Mandarin Stars Chadstone & Point Cook

Happy Hamburger Day!!!🍔

汉堡日快乐!!!
Hàn bǎo rì kuài lè!!!

汉堡(Hàn bǎo) = Hamburger🍔

日(rì ) = Day🎈

快乐(kuài lè) = Happy😀

Happy World Art Day!!!🎨

世界艺术日快乐!!!
Shì jiè yì shù rì kuài lè!!!

世界(Shì jiè) = World🌎

艺术(yì shù) = Art🎨

日(rì ) = Day🎈

快乐(kuài lè) = Happy😀

HAPPY WORLD ANIMAL DAY!!! 🐒🐷🐮🐶🐺🐱

动物日快乐!!!
dòng wù rì kuài lè!!!

动物(dòng wù) = Animal 🦁

日(rì) = Day ☀

快乐(kuài lè) = Happy 😀

Happy Valentines Day!!!❤️

情人节快乐!!!
Qíng rén jié kuài lè!!!

情人节(Qíng rén jié) = Valentines Day💟

快乐(kuài lè) = Happy😀

25 Reasons to Study World Languages…. 👍🌎

Reason #5: Creativity is increased with the study of foreign languages.

As an avid language learner of English, Cantonese, Mandarin, French, Spanish and Latin, I completely agree with this reason! In being able to learn foreign languages a flexibility in thinking is developed which has helped me to personally navigate living in 5 countries!

Did you also know that when you enjoy learning foreign languages, the path towards fluency is also a powerful way to boost your creativity for several reasons:

1. Learning another language can act as the jolt we need to get out of any rut and regain the vitality and aliveness necessary to work on our next project.

2. Learning a new language stirs and reawakens our natural-born curiosity and gives us the flexibility we need to be creative.

3. Learning a new language strengthens the self-sustaining motivation muscles needed to successfully complete our creative projects.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/rethinking-mental-health/202104/boost-your-creativity-learning-second-language

Happy Lunar New Year! Let's hop into the Year of the Rabbit! 🐇🤩
Wishing all our students, teachers, families and friends at Mandarin Stars a very happy, healthy, peaceful & blessed 2023 ahead!
We look forward to teaching & learning in 2023 at Mandarin Stars!

Happy Spring Festival!

Did you know that in China, Lunar New Year lasts from the new moon to the next full moon. This is a fifteen day span until the fifth day of the lunar month. In 2023, Lunar New Year begins on Sunday, January 22 and ends on Sunday, February 5.

In addition, the first day of Lunar New Year is called the Spring Festival, and the final day is the Lantern Festival in Chinese culture.

Favourite typical Lunar New Year Food #4: The greatest salad of all time: Yee Sang!

'Yee Sang or Yu Sheng' is a salad made with fresh vegetables, fruits, crackers and usually raw fish (raw salmon is the BEST!). Also known as ‘prosperity toss’, yee sang is a must have during Lunar New Year in Malaysia and Singapore. It is a fun, colourful and delicious salad.

I remember when one of our Mandarin Stars parents who is from SIngapore made this for me at a Chinese New Year party that we hosted.... I now absolutely love ❤️ this dish and recommend this wonderfully easy recipe from SBS:
https://www.sbs.com.au/food/recipes/prosperity-toss-yee-sang

Favourite typical Lunar New Year Food #3:

FISH! 魚 🐟

Fish have always been treated as a mascot for their incredible vitality. This dish is essential on New Year’s Eve. “To have fish” in the Chinese phrase is a pair of homophones for “abundance”. This dish should be left on the dining table, symbolizing prosperity gone through next year.

Growing up in my family, whole fish is usually steamed with lots of fresh spring onions and ginger and seasoned with hot oil and soya sauce, and absolutely MUST be served whole, with the head and tail connected, symbolising good luck from the beginning to the end.

New Years Eve or not- the whole fish would be enjoyed, from head, eyeballs to tail, leaving only the bare bones as a sign of a meal that has been well enjoyed!

Favourite typical Lunar New Year Food #2:

DUMPLINGS!! 🥟🥟

An all time favourite with ALL of our Mandarin Stars students (and teachers!). There are also dumpling noodles, egg dumplings, and even fish dumpling shaped ingots. You will also find different dumplings with different types of stuffing. There are savory ones like cabbage, chives, pork, beef, mutton, long beans, and celery, and there are even sweet ones. Dumplings really are the most creative and charming food in China.

Favourite😋 typical Lunar New Year Food #1:

Glutinous Rice Cakes: Unlike people in northern China, people in southern China usually eat “Nian Gao”, namely glutinous rice cakes, which when pronounced in the Chinese language sounds the same as the word for promoting every year. These are made from glutinous rice but by assorted cooking methods in the vast areas of China.
My mother loved to cut the cakes up into slices and dip them in egg and gently fry them. They ate absolutely delicious with a cup of Green Tea!

See this easy recipe on how to make my mum’s eggy pain fried nian gao! We would always buy the actual nian gao (too busy making dumplings) and then dip & pan fry at home. Enjoy! 😋

https://www.huangkitchen.com/pan-fried-nian-gao/

25 Reasons to Study World Languages…. 🌎👍

Reason #4: Dealing with another culture enables you to gain a more profound understanding of your own culture.

We believe that dealing with and learning about other cultures cultivates cultural awareness. According to Reachout- a safe and judgement-free support group for young people, ‘Australia is super-multicultural, which means that people and traditions from many other countries and cultures are noticeable and celebrated. More likely than not, you’re going to meet many people and experience many situations that are unfamiliar to you. Developing your understanding of other cultures, or ‘cultural awareness’, lets you have more meaningful interactions with those around you. You’re building your respect and empathy for other people, and celebrating your differences as well as your similarities. This makes you less likely to treat someone differently, just because they are from a different culture or ethnicity than you.’

Sources:
https://cla.auburn.edu/world-languages/future-students/25-reasons-to-study-world-languages/
https://au.reachout.com/articles/understanding-a-different-culture