Life often changes,
there are always challenges
But without challenges
when troubles come our way
we wouldn't know how to find our way.
From birth to death,
life accompanies many dangers.
Because of them
we get old and wise
So everyone increasingly knows
what love is
what happiness is
just because of challenged lives
One day,
Alice woke up and went upstairs
There's a scale, and he said:
"Yo're welcome to join us. Do not be afraid.
I am a scale. I'm always honest and fair."
"Yes." Little Alice said.
She joined him right away.
Day after day,
Alice found that what Mr. Scale says and how he acts are not always the same.
"Why? Why? You told me you're a scale. You're honest and fair."
Every rabbit there sneers at her.
"Silly dummy Alice, You really thought you're still n wonderland.
Silly dummy Alice,
Betraying, cheating, ugly, fairy tale.
Ha! Welcome to Wonderland."
I lost myself, my heart, my soul
Who are you stranger?
I'm lost in a maze
Standing in an intersection
like a child who couldn't find her way home
Confused about which choice to make
Give up or move on
At the end of the day
nothing has really changed
I've lost you.
I've lost my world.
Language and Culture is the course I have to take
But every chapter that we've covered this semester,
I don't understand; everything doesn't make any sense
My midterm exam paper was returned
And I felt like everything just fell to hell
I promise I won't use my iphone when I'm in class
or play silly phone apps
I will be a good girl.
Teacher, teacher
let me go
Wenzao is like a jail
teachers always say
"do it or you'll fail!"
I made a wish ten years ago
That was the day abound with acclaim and fireworks aglow
I wished that I could make a great progress the following year
Ten years later,
on the same day abound with acclaim and fireworks aglow
I made a wish
a wish I made ten years ago
not because I didn't do a good job
but it seems like everyone had the same wish
This year
nothing has changed
not even my wish
the same wish I made
ten years ago
Green, yellow, white, black, and red.
Fresh ingredients, colorful vegetables.
Doctors always tell us what we should eat,
which is healthy but not always tasty.
Green, yellow, white, black, and red.
Which color you ate today?
Green, yellow, white, black, and red.
Which color are you having in your buffet,
fillet, or food tray?
Be it Green, or yellow, or white, or black, or even red
Whatever the color
Balance your diet
And live in color
These are youtube videos of Rudyard Kipling's poem 'If'. Three different interpretations. Listen to the first and followed by the Dennis Hopper's interpretation. Then listen to Martin Shaw's reading. Which interpretation do you prefer? How did you feel listening to their renditions?
I got a fright with people who fight
The fight does not happen every night
As it always hides
Everything could be not be alright
As each one keeps a lie
I have many plans
to visit different lands
Am not afraid to cross the plain
and travel the world by plane
this is my dream
and my dream won't change
but I don't have enough money
I feel sorry for myself
because all I've got is a penny.
Here is a poem I wrote for the class activity on Learning (life, love, and change)
See blog archive (March 2012)
LEARNING PAIN
Learning is a pain
My energy is drained
By the end of the day
All I do is wail
whining as I sit on my chair
Afraid to fail
Words escaped me
Why? Oh, why
do I have to feel this way?
Is there a better way to get an 'A'?
I must apologize for the delayed publication of this poem. I wrote this poem in class (after in-class discussion) while my students were also writing their poems on the theme: patriotism (towards their country: Taiwan)
It is okay to be an outsider, a recent arrival, new on the scene — and not just okay, but something to be thankful for. … Because being an insider can so easily mean collapsing the horizons, can so easily mean accepting the presumptions of your province.” (Tan Le)
to endure
oblivious
to bypass
inflexible
enmeshed
relentless
catapulted
marginalized
disenfranchised
hunches
thwarted
entitlement
This video contains a lot of valuable lessons for students. It is a great teaching material about personal/emotional endurance, presumptions, determination, tribulations, and gaining success despite various upheavals.
Personal Branding- this was the lesson I gave on June 8, 2012
Introduction:
I asked my students to think of how they would introduce themselves to people. What would they say besides their name?
These are what they came up with: I'm a graduating student...; I'm majoring in English...; I come from Taiwan...
I then rephrased my question to: If you were to market yourself, what adjectives could you think of to describe your abilities?
I wrote on the board the word, Brand. I asked students to throw in answers of what they think this word means (listing them on the board). This is what we came up with:
- it is a symbol or trademark
-style
-a name given to a product or service
- recognizable/unique
I then moved on to discussing 'personal brand' and why we should care about it. I asked my students to think of their qualities, what makes them unique.
