Recenty I attended the CREAA installation of the 2010 president, Christina Chung. The event was held at the Empress China, in Chinatown which provided a beautiful view of San Francisco. The celebration included an amazing lion dance while a dragon danced 15-feet high, all to the beat of traditional Chinese drums. The agility and coordination of the acrobats was mesmerizing!The celebration also honored the Chinese New Year, 2010 Year of the Metal Tiger.  The metal tiger is symbolic of resilience, integrity and wealth -- an optimistic intro into 2010. CREAA has only one fundraiser every year, and they certainly do it right! As I watched the celebration,I was reminded of a time when I was a young girl visiting San Francisco with my extra-large family for a cousins wedding here in the same place, Empress China.
Our family would always visit the same dim sum shop, an 8-foot wide takeout. Dim sum is like little tea cakes, and definitely unlike any 'American food.' I decided to find that same Dim Sum shop, and remarkably I recognized a little boy that I knew in the 50's who has had taken over his family dim sum business! He uses the same recipe as 50 years ago! Food is an important part of any culture, and it made me feel good to know that this small shop had carried on through the years from one generation to the next and that I had taken the time to find this small yet important part of Chinese culture.
  
Over the past year my membership in CREAA has brought me closer to my Chinese culture, and members have welcomed me as a part of their family.CREAA "Chinese Real Estate Association of America", has become a very important part of my personal and professional life. The members are from all walks of real estate life, from title company professionals and seasoned realtors to new agents, all whom share interest in CREAA's mission;

        ..."educating its members, serving the community, promoting homeownership opportunities, networking with other real estate organizations, protecting property rights, and acting as a voice for the local community property owners in the political process.

CREAA members' diversity makes all of their events fun and dynamic and I look forward to sharing the next one with you.

Please visit the link below for more information.
www.creaausa.org/