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Reflections on a Wandering Life.....
Friday, December 05, 2003
Tempe, Arizona.
One might wonder why my "Beijing Diary" would begin in Tempe, Arizona. Quite simply, it is because, although I am right now preparing to go to Beijing, there remain a few details to be taken care of, most importantly, my visa.
I actually began my move to China three years ago, in the fall of 2000. I did not then have a means or opportunity to go to China, but I began studying in earnest, particularly with extensive reading, and watching Chinese movies. One of the books that I found most enlightening during this period, was a book called "Wild Swans" by Jung Chang. I grew up in Japan during the fifties and sixties, so I am about the same age as Jung Chang, and the things she had to say about the China she grew up in were of great interest to me. Another book which was helpful during this time was "The Soong Dynasty" by Sterling Seagrave. The word "Dynasty" in this title is actually a play on words, because it does not refer to historical dynasties, but to the family dynasty of Charlie Soong. Charlie's three daughters and his son TV Soong all played important roles in the 20th Century development of Chinese history.
In the fall of 2001, I took a trip to China with a group of local businessmen. We traveled to a small village in Yunan Province, donated some computers to a small elementary school, and spent three days teaching the children how to use the computers. One of the things that became very obvious to me during this trip, was the need for me to learn Chinese. I determined, upon my return to the US, to find a tutor. My first tutor, Lili, was a neighbor of mine, and she taught me how to read Pinyin out of a first grade reading book . When Lili returned to China in the fall of 2002, I wasn't sure how to proceed. Thankfully, I met Ina, who is a native speaker of both Japanese and Mandarin, and has an extraordinary grasp of the linguistic comparisons between languages.
Recently, I have obtained a position with a Chinese university, so I am preparing to leave for Beijing in January.
One might wonder why my "Beijing Diary" would begin in Tempe, Arizona. Quite simply, it is because, although I am right now preparing to go to Beijing, there remain a few details to be taken care of, most importantly, my visa.
I actually began my move to China three years ago, in the fall of 2000. I did not then have a means or opportunity to go to China, but I began studying in earnest, particularly with extensive reading, and watching Chinese movies. One of the books that I found most enlightening during this period, was a book called "Wild Swans" by Jung Chang. I grew up in Japan during the fifties and sixties, so I am about the same age as Jung Chang, and the things she had to say about the China she grew up in were of great interest to me. Another book which was helpful during this time was "The Soong Dynasty" by Sterling Seagrave. The word "Dynasty" in this title is actually a play on words, because it does not refer to historical dynasties, but to the family dynasty of Charlie Soong. Charlie's three daughters and his son TV Soong all played important roles in the 20th Century development of Chinese history.
In the fall of 2001, I took a trip to China with a group of local businessmen. We traveled to a small village in Yunan Province, donated some computers to a small elementary school, and spent three days teaching the children how to use the computers. One of the things that became very obvious to me during this trip, was the need for me to learn Chinese. I determined, upon my return to the US, to find a tutor. My first tutor, Lili, was a neighbor of mine, and she taught me how to read Pinyin out of a first grade reading book . When Lili returned to China in the fall of 2002, I wasn't sure how to proceed. Thankfully, I met Ina, who is a native speaker of both Japanese and Mandarin, and has an extraordinary grasp of the linguistic comparisons between languages.
Recently, I have obtained a position with a Chinese university, so I am preparing to leave for Beijing in January.
