Yunnan Stories 云南故事

I got an email today from one of my bog’s readers. What follows is the original text(see the highlighted part).

hi there,

i came across your blog, which was very well-written. much to my surprise, though, you are a chinese native who teaches english in yun nan. at my first glance, however, you are an english native who struggles with chinese learning. either prediction, i still admire your consistent passion and efforts which have been put into langugae learning. i myself wish one day to master english well enough like my chinese. having been overseas for many years now, my passion for this language never fades, this is also why whenever i come across with some chinese folks who use brilliant english, i cannot help sending my compliments to them.

cheers,

anna banana

I am flattered. But I wanna say, " Thank you, Anna, you’ve made me so very happy."

These days I’ve recieved some feedbacks from my readers on and off, either through email or skype. It is good enough that you are reading my blog . What also flatters me is that some readers say I am great because I am undertaking a lofty cause and my English is comparative to a native’s because  anyone can do the both, if they insist. Yunnan is not as backward as what you imagine, nor as beautiful as what you hear. What you need is to take a plunge and have a personal experience.  Life here is never boring and won’t be put in the shade by as boring as some foreign life to say the least ——-NO possible languge barrels,exnophobia, or dull food, etc but you can still experience the culture shocks, enjoy the hospitality and have a sense of achievment at the same time. Of course there does exist abject poverty in some parts but the unsophisticated people maintain their dignity—upbeat,friendly and happy. You can learn new things here everyday and will surely find volunteering in Yunnan really pays off as I do. The exeperience is unique and priceless.

As for my English, there is much to be disired. I have am also long suffered from China’s grammar-oriented a victim of the current morbid English education system, which teaches you nothing but totally useless craps. Two decades of learning English in School turned out to be a merciless fact Iyou have to face—–I am you are a loser in and out when it comes to serious listening,reading, writing or and speaking. It is not as absurd as shamless. So my lesson is: Don’t you ever learn English for the sake of learning, which is either evil tricks or mental masterbationand the key only lies in practice, which makes perfect. Ludicrously yet fortunately,that is the lesson I didn’t know before caming to Yunnan and blogging.  There is a long long long way to go before my English looks decent but I am finally on the right track. I am learning to take English as nothing else but a tool,a daily part of my life even though I was all thumbs with the sophisticated tool at the beginning. Just enjoy the process!

Thank you, anna and my dear readers.Thanks for stopping by!

Finally escaped from my cozy nest(dorm) and took a hasty trip to Jianshui(建水), where I met my e-friend Yang, a third-year student in Jianshui Normal School. Yang, a son of farmers, is cool and ahead of his time with brilliant ideas, whose major and ideal are IT and being a teacher respectively. We got to know each other from QQ and clicked at the first sight. Born and grown up in the isolated mountains, this Yi(彝)lad has never stepped out of Honghe Prefeture, not to mention Yunnan. He dreamed of finding a teaching job in the developed coastal region and then returned to repay his hometown 2-3 years later. "I just wanna broaden my outlook and toughen myself up first. What we lack most here is the advanced thought, without which,rooting out the poverty is completely a daydream." Yang expained. He is a credit and hope to his family, who have had a hard life on the barran land for generations .

Yang kindly took me under his ample wing and showed me around his compus.The trip was so fantastic, like turning the clock back to several years ago. Due to a weekend, the compus looked like an open field, big and quiet. The students were in twos and threes, basking on the lawn ,reading by the pond, hanging out the washing to dry….reminding me of my own college days. Environed by the tall trees are the various architectures, simple-designed but elegant—— a good place for schooling. Strolling down the tree-lined trail,I just felt so carefree and joyous, like walking down a memory lane. Lucked out with a clear sunny day,I feasted my eye on the beautiful scene, bright blue sky and gentle breeze. I hate most Shanghai compus, morden but cold. "Only if I could study or teach in your school! I envy you." I smiled to Yang when we passed by his classroom. I would not imagine that Jianshui would have such a good place if Yang hadn’t told me. Thanks, Yang, good luck to you.

After luch, I headed back to Yisa. Another painful endless turns and turns on the rugged mountain trail. Fortunately,I didn’t shoot my cookies because I swallowed an anti-carsickness pill in advance. It was already pitch black outside when I returned, exsausted, after 5-hour-long incessant jolting and bumping. A nightmare to me as the ride on the rough mountain track is, I must admit the visit to Jianshui Normal School is really wonderful.