Bed time Reading

Is it true that people who are proficient in languages will turn out children who are gifted in languages too? Dominic Ong will be the first to debunk this theory. Mr Ong, 46, is currently taking his degree in Translation, specialising in English and Chinese languages. He is also the father of two, Elisha, 14, and Evangeline, 12.

She shares very candidly her views on the development of the Chinese to MandarinaKids. China will be the focal point for the world from an economic position, there’s no avoiding that. The second generation that emerges from the liberalisation of China will inherit the earth. Living in Shanghai she sees the determination of ambitious parents – ambitious for a better life, ambitious for their children and ambitious to conquer the world tomorrow. She sees children (typically princes i.e. from single child families) from middle income homes, crowding out foreigners and other locals to learn English at international schools. They are learning English from as young as pre-school, no longer at University levels. “Even my Ah Yi (domestic helper) has saved the bulk of her income to send her kids to English classes…”. The realisation that English will propel their superiority economically is only a means to accessing global wealth.

Fenny warns that as foreigners, particularly emigrant Chinese like herself who have forgotten their Chinese roots, we are today obliged to teach our children the Chinese language if we want to keep pace with the quick learning Chinese. “Whether you like it or not, you would be doing your kids a huge disfavour by not preparing your kids for China to play a major role in tomorrow’s economy. Learning Mandarin is an absolute must!”

Admittedly she recognises that learning Mandarin is not easy. She herself though fluent in spoken Mandarin, has had no formal education in writing. Already, she feels at a distinct disadvantage. She feels judged by her peers.

There are many “lao wai/foreigners” who are starting to send their own kids to local schools to encourage their kids to learn the Chinese language, make Chinese friends and absorb their culture and local nuances. Bilingual schools are sprouting up everywhere. The education in more enlightened schools in China no longer apply rote learning as the only means. They encourage games, toys, story telling – the layering of engagement. Their programmes are focused on being international talent. She cites an example how she learnt of a Chinese school that staged a mock-up of a UN meeting as part of the school project for 6-7 year olds. They made representations as “Nation Representatives” and held this competition nationwide, thereafter competing internationally. The kids in China have no lack of educational options.

“In many ways”, Fenny laughs, “the Tiger Mother is not that far wrong – her philosophy is correct although”, Fenny quickly adds, “her methods may not be…” She regrets that she had initially sent her daughter, Liz, to an international school. In hindsight she should have schooled her in a bilingual education. Most of the international schools in Shanghai today are teaching more hours of Mandarin. Fenny supplements her daughter’s exposure to the language through art classes taught in Mandarin, swimming lessons by a Chinese tutor etc. “I’m doing the best I can…to prepare Liz,” she admits with a sigh.

Fenny believes that it will not take a whole generation but only 15 years for the Chinese to get ahead. She is amazed at the speed in which they have developed their infrastructure. Their people, are now on hyper-drive to over-succeed. China will learn fast and localise just as quickly as they develop their own talent. “Our days, being neither Chinese nor Caucasian, are numbered.”

She ends off our conversation with a reminder – “you may not like it but China will be the centre of the world. Parents must wake up! Parents need to equip their kids today with knowledge of China and the Chinese language and that also includes, not passing on their prejudices of the China they see today.”

Fenny ANG, 2012

Yu sheng

Chinese New Year "Yu Sheng" (Raw Fish Salad)

A staple item on Chu-yi or Ren-ri is the colourful plate of yusheng. This is a highly symbolic dish. The central attraction is raw fish (usually salmon) as it is a homophone of yu, which means ‘abundance’. Ingredients are chosen for their auspicious colours, like red carrots, red pickled ginger, sun-dried oranges, white radish, etc.

First, lime sauce is poured over the dish. Lime in Chinese, is also a homophone of ‘luck’. While pouring, guests intone the phrase ‘da ji da li’. It means ‘everything will be smooth sailing’. Next, pepper and oil is poured around the plate, to attract money and wealth to flow in from all directions. Green dyed radish is added, green being the colour of spring, signifying eternal youthfulness. Peanuts and sesame seeds are added for good business throughout the year. Then comes the children’s favourite − deep-fried flour crisps that look like little golden nuggets. Guests would intone ‘man di huang jin’ (the floor is covered with gold), as the crisps are sprinkled on liberally.

Tossing "Yu Sheng" (Raw Fish Salad) for Good Luck!

