Tuesday, April 27, 2010

THE INTRODUCTION of THE FILM ABOUT PELE

"If you think you know everything about Pele, think again."

If you think you know everything about women, think twice.
If you think you know everything about me, tell me what you know.
If you think you know everything about life, show me what it is about.
If you think you know what to do with it, let me know what you will do with it.
If you think you understand grammar, reconsider what you understand.

BILL's PROBLEM- Listen up- lesson 8

I know a man who loves food.
I know a doctor who loves English.
His name is Bill and he's very fat.
His name is Liem and he's very rich.
Bill's problem is that he likes to eat but he doesn't like to work.
Liem's problem is that he likes to speak but he doesn't like to listen.

I know a woman who loves money.
Her name is Jenice and she's very rich.
Jenice's prblem is that she likes to make money but she doesn't like to spend it.

I teach a girl who loves grammar.
Her name is Jeniffer and she's very cute.
Jeniffer's problem is that she likes to learn grammar but she doesn't like to practice.

I loved a lady who was crazy about me.
Her name was Helen and she was very nice.
Helen's problem was that she liked to be with me but she didn't try to understand me.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

MY GOD MOTHER -2

That Sunday morning seemed to pass so slowly that I didn’t know what to do. Not only had I met her to believe there would be a humanitarian, was she the first to make me shocked and justified if I would be loved. I did not remember how the time went by. But I was aware that it would be better to catch a bus at around 2 P.M so I could reach her home at about 3 when she and others would have had a nap so I would be welcome.
It would be some time in December 1975, at about 3, when I got out of the bus. I was first shocked to see a double-store house at 20A Hien Vuong St. (Vo Thi Sau St. now) where I was supposed to be with her at weekend. I felt pitiful for myself and wondered how I would be treated. I looked around to find out what would comfort me or let me in or out. I stepped back and thought of a cup of coffee to release the tension. I didn’t have any thing to say nor anyone to ask for any information about her. Not wanting to break my promise, I decided to go back there. I thanked a young lady who did what I had been needing “to knock the door”.
Somewhat reluctantly, I approached her,
“Excuse me, is it the home of DI BA Who’s fat and short?”
“Ah, yeah, so you’re......” her reply was interrupted by a voice coming down from a first floor window.
“Thanh? we’ve been waiting, I’m coming down.”
A few seconds passed and there she was, opening the door. She held my hand emotionally, leaving the lady rather surprised.
“Follow me up” .
She took me into her room and asked me to be there for a moment. Be that as it may, I sat waiting for what would happen next but feeling, well, self- pitiful. However, I was comforted by the thought that if I could come, I could also leave. What would a waiting moment be like without its promising result? It was like staying in a court and waiting for the moment would come soon enough to bring me back to reality.
Nhu Ngoc, her youngest daughter came with a glass of lemon juice smiling not as naturally as she often did. I nodded saying something I could not remember. She replied and invited me the glass.
“Mum has told us about you many times this week. She also said you would be able to play the guitar so nicely.” she went on naturally,
“Would you like to play a piece now?”
I wished I had been able to play as much better as I was. I felt trembling and could not control myself.
I tried the best piece of music I had been playing successfully but I criticized it right after I had finished. To her surprise, she gave me a pleasing compliment I could not recognize how long that lasted but that may be the most embarrassing moment happening in my life.
My god mother just went upstairs and came into the room. She always smiled at us feeling so pleased. My presence just changed the family atmosphere.
“Is there more to her than her humanitarian mind giving me a part of her heart?” I was wondering.
Broadly smiling, she asked me if I had played any of my favorite pieces. “Yes” Ngoc answered on behalf of me.
“But not very well I’m afraid” I softly replied.
She came toward me comforting,
“You will be accustomed to anything and anyone here soon. They’ll be home soon. Feel free at home, Thanh”
Thanks goodness, my god mother was there with me just in time as I felt myself stressful.
What would my blood Mom feel if she could be told about my situation?

(To be continued.)

Thursday, April 8, 2010

ANOTHER STATEMENT TO LEARN

Eleanor Roosevelt once said,
"This life always seems to me to be a continuing process of education and development."
Now I say,
"This life always seems to me to be a continuing process of finding better teaching procedures."

