New Year's Eve-an eating celebration

As I was feverishly running at the REC Center and pedaling on an exercise bike in attempts to lose weight before I gain it all back during the holiday season, I had to stop and think about what types of foods are traditionally eaten for Chinese New Year. This is the largest Chinese celebration of the year, the food must be lavish as well.

"Chi fan le mei you?" "Have you eaten yet?" is the popular greeting guests encounter before they fill their belly with foods of good luck and fortune. Guests bring with them oranges and tangerines as gifts of gold and wealth.

Starting at midnight, families begin eating sticky rice pudding cakes and dumplings to represent the wealth they will acquire in the coming year. All of the dishes served have a meaning and representation, and here are just a few:

Hoe see fat choy: Hair seaweed and dried oysters for, "wealth and good business."

Pig's tongue: "profit."

Ju-won and you-won: fish balls and meat balls symbolic of a reunion.

Five meats or vegetables: "the five blessings of the new year." These blessings include longevity, riches, peace, wisdom and virtue.

Dishes served on Chinese New Year are prepared uncut and whole, typically with poultry including chicken and duck served with the head and feet. This is have completeness and avoid misfortune in the family. Included with this food preparation, knives are not used during the holiday, otherwise it could sever a families fortune.

So it is back to the gym for me to prepare for what I see as a truly cultural and symbolic eating celebration.

Chinese New Year- Year of the Rat

The most important holiday for the Chinese is Chinese New Year. While celebrations occur throughout the year which I have touched on earlier, none are as prominent as this celebration, also known as the Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival.

The date of Chinese New Year falls on the first day of the first lunar month, typically anywhere between January 21 and February 20. The Chinese calendar runs on a twelve year cycle of the animal zodiac, with each year dedicated to a different animal. The celebration lasts for fourteen days, ending on the fifteenth day of the Lantern Festival.

For the coming year Chinese New Year will fall on Feb. 7, 2008. As 2007 was laced with sightings of pigs for Year of the Pig, 2008 serves as the Year of the Rat. I wonder how many rodents will be racing around the street.

Chinese New Year is a family affair. Time is spent with the elderly of the family and paying respect to the ancestors. Ancestors who have sense passed are looked at with great respect because they are considered the members of the family who laid down the groundwork of fortune and good luck in the family. On New Year's Eve, a communal dinner between the living and the spirits of the ancestors will take place to celebrate as one community. This is known as "surrounding the stove."

Though Chinese New Year is still two months away, it is never to early to consider plans and events for the celebration. Red envelopes will be distributed, lavish foods will be eaten, and quality time with loved ones will be spent. How will you celebrate the occasion?

Qi Gong

As I woke up this morning feeling sick, I out of instinct went straight to the kitchen for tea and the cabinet for medicine. Popping pills in my mouth feeling tired and exhausted, I thought to myself, "What Chinese medicinal practices are there that might achieve the same end result?" The answer I found was Qi Gong.

Qi meaning "energy" and gong meaning "work", qi gong is an ancient practiced used to balance and strengthen one's life force. When illnesses occur or people adapt to the weather, this practice is used. If one is healthy, qi gong helps the overall well-being of the body.

Qi gong is achieved through movements, visualizations and mind control and requires only a few feet of space. It is a transfer of universal energy with internal energy, hence creating a new energy, qi. This practice can be achieved sitting, standing or reclining.

Qi is the internal body body energy that flows along 14 different pathways. When Yin and Yang are in harmony, the energy flows freely through a person's healthy body. When Yin and Yang are in disarray, there is an obstruction of qi.

So as I sit on my bed, I am tempted to try this new practice. With end of the school year picking up and the weather changing to, well, freezing, it is no wonder my qi may be in disarray. Now do I have the 20 minutes to spare as a college student to attempt this practice?

Eating Customs

With the holidays in full swing most people associate eating lavish and delectable foods with friends, families, and loved ones. We graciously eat a melting pot of various foods, sipping drinks and chatting away. As we take the time out of our hectic end-of-year schedule to enjoy a meal with the ones we care about, in Chinese culture it is actually common for all three meals of the day to be eaten together as a family.

All meals eaten together are based around fan, or grain. Rather than associating certain foods with the time of day a meal is eaten, an array of foods is served at every meal to satisfy the palette. Children are taught to consume equal amounts of each dish, never favoring one food over another. Sorry kids, you really do have to eat your vegetables.

Each place setting for the meal consists of a soup spoon, chopsticks, a bowl of rice, and a saucer. All of the meat and vegetable dishes are placed at the same time at the center of the table, and people eat off these dishes communally. Unlike most elongated tables we often see in Western Culture, Chinese eat off of either round or square tables to reach for the dishes without having to pass the food. A hot towel is provided instead of a napkin as well to clean up after a meal.

Because tea is commonly drank throughout the entire day, no liquid is served during a meal except usually soup. Wine or spirits may be served for special occasions.

And for those people with a sweet tooth, unfortunately no dessert is served, unless it is a special occasion. Even during this period the sweet morsels are usually saved for in between meals.

So while the in-laws may be too much to handle, or the children fussy eaters, take time out to compare your family's eating habits with those of another culture. We may be able to learn a thing or two.

Melting Pot

So I decided today while attempting to write a blog, that despite the many efforts I have made to come up with an interesting topic on Chinese culture, my mind draws to a blank. I start to ponder life experiences that would be applicable, but again, I fall short.

I have exhausted my efforts on the holiday season. Yes, I wrote about Chinese Thanksgiving and Christmas, and well, Chinese New Year is too far in the distance.

I attempted to find some sort of Chinese relationship etiquette or culture to write about, but unfortunately too many Chinese singles ads popped up in my Google search. I didn't intend for that to happen.

Chinese religion is varied and in depth. Choosing to write about Buddhism, Taoism or Confucianism would require too much research, resulting in a lack of engagement from the reader. These topics are complex theories and writings on humanism and living your life in a good manner, and I did not think a blog would do them justice.

So then I ventured to the idea of Chinese food. But what about Chinese food? Foods I deem as having historical significance I already blogged on. I didn't think writing about white rice, sweet and sour chicken, or Americanized food like Panda Express was appropriate.

I desperately tried to come up with a topic based on life stories. My grandma was married at 16, so maybe I could write about arranged marriages. But these are less common now and not a widely practiced engagement.

So for today, while I may be blogging about Chinese culture, I have just given you a taste of multiple aspects of Chinese culture, all different in their own way. But if you decide to venture into the wonderful world of Googling Chinese culture, most likely you will land on the YouTube video of the Chinese Backstreet Boys.

Dun Che Lao Ren

Fo most of us in Western culture, celebrating Christmas means recognizing the biggest holiday of the year. Stores, neighborhood streets and televisions are flooded with Christmas trees and images of Santa Claus. But who fills the holiday stockings in Chinese culture? Well, Dun Che Lao Ren does!

Despite Chinese New Year being the largest Chinese winter celebration, more Chinese Christian families are celebrating Christmas. Adorning their "trees of light" with paper chains, flowers and lanterns, their homes are also decorated with paper lanterns.

Children anxiously wait for "Old Man Christmas," Dun Che Lao Ren, to fill their muslin stockings full of surprises. And what types of gifts to people give and receive during this celestial celebration? Children recieve toys and clothes, the typical of any Christmas celebration. Red envelopes are customary gifts with lucky money, also used to prepare for Chinese New Year.

Part of a Chinese Christmas celebration also involves preparing for Chinese New Year. Bowls of oranges and tangerines will be placed displayed for wealth and good fortune. Additionally, ancestors will be honored with portraits hung in their families home.

So with the holiday season in full swing around us, we cannot forget the beauty and diveristy of other cultures. Holidays are the perfect time to celebrate the ones you loved, the years past and to be surrounded by those you care about most.

Chinese Thanksgiving

As I write the title to this blog I can't help but chuckle because in China there is no such thing as Thanksgiving. Never in the history books did I read about pilgrims coming to settle in China...sorry. The closest celebration they have is their Mid-Autumn Festival, occurring the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month.

But despite Thanksgiving not being a traditional holiday, it still doesn't exempt Chinese Americans from celebrating the feast of Thanksgiving the last Thursday of November.

When I was very young living closer to my Chinese grandmother in Southern California we always celebrated Thanksgiving with an Asian flair. Instead of serving mashed potatoes, we ate white rice (which actually tastes really good with gravy on top if anyone every tries). We also were served yams, but not the sweet and candied ones. We ate yams with curry. I had no idea what the name was until later in life (I mistakenly assumed they were just scalloped potatoes).

