About

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“People say it takes a village to raise a child. I hope we can build a Cantonese community in Seattle to raise ours.” – Phoebe

Cantonese is a huge part of who I am. It’s not always easy to stay fluent in Cantonese when you grow up in a city where English is the everyday language. It’s even harder when you feel like you don’t know anyone else around you that speaks Cantonese.

Growing up in Canada, I could have easily forgotten my Cantonese. But thanks to my mom, I stayed in touch with the language because she enrolled me to a weekly Chinese class throughout my elementary school years. My dad also reinforced the “Cantonese only” rule to remind me and my brother to not speak English after school. I should also thank myself for watching a lot of Chinese TV shows, reading novels and singing Canton Pop.

My parents did a lot to make sure I was exposed to Cantonese as I grew up.  Now that I’m a mom of two, I want to make sure I give my kids as much exposure to Cantonese as possible too. The “Cantonese only” rule is now back in the house, but I want to do more. So I started doing some research.

I realized that there are Mandarin classes and preschools available in Seattle, but… I want my children to learn Cantonese. I noticed many of the classes offered are taught in simplified Chinese characters, but… I want my children to learn traditional characters. I want my children to speak the language that I speak. I want my children to know that Cantonese is one of their native languages.

Do you have these similar thoughts?

This is why I created Cantonese Fun. A playgroup that I hope to promote Cantonese learning for our little ones who have limited exposures to the language in Seattle. It is also a platform for us parents to connect with other Cantonese families.

I want our children to learn our language while having fun. To learn about traditional Chinese values and morals through classic stories. To sing the songs that were once sung to us. To love who they are and know their heritage, their origin.

Come join us and let’s build this community together!

Thank you for supporting Cantonese Fun.

Sincerely,

Phoebe Fu
Founder of Cantonese Fun