我给我高中英文老师写的一片回忆文，和大家分享一下。
AN OUTSTANDING HUMANITIES TEACHER CHANGES ONE'S LIFE
Throughout life, there was time which was really important memorable to me. The last year of high school, where I have met an outstanding high school Teacher: Mr. Dale Dalton.
I moved to the USA at age ten, accommodating my parents on their overseas academic studies and researches. When I first moved to this country, I had to learn English as a second language. As a child in China, I took one year of English, but it was not of much help. I think I have really started to learn at a speedy rate after I moved to the United Stated, being surrounded by Native English Speakers, it accelerated my language skills at an amazing pace. Some linguists think that if a child learns a second language before age twelve, it could be like a second mother tongue. I think this theory has been proved on me. When I first came to the US, I was just so eager to learn the new language, what drove me is my curiosity and just want to know what’s going on, and I want to be part of this society. I absorbed the language like a sponge. I would spend hours and hours at the library, borrowing lots of books, videos and audio cassettes, and spent hours memorizing vocabulary to master this Western European language. I urge my father to teach me English when he has time. And he has helped me a lot. He even likes to read texts books as a hobby to me. I first went through English as a second language courses, after a series of tests, gradually I fitted into the regular class. After a few years I think I fit in with the Native speakers, of course I was still behind them and had a lot to learn. But I try, I read a lot more just to be part of it. It takes years to master a foreign language. I think until now I am fairly confident about my writing skills and speech skills to a larger degree.
During high school, I did well in my English class, there is still a big cultural gap which I need to understand to get through things. I had to understand the Christian religion, which was a big part of the US culture. Protestant influences, social structure, religious philosophy, African American history, early history of the founders and expansion, various customs and rituals, these were always a big part of the learning I need to understand. On the East Coast I find it much in depth because of the earlier immigrant being of early English and European Descent, they are deeply rooted in their mother culture. However, I read a lot outside of school and I try to grasp things which weren’t taught in school on my own. There is too much to learn culturally besides it just being a different language. In my Junior year I moved to Northern California, to a city named Cupertino and attended a very good high school called Homestead. I find the lessons much easier, given the fact California is where many of the new immigrants reside. The depth on the European heritage is less, and it allows more diversity. Somehow, it took me a while to get use to the West Coast culture which seems like a younger culture, after having lived in the East Coast for five years. My earlier formative years are spent in Pittsburgh, the steel city. It is a place which have set the foundations of American values. I agree more with the mainstream culture and don’t have trouble fitting.
For the last year of my studies, I elected a course named Humanities. It is an English class with a lot of focus on European culture and history, literature and art history. These are all areas which I have a keen interest in. The teacher was a very knowledgeable gentleman name named Dale Dalton. I am going to everyone, he is a one of the best English teachers I have had throughout the years, from the primary school until my college years. I had taught me so much about West culture no one had. My college professors were also very knowledgeable, not they were adding on top of this wonderful foundation Mr. Dalton have set. His class is very well structured and taught varied subjects, from early Christianity till industrial revolutions. It felt like a college level course designed for high school students. I have never been so intrigued. Many of the subjects he spoke of was already known to me, given the fact I am good at art and spent many hours in Museums and library learning about making art and history of art. Religion is also one of my favorite subjects, I became a follower of Christ since age twelve. Somehow in my young mind I just felt God is leading and giving me a sense of mission, something to be realized in the future and I have never given up on my aspirations. Music history was of course easy and fun since I played the piano. Literature is another one of my favorites. I am natural storyteller since my early childhood. Every night I would make up stories of someone and something, drawing inspiration and experience from my childhood. They were a great source of comfort which stayed with me after being in a different country. I spent many of my summers doing art, visiting museum and copy old drawings, taking classes and self-learning. I just never stop my passion. I had an architecture education and obtained the architectural professional degree and worked on various firms. In my thirties, I stopped working for a few years to raise my toddler children and I have had the time to learn from famous painters and artist, accomplish artists who were academically trained and I have started to take it to the next level, joining art exhibitions and have solo art exhibitions. Some how art is always been part of my life and never goes away. I spent many hours doing so back in high school as well.
In the humanities class, I read some books of Shakespeare, one of which was King Lear. I was somewhat difficult given the fact it was language from the Renaissance, but I got the overall understand and the theme, which was about family values, filiality and loyalty between children a d their parent. It was a classical theme, the rivalry between same gender sibling and the division of wealth and gains of power, along of earning favoritism from the parent. Another highlight was the arts of the Renaissance. I have learned of the meaning of the painting beneath. I find it very fun to hear, such as an allegorical painting: Mars and Venus by Botticelli, which portrays the ideas that men make war and women make love. It is so true, this is what happens in the history of mankind when there is a war. Another very useful concept is the Greek ideal of being in the middle, being in balance. This is the key to a stable structure of society and political stand. It influenced the choices for voting and leadership selection in a democratic society. It also guides people throughout life. Also, I like to know the in-depth knowledge of Michelangelo and his creative process. The sculptures and the painting of the Sistine chapel have always been very compelling and powerful that they influence life greatly. It is very inspirational and connects me with the eternal Being. We had to read a book call the “Agony and Ecstasy”, a book which is written in a novel form and tells the life of Michelangelo the genius.
