves deep into the stories, celebrations and customs that surround many Chinese holidays including Chinese New Year, Dragon Boat Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival. <i> <a href="http://chinasprout.com/shop/BSF015">Moonbeams</a></i> is filled with recipes, activities and traditional tales that will engage readers young and old. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Middle School and Junior High</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://chinasprout.com/store/media/BSF003L01-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://chinasprout.com/store/media/BSF003L01-1.jpg" width="93" /></a></div><b><i>Origins of Chinese Festivals</i></b> - The fabulous <a href="http://chinasprout.com/shop/BSF003">Origins</a> series uses cartoon graphic stories to share history and culture with kids. This book explores all of the major Chinese holidays, including the customs and history behind them. There are 29 stories in all, which will have kids repeating facts that they didn't even realized that they learned because they were having so much fun reading comics.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://chinasprout.com/store/media/B289L01-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://chinasprout.com/store/media/B289L01-1.jpg" width="112" /></a></div><b><i>Chinese New Year</i></b> - Patricia Bjaaland Welch takes readers on a journey that provides a complete introduction to celebrating the Chinese New Year. She shares insights into holiday origins, greetings, customs, food and more. After reading <i><a href="http://chinasprout.com/shop/B289">Chinese New Year</a></i>, readers will come to understand the meaning behind the various flowers, fruits and symbols that are prominent during this most important Chinese holiday. They will also learn what to expect during the holiday and appropriate ways to interact with others, based on thousands of years of traditions and customs.Bethann Buddenbaumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10165894892297900257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34061931.post-61386497923335156052010-12-15T07:23:00.001-08:002010-12-15T11:34:15.515-08:00Using Rhythm and Tones In the Classroom and At Home<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgULsfjaOBiTKf9AWli2vR8TPf5DTuCcNT1GBqfxiHTZeEstyFCWEtDVYc4-_m0Fm6jBW6HZpwk6f2jnBamuQLkL4uDY046WMnUQw0oUZHs_P4DHUqMVmSZFAjV1yjD9hKH9WAi/s1600/BLE215L01-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="2" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgULsfjaOBiTKf9AWli2vR8TPf5DTuCcNT1GBqfxiHTZeEstyFCWEtDVYc4-_m0Fm6jBW6HZpwk6f2jnBamuQLkL4uDY046WMnUQw0oUZHs_P4DHUqMVmSZFAjV1yjD9hKH9WAi/s320/BLE215L01-1.jpg" /></a></div>One of the things that we prioritized when creating our new Chinese language learning book and CD set, <i><a href="http://chinasprout.com/shop/BLE215">Rhythm and Tones, Inventive Chants and Songs for Learning Chinese</a></i>, was the ability to use it both in the classroom and at home. In order for language learning to be successful, it is important that children get as much exposure to the language as possible. The songs used to teach words in <i>Rhythm and Tones</i> are catchy and easy to sing, which make it easy to incorporate Chinese language learning into every day life.<br />
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We created the book so that it could easily be used both as guided coursework in the classroom and at home for self-study. The textbook is straight-forward enough that parents, without any formal knowledge of Chinese, can use the book to teach their children Chinese words, phrases, numbers, and even basic principles of the written language. Chinese teachers can take the textbook's simplified format to the next level by challenging the students with games and questions that cause the students to think more deeply about what they are learning.<br />
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The book's colorful illustrations are designed to illuminate the meaning of the songs and chants. The pictures tell the story without interference from the native language. The book's authors, Pauline Huang and Robin Harvey have been developing the <i>Rhythm and Tones </i>coursework<i> </i>in their classrooms for years. Below are some of their suggestions for incorporating the text and CD in your own Chinese language learning efforts:<br />
<ul><li>Study the pictures first. What do you think the song is about? Can you name the children? Try to describe the pictures. Lesson 4 will help you say “This is…” and “That is…”</li>
<li>Listen to the song or chant. Do you recognize any words? You might hear the names of children, or phrases from earlier songs. Begin to put together the meaning.</li>
<li>Read along. You will see that each character is one spoken syllable. (Sometimes two or more characters join to form a word.) Explore the beauty and logic of Chinese characters through radicals searches.</li>
<li>Play along! Small xylophones and percussion instruments enhance the rhythms and allow us to immerse ourselves in the music, forgetting that we are learning language.</li>
<li>Practice pronunciation naturally. Our chants emphasize the natural speech patterns and four tones of Chinese, which are introduced in chapter, The Four Tones Chant. Try Tones Yoga and move your body with the tones.</li>
<li>Play the language-based games we suggest. Try out different roles as you sing and chant. Act out the songs or chants. Play and learning are not mutually exclusive!</li>
<li>Take advantage of the karaoke versions on the CD and musical scores in the back of the book. Use the original lyrics, or make up your own!</li>
</ul>What are some of your suggestions for using <i>Rhythm and Tones</i> to teach Chinese language?Xiaoninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10718818792826896202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34061931.post-87602974226528783672010-12-12T19:11:00.001-08:002010-12-15T12:02:43.879-08:00Rhythm and Tones Uses Music to Make Chinese Language Learning Fun<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgULsfjaOBiTKf9AWli2vR8TPf5DTuCcNT1GBqfxiHTZeEstyFCWEtDVYc4-_m0Fm6jBW6HZpwk6f2jnBamuQLkL4uDY046WMnUQw0oUZHs_P4DHUqMVmSZFAjV1yjD9hKH9WAi/s1600/BLE215L01-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="2" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgULsfjaOBiTKf9AWli2vR8TPf5DTuCcNT1GBqfxiHTZeEstyFCWEtDVYc4-_m0Fm6jBW6HZpwk6f2jnBamuQLkL4uDY046WMnUQw0oUZHs_P4DHUqMVmSZFAjV1yjD9hKH9WAi/s320/BLE215L01-1.jpg" /></a></div>I spent the last few months working to produce a new ChinaSprout published book and music CD called <i><a href="http://chinasprout.com/shop/BLE215">Rhythm and Tones, Inventive Chants and Songs for Learning Chinese</a></i>. I am very excited to share this set with our customers, because I believe that it fills an important need in Chinese language education -- making learning fun!<br />
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The number of students learning Chinese is on the rise. But, the complaint that I hear most from Western students, parents and even teachers is that the typical Chinese classroom environment is too rigid to keep students interested. That's why I jumped at the chance to work with Pauline Huang and Robin Harvey. These two talented teachers put their lessons to music, and brought fun back into the classroom.<br />
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"We love teaching Chinese with music and rhythm, and the children we teach love it, as well," Robin says. "When we sing, we are relaxed and receptive. Research shows that this is a key to language learning. Lyrics are naturally repetitive, another key, and they run through our heads while we go about our day. In fact, I still sing the song that my Latin teacher taught in 11th grade, "sum es est."<br />
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Before they met, they each used chants and songs to teach Chinese. Robin was inspired by Carolyn Graham's "<a href="http://www.teachingvillage.org/2010/05/23/how-to-create-a-jazz-chant-by-carolyn-graham/">Jazz Chants</a>," and Pauline by her musical background. One day, Pauline wrote the song "I'm Hungry"(肚子饿了) for their classes. The two then worked together to focus the language for their students. After that, their collaborations continued.<br />
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In mid-November, we showcased <i>Rhythm and Tones</i> for teachers at the 2010<a href="http://actfl.org/"> American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Language (ACTFL)</a> conference. The positive response that we received was incredible! Everyone who walked past our booth would stop when they heard the chants and music. Most of the Chinese language teachers we spoke with bought the set. They loved it because of the rhythms, the simple, repetitive words and the fun music. Many teachers said that this was exactly the sort of teaching tool that they had been seeking for a long time.<br />
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Many of our ChinaSprout customers are looking for Chinese language tools that they can use to help their children at home. With this in mind, we created the <i>Rhythm and Tones</i> set so that it has a life outside of the classroom. Kids and parents can easily work together through the textbook to learn words, sentences and even radicals. Plus, the accompanying CD is filled with songs that families can listen to and sing along with while at home or in the car.<br />
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There are so many ways to use this set, both in the classroom and at home. I will share some suggestions and video in the next few days.Xiaoninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10718818792826896202noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34061931.post-78914220627973470942010-12-06T10:43:00.000-08:002010-12-06T11:03:49.697-08:00Scott Simon's "Baby, We Were Meant for Each Other" Celebrates Adoption<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglRCkm1GvJ6iJHV7iwnH2sJoSm48JscE9qy-iS3oBdiR_8A2kI2VkyO0TSxxmtS2_RscSnexJb6whbFWDTF1goW-63_7K5FxMJxlMGpWDvGXOMWM9klJqKk7kTZPBllKimqVwC/s1600/BAD054L01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglRCkm1GvJ6iJHV7iwnH2sJoSm48JscE9qy-iS3oBdiR_8A2kI2VkyO0TSxxmtS2_RscSnexJb6whbFWDTF1goW-63_7K5FxMJxlMGpWDvGXOMWM9klJqKk7kTZPBllKimqVwC/s320/BAD054L01.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><i><a href="http://chinasprout.com/shop/BAD054">Baby, We Were Meant for Each Other</a></i> is a celebration of adoption, written by broadcaster <a href="http://www.npr.org/people/3874941/scott-simon">Scott Simon</a>. The book provides an intimate and heartwarming look at Simon and his wife Caroline's adoption of two girls from China, whom they clearly love deeply. Their struggles with infertility, their adoption journey and their daily challenges of raising two strong, independent young girls are all covered with the wink and a smile delivery that one comes to expect from listening to his NPR show, "<a href="http://www.npr.org/programs/weekend-edition-saturday/">Weekend Edition with Scott Simon</a>."<br />
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For anyone who has adopted internationally, Simon's stories of his family's adoption trips to China will bring back memories. The hotel room banter of nervous parents trying to win the affections of a child, who wants absolutely nothing to do with them, will not be unfamiliar. The raw emotions that accompany this heart wrenching journey to family are practically universal. The moments are fun to re-live with him again. And, he tells of these moments in a way that does not mask the pain, but that makes us laugh at the absurdity of plying our children with warm baths and noodles. <br />
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Our goal is to show our children that we can provide for them, and that they can love us, because we truly love them. However, that trust has to be earned over long periods, often times again and again. The unique challenges that adoptive families face do not end when our children have reached a point of seeming calm.<br />
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In addition to sharing his personal insights and experiences, Simon seeks out others whose lives have been touched by adoption. In a world where the media loves to call out adoption status when associated with serial killers and psychosis, Simon introduces the reader to a host of well-adjusted and downright happy adoptees. This is not to say that he makes light of the challenges or heartache that some of these individuals and families face. He chooses, instead, to focus on the positive, on the tenacity of the human spirit and of people's capacity for unconditional love.<br />
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In its whole, <a href="http://chinasprout.com/shop/BAD054">Baby, We Were Meant for Each Other</a> is a love story. It is Simon's ode to his family, and it truly is a celebration of adoption. I struggled with this book and its "love conquers all" theme. At one point, when discussing the <a href="http://www.nancyverrier.com/prim_book.php">primal wound</a> adoption theory, Simon says " I think that the love my wife and I give our daughters can help bind whatever wound they have and make them strong." <br />