I drew two columns on the board with the following headings:
Passion- this is priceless, you can learn skills. love what you do
Energy- pursue what you love to do
----
There's more to this that happened in the classroom, but the point of the lesson is for the students to discover their own self-worth. Self-impression is important and an awareness of what and how people think about you is valuable in gaining self-confidence or simply just improving yourself.
"Secrets can take many forms -- they can be shocking, or silly, or soulful." Frank Warren, the founder of PostSecret.com, shares some of the half-million secrets that strangers have mailed him on postcards. He posits that, "Secrets can remind us of the countless human dramas, of frailty and heroism playing out silently in the lives of people all around us.”
Frank Warren is the creator of the PostSecret Project, a blog full of secrets anonymously shared via postcard.
-----------
Based on this material, I created a lesson plan for today's class. I wrote on the board the following words:
I asked the students to look for the definitions of the words above (both in Chinese and English), and I asked them to share with the whole class what they have found. I used this opportunity to add a few comments, throw questions that would make them think or guess what the discussion theme was about.
I asked them if they have secrets that they have been keeping to themselves. Secrets that they find difficult to share with their family and friends. These questions made my students smile and laugh. I told them that I also have my share of own pandora's box- now this made them chuckle and probably curious, as well.
Once the topic, SECRETS, was revealed. I showed/played a short video, and asked them to watch and listen carefully. See the web link to the video above.
The content of the video was meaningful as all of us, including our students, have secrets. And like what Frank said on the video, these secrets can be shocking, silly, and soulful.
I played the video the second time, and this time I paused on every secret that Frank shared. We looked at our own reactions, and we asked ourselves if we could do something that is totally out of the ordinary- sharing our secrets anonymously. And we did!
The secrets shared were not only about the mischievous things we did in the past (or intending to do), but they were also about things that students think fancy but never shared anyone.
Sharing our secrets- anonymously in class!
Since this was a big class (50 students), I felt it was safe to do this activity. I would think twice if it was a small class.
I distributed stick-it-note pads in class, and I asked students to get one pad and write on it THEIR secret. They were asked not to write their names or any clue that would give out their identity. As soon as they were finished writing, I asked them to fold it. I walked around carrying a small pouch where they drop their written secrets. At this stage, the students were excited and obviously, they were having fun. Before I read out their secrets, I dropped my own little secret in the bag, too.
As I read our secrets aloud, everyone was saying ,'oh', 'aha!', or simply asking, 'who on earth would that be?'. This is what I think made the activity fun.
In a nutshell, I believe that this was a successful activity- one where everybody had a blast, including myself!
NOTE:
sample of students' anonymous secrets will be published on this blog soon.
TAIWAN,
A place where we are bound with one another from the day we're born
Independence, though it's hard, still not far
With our own unbeatable faith and devoted action of our love.
A country which sets the bar high, above par
it will never tear us apart. A
nation like Taiwan will never be knocked down even when the end of the world comes.
This is the place I live and breathe
With beautiful spirits, beautiful mountains, and gorgeous sea.
I've traveled around and set foot in various countries,
but no place can substitute this tiny island, I guarantee.
What makes a nation's pillars high
and foundations strong?
What makes it mighty to defy
the enemies that round its crowd?
Brave men who work while others sleep,
who dare while others fly?
They build a nation's pillars deep
and lift them to the sky.
Let me tell you about Taiwan
Where the weather is fine
and the people are nice.
We passed the hard times with persevering mind.
The cultural conflicts made us kind.
Even though the world leaves problems for us to strive,
we still look at this place with pride.
"Ilaformosa" should not be the only thing that we have to remember
but the inner beauty of this land,
our culture,
our people,
our country,
our name--
Taiwan.
Taiwan always welcomes foreigners
Though we are often discriminated by international organizations
We are able to say something
But we have no right to say everything
This is not fair
We want a revolutionary change
It's time to voice up
It's time for a change
The time is now for Taiwan to be heard
Once upon a time,
there is a land full of shine
Settled on the pacific line,
though it's small and hardly in sight,
its people lit the fire to make it bright.
They believe one day things can be all put right,
Though shadows and rain often come without a sign,
Its flowing hope will never dry.
Thanks to the class today
Aiden gave Anew a chance to say
I appreciate the patience and persistence, they pay
Working hard on making Taiwan say 'Hey!'
Although there are difficulties on the way, we'll
Never give up 'cause we can do it one day.
Jace
Note: Vertically, the first letter of each word reads 'Taiwan'
I ❤ Taiwan
I learn English, but I love Taiwanese
I get along with foreigners, but I love Taiwanese
I listen to English songs, but I love singing in Taiwanese
I love everything in Taiwan
Because I am Taiwanese!
