飛龍在天 Dragons Soar High

 

 

喜事將近的學生於再度離華前說到：

「真的很難得，老師可以一直這樣堅持做著服務人群的事情……」我發現學生變得健談了，比我印象中的要來得更加容易與不同人士互動。當我們終於必須道別時，這位學生揮手之後突然向前，給了我一個偌大的擁抱，我們認識了這幾十年的時間，他可能也知道老師是個不會主動與男性擁抱的人，只是這一個擁抱或者也隱含著他在那日漸老成的外表下的，諸多懷舊往事。

The student of mine who is about to get married told me before his departure from Taiwan again that “It’s truly rare to see someone like you who’d be dedicated to your life to the assistance of the others’ wellbeing…” In return, I have found that this student’s social skills have improved. When we finally needed to farewell, he waved and all of a sudden gave me a huge hug, something he has never done during decades of us knowing each other. Perhaps he knows by heart that this teacher of his would not easily hug males. Still, this gesture of his might have expressed what he would be reminding himself of underneath his much-matured outward appearance comparing with the moment when we met as he was only a small child.

 

 

 

或許我們大夥的此番會面，使他想起了我們在中南半島小村落的鄉間，曾經大家戰戰驚驚提著容易破碎的、從山路前雜貨店的小舖子中買到了的幾十顆雞蛋，緩緩步入山間小路裡的村落，在與坐在泥土地上的當地小朋友們分享英語知識之後，村長夫人和其他幾位張羅燒柴煮水的婦女，將雞蛋放在已經漆黑的大鐘鍋裡煮熟，我們所「發明」的邊擁抱一個又一個學生、邊把雞蛋送進這些小朋友手裡過程的畫面?!

Maybe our meet-up this time reminded him of our service journey in Myanmar where we bought dozens of eggs inside a grocery store on the main road while carrying them with gentle, extra care upon walking on the winding paths leading us to dozens of kids sitting on the dirt road to acquire English conversational skills through us. After the local females, including the village leader’s wife and her friends, boiled the eggs above the black, huge pot, we hugged the students before handing each of them one boiled egg, something the kids might not have for an entire week due to their extreme poverty.

 

 

 

當地小朋友們一個星期也難得吃到一顆雞蛋補充營養，吃雞蛋的時候或者緩緩咀嚼、或者難掩喜悅之情，深怕下一回再吃上一顆不知要等到哪個牛年馬月……而我們所給予他們的一個小小的擁抱，只是表達了我們在他們那謙和的外表之下，對萬事萬物的惜情之感，令人動容。

The memory is very unforgettable, for when students ate eggs with such tenderness and emotions emitting how much they treasure this one boiled egg, we as outsiders would realize how much we are blessed with, especially those who do not own anything seem to treasure everything…

 

 

 

而眾人會面那一天，已在國外就業的他一走進主人家客廳時，我正在廚房與主人家中掌廚的大家長說話，也同時聽見大家從客廳裡面傳來的驚嘆之聲：

「蛤?! 你也是Hope老師的學生?!」

The day when we met, once this student working overseas entered the place belonging to a friend of mine, I heard people exclaimed

“What?! Are you Hope’s student, too?”

At that moment, I was in the kitchen talking to the grandma cooking for us all.

 

 

 

這位學生精神抖擻的聲音被我聽見了，他高八度的音調似乎是對於這件事情的某種自負之感：

「我是Hope老師的學生啊! 我小學中低年級就和老師學習英語了! 」

爾後大家的談話過程中，他則提到：

「踏出國門之後是一種震撼，發現這個世界上有人用不同的方式生活，或者他們的膚色和我們完全不一樣……這樣和老師反反覆覆出國多次後，我會覺得可以去嚐試一些不一樣的事情，也覺得還好我有在學生時代就和老師出去，不然如果真的要等到功成名就，會失去那份勇氣……」

“Oh, YES! I am Hope’s student. I met her when I was merely Grade 2 or 3. I began to learn English from her at that moment.” His tone seemed to indicate his pride in this matter. During our conversation later on, this students of mine mentioned,

“It was a shocking experience once one’s stepping outside Taiwan. I learned there’re so many different kinds of people leading varied lifestyles, or their skin colors would be totally different from that of ours. After journeying into those regions with Hope, I felt I could have tried different things. Fortunately I went to such trips with Hope when I was only a student. If I had never gone to those journeys, I would never have had the courage to do such things when I become more accomplished, as I would lack that kind of courage.”

