As an ambassador for the Taiwanese community it was my honor and privilege to attend the Lunar New Year performance at the Culture Center in Santa Ana. The showcase featured students from local Chinese schools throughout Orange County and as a Chinese school alumni, it held a special place in my heart to support the youth and arts.
The afternoon program was filled entertaining acts from various Chinese Schools including: Irvine Chinese School, Yulin Chinese School (in Fountain Valley), Fullerton Chinese School and the two emcees were current Chinese school students who blended English and Chinese seamlessly. I was incredibly impressed by their confidence and speech. Performances included a Chinese comedy act (definitely my favorite), several traditional Chinese folkloric dances, traditional Chinese instruments, martial arts demonstration, as well as classroom presentations. The children were adorable and I couldn’t be more proud of them.
Growing up I myself attended Chinese language school and while waking up early each Saturday morning to learn Mandarin wasn’t my first choice, I always loved starting the morning with the elective classes. I’d taken a wide range of courses including: calligraphy, Wushu, choir, among other visual and performing arts although I was most involved with the traditional Chinese folkloric dance program and actually went back to teach!
I also had the opportunity to reconnect with teachers and administrators from my former language school. Pictured above are two incredible women who are very active in the community. Thank you for dedicating so much of your time and energy in helping us to preserve our language and culture.
So much of culture stems from the arts, what form of expression is your favorite? Mine was dance!
XOXO,
Rockstar
Among the events I’ve attended I was incredibly impressed with the community involvement and the patriotism instilled by all the attendees and participants. It was quite a celebration and while I may need to apply more sunscreen in the future, it’s an honor to represent my home country at this annual gathering. We also all got to cool down with some shaved ice, condensed milk, and boba. Yum!
Local and regional government officials from California and Taiwan were present for this extravagant celebration. From the bouquets of flowers to the ice sculpture, the organizers went all out to make it a very snazzy event. Above we’re photographed with a former Taiwan official in front of one of the biggest cakes I’ve ever seen – and yes we did snag a bite at the end of the evening.
People from all walks of life were present for this event ranging from young high school students to elders who played an integral role in Taiwan politics. Also in attendance were members of the Taiwanese American Professional (TAP) organization as well as other Taiwanese related non profit organizations. It was a great night filled with people who love Taiwan and I was happy to enjoy the festivities in good company.
You may not recognize her name, but she’s a household name in the Taiwanese food community as she’s written countless cookbooks and partnered with movie director, Ang Lee on a number of his productions. She was his food stylist for the movie Eat Drink Man Woman and the catering director for Life of Pie. Now she travels the world and works with local restaurants in promoting Taiwanese cuisine.
I couldn’t really comprehend the idea of not having a plan and knowing my next steps, but I unwillingly trusted and went for the ride of my life – mind you I was TERRIFIED as I have always been a planner, but the next couple of months really showed me things that I could have never expected.
Insider Irene 
