Mother’s Day is not only celebrated here in the United States, but also around the world. In Uruguay, Mother’s Day, known as Día de la Madre, is celebrated on the second Sunday in May just as it is celebrated here. Similar to what mothers in the U.S receive, mothers in Uruguay receive flowers, cards, and extra love from their families. In Argentina, Uruguay’s neighbor, Mother’s Day is celebrated on the third Sunday in October. Argentineans celebrate Mother’s Day by celebrating the Virgin Mary and having a festival.

Unlike many other countries, Guatemala always celebrates Mother’s Day on May 10th as well as Mexico and El Salvador (http://www.mothersdaycentral.com/when/). Also, in El Salvador, Mother’s Day is very important because mothers play an important role in the lives of children. Salvadorians cherish their mother’s, not only on this day, but all year long.

Mother’s Day celebrations in China are similar to that of other countries celebrate. Mother’s Day is celebrated on May 13th in China. On this day, Husbands and children make mothers feel special by bringing gifts, making greeting cards, or writing letters with special thank you messages inside. In China, carnations represent the flower of mothers. The petals of the carnation flower symbolize a mother’s care and love. In Beijing, 10 distinguished mothers are awarded every year on the eve of Mother’s Day. (http://www.shenzhenparty.com/abpo-celebrate-mothers-day-2011-in-china).

As you can see, Mother’s Day all around the world is an important holiday to many. Make it special in your own way! Happy Mother’s Day! Feliz Día de la Madre! Mu Qin Jie Kuai Le!

Today, there exists a county within Yunnan province that is officially known as the Shangri-La County. Previously known as Zhongdian County, it is said to be one of the main inspirations for Hilton’s depiction of Shangri-La. Despite this, many places in China still try to claim the name of Shangri-La. Areas such as Sichuan province, Tibet, and Yunnan province claim that the real Shangri-La existed in their land. At one point, China had so many existing claims (thus inefficiently splitting tourism), it was decided that their tourism efforts should be unified. In 2004, Sichuan province, Tibet, and Yunnan province signed a declaration of cooperation.

Following the original purpose for renaming Zhongdian County, Shangri-La County is a place of tourism. It is filled with vast lands overflowing with flowers and beautiful mountain scenery. There are also temples and many village-like communities. It is the isolated paradise (or as close as it gets for a tourist area) that Hilton speaks about in Lost Horizon. I have been there myself and the scenery there is simply breathtaking. I have travelled to many places throughout North America, Europe, and Asia, yet I have seen nothing like I have seen in Shangri-La County. If you have a chance and are willing to do a lot of exploring, I recommend it. One thing you should note is that you should not be expecting to stay at high class, or even decent, hotels. To really get to the amazing sites, you have to live in the somewhat poorer towns where the hotels that get running water are considered “higher class”. Also, since it is filled with mountain hiking, be sure that you are able to handle high air pressure. If none of these are a problem for you and, on the contrary, excite you further about touring this area, then I have only one suggestion for you. Go and explore for yourself!

I found it very interesting that in China, there are 8 categories of instruments, opposed to the 4 we may normally think of. Those 8 are silk (strings), bamboo, wood, stone, metal, clay, gourd, and hide (leather). Each of these categories names are given because of what the instrument is made of. Metal refers to instruments fashioned out of metals, such as gongs, and bronze drums, stone refers to stone instruments such as chimes and carillons, and string (my favorite) instruments refers to having strings played with the fingers or with a plectrum or a bow, such as Chinese violin, 25-stringed horizontal harp and zither-like instruments with many strings.

Then you have bamboo which refers to instruments made from bamboo stalk, including vertical bamboo flutes and 8-holed bamboo flutes, gourd which refers to wind instruments using a gourd as the resonator, such as sheng and yu, and clay which refers to earthen instruments, including xun, an egg-shaped wind instrument with one to six holes in it, and fou, a clay percussion instrument. Last, but not least, you have the leather instruments using animal skins as vibration membranes, such as drums and waist drums and wood instruments made mainly from wood. Common ones include hollow wooden block used to beat rhythm and xylophone (http://arts.cultural-china.com/en/94Arts1432.html).

Since I am so interested in the guitars, a part of the strings family, I looked more into guitars that are played in China. In China, guitars are known as a pipa, and the person playing it sits upwards as demonstrated in the picture below and typically there are only 4 or 5 strings, opposed the 6 strings that are on a traditional acoustic guitar. The pipa has a pear-shaped wooden body with a varying number of frets ranging from 12–26, whereas a traditional acoustic guitar has between 20-21. It just amazes me how similar and yet distinctly different these two instruments are. Like I said before anything can be used to make music, so get out here on this lovely day and make some with whatever kind of instrument you have!

In the United States, the most commonly used instant messaging program, created by America Online (AOL), is known as AOL Instant Messenger (AIM). Many American children begin having AIM accounts starting in middle school. Personally, I have had an AIM account since 2002; I was in seventh grade and was considered one of the last ones to get it among my peers. AIM is not world dominant, however. It was not until college, where I had been exposed to students from outside the country, did I discover that the most globally used instant messenger is Windows Live Messenger. Windows Live Messenger, previously known as MSN messenger, has a user database that is the second largest in the world. If Windows Live Messenger is active in 60 different countries, what instant messenger could possibly have a larger database?  The answer is Tencent QQ. You haven’t heard of it? Don’t be alarmed; in fact, it would be more surprising if you HAD heard of it. Tencent QQ, or simply known as QQ, is the prominent instant messenger service in China. With China’s population, it is obvious how QQ has the larger database despite being active in only one country.

