China Daily USA – HEZI JIANG
“”Don’t forget your belongings,” teacher Sun Yi warned in Mandarin. The dozen or so 5- to 7-year-old New Yorkers sitting on the floor didn’t seem to be paying much attention. “Shall we row a boat or get a cab?” she asked, again in Mandarin. No English is allowed in thise class. That question got the kids’ attention. “Zuo chuan! Zuo chuan!” the kids shouted, row a boat. “Chuzuche!” (a cab), yelled others. The group had toured Wong Tai Sin Temple the day before and this morning were heading to Lautan Island, the largest island in Hong Kong, to see the Tian Tan Buddha – all in their classroom on Manhattan’s Upper West Side…At Mandarin summer camp, finding the right engaging themes is critical…They decided on class adventures to the Mandarin-speaking world. With the teacher acting as a tour guide, the kids go on interactive journeys to six destinations in six weeks – Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Xi’an, Taiwan and Chengdu.”(more)