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I've seen first hand when love isn't enough in adoption. I wish he would have given more credence to the reality that abandonment can hurt our children very deeply -- to a point where our love can't always fix it. However, as a friend recently pointed out to me, as adoptive parents, we often spend our time reading about "when things go wrong," so that we can avoid or amend these issues. Simon's book is a celebration of all that can be right with adoption. And if it leaves you with a warm heart and a smile, well, that's not such a bad thing.Bethann Buddenbaumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10165894892297900257noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34061931.post-51496525140468445362009-12-14T21:11:00.000-08:002009-12-17T09:19:09.756-08:00O' Christmas TreeI was helping BoBo with some homework earlier this week. She had to write about her holiday traditions and share them with her class. Admittedly, we struggled with this assignment because many of our family traditions have changed since we moved, and we are working to create new ones.<br /><br />One thing that remains constant is our holiday ornament exchange. The girls create handmade keepsakes, and they each receive one special ornament to mark the year. They have their own small tree on which they hang these ornaments. Every year, we save these ornaments for last. When the box is finally given to them, the girls quickly spirit themselves away in their room where they will stay for hours giggling, unwrapping ornaments and hanging them on their little tree. I don't know what they talk about when they're in there, or what takes them so long to decorate such a small tree, but this time together is one that they anticipate every year.<br /><br /><a href="http://chinasprout.com/store/media/AXO082L01-1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left; width: 166px; height: 144px;" alt="" src="http://chinasprout.com/store/media/AXO082L01-1.jpg" border="0" /></a>Most of their ornaments are China focused, which isn't exactly a conscious choice, but instead evolved from their annual review of the ChinaSprout catalog. This year, WeiWei asked for the hand-painted <a href="http://chinasprout.com/shop/AXO082">tiger papercut ornament</a>. Being a tiger herself, she is very excited for the coming year and is obsessed with everything tiger. BoBo is getting a <a href="http://chinasprout.com/shop/AXO042">cloisonne horse</a>. It's one that she has admired for awhile, and this year, it seemed appropriate as a reminder to her to slow down and just enjoy the ride.<br /><br />While BoBo and I researched to see if our tradition is unique, we found other families who share this tradition as well. One of our favorite displays was Malinda's family tree at <a href="http://chinaadoptiontalk.blogspot.com/2009/11/touch-of-china-christmas-tree.html">AdoptionTalk</a>. We also ran across some beautiful Chinese ornaments at <a href="http://taniamccartney.blogspot.com/2009/12/o-holy-ornaments.html">Tania McCartney</a>'s site. Her dazzling array of ornaments was enough to cover seven trees in their Beijing home.<br /><br /><a href="http://chinasprout.com/store/media/AXO042L01-1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left; width: 152px; height: 149px;" alt="" src="http://chinasprout.com/store/media/AXO042L01-1.jpg" border="0" /></a>The girls' holiday ornaments have become a way for us to blend two cultures. While it may be only a small gesture, it is one that has a great deal of importance to them. And, because they relish their time together huddled around their tiny tree, I know that someday they will also enjoy that excitement with their own family as they open the special box and pull out the ornaments, each with a special story to share.Bethann Buddenbaumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10165894892297900257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34061931.post-59863664299468182162009-10-01T11:12:00.000-07:002010-01-22T08:51:06.184-08:00Parade and Gala for the 60th Anniversary CelebrationI went to a friend's house and watched the parade on the CCTV Live last night. While it was very impressive, I didn't feel it was as spectacular as I expected. Some sections seemed too long. You may <a href="http://www.cctv.com/english/special/60live/gala/index.shtml">watch it online</a> too.<br /><br />Instead, the gala and firework were much more spectacular. Directed by <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Zhang</span></span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Yimou</span></span>, the gala lasted for three hours and it had over 60,000 performers, most of whom are not professional singers and dancers. The 9,000 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">sq. m</span></span> (90,000 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">sq. ft.</span></span>) <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">screen</span> was the centerpiece of the performance. The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">screen</span> changed over 800 times, all of which was done by 4,028 soldiers holding LED lights. It was amazing to see thousands of people perform traditional dances from different provinces and minority regions, along with popular melodies and songs performed by the most well-known Chinese singers. The fireworks, which were directed by <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Cai</span></span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Quogiang</span></span>, a well-known fireworks and installation artist in the West, who also directed the fireworks in 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, was even more impressive with patterns of paintings, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">pigeons</span> and hundreds of other shapes. You can watch all of these <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">spectacular</span> shows with four chapters <a href="http://www.cctv.com/english/special/60live/gala/index.shtml">online</a>.Xiaoninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12401075809364114226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34061931.post-88672045096305159872009-09-30T06:07:00.000-07:002009-10-01T11:11:28.214-07:00What will you at the 60th Anniversary ParadeHaving heard so much about the 60<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">th</span></span> <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Anniversary</span> parade, I really want to watch it on TV. I found out that I can watch it on <a href="http://english.cctv.com/01/index.shtml">CCTV 9 or on the Internet Live</a>, or watch it on <a href="http://www.kylintv.com/chn/Special/OctoberAttractions/Index.shtml"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Kylin</span></span> TV</a> in the U.S starting at 9:00pm tonight. ChinaSprout will also carry a DVD of the parade. If you cannot watch it on TV Live, please check out our site after October 12<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">th,</span></span> when it should be available.<br /><br />What will you see at the parade? Here is a <a href="http://news.sina.com.cn/c/2009-09-30/040618755096.shtml">quick overview </a>of highlights of the parade. I have translated some of them:<br /><br /><ul><li>1949名男青年将高擎600平方米的五星红旗健步走过天安门广场。<br />1949 men will hold a national flag that is in the size of 600 <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">square meter</span> (6,000 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">sq. ft</span></span>.) (The People's of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Republic</span> of China was founded in 1949, that's why they choose 1949 men. I also heard on the radio that all of these men are about the same <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">height</span> of 1.85m, that's very tall for Chinese!)</li><li>国徽方阵携国徽彩车亮相 人数创历次庆典之最. 该方阵由2009人组成,长46米,宽41米,是所有仪仗方阵中最大的。<br />One of parade cars measures 46x41 meter (151x134 feet) and 2009 men walked around the car to form the float (in 2009).</li><li>世界最大广场将展示最大的画卷: 群众游行部分的背景展示的最大亮点是《江山如此多娇》巨幅国画。画布总面积近2万平方米,重3吨。<br />The largest painting in the world will be on display in the background of the parade. Its total size is 20,000 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">sq. m</span></span> (65,616 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">sq. ft</span></span>.), and it weighs 3 tons.</li><li>最大的广场音乐会: 1500人联合军乐团,2100人成人合唱团,300人童声合唱团,130人民族打击乐团,将站立表演3个多小时<br />The largest open air concert comprised of a 1,500 person <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">orchestra</span>, 2,100 adult <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">chorus</span>, 300 children <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">chorus</span> and a 130 traditional Chinese <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">drum </span>b<img class="gl_spell" alt="Check Spelling" src="http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif" border="0" />and is being performing on the square for 3 hours.</li><li>阅兵方队和梯队: 这次阅兵共编了56个方队和梯队,其中徒步方队14个,装备方队30个,空中梯队12个。<br />There are 56 military parade floats including 14 floats of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">soldiers</span>, 30 floats of equipment, and 12 floats of airplanes.</li><li>群众游行方队:10万游行群众组成36个方阵。<br />36 floats of 100,000 people parade.</li><li>背景展示表演: 8万学生将在天安门广场上,表演41幅、49次变化的文字和图案背景,约1万名青少年形成七色光弧形桥。<br />80,000 students will perform 41 diagrams and characters that change 49 times, and 10,000 students will form a rainbow bridge.</li></ul><p>And read this <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/29/world/asia/29beijing.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=china%20parade&st=cse">New York Times aritle </a>about the paprade and an <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/09/30/world/AP-AS-China-Anniversary-Lockdown.html?scp=7&sq=china%20parade&st=cse">AP report </a>about the preparation of parade.</p>Xiaoninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12401075809364114226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34061931.post-60669822723840264122009-09-27T19:45:00.001-07:002009-09-29T19:39:27.145-07:00China's 60th Anniversary CelebrationOctober 1st is the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. We have celebrated this holiday every year including the 50th anniversary, which was a big celebration too. However, never in China's history, have we had a celebration on this scale! 200,000 people will be in the parade, including 80,000 students from elementary schools to universities in Beijing!<br /><br />To prepare for the parade, participants and students have been practicing since mid July, even on those hot summer days. Students didn't have time to enjoy the summer break. Some thing I have never heard before was the multiple rehearsals, which blocked streets of Beijing for multiple weekends. Since August 29th, every Saturday night was a rehearsal night until this Saturday, September 26th. Then, the streets in downtown were all blocked beginning on the late afternoon on Fridays and continuing until Saturday mornings. Even though only downtown streets were blocked, it affected almost all traffic around Beijing. It was not only cars and taxis that were not allowed in those streets, but also public buses and subways were affected. Buses were rerouted and subways gates were closed along Changan Avenue (where the rehearsal and parade are held). One weekend, I was in rush to finish shopping with the suppliers, but couldn't make it because the streets were blocked. I couldn't get a taxi, bus or subway for more than half an hour. Finally, one bus came and I didn't care where it went, I just jumped on it and left the downtown area.<br /><br />Now that October 1st is only a few days away, traffic restrictions even got more strict. No cars, vans or trucks from other provinces are allowed to drive in Beijing. Delivery trucks that are usually allowed to drive on the Fifth Ring road and Fourth Ring road in the night are not allowed to drive in the city at all. All businesses have been seriously effected. My suppliers told me that they can't receive or deliver any goods now. Even if some goods could get into Beijing, they also get checked and delayed! Every day I hear our suppliers warn me about the issues with the traffic control. Our shipment to the U.S. may have to be delayed or we won't include the products we ordered because they couldn't get into Beijing.<br /><br />The hotels along Changan Avenue and near Tiananmen Square won't be opened from September 29th to October 2nd (including the famous Beijing Hotel!) Imagine that, how much money will these hotels lose? Hotels located on Changan Avenue, but far away from the square, such as China World Hotel, can only have guests stay on the backside of hotel, not the frontside.<br /><br />I really hope all these efforts will make the parade a big success. Here is <a href="http://video.sina.com.cn/news/c/v/2009-09-19/203345009.shtml?opsubject_id=news_guoqing60jianguo">one video</a> for your viewing. I also hope you will have the opportunity to watch it on the TV or on the <a href="http://news.cctv.com/china/20090917/105404.shtml">computer</a>. I wish I were in China so that I could watch it as all Chinese do!<br /><br />I have not read much about China's 60th Anniversary celebration in the U.S. media, except for this <a href="http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1924366,00.html">Time article </a>that will come out tomorrow, which I also learned about it on the Chinese website. It also didn't mention much about the parade and effects it has brought to Beijing residents and businesses. But you can learn all things about 60th Anniversary celebration on<a href="http://news.sina.com.cn/z/guoqing60/index.shtml"> the Chinese website.