Your Language Connection:

Posts Tagged “family”

First Friday for Families: Celebrate Black History Month

Monday, January 31st, 2011

Please join the Lancaster Public Library for an exciting First Friday event featuring artists Bill Hutson and Bardie Keith.

Friday, February 4 · 5:30pm – 8:00pm

2nd Floor Gallery, Lancaster Public Library
Prominent artist Bill Hutson will be featured in February at Lancaster Public Library. Bill states that in his abstract paintings “nature, sky, and indirect memory are the points of departure.”

Bill has traveled extensively abroad and in the United States for work, research, and exhibitions. He has taught in numerous institutions including The University of Paris-Sorbonne, Nouvelle École Nationale d’Art et Manufacture (Gabon), Hunter College, the Johns Hopkins University, The Ohio State University, and the National Museum of Art (Lagos, Nigeria).

During the past 30 years solo exhibitions of Hutson’s art have been presented in more than 20 museums and galleries and in over 50 juried shows. Abstract paintings and painted objects by Bill Hutson are in many private and public collections including The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture/The New York Public Library, the Brandywine Graphic Art Workshop the Arco Collection in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the Studio Museum in Harlem, and the Boysmans-Van Beuningen Museum in Rotterdam, Holland. Bill Hutson lives and works in Lancaster, Pennsylvania where he is the Cook Distinguished Artist-in-Residence, Emeritus(Art and History), at Franklin and Marshall College.

Bardie Keith is an African-American artist, Lancaster native, and McCaskey graduate who after taking an art course at Millersville in 1978 found her calling and has not stopped creating since. She is a mixed media artist. She uses her art as a bridge to build community and raise consciousness of the oneness of our being.

The opening for the exhibit will be Friday, February 4th from 5:30-8 pm. There will be refreshments, activities for children, music with the F&M African-American Drumming Club, and and art activities with members of the Black Student Union of F&M College


5 Diverse Ways to Celebrate this Holiday Season

Thursday, December 2nd, 2010

There are so many activities during this busy time of year and it can be difficult to choose because our lives are so busy. Your Language Connection (YLC) encourages people to try at least one new food, activity or tradition this holiday season. Celebrate the season with someone from a different culture, learn a new language or eat out at a local ethnic restaurant. There are so many ways to expand your cultural knowledge and embrace the diverse community we have here in Lancaster.

Here are our Top 5 Picks for this holiday season!

1. Eat out at one of the many cultural restaurants that are owned and operated by families from other cultures. We have authentic Columbian, Peruvian, Ethiopian, Mexican, Dominican and Puerto Rican restaurants within minutes of our homes. You can have a freshly cooked, delicious meal in a friendly atmosphere for a very affordable price. Be brave and try something new!

2. Attend a cultural workshop offered by teachers and translators of YLC. Celebrate the Vietnamese New Year, play an Ethiopian children’s game, enjoy a meal from the Philippines, or find out more about southern France. You and your family can learn more about the different cultures right here in our own neighborhoods. YLC is offering a variety of  90 minute cultural workshops for all ages.

3. Register for a language class this winter. If you have always wanted to learn a new language or brush up on one you previously learned, now is the time. Tomorrow never comes, so you need to do it today! Learning another language opens up new doors, in business, travel and personal lives. Treat a family member to this unique, fun and educational experience. We have classes for all ages and levels! A language class is the perfect gift for children who do not need more toys and for those adults who are lifelong learners. Register by December 1st to get a $15 discount.  

4. Attend a cultural activity hosted by a church or organization. There are many opportunities for cultural experiences and YLC posts many of these activities on our Blog. There is a Holiday Spanish Dance being held at the Marriott to benefit the Latino Scholarship Fund. The Jewish Community Center has a special Hanukkah celebration that welcomes everyone. There are German and  Italian clubs that provide cultural activities. Kids & Cultures is a non-profit organization that offers activities in local libraries and assemblies for schools. The Red Rose Foundation hosts Turkish Teas regularly. And our very own Taeko Bronner, Japanese teacher, hosts an international dinner weekly. Try a new activity soon!

5. Host an exchange student for a weekend or month. Your family can become a short term respite family for foreign exchange students. Many times the Host families need to go away for personal business or family emergencies and can not take their student along. Families are needed to host these students for a short stay. It is a small commitment with a big payoff. Your family will develop friendships that can last a lifetime and learning about their country and lifestyle will impact your lives in more ways than you realize.