We stand on the land we are proud of
We sing the national anthem we are proud of
We wave the flag we are proud of
Being Taiwanese is what we are most proud of
You strike us
You disparage us
We will insist on what we are proud of
Taiwan is a magical and incredible land
The spectacular natural scenery makes it a wonderland
With the Creator's hands which made Taiwan an attractive land
For those of us who live in this diverse place, shall cherish this pleasure
for it is our home,
our very own
Formosa island.
I have a sister
She is much bigger
I am afraid of her
But she wants us to live together
She said we can be closer
But I don't buy that
See what happens
She's got weapons!
Here are the result of yesterday's in-class activity.
16 students did the vocabulary (definition and sentences)
30 wrote poems (out of the 30, 6 did both the poem and vocabulary)
The in-class discussion stirred strong feelings among my students. Anew, a male student, was given the opportunity to share his personal experiences and sentiments about the underlying issue that goes beyond simply being a member of the WHO. As an officer of AISEC, he pointed out how this dilemma affects all of Taiwan's young citizens. The in-class discussion became more interesting and more meaningful than what I hoped it would be. Riding on the patriotic feeling that was looming in the air, I thought of giving the students the opportunity to choose a writing task: they could either 1) do the vocabulary worksheet, or 2) write a poem about their country, their sentiments about its political presence in the world, which is often threatened by China and its one-China policy.
Soon to be posted here are the works of my students. We'll see if something creative will come out of today's in-class activity.
Aiden
Estranged from their family,
they are mentally homeless.
Abandoned, they are spiritually homeless.
Because they are self-righteous.
Because they are presumptuous.
Though life is a tough journey,
challenge is also unavoidable.
Always be well prepared then be capable,
the turning point will be the opportunity.
Chelsea
Everyone has been through a heartbroken time in life.
This can be the turnaround and the opportunity
for us to manipulate a better future and visualize our dream.
Even though the condition is worse,
we should be positive and never give up our original purpose.
All we have to do is believe, persist and practice.
Our goals will guide out daily actions as we take steps to get ourselves there.
Practice makes everything come true.
Put it into practice,
hold on to your belief and you will get what you want.
Heart, hard as a rock,
cold as the floor I'm lying on.
I feel the world is shut.
Yet, I choose to get up,
choose to stand up from where I fell down.
I feel the future is bright.
The world I thought was cold and hopeless,
is full of love and care.
The strangers' hands pulled me up from despair.
The goal that I had
took me to success
step by step, so now, I am here.
Insisting on what you're looking for in life.
Taking action to turn over a new leaf.
Believing in your might and conviction.
Appreciating people who have helped you always.
Eventually, all the effort you've done
will become the most delicious fruit of success.
Jenny Hung
Being brave to face the dark,
Facing who you really are.
Keep the faith of what you want,
You will have a chance to start.
I close my eyes,
silence my mind,
let my heart decide.
Do I really want the time to pass by?
What have I reached so far in this four-year college life?
Open my eyes,
I think I see the light.
Roey Yeh
The rusted ship in storms, though shattered
Fears no threat from Ocean of Hazard.
Angels guide her.
To Dream Land, she sails forward.
Jason Lin
Love is blind
Happiness is difficult to find
You will see what makes people cry
Love is full of terrible lies
How can we survive?
We need to open our eyes.
Life won't be just the way you hope,
full of joy and comfort on the road.
Whenever there's a hole.
Put some dust and make it full.
Accepting its pain and sore,
Make it no tortures of our own,
since we can't get another soul, after all,
why don't we enjoy more?
Pauline Chen
Life is difficult,
You may fall.
But no one can help you
if you don't have any goal.
Everyone gets setback in lifetime
If the road is so easy ahead, life would be meaningless.
People get frustration sometimes
But altogether it can make one
a better person next time.
Vivian
No matter how many things you have lost in your life
The dream is always what you can hold on tight
So never forget your own goal
Do not think too much, just go.
Oh, I come and hear the news.
I am now free to choose.
There is no more abuse.
Past are the loathsome blues.
Freedom, I will speak my view.
Freedom, my life to pursue.
Hebe Liu
Life can be mean.
Sometimes even the future can't be seen.
When surroundings become dim
The hope in your mind would start to sing.
A song that gives you a good dream.
In the melody, there's a hint.
Indeed.
There will be more opportunities to seize.
Viola Wang
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Rio's letter to the Editor was published on China Post's website. Here's a snapshot of his work:
My dear darling
I know you are lying
You have no chance to deny
Cause I look into your eyes
Your eyes tell me you lie
Say goodbye, don't waste my time...
