ESL China Cafe in Second Life

On June 5, our China Cafe teacher, ling Markstein, brought us an interesting program about the “Dragon Boat Festival” or Duanwu.  A description of this event is as follows:

The Dragon Boat Festival, also called the Duanwu Festival, is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month according to the Chinese  lunar  calendar.  For thousands of years, the festival has been marked by eating zong zi (glutinous rice wrapped to form a pyramid using bamboo or reed leaves) and racing dragon boats. The festival is best known for its dragon-boat races, especially in the southern provinces where there are many rivers and lakes.  This regatta commemorates the death of Qu Yuan , an honest minister who is said to have committed suicide by drowning himself in a river.   Qu was a minister of the State of Chu situated in present-day Hunan and Hubei provinces, during the Warring States Period (475-221BC)

Read the complete lecture notecard at the Crane Hall Library in the China Cafe

On May 29, our Chinese teacher, ling Markstein, brought us information about traditional and modern Chinese wedding customs.  While there are various customs in China, she particularly highlighted those related to the approaches that the family of the groom uses to propose to a potential bride, the practice of analyzing birth dates of the bride and groom, the importance of gifts between the families, and the wedding itself.

On May 15, our teacher, ling Markstein, lectured from China about cuisine popular in Beijing.  This cuisine is also known at Mandarin style or literally “capital cuisine”.  She specifically talked about dishes such as Peking Duck, Hot Pot, Yanjing Beer (non-alcoholic), tea, tea egg, and crystal pork.  Lively discussion about these dishes followed.

On Friday, May 9, China Cafe instructor Ling Markstein continued her discussion of Chinese architecture from her location near Beijing, China.  She showed more examples of Chinese building in Second Life which corresponds to real life architectural features.  Attendees had the opportunity to ask questions and talk about other aspects of Chinese culture, as well. 

On Friday, May 2nd, the China Cafe welcomed its new teacher, Ling Markstein.  In her first lecture, she spoke about Chinese architecture in Second Life and in the real world, too.  She spoke about the Chinese philosopy of feng shui, which provides guidance about how to most effectively design interior and exterior spaces.  She also talked about various architectural features and use of color.  Attendees were also interested in some contemporary terms used to address younger women in China, so there was a side conversation on that topic.  We currently plan to meet each Friday at 5:30 pm SL to converse about various topics related to Chinese culture.

On Wednesday, February 6th, the China Cafe held its first annual Chinese New Years celebration.  The China Cafe was decorated in advance for this festive occasion.  A banquet table held various virtual treats, including dim sum, a fruit platter, and cake.  A welcome banner and flashing lights provided a decorative touch.  A fortune cookie dispenser added to the fun and a large Red Envelope offered token amounts of money to partygoers.  Small virtual rats darted around the floor reminding us that we were welcoming in the Year of the Rat.

The party opened with a short speech provided by head teacher GSM0002 Aabye who spoke to us from Shanghai about how the Chinese New Years is celebrated in China.  Later, we played a game of riddles.  Some shared their New Years resolutions.  An international host of celebrants came together for this joyous party!

On Sunday, Dec 16, the China Cafe held a lecture entitled “Christmas in America” followed by a Christmas party.  Guest lecturer Elaine Tulip, (in real life, Lisa Perez from Chicago), shared information about how Christmas is often celebrated in the United States.  She overviewed the religious significance of the holiday, secular celebrations related to Santa Claus, symbols of Christmas, the importance of Christmas trees, and how Americans often celebrate Christmas at parties with family and friends.  During the lecture, attendees received a notecard with free Christmas gifts, including a hat, Christmas tree, ornament, candy canes, and a wreath.  The lecture was followed by a Christmas party in which persons feasted on turkey, ham, egg nog, cookies, and Black Forest cake.

On Sunday, Dec 9, the China Cafe held a lecture about Chinese fashion.  Lecturer GSM0002 Aabye spoke to us from Shanghai about the origin of Chinese costume; Han clothing; silk, embroidery, and jade in fashion; and special costumes, such as those for the Peking Opera.  It was a great opportunity to learn more about more about clothing and Chinese culture.

In this week’s China Cafe lecture, students learned about the stories, customs, drinking etiquette, and culture surrounding the use of Chinese alcohol.  These customs emerged over the course of 5,000 years of cultural development.  We learned that, based on the sweetness, there are five classifications of Chinese alcohol – dried, semi-dried, semi-sweet, sweet, and heavily sweet.  We also learned that there are four general purposes to drink alcohol – to show esteem, for a memorial service, as a tasting event, and as drinking-up.  To see the full lecture information, visit the Crane Hall Library on the second floor of the China Cafe.  We ended the class with several discussion questions, in which students from around the world shared a bit about their drinking customs.  We also all received some virtual mao-tai, a famous Chinese alcoholic beverage.

Today, the ESL China Cafe had its third lecture about Chinese culture.  This lecture brought us information about eight regional Chinese cuisines that have been developed over the past 5,000 years.  We learned that there are three vital components to Chinese foods – color, aroma, and taste – all balanced to create many tasty dishes.  GSM then described in greater detail the foods of Beijing, Shanghai, and GuangZhou, as these are often port-of-entry cities for visitors.  Next, she shared specific information about the various types of tofu.  She closed with information about the symbolism behind some Chinese foods, such as honored guests may be served a snapper’s head or shell and that noodles are a sign of longevity, with it being considered bad luck to cut one.  Join us next Sunday at 6 asl for Pt. 2 of the Chinese Cuisine lecture.