To My Dear Readers 至我亲爱的读者
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!
to say english is a tool is correct. but many people take this metaphor as an excuse for them to be lazy in the process of learning. yes, a very important tool, and a tool maybe as important as chinese for you as a tool. my english certainly is not as good as sam (the author of the blog). but as chinese, we should all thank him for the achievements he has made with the level of his english today. i truly think he has set himself as a role model for all students like us. and from now on, we should clearly know that we can also do that as long as we choose to never to give up. anna banana. yes the same anna banana
Comment by anna — November 20, 2006 @ 11:58 am
to say english is a tool is correct. but many people take this metaphor as an excuse for them to be lazy in the process of learning. yes, a very important tool, and a tool maybe as important as chinese for you as a tool. my english certainly is not as good as sam (the author of the blog). but as chinese, we should all thank him for the achievements he has made with the level of his english today. i truly think he has set himself as a role model for all students like us. and from now on, we should clearly know that we can also do that as long as we choose to never to give up. anna banana. yes the same anna banana
Comment by anna — November 20, 2006 @ 12:00 pm
i really think sam should tell us more such as what he had done before his teaching task in yun nan. and what motivates him to come to teach kids while living in such a bad condition.
Comment by anna — November 20, 2006 @ 1:40 pm
Your English is often correct, but frequently has a foreign construction and odd meanings when written. For instance, when you write, “I kid you not, life here is never boring, not as boring as your foreign life to say the least”, you are telling people their lives in other countries are boring, presumably because life outside China is necessarily boring. To believe that is to be a racist, and I don’t think you are one.
The way the statement, “I am also a victim of the current morbid English education system” is constructed seems to imply that the education system in England is bad, where I think you mean English as it is taught in China, is that not correct?
I would suggest staying away from idiomatic expressions and attempts at what is mistakenly thought to be the vernacular. Words and phrases such as, “evil tricks or mental masterbation” or “totally useless craps” (both of which, SIC) are out of place with the tone of your blog. They give the sense of a dis-balanced and exaggerated opinion, which you don’t have.
I respect and admire what you are doing in Yunnan. It is unexpected and comforting to know there are people such as you in China, when it often seems the goals of the opening up is to make as much money as possible and every man for himself. I was there in Yunnan (Lijiang) last February and agree with you about much of what you write. Thank you and please do not take my comments on your English as an insult; I am trying to help. Thanks
Comment by ah huang — November 21, 2006 @ 6:04 pm
hi sam
how are you ?
i am really ashamed ,i almost read your blog every day , but seldom give comments to u . because my english level is too low. even i can’t understand your some words.only depand on dictionary. ah. i nearly forgot all learned in university.
hope u a wonderful day
Comment by jane — November 22, 2006 @ 1:25 am
the penny finally dropped.i can’t thank u enough
Comment by yunnan — November 22, 2006 @ 5:25 am
i am a middle school teacher, always.
Comment by yunnan — November 22, 2006 @ 5:54 am