【A Letter to Sister】
Dear sister:
Hello! Are you happy with learning? Mama said your grades of monthly exam came into the top twenty of the whole grade, congratulations on you!
I miss you very much. I've learned a lot today, I participated in Chinese and western parent-child activities for "family" festival organized by "Diandianjin" family Education Guidance Center, that is also to celebrate Father's Day and Dragon Boat Festival!
The activities are rich and colorful, including the origin of the holiday, parent-child activities, among which my favourite link is to wrap Zongzi with father! Let me introduce to you!
The materials needed to wrap Zongzi include Zongye, glutinous rice, egg yolk, and Ma Lianye which is used to bind the Zongzi.
After watching the teacher’s demonstration, I began to pack: first fold a long dark green leaf in the middle and crowd around it to shape a funnel-shaped cone, then put in the sticky rice, after the half of the rice was loaded, put in the stuffing which includes egg yolk and honey date, whichever you want is all delicious, not load the rice too much in case of leaking out and bad shaping, which is a secret I summarized!
Then nip the cut with the left hand, press the spare leaf to one side with the right hand, cover completely to prevent the rice leaking out, press on the root of the leaf with the thumb and roll several circles tightly around the Zongzi till one lap length of the leaf left, cushion in the middle of Zongzi with hand, put through the other end of the Mlianye from the middle and tie the two ends together!
Mother reminded me to cut the redundant reed leaves with a pair of scissors, a beautiful Zongzi was finished! I wrapped patiently, when some stuffing leaking out wrapped again, haha, more and more skilled, I felt it is fun! Dad said, now that learning it, we should learn well and hold on to the last, I wrapped the last Zongzi myself, and it is also my most successful works!
It's time to taste Zongzi! Mom's skill of wrapping Zongzi is so nice, what she wrapped is "Tiantong" Zongzi, with unique shape, just like sweet icecreams, very cute! Unwrapped the Zongye came out the white sticky rice and golden egg yolk, with delicious oil assailing the nostrils, eating with sugar, unparalleled tasty!
I will give these Zongzi wrapping by myself to you to share my workmanship! Also wish uncle and father have a happy holiday!
I like this activity, not only experienced Chinese traditional culture, but learned how to make Zongzi, also expressed my thanks and love to my dear dad! It was really "the flying fragrance of Zongye speaks Dragon Boat, Thanks to father's love makes feeling strong"!
Sister, I will teach you to pack dumplings when having time to make your cooking skill better and to relax your life !
I wish sister have a happy Dragon Boat festival! have an excellent health! Have another success!
Your lovely brother：Jed
June 17, 2012
【给姐姐的一封信】
亲爱的姐姐：
你好！学习开心吗？妈妈说，你的月考成绩进入全年级前二十名，祝贺你！
我很想你，今天我收获很多，因为我参加了中西合璧，情系“家”节亲子活动。就是同时庆祝父亲节和端午节！
活动丰富多彩，有节日来历、亲子活动，其中我最喜欢的环节就是和爸爸一起包粽子啦！听我给你介绍一下吧！
包粽子需要的材料有：粽叶、糯米、蛋黄、还有马莲叶，马莲叶用来捆粽子。
老师示范后，我就开始包：先把长长的墨绿色粽叶从中间折叠，围拢来，形成一个像漏斗似的圆锥形。再装上糯米，放一半米时可以放馅，馅有蛋黄的、蜜枣的，任你挑选，都很美味呢！ 糯米不要放得太满，否则会漏米，形状也不好看，这个小秘诀可是我总结的噢！
接着用左手把口捏住，右手把多余的粽叶往一侧按下去，盖严，防止米漏出去。然后我用大拇指把马莲叶的根部按住，在粽子上紧紧地绕几圈，还剩一圈长度的时候，就要用手在中间垫一下，把马莲叶的另一头从中间穿过来，两头一拉，就系好了！
妈妈提醒我用剪子把多余的粽叶剪下去，一个漂亮的粽子就完成啦！我耐心地包，有的散馅了，就重包，呵呵，我包的越来越熟练了，这个活也很有趣儿呢！爸爸说，既然学了就要学好、学会，我坚持到底，最后一个粽子是我独立包的，也是我最成功的作品!
该品尝粽子啦！妈妈包粽子的手艺可真好啊。她包的“甜筒”粽子，形状独特，就像甜美的冰激凌，可漂亮呢！剥开粽叶就是白白的糯米、金色的蛋黄，油香扑鼻！沾着白糖，美味无比！
我会把这些亲手包的粽子送给你们吃，分享我的手艺!也祝大舅父亲节日快乐！
我喜欢这次活动，既体验了中国传统文化，又学会了包粽子，还表达了我对亲爱的老爸的感谢和爱！真是“粽叶飘香话端午、感恩父爱情更浓”！
姐姐，有时间我会教你包粽子哦！让你的厨艺大增，让你的生活放松一下！
祝姐姐端午节快乐！身体健康倍棒！再创佳绩！
你亲爱的小弟：可乐818
2012年6月17日