After searching the web for glimmers of hope that other families do the same thing, I was pleasantly surprised. Many people offer menus and recipes hailing an even more Asian flair to traditional cuisine with such items including roast turkey glazed in teriyaki sauce.

If your family decides to step away from traditional this Thanksgiving, I recommend you venture into Chinese cuisine. You may be just as pleasantly surprised as I was.

The spirit of giving

The holiday season has come into full swing. Walk into any department store or mall and you will be surrounded by the constant reminder of diving into your savings to present loved ones with presents. Because I recently opened my wallet to purchase gifts for others, it seemed appropriate to talk about Chinese gift giving.

Chinese view gift giving as a sign of friendship or hospitality. It is viewed as common courtesy, yet ironically enough, if you ever watch a gift exchange between two people you will see the receiver reject the gift three times before fully accepting it. While rejection may be all part of the package, reciprocity is very important as well. To cultivate a relationship, reciprocating the gift giving act is almost customary.

Chinese gift giving occurs very frequently. Gifts are usually given to children, elderly, when visiting others, during the holidays, and major life events.

While the nature of the gift can vary in many forms, when given to a family it is best if the gift can be utilized by everyone, such as tea. One thing I have learned to not take to heart over the years is not being offended if a gift is not open in front of you. Apparently our Western culture is slightly different...

Gardens- More Than Plant Life

While attempting to find an interesting topic on Chinese culture to write about, I will admit I found myself in the middle of writer's block...or maybe it would be better called blogger's block...who knows. Irregardless, I found myself stumped and wanting to find peace in my life. While endlessly searching through topics related to peace, tranquility, and serenity (all which I am trying to find in my own life right now), I stumbled upon Chinese gardens.

Chinese view gardens as an essential art form and part of life. The gardens are created to attain balance, harmony, proportion and variety in life. A fluid and intricate combination of natural items including rocks, water, trees and flowers are fused with artificial elements of architecture, painting and poetry. "The garden is an artistic recreation of nature; a landscape painting in three dimensions"... the beauty of a garden speaks loudly.

The intricacy of a Chinese garden is boundless, and speaks much louder than what meets the eye. Covered corridors can be found within the garden so people can enjoy the garden in both rain and snow. Detailed footpaths imaginatively patterned cover the ground. A common motif I find particularly interesting is a square within a circle, representing the belief of the heaven being round and the earth being square.

Plant life plays a large role in the harmony of the garden, representing the harmony in life. The lotus flower represents purity. The flowering plum is commonly found, representing the renewal of strength and will. Bamboo is commonly found for strong and resilient character.

A Chinese garden is where I could go to right now, and I think many people would be eager to find serenity in them as well during this time of year. The Chinese garden is a place for solitude and serenity with nature. A piece of poetic art, gardens are a place people find spiritual utopia and to search one's inner heart.

Wedding Food

When I was eight years old I was a junior bridesmaid for my aunt's wedding. The lavish event filled will celebrating guests was a memorable experience. One of the highlights of the day was the reception, a large Chinese banquet filling an entire Chinese restaurant. There were obviously the typical wedding DJ, wedding cake, and throwing of the bouquet and garter, but aside from the basics things were very unique.

The biggest difference I found, and probably because I enjoy eating, was the unique Chinese dishes which were served at the event. I remember some guests apprehensively looking at one another saying, "What is that?" or, "I have never heard of this, but it tastes good!"

In Chinese weddings food symbolism is huge, hailing mostly wishes of good luck, longevity, happiness and fertility. Typically the number eight is used as the number of dishes served, excluding dessert. Eight sounds like good luck in Chinese culture, hence why eight dishes are served.

Of some of the dishes served at a traditional banquet, here are some of the meanings behind the food, and it even clears up the confusion for myself!

Shark Fin Soup: Served at the beginning of the meal representing wealth, because this dish is an expensive delicacy.

Roast Suckling Pig: Represents virginity.

Peking duck and lobster: The red colors of these dishes represent happiness and served together represent joy and happiness.

Fowl: Squab or quail can be served to represent peace. If fried chicken were served as a replacement it would symbolize "good life."

Vegetables and sea cucumber: The two dishes combined represent selflessness because sea cucumber represents "good heart," and when the two are combined the couple is hoped to avoid conflict.

Fish: If fish is served it is for their future to be plentiful.

