The Chinese have long had an appreciation for nature and flower arranging has been considered an art form for centuries. Mom and I had the pleasure of attending a course in this ancient practice during her visit to Shanghai. The day’s lesson focused on the construction of a “bird’s nest” base for an arrangement of […]
Expat Life
A Tough Knot to Crack: The Art of Chinese Knotting
Today I attended a class where I learned how to make jewelry utilizing the ancient Chinese art of knotting. There are different types of knots and many are named after what the shape resembles, such as butterfly and flower. Today’s lesson focused on a double snake knot where two coils are intertwined. Our instructor, who […]
Learning to Make Dumplings in Shanghai
I recently attended a cooking class at Shanghai’s Chinese Cooking Workshop, which has been teaching expats to cook since 2003. The nondescript entrance, on Dongping Lu, would be easy to miss without knowing what to look for. Our class was held in a glass-enclosed room in the courtyard, hidden behind the thick stone walls. The […]