MLS Students Bring Home Top Awards
The 3rd Overseas Chinese Youth Creative Composition Competition was held as scheduled in December 2020. Forty-one countries participated in this competition. It was organized by Overseas Chinese Language & Culture Education which is sponsored by the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council. There were 5 MLS students who participated in this writing competition. They won the grand prize and 4 first place prizes on behalf of our school.
Grand Prize: Xiaoying Wang
First Prize: Jiaorong He
First Prize: Zijian Huang
First Prize: Josephine Lau
First Prize: Jianrong Li
Where is my home? As many of us who immigrated to a new country when we were at a young age, we not only fall in love with the new place where we live, but we also often miss our hometown, the place that gave us life.
The following is a summary of the grand prize essay which is, “My Home, My Hometown.”
Whenever we return to our hometown, we experience its changes, try a variety of local delicious foods and visit family and childhood friends. In doing this we unknowingly increase the yearning for our hometown.
From this essay, we can see how the author misses her hometown but loves her new home. Her ambition is to become a bridge between Chinese and American cultures and a bridge of friendship between China and the United States.
家與家鄉
夏威夷明倫中文學校
王曉穎
我是一個生在中國廣東，而在夏威夷長大生活的孩子。當我很小的時候，我就跟隨著爸爸媽媽一起移民來到了夏威夷。在我的成長的過程中，聽到爸爸媽媽以及周圍的親戚朋友討論在中國和美國生活有什麼不同。他們討論對比美國生活和中國生活的不同，也經常聽到父母討論一個核心的問題——哪兒才是家？如果這個問題你來問我的話，我會毫不思索地回答——中國的廣東和美國夏威夷都是我的家。但是我只有一個家鄉，那就是中國的廣東中山！家鄉是一個讓人充滿所有美好想像的地方，同時也是一個讓我永遠眷戀的地方。
我在夏威夷生活了十多年，從我記事開始，我就生活在這裡。雖然對夏威夷的一切，這裡的生活都已經太過熟悉，但是我仍然很喜歡這個美麗的地方。我在夏威夷的生活十分簡單：我在夏威夷上學，說著流利的英語，每天的生活基本就是家和學校兩點一線。週末的時候我會去中文學校學習中文，所以我也可以流利地用普通話和粵語和別人交流。偶爾和朋友出去逛街買東西。在夏威夷的生活用一句話可以概括：平平淡淡就是幸福！平淡、安適、規律、和諧是在夏威夷生活的主旋律，我想這就是“家”的感覺吧！不過，在生活中如果只是平淡無奇，就好像再美味的食材如果缺少調味也會讓人覺得單調。生活中需要酸甜苦辣鹹的調味，有了這些味道，生活就有了樂趣。每次回中國，每次回到我的家鄉, 就能從中體會各種滋味，讓我一生難忘。
跟隨父母來夏威夷生活得十來年，我回過幾次中國。每次回去都會讓你對“背井離鄉”四個字有更深刻的認識。也會對唐代詩人賀知章寫《回鄉偶書》的心情感同身受。每次回到家鄉就能感受到大大小小的變化！同時，當我要離開的時候，自己也已經在不知不覺中被家鄉所改變。每次回相隔千里的中國，十幾個小時的飛行都讓我感覺非常勞累。但是只要一回到我那可愛的家鄉，就能忘記旅途的疲憊，讓我很快就想要投入到家鄉的生活去。中國許多好吃的好玩的，每次回去我都到處去吃在夏威夷吃不到的食物：新鮮的生猛海鮮、著名的石岐乳鴿、正宗的廣式早茶以及各種特色小吃……想到這裡我的口水就不自覺地流了出來。
每次我都是暑假的時候才能回中國，對我來說唯一讓我需要去適應的就是氣候。廣東炎熱的夏天對比夏威夷涼爽的天氣，這著實是對我的一大考驗。那種炙烤或者悶熱的天氣讓人絲毫不想踏出空調房半步。但是，只要親戚提到要去哪裡玩，我會毫不猶豫地快速整裝待發。我每次回去都要去附近城市的著名遊樂場玩一玩。這也是我每次回中國的保留節目。雖然我每次去遊樂場都被太陽曬到滿臉通紅、渾身濕透。可是我開心的吶喊聲、爽朗的笑聲都停留在遊樂場裡，迴盪在我的腦海裡。
每次回國探親遊玩的日子都過的特別快，感覺沒過幾天就要打包行李準備回夏威夷了。這個時候，心裡難免會有一些傷感和不捨。我只能默默地將心愛的紀念品和滿滿的幸福回憶裝進我的行李箱。當我坐上回夏威夷的飛機時，那一刻，那一秒，我的思念便已經開始了。我不捨故鄉的親人、美麗的風景、中國的美食……更懷念在那片故土我所度過的美好時光！
回到夏威夷，我的生活又恢復了往日的平淡。也讓我冷靜地對美國的生活和中國家鄉的生活進行了思考。在夏威夷你能非常容易的捕捉到中國文化的影子——隨處可見的華人，遍地開花的中餐廳，唐人街各種賣中國商品的店鋪……最重要的是，你也能很容易的找到像我一樣既可以說著流利的英文又可以說著流利中文的青少年。我們一直堅持學習中文，一直堅持學習中國的文化，中美兩國的文化在我們的身上碰撞、融合。我要立志成為中美文化交流的橋樑，更是中美兩國友誼的橋樑！
中國廣東——一個讓我無時無刻思念的地方；一個讓我魂牽夢縈的地方；一個被我稱為家鄉和家的地方。
Here are the other winning essays:
| "A Letter to Myself" by Jiaorong He |
| "Homesickness" by Zijian Huang |
| "Depression" by Josephine Lau |
| "Mother Earth is Hurt" by Jianrong Li |
Mun Lun School Alumni and Friends
Fundraiser Benefit
On Sunday, November 1, 2020, Mun Lun School Alumni and Friends held its first fundraiser benefit Box Lunch event.
The event was to help defray the cost of recent improvements at our school that included complete interior painting of all classrooms and hallways, thorough cleaning and waxing of the floors and bathrooms, installation of a new P.A. system, repairing of our roof ventilator and gutters, and upgrading to an LED lighting system, etc.
Committee Members included: Maylani Chang, Chair; Lana Au, Record Keeper for Sales and Donations;
Velma Akinaka, Secretary; and Cheryl Kong, Master Baker.
Our Specialty Bakers and Fryers included Cy Feng and Mom for Chinese Pretzels, Wil Chee and Assistant Queenie for Shrimp Chips, Linda Fong for Mango Breads, Florence Au for Gao, Lana Au for Honey Granola Breads, and Cheryl Kong for her Custard Pies and Banana Breads.
Our Event workers on that day, included Directors Velma Akinaka, Cheryl Kong, Luane Fong, Cy Feng, Wesley & Linda Fong, Gordon & Lana Au, Baldwin & Florence Au and teacher Xin Fang Zhou.
Our Indispensable Runners to the waiting cars were Jay Chang, Directors Donna Chang & Maylani Chang, Alumnus Dennis Young, Principal Lily Shan, and teachers Ping Wang & Mei Rong Du.
A total of 255 Box Lunches (Faan Hap), 17 Handmade Custard Pies, 19 Banana Breads, 27 Mango Breads, 23 Honey Granola Breads, 28 Bags of Shrimp Chips, 25 Bags of Chinese Pretzels, and 20 Mini Gao were sold.
All of these volunteers helped to make this event a huge success. It was truly a team effort in every sense of the word.
Submitted by Maylani Chang,
Benefit Box Lunch Chair
Alumni and Friends,
We wish you all well as we safely stay at home during this unprecedented time, and navigate through this COVID-19 pandemic.
As we are into a few weeks of our online learning, Principal Shan has provided us some clips of video that we would like to share. The students have adjusted well and we continue to look for ways to keep learning fun and interactive. We are proud of our Principal and teachers for their diligence and continued efforts in providing quality education to our students during this time.
We are also sharing some photos of the children performing at Kahala Mall and Ala Moana Center events in celebration of the Chinese New Year.
Stay healthy and heart strong, as we all get through this together!
Mo Hock Ke Lock Bo Board of Directors
Internationally acclaimed tenor Jim Price at Mun Lun School performing his rendition of "The Moon Represents My Heart" (月亮代表我的心)
More photos of "Hawaii Spring Festival Gala Concert" visitors to Mun Lun School
Principal Lily Shan holding team-building event with faculty and directors