</a>Xiaoninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12401075809364114226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34061931.post-66930087622151295052009-09-27T16:17:00.000-07:002009-09-27T20:54:08.647-07:00Mooncakes and BeyondEating mooncakes on the day of the full moon, August 15th of the Chinese calendar, has been a tradition since the Ming dynasty even though mooncakes were first known in the Tang dynasty. Lots of traditions were not carried on during the Culture Revolution, but just like some of the Chinese New Year traditions, eating mooncakes was always a big family festivity. We didn't have so many varieties at that time and mooncakes were not packed in fancy packaging. We still had our favorite mooncakes, and we had family reunions on the day of the full moon. Now, dozens of flavors include not only sweet or salty, but also sweet and salty mixed and even spicy ones. Guangdong and Beijing mooncakes were the only well-known ones at that time, but now each province has its own flavored mooncakes. Here is a <a href="http://meishi.sz.bendibao.com/news/2009820/123112_2.htm">list of new flavors</a> from different provinces (Among these are nine varieties of fruits, tea, seafood, healthy and others. Each has different flavors, for example, fruits has eight flavors and seafood has four flavors).<br /><br />Nowadays, mooncakes are not only the symbol of family celebration on Moon Festival, but they are also big gift items for businesses and governments. Dozens of varieties of mooncakes are packaged in all kinds of fancy packages (<a href="http://tianjin.xoovoo.com/youhui-75358/">here is an example from one Chinese website</a>), people exchange them by visiting each other or send them via carrier services.<br /><br />When ChinaSprout first sold mooncakes in 1999, some customers asked us if we sold mooncakes molds because they wanted to make their own mooncakes. I was shocked that people would even think of making their own mooncakes. I had never seen or even heard of any Chinese who made their mooncakes. I actually thought that customers wanted too much of Chinese traditions that even the Chinese don't do anymore. Even though I told our customers that we Chinese don't make our own mooncakes, I didn't tell them why. I hated to say that it was too much trouble or too complicated to make our own mooncakes. But now I know why. Guess what, we never had ovens or microwaves until recent years! How could we make mooncakes if we didn't have ovens!<br /><br />Nowadays, even a microwave is a must-have item in the Chinese kitchen, and it can make simple mooncakes. Most Chinese families still don't have an oven and therefore, few families make their own mooncakes. Nevertheless, I just read that now making mooncakes is become a fashion in China, and that more and more Chinese have started making their mooncakes. <a href="http://www.qianhuaweb.com/content/2009-09/23/content_130312.htm">This community even had a gathering</a> and taught families to make their own mooncakes!<br /><br />This year, the Moon Festival falls on October 3rd. On this day, China and Chinese around world will celebrate by eating mooncakes and enjoying the full moon. We still have the <a href="http://chinasprout.com/shop/F001">four flavor mooncakes</a> (unfortunately the bakery in New York is not as innovative as the ones in China to produce those dozens of flavors), and you can enjoy these special festivity favorites with ChinaSprout!Xiaoninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12401075809364114226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34061931.post-75034262529080465122009-08-16T21:33:00.000-07:002009-09-27T20:54:24.012-07:00Shopping in China at a Different Time!<p>I am currently back in China to shop for ChinaSprout again! Unlike previous trips, this time it has been more difficult to find new products. It seems that we have already carried most of the Chinese themed products that are suitable for our long standing customers. Besides a few great porcelain tea sets and bowls, and some dresses and shirts, I am not finding any new crafts, toys, stationery and other products.</p><p><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.chinasprout.com/blog/blog774.jpg"><img src="http://www.chinasprout.com/blog/blog774.jpg" alt="" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" border="0" /></a></p><br /><p>I asked suppliers why they aren’t developing more new products as they have before, and they told me that they have developed almost all Chinese themed products that they can, and they don’t have any more new ideas. Some overseas customers sent them some samples and it turned out that they have already done similar products, so all they could do is change the fabric patterns (which also became a problem, as there are not may new patterns developed). Secondly, the Chinese have felt the impact of the economic downturn. Many overseas customers limited their orders and there are fewer overseas tourists coming to China too, so there is no motivation to develop more new products. On the other end, suppliers feel the domestic demands have increased, and more and more Chinese are purchasing products with Chinese traditional themes. Because of this new demand, they have been developing products aimed at the domestic market.</p><br /><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.chinasprout.com/blog/blog757.jpg"><img src="http://www.chinasprout.com/blog/blog757.jpg" alt="" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" border="0" /></a></p><br /><br /><p class="MsoNormal">In contrast, Chinese publishers have been publishing new books on a monthly, if not a daily basis. There are different kinds of great new books that I would have never expected to be published in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">China</st1:place></st1:country-region> before. For children's books, they have been translating popular American and European picture books as well as books about science and social studies. I used to be able to only source these type of books in <st1:country-region st="on">Taiwan</st1:country-region>, but now they are also available in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">China</st1:place></st1:country-region> (in simplified characters). In addition, Chinese publishers are now publishing picture books illustrated by Chinese artists, an art that was not previously familiar to Chinese artists and readers. All of these books help children not only to learn about the subjects that they study in school, but also to learn about social skills and creativity through stories and illustrations. Of course, these books are great for schools in the <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> that have Chinese language or Chinese immersion programs. We will soon introduce these new books on our website.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I will continue looking for new Chinese themed products that will be of interest on our Culture site, while adding new books for our Education site. If you have any special wishes for a product that is still not available on our site, feel free to let me know!</p>Xiaoninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10718818792826896202noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34061931.post-61240893534914484352009-08-02T09:55:00.000-07:002009-08-02T14:02:23.927-07:00What Should Travelers to Asia Expect this Summer?Do you plan to travel to Asia this summer? If so, be prepared to have your temperature taken on airplanes, at customs, or in hotels. (In some hotels, you're not even welcome if you freshly landed from the U.S.) Why? Because many Asian governments have implemented strict regulations to control the spread of the swine flu (H1N1 Flu), and officials pay special attention to travelers from the U.S.<br /><br />When I went to Singapore in June for an annual book fair, I was surprised to see all the flight attendants wearing masks. As soon as I walked to customs, my temperature was taken. At the book fair, all visitors were asked to fill out a form with their travel routes and contact information. I said I didn’t have a phone number in Singapore because I'd just come from New York -- and suddenly there were five people asking me when I had arrived. I realized I shouldn’t have said that and just told them, “Don’t worry about where I came from.” The next day I read in the local newspaper that two passengers on a flight from New York to Singapore had swine flu (luckily, it was a different airline). Then I realized why people were so concerned when they heard I was from New York. Two weeks later, a Singapore publisher told me that they had to cancel a trip to the U.S. in November. They'd registered for a national foreign language conference a year before, but Singapore government discourages all delegations from traveling to the U.S.<br /><br />Then I learned friends in the U.S. who'd traveled to Beijing and Shanghai had similar experiences. Before they got off the airplane, their temperature was taken by health officials wearing outfits like space suits. Wherever my friends went, they told people they'd been in China for more than seven days even though they'd arrived just a day or two earlier, because the Chinese government warns citizens that seven days is the critical spread period. One of my friends went to China to visit her hospitalized father, but after four days the hospital didn’t allow her back, even after her complete test for swine flu was negative. I even heard that some American high school students went to China for the summer study program and couldn’t stay in the Beijing hotel they'd originally booked because the hotel worried someone had swine flu. Some publishers in Beijing also told me that they had to cancel their trips in the U.S. because of swine flu worries.<br /><br />Now I am back in China, and I didn’t experience the same precautions as I did on the plane to Singapore. Very few flight attendants wore masks, and nobody came on the airplane to take temperatures. But we all had to fill out a very detailed health form. Besides questions about our health condition and contact information, we were asked where we'd been in the past seven days and where we'd be in the next seven days. There are automatic temperature gauges set up on the route to customs, so everyone had their temperature taken as they walked through. As soon as I was back home, everyone asked me how serious the swine flu was in New York and if I knew anyone who got it. Then I saw signs in public places and restaurants about how to prevent swine flu.<br /><br />Why are China and other Asian countries so sensitive about swine flu, and why do they believe so many people in the U.S. have it? What role have media played in this anti-swine flu campaign? This reminds me how U.S. media reported on the Sichuan earthquake last year; the stories we heard in the U.S. were so different from the ones told in China. And now Chinese people are experiencing the same. They believe what the media tells them about swine flu in the U.S. and worry that travelers from the U.S. will bring it to their country!<br /><br />Nevertheless, don’t be discouraged by my experiences. All I want to say is don’t be surprised when your temperature is taken or you're asked to fill out that long form about your personal health condition and travel plans! Enjoy your trip to Asia!Xiaoninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10718818792826896202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34061931.post-46483564866533341002009-07-26T16:27:00.000-07:002009-07-27T12:09:36.676-07:00Education Differences in the U.S. and ChinaAbout two weeks ago, I attended a conference "Putting the World into World-Glass Education", hosted by <a href="http://www.asiasociety.org/">the Asia Society</a>. The conference aimed to "bring together K-12 educators, policymakers and resource providers to focus on developing American students' global competencies."<br /><br />During the conference, I went to different presentations and was excited to see so many schools across the country focusing on global education through language learning, culture education and study tours. One session, "Singapore Math in the U.S. Classrooms," made me think again about the differences in education between the U.S. and China. In that presentation, two presenters introduced Singapore Math methods, as well as the education system in Singapore. They talked about how government supports teachers and students, and how students learn math and other subjects. Everyone in the room wished for a similar system in the U.S.<br /><br />Singapore Math focuses on teaching math basics step by step and having students practice these basics on a daily basis -- in many ways very similar to what we did and are still doing in China. While the participants were puzzled with the math problems for 6th graders, I was wondering if the Singapore Math or education system is really the direction the U.S. math teaching and education should go. Yes, maybe Singapore's and China's education systems are great for teaching math, but how about creativity, innovation, and social skills? If a country lacks these skills but has plenty of math skills, will it lead to global competency?<br /><br />On another side, I really feel math education in the U.S. is behind international standards. My son has not learned much math in his elementary school, at least not like we did in school, with endless math drilling in the classroom and at home. Having seen his math book and homework, I understand why Americans cannot do math. But do we really use math on a daily basis at work? I only realized that when I started ChinaSprout-- it's not because we need math to calculate sales, but we use math to guide logical thinking to improve the business. Luckily, my son has been practicing math at Kumon since he was six years old and has started learning Singapore math in his middle school.<br /><br />Nevertheless, I do think creativity, innovation and social skills are more important than math skills and unfortunately, China and Singapore are lacking such education or promotion. If U.S. education is behind international standards, how could the U.S. have the innovative technology and creative people that made it a world leader of technology and creative arts? Interestingly, the plenary guest speaker in the following day's session answered some of my questions.