Noodles: At the end of the meal noodles symbolize longevity from their long strands.

Desserts of sweet red bean soup or steamed sweet buns can be served additionally.

This comprehensive list is not a mandated list of dishes to serve, only the meaning of dishes you may find at a wedding. I know the one and only Chinese reception I was old enough to remember had many of these dishes, artfully created in their uniqueness.

Despite the apprehensive bites of food I may have eaten when I was eight years old, I am happy I was able to experience the wishes of happiness all the food brought to the happy couple.

Kuaizi

One of the staples you will find in any Chinese restaurant nomatter how Americanized it may seem are chopsticks. Known as kuaizi or in ancient times zhu, Chinese people have had chopsticks in their history for more than 3,000 years.

Chopsticks are categorized based on the material they are made out of. Five different types of materials are used: wood, metal, bone, stone and compound chopsticks. In Chinese homes, wood and bamboo are the most common.

Chinese chopsticks can be differentiated from other countries chopsticks due to their square shape where they are held, and the round tip where the food is picked up.

In older Chinese culture, it was viewed as improper to hold chopsticks in the left hand, even for left-handed people. It is a good thing those rules have loosened, or being left-handed like myself would have left me in a tricky situation.

While I have grown up in and around Chinese restuarants, I can share a few etiquette tips I have picked up over the years.

Stabbing your food with chopsticks in unacceptable.

Banging and making noise with chopsticks, despite children's antics, is considered rude.

Do not use chopsticks to toy with your food.

And one final chopstick etiquette I always found interesting: it IS acceptable to pick up your rice bowl and shovel rice into your mouth with chopsticks. Using a spoon is considered rude.

Tea Culture

Tea, coffe and cocoa are three of the most consumed beverages in the world. Tea trumps all being the most popular, and its origins are rooted in China. Chinese culture views tea as an integral part of their daily life with the phrase, "Firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar and tea are the seven necessities to begin a day."

As one of the most Zen-like beverages, tea shows a sign of character. Chinese tea is used in various circumstances in all generations of Chinese ancestry.

Tea is used as a sign of respect. Younger children will invite the elders for tea, or will offer them a cup of tea before pouring it for themselves.

Tea is drank during family gatherings. When Chinese restuarants are crowded on the weekends with families eating together, tea is typically served.

Speaking of family gatherings, tea is served to bring families of the wedding parties together. Drinking tea represented acceptance into the family

Unfortunately for some, tea is also used to apologize. It represents submission when children pour tea for their parents.

When someone pours tea to you, be sure to express your gratitude. Typically the middle or index finger is tapped on the table after tea is poured.

Drinking tea always seemed like a normal tradition in my family. Turns out actions really do speak louder than words, or tastes.

Mahjong

I remember sitting at my grandfather's computer for hours endlessly playing games of mahjong. Different tiles were stacked together, and I had to match the tiles up by removing them from the outer edges. While occasionally winning, most of the time I was unable to clear the stack away. And while I played this game at my American grandparent's house, the game of mahjong actually originated in China (in case the name didn't already give it away).

Typically made of tiles or playing cards, mahjong is divided into three categories- suits, honor and flowers. There are commonly 144 tiles per mahjong game and at the very least 136. For complete rules on how to play mahjong click here.

The history of mahjong is still debatable. While the first sightings of mahjong in America was 1920, different stories circulate around its creation in China. One story says a young beauty who lived in seclusion over 2000 years ago invented the game around the era of Confucius during the court of King Wu during the Shang Dynasty.

Another story says Chinese army officers during the Taiping Rebellion created the game to pass the time.

And yet other fables say Confucius created the game around 500 A.D. The game started to appear in various states of China coinciding with Confucius' travels.

While so much of Chinese history is credited to Confucius, it is hard not to add mahjong to the list. Mahjong translates into "chattering sparrow," appropriate for Confucius loved birds. It was believed he used the game as a teaching tool for his philosophies. The cardinal virtues bequeathed by Confucius are found on the three dragon (Cardinal) tiles, representing benevolence, sincerity and piety.

And the list still goes on...

Do I think the ancient fables of mahjong hold validity? Is it a more recent game than what people believe? Or does the game of mahjong hold Chinese cultural history? Maybe the answer is in the cards...I mean the tiles.

