LIFE TRACK

Following is a letter i wrote to all the teachers in China Connections today to start a refreshing week.


Hey Guys
just want to share with you this message quoted from Fernand Braudel who is a French Historian living in England:

live in lodon for a year and you will not get to know much about England, but through comparision, in the light of your surprise, you will suddenly come to understand some of the more profound and individual characteristics of France, which you did not previously understood.

My understanding of this message is:
although he did not mention wether he likes his motherland France or his guest place England better, he is observing his motherland from a new perspective, which brings him to a deeper and wider level of understanding life.

The use of this message for me is:
while i am now teaching and "living" in a coner of the States, i am thinking about China more often, and in a more structured way.
And ONLY as a result i would assume that:
leaving China is a speed way to homecoming, in which sense, i could better think what kind of life i would like to lead and what can i bring back.

Speaking of this culture comparison, the Five Cs strike me, that is the power of language: through comparing languages and cultures, one get to appreciate his own heritage.

This reflection makes me proud of myself as a language teacher.

This letter is dedicated to all the Chinese teachers as international faculty in your indivudual schools, hope you are now busy preparing lessons, bringing Chinese flavor to your school community while exploring more about China.

Hope you enjoy this!

sincerely