A Look Into A Chinese Home

My home is special and unique to me; it is where I feel safe, secure, and loved. But my home is also special and unique to me because it is a Chinese home, where I am constantly reminded of an ancient culture that I am a part of. My home is different from the normal “Canadian home”. My home stands out with its imagery that reminds me of Chinese cultural roots. Everything that I see, smell, hear, touch, and taste allows me to experience an ancient culture that has continued nonstop for over 5000 years. Before I even step into the house, a distinctive upside-down Chinese character “福”pasted on the front door greets my eyes. Its scarlet red color instantly warms my whole body, but it is the meaning of the character that teaches me toappreciatemy life.The Chinese character “福”, pronounced “fu”, means blessing, but when it is hung upside-down, it adds another message to it; it signifies that “blessing has arrived”. The Chinese have been hanging “福” on their front doors for several thousand years. I really appreciate that my parents brought this tradition to Canada to remind me of my cultural heritage. No visitors can visit my home without tasting the delicious Chinese food, from snacks to delicious dishes.On the round tea-table, I can choose a variety of colour fully wrapped snacks served gracefully in Chinese lacquerware, candies, fresh and preserved fruits, watermelon seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and many more.When dinner is ready, the aroma of whatever dishes are served fills my nostrils and makes my mouth water. Dinner time, my parents prepare the authentic Chinese dishes that even the best Chinese restaurants in Toronto can’t match, steamed fish, braised pork and beef, salt and pepper shrimp, dumplings, spring rolls, and many more. I never get tired of eating them every day. One bite of sweet sticky rice lets me forget all the worries I experience outside home.When the soup dumpling bursts with flavour in my mouth, my whole body feels relaxed. The spring rolls, crunchy and soft at the same time, make my heart sing. Eating them makes me think of my parent’s homes in China. I especially love my home during holidays. Never failing to bring me so much happiness are sounds of adults talking in their native dialects about how long it was when they last saw each other, children screaming and having fun together, crackling of fire on the wood, the popping of firecrackers upin to the sky and going “BOOM! BOOM!”One of the favourite things for me to do is to listen to elders telling their stories from home when they were younger, the stories that were passed down from the elders generation after generation. As soon as I step into the backyard, I am surrounded by family members, all my siblings and cousins and family members, chatting and having fun. Then, without telling, the elders start giving us red pockets, printed on its cover “Happy Lunar New Year “in Chinese. Inside I see bills of $100 or $200! My home is what shapes me and what makes me happy and content. No matter where I am, my home will always be in my heart.