The Wangs consist of an ox, rat, dog and tiger.

Happy Chinese New Year!  It is the year of the snake!  Sounds as good as being born during the year of the rat.  The Wangs consist of an ox, rat, dog and tiger.  Ching feels that he exudes that ox-ly toughness...I just think of it more as stubbornness and just knocking everything over.  Laurel is a dog--very easy going, always a friend and looking to stay close.  Rachel is that tiger..cunning, tenacious, ready to pounce.  That would make yours truly, the rat...the person that tells all the Wang family secrets on a blog.  Yeah, that's about right.

Every year, I wish Ching a Happy New Year.  Not only for the wish, but I am letting him know that it is the New Year and he should probably call his family.  The first dinner that I shared with Ching's family was a New Year's dinner.  I was toasted and welcomed with champagne.  At the beginning of the toast, Ching assured his family there was "no (engagement) news" and they reminded Ching that it was New Year's and they weren't expecting news (yet).  Traditional dishes were made and for Ching, they made sure there was an American version of pork fried rice on the table too.  (Dude--Are you really Chinese or what?)

This time of year is just a sign that the only quality about Ching that is actually Chinese is his name.  Unlike his cousins, he can't read Chinese characters, his ability to speak the language is dreadfully slipping and our daughters do not have Chinese versions of their name.  Ching certainly doesn't shun being Chinese but he certainly doesn't embrace it (unless he is trying to describe a certain type of noodle that he wants in his wonton soup).  I don't understand this at all.  My background is too diverse to even focus on one culture.  Ching has just one with traditions, foods and learned language--like a pedigree.  I would want this to last for generations if I were him.

He will push Laurel with math and tennis but never had an interest for her to start Chinese classes. Maybe I could do this.  Putting Ni-Hao Kai-Lan aside, I could show her how to make beef and broccoli (the only Asian dish that I really know).  Perhaps I could tell her that serving a whole fish at New Year's dinner is a wish of prosperity in the new year for those who are being served.  I should look up how to write her name in Chinese characters.  Yeah...leave it to the white woman of the house to teach my girls Chinese.