<br /><br />Professor Zhao Yong from Michigan State University shared his studies about "Catching Up or Keeping the Lead: American Education in the Age of Globalization" with the audience. He showed us statistics that American math skills in secondary schools were among the second to last position in international standards 4o years ago, but the U.S. now has one of the highest living standards among countries. Why is that? He talked about 3 Ts: Technology, Talent, and Tolerance. He said the U.S. has the most advanced technology and focus on developing technology, and the U.S. education system discovers and encourages talents and tolerates differences among students, regardless their of backgrounds or whether they think differently. He also gave us the example of the talent shows that his daughter's elementary school has. In these talent shows, there are no standards, no rankings, no prices; students can just show whatever talents they have.<br /><br />Professor Zhao Yong also showed us some photos of Chinese moms holding the certificates of their children passing the Olympic math contests, comparing the photos of U.S. moms doing crafts projects with their kids. Yes, that's the answer, the schools in the U.S. may not focus on math drillings, but they encourage talents and tolerate diffferences. These are the things that we have never experienced in China, no standards, no rankings in a show or competition? How could that be possible in China? As a result, students in China focus more on standards and rankings not only in such talent shows, but also in their daily school work. And when we focus on such standards and rankings, how can students be creative and innovative and tolerate differences?<br /><br />For awhile, I have been wondering why the U.S. education seems behind global standards, yet the U.S. has most creative and innovative people in the world. Now I think I understand much better why this is. Shall the U.S. "catch up" to the global education standards or "keep up the lead" of technology, talents, and tolerance in the world? Or should the U.S. do both, but is it possible to do both? These are the questions I still have, and hopefully you will have some answers.Xiaoninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12401075809364114226noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34061931.post-12549892404450267542009-07-09T20:03:00.000-07:002009-07-09T20:07:41.959-07:00Warner Bros. “Orphan” Film – When Grown-ups Attack<span style="font-style: italic;">Bethann Buddenbaum is a freelance consultant who moved back to her home state in the Midwest after living in Los Angeles for over 20 years. She is the mother of two daughters who were adopted from the Zhuzhou Social Welfare Institute in Hunan, China.</span><br /><br />Six weeks ago, my friend Jill and I started a Facebook group to "boycott" the Warner Bros. film "<a href="http://www.facebook.com/groups.php?ref=sb#/group.php?gid=89245522820">Orphan</a>"<a href="http://www.facebook.com/groups.php?ref=sb#/group.php?gid=89245522820" target="_blank"></a>. The group, which was started as a test of the power of Facebook, has reached an audience larger than either one of us expected. The members of this group now number almost 4,200.<br /><br />The purpose to starting this group was specifically to get an offensive quote ("It must be hard to love an adopted child as much as your own") removed from the trailer. We also wished to encourage Warner Bros. to market this horror film appropriately -- i.e. avoiding exposing kids. Within a week of starting the group, Warner Bros.' Sr. Vice President of Corporate Communication, Scott Rowe, contacted us and advised us that the offending quote would be removed from the trailer. To his credit, he was apologetic and completely understood the position of the adoption community. Unfortunately, the trailer continues to air at times when children are exposed, and the poster is popping up everywhere causing some children distress.<br /><br />Not everyone is so understanding of exactly why this movie premise is offensive to some. Comments run the gamut -- "It's just a movie," "Your priorities are in the wrong place," "You need to teach your kids to be tougher," and the ever-present "I'm sick of everything having to be politically correct."<br /><br />It's this last comment that continually gives me pause. Being politically correct in this instance specifically means avoiding causing harm to some of the most vulnerable of children -- those who have lost their birth parents and who are working to find a place where they feel they belong. Getting down to the nitty gritty of that ridiculous statement, these people are saying that it's OK to cause children grief because, hey, it's all in sport.<br /><br />With adults putting their own desire to spend $8 to be scared of things that go bump for two hours above the emotional well-being of children, it's no wonder the world is in the state it's in today. I'm left to wonder, what exactly is wrong with political correctness? It involves awareness of self and others, thinking before you speak, kindness, compassion, and the all-important treating others as you wish to be treated. Are these not the same moral tenants that children have been taught for centuries? What a sad state we are in when the dollar value of compassion is less than the cost of a matinee.Xiaoninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10718818792826896202noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34061931.post-64303013394968016292009-07-03T09:53:00.000-07:002009-07-04T09:08:58.256-07:00Where the Mountain Meets the Moon<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnxchIz9pOxwU4legFSdTkbT4i0tUOSRvgmJh707n9tzsq8qoHjENo2IuAFpJVBxerXISKL5bLhGH7sp89P82dZ44h6fPEIECbWFl0kv4dtyDpathPOxPYq3nkInJ6OyaUUUCK/s1600-h/1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 136px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnxchIz9pOxwU4legFSdTkbT4i0tUOSRvgmJh707n9tzsq8qoHjENo2IuAFpJVBxerXISKL5bLhGH7sp89P82dZ44h6fPEIECbWFl0kv4dtyDpathPOxPYq3nkInJ6OyaUUUCK/s200/1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354447265130212802" border="0" hspace="10" /></a>Just released Wednesday, Grace Lin’s new book, <em>Where the Mountain Meets the Moon</em>, has already received starred reviews, a 2009 Parent’s Choice Gold Award, and a place in the Top 10 SF/Fantasy for Youth. She takes some time from her busy week to tell us what the buzz is about.<br /><div><br />-- Jeanette White<br />CS writer & editor<br /><br /><br /><strong>CS: This fantasy novel is so very different from your other books. What were your goals when you set out to write it?<br /><br />Grace:</strong> Well, I've always loved fairy tales. They were my favorite books to read when I was young. I think my goal when I write any book is to write the book I would've loved as a child. So, <em>Where the Mountain Meets the Moon</em>, while different in genre has the similar goal as the other books that I've written.<br /><br /><strong>CS: How did you choose the name Minli for your main character? Does it have special meaning?<br /><br />Grace:</strong> Minli, in Chinese, means "quick and clever" which were the traits that I wanted my main character to have. Many Chinese name meanings for girls tend to focus on traits of beauty and modesty. But, I wanted my character's main distinguishing features to be her inner strength, full of spirit and independence—not the loveliness of her appearance; and I wanted her name to embody that. So, when I found Minli (it is the Chinese phonetic match to the name Emily), it was perfect.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMSXn_0kuFfaOJ_Twk7DoPs40UmZQlEp3hndLZb80QGiumDtYcqW7Azxah4ZAOJQpUYU29IfEr4agI-Bi-qfyATG7Dhms-QmQHIa9qiOAUY5ez8Ej2RPljUkv-AfW4Q5pznEuk/s1600-h/2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 137px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMSXn_0kuFfaOJ_Twk7DoPs40UmZQlEp3hndLZb80QGiumDtYcqW7Azxah4ZAOJQpUYU29IfEr4agI-Bi-qfyATG7Dhms-QmQHIa9qiOAUY5ez8Ej2RPljUkv-AfW4Q5pznEuk/s400/2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354447522155338162" border="0" /></a><br /><strong>CS: Do you see some of yourself or childhood friends in Minli?<br /><br />Grace:</strong> I think the way that Minli and I are similar is our earnestness. I tried to write her as I would feel, with as much sincerity as possible. I didn’t want to make her an annoying “goody-two-shoes,” but I did want to convey that feeling that all of us have of just trying to our best, of always trying to do the right thing.<br /><br />This is probably even more poignant because this is the novel that I decided I would try to make the best work I’ve ever done. It was my New Year’s resolution! So, I pulled out all the stops for this book, from the writing to the cover to begging for color printing. Like Minli, I am just trying to do my best!<br /><br /><strong>CS: Certain parts of the story just beg to be read aloud, and I look forward to reading the book to my daughters. (I can’t wait to roar when Dragon finds his courage!) Was it intended as a real-aloud?<br /><br />Grace: </strong>I began my children’s book career with picture books, so striving for the read-aloud quality has been something that has been ingrained in me. As I write, I almost always read it out loud to make sure it is clear orally and make changes accordingly. But I think <em>Where the Mountain Meets the Moon</em> can be enjoyed either way, read aloud or alone.<br /><br />I wanted the book to be appropriate for young children who are able to read at a higher level but may not be ready for the subject matter of older books; and I also wanted the book to be enjoyable for adults and older children. I wanted it to be a book that the whole family could share; where no one would be embarrassed or confused, but everyone would still take great pleasure in. So, <em>Where the Mountain Meets the Moon</em> is a book with meanings that can be understood at many different levels as well as a fun adventure story. Or, at least that is what I meant it to be!<br /><br /><strong>CS: In our <a href="http://blog.chinasprout.com/2009/05/interview-with-grace-lin.html">last interview</a>, you said elements of your trip to China were woven into this novel. Can you elaborate?<br /><br />Grace:</strong> Well, when I first began writing this book, I had visited <a href="http://gracegoeshk.blogspot.com/">Hong Kong</a> and Taiwan which were wonderful trips. Being Asian-American (and more American than Asian), it was a fascinating experience to be surrounded by a culture that was so foreign and familiar at the same time. Whenever I viewed the landscape, saw a temple or a sampan in the water, I suddenly would remember the Chinese folktales I had read as a child. I could see them happening in the setting around me and I knew in there was a book waiting to be written.<br />I was almost 3/4th finished with writing the book when I went to visit <a href="http://gracegoestochina.blogspot.com/">China</a>. This was the perfect time to go, as I had an idea of what kinds of things I wanted to see and research there but the book was still open enough to be changed. And it was wonderful! Actually seeing China with my own eyes and experiencing it added such a rich layer to the story. For example, one of the excursions we took especially for the book was a visit to a <a href="http://gracegoestochina.blogspot.com/2008/11/cold-village.html">tiny mountain village</a>. I wanted to see a mountain village because I knew Minli (the main character in <em>Where the Mountain Meets the Moon</em>) would be visiting one. The whole time we were there, we were freezing cold but the villagers were so friendly and red-cheeked (which I was to find out later was wind-burn, not good circulation). So, those elements of mountain cold and a warm, friendly shelter became the backdrop of the village Minli visits.<br /><br /><strong>CS: Folk tales are a big part of Minli’s life, thanks to her dad. Are those stories based on actual folk tales? What role have folk tales played in your own life?<br /><br />Grace:</strong> The book was inspired by the Chinese folktales and myths that I read as a child. <em>Where the Mountain Meets the Moon</em> is very, very loosely based on the Chinese folktale "Olive Lake." Aside from adding many layers and changing plot points, I also changed the main character from an adult male to the girl Minli. Many of the stories-inside-the-stories are inspired by Asian folk stories as well. For example, "The Old Man of the Moon" and "The Buffalo Boy and the Weaving Goddess" are very famous Chinese legends/tales—the Old Man of the Moon is the Chinese God of Marriage who ties future spouses together with a red thread and the Buffalo Boy and Weaving Goddess are the lovers whom Chinese Valentine’s Day is inspired by. I’ve embellished both legends for the novel, but I did try to keep true to the original sentiment of them.<br /><br />For me, folk tales were one of the thin threads that connected to me to my heritage when I was younger. In my youth, I disregarded my Asian roots in a quest to be "really American." But, as I said earlier, I loved folk tales and fairy tales and reading the ones from Chinese culture lay the subtle seeds for interest in my heritage to sprout later.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSaCbcSY8WatkaegztwOto9tJXSkeeX2Oau0cXz883qagCaJbGUO-VS3gv-PxjC8f1YIPWKI0M4AJJQEdWxEGLyRix2OrWdwfxO8XzsnOfUUL2htmNekgHz_yudLthucDQMyZ2/s1600-h/4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 173px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSaCbcSY8WatkaegztwOto9tJXSkeeX2Oau0cXz883qagCaJbGUO-VS3gv-PxjC8f1YIPWKI0M4AJJQEdWxEGLyRix2OrWdwfxO8XzsnOfUUL2htmNekgHz_yudLthucDQMyZ2/s400/4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354447945824867266" border="0" /></a><br /><strong>CS: <em>Where the Mountain Meets the Moon</em> has been likened to the Wizard of Oz stories. Were those favorite books when you were a child? What other stories had a strong influence?