The World (in me)- Part 1

My first day in America made me dizzy, annoyed and unbalanced. Even though we stayed at my husband's sister's nice house with her great family in Princeton, N.J., that didn't help me from feeling disoriented.

My mind was not present at all. I was in search of something ... far, unknown and unattainable.

That was about three and a half years ago. This trip of mine in the U.S. has somehow become one of the best experiential learning experiences of living, working, being, thinking, observing, feeling and eating in the land of freedom, rights and liberty.

For a part-time immigrant like me, this experience has been both joyful and stressful.

First of all, it is stressful because I am trying to seek an unidentified source of support which I can't identify. At times, I have not been happy with things, people and myself. In those chaotic moments, I could always find negative sides to blame. I tended to embrace the dark corners more than celebrating an adventurous new life in America.

In April 2006, I started to run. I remembered vividly that I decided to dump "that" depression. I was so tired with my unhealthy attitude and I wanted to start all over again. I needed a new beginning.

I called my co-worker who is a marathon runner. I asked her about the best place to buy a running shoe and what kind of shoe would best suit me. She nicely explained everything to me and I felt that beautiful support. I left my work at the homeless shelter in the afternoon, and with my husband, bought my first pair of running shoes. The next day I left my apartment early and ran as far (and perhaps fast) as I could on my first day. It was only one mile. It was my best run. My mind started to open up naturally. It was a symbolic run for me.

I was so HAPPY. It was not about the mile that I ran. It was more of the replenishing of the loss of my mind. I slowly woke up from the depression.

My frustration of trying to adjust into the new country (new water) was replaced by the sweat, the soreness, and the endless joy of counting the miles, the solitude when running, the fresh air that I breathed in when running along Lake Champlain, the new level of being healthier, feeling better about myself, and seeing another side of life. Things seemed clearer after running.

It was a great solid six months of running before I went astray and didn't really catch up with running. This was the worst part of me and I am working on getting back to that "track" habit again.

Three years and a half is quite a long journey that constantly brought me not only stressful moments to complain about but also lots of joyful times to cherish. I will write about those joyful times in my next blog entry.

The "world" in me, now, is the one that will keep changing and shredding. It will certainly go uphill and downhill and up again.

TAN

Can A Burrito Walk?

I couldn't believe that I asked my students this question. "Class, can a burrito walk?" Before any student in the class could shout out an answer, they all shouted at once. All of a sudden, they said, "Can a burrito walk?" I acted like a burrito, the best I could, by making my fingers into a walking burrito.

I didn't know what was actually happening, but I knew for sure that they would remember this example forever and that they probably would have started to play with the language as I was trying to model it. I was challenging my class with this simple imaginative trick. I was using an everyday object as a real life example in the classroom. The students could connect to the "walking Burrito" with cheerful laughter.

I know that, at least half of the class will remember that the Burrito is, in fact, a noun and not a verb!

I was trying to introduce a set of useful phrases to my Spanish-speaking students. One of the sentences was, "Is this (word) a noun or a verb?" For the basic level students, I was doubtful that the question would be too hard for them. However, I was going to try to introduce it anyway. I was weighing the great benefit of introducing this sentence and encouraging the students to try to use it in order to gain better command and confidence at using a language to learn a language.

I am not sure how I came up with such a funny example. The only thing that I know is that if you are in sync with the context and find the right flow, excellent examples will be generated naturally.

I am searching for a great flow in America and the incubation of great ideas. I am waiting for something that is similar to my walking Burrito in my ESL classroom.

Can a burrito walk?

TAN

How are you, TOMORROW?

There are still hundreds of reasons why I love being in an Adult ESL classroom. The top reasons are that the classroom experience is so unique, refreshing, and heart-warming every day.

One of my Spanish-speaking students from the Honduras, in my Basic English class, asked me "how are you, tomorrow?" The question was followed by his big smile and a big laugh from the class. My face turned red and laughed with the class because the question was so simple yet sophisticated.

At that moment, I was not at all thinking of the answer. I was not trying to correct his English. I called out his name, 'Roberto" and said with my cheerful voice, "you are so creative!!!!" He laughed but my laughter was deeper. I didn't know how I ended the lesson that day.

This led to one of my musings about life in America, "how many people (here) will read between the lines, will open up to the unfamiliar, will extend their flexibility to the inaccuracy of language and seek to understand the intention of the second language speaker?" (Not) to my surprise, there are more people who are quick to make an assumption and judge than people who will ask questions and gain a bit of wisdom.

I am not trying to defend second language English speaking people. I am trying to create a dialogue to push people to go deeper than they think they can.

Roberto asked me his next question, "Teacher? Can I say that? Why cannot I say that? I want to say that, teacher ... I want to say that....!"

He smiled when he asked all of those questions. I knew him enough to know that he doesn't really need me to answer. He needs me to hear that he can express himself and if the listener has trouble trying to follow him, then perhaps, sometimes, it is o.k -- not the end of the world --not the breakdown of anything serious.

My student just wanted to play with the language which he will have to use in this country. He and I are in the same context, I just happen to have better command of English than he does, but we are on the same pace in this world. We are trying to gain acceptance to our new country. We struggle but we will be O.K. I have to figure out how I will be TOMORROW.

Roberto already invited me to play with Basic English and this is a heart-warming experience for me.

Thanks, Roberto.

TAN