Adventures in Asia

Our geography adventures continue as we make our way through Galloping the Globe. After saying sayonara to Japan, we ventured to China and India where we discovered more fascinating facts about the Asian people and cultures.

China

Gung Hay Fat Choy! In February, we kicked off Chinese New Year by feasting on a dim sum lunch--little dumplings filled with meat, seafood and/or vegetables. Dessert comprised of sesame balls and custard tarts, followed by reading aloud Dim Sum for Everyone.



We encountered rich literature and interesting topics such as the Great Wall of China, Marco Polo, Missionaries Hudson Taylor and Gladys Aylward, Emperors, Pandas, and Chinese culture, history, language and food.

A handful of our favorite books:
Look What Came From China, by Miles Harvey
Ma Jiang and the Orange Ants, by Barbara Ann Porte
Pi Shu, by John Butler
Tikki Tikki Tembo, by Arlene Mosel

If you read the last book, be prepared to hear the relentless chanting of "Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo!"

The top prize for favorite book went to Granny Han's Breakfast, a true story of a missionary to China who experienced a miraculous answer to prayer. Jonathan was so enthralled with the book that he decided to read it again immediately after we finished it.


Engrossed in Granny Han's story.

India

We started our India unit by reading the biography of an Indian boy in Children Just Like Me, a popular book among the kids.

Our study focused on Indian culture and food, missionaries William Carey and Amy Carmichael and tigers. Highlights included The Story of Little Babaji by Helen Bannerman and Jungle Book (on audio) by Rudyard Kipling.

Never a family to miss an opportunity to cook (and eat!), we whipped up a batch of Chicken Curry with Zucchini. Neither complaints nor tummy aches erupted, so the recipe is a keeper.

Noticing the common thread of tea drinking in our Asian books, we decided to set out the teapot once again. I took out an assortment of herbal flavors to steep, and we sipped away merrily as we chatted about this, that and the other. Jonathan decided he liked elderberry tea; Elizabeth chose lemon ginger tea as her fave; and Daniel was an equal opportunity tea sipper--if you steeped it, he would drink it. With a grin.


Enjoying a cup of afternoon tea!

Asia presented a rich smorgasboard of wonderful books, and we were reluctant to leave the continent behind. But there are other lands to conquer, so we bid farewell to our Far Eastern friends as we made our way to our next stop: Egypt!

"Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, whose heart is set on pilgrimage." Psalm 84:5