Before understanding why QQ has succeeded against Windows Live Messenger, it must first be understood that the preferred internet privacy level is low in China. People in China enjoy being connected to strangers in communities and are willing to trade off a certain level of privacy to increase their chances of meeting them. Windows Live Messenger had brought their ideas of privacy protection to China, where it was viewed as bothersome and a socially limiting function. For example, Windows Live Messenger can only add friends if the e-mail address used for the friend’s account is known. In other words, it is most likely that the consent to add the friend has already been informally given since the person adding knows which e-mail address to add. Even then, the person being added must still confirm that the person adding them is a friend. With QQ, the powerful search engine allows you to search people using their display name, QQ ID (a 10-digit number), or location.

Currently in China, the feeling of a need for internet privacy is slowly increasing, however. The default setting for QQ is to automatically accept anyone who adds you as a friend. This setting is optional, though, and many people now require a password in order to be added. This password usually comes in the form of an answer to a personal question that only actual friends would know. QQ also now has an international version that offers the software in English, French, Japanese, German, Korean, and Spanish. The international version of QQ can be downloaded at www.imqq.com if you’re ever interested in trying it out. However, note that the international version is still only a beta version with fewer functions than the actual program. Don’t let this stop you, though, because all the basics are there.

If you ever get around to trying this program out, look me up!

I love spicy foods, so I’m used to eating Mexican foods, but I like to try new things. These Cuban Cuisines would definitely be something new for me. There is a traditional Cuban Cuisine that caught my attention, named Pollo con Quimbobó y Plátanos, Chicken with Okra and Plantains. This traditional meal consists of a whole chicken that has been cut up and fried before being stewed with bits of okra, plantain bananas, onions, peppers, garlic, tomatoes, olives and lemon or lime juice. Once stewed, it is served hot over white rice. Any meal with chicken and rice is my favorite! Almost every recipe I looked up had tomato sauce which I thought was interesting. If you think this recipe is as interesting as I did, you can learn how to make it here http://www.food.com/recipe/pollo-quimbob-y-platano-chicken-okra-and-plantain-232563.

With every birthday meal, comes great dessert! Another great recipe that looked absolutely amazing is a Cuban opera cake. This cake is traditionally served at birthday parties and engagement parties. It includes chocolate glaze, coffee mousse, and buttercream! I wouldn’t mind having a slice of that on my birthday! It’s a new day everyone so get out and try something new! Have some cake for me and try this recipe!

Cuban Opera Cake
=== CAKE ===
4 Oz bittersweet (or semisweet chocolate ), chopped
= (do not use unsweetened)
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tsp baking soda
1/2 Tsp salt
2 cups golden brown sugar – (packed)
1/2 cup unsalted butter – (1 stick), room temperature
3 1/2 Tsp vanilla extract
4 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup cream

In China, the leap year is a little different. The Chinese calendar is lunisolar, meaning it’s based on exact astronomical observations of the sun’s longitude and the moon’s phases. Each year is assigned a name consisting of two components, the celestial stem and the terrestrial branch which correspond to the 12 animal names in the zodiac cycle. An ordinary leap year has 12 months and between 353-355 days. The Chinese leap year has 13 months and between 383-385 days. So instead of adding a day, the Chinese add an extra month to their calendar. A leap month is added about once every three years.

A Chinese leap year does not necessarily fall at the same time as it does in the Gregorian calendar. The Gregorian calendar serves as the standard calendar throughout most of the world. Although the Chinese calendar originated in China, the Gregorian calendar is now used in China. However, the Chinese calendar is still used to determine festival dates such as weddings, the Chinese New Year, as well as the moon phases.

Could you imagine having 13 months? I wonder what we would call it or maybe if we had 385 days in a year. I guess there wouldn’t be any more songs that said 365 days a year! Very interesting, well happy leap year everyone! (http://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/about-chinese.html)

Siesta is derived from the Latin word hora sexta, meaning the sixth hour, counting from dawn until noon. Originally, the concept of the siesta was created to allow people to get out of the heat during the early afternoon, when it’s most hot. Later, the siesta allowed people to spend time with their friends and family. Most often this time is spent after the “lunch hour” which is the largest meal of the day. People would come home to their mothers cooking and eat. Because of the high temperatures and heavy intake of food, people became tired and drowsy and would take a nap.

Although the siesta is not as prominent today as it once was, some regions still hold it sacred because it’s apart of their culture and has been for years. During the siesta the streets are deserted. Now imagine Times Square at 12 noon with no people in sight. That would be a shock because everyone knows that New York is a very busy place! People in American society are so used to being on the go all the time, that trying to take something like a siesta, and working a full day’s job would be hard. It just shows that different cultures have different ways of life.

Although some may wish that taking an afternoon nap become custom here in American society, we know the reality is that everyone is busy busy busy! At the end of the day, at least try to make time for your family and friends and get a good night’s sleep!

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

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

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

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

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

Happy Early Valentine’s Day Everyone!<3

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

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

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

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

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

新年快乐

Romanized as: Xīn nián kuài lè

Pronounced: Sheen    knee-an    Ko-why    la

How the words are split up:

新(Xīn)年(nián) 快(kuài)乐(lè)

新 = new

年 = year

快乐 = happy/merry

Happy New Year! 新年快乐！

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

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

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