Conversation cubes

Children love the story cubes and I was inspired by it so I invented these conversation cubes.
Great games for the classroom circle time!!

幸運餅乾 xingyun bingan (fortune cookies)

To celebrate the end of Chinese new year.
Children were given a fortune cookie.
One asked: where was fortune cookies came from?
I said: from Lidl!!
Then asked: why it's called fortune cookie?

Out of blue, I must admit I haven't a clue but I said: Chinese people like to go to the fortune teller to seek references for their futures. And I guess that's why fortunes cookies was invented.

Now that I looked up the wonderful Google.

I am so wrong! 

If you remember the character Mandarin in Iron Man 3, he said: true story about fortune cookies. They look Chinese, they sound Chinese, but they are actually an American invention. Which is why they are hollow, full of lies and leave bad taste in the mouth. 

He also said: fortune cookies aren't even Chinese, they are made by American, based on a Japanese recipe.

Here's the piece about fortune cookie. :-)

元宵節 yuán xiāo jié （Lantern Festival)

Yap, Chinese New Year celebration last for 16 days from New Year's eve till Lantern festival althought people would have gone back to work yesterday (Lunar 5th Jan).
If you are interested in the story, please look up the post from 2013.


I love recycling and I always keep boxes, cardboards, toilet paper rolls etc for the arts workshop.  This week, we have a tiny paper cutting work for kids made from the recycled spring couplets (春聯 chūn lián）. Younger childre did the simple lantern and older children made these!

造句 zao4 ju4 make sentence

Learning through games and competitions are our ethos as its great fun for children.
We use word cards with no picture so they have to read both character and pinyin to make out what the words are.
I told them they're allow to look at books and copy the sentences but they were surprisingly creative!!

馬到成功 ma3 dao4 chen2 gong1

Many Chinese characters came from pictures. The word of horse 馬 ma3 is a classic example. We did a combinations of Chinese painting and calligraphy workshop to mark the year of horse.  I am very proud of their work. Hope your like it too!!
恭喜發財! Gong xi fa cai!!

捏麵人 niē miàn rén （Dough figurine)

Dough figurine is a traditional art that originally made of glutinous flour and plain flour which is edible.

I cheated! I use ready roll icing with colouring which I think is called fondant and it's edible too.

紅包 hóng bāo (red envelop) and 壓歲錢 yā suì qián (suppress age money)

These gold and red envelops were packed of lucky euro inside and ready to go to children's home under their pillows!

The money giving to children in New Year's eve is called 壓歲錢 （yā suì qián).

The story was related to a usual monster that frighten children and parents want to keep monster away so they wrap money inside the red paper.  Children then put this beside the pillow on the new years eve.

You probably remember previously that we said Money in red envelops 紅包 hóng bāo is not only givien at the Chinese New Year but also commonly used for those happy family occasions too like for the new born baby and at the wedding etc.

Just like the term "brown envelops" here in Ireland, red envelop can be used in exactly the same terminology!

火鍋 Huo Guo. Fire pot. (Hot pot)

Hot pot dinner is a very typical dinner on the night of Chinese new year's eve.
Over here in Ireland, we enjoy it as often as we want during these winter months.
火鍋 Huo Guo literary means fire pot as traditionally the pot would have been sitting on fire when cooking. I have a electric pot that heat up instantly which is handy.  I love it when the hot steam warms up the room and foggy up the windows.
Looking forward to welcoming the year of horse and thinking hat is on again for the CNY arts and crafts!!

我們祝你聖誕快樂 wǒ men zhù nǐ shèng dàn kuài lè

我們祝你聖誕快樂 wǒ men zhù nǐ shèng dàn kuài lè
We wish you Christmas happy! :-)

We would like to wish you and family a very happy Christmas and a fantastic year 2014!
I hope children enjoyed the paper cutting craft we prepared for them this year and they will remember all the words we learn from their paper cutting pictures.

聖誕節快來了!

We are so excited about Christmas (聖誕) as always!
Every year we try different arts and craft project, song and play.
We are learning "we wish you a merry Christmas" in Chinese.
We are working on a funny short play called "Xmas'eve wish".
We are also making Christmas cards (聖誕卡) and origami Christmas tree (聖誕樹) this year.
Don't forget we also have Xmas exam next week and Xmas party the week after!!!
Zhu ni men sheng dan jie kuai le.