Jade

"Beads of jade for beauty..." these words are hailed in the popular Disney movie, Mulan. Jade has been a popular stone in Chinese culture since it was defined by Xu Zhen during his lifetime of 58-147 A.D. Growing up, and still today, my grandmother always wears a single jade bracelet on her wrist. Jewelry I recieved as gifts were frequently made of jade, and it is truly an invaluable stone for the Chinese culture.

Chinese thinker and political leader Confucius believed there was culture, meaning, and humanity behind jade.

'The wise have likened jade to virtue. For them, its polish and brilliancy represent the whole of purity; its perfect compactness and extreme hardness represent the sureness of intelligence; its angles, which do not cut, although they seem sharp, represent justice; the pure and prolonged sound, which it gives forth when one strikes it, represents music. Its color represents loyalty; its interior flaws, always showing themselves through the transparency, call to mind sincerity..."

Referred to as Yu in Chinese, it was believed to be the most beautiful stone of all associated with merit, grace and dignity. Most words associated with morals in the Chinese language begin with the word Yu. Jade has influenced all walks of life, and in past history young girls were named with the prefix of Yu (jade), reflecting the love of their parents.

As I open a jewelry box and find numerous gifts of jade sitting in the drawers, I know my family has given me the gift of beauty, both tangible and intangible.

Qing Ming

Looking outside in the heart of October it is easy to tell the season is changing. Leaves are falling, the weather is getting cooler, and the luscious greenery that once surrounded the land is dissipating. With so much we are about to say goodbye to, it seems appropriate to look at what we have to look forward to.

The Chinese Qing Ming festival is celebrated during the third lunar month and is a time for people to experience the new greenery of spring and clean up the graves of loved ones.

To start on a lighter note, Qing Ming was on April 5, 2007, and the celebrations typically occur ten days before and ten days after Qing Ming. Also known as the Clear Brightness Festival, the celebration involves the start of new plowing, kite flying, the celebration of spring, and it is also a time men start courting.

When I found out the celebration is used to clean up the grave sites of loved ones, I reflect back on my frequent visits to California where we always visit burial sites of family members and leave flowers and food for them. Included in this days many names, in English it is most well known as Tomb Sweeping Day. Ancestors are honored at their grave site, sweeping and cutting of grass occurs, and food is left as an offering for the deceased.

While researching is day I knew virtually nothing about, in case anyone wanted yet another name for the celebration it can also be referred to as All Soul's Day. It is a time for reflection on the deceased loved ones, and it is a time to celebrate the rebirth of a new year.

Zong Zi

One of my favorite foods my grandmother makes is sticky rice filled with meat, eggs, beans and nuts, wrapped in corn leaves and steamed to perfection. My family always called them dung tay, and they are rarely found at an American Chinese restuarant. There is good reason for why this traditional speciality is hardly ever seen, let alone heard of. Traditionally known as zong zi, these dumpling are what is served during the Dragon Boat Festival.

The Dragon Boat Festival occurs on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar year. The celebration is also known as the Fifth Month Celebration and is in honor of Qu Yuan, a respected poet of the Zhon Empire who threw himself into the river. Celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival is celebrating the anniversary of his death.

After learning this story I still did not understand why zong zi was served for the Dragon Boat Festival. Zong zi, little packets of glutinous rice, is thought to have their origins in the bamboo tubes of rice in attempt to find the spirit of Qu Yuan. Additionally, the rice packets were wrapped with colored silk threads, which dragons fear. This was to keep the dragons from eating the patriotic poet.

The beauty of zong zi is every dumpling you unwrap is different. Each maker of zong zi places their own unique fillings in the dumplings so unwrapping zong zi has pleasant surprises.

I have always found zong zi to have a striking familiarity to Mexican tamales. Both are wrapped in corn leaves and steamed to perfection. These pyramid shaped dumplings are both created with families and are to be shared with loved ones.

No wonder I find my grandma's zong zi dumplings to have an extra touch - they are made with love. But don't worry, my appetite would never allow for us to throw them in the river.

Yin-Yang

Most people are familiar with the term, Yin and Yang. In elementary and middle school you see children wearing t-shirts with the symbol printed on it, typically a circle half black and half white. But while the term and symbol is familiar, many are unfamiliar with its significance. Simply put, Yin and Yang represent the two opposite principles in nature.

