Nov172011

New ideas for the table this Thanksgiving

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

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

Oriental Rotisserie Style Turkey Breast

Ingredients:

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

Preparation:

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

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

Snow in October?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fall Foliage

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

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

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

Soccer, the global sport.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Back to School Snacks!

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

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

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

Foods to avoid while studying and learning:

-Potato Chips

-Unhealthy Dips and Spreads

-Processed Snacks

-Candy

-Soda

-Cookies and Cakes

-Fast Food

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

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

-Baked Mexican Tortilla Chips

-Mexican Salsa

-Mediterranean Hummus

-Nuts

-Greek Yogurt

-Fruits

-Vegetables

-Juice

-Milk

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

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

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

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

All Good Things Must Come to an End

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

Submitted by Yani Peyton

June 25, 2011

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Forbidden City and The Great Wall of China

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

Submitted by Yani Peyton

June 21, 2011

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

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

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

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

By Yani Peyton | Posted in Cultural | Comments (0)
Jun192011

Ni Hao from Beijing

By Yani Peyton | June 19, 2011 | Posted in Cultural, FwFL News | Comments (0)

Submitted by Yani Peyton

After a full day of flying, I have finally arrived in Beijing, China.   I was selected, along, with others from around the United States to attend the 2011 Chinese Bridge for American Schools program sponsored by Hanban/Confucius Institute Headquarters.  The week-long program which takes place in Beijing is for educators to start and strengthen their institution’s Chinese programs and partnerships.  Hanban is an organization affiliated to China’s Ministry of Education that is committed to making Chinese langage and Chinese culture teaching resources and services available to the world.

I have met delegates from other parts of Maryland and California.  Tomorrow (Monday) is the start of the conference and also one of our cultural trips to the Forbidden City. Later on this week, school visits and meetings with Chinese educators, and a trip the The Great Wall.  I hope to use some of the basic Mandarin Chinese words that I have learned from my children, who are enrolled in the Fun with Foreign Language Chinese program, with the Chinese educators and native Chinese speakers that I meet while here.

I look forward to the people and experiences that will be a part of this upcoming week!  Follow my experiences by visiting the FwFL blog.

By Yani Peyton | Posted in Cultural, FwFL News | Comments (0)
May152011

Summer is Almost Here!

By MMiller | May 15, 2011 | Posted in Cultural Foods | Comments (0)

School is winding down, and summer is almost here. What better way to start it off then to try something new and different, sweet and fruity, a Spanish dessert called the Spanish Fruit Trifle.

Spanish Fruit Trifle

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
  • 2 cups egg custard
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 Tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 1/2 cup Licor 43
  • 20 lady fingers
  • 2 pints strawberries
  • 4 kiwis
Preparation:

This Spanish fruit trifle makes 10 servings.

  1. Pour water, orange juice, sugar and cornstarch into a small saucepan and mix with a whisk. Heat on medium-high and stir with the whisk constantly until the mixture thickens, approximately 8 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Glaze will thicken.
  2. Pour 1 cup orange juice and Licor 43 liqueur into a bowl and mix. Dip each lady finger into the mixture and line the bottom of a 13-inch x 9-inch glass pan.
  3. Slice strawberries. Peel and slice kiwis.
  4. Spread custard over the lady fingers. Arrange fruit slices over the custard. Drizzle the orange glaze until all fruit is covered. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Use sliced bananas, grapes and/or raspberries for variation.

The recipe for home made custard can be found at the site below:

http://spanishfood.about.com/od/dessertssweets/r/EggCustard.htm

By MMiller | Posted in Cultural Foods | Comments (0)
May082011

I am my Mother’s Daughter

By SBennett | May 8, 2011 | Posted in Cultural, Cultural Celebrations | Comments (0)

Today is Mother’s Day, the day to celebrate moms all around the world. Ever since I was a little girl, I have always looked up to my mom. I am the youngest child and only girl in my family, so my mom and I had a special bond that still keeps us close to this day.

“The future of a child is the work of his mother” – Napoleon

We give this day to our moms, for they are the reason we are here today. In France, mothers are celebrated with the whole family. There is even a cake that is presented to to the mom that resembles a flower arrangement. Thinking about it, we owe everything to our moms. The strength they give that helped us through troubled times, and the embrace of their hugs to let us know everything will be okay. I think moms deserve more than just one day to be celebrated, but rather everyday you should thank your mom for being the amazing woman she is now and will always be.  No matter how diverse cultures are, we all seem to understand the power of a mothers love.

And, it’s on this day I wish every mom a Happy Mother’s Day! I know I am enjoying it with my family and the one woman who means the most to me in this world, my mom. I can only hope that one day I can be as amazing a mom as she has been to me.

I Love you Mom!

To learn more about how the French celebrate Mother’s Day, visit

http://www.dayformothers.com/around-the-world/mothers-day-in-france.html

By SBennett | Posted in Cultural, Cultural Celebrations | Comments (0)