書中自有黃金屋 shū zhōng zì yǒu huángjīn wū (The book holds a golden house)

書中自有黃金屋 shū zhōng zì yǒu huángjīn wū (The book holds a golden house)

This Chinese wisdom means if you study hard and read a lot of books, you will be successful and able to afford a golden house. :-)

I like to read the stories behind the Chinese wisdom/proverbs to my own children as they're really interesting.
To encourage the reading.....our school have set up a tiny library and stocked up over 200 books (as well as CDs/DVDs) for children to take home and read/listen each week. Thanks to the free App Codex that I can set up the library system easily!!!

Halloween paper cutting craft

Paper cutting is one of the traditional craft and we use the last few minutes of our very last class before midterm to cut out some decoration. We did pumpkin, spider web and ghost. This is created by one of the students. Cute, very cute!!

National day 2013

We had a brand new talk about National day this year and learning about our flags and meanings behind those shapes and colours. Of course we were reviewing our words for shapes and colours again.
After the talk, we had a flag design competition which was a great success!!

Dublin School of Mandarin Chinese enrolment 2013/2014

Nihao!
We hope you had a brilliant summer either away or at home! Only if I can wish that we have this kind of fabulous summer every year!

Here’re the classes:
Monday 1530-1730: 1st year’s children (Living Mandarin 1)
Tuesday 1530-1730: 2nd year’s children (Living Mandarin 2)
Wednesday 1530-1730: 3rd+ years’ children (Living Mandarin 3)
Thursday 1600-1730: Older children (Speak Mandarin in 1000 words)

Online registration by Mon 9th Sept

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/11uA0L870cQKLN1dN1HTMGv2XqeC-ZgvYM-PVegH6FM4/viewform

Text book:
Living Mandarin
http://www.skymandarin.org/living-mandarin.htm
Speak Mandarin in 1000 words
http://media.huayuworld.org/lang/medium/ch_1000/index.htm

Ah let the fun begin.....

Photos from our first week of summer camp.
More available from our Facebook page and please like our Facebook page too while you are there!
Summer camp photos (1st week)
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151855142377437.1073741828.191107337436&type=1
Summer camp photos (2nd week)
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151875090327437.1073741829.191107337436&type=1

Summer Camp 2013 programmes 夏令營的節目表

We are working on the exciting speech and drama project so watch this space!!

Prizes!! 獎品 jiang3 pin3

Look at the prizes we prepared for Tuesday's class at singing competition this week!!

More pictures to follow for other classes.

The older children loved oriental stuff and I have stock up my supply soon!!

Dublin School of Mandarin Chinese proudly sponsor the first Taiwanese Film Festival in Dublin, 2013

21-22 June, Friday and Saturday, 2013 Taiwanese Film Festival, NC Ireland (Dublin) and NUI Maynooth

The inaugural Taiwanese Film Festival runs for two days, Friday June 21 and Saturday June 22, and includes airing of documentary films, The Other Side (2012) (pictured) on Friday, and Formosa Homicide Chronicle I (2000) and Formosa Homicide Chronicle III (2009) on Saturday. On both days, these films are followed by discussions with internationally known film director Tsung-lung Tsai. Cape 7, a feature film directed by Te-Sheng Wei is shown on both days. All films have English subtitles.

Although the film festival is free, spaces are limited, so please click this link to register.

The Taiwanese Film Festival is organised by Weihsuan Lin, a PhD candidate and Space&Place Member, Dept. of Geograpny, NUI Maynooth. A special thanks to NCI and NUIM for their generous use of theatre rooms to show films and to the official Film Festival Sponsor, the Dublin School of Mandarin Chinese.



Small donations following films and at receptions are welcome! This inaugural Taiwanese Film Festival is organised by several passionate Taiwanese with their own financial means. We are still looking for sponsorship and volunteers. If you are interested in contributing to the first Taiwan Film Festival in Ireland, please write to: taiwan.filmfestival.ie@gmail.com.



