2019-02-17

【Aiden in English】

        While being a teenage teacher has his moments, receiving an invitation to an appreciation dinner incites a rather satisfying feeling. Granted, the honor to such exclusive banquet comes from the endeavor to promote Chinese heritage in spite of hardship, because having money spent on food for teachers is exactly what Guanghua Chinese School (GHCS) would want.

        Social commentary is something that you often see me write about in my experiences. Personally speaking, explaining the “delicious” food at this banquet for the teachers would be quite minuscule. I’ve been to China ergo I’ve experienced far superior dishes. So while I would enjoy describing the process of crunching down on some fried shrimps with salt and pepper, I do believe a better use of time should be given to unfolding some of my thoughts regarding GHCS.

        GHCS has always been run on self-reliance and a slight annual tuition fee for classes. Its goal is to promote Chinese education to local families. Over the years it has gained quite the support. Evidence of this can be seen in the ever-expanding classes and a number of new students and also in the growth of the recent Chinese New Year Gala. While I do not have any numbers to support this claim, it’s safe to say participants at the gala were not lacking in any sort. In fact, a friend of mine even brought a small high school band for filling performances in between set changes, symbolizing the expansion of GHCS into other areas.

        Another great example is the somewhat recent opening of the Greater Philadelphia Chinese Cultural Center (GPCCC), which I had helped write a mission statement (more of a paragraph). Inviting not only Chinese but anyone who wishes to learn more about our culture, the GPCCC is a decent success. 

        As of right now, you’re probably thinking: There hasn’t been much “commentary”. Well, here it comes.

        For as long as GHCS existed, most students enrolled in Chinese classes hold a tough unfavorableness towards their parents. Not only do they disfavor spending an entire Sunday afternoon in a classroom locked with other kids not enjoying their time, but they also are given “homework” with no real consequences, which to some essentially obligates them to not do it.

        An idea of reluctance sprouts into the mindset of unfavorableness. Weekends would not be looked forward to but rather dreaded. Once high school sets in, kids who challenge themselves have a difficult time keeping up with. 

        And so on and so forth.

【紅霞譯文】

        應邀參加謝師宴對於一位青少年教員來說確實倍感激動，誠然，為了犒勞那些克服困難努力傳播中國文化的老師們，光華中文學校才會不惜代價。

        你常能看到我公開發表的所見所聞，從個人觀點而言，其實謝師宴上美味佳餚並不重要，何況每次回國我都比這頓宴席吃得好，因此在津津樂道椒鹽炸蝦的同時，我還是想藉此機會抒發一點校園感受。

        光華中文學校一直自給自足，每年所收學費微不足道，其目標旨在為當地居民推廣漢語教育，多年來已得到社會各界不少幫助，從日趨增加的班級額度和新生人數以及最近舉辦的春節聯歡會規模上足以略見一斑，儘管我拿不出具體數字來證明上面陳述的事實，但可以肯定地說，剛剛出台的“春晚”節目豐富多彩，事實上，我的一位哥們還帶來其高中小型爵士樂隊現場助興，在“春晚”間隙進行客串表演，象徵着光華中文學校正朝着其它領域發展壯大。

        另外一個很好的例子就是大費城華人文化中心的成立，我曾親筆起草其使命宣言（幾段文字），呼籲包括同胞在內的任何人了解中國文化，迄今卓有成效。

        寫到這裡，你也許納悶怎麼沒見到什麼“評論”，好吧，接下來就來談論這個問題。

        自從光華中文學校建校以來，前來上課的多數學生都對父母滿腹牢騷，除了整個星期天下午被關在教室內不能跟班上其他同學玩耍外，還要完成無關緊要基本用不上的“家庭作業”。

        內心困惑引起精神牴觸，周末不再是盼望的日子而是恐懼的時刻，一旦進入高中，學生們更沒工夫學中文。

        等等、等等……

Today in History(歷史上的今天):

2011: 後果(Consequence)

Crosslinks(相關博文):

2018 Teachers’ Appreciation Dinner(2018年光華教師答謝晚宴)

2015 GHCS Teachers' Appreciation Dinner(2015年光華教師答謝晚宴)

10th Grade(高中二年級)