Yin represents the feminine and negative side of things, while Yang represents the masculine and the positive. Yin and Yang are pairs, and the two cannot coexist without each other. The two interchange and interplay so one is not alone. If one side is stronger then the other side is weaker. It is thought the two cannot exist without each other.

If you compare this to genders in society, the same holds true for men and women. Despite the upsurging of political viewpoints and the pressure to act independently, inevitably the male compliments the female and the female compliments the male. I don't necessarily agree the feminine represents the negative and the masculine the positive, but everything is up for interpretation.

If you look at the Yin Yang symbol you will see each side is not completely black or white. This represents the reality of life not being completely black or white, and each side needing the other.

I have never applied the theory of Yin and Yang to my life, but maybe I should start. The shortcomings I face in the world open my eyes to new and interesting perspectives. As a student placing myself in the eyes of the professor leads me to new conclusions about my work and work ethic. It is through these two interactions students and professors need each other to coexist. Girlfriends and boyfriends, while two separate people share the same life. As time progresses each person adapts some of the other person, and the two are encouraged by one another. If one person is weak, the other is strong to build them up. They are a compliment to each other's life and the life they share together. Two halves really do make a whole.

Mooncake Festival

Every time I visit southern California to visit my Chinese grandmother I always ask the same question, "Are there any mooncakes?" And every year I get the same response, "No. You can only buy them in the fall." Why are these delectable treats popularly made with lotus paste only available for a short period of time in September and October? My findings led me to discover that while I would like to enjoy the unique taste of a moon cake year round, they are only available during the time of the Mooncake Festival.

Coincidentally, this year the Mooncake Festival was on September 25, 2007 (I guess my craving for moon cakes came at an appropriate time). Every year on the fifteenth day of the eight month of the lunar calendar Chinese celebrate this occasion. The celebration is when the moon is at its fullest and brightest. The Mooncake Festival, also known as the Moon Fesitval or the Mid-Autumn Festival, is honored with dancing, feasting and moon gazing. And of course eating mooncakes.

Considered one of the most important celebrations on the lunar calendar, the tradition is celebrated with family reunions and spending time with loved ones. Families hold Moonlight Parties to bring people together. Additionally, lattern making competitions are held. Latterns are the traditional children's toy for the Mooncake Festival. People will create their own unique lanterns and then compete in a parade.

I cannot forget about why I originally discovered the Mooncake Festival, and that is because of the baked dessert the mooncake. Mooncakes are traditionally made with lotus seed and are approximately the size of your palm. This dense pastry is surrounded by a thin crust, and sometimes filled with the yolk of a salted duck egg. Some moon cakes have four yolks inside, represently the four equinoxes of the moon. The rich pastry is eaten in small wedges with Chinese tea. While I always wanted to eat the entire pastry, it now makes sense why my grandmother would only serve me a small wedge of the cake. But who says you can't change tradition?

I don't think I will be able to find any mooncakes for purchase in Fort Collins, Colo. I did however stumble upon China Sprout, a company that sells Chinese educational products online, including mooncakes. If eating is what it takes to get an education, you can count me in.

Fortune Cookies

Walk into any Chinese restaurant in America and you will cleanse your palate and finish your meal with a fortune cookie. These simple biscuits folded into a moon shape with a slip of paper inside have become popular in all American and Canadian Chinese restaurants. Ironically enough, the origin of the fortune cookie is not in China. Different stories predict where this Chinese dessert came from.

The fortune cookie as we know it today originated in America. One story recounts the creation of the fortune cookie when Chinese men were settling in the area between California and Nevada laying railways. Workers had few pleasures during this hard time except these small biscuits to exchange with one another during the Chinese Moon Festival. Traditional Lotus Moon Cakes were traded during this celebration, but all the settlers had were these biscuits filled with good luck messages. Thus the fortune cookie was born.

Another story recounts a local baker in Los Angeles. Around 1920 David Jung began making these cookies filled with words of encouragement to hand out to the poor and homeless. He eventually founded the Hong Kong Noodle Company.

Los Angeles cannot take the claim so quickly because San Francisco also has a claim on the creation of fortune cookies. In 1907 Makota Hagiwara, a caretaker of a Japanese Tea Garden, created these cookies as well bearing thank you notes. These cookies helped him with a dispute against the mayor and in 1915 his invention was displayed at the Panama Convention.

