Beyond Taiwan ~ a bend in the road is approaching

 Taiwan is famous for Earthquakes as I found out when I visited the museum,  They have kept this collapsed school building along with many other real life examples so we can learn about the devastating power of the Earth.  This happened in 1999.  It is shocking and sobering. Don't take anything for granted in life; we are not on solid ground.  In contrast, the burger remains me that Taiwanese can create the food of any culture and improve on it.  It would be impossible to spend 5 months on this island and remain unmoved.  On the right are some of the people that will draw me back here at some point, no matter what happens.  No visit to Taichung would be complete without a few rides on a motor scooter. On the right is Alice, my wonderful Chinese daughter.  We have shared some good times and more to come.  If I devoted the whole blog to Alice I could not do justice to who she is and the debt (in my mind; although she would disagree) that I owe to her already.  When I arrive in Xi'an next week I'll have the privilege of meeting Alice's Mom.  In this way the next chapter is starting to take shape.

That brings me at last to the strange coils of Pu'er tea (far left).  My Chinese adventures have been punctuated with the appearance of various kinds of tea.  I remain fascinated by the tea drinking traditions that span the vast breadth, both in time and space, of Chinese culture.  Like fine whiskey a good tea can significantly improve with age.  This can only hope to emulate.

Chinese Course evaluation

In the tea shop I heard the music for the old song about:
"Listen to the rhythm of the falling rain, telling me just what a fool I've been."
Meanwhile the rain pours down outside, soaking the sun-baked streets, driving away the mosquitoes and the motorcycles.  I've retired to my room to contemplate.
The Chinese course ended yesterday.  I have two feelings about it: on the one hand I feel like a complete failure, because there were certainly many tests and I certainly failed them all; on the other hand I learned a lot of Chinese in three months of hard work.  I tried to relate to the teacher, but unfortunately I failed at that too.  I never criticized her in class, but outside of class I did point out a few things when I probably should not have and it got back to her.
There is an irony in that I know she tries very hard and the problems about the course are not her fault.  Still, criticism from me probably translated into loss of face for her.  Also, my views are not the same as the other students.  Most of them worked very hard.  They just accept the course the way it is and do their best.
At the close of the course there was no real celebration, awarding of certificates of completion, expressions of gratitude or anything like that.  They gave us a hard test, collected it and we all went away.  I wondered if their would be a course evaluation, but there was no sign of one.  No closure.
So here is my course evaluation.
1)  How did this course develop your knowledge of, and ability to use, the Chinese language?
         - I would give this one about 50% which is a huge improvement compared to the alternatives available to me.   The  course is strong on reading, writing and grammar.  It is weak on speaking, listening and learning vocabulary. I definitely improved in my knowledge base; although certain parts of the course did not work well for me.
2)  How would you rate the usefulness of the course materials and facilities?
        - The textbook dates from 1999, but seems much older than that in terms of pedagogical style.  It is cheaply printed and the illustrations are primitive.  The CD recordings are wooden and poorly presented - ease of access is not user friendly.  I question the entire premise of teaching language from grammar as the starting point.  The theory is: Understand the grammatical logic and then use it to create meaning.  There was a 100 minute test almost every week. This flies in the face of brain research about how language is acquired.  We don't teach grammar to babies, we teach communication.  Sometimes the grammar even came before teaching of the vocabulary needed to describe it.  There is also clearly a bias towards written language as the basis for learning.  This requires the brain to reverse its normal pattern for language acquisition (speaking first, writing later).
       -  The facility, however, is excellent.  There are clean white boards, wifi access, overhead projector and effective air conditioning.  The chairs and the space for student work were suitable and comfortable.
3)  -   Were the goals of the course and the methods of evaluation outlined clearly in advance?  This was definitely a strength.  Students were tested on the material taught.  Unfortunately, the results of the testing did not seem to affect teaching.  Nevertheless, marks at the conclusion, although they have not been revealed, probably reflect this accuracy
4)   -  How could the course outline and methodology be improved?  The structure of the course followed a highly teacher-centered, didactic format.  The teacher walked us through the textbook, teaching various patterns of language, assigning appropriate homework and then testing us.  This is similar to how we taught French in Canada in the 1960s.  50 years ago!  A simple way to say it is that the teacher taught content, but nothing about HOW to learn it.  Language is presented through lifeless dialogues in a text book.  There was no practice of authentic communication.  This is not a criticism of the teacher who is simply following the syllabus as it has been laid out.  The effect is a loss of numerous opportunities for students to actually use the language and practice under the guidance of the teacher.
5)   - How would you rate the skills and performance of the teacher.  The teacher is an excellent communicator with a thorough knowledge of her subject and considerable skill in explaining things.
She was always well prepared for lessons, communicated expectations clearly and put much effort into assessment of the students learning.  She dresses well and arrives for class on time.  Did she actually teach well?  Its hard for me to say since much information appeared on the board in Chinese characters which I have not managed to learn.  Another problem for me was that she speaks very rapidly for a teacher.  In fact, she always seemed to be in a hurry.  Class activities were not always useful.  For example, we spent considerable time listening to students' prepared presentations.  While interesting, these were often hard to hear and understand because the students, obviously, are not teachers.
6)  - How do you think the course could be improved?  I left class every day feeling overwhelmed and defeated.  So my comments are purely personal.  One could reasonably say that I never should have taken the course in the first place because of my lack of knowledge of Chinese characters and because of my age (64) compared to almost everyone else (20s)  My biggest problem was that I often missed large parts of what the teacher was saying.  This could have been avoided if the teacher had spoken more lowly during the occasions when she was giving directions.  Of course I could ask if I was unsure, however that would require formulating a question in Mandarin.  Sometimes I had no idea what I had missed.  A second problem was the feeling of isolation concerning the age difference.  People in their 20s are simply comfortable with a faster pace of just about everything.  Class activities did little to create a community of learners among the students.  So the girls sat on one side of a long table and the boys at the other side.  This set-up made it impossible for the teacher to even look at us all at once.  If the students had been required to practice pieces of conversation more frequently we would have bonded more as a class.  There was little actual practice during class time.  Usually we were just listening to the teacher.  The teacher frequently used a pattern of asking questions of the class.  Sometimes she might ask 10  questions in the course of 5 minutes.  Many of these questions went unanswered which means we were all thinking of different answers in our heads - frequently wrong ones.  Many of the rest of the questions were answered by two or three students.  These answers almost always came from the girls' side.  Often their answers were inaudible to me.  As it was, students were listening to the teacher for well over half of the minutes of class time.
It would be more useful if the teacher were to teach a pattern of grammar, repeat it clearly several times and then devise an activity where the students need to stand up, walk around and actually use the pattern.  Practice makes perfect.  Whoever heard of 'listening makes perfect'?  Once this pattern has been established it would be much easier for the students to analyze and remember the grammatical rules.
7)     - Any further comments?  There should be emphasis on the creation of a learning community.  Language is an emotional business and the teacher should establish an atmosphere of positive support and encouragement among all the students. Less testing, authentic communication, positive re-enforcement and MUCH MUCH more practice.  Very respectfully, I suggest that teachers of Chinese language to foreigners take a look at some of the changes in language teaching that have taken place in recent years as a result of brain research.  Most of the knowledge of scientists about how the brain learns has been acquired in recent years.  The implications for language instruction are profound.