Then, everybody get on their feet, clack their chopsticks and dig into the plate. Lifting the ingredients high, they toss them, all the time calling out good wishes. It is an extremely riotous and memorable event to kick off the CNY festivities.

These goodies are normally served as snacks for visiting guests during first few days – pineapple tarts, love letters, peanuts and melon seeds. Barbecued pork, or bak kua, with its aromatic sweet and slightly charred flavour, is a favourite with children.

Nian gao is sold abundantly before the CNY season. A steamed cake made from glutinous rice flour and loads of brown sugar, it is extremely sticky, and therefore it is called nian gao, literally ‘sticky cake’!  There is a reason why it is lucky to eat nian gao for CNY, because it is a homophone for the meaning of ‘one year higher’. Nian gao can be sliced, sandwiched between two thin layers of yam and deep fried. Delicious!

I promised in the main story that I would give the recipe for tang yuan. So here it is. It is a simple and fun dessert to make with your children.

Tang yuan Recipe

"Tang Yuan" signifies Reunion

Cooking Time: 10 minutes.

Preparation Time: Be prepared to go on a trip of imagination with your children as they mold the weirdest shapes!

Ingredients:

1 cup glutinous rice flour

4 ounces water

Brown sugar

Red food coloring

1 bunch of pandan leaves

Preparation:

Put glutinous rice flour in a bowl. Pour the water in slowly and stir to mix. Pour until the mixture is doughy, not watery. Knead the dough. Divide into two portions. Put a few drops pf colouring into one portion and knead until the dough is a lovely pink colour. Here is where your children come in. Invite them to pinch pieces of dough and shape them into balls. Remind them to keep their ‘sculptures’ small or else they may not cook well.

Meanwhile, the adult can boil two pots of water. When the water is bubbling in the big pot, drop the balls in to cook. Don’t take them out until they float to the surface, which is about five minutes. In the smaller pot of water, add the pandan leaves and enough brown sugar for sweetness. When the balls are thoroughly cooked, serve them in individual bowls with the brown syrup.

Your children can now enjoy their ‘masterpiece’!

Chinese New Year Fireworks Singapore

The buzzwords in modern times are ‘flexibility’ and ‘innovation’. It’s all well for the workplace but, on Chinese New Year, it is good to return to tradition.

On January 23 on the Western calendar, Chinese all over the world will celebrate the Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year because it is the first day of the first lunar month in the Chinese calendar.

There are many traditions surrounding this age-old event, and it is good to observe them because we role model for our children as we do so. Hopefully, this will help preserve the traditions for the generations to come.

Here, we introduce some of the delightful traditions surrounding this important Chinese date.

Preparation Phase

Days before Chinese New Year (CNY), it is the practice to do a thorough springcleaning. Now is the time to throw out old books, old clothes and bad habits. Recycle them – I mean the materials, not the habits.

What are must-haves to get into the proper CNY mood? During CNY, give yourself permission to see red − red decorative paper cut-outs over the door; red ribbons on pussy willow arrangements; red paper packets and red greeting cards to send to your friends. The color red drives away all evil and to be used liberally. In olden China, people celebrate by wearing new red underwear! But you need not feel obliged to follow this tradition rigorously!

Chinese New Year Eve

The highlight of this day is the Reunion Dinner. Families return to their parents’ home. Wives follow their husbands to her in-laws’ house. This Dinner is sumptuous. The steamboat pot, stowed away for the past twelve months, is brought out to commemorate this auspicious event. There would be seafood like prawns, squid, scallop and abalone, roast meats like duck and pork, and longevity noodles.

Firecrackers…Not

Unfortunately, one tradition we cannot bring over from our ancestral land is the wonderful practice of setting off fireworks, again to ward off all evil. It is banned in Singapore. However, we can visit Chinatown after Reunion Dinner and admire the organised fireworks display there.

First Day of Chinese New Year

Chinese Tradition - Adults give Hong Bao to Children

The Chinese call this special day ‘Chu-yi’. It is a day set aside to pay respects to seniors. Early in the morning, families get dressed in their new clothes and hit the streets. There is an order to the visitations. First in line would be the most senior members of the family, i.e. the great grandparents if they are still alive. Next in the hierarchy would be the husband’s parents, i.e. the children’s paternal grandparents. Then, it’s on to the maternal grandparents, then uncles and aunts in order of seniority. Modern Singapore is much more relaxed about the hierarchy of visitations. However, it is good to role model filial piety for our children by visiting their grandparents first.

