Bamboo Sketches
by Charity Lee Jennings
Mid-Autumn Mooncakes
I was surprised to receive an ornate red box, the size of a small brief case, adorned with elegant Chinese knots, and to hear a cheerful, “Happy Mid-Autumn Festival”, from my new friends, not long after my arrival in China several years ago. They left before I could...
Birthday Season!
I'm back into birthday season again. All of our kids birthday's are within three and a half months, so it does feel like a season that comes, and then goes. And, this is a significant year; one that reminds me just how precious it is to be surrounded by my children....
Jiao Zi Time, Finally
My kids had been asking when we could make Chinese dumplings again, but since mine never stay together, I didn't see how I could teach them. And then it finally happened! Their Chinese tutor agreed to help them make jioa zi, our all-time favourite Chinese dish. It is...
Lantern Festival
Lantern Festival has come and gone. And as it marked the end of two weeks of sleepless nights, I have to admit I'm glad. The city was strangely quiet during the holidays. Most people had either left to visit family or must have been sleeping the days away after late...
Spring Festival
Tomorrow is Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival as it is also called, since it marks the beginning of Spring. Firecrackers are bursting everywhere, houses being renovated and swept clean and red banners are decorating doorways. It is a fun and festive atmosphere,...
3 Things I Love About Christmas In China
Are you starting to feel like Christmas is long gone? Maybe I would be, except here Christmas ushers in another holiday. Chinese New Year. It’s later than usual this year, as it follows the Lunar Calendar and the big day is next week, on the 19th. We’ve had a full few...
3 Things I Miss About Christmas In Canada
Before plunging into the New Year I took some time to reflect, not just on the past year, but on our holiday season. Something about the holidays facilitates bonding, not just with people, but also with places. While our first few Christmases in China were...
Our Community
Traveling for five out of twelve months has made for an unusual year. We are excited to be ‘home’ and although we moved in a year ago, feel like we are still getting settled. At least Brian and I do. While traveling across Canada and staying in several people’s...
We have an exciting couple of weeks planned, getting together with friends from another part of China who we haven't seen for over a year. We are also planning for some extra fun family time after seven weeks of homeschooling, right through the summer, to catch up...
Missing Sylvan Lake
After a day like today, I am remembering Sylvan Lake with longing. One of our many neighbours are renovating their apartment. In China, people buy just the cement frame of the apartment and then have to hire workers to do all of the renovations before they can move...
4 Filet-O-Fish, Please
I had put off going to McDonald’s for as long as possible, knowing that I wouldn’t be able to order the Mediterranean wrap that I had enjoyed in Canada. With no McCafe, options are limited but I had no idea how limited when I agreed to take my kids there for supper....
First Snow Pants
After winding our way through snow-peaked mountains, we found ourselves tracing backroads surrounded by white fields and never-ending sky, looking for a place even the GPS could not find. My aunt and uncle’s farm. When we lived in Calgary, Alberta we loved making the...