 

 

 

勇氣是一件無價之物，這讓我想起這場聚會中只是位少年的學生，特別希望自己擁有突破的勇氣。而他曾在聚會之前聽到參與的人都是什麼人後說到：

「蛤?! 老師妳有教過的人，都可以當我爸爸媽媽或者阿公阿嬤耶!」

Invaluable, courage is something we all want to possess; during this meet-up, the teenager among us also wishes to be courageous. Prior to the meet-up, though, he was surprised,

“WOW, those whom you have taught are either my parents’ or grandparents’ age!”

 

 

 

不是少年本人有如此的觀察而已，實際上，當一屋子的人都曾經因為語言學習而與我有所牽連時，真的很難計算哪位是最為年長、哪位是最為年幼。而我自己則悠遊在這些不同年齡者之間，感到自己隨時幻化為各種各樣不同年紀，於是有不一樣的心境和態度。

In fact, when my students are in different age groups, I can freely move about in between these various age groups, not to be bounded at all by my own age since I feel like I can be transformed or I may turn myself into different age groups!

 

 

 

想到目前所任教的國小的花園裡面，有一個孔子的銅像上面寫著「有教無類」，身為一位教育者能夠做到有教無類而又可以跨齡而教之，實在萬幸。

Then, I remember in the garden of the current school where I teach, there is a statue of Confucius, the world-class educator from the ancient times. On the statue, the words of “Teach as though your students are all equals” rings so true; hence, for me, to be able to teach people of different age groups is quite an honor while teaching them as they are all equals.

 

 

 

當然，如果全球的Hope的學生都能夠聚在同一處，那又是更加令人激動萬分之事，只是這事要達成實在有其難度是也……

Certainly, when my students from all over the world through all the years can get together, it would be very inspirational. However, it is quite demanding to reach that goal.

 

 

 

尤其當少年和外籍友人異口同聲說到：

「很難拒絕Hope老師，她真的很酷」的時候，我開始認真思考起自己在這幾個不同世代學生面前的轉變—前期的我教書非常嚴肅、對學生十分嚴厲；中期的我則變得平和，不大嚴肅亦不十分嚴厲；到得近期如少年一般的學生會告訴我：

「老師妳真的很搞笑!」

Especially when my foreign friend and this teenager, at the same time, explained to the others that

“Hope is so cool that it is hard to not be convinced by her,” I began to ponder my path of being a teacher, an educator myself—

When I first became a teacher, I was extremely serious and stern.

After that period of time, I became a peaceful teacher in my students’ eyes.

To this day, I am crowned by my students to be funny or hilarious.

 

 

 

這些轉變應對的，就是我身為一位教學者、以及國際服務工作者的一連串經歷而來的蛻變。蛻變永遠不可能瞬間形成，它卻總是在歲月流年中悄悄為人的心性換裝，而坦白講，我十分喜愛如今自己給自己的心性所著的粉杏顏色，活潑而不失莊重，沉穩又並不呆板。

All these changes are reflections of my metamorphosis in my career as an educator and global volunteer. This kind of metamorphosis cannot take place during just one day, at one time. Silently, such transformation changes outfits for a person’s mindset. Frankly speaking, I enjoy the light pink tone I have put onto my soul at present, as such a color is solemn, easygoing, and cheerful.

 

 

 

很多人會說：「老師，妳之所以教學，應該是志趣所在吧?!」

Many people would tell me that

“Hope, you teach because you enjoy it. Right?”

 

 

 

自然也有很多人會說：「老師，妳之所以服務，應該是閒不下來吧?!」

Naturally, many more would say “Hope, the reasons for your serving the others would be that you enjoy being a busy person. Correct?”