Families cannot leave their homes without bringing Mandarin oranges along. They would need them to exchange with the host families. In Chinese, the word for mandarin orange – ju – sounds just like the word for ‘luck’. Moreover, the fruit’s bright orange hue is reminiscent of precious gold. Oranges are always given in even numbers to signify stability and orderliness.

Children get red packets called hongbao containing crisp new dollar notes from the adults throughout this day and the next few days. Again, the cash gifts are given in even numbers. However, never give gifts of four dollars or any number to do with four. This is because the word for ‘four’ – si – is the homophone of ‘death’. Therefore, avoid this social gaffe!

A generation ago, it was considered unlucky to do any kind of chores on this special day. Sweeping the floor is symbolic of sweeping fortune out of the house. Lighting stoves and wielding knives are unlucky too, so families would consume food prepared days before. Now, we no longer hold such superstitions. However, we still would not do housecleaning, simply because there better things to do on this holiday!

See the side story for delicious festive goodies served during this season.

The Next Few Days

Chinese New Year Dragon Dance

Chinese New Year is celebrated for 15 days. Most businesses would be closed for at least the first three days. Workers who hail from other countries would take this opportunity to return home to celebrate the occasion with their families.

During this period, it is common to see troupes of Lion and Dragon Dancers visiting shops and homes to, literally, drum up the festive spirit. The Lion Dancers would be dressed in colourful Lion costumes and invited to cai ching, which literally means ‘to pluck the greens’. As a homophone, it sounds like ‘fortune’. Shop owners would hang a bunch of vegetables with hongbao above their shop lintels and the Lions would rear up and bring it down. Sometimes, they would ‘eat’ Mandarin oranges given by the hosts. The Lion performer brings the orange into the mouth of the Lion head and, hidden under the costume, he would peel the orange and fling the peel out of the mouth. Children laugh when they see such wanton ‘littering’. Dragons, some measuring 35 metres, are more commonly hired by businesses. This is because they would not be able to fit into the average home! Dragons are performed by at least 10 acrobats. These acrobats, usually young men, support the heavy wood-framed dragon on long poles and their biggest challenge is to keep the dragon untangled!

Lion Dance - Lion Leaping on High Pole

Special mention must be made of the 7th day of the Lunar New Year. This is known as ren ri. In English, it means ‘every man’s birthday’. The Chinese say that this is the day when everyone grows one year older.

Fifteenth Day

All too soon, it is the fifteenth day. This day marks the end of the Chinese New Year festivities. But it ends with a pleasant bang. The fifteenth day is called chap ngo meh. It has its own rituals. One of the most entertaining has to be the making and eating of tang yuan. Tang yuan are sweet glutinous rice balls cooked in a sugary syrup.

Busy parents could take the opportunity of this simple ritual to bond with their children. Tang yuan are easy to make. Please see the recipe under “Chinese New Year Goodies”. Recruit your children to roll the sticky rice flour into balls. Although the traditional shape is a smooth sphere, don’t restrict your children if they wish to shape UFOs, snowmen or monsters. It is part of the fun. While rolling the tang yuan, talk about the use of homophones that result in delightful Chinese customs like distributing Mandarin oranges, eating pineapple tarts and the 27 symbolic ingredients in yu sheng.

Happy celebrating the Year of the Water Dragon ! May your lives be blessed with good fortune, prosperity and longevity!

Congratulations to people born in the Dragon year. This is your year!

Nobody knows when the Chinese Zodiac first originated. It started with spiritual roots, as the Zodiac has astrological significance. People who study the Zodiac believes that it can describe people’s personalities accurately and be able to unlock mysteries about the future, like people’s health, financial and marital outcomes.

But having been a staple in the Chinese culture for so long, the Zodiac cycle has also gained cultural importance apart from its astrological functions. This article is not about the Zodiac’s astrological aspect; it is an introduction to the ‘animal of the year’ – the dragon.

There are twelve animals featured in the zodiac community. These are, in order, the rat, buffalo (or ox), tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. Each of them has their own unique characteristics.

The Rat is known for his quick wit and sociable nature. The ox, like the animal after which it is named, is strong and stoic. He is known for his loyalty. Next in line is the Tiger. People born under this sign are supposedly quick tempered, but they are good for leadership positions.

After the Tiger comes the Rabbit. Like its namesake, it is gentle and does not like to get into confrontations. The gentle Rabbit is sandwiched between two fierce animals, because the next sign in the Zodiac is the Dragon. This is the only animal in the community that is mythical. There are many more interesting facts about the Zodiac Dragon, which is laid out in the side story.