Mr. Dalton also teaches about modern history. One time I was highly offended about his comment on the Opium War. They taught about the drugs used by Toulouse Le Trec, but somehow I do not know why he had started talking about the Chinese immigrant who brought over the Opium to San Francisco, which was a result of the infamous Opium War, which was forced onto the Qing Empire by the British, basically an unfair treaty. Yes, the Chinese should have avoided the temptation, but it cannot be controlled, drugs are drugs. Only the government can control it. If the government is too weak to fend off the unfair treaty, who can? This was a humiliating part of Chinese history which marks the beginning of colonization and the division of the Qing’s territory by eight countries. It is a bitter past and up to this day need to be changed. This talk somehow infuriate me, it shows a sense of prejudice and arrogance, especially it was brought to us by the British. I find it unbelievable an American of Irish-German descent talk about it to his students, especially many of them being of Chinese descent. I just was so angry that I felt that I should get up and talk back, not letting anyone humiliate my country in from of me. I was willing to sacrifice my grade, drop the course and not even graduate. But I held my anger back. I really wish he had some basic respect. Probably no one in the whole school had as much patriotism toward the old home country as I do. I don’t know if I was overreacting, but I could not tolerate any foreigners that insults my home country for any reason, basic respect is essential in any type of relationship. Anyway, I forgave him today. I have been telling an older brotherly friend from Shanghai about what happened. He replied that there is the concept of the “rise and fall” of Empire, China will eventually rise up again, there is no need to worry. That has predicted the rising China of today, something of great hope which I have wish for during the last few decade. Somehow the English teacher's attitude taught me a lesson, to be strong and persistent with the protection of right of my native land. And it installs the sense that I want China the nation to stand up for itself, not bullied by another foreign powers. And that we have to work hard to make it better, throwing back all of the humiliation caste upon us by the invasive allies.
Despite of certain things I did not agree with, he valued me a lot. And he has given me so much encouragement. I recommended that all the Asian-American female look up to Maya Lin as a source of inspiration. He taught about the significance and meaning behind of the Vietnam memorial wall she has designed, it’s symbolism and the transcendence of the time and nations. She has to stand-up against many political opponents to keep her statements. Especially that the monument is about something related to Vietnam and it becomes politically controversial, something which came from the young Asian-American student from Yale. And that hate can be done with substitution of long for a peaceful life. He said he found it highly profound and meaningful. Maya Lin was making a powerful statement of the global warfare issues. It goes beyond specific places and times and is largely universal. As an architectural professional, I was really sure that this was I wanted to do, as a person with altruistic goals in life who makes peace and serves the people, mending the torn and re-establish relationships between people and nations. It is a humanitarian act as well as a responsibility. Seven years later, at an architectural program which I have studied, in Copenhagen, Denmark, I have met Maya Lin, in person. We belong to the same study abroad program in Denmark. She was given a lecture at the Royal Academy of Denmark and that it was a time I was present. She shook my hand and wished me good luck. I this is the act of God, he destined that there is a destiny which at some point that we are going to meet, there is no escape from it. I felt that very clearly that was not a random occurrence. At the very end of the course, he has signed my yearbook and said I am very promising and a ambitious and passionate person with a lot of pursuits in life. I take his words and I am working hard at it. I will not fail, and I want to make him proud. He has taught me more in this foundation course that any teachers who followed him.
Mr. Dale Dalton is a very loving father who has a daughter who grew up and left the family to be independent. I think that Mr. Dalton being divorced, misses his daughter very much. He shared the picture of her with the class. Also, I think that beneath that stern face and cold humor, he is a very loving and emotional person. He was a father figure to all of us. He has poured out his emotional in education toward his students. It feels that he treats the boys like sons and girls like daughters. The students in that particular class were some of the brightest and outstanding ones, at least the ones I have noticed. They are quite successful. This think the humanitarian education does a lot in shaping young minds. It not only teaches historic knowledge, also make us think deeply in the essential thing that are part of life. Education is a true gift. It makes us mold and change the society, think on our own and change the work when the time comes. I will forever remember him. I hope he is doing well. I really respect and care for Mr. Dalton. I hope I can see him again one day.
8/17/2020