 

 

 

志趣不志趣、閒得下來閒不下來，我自己很難厘清，但我肯定的一件事是教學是一種磨鍊，一種藉由不同人種、人心、人性而磨鍊自己的過程，以我自己的教學歷程而言，甚至必須透過不同年齡層的學生之學習角度而自我磨鍊，正因為人有所不同，我們無法預期他人與我們相當，於是，必須在教學的過程中不斷調整自己的視角，以使自己的視角對應他人的視角。

In my own eyes, I cannot draw any lines between these definitions and offer concrete answers. However, I am more than positive that teaching is a fine methodology to polish myself as a person. The process is to grind myself into a better gem via the others’ race, mindset, characteristics and so on. During my own path of teaching, I even need to train myself when I am face to face with learners of different age groups. It is exactly that we are each and every of us being very different, we cannot expect the others to be the same like us. Understanding that helps us to constantly adjust our viewpoints so that we can tackle views that are different from those of ours.

 

 

 

只是我自己很納悶的，是自己對人的那份好奇心，究竟從何而來?

No matter what I have analyzed or expressed, the biggest mystery of me is the sources of curiosity.

 

 

 

好奇人之所以想學，為的是什麼?

I am curious about those who enjoy learning. Why do they enjoy learning so much?

 

 

 

好奇人之所以不想學，為的又是什麼?

Also, I am curious about the reasons for people not wishing to learn.

 

 

 

好奇學習的力量，可以把人帶往什麼樣的不同境界?

Moreover, I am curious about which sorts of possibilities can learning propel people to attain.

 

 

 

當然我知道學理上而言，人的學習動機有內在以及外在等等等等理論，但正如在西方社會接受的教育薰陶使我不喜照本宣科、追求惟一標準答案般，是在這樣的教學相長過程裡面，真真切切認識了新的學生，以及目光所及的諸多舊有學生來到了某種不同的階段，於是一而再、再而三像一面鏡子一樣看著他們，從而重新不斷思考自己的生命歷程，接著再期許自己不斷成熟及蛻變……這種特別的歷程使我因而保有著教學及服務熱忱。

Absolutely, I am aware of those learning theories stating our intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, yet, just like my footsteps onto the westernized learning environment have taught me not to view textbooks as the only teaching/learning materials and the right answers can be many, I have learned to look at different students as well as to examine myself through them. It is exactly such processes which have made me grow and transform. Such growths and transformations ensure my passion in teaching and helping the others.  

 

 

 

誠然，這樣的歷程如果沒有國際服務的身影穿插在裡面，此種熱忱的力道一定相對薄弱，畢竟，國際服務對我來說是一種無償的義務性質工作，當將無償的義務心態放在培育學生的的過程裡面的時候，一切變得不是以物易物那樣對等，反而有種真實的初心光采奪目之感。

The truth is, without my voluntary gestures in the international communities serving the needed, I would be less enthusiastic in things I do; after all, to serve the others in the international communities is a voluntary gesture. When this kind of voluntary gesture is intertwined into the training of my students, all things become not transactional. Instead, that passion originated from the initial ambition shines splendidly.

 

 

 

對比之下，我想到在即將變成初任教師時，有一位在當時的師院訓練我們的教授說：

「我第一週到國小教書的時候，就立志自己絕絕對對不可以繼續作為一位國小教師，因為小學生太不受教，全校一下課就像菜市場，讓人幾乎崩潰……」

On the contrary, there are others who cannot enjoy the work they need to handle. Going through courses training me to be a formal teacher in the public schools, a professor in the teacher’s college told us,

“When I was teaching in the elementary school for the first week, I told myself that I would never keep being an elementary school teacher. In my eyes, elementary schools are like market places where students are noisy all the time!:

 

 

 

接著受完師資培訓、歷經實習階段後，來到一個大校初任正式英語教師。超級無敵大的辦公室座位裡面，我隔壁座位的教師也是科任教師，有相當教學歷程的她當時外孫剛剛出生，每天打扮得漂漂亮亮，個性活潑，沒想到我們相熟之後，有天她卻偷偷小聲地告訴我：

「我已經固定看精神科門診有一個學期了。」

After I was formally trained, I became an English inside a big school where, in the huge office, I sat side by side with a teacher teaching another subject. This experienced teacher’s grandson was just born. Every day she looked merry. When we became friends, this middle-aged female who dressed prettily every day told me that
“I’ve seen doctors for one semester for my depression.”

