 | | Lea at Harbin Ice Festival |
Hello, our family just returned from a cold and lovely trip to the Harbin Ice Festival in northern China. It is good to be warm again:)!
With Lunar New Year celebrations just around the corner, our family looks forward to spending time with Louie's family in Liuzhou and also visiting my mother in Guilin. We also enjoy hearing about your groups and families great celebrations. Drop us a line anytime with news.
The girls anticipate the holiday maybe even more than their parents. Getting to stay up late, receiving their lucky money and participating in fireworks at midnight are all part of our family traditions.
In this issue we are focusing on a quick "IQ test" of Lunar New Year traditions as well as highlighting the good work and volunteer opportunities that exist at the Philip Hayden Foundation. We also focus on our teen tour offerings that include a highly interactive teen language immersion camp and the "hands-on" volunteer teen trip with Habitat for Humanity.
Getting your summer travel plans organized prior to the Lunar New Year celebration this year will also allow families the opportunity to enter our 15th anniversary iPad giveaway, which concludes on February 1st. It's hard to believe Lotus has served families for more than 15 years; we are pleased and proud to have done so! I look forward to seeing you in Asia on your next visit.
Best regards,
Lea Xu
Vice President |
Volunteer in China with Lotus
As adoptive kids get older, there becomes a greater interest and opportunity to "give back" when families return for a heritage visit. Click "Volunteer in China" to read about the China  program. You may contact iris@lotustours.net to ask about the upcoming plans for our Vietnam returning families. Returning on a trip and giving back is often a powerful and empowering experience for adoptees and families. |
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Spotlight: Philip Hayden Foundation
 This organization was started by adoptive parents and has stepped in to care for many special needs children since its founding in 1995. Click Philip Hayden Foundation to learn more about this vibrant organization and what it plans to do in the future for children with special needs. |
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Mandarin Immersion & Beijing Culture Tour
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There are tons of hands on projects with exploring assignments around Beijing. Click Mandarin tour to check out the agenda. If your family or your teen wants to take language learning and experience a tour of China, this is an ideal fit!
This tour program offers an interactive agenda coupled with a fun immersion approach to language learning. This program has learning coaches for each language team while combining learning and touring all in one great experience.
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Lunar New Year
An overview of legends, customs and celebrations
Lunar New Year is celebrated with some differences and quite a lot of similarities in different Asian countries. We take a quick overview of the holiday in China and Vietnam and include phrases with which you can greet your friends during this season of celebrating the Year of the Rabbit. Click LNY to learn why the color red is predominant and why the firecrackers must be loud at midnight during this huge traditional celebration. |
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Preparing to volunteer with your child
Would you like to volunteer, but aren't certain how to approach this topic and how to prepare your child for volunteering while on a heritage trip? We have some guidance. Click Volunteer Preparation to gain tips and understanding of what to do to prepare yourself and your child for this important and meaningful endeavor. |
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Teen Families: Volunteer with Habitat for Humanity China-- July 2011 |
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 Join with Lotus Travel and Habitat for Humanity as we build homes in Sichuan, China. It's a week you'll always remember as you work alongside locals. Click HFH Volunteer Tour for details on this exciting week of building. This volunteer work can make an excellent FCC teen trip and also allows others to support the trip. Click HFH site to see details. Also your volunteer week costs are tax deductible as are 100% of airfare costs!
Lotus has arranged flexible culture tours to add on to your volunteer week. One option is a Shanghai excursion; another includes time in Beijing & Xian . There is great flexibility and opportunity for this one tour. For more details or questions contact iris@lotustours.net about this exciting July 2011 experience for your family or teen group! |
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