A Field Trip to China Town

On Friday, Sept. 30, Kinkaid’s Chinese teacher, Mrs. Paula Lin, took her Chinese III class to explore Houston’s magnificent Chinatown district. Students were given a few hours to run about Chinatown trying new flavors, cuisines, and seeing firsthand the beauty of Chinese culture, lifestyle and consumer products. Many of the students began their time in Chinatown by treating themselves to a traditional Chinese massage at a renowned Chinese spa. From there, students walked the aisles and made snack purchases at Great Wall Market, which specializes in Chinese goods and items from other Asian countries. Walking the produce and other product aisles offered a chance for Mrs. Lin’s students to see foreign ingredients and groceries. Next door, students ordered authentic boba (black tapioca pearl) teas. One of Mrs. Lin’s students, Madison Price, said “this is so much cheaper than Starbucks, and is honestly so much better!” After enjoying a refreshment, students scattered to eat lunch at different restaurants.  

Based on their reports, the overall favorite was Fufu cafe. Some favorite dishes at Fufu were, Sizzlin beef, orange chicken, fried rice, and steamed pancakes. Other students enjoyed lunch at Bao Shi Yi, where their favorites were the pork baozi (steamed pork buns), soup dumplings, and the “Chinese doughnut.” Students raved about both places, and everyone said they ate much more than probably should have. Students ended their adventure at Nu Ice, a Chinese-style shaved iced place. Some made the mistake of ordering the “mountain” instead of the “hill” sized shaved ice, and realized this mistake when they were served a multi pound plate of delicious shaved ice. Overall, students were so thankful and appreciative of this amazing experience organized for them by Mrs. Lin. Students are fortunate to have a unique bond with Mrs. Lin, as she is the only Mandarin teacher at Kinkaid, meaning that students who choose to study Chinese have the opportunity to learn from Mrs. Lin as their teacher throughout all four years of high school. She is an amazing teacher, who always makes her class interesting and engaging for all of her students!  There can be no better example than the students’ memorable adventure to Houston’s Chinatown district.