Director: Tsung-lung Tsai 蔡崇隆: His major works include ‘Formosa Homicide Chronicle I – The Case of Su Chien-ho’ which won Best Documentary at the 2001 Golden Harvest Awards, ‘Licensed Prostitutes Apocalypse’ which was recommended by the Judges at the Asian Television Awards in 2002, ‘Behind the Miracle’ which won Excellent Journalism Award and ‘My Imported Wife’ was invited to the International Public Television Screening Conferences and was archived in the Museum of Television and Radio in New York. The issues of human rights, culture diversities, and environment have long been his concerns. Tsai’s films are composed of rational analysis with a humane approach to the subjects.

Schedule

Friday, 21 June; Venue: National College of Ireland, Theatre 1, Dublin

6.00-6.30pm:   Opening Reception

6.30-7.45pm:   Film screening, The Other Side (2012, 70 min., documentary, Director: Tsung-lung Tsai)

7.45-8.30pm:   Discussion with Director Tsai

8.30-8.40pm:   Break

8.40-11pm:      Film screening, Cape No. 7 (2008, 129 min., feature film, Director: Te-Sheng Wei)

Saturday, 22 June, National University of Ireland, Maynooth. John Hume Theatre 3

1.30-2pm:       Opening Reception

2-4pm:            Double Bill: Formosa Homicide Chronicle I: The Case of Su Chien-ho (2000, 60 min. documentary) and Formosa Homicide Chronicle III: The Sweet Taste of Freedom (2009, 57 min., documentary). Both directed by: Tsung-lung Tsai.

4-4.15pm:       Coffee break

4.15-5pm:       Discussion with Director Tsai

5-5.15pm:       Break

5.15-7.30pm:  Film screening, Cape No. 7 (2008, 129 min., feature film, Director: Te-Sheng Wei)

Film Overviews

The Other Side 對岸異鄉人 (2012, 70 min., documentary)

Director: Tsung-lung Tsai

Ke, a Taiwanese citizen working in China, experienced ten years of hustling, dissatisfaction and uncertainty. He hesitated to go back to Taiwan due to his lack of financial resources and confidence. Li-li, a Chinese woman, immigrated to Taiwan by marrying a Taiwanese farmer. She wanted to open up her own business to help her ageing parents, but her loneliness made her long for China. The realities and dreams of these individuals, like the distance between Taiwan and China, seem so close, yet so far.

Formosa Homicide Chronicle I – The Case of Su Chien-ho 島國殺人紀事一： 蘇建和案 (2000, documentary, 60 min.) Winner: Best Documentary Film, 2001 Golden Harvest Awards

Formosa Homicide Chronicle III - The Sweet Taste of Freedom 島國殺人紀事三：自由的滋味 (2009, documentary, 57 min.)
Director: Tsung-lung Tsai

The two films focus on a criminal case in which three young men were accused of robbery, murder and rape in 1990. In 2003, the Taiwanese High Court acquitted the trio. Later they were sentenced to death in 2007. In 2010, the High Court again found them to be not guilty.

For eighteen years, the three men and the son of the victim tried to unearth the truth and find justice. But the truth of 'what happened' remained elusive due to the passage of time and Taiwan’s flawed judicial system. These four young souls were held captive by their distinctive attempts to find justice, spending much of their lives yearning for a freedom that no one else could truly appreciate.



Cape No. 7 海角七號 (2008, 129 min., feature film, Director: Te-Sheng Wei)

Aga, a band singer, returned frustrated to Hengchun. Tomoko, a Japanese model, was assigned to organise a local warm-up band for the Japanese superstar's beach concert. Together with five other ordinary Hengchun residents who never expected to be anybody in life, they formed an incredible band.

 

 

Father's day card

Is daddy deserves a medal?
Of course!!

Make a special father's day card with a beautiful origami medal.
We wrote the lovely message inside.

Dad, I love you!

 

爸爸， 我愛你!

bà bà    wǒ ài nǐ
爸爸， 我爱你!

 

糖果粽 sweets zongzi.

We couldn't have enough time to decorate and to make these beautiful symbolic zongzi to celebrate the dragon boat festival.

You all know about the tradition which is dragon boat racing and the savory sticky rice wrapp in bamboo leaves.  The real story behind the festival was quite sad.  It's about a famous poet QuYuan.

Others celebrate this festival on a different mythical story regarding a snake fairy who came to earth.

Our school celebrate this festival with traditional food and children's games.

Please come to the party on Sunday!