Only the Faces Change...

 I believe this statement can be found in song lyrics or something of that variety. However, a truer statement cannot describe my experiences in the Taiwanese classroom, to this point. I have discovered a hidden truism masquerading as a theory perpetuated by ignorant people. It has been said the culture in which one is raised is what separates the peoples of the world. This theory does not hold even a granule of truth and it is a curiosity no one has made attempt to correct the error. Culture does govern how one behaves and what one holds as ethical standards. However, one must consider the possibility children are not directed by culture until they mature almost to adulthood. When one contemplates the magnitude of this statement one is left with the realism, only the faces change.

Shelly(first in pic) Vivi(directly behind), and Vivian behind Vivi.

As I look out into my classroom full of little round faces I am struck with astonishment. The children here are almost carbon copies of the children back in The States, almost. The girls giggle and prattle on in Blah Blah about what I assume is the cute boy sitting in row two. Even though I do not understand or speak the Blah Blah language, yet, effortlessly one is able to read between the lines. The boys punch and tussle with one another struggling to prove their selves as an alpha male. They boast about their latest gadget their parents bought for them and secretly check out the cute girl in row two. Does anyone else notice the similarities to American children, or is it just me? I am certain I am not the only one to notice, but then again I am accustomed to being the only one having some type of peculiar thought or theory. It is tolerable if no one else perceives the similarities. However, if this concept did manage to glide right on by you, I will make sure it circles around for another pass. Please be certain to make sure your thinking cap is securely fastened, your absorption goggles are in place, your tray tables are up, and your chair is in the upright and locked position. Once the above is completed say “Yes Teacher” and I will know you are ready for the concept to make another trek towards you. See? Learning can be fun, but only with enough headache medicine, an amazing sense of humor, and a high threshold for stupid questions that were just answered. But other than those items, learning is a blast! WoooHoooo

There are three special girls who come down to my “office” every day and drop off the 150+ books for my immediate correction and perusal. These girls are very cute and kind hearted. Their English names are Shelly, Vivian, and Vivi. The English versions will have to due for now as I am unable to pronounce their Blah Blah names, yet. These girls have made it their mission to teach Teacher Cyndi to speak and understand Blah Blah. I ruminate they still believe it is going to be an easy task and I will pick it up quickly and effortlessly. Silly rabbit, Trixs are for kids... They even created a worksheet with the English word and the Blah Blah word right next to each other. I am quizzed every day covering the contents of the worksheet. Every day, I fail spectacularly, with grace and poise. No, not that kind of poise. I was referring to the poise that means dignity, but some days when I have no time even to grab a bite to eat, Poise begin to look very appealing… Not to mention the added bonus of not having to stand and aim, all while praying you miss your shoes. Can I get an AMEN here?? Amen!!

The incredible gift is the girls do not seem to mind my failing their exam every day. In fact they come back at the same time, every day, happy to see me, bearing gifts of gum, and hugging me. I am painfully aware of the fact; I would not last one day as a Chinese daughter. I would score below a 90 on some important exam and be forever shunned. I would be sent to the school for the dumb special kids and end up driving a taxi cab complete with fat Buddha figurine hanging from the rearview mirror. You have to conjecture at this point if the Heroin Sex Trade wouldn't be a better option here? I have already shamed my fictitious Chinese parents with my low score and they aren’t talking to me. Even the family dog, Li Chee, is not speaking to me and I was good to that flea bitten mongrel. With that being said, the whore trade does offer more money and better benefits. Makes sense in the reality where I am a Chinese daughter anyway. J

Back to a few of my favorite girls, yes there are others, but I will save them for another post. The girls usually come bursting through the double doors around 9:30, Shelly leading the band of miniature school teachers and the two Vivs, as I call them, following closely behind. The first thing out of Shelly’s mouth is the word sticker. “Sticcckerrra, sticcckerrra, Teeeechera, sticcckerrrra”, she says over and over. Sadly, it took me a few weeks to actually determine what she was demanding. I have stickers in my desk drawer and she loves them. Every day, she says sticker and opens my drawer, retrieves the sheet, and carefully chooses stickers for all of us. Most days I am honored with the apple sticker. Once the sticker selection process is complete and she has bestowed our stickers on to our persons, Shelly states simply, “Applea Teachera, Applea Studenta”.

The “A” sound at the end of every word threw me and I am ashamed of how long it took me to puzzle out she was merely describing our stickers. Most of the students’ end their English words with an A sound. It was only this last week I figured out the reason for this odd practice. The Chinese language, aka Blah Blah in my blog, is compiled of complex sounds and tones, however most words do not have a final syllable sound. The A sound on the end of the English words is the student’s way of ensuring they make a final syllable sound when they speak English. They do not discriminate when it comes to the A sound and every word has it added to the end. Those words include: yesa, noa (not the guy who built the Ark), pleasea, and the list goes on.

Finally and with difficulity, I grasped the notion; Shelly was trying to tell me that we are the same. We have the same sticker and we are the same, simple and final. That in and of itself is an interesting notion… We are the same? Yes… We are the same. I am no longer tethered to the notion of it mattering, in the slightest, in which culture you matured to adulthood. People are people and more importantly, children are children, no matter where you go and teach. They giggle, wrestle, hug one another, smile, laugh, talk non-stop, play computer games, go shopping with friends, flirt, and strive to make the adults they care about proud of their accomplishments. These girls have altered my opinions regarding so many theories which have been imparted to me over the years. Even with the barricade the language issues raises, I know, with no doubt that these girls love me and desire only to make me happy and proud of their English work. I also know I love them and would see them protected, at all cost, from this ugly ugly world. Truly, only the faces change… 

 

Jing-Xi's Lesson of the Day: It has been said, Children are our future. The statement could not ring more true. Children are this global community’s future, a humbling and troubling thought. What kind of future will our children bring this world? I fervently believe they will bring the type of future they were taught to bring. This is exhibited the world over as this is being written. The future has changed hands over the years numerous times. Every time the future changes leaders, life has seemed to take a downward spiral which is plummeting towards the ground. It will not be long before the fatal impact echoes across the globe. One only has to recall terrible events in our homeland to see the effects of hate and intolerence of differences. When we teach our children to hate and fear differences, we teach a narrow minded and short sighted world view. Color, race, culture, and religion are of no importance where love and acceptance are concerned. Teaching children to hate others for shallow and inane reasons is like teaching a dog to fight. Pound half-truths and ridiculous theories into children’s heads, but when they discover the truth, and they will, they will turn on the ones responsible for telling them half-truths. In the picture to the left is Shelly, Vivi, Vivian, and Mia in the last desk. On the other side are Shane, Catherine, and Potter. If after seeing this picture you still have doubts regarding my musing above, I am uncertain about how to convince you of the truth found in the statement. Simply look at the children. Potter giving the camera a "gun show" and the others throwing up peace signs. Only the faces change...