 

 

 

我好訝異，因為她看來十分健康、正常。

I was stunned. She looked quite healthy both physically and mentally.

 

 

 

對方接著說：「我不是真的有病……我已經不想教書了，實在很累，所以我在累積足夠的病歷，這樣可以申請提早退休，但又可以拿退休金。」

Continued, she explained.

“I am not really sick. I just do not want to keep teaching anymore… too tiresome, you know? I am accumulating enough records so that when I apply for an early retirement, I can still enjoy my pension.”

 

 

 

記得當時的我除了傻眼之外，還想到我在空勤界的朋友們……有人也不斷固定趕赴精神科門診：

「我們希望申請離職但又不想(依簽定必須工作幾年的約而)違約賠錢。」

I still remember when she told me that she’d like to apply for early retirement, I thought of my airline cabin crew friends who’re also seeing psychiatrists. They claimed that

“We would like to apply for early retirement, yet we do not prefer being fined (in accordance with the contract regulating cabin crew to work for a certain period of time).”

 

 

 

做一行怨一行正是我們當天聚會的其中一個主題。我告訴少年：

「希望你不會成為一個憂愁的大人。」

Normally people complain about their work—this is one of the topics in our discussion during the meet-up. That is why I told the teenager that

“I hope you will not turn out to be a melancholic grown-up.”

 

 

 

少年跟我說：

「但是真正快樂的大人很少!」

This teenager told me

“Well, there are very few adults who are happy!”

 

 

 

一起談天的這所有和我或多或少有所關聯的人則說：

「要得到心靈的自由必須付出昂貴的代價。」

All these people chatting with each other this day said

“There is a high price to pay when one wishes to be free in his/her mind!”

 

 

 

一如席間一位女性所言：

「這兩年我花了很多時間找尋和澄清自己。」

Similarly, one female stated

“I’ve tried to find myself again during these two years.”

 

 

 

想想，我們每個人又何嚐不在尋找自我的過程中，或者迷失、或者真切?

If we think every carefully, many of us are actually losing or finding ourselves during the moments of find ourselves, aren’t we?

 

 

 

少年問：「我們這些青少年男女都不可能確定自己的未來，大多數人不是憤世嫉俗就是槁木死灰，該怎麼辦呢? 而且我的英語很爛……」

The teenager asked “Teenagers like us cannot be certain about our future. Most of us are cynical or emotionless. What shall we do?”

 

 

 

我的外籍友人則說：「我的國家裡面的青少年人口也都不確定自己的未來，而我自己? 我連明天的早餐都不知道要吃什麼! 並且，最近我去考了一個華語文測驗，考試的題目真的很難，難到我也快崩潰了，而且成績超級爛的。」

To comment and reply, my foreign friend said

“Our teenagers are not certain about our future, either. How about myself? I don’t even know what to eat tomorrow morning! In addition, I went for a Mandarin Chinese proficiency test and I did so badly that I felt like crushing myself… The questions were so hard.”

 

 

 

我說：「你們兩人可以考慮未來一起去當空少，多看一點不同的人事物就不會那麼容易崩潰，而且國外的航空公司高中學力就可以去應試了……」

In my reply, I mentioned “The two of you can both work as flight attendants. When you look and understand more things, you’d not easily be frustrated. For many airlines, high school degree is sufficient!”

 

 

 

此話一出，大家哄堂大笑了起來。

When people heard what I had to say, everyone laughed.

 

 

 

原本我們的聚會「僅僅」只是為了要讓外籍友人在返國之前，學習學習包粽子這個台灣傳統技藝罷了……卻沒有想到聚會的弦外之音，變成青少年男女的開導，以及共同尋找一種名為「真真切切」的生命之旅。

In the beginning, our meet-up is “merely” for my foreign friend to know how to wrap rice dumplings before he leaves Taiwan for home. No one had expected that this meet-up has become an opportunity for a teenager to find better roads in his life while altogether, we are defining the journeys of life that can be truthful and encouraging.