These small cookies were originally made by hand through the talented work of chopsticks. In 1964 San Francisco's Lotus Fortune Cookie Company created a machine to make the cookies and slip tiny fortunes in them. However, currently the largest fortune cookie company is the Wonton Food Inc. of Long Island City, and this plant distributes 60 millions cookies per month. Now that is a lot of good luck to go around.

Chinese Zodiac

Many Chinese restaurants use the Chinese Zodiac as their paper place mat. Patrons are invited to read about which animal they most resemble based on their year of birth. As I read about being the Year of the Tiger, I see a striking resemblance to my own personality. "Tigers are blessed with endless enthusiasm for life's simple pleasures." Apparently one of those pleasures involves dissecting the Chinese Zodiac.

The Chinese Zodiac is based on an extremely complex ancient agricultural calendar. Rumor has it Buddha invited all of the animals on earth to visit him New Year's Day. When the day arrived only 12 animals showed up. They were the Rat, the Ox, the Tiger, the Rabbit, the Dragon, the Snake, the Horse, the Ram, the Monkey, the Rooster, the Dog and the Pig. From these 12 animals he gave each animal their own year. Chinese calendars run on this cyclical calendar of time where the beginning of the year falls between January and February.

Chinese horoscopes are also based on the five elements water, earth, fire, wood and metal. The Zodiac can be further divided into complex segments based on these elements. These modifiers further affect the characteristics of animal signs. The interpretation of universal harmony and balance impacts the horoscope through Yin (female) and Yang (male).

While many people look at their paper disposable place mats of the Chinese Zodiac and chuckle, it is surprisingly more complex than meets the eye. Certain animals are compatible and incompatible with other animals. This is very similar to American horoscopes and people's compatibility, or lack thereof, with other astrological signs. I may not always believe what the stars say, but I do take to heart knowing I am compatible with the Horse and Dog.

Dim Sum

Dim sum. No this is not the sound you would hear from a drummer in a marching band or a parade brigade down the streets on New Year's Day. Similar to Mexican Tapas, dim sum is the Chinese culinary tradition of bite-sized appetizers. Literally translated, "to touch the heart," dim sum has become a Chinese family custom popular in many countries and cities outside of China.

Originally a Cantonese custom, dim sum was associated with Chinese tea drinking. Tea houses were created in China for weary travelers to stop and rest or for farmers to go in the afternoon after a long day's work. Eventually snacks started to accompany the tea when it became known that tea helps aid in digestion and cleans the palate. Dim Sum originated in the United States in the 19th century as a result of Chinese immigrants. It is rumored the Chinese came up with the term "brunch" when dim sum combined breakfast and lunch. If this is indeed true then I am not complaining and am appreciative of these intricate delicacies.

If you are unfamiliar with Chinese dim sum then it is important to know how it is served. Instead of ordering off a menu, steaming carts of dim sum are pushed in between tables. When something tickles your fancy you simply alert the person pushing the cart you would like a little appetizer. Typically one order of dim sum comes with three to four appetizers. A stamp or check mark of some sort is placed on your bill that sits at your table. You then proceed with the family style meal.

One of the highlights of a dim sum meal is the variety of different foods your palate encounters. Most of the dishes are either steamed or fried, and it mixes the sweet with the savory. Popular dishes include steamed shrimp dumplings (har qau) and steamed pork dumplings (siu mai). If you are adventuresome, or traditional like my grandma, you can try more exotic dishes including chicken feet or snails. The meal finishes with a touch of desert including custard tarts or sponge cake.

My next dim sum encounter will not be until I visit Chinatown in California this upcoming December. Until then I guess I will have to settle for traditional American brunch.

Lai-See

With my birthday looming around the corner, September 13 to be exact, I can only reflect upon the times when my Chinese family would give me little red envelopes for special occasions.

These small envelopes adorned with Chinese script and pictures hold a great history behind them and are frequently used during special occasions. I always remembered looking forward to them for the mere pleasure of getting free money. Often times I would be presented this gift just for visiting my relatives in California, but I was also presented red envelopes during my birthday, Christmas and Chinese New Year.

Known officially as Lai-See envelopes, children were given these envelopes on New Years Day. Good luck money was tucked inside these envelopes, appropriate because in China the color red represents good luck. Combined the colors red and gold represent wealth, popular colors during Chinese New Year. It is believed good luck will come to both the giver and receiver of these tiny envelopes. I always found them to be lucky, especially as a child who receives a minimal allowance. Though maybe I was just lucky because I could eat my fill of authentic Chinese food at lavish family dinners were I would receive this gift.

