One of the sweet things about our students is that they tend to translate Vietnamese locutions literally into English. So when they send me emails, they often use the salutation, "Dear my teacher." Very endearing. A few weeks ago, there was a new student in one of my corporate classes and she were asking me some questions about myself. One of the other students undertook to inform her about me: "My teacher likes bun cha. My teacher has lived here for nine months." And so forth. She listed all the things I had told them about myself months earlier. I was stunned that she remembered all that, and touched.
One of the first schools I worked for here is the Apple Learning Centre, run by a young woman named Nguyen Ngu. Ngu is very hard-working and dedicated. I was the first foreign teacher they hired and was invited to their opening ceremony. I have since taught several corporate classes for her as the school has expanded into more lucrative contracts. Most recently I helped her land a contract with the state railway construction agency to help their design engineers learn technical English. We have established a good relationship, and she loves to call me granddad. She just sent me an email that she signed off, "See you, my Granddad."
It made me happy.
P.
1 comment:
For me, the most touching event you've shared with us.
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