Poem Workshop: Exploring Chinese Textures

Hello everyone,

Looking forward to seeing you in about an hour. Today we’ll dive into 《赠汪伦》 by Li Bai. We will concentrate on the Mandarin reading and understanding, and at the end enjoy a lighter appreciation of the Cantonese version for fun.

Plan for the session
• Quick warm-up on tones and key vocabulary
• Guided reading of the poem in Mandarin, with meaning and cultural notes
• Short appreciation of the Cantonese version to close
• Calligraphy practice in both hard pen and soft brush pens. I have brought supplies, feel free to use mine or bring your own
• A short demo on how people in ancient China wrote, with tips you can try on the spot

Small change
The 中国结 crafts segment is cancelled today, since I could not source the right materials in time. My apologies, and thank you for your understanding.

Theme
This poem is about deep friendship and parting. If you have a story about saying goodbye to a friend, or a time friendship surprised you, I would love to hear it during the sharing round.

Arrive a few minutes early if you can, settle in, and bring your curiosity. After the workshop, anyone who wishes can stay on for a drink.

See you very soon,
Jasmine