 

 

 

一位在座者說及：

「我因為跟老師去非洲服務，所以種下敢於轉變的苗芽，這種轉變不是一時一刻產生的，因為勇氣的蘊釀需要時間的淬鍊……現在的我想到國外去求學和工作，而我正朝著這樣的方向努力當中。」這位已經和我到國外服務多次，至今仍對於義務服務工作十分上心的過去的學生，如此信心滿滿說著，而我發現自己的膚色經過日晒雨淋後，和從南部鄉下來的她的顏色，竟然已經差不多黝黑……

One of the person present told us that

“I have sowed those seeds for changes during those journeys with Hope to serve the others. My transformations did not happen immediately since to cultivate courage, I needed time. Currently, though, I would like to work and study overseas, and I am walking towards that direction.”

Looking at this student, I felt her enthusiasm in voluntary gestures and actions even to this day. Further, I noticed my skin color is as tanned as that of hers belonging to someone coming from the southern part of Taiwan where sunshine is often more pervasive.

 

 

 

另一位則稱讚少年的理想，並且一針見血地言及：

「讓人類進入其他星球或許很棒，不過，如何使地球永續是更為重要的課題。」

Another person, upon praising the teenager’s dreams, claimed that

“To enable humanity to enter another planet would be awesome; however, to make this Mother Earth more sustainable is equally significant.”

我想著在東非或南非洲的大草原一望無際的無窮景觀中間時，野生草食性動物從遠方靜靜走過，那種無聲無息的春雷般的響亮之聲，劃過心田時，其實會對「永續」這件事，增生許多暇想空間，而非失望、失落……

I remember those praires in eastern and/or southern Africa. By standing or walking there, one sees those herbivores peacefully glide through our own bird eye. At such moments, towards the idea of sustainability, human beings can really have more faith, hope, instead of frustrations and disappointments...

 

 

 

再有一位則說到：

「你有興趣的事情不見得要把它作為職業，你可以將時間花在用英語了解你喜歡的事情上，這樣，你學習英語就會更加有所方向感，而不是感到它不太重要；事實上，在我自己或者許多行業中，所有的材料都是從英語來的，所以，如果一個人的英語條件夠好，可以閱讀得了英語報導，那麼這個人多半可以取得第一手資料，而不需要經過他人，甚至還容易不斷發現嶄新的訊息。」

Another person noted

“For those things you are interested in, they do not need to be your profession. In fact, you can use English for things you enjoy. That way, when you learn English, you will have more senses of direction. Now, you do not feel English is that important, I know. It’s just that in every profession, including that of mine, English proficiency enables us to absorb more knowledge quickly and easily. More important messages can also be found due to this linguistic competence in English!”

 

 

 

外籍朋友則說：

「生活就是從小小孩、變成大小孩、變成老小孩，所以，我一直在轉變、一直在成長。」

他的這番話呼應著之前他曾經跟我說過的：

「大人其實就是小孩子，沒什麼兩樣!」

My foreign friend mentioned that

“Our life is to be a bigger kid from a small one, and one day we will be old kids! That is the way I change myself.” These words are echoes of what I have heard before from this foreign friend of mine,

“Adults are literally little children. There is not much difference in between the two!”

 

 

 

還有一位則是提到：

「作好一定的準備以及有所準備，可以讓人更好的去面對挑戰。」

Another person in the same meet-up voiced

“Be ready for things and make ourselves ready can help us face challenges more successfully.”

 

 

 

另一位說著：

「你很幸運，可以在這麼年輕就透過這樣的方式，聽見這麼多不同的聲音。」

Another voice came up.

“You are so fortunate that you can utilize this way to hear so many difference voices and stories!”

 

 

 

I feel such words are towards me, for I feel so lucky that I am given the opportunity to hear so many people’s stories from the past until today, and I believe this practice will lead me into my future paths!

我覺得這種「好幸福哦」的話好像是跟我說的一般，因為我得以透過自己的生活和工作而聽到如此之多的個人故事，不論在過去、在現在、以及未來，相信這條路會如此這般綿延如是……