While I may not see Lai-See envelopes as frequently anymore, the next large occasion people customarily give and receive red envelopes is during a wedding. The western idea of receiving large gifts from a registry list is virtually unknown in China, so money wrapped in red envelopes is more customary. Is a wedding in my near future? Let's just say when the times comes I will be looking forward to pushing the red envelope.

Chinese Fascination

I think the first time I ever recall learning about Americans adopting Chinese children I was 12 years old. Family friends had recently adopted a young girl around two years old and asked me to babysit her. She was named Stephanie, and from that pivotal point of seventh grade money-making on, I was fascinated with young Asian children adopted by Caucasians.

I will admit being half-Chinese may have added to the initial fascination of Chinese children. Growing up with my mom's entire family 100 percent Chinese, I was continually immersed in the Chinatown culture found in southern California. Walking into a restaurant where 90 percent of the patrons and 100 percent of the waitstaff were Chinese, I had no other option than to acclimate myself to the Chinese culture in efforts to fit in.

Menus were scribed in half Chinese and half English, and my Chinese grandparents would order food speaking their native language I knew virtually nothing about. Young children would bang chopsticks on white plates, and most all of these children were of Chinese descent. Even I was once a child eagerly grasping my chopsticks in an effort to shovel chow mein into my mouth.

This Chinese upbringing may have dwindled somewhat when I moved to Colorado, but nonetheless it was still prevalent during yearly trips to Southern California. My exposure to Chinese children continued when my aunt married a Chinese man and they bore two beautiful boys, now 7 and 10.

When I learned of Americans adopting children from China, primarily girls (approximately 95 percent- courtesy of Great Wall China Adoption), I was led to a deeper fascination of the opportunity at life these children are given. I would love to give a young Chinese child the opportunity at life, while continuing to strengthen mine and their cultural background.

Introduction

Some of you may be curious as to where the name Mulen comes from considering my name is Melanie. Mulen was the Chinese name my great grandmother gave to me when I was born. In fact, many times my grandmother will only call me by my Chinese name. Mulen...it has a nice ring to it.

I am in my final year at Colorado State University pursuing a degree in Technical Journalism concentrating in Public Relations and a minor in Business Administration. In the summer of 2006 I was an intern at Focus on the Family in Colorado Springs, Colo., in the Global Product Development Department, offering me the opportunity to write press releases for upcoming products as well as compile reports for current book authors. I am also the former Panhellenic President at Colorado State University, the largest women's organization on campus. This position enabled me to have articles written and published for The Collegian as well as College Ave.

Born in La Mirada, Calif., a suburb of Los Angeles, I grew up a California girl until the age of six, then my entire family moved to Colorado Springs, Colo. I resided in Colorado Springs until I came to Fort Collins to attend school. However, from January-August 2007 I was given the unique opportunity to move to Orlando and participate in the Walt Disney World College Program.

While on the topic of Disney, I will admit I grew up with and always will be a Disney theme park fanatic. I had the opportunity to be an entertainer for Walt Disney World, and while I will preserve the magic and not tell you what my role was, I will give you a hint...I am a HUGE Disney Princess fanatic. Living in Florida and creating the magic for guests around the world every day was a once in a lifetime opportunity I will never forget and will cherish forever. Still a seasonal cast member with the company, I am hoping to continue to work at Walt Disney World during the holiday season. I know working for Disney made my dreams come true, and I want to continue to make memories for people that will last them a lifetime.

With graduation looming in just nine short months, I reflect on how college has shaped who I am today. I am an active member of Pi Beta Phi sorority, which is how I became the Panhellenic President. Through this experience I now have sparked an interest in Student Affairs as a profession. Graduate school may be in the future ahead... The REC Center has become my second home, but mostly because I am an avid baker and can hardly resist frequent visits to Cold Stone Creamery! I always wanted to attend culinary school growing up, in fact I was often nicknamed Betty Crocker and Martha Stewart, but I find baking my hobby, not my profession. I find joy in the simple pleasures of life, and I know every person I have encountered in the past three years of college has helped shape me into the person I am today.

I am looking forward to my last year of college...the memories, the mistakes, the growth, and of course, the job searching. These are all areas to look forward to as I embark on a great future ahead!