Sixth in line is the Snake. The Snake is quick witted, like the Rat, and highly intelligent. People born under this sign are noted for their charisma. The Snake’s neighbour is the Horse. It bears many similar characteristics to the animal, being strong, athletic and well co-ordinated. People born under this sign make great sportspeople.

The Goat is next. In the Chinese calendar, the goat is a worrywart. They are good in professions which involve caring for people. The Monkey, sign of the following year, is as different from the Goat as day from night. Unlike the worried Goat, he is insouciant, the life of the party, and a flibbertigibbet .

Three animals to go. The Rooster is a proud bird. He is ambitious and aims for goals that earn him a lot of recognition. In penultimate place is the Dog. The saying “As faithful as a dog” also applies to the Zodiac Dog. It is fiercely loyal and makes a good friend and spouse. Finally, the Pig rounds off the Twelve. People born under this sign are said to be upstanding and honourable.

The above, simplistic, categorisation seems to suggest that the millions of people born each year will exhibit the same characteristics and behaviour simply because they are under the same Zodiac sign. But this is not true. The signs are further influenced by five elements.

The year of birth in which a person is born corresponds to one of five elements. These are metal, water, wood, fire and earth. The astrologer must also take into account the person’s inclination towards the yin and the yang. All in all, Chinese astrology is a complicated affair, which is why business owners and families would prefer to consult an experienced astrologer when choosing auspicious dates and names for their babies.

Celebrate the Dragon Year in 2012!

The Zodiac Dragon

The animal featured this year is the Dragon. The interesting fact about this zodiac member is that it is the only mythical creature in the Zodiac cycle. The Chinese dragon is not like dragons in Western mythology. Dragons in the West are animals to be feared and slain (think Saint George and the Dragon).

In China, however, the dragon is the animal most associated with nobility. The emperor likens himself to a dragon. His throne is called the ‘long zhuo’ i.e. dragon seat. His suit is called ‘long bao’ (dragon robe). During the Qin Dynasty, the dragon was featured on national flags.

The Dragon presides over the element of Water. In mythology, it rules over the water and the weather. There is a well-known legend called the Four Dragon Kings. These four dragons take charge of the four seas – the East Sea (corresponding to the East China Sea), the South Sea (the South China Sea on the map), the West Sea (alluding to the Indian Ocean) and the North Sea (an inland lake in China).

Whenever there are bouts of drought or floods, the locals would say that ‘the Dragon Kings are fighting’ and offerings will be made to them to appease their wrath; so that normal weather can be restored.

What does the Chinese Dragon look like, since it is a mythological creature that exists only in people’s imaginations? Well, it seems to be a mishmash of body parts from the most fearsome animals. For example, it has a head vaguely remininscent of a horse. And horns like a noble stag. Its body and tail is sinuous, like a huge snake. It is covered in shining scales. Its talons are sharp and wicked like an eagle’s. Notably, it has a noble broad forehead, called “Chimu”. This distinctive anatomy allows the Dragon to fly and ascend to the heavens. The Dragon has another fantastic ability – it can morph into a human shape. Thus, it is common in Chinese folktales for dragons to go about disguised as kings and lords.

Being born in the Dragon year is to be associated with this royal animal. So, it is no wonder that couples look forward to give birth to Dragon babies, once every 12 years. Dragon years will always see a surge in births in countries with big Chinese populations.

How the Zodiac Started

There are books in the library that feature stories about how the Zodiac was formed. Parents who wish to expose their children to the Chinese language should read these books aloud with their children. These stories are lively and humorous and will certainly capture young people’s imagination.

One version says that the Chinese emperor threw a party and 12 animals showed up, so they were put on the Chinese calendar. Another version said that the host was the Buddha.

One entertaining story has it that the Emperor arranged a race and the first 12 animals that finished the race would be featured on the calendar according to their positions. It went on to describe how the Rat came in first because it was clever. There was even a Cat in the race, but he was outsmarted by the Rat, which is why the Cat was absent from the final line-up. The Ox and the Tiger came in second and third respectively because they were strong. The Rabbit did not have brawn but it leapt nimbly from log to log across the river, thus securing fourth position.

