Monday brought upon me the start of the third week. Two weeks down and two weeks to go! I am planning on having a slower week, but I learned a long time ago to be prepared for the unexpected, so who knows? While today was slower it was still fruitful. As has become my routine, I awoke early so that I could get started writing my Journal. Lost in the love of writing this journal, I soon had a call from Faye telling me she was at my door waiting for her Monday morning English class for which we were reading through the second book of the NT. I had forgotten all about her every Monday morning 8:30 appointment! I scurried off to “pull myself together” and answered the door to find the three students that I knew were coming and another student that they had brought along with them. Faye, Sue and Helen were now at their second class with this curriculum and they brought their roommate Carol to study as well. The study went very well. We had the discussion as planned and had some insightful questions. This is the story where our famous Brother took the ropes and made a whip to chase the moneychangers out of his Father’s house. When I asked if they knew the word “whip,” Faye did! She went on to explain that when she was a little girl, and she or her twin sister, Lenah, would make a mistake, their father would whip them. I explained that most fathers spank their children – but she interrupted me - and told of how he would whip them across the arms until they were bleeding and then she showed me her arms. What I then saw brought me to tears. I had to excuse myself from the room to “pull myself together” again, this time for a very different reason. Faye is a very adorable, petite and wonderfully sweet 20-year old student who loves to read and study this book. How anybody could do this to her or any daughter is beyond my comprehension. After class she wanted me to help her correct some English grammar in a letter that she was writing to Mary Myers. The letter was so sweet. It was hard to continue reading without more crying from me. She expressed a love and appreciation for Mary as a mothering, loving woman like I have never heard before. Her words and thoughts were stunningly beautiful. Faye was worried that Mary wouldn’t like it. I assured her that Mary would melt and give Faye the biggest hug she may have ever had in her life, so she should be prepared! Here is a copy of that letter (reproduced here with permission from Mary Myers). Dear Mary: How are you? I am writing this letter with great happiness to express my appreciation to you. Thanks for guiding me to read the Bible. Thanks for explaining the true life to me. Thanks for sprinkling my life with Stardust. You’re my special friend. The first foreign one and the most patient one. I like you very much. So do Peter, and Esther… You have colored my college life of this term. I came back to be aggressive and optimistic about life. You let me have the opportunity to practice my poor English and helped me to make progress. I became hopeful of my dream about my future that I could speak a fluent English and be chosen by a famous company. At the beginning of my learning I’m a little shy and timid to talk with you. But your affectionate smile and your elegant act pulled me out of fear. I turned to be eager to talk and to listen to you. You taught me that a wife should respect husband and that a husband should love wife. You taught me to be brave to answer the teacher’s question. You taught me to be sincere to my friends and how to be a good person. Anyway, I learned a lot. At the same time I also learnt to tell the truth, to share, and to be forgiving and considerate from others from the Bible. You’re a real example of a Christian. I began to have a sense of a reason for believing in God. You always like sharing your happiness with us. So do we enjoy it. When I was reading the Bible you always forgive the repeat mistakes I made in pronunciation. Every time you leave you make sure you say goodbye to me. The most impressive thing is your encouragement to me. It helps me learning English more confidently and efficiently. I thanks a lot. Until now I can find lots of ways to solve problems between my classmates and me because I read more about the Bible. Whenever I was immersed in the story of the Bible, I feel something marvelous existing in the world, something in heart. I got the faith that we are loved by God. Thanks for God I thought, let me know Mary and come to learn the Bible. Thanks for Mary, what you’ve done for us is really a treasure that we need to value. With your help I gradually get into a habit of reading more because the more you read the more you’ll understand. “Thank you” to you with my heartfelt appreciation and gratitude. Faye Thursday Morning 2010 – 5 – 27 WOW! I was saved from crying more when my phone rang. My four visiting students were just leaving and I took the call before the front door was even closed. On the phone was Alice Gu, my English major graduate student that was working on her masters’ thesis on idioms and she was seeking some information. She wanted me to go to an early lunch to discuss her thesis. Of course I agreed, but explained that I needed another 30 minutes or so before she should meet me. I quickly took a shower, changed clothes and soon she was at my building front door waiting to be buzzed in. We walked into town to a nearby restaurant where I had eaten before. Alice was going to school here at USC but she was not from Hunan, so she also did not want the food to be too hot and spicy as much as I did not want that. As per usual I had my Chinese dining partner order. For the first time the food was NOT hot and spicy. We had ordered there a few times before and tried to tell the wait staff “NOT” hot and spicy. And even though they said they understood, it was always hot and spicy! Finally, I was able to experience the taste of some of the same dishes I had previously ordered and it was amazing. This was the first time I took food away in a “Take-Away” box/bag for later consumption. I may take Alice with me to every meal from now on! As the meal and conversation were concluding and we were leaving, I finally asked her what it was she wanted me to explain (presumably the reason for the lunch meeting). She sheepishly said that was not the real reason to call me, but that she wanted to ask me to do her a favor. “Sure,” I said, “How can I help you?” She explained that as a graduate student in English she tutors High School students as a part time job. She had told one of her students and her parents about me, and the parents wanted to invite me for a meal at their house. They had never had an American in their home and they thought it would be good for their daughter to encourage her to try harder at learning English. Alice tried to explain to them that I was an important professor from America and that I was too busy, but they insisted that she at least