Trang Transplanted

My day = School + Professor + Friends

I become happy and thoughtful today. I mean I was not so miserable the other days even though the semester is coming to an end and I could barely have a minute to breathe.

  First of all, let me tell you about my Linguistics class. Our professor was so lovely tonight than ever!!! After our negotiation attempt, he agreed to delay our test for one week and said: “I may have big trouble with the Department as I have to find an excuse for this going-against schedule. But it’s okay. As long as you feel happy, then I am ok” – that’s exactly what he said to us. (A good lesson for me as a teacher in the future… But I don’t mean to spoil students just to gain love from them, hee hee…). That brought us a big happy sigh….

The rest of the class hours went by in interest and motivation. I like Linguistics, and I like his lecture too. But he made us laugh sometime by his immortal response like: “Semantics is kind of hard part. It’s not like Syntax”. “So, syntax is easy?”-I responded and the class just laughed. Because just in the previous class, he told us that Syntax was one of the hardest and most complicated chapters in the book. Anyway, he laughed when he heard me respond too. Another laughing, a classmate of mine asked him: “What kind of short answer in the test, can you…?” –“A short answer is just a short answer…”!!! What an answer!!! No more no less!!! However, we were actually motivated a lot in his class. We saw his good attention and dedication to us. I just realized one important thing: Students regardless nationality or cultures or whatever differences, they are all happy when they are content, they are motivated when they really learn, or when they find the true stimulus and inspiration for learning. He has put on us a “nice pressure” by the test- he wanted us to pay more attention and dept-learning for Linguistics. I noticed delightful and bright faces of my classmates during the time he talked. I thought of the significance of a model teacher!

Even the way home today was not the same than any other times, when I just walked quietly and fast. We talked and laughed and I saw my friends were happy just like me. My friend Noe will teach me board-skiing and will take me to Mexico for lunch very soon. That’s what he said before goodbye.

Back to my home, I walked but just like dancing on the way, feeling full of thrills. I liked to sing, and I did, but soft enough so that no one could hear... Just remembered that today is Vietnamese Teacher’s day. I hurried copied down the message that is already in my head for my university mates, among some are my good friends. I wish they are being happy, in some way, like I am now. “To my Anh A Su Pham: Though you are / not a teacher, I wish the Teacher’s Day is an important reminder in you of memories about school, friendship and many more… May you gain joy and success on your way… See you again” ( to those who didn’t get it ).

Oh, I had a quite personal conversation with a classmate today too. It started from online course when I told her I was positively impressed by online course and that Dr Yanes is really cool. She seems very interested but she told me that she had to stop school for a while as she could not afford it. Here is her answer for my “why” question: “Because my father will not pay for my school any more, and international tuition is crazy. I have to stop to work and save money to come back. I love school so much, oh, poor me”. “I am so sorry to hear that. I wish you can continue with us”. “Yes, me too, but I have my sister entering college so my parents move the funds on her. They said I am 21 already. I feel like they have pushed me out”. I felt s little bit bitter about it… Yes American school is crazily expensive, yes she is 21 “already” but she likes school, and now she has to stop it. I just looked back to myself and more realized how lucky I am to have Cindy and Doug who take care of me. But I was too unhappy to compare her with myself. Maybe she won’t be able to find a job. Maybe she can never save enough to the amount. Maybe she will have to help her family with her future income instead. A lot of possibilities as well as obstacles can occur to her. And I just keep in mind what she told me: “But I love school so much”. She looked so sad when saying that!!!

Someone took care of my umbrella

"Knock... knock... knock..." on the door, a good-looking gentleman from the opposite room told me: "Just open it and come in. They did not hear you knocking the door". I was just finished my "yes" then a lady opened the door. "Your umbrella?" "Yes, uh, I forgot...". (smiling) "It's in the 3rd floor, room 306 I believe". "But how can you know ( that I came her for my umbrella?)..." ( pleasantly surprised ). (laughing) "I don't know". I was so astonished by how the lady could address my problem when she hardly saw me. ( She asked me the question no later than a second after she opened the door ). Then I took a lift to room 306. This time, though it's not fantastic as the first one, drove me crazy.  Another knock again. "Here's your umbrella, ma'am". "Oh, so fast. Thank you very much. I appreciate that". "You're welcome ma'am". We smiled, I said goodbye and left.
I kept thinking of the 2 ladies at the Administration building. "People here are so nice. What has happened is so amazing, and wonderful". It came up in me a pleasant feeling when I was going back to the library for a discussion with my ESL mates. Everything was so bright on the way.

Open House

We had a nice time yesterday at the Center of Learning, Teaching and Technology where
I was starting working 2 weeks ago. It was the Open House to welcome all the Faculty across the Campus to the Center and provide them useful information resources regarding online or online related courses.

 ( Click on the image for larger version :-))

Guests were professors coming from different departments who are currently in charge of or interested in online courses. They were welcome at the front door by the 2 female gate keepers :-) and inside came the key staff.

( Click on the image for larger version :-))

Gracie was instructing them to join the party. They would start by signing in, which served as a record.( By the way, there were approximately 50 guests coming). After signing in, each professor would be given a name card and a number. S/he was expected to write her/his name on "Name" line, then find staff (5) with stars on their faces and answer their questions. If the professor answered correctly, s/he would get a star stuck on her/his name card.

( Click on the image for larger version :-))

The name card with 5 stars on would be put on a jar and brought to draw lots. Each name card in the jar has a number.If the name card and the number are both identical to a professor's number, then s/he would get a *special* gift. But actually any professors who had answered 5 questions correctly and put the cards in jar got gifts, because that's all we had expected.

( Click on the image for larger version :-))

We did have fun taking pictures and making fun of each other.The party, despite its academic nature, was lasting in joy and laughs  and surprises by the funny answers or talks or exchanges. I had chances to talk to some professors as well.

( Click on the image for larger version :-))

Oh, one thing I forgot to mention, that was food. Food's everywhere and was so good. One of the professors said: was the question " Is the food good?" " Yes, it is". "Give me a star". Some professors came at 6pm when we were supposed to come home then. Their enthusiast ism has just kept us nicely busy.

Finally, we went home with balloons on shoulders and of courses,pictures taken. We didn't look like college students at all but that's how we were. We talked on the way home and exchange cell phone numbers. I had some new friends!!!

 
     ( Click on the image for larger version :-))