It's something that takes courage
It's something that reaches to the heart
It hurts when you break it
It firms when you keep it
You cannot see it, smell it, hear it,
Nor can you touch it
But it does exist, and you know it
It is trust.
Truth is the commandant
You have no choice but surrender
Some deal with it by being cynical
AS truth is cruel but real
It never heals
If you are good at twisted truth
Being politician is an ideal position for you
As lie is what you woo
When you lie to me,
you set the bomb in my heart.
When the fact comes out,
this bomb will blow up.
The power of the bomb is unclear
and it destroys everything.
Then our relationship would become nothing.
Have you ever tried,
To use the mind,
That Hamlet provides?
A goblet of crystal-clear wine,
A golden sword without shine,
Could be the death-approaching sign,
A royal soul's heartbroken cry,
Turn the love story wind.
I sniffed your lie.
When you said you are fine.
You wanted to hide.
You might.
You tried.
But in your eyes.
I saw a disguise.
I didn't have courage to keep asking why.
Who's not lonely in the middle of the night?
The letters to the editor section of your local paper is an ideal forum for sharing your opinion and story with the local community. In addition, it is one of the first pages many elected officials turn to. Letters to the editor show that an issue is of concern to the community and are excellent tools for education. Here are a few guidelines for getting your letter to the editor printed.
Localize your letter -- explain or include examples
Make your letter timely - if the newspaper has recently printed a story or column about the issue of marriage and same-sex couples, you can reference the article and use it as a springboard for your letter.
Keep your letter short and to the point -- 250 words maximum.
Your letter should carry its most important message in the first paragraph.
Include your name, address and daytime phone number. Editors like to call to confirm that the letter was actually written by the person whose name appears on the letter.
Limit the number of points you make, and stay on the same subject.
Don't be disappointed if your letter does not get printed. Newspapers get many letters every day and can't print all of them. Most papers won't print the same writers over and over again.
Don't be afraid to ask for action -- tell readers what you want them to do. This includes your elected representatives; you can be sure they read the letters to the editor.
Source: Human rights Campaign
We have discussed so far a variety of issues. What you need to do is to look at these issues and choose one that interests you the most. Then go to either China Post or Taipei times and read/choose a related news item that was published on their paper.
Compose your letter to the editor following the guidelines I gave, and send your letter to the editor via email (see links below). When you send your letter (to the Editor) do not include your student number nor indicate that it is an assignment. You need to present your work as a letter coming from a concerned Taiwanese citizen who has something relevant to say/comment on.
Before you compose your letter, study the already published letters, and analyze their format. Follow the same writing format and style.
Taipei times
China Post Opinions Section
You will be notified by the editor if your work has been chosen. If it was, please do not forget to inform the class about it.
Some people say
honesty is the foundation for love
You cannot deceive
but sometimes it will hurt
like a knife directly ripping apart
each other's heart
Honesty itself is like a thief of heart
it sought our soul
if I never told
you would have never known why I ran
I find it hard to breathe
every second you watch me
the only thing I want to do is flee
Thought if I figure out the mess you've made
I'd leave
the mistakes that you've made
Forgiven
those memories erased
I think that's the beauty of grace
It exists in silence yet demands to be heard
Being an honest man is not easy
Sometimes, we tell something without honesty
Everybody knows telling a lie is bad
but some people never feel bad
there is no man who has never told a lie
and so do I
My mom told me to be honest when I was young
But I was arrested when I said I have a gun
The time behind bars was not fun
Because every morning I always ate bun
Money is always not enough
prices keep going up
People's salaries are not high enough
Only the governors' pockets are filled up
I wonder what color a greedy heart is
I'm guessing 'black' it is
I wonder why these things happen
The answer needs to come out in the open
I wonder when all these will end
Just pray
The truth will be revealed in the end
Though sometimes it tastes as sweet as a can of sugar
Looks gorgeous as an African cougar
Feels romantic as an evening star
But as midnight lingers
A warning sign is triggered
Its meaning hidden
Its blade sharpened
Just like a sparkling dagger
Puts you in an elusive danger
Tired of listening to those excuses all the time
So don't give me those words refined
Those stories I won't buy
To all the lies you hide
So blow a kiss- goodbye
Your smile is like a wind blowing in the spring
Your eyes look like a golden ring
But the best compliment I have ever known
is that 'you are the I want to own'
Everyone treats you as good as their family
Having their company, you're never lonely
You believe your life is full of luck
The truth is, they just want your money
Dream is hope when you are thinking it
Dream is power when you start to build it
Dream is paradise if you complete it
Dream is a dream if you ever take action on it
No matter i'm smiling or crying
You are here, stay with me
No matter how many troubles around me
You are here, be with me
No compliment, no praise, no flattering
Just quietly, hold me
This is the way you protect me
In my life she is a sweety
She hugs me when I am lonely
She worries about me when I am busy
She smiles when I laugh crazily when watching TV
For me she is the one and only
This beauty is my lovely mommy.
