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We started our New Year celebrations early last Friday with a trip to Legendary Palace for dim sum. After a short, misty walk through Chinatown, all four classes sat down to enjoy:
- Steamed Pork Buns
- Veggie Egg Rolls
- Egg Tarts
- Sesame Balls
- Veggie Fried Rice
- Chicken Chow Mein
The menu selections were just right, with something for everyone, and students tested a variety of different ways to use their chopsticks!
On Tuesday morning all Yu Ming students headed out excitedly into the cold for their field trip to see the Peking Acrobat show at Zellerbach Hall on the Cal campus. The kids had been well prepared for their first school trip on Bart and were very well behaved! They took their instructions seriously and obeyed all rules walking to Bart, waiting for the trains, entering and exiting the trains and walking through the colorful Cal campus.
Arriving with plenty of time to spare, the kids took their seats in the auditorium with excitement ringing the air amongst approximately 2,000 students attending this special school time performance. This acrobat show was so popular this year that a third show was added to accommodate all the school groups.
Once the lights dimmed and curtains were drawn, the children sat mesmerized in one of the most exciting and audience captivating school field trip yet. The students witnessed several performances that included dancing lions, parasol spinning ladies, 3 ring jumping acrobats, hat jugglers, contortionists and a finale of human pyramids — both on the ground and on a bicycle.
The students clearly wanted more. ”I could watch this for 3 hours. No, wait, infinity hours,” claimed kindergartener Greyson. After the performance the children had lunch in the plaza and returned to Bart in the same well-behaved manner in which they arrived. The afternoon was spent drawing pictures of their new memories and dreaming of the next level of their tumbling class!
Our Chinese New Year Celebration wrapped up on Wednesday with a school-wide jiaozi-making extravaganza. Jiaozi, symbolizing wealth and prosperity, is traditionally made and eaten on Chinese New Year because the crescent-shaped dumplings resemble ancient Chinese money.
Donning stylish blue rubber gloves, the children in each class prepared large batches of jiaozi to share. Though it took a bit of practice, the children soon became master dumpling chefs, placing just the right amount of filling in the center of the dough wrapper, dabbing a few droplets of water along the perimeter of the wrapper, and then expertly crimping the concoction into a neat little package.
Parent volunteers handled the cooking, and then the whole school gathered together in the gym to enjoy a community holiday meal. Happy Year of the Dragon!
Writing and photos contributed by Yu Ming parents Chrissy Schwinn (Petra, Monkey), Devra Nelson (Raina, Tiger), Jen Solomon (Claire, Panda), Rose Williams (Anwen, Monkey) and Kelly Scribner (Avery, Monkey).
Check here for resources and information about Chinese New Year.
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