I present these comments in the spirit of encouraging continuing development in a worthwhile cause.
Although it was arduous and painful for much of the time, I am glad I took this course and I am very grateful to the organization and people who provided it.

Bridges and exotic fruit

I wanted to put in the curvy bridge and the butterfly bridge because it feels as if some curves are ahead in my life.  Dana's dog in the bike basket is just one of a cast of characters who play their part.  Simon (same name as me) has an awesome burgundy Jaguar in which he likes to take Alice and I to wondrous places.  Alice's Mom lives in Xi'an, has University connections, and is now in possession of my resume.  This morning I gave my Chinese presentation which is mostly about....(drum roll)...Xi'an!
 So there are curves ahead.  Also metaphorically speaking - bridges.
Ont he left is my current favorite tea shop.  The owner is on the left, Simon is on the right.  The patio is nice an breezy with a nice view of the tree-lined boulevard.

 The presentation felt terribly disappointing to me because everyone else's seems so much better.  I only dimly understand the value of my chinese lessons.  Its not only so I can communicate better with people in China.  The experience is a continuation of my learning in the CELTA training, which
seems to be that the student phase of my life is pretty much over.  Its been very cool playing              
university student and also a wonderful lesson in ego reduction; however, the curve has swooped on and if I don't ride it I'll continue to suffer.   On the plus side, I've gained a significant appreciation of the trials for an adult of learning a foreign language.  Its so valuable!  I can see what needs to be done now.  Today I chatted with a young staff member in the tea shop.  She really wants to improve her English, but feels discouraged.  I'm not surprised, because language school teaching methods are no more up to date with modern teaching possibilities than are most modern schools.

And the fruit?  I think its mulberries, but they seem very fresh and sweet; they're also quite large.  New exciting and exotic fruit brought from the mountains by Simon in his Jaguar.  As Bob Dylan said:  "Something is happening, but you don't know what it is; do you?"