One wonders why the Dragon did not come in first, since it was big and could fly. But the Dragon explained that it had stopped to do acts of kindness, and it was content with fifth place. The Horse was displaced by the Snake, which frightened him by slithering between his hooves. The last few animals – the Rooster, the Monkey, the Goat and the Dog, were not known for their brute strength or speed, but they managed to win places on the Calendar. However, the last laugh belongs to the last animal on the Calendar, the Pig.

“Why are you so late?” the Emperor asked.

“Oh, I just had to stop for a snack and a nap,” said the Pig. And this farmyard animal was forevermore known for its gluttony and laziness. However, in the Chinese Zodiac, the Pig does not have these negative connotations. People born under the Boar sign are law-abiding and honourable. They are also known to be creative, scoring achievements in the arts arena.

Stories of Chinese Dragons

Other good books to read to your children would be stories introducing this exciting and noble animal – the Dragon. Some well-known Chinese folk legends include The Dragon Pearl and The Dragon’s Daughter.

The Dancing Dragon. Written by Marcia Vaughan, it introduces children to Dragon Dance and Chinese New Year in vibrant colours. Unfortunately, it is available only in English.

Long Is a Dragon. Like my upcoming book, Grandma’s 80^th Birthday, this children’s picture book by Peggy Goldstein focuses on Chinese writing and gives samples of Chinese characters to help children learn to write Chinese.

Wow...we got to learn Calligraphy!

Mr Tan is very serious about his children’s exposure to the Mandarin language, and that led him to MandarinaKids’ iPad application – Fun Chinese for Kids.

In his hunt for good quality Mandarin-learning applications, it landed him a bonus. Mr Tan won the first prize for the MandarinaKids App Contest. It was an iPad2! On September 16, Mr Tan and his two daughters were presented with the iPad2 at a prize giving ceremony.

This would be his second iPad as Mr Tan is already using his current iPad to expose his two preschoolers to different kinds of educational software. He has applications for teaching languages, Mathematics and animated stories. He does not call them games, although his daughters play them like games because of their colourful animations and interactive content.

Mr Tan usually likes his children to go through the applications in the evening just before bedtime. This is because he likes to be around when they are learning. Both he and his wife have full-time jobs. He supervises his children’s time on the programmes and he is intimately familiar with the MandarinaKids app.

On the prize-giving day, he toggles quickly to the MandarinaKids segment where a user can follow the brush strokes on screen. “Show us,” he encouraged Ying. Ying goes through the strokes effortlessly and in the correct directions. Not to be outdone, her younger sister got on the iPad2 and proved her prowess in calligraphy just as well. However, with a child’s short attention span, she soon became cheeky. She decided to do the brush strokes in the wrong directions. Her naughty look at Dad proved that she was only trying to get a reaction out of him.

Fun at the Farm - Learning Chinese is easy!

“I do not buy just any applications,” Mr Tan explains his approach to educational software. “I would evaluate first and make my decision based on my children’s age and the skills they are currently lacking. My next criterion is that these programmes need to be animated and attractive. My kids are the best judge. Sometimes, they would just pass over a programme, either because the application is not well thought out or the flow is not smooth.” It looks like MandarinaKids was a sure winner with his kids to learn Chinese in a fun way!

Mr Tan gave some valuable suggestions on how the MandarinaKids application can be improved. And MandarinaKids CEO, Ms Lelia Lim, listened with deep interest. One suggestion was definitely the brainchild of his two children. “It would be good if the app has some fantasy creatures like unicorns or mermaids.” Apparently, such mythical creatures come over better with the preschool age group.

Thanks for the advice, Mr Tan!

MandarinaKids: Parents who bought our App also purchased our DVD Vol.1 and Peek-a-Boo cards from our online and Stockists in Singapore (all Popular Bookstores nationwide). Ask for MandarinaKids Products!

MandarinaKids App – Fun Chinese for Kids – announces its winner of the iPad2 ! Mr Tan and his 3 children absolutely love our App – he needs the extra iPad2 just so the kids don’t fight over App-play time! The kids loved the MandarinaKids App for its vibrant colours, the language translations (7 languages translated in Chinese!!), the free Colouring pages for both iPhone and iPad; and most importantly learning Calligraphy!

by Pauline Loh

The MandarinaKids Excursion to Chinatown showed me the X factor behind learning Chinese – small group size, synergy between students, teachers and parents, and a fun environment.

I had been intending to bring my five-year-old son to Chinatown to enjoy the Mid-Autumn Festival ambience. So, when MandarinaKids proposed a cultural excursion for Kids to learn Chinese, I jumped at the opportunity. And I am still congratulating myself for making the right choice.

