July 14, 2012- 再见！

After a memorable and wonderful three weeks, we are all unwilling to part with the students that we grew to love and care about.  However, after seeing their hard work, dedication, and interest in all aspects of their studies, we are happy to see every one of them certified by the Startalk Program after their pursuit of the Chinese language.

To the parents, we wish that you continue to support and encourage your children in their pursuit of education, whether that be the Chinese language or history or the arts.  To the VCU students, we wish that you remember the enthusiasm and dedication you had during your short three weeks of study, and to apply this attitude to all the things you pursue.

We give you a final thanks of appreciation for making it as memorable for us, the staff, as it seemed to be for you, the students.  祝贺你们！以后再见！

July 13- Gala

Tonight we had our much anticipated Chinese Gala, where our amazing students flaunted their wide-ranging talents. We had singing (in Chinese of course), shuttlecock, Chinese tongue twisters, Gongfu, fan dancing and much much more! We are so proud of our students! :)

July 13, 2012- Antique Store

Yesterday we went to a Chinese antique store called "Three Swallows" to give the students the experience of seeing old Chinese art, and also giving them the chance to haggle a little bit for the true Chinese experience. Some students came away with bracelets and other small trinkets, while others (like this broke TA) left with heavy statues and empty wallets.

July 12, 2012- Stamp Carving

Yesterday, our students learned how to make the traditional and ancient Chinese seals commonly used in lieu of signatures in China up until recently. They watched a detailed video and then launched themselves into making their very own seals featuring their Chinese names. Once each student finished, they used their seal to stamp a long sheet of paper. We now have a collection of the Chinese signatures of all our talented students.

July 11, 2012- International Market

Yesterday we had our international market, where we sold various crafts from the chinese culture: such as bubble tea, Chinese paper cut-outs, fried rice, calligraphy, Chinese knots, dumplings, and Chinese traditional painting.




We clearly and obviously won by collecting the most tickets from the other academies. The market was a fun experience where no one was allowed to speak any english at all, so there was much confusion amongst the excitement!
Our talented students worked so hard, that it was only natural for us to once again steal the show!

July 09, 2012

Last night we had a fabulous fashion show, where each student strutted down the catwalk and then explained their outfits using their new chinese vocabulary! We had some cross dressing, some traditional Chinese dress, and some just straight up baffling stuff.

 Today we had an acupuncture specialist come in and teach us about ancient Chinese medicine. After his presentation, he used the acupuncture techniques on the willing students and performed cupping on one very brave TA.

July 08, 2012

Yesterday was both a busy, yet extremely fun day for our students. After class, we went to Chipotle and had some relaxation/study time for the students to recuperate from the boiling outside heat. For dinner, we split into three groups to visit local Chinese families to have a traditional Chinese dinner and learn about Chinese courtesy. Each group learned how to make dumplings, right before devouring them!

After returning to the dorms, all the students put on their finest attire for the joint academy dance. There was music from all four of the countries and the students got to interact with each other in a more relaxed setting. 

July 06, 2012-A World Without Thieves

Last night, we watched a Chinese film called 天下无贼 "A World Without Thieves." It was a great movie about redemption, deception, innocence and second chances. Many students laughed (and even some cried!). We think one of the best ways of immersing oneself in Chinese language is through Chinese cinema, so every Friday, we have a Chinese movie night.

July 04, 2012-Olympics

WE WON THE OLYMPICS TODAY!!!! This was the third year in a row that the Chinese Academy brought home the trophy for 1st place. :) The students all worked so hard putting together the decorations, participating in the events, and cheering on their friends. Congratulations students of the Chinese Academy!

Included in the album below is some of the morning exercises photos and calligraphy work we did today.  The students learn so much every day!  

July 04, 2012-Olympics Footage

Here are some videos from the winning team of the 2012 Startalk Academy Olympics!

July 03, 2012

We have been so busy over the past week! Our students have been extremely busy immersing themselves not only in Chinese culture, but also in the challenging language. Besides having three class periods of intensive chinese learning everyday, they have been jumping head-on into some of the most traditional and fun Chinese cultural activities.

So far, the students have learned Gongfu, watched important and always funny clips from Journey to the West, learned Chinese knotting, practiced Chinese Paper Cutting, heard about Chinese Architecture, learned about the historical religions of China, and most recently, practiced Chinese Calligraphy!!! So much within such a short amount of time... all while enhancing their Chinese language skills. Our students are truly amazing.

Today is the most exciting day so far: we are having our Fourth of July Olympic games against the three other academies later tonight. Some of the activities will include ping-pong relays, mummy racing, chopstick/ jellybean races, and crab soccer. Right now the students are training for these arduous events and preparing themselves to look fiercely intimidating to the other academies. We have won two years in a row, and we intend to make this our third! 

July 01, 2012-Talent Show

Besides the normal school day, the Chinese Academy often plans exciting events for the students.  Yesterday evening, we held our annual talent show for the students, an ever-popular night that included singing, dancing, magic, and more!  Hosted by Nataliah Sam, Quinn Sheehy, and Courtney Taylor, the Chinese Academy clearly had some of the most unique and impressive performances we have seen.

See our performances at http://www.youtube.com/user/VCUStartalkChinese .  

June 30, 2012-Cultural Immersion Day

As part of their academic curriculum, students presented their own cultural research topics today.  Every year, the cultural presentation is one of the academic highlights of the program, with subjects ranging from poetry and traditional art to kite-making and Chinese knotting.  Students had the opportunity to visit other stations as well as explain their own research and knowledge regarding their own topics.

This year's topics included:
Traditional painting

Four Major Inventions

Poetry

Kite-Making

Chinese Knotting

Music

Cooking

Paper-Cutting

Calligraphy

Lanterns

June 27, 2012

It's only been a few days, but our new students have been settling in nicely!  Due to the classroom arrangements this year, we were unable to guarantee consistent rooms every day for classroom use.  However, the students happily decorated our rooms and brought a little bit of Chinese flavor to the traditional classroom environment.  

Our day also involved learning popular Chinese songs, as well as a presentation on the Journey to the West, one of China's most renowned fictional works.