<br /><br />Grace:</strong> The Oz books were some of my favorite books—I read the entire series and was so upset when there were not more. But I didn't realize until after I had written <em>Where the Mountain Meets the Moon</em> how similar it was, though I suppose it should have been fairly obvious! I suppose it was my subconscious wish to play Dorothy in my elementary school theatrical coming out. Other books that I think influenced <em>Where the Mountain Meets the Moon </em>are <em>My Father's Dragon</em> by Ruth Stiles Gannett and <em>The Search for Delicious</em> by Natalie Babbitt.<br /><br /><strong>CS: You’ve said that writing this fantasy book was a very consuming process. Tell us how it changed your routine and monopolized your thoughts.<br /><br />Grace:</strong> It was really important for me for all the stories to tie together, because of the red thread theme—how everything is connected. Yet, when I began the book, I knew a little less than half of how and which stories would tie together. The beginning story of how Fruitless Mountain would turn green came to me pretty early on, but many of the other stories—"The Green Tiger Magistrate" and "The Paper of Happiness," actually came while I was writing the book. It was actually a very organic process, where I had the seed of what I wanted and then once the story took root, hundreds of vines grew.<br /><br />So, this book was a very consuming process. I was constantly thinking of how to link stories—writing notes on scrap pieces of paper at the gym, Post-it notes all over my house, notebook scrawls at lunch. This was the first book that I’ve written where it was impossible to work on anything else at the same time.<br /><br />I traveled to <a href="http://gracegoestochina.blogspot.com/">China</a> and Taiwan and relived my trip to <a href="http://gracegoeshk.blogspot.com/">Hong Kong</a> as a way for me to soak up the landscape and help create the imagery in my mind.<br /><br />I also read and reread many Asian folktales and myths. Many times, I would read a myth that was little more than a line and would be unable to find more—which lead me to create the story in my head. For example, at Chinese New Year, it is common to find pictures of two plump children dressed in red decorating doorways. These children are called Da-A-Fu. Why? I researched and only found a very short summary of them: They were two spirits transformed as children sent to destroy a green monster that was terrorizing a village. There were no details of how or why or what village, but it was enough to spark my imagination. So with that, I created the twin characters of A-Fu and Da-Fu, who destroy the Green Tiger in <em>Where the Mountain Meets the Moon</em>.<br /><br />Even with the research, however, this book had its challenges. I am most definitely Asian-American, and probably more American than Asian. So capturing Chinese authenticity was something I struggled with as well as debated internally. The book is very much tinged with my Asian-American sensibilities. For example, I knew and learned more about foot binding for young girls in China, but I made the conscious decision to leave that tradition out of my book. I try to make a point in my author’s note that the book is an Asian-inspired fantasy, not full of historical truths or even traditional Chinese values. I hope people still enjoy it as such.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-oWe9lcd_J2UO1pBgcGrm1lyiE5xWBBcIsATMuPa_ZfTzKn8JtXgspKHy-n9C90TL29LPbIVgpoKTS_fyCS2q91pGLB9h1ezpR9Me1SvXg6T4MeW9DwrwKOuCflpF1F7pFteV/s1600-h/3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 169px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-oWe9lcd_J2UO1pBgcGrm1lyiE5xWBBcIsATMuPa_ZfTzKn8JtXgspKHy-n9C90TL29LPbIVgpoKTS_fyCS2q91pGLB9h1ezpR9Me1SvXg6T4MeW9DwrwKOuCflpF1F7pFteV/s400/3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354447812797468930" border="0" /></a><br /><strong>CS: In my favorite paragraph, Minli decides fortune doesn’t consist of gold and jade “but something much more.” What inspired you to make fortune’s true meaning a key element in the book?<br /><br />Grace: </strong>Well, this story first was inspired by the folktales and fairytales of both Asian and European/American cultures that I read and loved as a child. My travels to Hong Kong, Taiwan and China brought the settings of the story to life for me, inspiring the imagery. But mostly, this book is an homage to my late husband. He had been ill with cancer for many years before he passed and his struggles taught me what is truly important in life, which is why fortune's true meaning became such a dominating theme.<br /><br /><strong>CS: So many writers get locked into one genre. You’ve done picture books and novels, and soon you’ll publish early readers. How do you manage to stay so fluid?<br /><br />Grace:</strong> I think almost every writer can write other genre. It's publishing another genre that is tricky! I've just gotten lucky that publishers have been willing to take a chance on my projects. I think I grow into each genre, which I think helps—in other words, I haven't gone from a dim sum picture book straight into an angsty teenage novel about drunk driving (NOT writing the latter, by the way). What usually happens is that all my ideas begin as picture book ideas and they grow into a novel or an early reader if they don't fit the picture book format.<br /><br /><strong>CS: What a treat for young readers to find so many full-color illustrations in a chapter book! Why was it important to you to do that, and how did you pull it off?<br /><br />Grace:</strong> I loved the illustrated MG books when I was younger and I still do. I think they add so much to experience of reading. To me, they are perfect—they give a glimpse of visualization into the world you are reading, but not so much that you aren’t left with anything to imagine. Also, they make the experience of owning and holding a book feel that much more special—turning the page and seeing a full color illustration is almost like discovering a jewel and the book itself feels like a little treasure. I really wanted <em>Where the Mountain Meets the Moon</em> to bring back the feeling I had when I had read those types of books.<br /><br />I pulled it off with a lot of begging and a wonderfully supportive editor!<br /><br /><strong>CS: Please explain how the swirls you use in so many illustrations took on a deeper meaning for you with this book.<br /><br />Grace:</strong> Somehow, without planning it, my illustration trademark has become "swirls in the sky." What began as a personal, patterned shorthand for wind and air has become a distinguishing element of my painting style. I mostly don’t mind this, I enjoy painting the swirls as well as the effect they have on the overall painting. But, a small part of me has always cringed at the possible gimmicky nature of it.<br /><br />However, during my research for <em>Where the Mountain Meets the Moon</em>, I found that a right-turning swirl had symbolic meaning in Chinese culture. The swirl (like the endless knot) could be seen as symbol for the eternal circle, the continuity of life without a beginning or end and is always interconnected. And by spiraling to the right (clockwise), the swirl echoes the movement of the sun, moon and stars against the celestial sky. Supposedly, even the hairs on the Buddha's head as well as his belly-button swirl to the right.<br /><br />This knowledge thrilled me. The eternal circle, the endless knot--these symbols correspond with the themes of <em>Where the Mountain Meets the Moon</em>. In the book, small, seemingly unrelated stories are slowly revealed to be connected—the fates of a fruitless mountain, a dragon that can’t fly, a lost paper revealing the secret to happiness, and the fortune of a young girl are all intertwined in the circle of the novel. I immediately decided that I would paint all the swirls for the book right turning, to follow the movement of the moon.<br /><br />So enthused was I about this, that I asked for the cover art to be returned so that I could “fix” it (for catalog purposes, the publisher had asked for the cover art to be done first—before the book was finished). I could change the art for the final cover they told me, but the old image—the one with both left- and right-handed swirls, was already being used for the advanced reading copy and publicity. Still, I felt strongly that I wanted to change it.<br /><br />However, after years of painting swirls haphazardly, the discipline of painting right-handed swirls turned out to be more difficult than I thought. I would get halfway through painting the background swirls when my eyes would lose focus and suddenly I couldn't remember which way was the "right" way. Many, many, many times after I thought the painting was finished, I would suddenly see a left-turning swirl and have to correct it. Right-turning swirls suddenly did become an endless circle of life for me!<br /><br />I think it was worth it, even though I know it'll be lucky if viewers even register the swirls much less the direction they are turning. For some reason, I believe these nuances make a difference—if only to let me feel that the purpose for the patterns I paint are a subtle visual message that I am communicating.<br /><br />But, if you see a left-turning swirl anywhere in the book, don't tell me.<br /><br /><strong>CS: Any chance Minli will show up in a sequel?<br /><br />Grace:</strong> I have no plans on writing a sequel to <em>Where the Mountain Meets the Moon</em>, but I would like to write another fantasy novel someday. Maybe Minli will have a cameo role. I just have to hope the muse strikes!</div><br /><div> </div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP6wXJhzsG0prUcRuO7hcCsAHT6YlkQ0OWlN29iHUgndZXk6BHFBw9Jt7ss_TRyD-6WETodl3fI3f2fyJmqaS38gocNxsE8D6QL4DSyT4ANhlrd5sB65ZdppqOlPJvzkdQEPtY/s1600-h/5.jpg"></a><div><strong>CS:</strong> We hope it does, too, Grace. Thanks for your time! For readers who'd like to join the fun, check out <a href="http://www.wherethemountainmeetsthemoon.com/">Grace's online </a><a href="http://www.wherethemountainmeetsthemoon.com/">book launch</a>.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><strong>Save 10%</strong> <strong>on <a href="http://chinasprout.com/shop/BSY065">an autographed copy of Grace Lin’s new chapter book</a></strong>.<strong> Each copy includes a special edition <a href="http://chinasprout.com/img/chinasproutbkplatebw_low.jpg">bookplate</a> designed only for ChinaSprout!</strong></div></div><br /><div> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34061931.post-38114585057575131072009-06-20T14:49:00.000-07:002009-06-20T22:42:55.707-07:00How ChinaSprout Got Its Start and BlossomedChinaSprout launched officially on June 19, 1999. The story of our origins are humble. It began as nothing more than conversations between mothers on a playground — with many mothers asking me for advice about how to teach their children about Chinese culture and me looking for a way to fill their void. <br /><br />A few weeks before our launch, I was told about the FCC of Greater New York’s annual “Chinese Culture Day”. I had been preparing to launch the ChinaSprout website and thought that this event would be a good opportunity to to promote the company. We rushed to prepare the website to go live and then, armed with fliers, books, crafts, and Chinese dresses for girls, I headed to Chinese Culture Day on June 19.<br /><br />I will never forget that beautiful, sunny day in Terrytown, New York. Although I had prepared for the event, I was completely surprised at the outcome. There were so many families with Chinese girls. Even though I had met some adoptive families in my neighborhood, I had not expected to see so many adoptive families at this event. There were quite a few Chinese product vendors, as well. However, ChinaSprout was the only vendor with a diverse display of books, dresses, and crafts. People were very excited to see these products and were even happier to find that we offered a greater selection on-line. Some of these families helped to spread the word about ChinaSprout by posting messages about us on Internet list serves. Their generous word-of-mouth helped to launch ChinaSprout and to this day, word-of-mouth contributes greatly to our growth.<br /><br />A few days after June 19, 1999, ChinaSprout began accepting on-line orders. Ten years have passed and I could not have imagined on that evening, when I packed up from Chinese Culture Days, that ChinaSprout would be where it is today. We have grown from attending our first small, local event to achieving international sales. We are now selling products not only to families with children from China, but also to anyone who with an interest in Chinese culture. We have grown to serve schools across the United States that teach Chinese as a foreign language. Although I had been promoting Chinese language products to public schools since early 2000, I never expected that Chinese would become such a popular subject. It is now the second post popular foreign language among public and private K-12 schools.<br /><br />As ChinaSprout has grown, we have continued to expand our customer reach from selling products on-line to incorporating traditional channels with our print catalogs and promotions and appearing at nationwide events and conferences all year round. Our products are not only imported from China, as I did in the first two years, but we now carry products from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and the U.S. More importantly, we also produce and manufacture our own products. Today, I can proudly say that ChinaSprout provides the largest and best collection of Chinese culture and educational products on the Internet. Of course, this would not have been possible without your involvement and continuous support. I want to take this opportunity to thank you all for all your feedback, suggestions, and business.