With Ma 老师Lao Shi’s clear explanation of the origins of Mid-Autumn Festival pitched at preschoolers’ level to learn Chinese, it made our appreciation of the Festival so much more meaningful and enjoyable.

First, she had us sit down for about an hour to understand the elements that make up 中秋节Zhong Qiu Jie. We learnt the Chinese words for:

Mooncake – 月饼Yue bing
Moon – 月亮Yue liang
Lantern – 灯笼Deng long
Pomelo – 柚子You Zi

Next, we strolled through the streets of Chinatown. Because of Ma 老师Lao Shi’s earlier explanations, we were able to fully appreciate the Mid-Autumn themed decorations strung up and down the streets and to spot pictures of the Lady in the Moon – Chang Er and her pet rabbit. This beautiful Chinese legend is about a virtuous and beautiful Chinese woman, Chang Er, who swallowed a potion in order to save the people of China. She changed into an immortal who floated up to the moon and has stayed there ever since. On nights when the moon is full (like during mid autumn), if we look hard at the moon, the legend says that we would be able to see her lovely silhouette.

Together with two other mummies, a nanny and five toddlers on the excursion, we browsed the colourful roadside stalls selling a wide array of lanterns, from traditional wire and cellophane constructions to battery-operated Hello Kitty and Doraemon that can blink, sing and even blow bubbles!

Then it was back to the classroom for another 40 mins where we fashioned a paper lantern from red paper and tape. My son had fun cutting along the lines and coming up with this:

Through this excursion, my son took away more than a lantern and the taste of mooncake and pomelo. He came away with a deeper understanding of why we celebrate 中秋节Zhong Qiu Jie and bonded with Chinese all over the world as we look forward to 赏月shang yue together this coming September 15 （the 15th day of the 8th Lunar month) !

To be effective, we kept the group small. Six adults accompanied four children between the ages of two to four years old. The parents do not speak Mandarin at home. There was an Indian father and a Caucasian mother amongst the group. We started with a sit-down lesson in a nice café. Ma Lao Shi (Teacher Ma) introduced the children to words describing objects in a supermarket and the adults were given phrases that they could use to converse with their children. These include “Where are the apples?” and “How much does this cost?”

Armed with a fun quiz, we were off to the supermarket. There, the children and their parents worked happily through their lists. When the last task had been executed and ticked on the list, it’s back to the café for a well-deserved drink and the quiz results. The children got to watch their parents do short presentations in Mandarin! It was a good laugh for some of them. But we were mostly proud. Proud that we went through the supermarket speaking only in Mandarin, proud that we made our wishes known to the cashiers using only Mandarin. For me, I was just proud that the whole excursion was such a huge success!

“Where next?” the children asked. It was music to my ears. Yes, I have further excursions planned. Next week, we are going to the Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden. Another week, we will be going to the Civil Defence Heritage Museum where children will get to ride on a genuine red fire truck! Now, how do you say “fire engine” in Mandarin?

Eye Opener for Both Son and Me!

When Lelia told me about this Mandarin-immersion excursion, I thought, “Why not?” It was just right for my four-year-old son. He is exposed to Mandarin in his Nursery class for about an hour on weekdays. Unfortunately, I don’t speak Mandarin. My father is English and, although my mother is Chinese, we didn’t speak the language at home. My husband is Malay, so he has even less knowledge of the language. So, I am interested in any opportunity for my three kids to be exposed to the language.

Kyle thoroughly enjoyed the excursion. The Lao Shi was very engaging and caught his attention. He enjoyed interacting with the other kids too. I think he handled the session much better than me! When the Lao Shi asked us to pronounce the individual words for ‘apple’, ‘milk’ and ‘biscuits’, I could still follow. I was tackling hanyu pinyin for the first time. But when she challenged us parents to speak whole sentences…! Oh my!

Then, I was told I would have to do a presentation in Mandarin after the supermarket excursion! I couldn’t concentrate in the supermarket at all. All the time, I was worrying about my presentation!

But, having said all that, I’m game to attend future Mandarina Kids excursions. How I learned languages as a child was to be immersed in the culture, listen to the language being spoken, repeat after the native speakers and ad lib. I’ll like my son to be in this kind of environment as well.

By Stephanie Magdalino who attended the Mandarina Kids excursion to Cold Storage with her son Kyle Ali, 4.