A STATEMENT TO LEARN

Hillary Clinton once said," I was born to make a difference in the lives of people in my country."
I now say,"I was born to make a difference in the way people in my country learn English."

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

My application

Teaching students who are treated like princesses I've found has given me a sense of happiness I got from my schooling that I nver really although I could do the difference wanted.

A LONG SENTENCE TO STUDY

Working with students who survived this I think has given me a sense of the privilege I've had in my life that I never really although I was aware of it knew it.

A CRITICAL THINKER

A critical thinker identifies, analyzes and evaluates issues.
He collects relevant data.
He looks at questions and anwers them from multiple view-points.
He recognizes and moves beyond assumptions and personal biases.
He formulates and presents persuasive reasons in support of conclusions.
He makes reasonable decisions about what to believe and what to do.
Finally, he thinks of himself.

Sunday, April 4, 2010

MY GOD MOTHER

If it were not for her love, I would never have been able to become what I am now. It was common to be along with a classmate on a bus trip but it wasn’t to meet a former one from that bus. That happened to me as the 1st step of a long term affair with whom I call God mother.
From the bus I called out loud “TRONG COP, is that you?” “Get out of the bus” Trong replied enthusiastically. From that moment, I became relaxed as I could be with him and his family. He and I had only one thing in common watching football games. We had been in the same class- Forestry-71-74, but in different moods and situations. Not going to college, he stayed home feeling rather bored. So meeting me also was a good thing for him. Every Sunday of October in 1975 after lunch, he took me to the SAIGON- THU DUC bus station. He put into my pocket a small amount of money which was financially meaningful and helpful to me as I had left home for school asking my mum to be on my own.
Things sometimes did not go as smoothly as we wished and that was exactly what happened to me. One day, from my grandmother’s- Go Vap dist, I came to his home early one Sunday morning. I couldn’t remember precisely why but he wasn’t home that day. And that was the first time I missed him.
I came to the bus station early by myself to get back to my college feeling rather sad. Another strange thing was that I decided to take a BIENHOA bus since it was so difficult to get into a THU DUC one that day .
As soon as I occupied my seat, a short fat woman got on board to get the rest one on my right. There was a rumor that another bus was scheduled to depart. So all on board rushed there but soon rushed back because it was just a rumor. As we finally felt all right to wait for the bus to start, she and I said nothing to each other. When we were on Dien Bien Phu street, she began a conversation,
“Are you going to BIENHOA too?”
“No, Ma…am just THU DUC.” I replied politely.
“So, am I.” she quickly went on, “What are you doing there?”
“I’m still at school.” I softly answered.
“Really?” the woman felt as glad as she was talking to someone closed to her. She later told me she had thought I would be a former soldier since she saw me wearing a black wooden beret. She also told me she went there to visit her second son’s vice director to please him. In return, I told her whatever she had wanted to know. While telling her, I innocently showed her my student ID. And to her surprise, I also told her how unhappy I felt, how far I mentally was from home. And to my surprise, she told me she had a lot of children and always wanted to comfort whoever loved to study. As she came to a house which was opposite my college, she promised to see me at my dorm room soon. I told my roommates what had happened right after I came into my room. They all were curious to see her and what would happen next. I discovered I looked at my watch very often. Then there appeared she at the gate of the college. I felt embarrassed walking along with her toward my dorm room. The first thing she noticed was my guitar. She told me that her daughter was interested in it too. Of course, she asked to play a piece of my favorite and I did. Truly speaking, I did not have a feeling of attachment between us. It was a coincidence somehow.
After some small talks, she seemed to be leaving as she asked me to come to see her at home that weekend. She made me promise and repeat. I walked with her to the gate and waited for a bus with mixed unexplainable feelings.
(To be continued)

Saturday, April 3, 2010

SHE LOVES ME.

She loves me.
I think she loves me.
I thought she 'd love me.
I wish she'd love me.
I hope she 'll love me.
That she loves me is what I think.
If my wish came true, she'd love me.

What to learn from VOA !

VOA profiles Indonesian activist Ginan Koesmayadi, who takes a different approach to rehabilitation, using soccer to help HIV-infected addicts stay clean and show the world they can lead normal lives in this installment of Making a Difference.