invite me. So, she said, with a lot of hesitation, “You probably won’t want to help with this, would you?” I answered, “Are you kidding me? Are you asking me what I think you’re asking me? YES, I would do that, ‘in a heartbeat!’” I then had to explain all those idioms I had just spoken to her, (which sort of broke the excitement for a moment). But for me to go to a meal, in the home of a complete stranger, as an invited guest, in another country, in the middle of Hunan, China no less, with a student translator that I had only met six days previous – well that was my version of attending the world series of social communication new experiences! If anybody reading this doesn’t think I would jump at this chance (oops, there’s another idiom), then you just don’t know me very well at all! “Yes, I would go,” I told her! Alice made a call, and I am now scheduled to go to lunch with her at this family’s home tomorrow (Tuesday) at Noon. I was so excited I wanted to hug her! When we got back to my apartment I did hug her goodbye. She had a huge smile on her face and she waved Bye-Bye to me for almost a block as she walked away backwards. I was finally able to sit down and start reviewing my PowerPoint and lecture that I had planned for my 5:00 o’clock class. The lesson was titled “How the Media Effects Culture – Or, Does it?” This is one of my soapboxes. I’m so tired of the media getting blamed for our social and moral shortcomings. The only way any media outlet is in control of our culture is if we let it be so. Oh, enough about that. I had trouble knowing how much media control was exercised from the Chinese government. So this lecture was a shot in the dark. But a lot of preparation just wasn’t in the cards (I’m really coming up with the idioms now). My phone rang and it was Amy and Amber. They wanted to come by to visit. I said, “Sure, come on over.” “We’re outside your door!” they said. I let them in. They just wanted to get in from the heat because they knew that the Americans would have the air conditioning going. Heat and air conditioning is something for which they have neither in their dorm rooms. I told them that I was preparing for my class. They said, “Go ahead we’ll just sit here and study.” So I let them. A few minutes later I came from my back room apartment office and they were both sound asleep on my couch. I decided to let them sleep and I went to lie down for a Chinese nap myself. About 30 minutes later I awoke because it was almost time to head to my class and I had to wake them up. They were in this class so they just went with me. Class was a bit different. For the first time I think most of the students did not want to be there. They were very restless, talking and generally not paying attention. Maybe it was the material, or the teacher? Media and culture may not have been a big issue to them, but with the emergence of the Internet and access to more information than ever before if it did not interest them now it surely would be affecting them in the future. Edwin had his 5:00 o’clock English class join us and we had a good discussion with those that showed some interest. After class I walked back to the apartment with him and he and Mary insisted I stay for dinner. It hit the spot. American food, roast beef, mashed potatoes and veggies. And to drink – COLD WATER! Best of all it was served on a plate with forks instead of a free-for-all battle of the chopsticks from the middle of the table! Meeting Edwin and Mary Myers alone has been worth the trip to China. English Corner was at 7:30 p.m. and we had to be there because Carey and I had something special planned. You may recall that English Corner is simply a set aside time and place for anybody that wants to converse in English to come on out and we’ll talk to them. As per usual the crowd started out small but grew as the evening went on. I think the word was getting around to those other than students because there were a number of primary aged children whom their parents brought out to meet us. So shaking hands with children and saying “Ni Hao” (Hello) seemed to be the order. The kids were so cute and I enjoyed seeing and playing with them as much as I could. I kept explaining to them and their parents that I was a new “Ye Ye” (Grandpa). The parents said they could tell I was a Ye Ye by the way I interacted with their children. Like most children some were a bit apprehensive at first, but when they saw that we were really a friendly group of Americans they wanted to hang on to us. They all wanted to practice saying, “Hello. How are you?” in English. Most of them said it again and again, several times. After about an hour or so when the crowds started dwindling a little it was time for the big production! Carey had brought her I-Pod Speaker system and we explained to the group that we were going to do a group activity. The Line Dance had gone so well the week before at her apartment that we decided to do this for those we could get to participate at English Corner. To our surprise almost everybody there was willing! So we lined them up in about four rows of about 10 or 12 each and Carey and I stood out in front of them and I announced what we were going to do. “Simply listen to the words of the music (in English) and do what it says, clap your hands, stomp your right foot, step to the right, slide to the left…” It was fun and funny! The children were so cute and got into it as much as we did. The Chinese seem to love to exercise as a group activity. It was dark by then and I was helping the children with what they needed to do when, so I did not take any photos, but one of our student team members, Daniel, was shooting video on his camera. Maybe I can get a copy of that later. It was so much fun and everybody laughed long and hard. I was so exhausted when I got home!
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AuthorSteve Shaner, also known as Xie Yeye, is a professional story teller that delights in traveling to meet new and old friends. He can be contacted at [email protected]. Blog ContentsMay 12-14, 2010
Saturday, May 15, 2010 Sunday, May 16, 2010 Monday, May 17, 2010 Tuesday, May 18, 2010 Wednesday, May 19, 2010 Thursday, May 20, 2010 Friday, May 21, 2010 Saturday, May 22, 2010 Sunday, May 23, 2010 Monday, May 24, 2010 Tuesday, May 25, 2010 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 Thursday, May 27, 2010 Friday, May 28, 2010 Saturday, May 29, 2010 Sunday, May 30, 2010 Monday, May 31, 2010 Tuesday, June 1, 2010 Wednesday, June 2, 2010 Thursday, June 3, 2010 Friday, June 4, 2010 Saturday, June 5, 2010 Sunday, June 6, 2010 Monday, June 7, 2010 Tuesday, June 8, 2010 Wednesday, June 9, 2010 Thursday, June 10, 2010 Friday, June 11, 2010 Saturday, June 12, 2010 Sunday, June 13, 2010 Monday, June 14, 2010 Tuesday, June 15, 2010 Wednesday, June 16, 2010 Thursday, June 17, 2010 Friday, June 18, 2010 Saturday, June 19, 2010 Sunday, June 20, 2010 |