On February 5th, St. Thomas students, joined by the Awty International School, took a field trip to Houston’s Chinatown for a day of educational enrichment, immersing themselves in Chinese and Taiwanese culture as the region celebrates Lunar New Year. The trip, led by Foreign Language Department Dean and Mandarin teacher Lorin Lee, has been a consistent favorite among her students.

“I would say Mrs. Lee’s Mandarin class was the best choice I made at St. Thomas,” senior Oliver Billings said. “Every year when people ask me my favorite class that I’m taking, I always mention Mandarin because it’s such a fun class and Mrs. Lee makes it so fun.”

The field trip began with a bus ride to the Culture Center of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office. There, students learned about traditional Taiwanese children’s toys and activities. The students played tangrams, learned a Taiwanese flag dance, and tried their hand at the Chinese yo-yo.

Following their lessons at the Culture Center, the students enjoyed an individual hot pot experience at Shabu Zone, located next to Hong Kong Food Market, where the students explored and shopped for Asian candies and other treats. While eating lunch, students got to talk about their experiences on the field trip so far.

“One of my favorite parts was going to lunch at the hot pot restaurant,” Billings said. “Hot pot is one of my favorite things to do and being able to eat hotpot with my friends was even more fun.”

Boba tea, a popular Taiwanese drink, awaited the students as they finished shopping and reboarded the bus to the True Buddha Society of Houston. There, the students wrapped up the day with a historical lesson on Buddhism, a few minutes of meditation, and a red envelope blessing to celebrate the Lunar New Year.

Upon their return to 4500 Memorial Drive, the students reflected on the day of experiencing Chinese and Taiwanese culture with their classmates. For some, this trip offers more than a meaningful cultural exploration; it is also an opportunity to bond with their Eagle brothers.

“I think the Mandarin trip isn’t just the activities we do, but also the people I get to do them with,” Billings said. “Some of these guys that went on the trip have been with me in Mrs. Lee’s Mandarin class since freshman year and I’m glad to have taken Mandarin with them.”