Messenger Lights

I recently took a trip to Argentina to visit my son who was there doing business. The trip was only for three days, and I hadn't originally planned to visit that many places. But I received the warmest welcome, all because of one phone call. It was to my classmate, a classmate that I met at overseas teacher training in Taiwan a few years back. You see, we're all overseas Chinese teachers.

We went to her school that day, and everyone was in wonderful spirits. We were talking and laughing the whole way, louder than the students themselves. I took a look around at all the classrooms and the general situation of the school, and also had a meeting with the principal. The teachers co-operated very closely at this overseas Chinese school, and the school also had the support of the parents of the children. The children were very happy to come to school, and gave their all in their activities. It left a very deep impression on me. I discovered that wall posters had been hung up in each classroom. The posters recorded the progress of each student. Some of the posters had pictures and had some text about recent events for the children, and others recorded the behavior and discipline of students, as well as prizes.

To this day, I still can't forget the performance of two classes of students. One class was an upper-grade class, who were in the midst of writing, preparing to take part in the ROC Overseas Chinese Student Outstanding Composition Selection. The other class was a first-grade class that was learning Mandarin phonetic symbols. What was surprising was how organized they were. The young men and women who were writing the compositions were quiet and peaceful, completely concentrating and using all their brain power in writing, just like they were taking a test right then. You could feel the diligence of each student in that strict atmosphere.

The cutest students were the six- and seven-year olds. I could hear them reciting before I entered their classroom. As soon I as stepped into the room, each of them looked at me and shouted, "Nin hao!" The teacher was using flash cards to teach the students, who were saying the sounds written on the cards in unison. Their little hands were all placed neatly on their desks, and each of them was deep in concentration. It was so cute. The classroom was neat and clean as well, with plenty of light and space for activities.

I had the chance to go to Brazil later on, and again got together with a classmate of mine from training in Taiwan. We sat in a Japanese restaurant, exchanging our teaching experiences and opinions on approaches to administrative duties, and then took a look at the local school. The main reason that these two trips left such a beautiful impression on me was that: wherever your wealth is, your heart will follow. We're a group of pioneers who love to teach, who are committed to educating the next generation of overseas Chinese.

I truly love children. I began as a tutor when I first came to Chile 10 years ago, and now I'm honored to be a member of the teaching staff at our school. Now, I'm overjoyed every day to teach. Most of the students that I teach are in first and second grade, and were all born in Chile. They're all active and open, and love to run around and ask questions. After teaching them for a long time, I feel like I'm living with angels.

To teach these students to realize that they are Chinese, even though they may be raised by a Chilean maid at home, go to local schools, and be immersed in a Spanish language environment is difficult, and requires a lot of effort not only from the children's parents but also from the Chinese school. You can't slack off at all if you want to gradually teach the Chinese language, imbue students with Chinese ethics and morals, and Chinese nationalism, all within the short class time. So the teachers here, just like I saw at other overseas Chinese schools, are all willing to set an example through their own behavior and give all they have to carry out this sacred mission.

I want to thank the Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission and the Foreign Ministry. They have given their material and spiritual support and love to overseas Chinese schools, and each year send a number of cultural teachers to teach Chinese kung-fu, Chinese knot-work, paper-cutting, the art of self-cultivation, Taijiquan, as well as a number of cultural exchange activities, such as the music played on ancient Chinese instruments, song appreciation, popular arts, children's plays, dance exhibitions, and art exhibitions. Even more, the organizations have also sponsored teachers to travel back to Taiwan for training, giving a chance for the teachers to recharge, and also giving us the opportunity to make friends who live throughout the world.

Just what is it that will enable us to grasp firmly the source of our strength? It's "love." There is a nation that loves us, and we should love that nation even more. I still remember the first time I came back to Taiwan to take part in the Second International Chinese Linguistic Symposium. At that time, Chao Lin, then still the Head of the Second Office of Overseas Chinese Teaching Affairs, and Chairman Tseng both mentioned in their speeches to the participants of the symposium that if overseas teachers could have the loving heart of a mother, the patience of a gardener, and the zeal of a missionary, then the Chinese people, an unbroken and flowing river of life, a burning spirit of close ties, would never be broken.

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This photo is of me and my fellow Central and South America Overseas Chinese schoolteachers from the #606 Taiwan Provincial School Teacher Training Class, taken on January 18, 1994.