Hello/Hadih/你好/Apa khabar
My name is Cherie Chai and my ethnicity is Southeast Asian Chinese and Thai from Singapore and Malaysia. I have been to 17 countries and lived in 3. Since 2018, I have been a Canadian Permanent Resident. I am a mother, a wife, a twin sister, an artist, a puppeteer, a musician, a Chinese lion dance drummer, a second language teacher, a multilingual speaker and a learner of the Dakelh language. I have completed the Diploma in Horticulture & Landscape Management at Ngee Ann Polytechnic in Singapore, the Diploma in Indigenous Language Revitalization at the University of Victoria (UVic), as well as Dakelh language Levels 1 and 2 at the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC). Currently, I am enrolled in the Bachelor of Education (Elementary Years) program at UNBC, and I also teach the Dakelh language in School District 57, supporting Indigenous language revitalization through meaningful collaboration with Dakelh Elders and Knowledge Keepers.
I have always had a passion for learning and teaching languages. To me, language is more than just words, it is a way to connect with our roots, our culture, and the people around us. I believe everyone should have the opportunity to learn about, connect with, and take pride in their roots, culture, and heritage. I try to live this belief every day at home by speaking with my son in his mother tongue, organizing public language & cultural events such as the annual Lunar New Year celebrations through a social enterprise called Speak Write Academy, and drumming with the local Chinese lion dance troupe in our community.
I have a giant dog who weighs more than me, a living collection of plants including two giant monsteras which takes up half of my living room and a collection of puppets, one of whom is the size of a small child.
