Monkey and the Puzzle
This short parable — identified as “an ancient Chinese Jewish story” — came to us as a reply to Diane’s recent post from Kaohsiung: Once upon a time there was a Puzzle. And along came a Monkey. And he looked at the Puzzle. And he became rigid with fright and all his hair stuck out in every direction, and he could never move again. And that is how the Monkey Puzzle Tree came into existence. And the moral of that is: Character building must not be rushed. To which...
Read MoreTaiwan / Weeks 7 & 8: Surprises Big and Small
Surprise: The Big Secret (mee mee in Chinese) Before leaving for Taiwan, I contacted the American School in Kaohsiung. I had the idea to both tell the new stories from Journey to the West that I was hoping to translate in Kaohsiung and to work with the teachers at the American School to identify the Chinese words that were most relevant to the children for the story. A week after arriving, I visited the school and met with the Principal of the Middle School, Gerry Dery, an affable, easy...
Read MoreTaiwan / Week 6: Friends, Food and Fern
Effie returns on Tuesday to China. Ma Ying–jeou has won the elections. After their wedding ceremony yesterday, the bride Huan Yi–ju, and her groom drove directly to the polling station in Nantou. Greeted warmly by the voters she said, “Although getting married is one of the most important events in our lives, voting in the presidential elections is even more important.” The sprouts on the palm tree are pushing their way out. Traveling across the world, from...
Read MoreTaiwan / Week 5: Learning/Birthing and Chinese Characters
The Reckoning comes on Fridays as well as the unexpected gifts. I got a 69 out of 100 on last week’s quiz. Up from 32. It was a relief but I knew it wasn’t going to last. I’m too wobbly. I’m wobbling among too many undertakings: how to hear the tones, learn the words, remember how to write the beh, peh, meh, feh, write the characters, learn the characters, understand the grammar. Today’s quiz was all in Chinese characters, there were no more comforting beh peh...
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