Self-introductions

[Julie Wakefield]

Good Day!!  My name is Julie Wakefield and I am in smoky northern Nevada. I am in my 25th year of teaching at McQueen High School. I always look forward to learning about new topics in depth and get ideas as to how I can use them in my classes. I teach AP Human Geography and World Regional Geography. I have never specifically implemented any lessons on food other than in passing...so I am looking forward to creating something!

[Bill Hilt]

Hello everyone--I'm Bill Hilt, and I love food.  I love to eat it, cook it, talk about it, and photograph it.  My kids call me the "food paparazzi" because I'm always taking photos of my food.  I teach 6th grade social studies in Northwest Ohio, and my students and I are always talking about food.  We have found it an exceptional way to discover much about cultures and people.  A few years ago we even did a whole PBL on pancackes.  I cannot easily express my enthusiasm for this class--I'm just that extatic.  I'm looking forward to learning much more.  I reall enjoy making raman and phō.

 

[Ping Pian]

Hi Everyone! My name is Ping Pian. I teach Chinese language at the University of Rochester. Besides language, food and film are my favorite subjects. I really think one can learn a lot through food - family, culture, people, history, etc. I love all kinds of food. I had the opportunity to go to Taiwan in 2019 and really enjoyed restaurants and night markets there. Great food! I have not yeet travled to Korea so I am really excited about this class, to learn more about the cuisine and the history. I love to try different food, learn to cook it, and try to make it use ingredients available locally. I guess that's my grandma's influence. We lived in northen part of China, her cooking was mainly southern style. And since she was in France for a few years and there was definitely western influence in her cooking. Anyway, I am looking forward to this class and learn from everyone.

[Ellen Davis]

Hello Ping Pian! I am originally from nearby Buffalo, and spend a lot of my summers travelling in or near Rochester! Please say hi to western New York for me!

[Cervantes Lee]

My name is Cervantes Lee at USC Education Doctoral program. I grew up in Taiwan and came to Los Angeles 13 years. I am involved in restaurant education program at UNLV Hospitality College. My favorite East Asia cuisine is Pork Chop rice from Taiwan, and Ramen Noodle from Japan. Food is an amazing way to connect with students and with adult friends too. From this course, I wish to be able to come up a thorough understanding of various East Asian food. Thank you. Best Regards, Cervantes Lee, at Los Angeles, [email protected] 

[Bin He]

Dear all, 大家好！It is a privilege to participate in the East Asian Foodways Across Borders continually. I'm so glad to meet you all here and can't wait to start our journey with you all! My Name is Bin He, a current Chinese teacher at Harvard Westlake School in Los Angeles. Before coming to Los Angles, I taught the Chinese language and culture at the U.S. State Department and a public middle school in China for four years each. This fall, I  teach a new course named 'History's Imprint on Modern Chinese Culture 'and hope to learn more from this seminar regarding Asia culture and its impact.   

[Maria Blake]

Greetings everyone--

              This is Maria G. Blake and I teach World Literature English to Sophomores in an IB High school in Tucson, AZ. My students love good food since sometimes they complain about the quality of the cafeteria food. They know mostly about their traditional food and the customary food chains in the U.S. from fast food to the best Mexican restaurant and candy.  The other day I saw two students with two sweets from Mexico that were different from any sold in the U.S. and found it really interesting.  All these different colors and flavors that can distinguish one food/cuisine from the other and, in some sense, reveal something about the culture and history of that food/cuisine and the people who prepare and eat it.  There are some foods, for example, that are shared by two cultures, such as "baklavas",  which both the Greek and the Middle East people claim it as their own but history can reveal how the two sides of civilization interacted through the ages and food was a way to show such cultural transactions and exchanges. Greece was under the Ottoman Empire and that could explain how "baklavas" could have mostly originated in the middle east before it became a traditional Greek pastry, unless the dish already existed in Greece. It is worthwhile to study history through food and find  how and why it is either way. 

I, also,  love good and healthy food but my knowledge in Asian food is limited.  My interest, therefore, in the course comes from my interest in learning more about the different names of favorite foods and, then, inspire my students to explore another culture through food. Food is one way to engage students with another culture, in particular, the Chinese, Korean, or Japanese.  What literature, generally, strives to achieve by opening a window to the world, literature on food can further support with its  global connection. It is, therefore, my hope to learn ways to incorporate food activities in the classroom both to broaden my students' vision about the world and to bring more fun, hands-on assignments in the classroom.  Looking forward to this food journey learning with and from all!  

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