My honorary daughter came to visit last weekend, a rare occurrence. I can thank the school break for Chinese New Year. Island, or Ellen as she says her name is now, was my student when she was a fresh-faced Grade 1. Now in Grade 3, we visit each other from time to time.

We live in the same community but that doesn’t mean we’re together every weekend. Chinese school kids have a schedule that rivals that of a CEO. When school is finished for the day there are tutoring sessions in math, Chinese calligraphy, compositions, English, and then piano lessons, dance, kung fu, etc. Evenings and weekends are booked solid.

I saw Island four times this past school term. I think I could make an appointment with the president of china easier than I can with Island and her scholastic commitments.

She came to our apartment for a  couple of hours of origami, television and PB & J. She was decked out in her Chinese New Year finery. Wearing new clothes is another custom of Chinese New Year.  A fun time, I wish I could see her more often.