Dumpling Days

by Grace Lin | Teens |
ISBN: 031612589X Global Overview for this book
Registered by wingAzukiwing of Miami, Florida USA on 4/22/2015
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2 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by wingAzukiwing from Miami, Florida USA on Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Found this book at Miami's library book sale. I love dumplings (and that includes ravioli too!) so I immediately pick it up.

Pacy Lin is ready for summer! But her parents have decided the family is going to visit Taiwan to celebrate grandma's birthday. Taiwan? Pacy isn't sure if she knows where that is. What's worse: while at school Pacy is teased for being Asian, here she looks like everybody else, but she's being teased for not being able to speak the language!

This book is somewhat biographical, taken from the author's first childhood visit, as well as subsequent ones, to Taiwan. Flipping through the pages, there are lots of cute illustrations, from the bamboo Chinese painting "Pacy" drew, the dim sum dishes she tried, the rice burger at McD, the ghost money for the ancestor to tourist sights such as the night market, Taipei 101... it seems like a fun travelog/self-discovery memoir of sorts, and a great introduction to Chinese/Taiwanese culture.

Journal Entry 2 by wingAzukiwing at Miami, Florida USA on Sunday, June 18, 2017
While the book is targeted for younger audience, I enjoyed the read quite a bit. In fact, some of the lessons Pacy learned during her trip, like enjoying the doing part of things rather than the win or loss in the end, are stuff that many adults haven't mastered.

Although I've never been to Taiwan, reading the book reminds me a lot of my trip to China: the glamor photo shots in period Chinese costumes, and how traffic lights are suggestions, not rules. Indeed, last year when my friends and I went to China, we stepped onto the street as the pedestrian light turned green, only to be nearly killed by cars. My Canadian friend yelled, hey you're suppposed to stop!! But we soon learned that it's not just one careless driver, and tried our best to run for our lives whenever we crossed a street.

No dumpling to accompany this book, but instead a package of Sichuan peppercorn, which was supposed to accompany the Shark Fin Soup book I sent a few years back. That book somehow got a detour along the way. The peppercorn was mentioned in that book and I thought it's fun to try, as unlike other peppercorn, it isn't just spicy, it numbs your mouth too (hence, mala - numbing spicy). Always wondered if the first person who tasted it thought he was poisoned.

Journal Entry 3 by Tsjara at Assendelft, Noord-Holland Netherlands on Sunday, September 10, 2017
Arrived here safely in the rainy Netherlands. This sounds like a fun book, especially as I have been to Taiwan a couple years ago. Thanks for all the lovely goodies you included too! I love the Moomin bookmark, and really curious about the peppercorn (though it sounds somewhat scary too).

Journal Entry 4 by Tsjara at Zaandam, Noord-Holland Netherlands on Sunday, April 12, 2020
I really enjoyed reading this and could very much relate to Pacy, wish I had read this when I was younger. It was fun to read about her experiences in Taiwan, a lot was familiar to me (such as the night markets) but there were also quite a few things I didn't know about. I also liked the drawings scattered throughout the book, it brings the story even more to life.

Thanks again for sharing Azuki! :)

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