Originally posted in
South Brunswick Post on Thursday, February 10, 2011
By Mary Brienza, Staff Writer

More than 300 people helped welcome the Chinese New Year’s and the Year of the Rabbit Saturday afternoon at the South Brunswick Public Library on Kingston Lane despite steady rain and a threat of snow.

The annual event, sponsored by the Chinese Heritage School of New Jersey, was held at 1 p.m. in the Octagon and main-meeting rooms Saturday.

Susanna Chan, the children’s section librarian who has worked for the library since 2004, said the celebration has been held there for several years but was scaled back this year because of ongoing renovations to the library and a lack of parking due to the snow.

The school operates at Crossroads South Middle School on Major Road on Saturdays and teaches Chinese culture and language to students and welcomes all who would like to attend classes, no matter what their nationality, said Catherine Lam, head teacher of the Chinese Heritage School.

The non-profit school is 11 years old and currently has 170 students enrolled, Ms. Lam said. Students performed a ribbon dance at the event, Ms. Lam said.

Kaelyn MacKay, 3, attended the event with her mother, Hong Lim, 33, of Westfield, and grandmother, Nancy MacKay, 63, of Franklin.

Kaelyn was very excited about the rabbit she made as part of the crafts offered and went with her mom and grandmother to participate in more craft activities and games after watching students performing the ribbon dance.

Ms. Lim said, “It’s really important for her to know her culture.”

Ms. MacKay said she enjoyed the event and came to “celebrate with my daughter-in-law and grandchild.”

The Chinese New Year event is a popular event, and usually draws 300 to 400 attendees, Chris Carbone, director of the South Brunswick Public Library, said.

The activities offered at the event included a game where the participants pick up marbles with chop sticks, rabbit origami, Chinese calligraphy, thumbprint painting, a Chinese fan craft, a Chinese lantern craft, making a rabbit scroll, a tissue paper peony craft, and a “where’s the rabbit” game where participants guessed which cup the toy rabbit was under.

Laura Falcone, 80, of Kendall Park, and Elaine Tarnofsky, 67, of Kendall Park attended the event and participated in the crafts.

“It was delightful,” Ms. Falcone said. “Making the crafts were so much fun.”

“Everyone was so welcoming to us,” Ms. Tarnofsky said, adding that they were among the few participants who did not attend with children.（本版只有英文版本） Originally posted in
South Brunswick Post on Thursday, February 10, 2011
By Mary Brienza, Staff Writer

More than 300 people helped welcome the Chinese New Year’s and the Year of the Rabbit Saturday afternoon at the South Brunswick Public Library on Kingston Lane despite steady rain and a threat of snow.

The annual event, sponsored by the Chinese Heritage School of New Jersey, was held at 1 p.m. in the Octagon and main-meeting rooms Saturday.

Susanna Chan, the children’s section librarian who has worked for the library since 2004, said the celebration has been held there for several years but was scaled back this year because of ongoing renovations to the library and a lack of parking due to the snow.

The school operates at Crossroads South Middle School on Major Road on Saturdays and teaches Chinese culture and language to students and welcomes all who would like to attend classes, no matter what their nationality, said Catherine Lam, head teacher of the Chinese Heritage School.

The non-profit school is 11 years old and currently has 170 students enrolled, Ms. Lam said. Students performed a ribbon dance at the event, Ms. Lam said.

Kaelyn MacKay, 3, attended the event with her mother, Hong Lim, 33, of Westfield, and grandmother, Nancy MacKay, 63, of Franklin.

Kaelyn was very excited about the rabbit she made as part of the crafts offered and went with her mom and grandmother to participate in more craft activities and games after watching students performing the ribbon dance.

Ms. Lim said, “It’s really important for her to know her culture.”

Ms. MacKay said she enjoyed the event and came to “celebrate with my daughter-in-law and grandchild.”

The Chinese New Year event is a popular event, and usually draws 300 to 400 attendees, Chris Carbone, director of the South Brunswick Public Library, said.

The activities offered at the event included a game where the participants pick up marbles with chop sticks, rabbit origami, Chinese calligraphy, thumbprint painting, a Chinese fan craft, a Chinese lantern craft, making a rabbit scroll, a tissue paper peony craft, and a “where’s the rabbit” game where participants guessed which cup the toy rabbit was under.

Laura Falcone, 80, of Kendall Park, and Elaine Tarnofsky, 67, of Kendall Park attended the event and participated in the crafts.

“It was delightful,” Ms. Falcone said. “Making the crafts were so much fun.”

“Everyone was so welcoming to us,” Ms. Tarnofsky said, adding that they were among the few participants who did not attend with children.