After Chinese class on Sat, we decided to check out the playground at Central Park along Boardwalk Boulevard, Pt Cook.

And discovered a street of beautiful houses facing the wetlands and looking across to the town centre. And every one of them with that feel of privacy and seclusion, even though they're so close to the main artery of Pt Cook.

As the kids were enjoying themselves, we saw a familiar figure coming up to us: Beth's 陈老师, whom we largely credit for getting her over her I-hate-Chinese hump to being able to recite 李白's 静夜思. You know, the one we all learned at school...

床前明月光
疑是地上霜
举头望明月
低头思故乡

She invited us to visit her home, pointing at a double-storey house down the street.

So I allowed my curiosity to overtake my paiseh-ness, and brought the girls with me to ring her doorbell after their play.

And I'm glad I did, even with my less-than-proficient spoken Mandarin, cause I've made a precious connection, stretched my comfort zone and created for my children a reference point for trying something new.