The self-introduction speech

I have to give a 6 minute Toastmasters speech and a five minute Mandarin speech both this week.  I'm sure the universe thinks this is funny, but not sure why.  This entry is the gist of my Toastmasters speech: The Long and Winding Road.
Who am I?  Why am I here? What am I supposed to do?  I think I was born with these questions because they have always stayed with me. Since ancient times there have been 4 phases of life:  childhood, the student, the householder and the retired.  My childhood was happy, anyway too long ago to remember so I 'll start with the student.
I attended the University of British Columbia.  I was a kind of 'golden child'  I had the looks, the brains, the wealthy family, athletic ability; I should have worked very hard.  I didn't.  I spent five years playing sports, drinking and chasing girls.  What a waste of an opportunity.  It was lots of fun though.
I was offered a teaching job in the Rocky Mountains - The Rockies!  How I loved skiing and outdoor adventure.  I spent two years there as a teacher - sad to say my life style didn't improve much.  I entered the Vancouver Marathon in 1976.  My father entered as well.  He was a distinguished medical doctor.  After about 30 k he collapsed from a heart condition and died instantly.  He was 53 years old.  My world collapsed with him.  Within a few months I had quit my job, sold all my possessions, said goodbye to my family and girlfriend and bought a one way ticket to China (HK actually.  You couldn't go to China in 1976.)
My father's death brought back to me the basic questions about life: who am I?  Why am I here?.  University had not supplied me with any answers so I turned to India - the land of spirituality.  I saw myself as a pilgrim; wandering the dusty roads in simple robes and sandals, visiting sacred ancient places, sitting at the feet of the master.  Seeking the truth with great love and devotion until the gates of heaven swung wide before me.  I even had a book called "Pilgrim's guide to Planet earth".  In fact I was still a spoiled brat.  I got very sick as a result of various indiscretions that I won't go into, and I wasn't getting better.  I thought I was going to die.  I remember sitting gazing out over the Bay of Bengal thinking: "Accept my life, accept my life"  I had made a mess of it and felt I should turn it over to a higher power.  Strangely, I started to get better.
I made my way to an ashram.  Ashrams are common in India.  People gather to learn from a specific master to follow his/her teachings.  The one I went to was very large and very disciplined.  We spent our days on chanting, yoga, meditation and simple chores.   The teacher was a wonderful man who told us that we would never find lasting happiness in external conditions.  You buy a car, then a faster car, then you want an airplane.  You will never be satisfied.  He said we had to look within - find the treasure that is inside; the one that never changes.  Every day was the same, except...it wasn't because of the mind.  The thoughts go up, and they go down.  You're happy and then you're sad.
So by living the same day over and over i learned to watch the mind.  It turns out, you are not the mind.  Don't believe everything you think.  And at times there was such a sense of infinite peace.  Behind the mind there is peace.   9 months I stayed in the ashram - that was my achievement toastmaster - to learn to watch the mind.
It changed me.  How?  I returned to Vancouver, married my girlfriend, bought a house got a job and had two beautiful children.  That's the householder phase.  I did it for  36 years and with all the usual ups and downs, they were 36 wonderful years.
But the world moves on- children grow up and have children of their own.  It time to return to those tricky questions: Who am I?  Why am I here?  What am I supposed to do?  So, of course, I bought a one way ticket to China - to Taiwan this time.  I'm enjoying the mind-bending task of learning Chinese.  My life her goes up and it goes down, but behind it all there's that sense of peace just out of reach....or not.  So every day I ride the Ubike under the trees with the cool breeze in my face and ask those questions and everything that happens....is an answer.

A message to the reader

Here's to you faithful reader.  I hope you are able to gain some benefit from my words.  After all, I'm out here going to considerable effort: braving the motor scooters, sweating in the humid sub-tropical air, struggling with Chinese grammar (not to mention the arcane shapes of Chinese writing).  Its challenging enough just existing here, but I must admit its a LOT of fun.
I had not expected to feel so comfortable with my fellow students.  Almost every night we gather to go somewhere different for dinner.  Its all arranged through tapping on the mobile, sometimes even before class ends at 4:30.  Tonight we all hopped on Ubikes and pedaled off to a Sushi restaurant. There were at least 10 of us, representing 6 or 7 different countries, snaking through the Taichung evening traffic on orange 3 speed bicycles.

So in an effort to open a window on some of the flavours of my life in Taichung I offer photos of some of my my classmates, glimpses of our activities and my favorite place - the park surrounding the Science Museum.
They constantly seem to be coming up with new ideas, these young friends of mine.  I feel very lucky that they always make an effort to include me.
Meanwhile I read Buddhist psychology and wonder if there's any                                                      
way to discuss the Buddha Dhamma with them.
 Possibly I'm missing the point.  Have I been discussing the way with myself?  Let's see.  1st truth: life is suffering.  Hmm, not a lot of prima facie evidence.  However, there is always this sense of something lacking - a sense of need and of anxiety.  And its all ever-changing and impermanent.  Not the sort of theme to worry most young people.  2nd truth -  In my case its more compelling, that the cause of suffering is the sense of clinging, wanting and fearing.  Its a feeling of insufficiency that is always there, but which arises more strongly in times of great pain and crisis.  We have hitched our wagons to external cravings.  3rd truth - there is an end to suffering if we embrace the truth of non-self and let go of attachments to sense pleasures and all their close relatives.  4th truth - the 8 fold path gives us the way to live in order to fully experience the 3rd truth.

 It seems clear to me that my path lies in between these apparent paradoxical experiences.
"Who holdeth to himself a joy doth the winged life destroy.
But he who kisses the joy as it flies, lives in eternity's sunrise."
You can see me in the pictures on either side.  Please take the notion of kissing as a metaphor.  These people are young enough to be my grandchildren.  Anyway, its not just the people, its the wonder and magnificence of the life that surrounds me.  Eternity's sun ever rising.