Jesse & Kristen K

Amidst cancelled travelling plans and celebrations due to fears about the coronavirus, we were able to celebrate the Chinese New Year with many of our international friends at the IFC by making 'jao-tze' Chinese dumplings. The grandmother in the striped shirt was an expert dumpling maker, and taught us how to roll out the dough just right, and then stuff it with ground pork and vegetables before boiling them in water. It was a tremendous bonding experience and fun for everyone involved. 

Thanks to grandmother's instructions, I was able to go from clumsy dumpling maker to semi-proficient in a matter of 30 minutes! The hardest part is keeping the dough constantly circling while you roll it flat, and not allowing any folds to bunch up the dough. 

I have enjoyed teaching my 'Comparing World Religions' class at the IFC, and having many of these students, visiting scholars, and spouses of professors in my classes each week. Kristen and our daughters also have enjoyed teaching their 'Crafts, Cooking, and Conversation' class; but it is really strategic to get to engage our students outside of class as well, during fun cultural events like this one. Activities like this forge deep friendships, and bond us together across cultures in ways that mere academic pursuits cannot accomplish.