Chinese Alphabet

 

Today's Snack: In honor of the Chinese New Year - usually in January or February, so google for this year's date - it would be fun to make this kid-pleasing version of a Chinese dish:

 

1 lb. ground beef

1 small onion, chopped

1 C. uncooked instant rice

1 C. celery

½ C. soy sauce

1 (10¾-oz.) can chicken & rice soup

1 soup can of water

1 (12-oz.) can dry chow mein noodles

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown ground beef and onion in a frying pan. Drain off the fat - don't let it run down the sink, but into a can or foil to throw away. Mix in rice, celery, soy sauce, soup and water. Bake in a greased, 2-quart casserole for 40 minutes. Serve over chow mein noodles.

 

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Supplies:

Alphabet, below | calligraphy pen & ink, or tempera paint & sponge brush

Plain printer paper or rice paper | Colored pencils, crayons or markers

 

 

             It's amazing to see how different the alphabet is in English and in Chinese. Study these letters and sounds from a version of the phonetic, or sound-based, Chinese alphabet. Practice making the strokes on a piece of scratch paper. Does yours look somewhat like the example? It takes many years to be able to write words in Chinese so that they are clear and readable.

 

            Underneath the alphabet is the Chinese symbol for "tiger." Since 2010 is the Year of the Tiger (the Chinese New Year is Feb. 14), once you've had some practice, copy this symbol on a blank piece of paper, and then draw a picture of a tiger underneath it. Color with colored pencils, crayons or markers.

 

            Last, but not least, using a pencil, sign your name in Chinese characters!

 

 

 

 

 

Now here is the symbol for "tiger":

 

 

 

 

Here are some pictures of a tiger that might help you draw yours: