We were delighted when the museum announced the return of the Gum San exhibit, exploring the impact of Chinese Americans on the history of United States … the only exhibit to tell a comprehensive story of the Chinese experience in the High Desert region. As a student of Mandarin Chinese, MeiLi was very excited when I informed her that we would be going not only with her best péng yǒu / 朋友 who also studies Mandarin (in fact, this is how they met), but with their lǎo shī / 老师 as well.
MeiLi and TianTian enjoyed looking for characters they recognized in the prints, most were traditional Chinese, however. It was so nice to have an opportunity for the girls to explore a little more about Chinese history with their lǎo shī. In addition to the exhibit, they were also able to participate in a couple of Chinese crafts (knot tying and paper lanterns) as well as sample a few foods (barbeque pork, spring rolls, etc.).
DìDi / 弟弟 wasn’t very enthusiastic about the exhibit, however. I thereby provided him with an impromptu scavenger hunt. As he is passionate about trains, I encouraged him to find at least 3 different artifacts or photographs related to trains. Success! One of the things he found was an axe-head, with Central Pacific Railroad markings. “Look!” he said, “It’s a wedge! A simple machine!” Curriculum integration at it’s best. 🙂