<br /><br />To celebrate our 10th anniversary, we will be offering many exciting programs and promotions over the coming year. It is our way of saying “thank you” and celebrating what we have done together. We can’t wait to see what the next 10 years bring!Xiaoninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12401075809364114226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34061931.post-51058324118450535102009-05-06T17:20:00.000-07:002009-05-08T09:30:20.516-07:00Interview with Grace LinAuthor and illustrator Grace Lin holds a special place in my heart. That’s because the first time my little girl read a word aloud, it was from <em>The Seven Chinese Sisters</em>, a marvelous picture book Grace illustrated. “NO!” my daughter read, and I mouthed a triumphant “Yes!”<br /><br />The book’s tattered pages are a testament to the joy Grace brings to children, enchanted by the bold colors and brave characters who show what can be accomplished when determined sisters stick together.<br /><br />Today, as ChinaSprout kicks off a series of interviews with notable authors and illustrators, Grace talks about her Asian American childhood in upstate New York, her journey into new genres, and an eye-opening trip to China.<br /><br />Check back in June, when Grace will return to this page to discuss her soon-to-be released novel <em>Where the Mountain Meets the Moon</em>.<br /><br />- Jeanette White<br />ChinaSprout writer & editor<br /><br /><br /><strong>CS: Like a lot of writers, you loved to read as a child. How did the books you read back then influence the ones you write now?<br /></strong><br /><strong>Grace:</strong> Well, a lot of the books that I create now are almost homage to the books that I loved as a child. As I said in my author’s note in <em>The Year of the Dog</em>, some of my favorite books were the <em>B is for Betsy</em> or <em>Betsy-Tacy</em> books; I modeled <em>The Year of the Dog</em> and <em>The Year of the Rat</em> on the same themes—everyday friendship and family. Mine just happens to be an Asian-American family.<br /><br />When I was younger, there were not a lot of books with Asian characters, much less Asian-American characters. The books that were available were like <em>The Five Chinese Brothers</em> which, as a thoroughly Americanized girl (surrounded by McDonald’s hamburgers and <em>Little House on the Prairie</em> TV shows) I could not relate to. Throughout my childhood, I yearned for books that had someone like me in it—characters that I could relate to.<br /><br />Now, when I create books I remember that and try to make books that I would’ve loved as a child.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ9QHo8TmwlDPRTE4DuAGgD6CtyEugrc4qAfUvQj23IvHUWjvBusv7udA4R-z6XkFn6d3IZ7T-tyMByUltJaSk8Lw3g-mQWWVGmGEj-WnX4jFW2XNhTNuaGOI6rr5xER2jhinL/s1600-h/dumpling_sketch-1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333293630683857394" style="width: 320px; cursor: pointer; height: 129px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ9QHo8TmwlDPRTE4DuAGgD6CtyEugrc4qAfUvQj23IvHUWjvBusv7udA4R-z6XkFn6d3IZ7T-tyMByUltJaSk8Lw3g-mQWWVGmGEj-WnX4jFW2XNhTNuaGOI6rr5xER2jhinL/s320/dumpling_sketch-1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF45BlxkTyna1h1pmNCYo8jZ0rdrJP3wJSxlV1Nkjf1f8WuXDElu_M5Ibn3e-cK1OrWRtaPDErxkIefhuP-YJwraMXsArMwtwMuES4ovMezZe-iVjxJkycyadZXa-e5IaOvad9/s1600-h/dumpling_final-1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333293747070282034" style="width: 320px; cursor: pointer; height: 130px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF45BlxkTyna1h1pmNCYo8jZ0rdrJP3wJSxlV1Nkjf1f8WuXDElu_M5Ibn3e-cK1OrWRtaPDErxkIefhuP-YJwraMXsArMwtwMuES4ovMezZe-iVjxJkycyadZXa-e5IaOvad9/s320/dumpling_final-1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div class="clear"> </div><br /><br /><br /><strong>CS: Fans with growing girls are thrilled that you’ve begun writing novels for kids. Now they can enjoy your work after they’re past the picture-book phase. What prompted you to make the leap?<br /></strong><br /><strong>Grace:</strong> <em>The Year of the Dog</em> began as a sequel to my book <em>The Ugly Vegetables</em>. However, as I began to write, the book would just not fit in a picture-book format. There were so many memories—funny stories that needed to be told, poignant stories that couldn't be left out, family stories that insisted on being written ... they just couldn't be contained in 32 pages.<br /><br />Finally, I realized that it wanted to be a novel and let it become <em>The Year of the Dog</em>. It took me only 5 years to come to this conclusion. But once I let it happen, things moved fairly quickly and I realized I loved writing novels. I love how much more of the story I can tell and the writing freedom. In some ways writing picture books is harder than writing novels; one has to be much more disciplined when writing a picture book text.<br /><br /><strong>CS: When reading your novels <em>Year of the Dog</em> and <em>Year of the Rat</em>, it’s fun to know they’re based on people and events from your childhood. How did you go about rekindling all those memories?<br /></strong><br /><strong>Grace:</strong> Well, I collect memories slowly in my notebook(s). So, I always have a notebook (or these days the iphone!) with me. Whenever something reminds me of a past experience or my parents talk about their memories, I usually notate it and when it is time to write I look at my notes. They usually spark a story which sparks more stories and then (hopefully) they all come together into a novel.<br /><br /><strong>CS: And now you’re getting mail from young readers themselves and not only parents of preschoolers! What do they say?<br /></strong><br /><strong>Grace:</strong> I love getting mail! Usually young readers tell me how much they enjoy my books (which is wonderful) and ask me when I am going to write another. Once in a while I will get suggestions on what to write for my next book; I have received a couple of requests for books about ponies!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMlckmGtTmhlfN6FffQA_AU9R68EvF-iaO_unDehgIIXu16s9Pa1FwlUi7RmV36_iqEV6Vb9ByLQimp2WSc9iaVv9jcyfAkdJm43i0xuV3jlMTgC3k1ZE-_CT54uLaV8RLay5_/s1600-h/dragon_spread_sketch2-1-1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333294011051376338" style="width: 320px; cursor: pointer; height: 99px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMlckmGtTmhlfN6FffQA_AU9R68EvF-iaO_unDehgIIXu16s9Pa1FwlUi7RmV36_iqEV6Vb9ByLQimp2WSc9iaVv9jcyfAkdJm43i0xuV3jlMTgC3k1ZE-_CT54uLaV8RLay5_/s320/dragon_spread_sketch2-1-1.jpg" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj76hlujle48zkPUA_DdKqCgKuRS6n7gyR9_B3FBJQrW-ZOl-Z_xVtKI-VLtvYRPbYnf5HhRB1Q6B6cerGXqnNy4jnaxlrRwoJnNi6nKBBxsZtqPqI6bACWXpcddYiiCZ-UZUuo/s1600-h/dragon_spread2-1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333294107569295778" style="width: 320px; cursor: pointer; height: 99px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj76hlujle48zkPUA_DdKqCgKuRS6n7gyR9_B3FBJQrW-ZOl-Z_xVtKI-VLtvYRPbYnf5HhRB1Q6B6cerGXqnNy4jnaxlrRwoJnNi6nKBBxsZtqPqI6bACWXpcddYiiCZ-UZUuo/s320/dragon_spread2-1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div class="clear"> </div><br /><br /><strong>CS: My daughters always recognize art by certain illustrators, such as Jan Brett, Eric Carle, and you. What inspired the trademark swirls and black outlines in your artwork?</strong><br /><br /><strong>Grace:</strong> The swirls are kind of my pattern for wind or air. I was inspired by Van Gogh's painting "Starry Night," and also because the swirl can be seen as a symbol for the "endless circle" (similar to the endless knot) in Chinese culture.<br /><br />I think the bright colors of my work were inspired by all the bright flowers my mother grew in the garden and the black outlines by stained glass windows, another art form I loved to look at as a child.<br /><br /><strong>CS: When you traveled to China with your sister last year, what surprised you about the country? How have you used elements of that visit in your work?<br /></strong><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv0j4CSuoHPGTGqgXDL86iA6zeQ7pTVJRxdmfUs5q1DYCM0D0S_4_wJqdWLJIPULLLE8-blh_PIKWAYWjkjD0S4TFxxqI3-UiTCpktptQG-ZjlThKVDLikvodImJtY1EvFsf3C/s1600-h/me_alvina_duplings.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333294556213269330" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; width: 200px; cursor: pointer; height: 152px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv0j4CSuoHPGTGqgXDL86iA6zeQ7pTVJRxdmfUs5q1DYCM0D0S_4_wJqdWLJIPULLLE8-blh_PIKWAYWjkjD0S4TFxxqI3-UiTCpktptQG-ZjlThKVDLikvodImJtY1EvFsf3C/s200/me_alvina_duplings.gif" border="0" /></a><strong>Grace:</strong> China was so much more vibrant and richer than I imagined. But there were more small differences than I anticipated. For example, purchasing things in China is a multi-step process; bargaining is always expected. In China, I remember a group of waiters being fascinated by my sister and me—first, that we were sisters (a rarity in one-child policy China), and that we could barely communicate in Chinese. Those unexpected little things made me realize how important it is to experience other cultures in person.<br /><br />I definitely used my experiences in China in my new novel <em>Where the Mountain Meets the Moon</em>, and Beijing is going to be the setting of an upcoming picture book.<br /><br /><strong>CS: What inspired your picture book <em>The Red Thread: An Adoption Fairy Tale</em>?</strong><br /><br /><strong>Grace:</strong> <em>The Red Thread</em> is actually a very controversial book for me. I have not internationally adopted (though it was something my late husband and I thought about) so it is a book about issues that I may have not grasped thoroughly and can be misunderstood. I have been honored in the past to be invited to many Families with Children from China events, and noticed that many Chinese adoption groups had taken the legend of the red thread (a belief that people destined to be together are joined by an invisible red thread) which was originally for marriages and reinterpreted it for adoption. I thought that was fascinating and wonderful, how myths are and can be transformed over time. To me, it is like being Asian-American—the changing and melding of customs and cultures to fit real life. I feel like it makes these beliefs more real, more “living”—not just studied in a book. So I took that interpretation of the red thread and made a fairy tale story out of it.<br /><br />However, there has been some concern that <em>The Red Thread</em> "glosses" over the truths of adoptions, painting an unrealistic picture of families torn apart and brought together as well as racist undertones (yikes!)—I hope anyone who knows me or my work would know that was not my intention. For those who find offense with the book, all I can say is “I’m sorry!” and thank those who enjoy the book in the spirit it was intended.<br /><br /><strong>CS: Does it bother you to be labeled a “multicultural” children’s book writer and illustrator?<br /></strong><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvkpa9-rm80pzuvBDoIsbzzoTU4x9qPmWWr4csTrH2nF7Y-muNBj5j0J38Xt4QXTUwEYOLiFeEbHkk_AD5O2pOYLPaHWCGyAi2fDYgJfBX6prYcKrB77L0jQFhXpUqAWSipkEA/s1600-h/eatingjianbing.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333294711349832754" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; width: 200px; cursor: pointer; height: 150px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvkpa9-rm80pzuvBDoIsbzzoTU4x9qPmWWr4csTrH2nF7Y-muNBj5j0J38Xt4QXTUwEYOLiFeEbHkk_AD5O2pOYLPaHWCGyAi2fDYgJfBX6prYcKrB77L0jQFhXpUqAWSipkEA/s200/eatingjianbing.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong>Grace:</strong> When I first started out, it did bother me but now I don’t really care. Being “multicultural” is tricky in terms of marketing and career projectory; but nowadays I just concentrate on books that I love making and that I want to share with people. It’s not that I’ll never do a book with a Caucasian boy (I would do a book on anything if I felt it was right) or that my books are meant to preach (horrors!). It’s just that a while ago, I realized that being able to publish my work was a gift not to be squandered on something soulless. And my soul is Asian-American.<br /><br /><strong>CS: You’re obviously a prolific writer and illustrator, but do you ever get writer’s block? Or start a book and scrap it? You must have a proven method for getting past that.<br /></strong><br /><strong>Grace:</strong> I don’t really “scrap” an idea, but I do let things sit on the back burner if they don’t seem to work. As I said before, the stories for <em>The Year of the Dog</em> sat around for five years until I realized how to make it work.<br /><br />To get past writer’s block, I usually just start working on something that has a deadline. Somehow, whenever I am working on a deadline project, I suddenly get lots of ideas for other projects. Works every time.<br /><br /><strong>CS: Talk about about your most rewarding moment as a writer/illustrator.<br /></strong><br /><strong>Grace:</strong> There have been so many rewarding experiences that I am very grateful for like fan mail, the Lissy doll, theatrical interpretations—it’s hard to pick one. Most recently, someone said to me, “Oh, my kids grew up with your books,” and I had to pinch myself. How neat is that? Just realizing that my work has become a part of someone’s childhood is extremely rewarding.<br /><br /><strong>CS: Sounds like you’re on the road a lot with speaking engagements, but please describe a typical day when you’re home.