Deep into the silent night,
Stars shining bright,
Children soundly closed their eyes,
To a place they'd never been twice,
It's a land full of marvel,
Where dreamers travel,
So fast asleep the children fall
Their stories begin to roll.
It was the descendant of Cain,
Living in dim damp fen,
Slumbering in his quiet den.
The giant creature with powerful strength,
Opened his eyes, bared his teeth,
For the joy of Herot broke his serene.
We live in a world
where people commit sin
and feel no guilt
The day of judgement will come
to punish us
for our unforgivable crime
Unable to to fulfill
the order of the Father
Because after all
deep in our soul
We're no different
from monsters
Mirror, mirror on the wall
Am I the most beautiful girl of all?
What do you mean by silence?
I don't want to know
There's still someone who loves me
waiting outside these walls
Come on, just make the truth be told
I promise I won't let my tears fall
Whether your answer is 'yes' or 'no'
I. will. go.
People say it's all about 'change'
But what is the range?
Falling apart in pain?
Or stand firm in the rain?
I say, a good life is definitely not easy to obtain
but everything is worth the gain
No matter what happens in the end
An unshakable faith sustain
We should all believe
We can stand up for ourselves again.
We become love travelers for happiness
We become injured travelers for sadness
No matter when passionate summers come
No matter when indifferent winters come
We walk hand in hand
in our voyage
for a love that stands
the test of time.
Life is like a brutal game,
people keep pursuing fame,
break the moral chain,
without feeling shame,
Time and money will be asked to pay,
for the game you're now gonna play.
Though so much effort made me insane,
Times and days remain the same,
I sit and eat all day,
Struggling to find a way,
Knowledge is hard to gain,
Without using my brain,
Things are all in vain.
I used to think that life already has a plan for me
Until I realized that life has to be planned by me
I've spent all my life wondering about who I have to be
but I guess, I just have to be me.
You said your dream is going camping by a stream
Without thinking of work or worrying anything
I asked when will that day be
Your answer is always that might be
You keep saying you'll fulfill your dream someday
Why don't you just shut up, and do it today!
There is a farmer who sprinkles water
in the middle of summer
The land is plowed by his hoe,
and beads of perspiration on his cheeks flow
He words hard every moment
for he could gain the harvest by the end of autumn
Don't think reading is very tough
After you read you will be touched
Don't you think writing is very annoying
After you write it
You will feel amazing
Don't think reading and writing is very simple
After you do them again and again
You can get something meaningful
I have done my best to stay in his mind
But no matter how I tried
He still left me behind,
And didn't care about my cry
The only thing that he left for me is endless sigh.
My dear friend
I see you are in pain
You blame yourself
And fall into pieces
You are lost in a maze
Let me be your lighthouse
to guide you to the right place
If you still feel depressed
and no one knows
Let's go to the lighthouse,
drink till the world ends.
Life is just like a comedy
Miracle always happen unexpectedly.
Life is also a tragedy.
Accidents sometimes happen suddenly,
To grasp every opportunity,
because everything happen randomly.
When I was a little girl
I think love is a pearl
The purest thing in the world
Then I met love when I was twenty-one years old
The wild wind makes me fall
I can hardly find myself
No matter how I call
I realize love is a black hole
Just as I can never forget his mole
Some people say, live is to learn and learn to earn
However, I think they're learning to burn
To burn themselves for the desire
To let the desire set the fire
You call me honey
but you use my money.
I say I am pretty,
but you think I'm silly.
I am waiting,
but you are leaving.
The fact is
You call me darling
but everything you do is nothing.
I won't spare no lives
Everything is in my stride.
I won't take no prisoners,
Visit me with no quarter.
Walking side by side with Death,
I mock your step.
Oh Lord, do I seem bulletproof?
Or another silly fool,
Who tries to get loose from the noose?
I guess I am simply cynical,
Playful, not respectful,
as Lucifer the fallen angel.
I have a vocabulary test in my Spanish class,
But what I've studied are all in a mess.
If the teacher test us by drawing lots,
I hope today I won't get too much luck.
Life is too short to play 'what if' game
Saying any regret about a stumble is lame
Days are like a shooting star
They go very fast
So live your day as if it were your last