Take some time this holiday season to learn about traditions and celebrations different than your own. You might discover a new way to celebrate!


Expand Your Cultural Knowledge

Tuesday, November 23rd, 2010

90 Minute Workshops or a Meal

Activities for ALL Ages – Sign up for one or sign up for all of them!

 International – Fun with Cultures               November 29th, 6:30 pm or December 13th, 6:30pm         

 Cultures are fascinating to nearly anyone, and sometimes a bit frustrating when different from our own.  Whether it’s a New Yorker being too direct in Lancaster or an Asian not direct enough, we don’t even realize some aspects of our culture until we come across other ways of looking at things.  In this workshop, we’ll explore cultures of the world through stories, looking at ways cultures differ, and seeing other viewpoints visually.  We’ll also talk about how to help cultural adjustment, yet keep one’s grounding in vital areas without offending others.  Your tour guides will be Scott Bronner, teacher of English as a Second Language at HACC-Lancaster and for 12 years in Japan, and Taeko Bronner, his wife who teaches Japanese through Your Language Connection.  They host a weekly Friday International Gathering that gives plenty of interaction with cultures of the world.  This workshop will be adjusted to the age and experience of those who participate. ($10/adults, $5/children)

 Philippines – Taste the Unexpected!                                                            December 6th, 6:00 pm

 Learn more about the foods and mealtime culture, while enjoying a complete meal prepared especially for you by chef Gayda, a native of the Philippines. She specializes in Asian cuisine, (Thai, Chinese, Filipino, Indian and Japanese), healthy cooking (organic, use of wholegrain ingredients, etc., vegetarian cooking, across all cuisines), and baking. ($15/adults, $10/Youth, $5/children under 8)

France – The Secrets We Don’t Know!                                          December 8th, 3:00 pm & 6:30pm

 Discover French Christmas customs and particularly Christmas in Provence, the French Riviera.  Food specialties, crafts and traditions from the south of France will no longer be a secret!  Please join Florence, one of YLC’s French teachers and a native of France, for a fun and unique Culture workshop. ($10/adults, $5/children)

Vietnam – The Dance of the Dragon                                                          December 8th & 9th, 6:00 pm

 Come experience and learn with your children the unique and beautiful culture of Vietnam. Learn how children celebrate the New Year. Come taste the different foods that Vietnamese children get to eat during New Year’s week. Laugh and have fun with your children while they try on the dragon costume and learn the dragon dance. 

Ethiopia – The Culture Exposed!                                                                December 29th, 10:00 am

Learn more about Ethiopia’s history, clothing, food, drinks, crafts, music and games. Ethiopian culture has so much more to offer than what you see on TV. Sample Engera (a soft bread), celebrate Timket (a major holiday), make a craft, play a game and find out what you should wear to a wedding. Almaz has a special way of sharing what so many people do not know about Ethiopia. ($10/adults, $5/children)

Sign up for these workshops TODAY! Contact Michelle Salinas at michelle@yourlanguageconnection.com or 717-371-9144

Would you be interested in others? If so, what countries?


Are You Keeping Traditions Alive?

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

Easter Bread Recipe

Ingredients:

4 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided, plus more as needed
3 tablespoons sugar, divided
2 packages rapid rise yeast
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup very warm water (120 to 130 degrees F)
1/3 cup butter or margarine — softened
4 eggs, 1 divided

Directions:

In large bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, undissolved yeast and salt. Add very warm water and butter; blend well. Stir in 3 eggs, 1 egg yolk (reserve egg white) and enough remaining flour to make soft dough. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 6 to 8 minutes. Cover; let rest on floured surface 10 minutes.

Divide dough into two equal pieces. Reserve one piece. Divide remaining dough into three equal pieces; roll to 12-inch ropes. Place ropes on greased baking sheet; braid. Pinch ends to seal. Repeat with remaining dough. Cover; let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 30 to 45 minutes.

Lightly beat reserved egg white, brush on loaves. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.

Bake at 400degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes or until done; switch positions of sheets in oven halfway through baking time. Cover with foil if needed during last 5 minutes to prevent excess browning. Remove from sheets; cool on wire racks.

This recipe from CDKitchen for Braided Easter Bread serves/makes 24