</strong><br /><br /><strong>Grace:</strong> Oh dear, I'm really very boring. I wake up, eat, check my email and surf the net under the guise of "industry research," which usually meanders its way to "book idea research." Then, when I am horrified at the amount of time I have spent sitting on my bum "researching" (probably while eating at the same time), I go outside and ride my bike or go to the gym for an hour or two. Then I return home and write, draw or paint—trying all the while not to get sucked back into "researching." Of course I inevitably do, and the rest of the day is filled with the back and forth battles of concrete work vs. pretend work. This usually goes on until I go to sleep at night, unless I am seeing friends for dinner or someone comes over. Depending on deadlines and/or the next day's schedule, I go to bed at around 11 p.m. - 2 a.m. Of course everyday errands such as cleaning, groceries, etc., get jumbled in, but all in all, I have a pretty quiet life. I hope that wasn't too disillusioning!<br /><br /><strong>CS: What do you read in your free time? Which titles or authors have especially impressed you lately?<br /></strong><br /><strong>Grace:</strong> I have not had the time to read a lot lately, but the most recent book that I’ve enjoyed is <em>Masterpiece</em> by Elise Broach. Another book is <em>Alvin Ho</em> by Lenore Look, whose writing I admire quite a bit—it is very clean, simple, poetic and fun.<br /><br /><strong>CS: Am I wrong or do you have a slight obsession with food? It’s not just <em>Fortune Cookie Fortunes</em>,<em> The Ugly Vegetables</em> and <em>Dim Sum for Everyone!</em> Even in your novels, food is a frequent topic. What’s that about?<br /></strong><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg09daGYff9ChpPhvHG1_yEJVwzKwxN4sK66Euf2Zssqk0PIAp_6rr5_Nf7ExZDFrppYsplN0DEuG7Z3-u7JBxZEHXIvqefUcabitdMWAjjrdKQ4q-XrrEMnpaK2xyDZwZ1qgEe/s1600-h/summerpalace.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333294926526513906" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; width: 200px; cursor: pointer; height: 166px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg09daGYff9ChpPhvHG1_yEJVwzKwxN4sK66Euf2Zssqk0PIAp_6rr5_Nf7ExZDFrppYsplN0DEuG7Z3-u7JBxZEHXIvqefUcabitdMWAjjrdKQ4q-XrrEMnpaK2xyDZwZ1qgEe/s200/summerpalace.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong>Grace:</strong> Well, I learned in Taiwan that the Chinese character for "beauty" is actually made up of the characters for "big" and "sheep." A big sheep obviously meant a delicious meal; the character implies a beautiful taste. So, early Chinese equated good food with beauty, which is something I do as well! Though, I would prefer not to think of myself as a fat sheep.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>CS: Your first picture book, <em>The Ugly Vegetables</em>, was published 10 years ago. How has your life changed during that time?</strong><br /><br /><strong>Grace:</strong> Well, it has changed quite a lot. I’ve been a bride, a wife and a widow, as well as an illustrator, an author-illustrator, and author. These are threads that make up my life, and I try to be grateful for the bitter as well as the sweet.<br /><br /><strong>CS: Fast forward two decades. Finish writing the introduction you’d like to see appear with your work in 2029. “Grace Lin is …”</strong><br /><br /><strong>Grace:</strong> Hmm, let’s see: Grace Lin is the successful author and illustrator of beloved books by children young and old (including her recent bestseller) and lives with her loving and healthy family in a charming home in a lovely town/city filled with good friends.<br /><br /><strong>CS: Next month we’ll talk about your new novel, <em>Where the Mountain Meets the Moon</em>, set for release in June. But for now, what other titles or projects can we anticipate?<br /></strong><br /><strong>Grace:</strong> Right now, other than preparing for the launch of <em>Where the Mountain Meets the Moon</em>, I have been working on <em>Ling and Ting</em>, which will be an early reader featuring Asian American twins. I'm so happy to be working in the genre; my favorite books when I was young were books like <em>Frog and Toad</em>, <em>Snipp, Snapp and Snurr</em>, and <em>Flicka, Ricka, and Dicka</em>; to do this book is really a great gift to my childhood self. Since the writing in this book will be spare and stylized, the illustrations are also going to be more stylized and simpler than my picture books.<br /><br />Also down the pipelines is a picture book on the Moon Festival (featuring the same family in <em>Dim Sum For Everyone!</em>) and another picture book called <em>Li Na’s Lily</em> which will be set in Beijing. I have a couple of novel ideas in my head, but none under contract yet—so I’ll wait before I talk about those!<br /><br />Another project I would like to mention is my <em>small graces</em> charity project (<a href="http://www.smallgraces.org/">http://www.smallgraces.org/</a>). Once a month a small (roughly 5x5 inch), unpublished, original painting of mine will be auctioned off through eBay with 100 percent of the proceeds to benefit the Foundation of Children's Books.<br /><br />The original paintings, done by me, will all be illustrated small bits of wisdom (inspired by the collecting I've been doing on my personal blog for Fortune Cookie Fridays). There will be a new painting a month for the year of 2009. This is a great way to own a piece of my original art for a bargain price!<br /><br /><strong>CS: Sounds great. Thanks for your time, Grace, and we’ll talk again next month!<br /><br /></strong><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3N5Besn9p2oiDb0WfKR76nkd41lS-Cz-oprEk3qkmruw4cf-d6uvc1jFenEiTEv0vLcP4LQhm4nQckx6sHXgLmrLAoZCXGQGeiUddYCddfUG8ap7LBAYwFdnVmAD-VN4jS5ca/s1600-h/grace_studio2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333294399652915666" style="width: 200px; cursor: pointer; height: 150px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3N5Besn9p2oiDb0WfKR76nkd41lS-Cz-oprEk3qkmruw4cf-d6uvc1jFenEiTEv0vLcP4LQhm4nQckx6sHXgLmrLAoZCXGQGeiUddYCddfUG8ap7LBAYwFdnVmAD-VN4jS5ca/s200/grace_studio2.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34061931.post-83809051503151697482009-04-13T20:57:00.000-07:002009-04-13T21:08:31.716-07:00On My Honor: Blending Chinese Heritage with American Scouting<span style="font-style: italic;">Bethann Buddenbaum is a freelance consultant who moved back to her home state in the Midwest after living in Los Angeles for over 20 years. She is the mother of two daughters who were adopted from the Zhuzhou Social Welfare Institute in Hunan, China.<br /><br /></span>When children are younger, it is easier to engage them in Chinese-related events and activities. And, honestly they are often happy to just parade around in their fancy <a href="http://chinasprout.com/htm/shop.html?section=shop&topic=culture&category=apparel&subcat=kids&subsubcat=pajamas&mode=listing&filter=&id=unlimited&type=&price=&theme=&agegroup=">Chinese suit</a> or <a href="http://chinasprout.com/shop/CCD054">Chinese qipao</a>. Around the age of five, however, comes the realization that holiday related dress-up will only hold their interest for so long. So what do you do to help further your children's interest in their Chinese heritage in a way that is both meaningful and attractive to them?<br /><br />If you are Charlotte Ottinger and Chris Jacobson, you merge girls' American and Chinese worlds. In 2005, these two moms created a Brownie Troop, which is comprised primarily of Chinese adoptees.<br /><br />The troop feeds from all across Indianapolis and surrounding areas. The girls participate in traditional Girl Scout projects, though their activities have a special twist. While the girls still work on badges, each badge that they earn incorporates lessons in Chinese heritage. The girls have learned about <a href="http://chinasprout.com/shop/ADS092">Chinese calligraphy</a>, <a href="http://chinasprout.com/shop/BHT011">cooking</a>, <a href="http://chinasprout.com/shop/ATG049">games</a>, <a href="http://chinasprout.com/shop/MCT040">musical instruments</a>, <a href="http://chinasprout.com/shop/BSC231">paper crafts</a>, <a href="http://chinasprout.com/shop/ADY071">tea culture</a>, the <a href="http://chinasprout.com/shop/DBC041">Ming dynasty</a>, and many other related topics. Each of these lessons is shared through a mixture of field trips, hands-on activities, simple lectures, and at-home reading that helps to involve the parents and open a dialogue.<br /><br />While the complexities of the Chinese culture are difficult for young minds to fully grasp, the troop lays a groundwork for future exploration. The structure of Girl Scouts also provides the opportunity for the girls to increase their subject matter knowledge. They can earn a Brownie badge for cooking and take this learning to the next level when they pursue their Junior cooking badge.<br /><br />One of the most memorable building blocks activities of the past year involved building a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_pagoda">Chinese pagoda</a> out of gingerbread. The younger girls focused on making individual houses out of graham crackers. They received a brief overview of the pagoda and its relevance to Chinese culture. The Juniors received a much more detailed informational program about the pagoda including learning about its historical, religious, and architectural importance. They then worked together to create a <a href="http://www.indy.com/posts/project-teaches-girls-about-native-land">gingerbread pagoda</a>, which was entered into a holiday gingerbread village competition at Connor Prairie. The troop was honored with the "<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/connerprairie/3081768659/">Most Creative Pagoda</a>" award.<br /><br />Those first Brownies from the troop are now Juniors. This past year, to meet the needs of even more girls, Troop 42 expanded to include a new Brownie and Daisy group. Girl Scout Troop 42 has grown to embrace over 65 members and is overseen by 11 leaders and committee members.<br /><br />As with any troop, each girl brings her own unique perspective, but the meetings provide a space where they can freely ask questions, explore, and compare each other's experiences. Although it is difficult for the girls to forge deep relationships based upon once monthly meetings, there are many girls who have begun to connect and find strong friendships that they would not have otherwise had the opportunity to create.Xiaoninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10718818792826896202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34061931.post-4129013472537705782009-03-23T19:19:00.000-07:002009-03-29T14:17:49.998-07:00Chinese Steamed Fish Recipe<span style="font-style: italic;">Bethann Buddenbaum is a freelance consultant who moved back to her home state in the Midwest after living in Los Angeles for over 20 years. She is the mother of two daughters who were adopted from the Zhuzhou Social Welfare Institute in Hunan, China.</span><br /><br />One of the hobbies that our family enjoys is cooking. It's a good way to work on math concepts, spend quality time together, and enjoy the fruits of our labor. The girls love to try new Chinese recipes, so every few weeks, we pull out one of our Chinese cookbooks and explore.<br /><br />Whole steamed fish is one of our favorite recipes. It's easy and tasty, and we know it so well that we don't require a cookbook anymore. Whole steamed fish is most often associated with Chinese New Year as the Chinese word for fish (Yu-鱼) sounds like the Chinese word meaning abundance. Thus, serving whole steamed fish symbolizes wishes for abundance in the new year.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sourcing Fish:<br /><br /></span>Although access to the local Chinatown is typically limited to major metropolitan cities, there are many cities that now have Asian markets where you can find live fish. It is best to use the freshest fish possible. However, if live fish is either not available or personally palatable, you can use fish from the fish market or grocer's fish section. Again, the preference is for whole fish over fillets and fresh versus frozen. The Chinese typically serve steamed fish whole, which means face and all. Some people (including my father) find "food with a face" unappealing. If you're one of these people, you can cut off the head during preparation or ask your butcher to do it for you at the store.<br /><br />Most often, when we ordered whole steamed fish in Chinese restaurants in Los Angeles, we were served rock cod or bass. We prefer to avoid Atlantic cod and Chilean sea bass <a href="http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=1521">for environmental reasons</a>, and in cooking this meal for ourselves, we have enjoyed other fish including tilapia, Pacific halibut, farmed striped bass, and yellowtail snapper.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Equipment:</span><br /><ol><li>Cutting board</li><li>Knife</li><li>Fish steamer; or</li><li>Alternatively if you do not have a fish steamer, you can use a large wok or deep pan and set an inverted baking dish or heat proof plate inside (see photo for example). If your whole fish will not fit inside, you can cut the fish in half.<br /></li><li>Small saucepan</li></ol><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT-u7MqPzgEZljOKhXCdB4WpcHk-i32ku5UkYQEsKMIF4V7-UYFa8gn8yC6ehhdK5yULjNitRZPbx4oH4M5FXiAAeAL1FYt_8MO5PaTlvC1h_YoGFiWcP-PvFQV1_Ct5yQEWJJ/s1600-h/DSC_0112.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT-u7MqPzgEZljOKhXCdB4WpcHk-i32ku5UkYQEsKMIF4V7-UYFa8gn8yC6ehhdK5yULjNitRZPbx4oH4M5FXiAAeAL1FYt_8MO5PaTlvC1h_YoGFiWcP-PvFQV1_Ct5yQEWJJ/s200/DSC_0112.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316575983209601154" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div class="clear"> </div><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients:</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGaL2lyqbBvkbK8rILGQ7r_Naw7JQRQyyAFryV3M0g83ePu3c4Jpe1t_rjm-T1xWRGNrirMwHRIp7pMTMu6a-ttpeytAzVNuVi-VN1N5NWQlfCa5YcgjDF3FoWFaknSH5ogwNW/s1600-h/DSC_0119.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGaL2lyqbBvkbK8rILGQ7r_Naw7JQRQyyAFryV3M0g83ePu3c4Jpe1t_rjm-T1xWRGNrirMwHRIp7pMTMu6a-ttpeytAzVNuVi-VN1N5NWQlfCa5YcgjDF3FoWFaknSH5ogwNW/s200/DSC_0119.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316576283156905314" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><div class="clear"> </div><ul><li>1 whole fish (1-1/2 to 2-1/2 pounds cleaned and dried thoroughly with head left on)</li><li>1-1/2 teaspoon sea salt</li><li>1/4 teaspoon sugar</li><li>5 scallions (white bottoms chopped and green tops cut into 2" sections and then silken threads)</li><li>1" fresh ginger root (peeled and cut into silken threads)</li><li>2 stalks lemongrass (cut into silken threads)</li><li>4 tablespoons soy sauce</li><li>1 tablespoon sesame oil</li><li>5 tablespoons peanut or corn oil</li></ul><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Preparation:</span><br /><ol><li> Cut up the scallions, ginger root, and lemongrass.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcNC91l4gdqloreG9QPYu0DvReNZyCwrbkwmztAb03ls6lweLM0XE2aW2qVUlJ4iIL7cQFi4v1_rn6ysYg09gm_7BvPwrAq6KIkGu2wWQRTSX0hZp5L1gBUZ0s3zXe8kNINKwe/s1600-h/DSC_0125.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcNC91l4gdqloreG9QPYu0DvReNZyCwrbkwmztAb03ls6lweLM0XE2aW2qVUlJ4iIL7cQFi4v1_rn6ysYg09gm_7BvPwrAq6KIkGu2wWQRTSX0hZp5L1gBUZ0s3zXe8kNINKwe/s200/DSC_0125.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316576469444764802" border="0" /></a><div class="clear"> </div><br /></li><li> Slice open the fish at the belly (if purchased live and butcher did not do this).</li><li> Clean and dry the fish.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFoFPMXEh2SFdz9mI_sv6CXbqdf2ish6zZJycCAbBf522dzI4wT6yrqwuTgyhsq2rfFVmsnlRdho5rk0YTVbBLJbRgF-UkUxgKv5tOWFjoScldDczDx4nZMzBfzGCzd6O8Q7Qf/s1600-h/DSC_0118.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFoFPMXEh2SFdz9mI_sv6CXbqdf2ish6zZJycCAbBf522dzI4wT6yrqwuTgyhsq2rfFVmsnlRdho5rk0YTVbBLJbRgF-UkUxgKv5tOWFjoScldDczDx4nZMzBfzGCzd6O8Q7Qf/s200/DSC_0118.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316576609382203506" border="0" /></a><div class="clear"> </div><br /></li><li> Make 3 diagonal slashes on both sides of the fish.</li><li> Mix together 1 teaspoon sea salt with all of the white cut scallions, half of the ginger root and lemongrass, and 2 tablespoons of the peanut or corn oil.</li><li> Stuff the cavity of the fish with half of the seasoning mixture, and place the seasoned fish in the refrigerator for 30 to 60 minutes.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIVjUFEk2Xq6PBUL2LpMD_1RkupR2IaOCARUjZcnVozJl-q-WFTvio8ySwlzEGpx5zkCQRsXNCMXPl9oq-C5TWb_ECyfCnhX4YCPUWDSMbKZJx2ycQ9bNj3cQIu7Y1uTw_UmaT/s1600-h/DSC_0127.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIVjUFEk2Xq6PBUL2LpMD_1RkupR2IaOCARUjZcnVozJl-q-WFTvio8ySwlzEGpx5zkCQRsXNCMXPl9oq-C5TWb_ECyfCnhX4YCPUWDSMbKZJx2ycQ9bNj3cQIu7Y1uTw_UmaT/s200/DSC_0127.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316576753738029010" border="0" /></a><div class="clear"> </div></li><li> Place the other half of the seasoning mixture on the steamer tray or heatproof dish.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4aU_WhEH_Ad7ze4K3vaBi58NnB9FdESDaCzUNiBm6QbQyn_2u95hZdLhCtJA8n2ts4JJhLWd14xQ63xymHJ60mXhJmICHUVek0jUUexI5fp95mj-2Nv7a_nhspdUyvhunJo94/s1600-h/DSC_0129.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4aU_WhEH_Ad7ze4K3vaBi58NnB9FdESDaCzUNiBm6QbQyn_2u95hZdLhCtJA8n2ts4JJhLWd14xQ63xymHJ60mXhJmICHUVek0jUUexI5fp95mj-2Nv7a_nhspdUyvhunJo94/s200/DSC_0129.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316576888902154386" border="0" /></a><div class="clear"> </div><br /></li><li> Place fish into the steamer on the bed of the seasoning mixture.</li></ol><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="clear"> </div><br /></div><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cooking:</span><br /><ol><li>Steam over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until the fish is thoroughly cooked and flakes easily with a fork.</li><li>Remove the fish from the steamer.</li><li>Discard the cooked seasonings and move fish to serving plate.</li><li>Warm soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt in a saucepan and pour over fish.</li><li>Heat 3 tablespoons of peanut or corn oil in a saucepan over high heat until smoke rises. Add the remaining ginger, a portion of the green scallion and lemongrass (keeping some back for garnish) and heat for 10 to 15 seconds. Pour this hot oil and seasoning mixture over the fish.</li><li>Place remaining scallion and lemongrass threads on fish for garnish and serve immediately.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOsXo2RsVfk2XMtgbvlGtkDLqg7FdqBAAcL3Iux33YUAhXXI8EZLlaMLsv8xebjSbnREGt0zGvyHaJoUMVdljUq7sx1uzFDBkldZU1It0pKP3NTyCDyf5Cpfeyt-nTG4noXM1w/s1600-h/DSC_0142.jpg"><br /></a></li></ol><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/ADMINI%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpg" alt="" /><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/ADMINI%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-1.jpg" alt="" /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOsXo2RsVfk2XMtgbvlGtkDLqg7FdqBAAcL3Iux33YUAhXXI8EZLlaMLsv8xebjSbnREGt0zGvyHaJoUMVdljUq7sx1uzFDBkldZU1It0pKP3NTyCDyf5Cpfeyt-nTG4noXM1w/s1600-h/DSC_0142.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOsXo2RsVfk2XMtgbvlGtkDLqg7FdqBAAcL3Iux33YUAhXXI8EZLlaMLsv8xebjSbnREGt0zGvyHaJoUMVdljUq7sx1uzFDBkldZU1It0pKP3NTyCDyf5Cpfeyt-nTG4noXM1w/s200/DSC_0142.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316577034764250578" border="0" /></a><div class="clear"> </div><br /><br /></div><span style="font-weight: bold;">Hints:</span><br /><ul><li> Do not boil on high heat as this can cause tearing of the fish flesh. Cook fish at a slow, medium boil.</li><li> You can create a nice garnish with the scallion greens by placing them in a bowl of ice water until the threads curl.</li><li> Use soy sauce to taste. We actually prefer more soy sauce on our fish, and also like to add <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaoxing_wine">Shaoxing wine</a> to our soy sauce mixture.</li></ul>Xiaoninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10718818792826896202noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34061931.post-57887268821106810432009-03-15T20:24:00.000-07:002009-03-15T20:30:43.998-07:00The Ugly Vegetables Turns 10!<span style="font-style: italic;">Bethann Buddenbaum is a freelance consultant who moved back to her home state in the Midwest after living in Los Angeles for over 20 years. She is the mother of two daughters who were adopted from the Zhuzhou Social Welfare Institute in Hunan, China.<br /><br /></span><a href="http://outergrace.blogspot.com/">Grace Lin</a> is one of our family's favorite authors. We started out with <a href="http://chinasprout.com/shop/B211">Round is a Mooncake</a>, graduated to <a href="http://chinasprout.com/shop/BSC061">The Seven Chinese Sisters</a>, and for the past year, WeiWei has picked up and re-read <a href="http://chinasprout.com/shop/BSF046">The Year of the Dog</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Year-Rat-Grace-Lin/dp/0316033618">The Year of the Rat</a> more times than I can remember. I finally signed WeiWei up for Grace's monthly email newsletter so that she would stop asking ME when Grace was going to release a follow up to her favorite books (like I know).<br /><br />While reading Grace's March newsletter, I discovered that The Ugly Vegetables turns 10 today. I know that there are many families who have enjoyed this award-winning book together over the past decade. If your copy is as worn as ours, you'll be glad to know that the publisher is releasing a special anniversary edition that includes a new cover design and an updated pinyin glossary to make pronouncing the book's vegetables much easier.<br /><br />Even better, Grace has created Ugly Vegetable activities that include a <a href="http://www.gracelin.com/content.php?page=book_uglyveg&display=activities">coloring page</a>, a <a href="http://www.gracelin.com/content.php?page=uglyplay">scripted play</a> by FCC-Portland Maine, <a href="http://www.gracelin.com/content.php?page=uv_chinese_lesson">audio pronunciations</a> of the vegetables, and a lesson plan and <a href="http://www.gracelin.com/content.php?page=book_uglyveg&display=activities">recipe for Ugly Vegetable soup</a>.<br /><br />Our Girl Scout troop, which is made up primarily of girls adopted from China, is planning to use Grace's lesson plan as an activity next month. I look forward to sharing how the girls react to bringing this book to life. In the meantime, be sure to check out <a href="http://www.gracelin.com/">Grace's website</a> where you can find out more about her first book The Ugly Vegetables, as well as many others that will undoubtedly be enjoyed for generations to come.Xiaoninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10718818792826896202noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34061931.post-39614495302658062702009-03-09T07:30:00.000-07:002009-03-09T11:51:55.810-07:00Miley Cyrus - Playground Role Model?<span style="font-style: italic;">Bethann Buddenbaum is a freelance consultant who moved back to her home state in the Midwest after living in Los Angeles for over 20 years. She is the mother of two daughters who were adopted from the Zhuzhou Social Welfare Institute in Hunan, China.</span><br /><br />A number of years ago, when my eldest daughter was in kindergarten, she sat in the backseat of the car while I drove her home from school. In the midst of our chatter about her day, she blurted out "Look Mom, I'm Chinese." I glanced in the rearview mirror to see my Asian daughter grinning like a Cheshire cat while holding her tiny little index fingers against each eye and tugging them upward into an awkward squint. I had to compose myself while responding, "Yes, WeiWei, you ARE Chinese."<br /><br />This was certainly not the first time I had seen this gesture. In fact, it would be fair to say that the first time I saw "Slant Eyes" was when I was in kindergarten. Isn't that when most of us stood around on the playground manipulating our eyes into little slanty squints and chanting "Me Chinese, Me play trick..." At the time, I remember it seeming both hysterically funny and somewhat forbidden. At that young age, you have just begun to realize that there are differences among your peers and you have also come into a treasure trove of hand-me-down "funnies" that span generations ahead of you.<br /><br />I did explain to WeiWei that the slant eyes gesture was in poor taste and she confidently relayed this to the friends who taught her this fun, new trick. And, that was that. Five year olds were educated in the nuances of cultural diversity and they forgot all about their game. I expect this sort of behavior out of five year olds. They have only just begun to explore the world around them and to their credit, when provided the opportunity, quite often they learn, and they gain a sense of compassion.<br /><br />After recently counseling a friend last month that she should let a third grade slant eyes incident go, I found myself confronted with the now infamous Miley Cyrus and friends slant eye photo. Cyrus' most recent faux pas has left me wondering if I had not been taking this issue seriously enough. I have always viewed the problem as one of a lack of cultural awareness that could be overcome with some basic education. It is painfully obvious that at the advanced age of 16, someone had missed having this conversation with Cyrus.<br /><br />What really caused me to catch my breath, however, was the web poll put out by Disney and Cyrus. They actually felt compelled to create a poll to justify her actions. Not surprisingly, a majority of the little girls who visit her website thought that Cyrus was "just having fun and being goofy." These are the same little girls who are making Chinese eyes at my children on the playground -- of course THEY think it's just hilarious. What this says to me is that Miley Cyrus is now plotting her moral compass based upon the accepted behaviors of nine year olds.<br /><br />When I asked WeiWei, who is now 10, if the Cyrus photo bothered her, she said "No, I'm used to it." We have worked hard to make sure that our girls are strong and able to handle themselves in moments of cultural insensitivity. And, I have personally seen them do very well in these awkward situations. As a parent who wants nothing more than to protect her children from hurtful remarks, this resilience doesn't make WeiWei's response any easier to take. From <a href="http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2009/02/is-miley-cyrus-racist-for-slanteye-photo.html">responses that I have read</a>, it would seem that I am being overly sensitive to the matter. However, there are a lot of parents who agree that Cyrus' behavior merits both concern and action, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/deborah-levine/an-open-letter-to-miley-c_b_166499.html">including Deborah Levine</a>, a Board member from New York's Families With Children from China.<br /><br />While I still believe that this is ultimately an issue of education, I will be less inclined to brush it off so readily in the future. It is never acceptable to be "goofy" at the expense of others, no matter what a bunch of nine years olds tell you is OK.Xiaoninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10718818792826896202noreply@blogger.com0