Encouraging Words for a Friend - Year-end Blessing - Janice Chang December 10, 2018

Dear Bryan:

Miss you, especially at this time of the year, Grandma and grandpa are packing up to leave their retirement home, Laguna Woods.  I had the most memorable time staying with them and your parents at your lovely adobe in Tucson from May 1, - May 7, 2018

Dr. and Mrs. Kao, you grandparents were my benefactors during the time when I did not know where to get my lodging in 1974, my first job after graduate school, teaching at Campbell County Public School, Lynchburg, VA.  I am forever grateful for what they did for me.

I'm also the beneficiaries of “Teacher Strike” that week.  Your Mom, an IT teacher for Pima County public school teachers was off and was able to take grandfather and me to visit the National Parks (Saguaro, Sabino Canyon, Mission San Xavier.... etc.)  Grandma prefers to stay home cooking Ba-Zon (sticky rice wrap) due to her walking difficulties.  I'm the lucky one - Thanks Arizona!

Mom has always been my closest best friend ever since 1974 when I was staying in your grandparents’ house.  She was only 18, Virginia Junior Miss from Lynchburg, ready to embark her college life at University of Virginia.  I vividly remember the lovely piano music she played when I was checking Lisa and Albert’s homework.  As always, grandma and grandpa were all hard-working in the restaurant they managed.  Life was hard then.  But they were so kind to accept me in your household.   Mom has become my life-long dear sister since then.  Travis, Spencer and you all came to visit me when you all were babies.  I still have that memory of you, one month old, larger than my palm size, bathed in our bathroom sink by your father!  Travis even came to show my son, Eric, 7 years old then, how to play soccer in his “Orange Crush” league.  The coach, Mr. Brodscky was so impressed about Travis’ skills.  All teammates liked him so much.  

Your piano playing in your home that day when I visited reminds me of your mother in 1974.  You are so talented to transform the simple piano sonata, was it Beethoven’s sonata? into breezy summer styles available only in the hot Arizona weather!  Even your dog was behaving in your lap while you are playing!  Amazing!

Bryan, thank you for your lovely music!  Be strong, you never know who you are inspiring?  

Believe in yourself and you know that there is something inside you that’s greater than any obstacles!   If you have a voice within, listen to your inner instincts, and say, “I will take on my challenge and dig within myself to conquer fears.”  You are going to go through tough times – that’s life!

I will visit you again and listen to your “sonata”?  And probably answer to your questions about Taiwan and U.S. relationship that you had taken the course this year.

Love

Janice Chang

Literacy Council of Montgomery County Interview - 2/28/2018

Pair Spotlight: Janice and Mary

February 28th, 2018 

Literacy Council of Montgomery County - Report

The effervescent Janice, left, tutors enthusiastic and industrious Mary, right. We could be a fly on the wall of this pair’s lessons together every week! Janice teaches both English and Mandarin, and Mary has been working with her for several years. Today, Mary is memorizing all 50 states in the United States and how to pronounce them, as well as reviewing her homework in conjugating verbs. Janice is so encouraging, and high fives are exchanged generously! We love our tutoring pairs! 💖💖•

 

Janice and Mary are wasting no time. The long-time tutor and student pair crowd close over Mary’s composition journal, where she has written out sentences and Janice examine closely to check her grammar and spelling. Today Janice is breaking down the structure of sentences for Mary, helping Mary understand how to conjugate a verb depending on what the subject of the sentence is.

“You already told me the subject is ‘Amy.’ Am I ‘Amy?’ Are you ‘Amy?’ Who is ‘Amy?’” hints Janice.

Her careful student pauses and thinks. “Amy is ‘she,’” Mary proclaims. “Oh!” she adds as it comes to her. “’She’ is third person. So, it is ‘Amy decides.’”

Janice smiles proudly, and the pair exchange a high five. “Yes. For third person you add an ‘s’ to the verb.” Janice laughs and leans into Mary, thanking her for her patience.

“I will tell you the truth,” Janice tells LCMC. “I love Mary. I want to teach the people who care about their jobs, and their future. Teaching is my passion, and I am lucky to have Mary.”

Janice, who also teaches Mandarin at a Taiwanese school in DC, is not exaggerating her love for teaching and for her students. “I had struggles with my language myself,” Janice explains, recalling her days as a graduate student at Radford University after growing up in Taiwan. She becomes particularly animated recounting how she honed her own English by dedicating time every day to watching the TV news anchor in Blacksburg, VA at the time, Bob Dalton. “Every day I would come home and watch him on the TV, and particularly I would pay attention to his pronunciation, the way he pronounced the words. And it really helped me get over my language obstacles.”

Now Janice has been tutoring Mary, from China, in English for several years. During the Cultural Revolution in China, Mary was unable to continue with traditional schooling, as she did not come from a wealthy family. After arriving in the United States, for years, Mary worked at a grocery store in Gaithersburg, making the salads for the lunchtime crowd, but knew for herself she had more potential if she could just communicate with English-speakers better. In her time working with Janice, she echoes a sentiment so many LCMC students describe – the feeling of wanting to give back. “I go to the Chinese Senior Center, and they have trouble with English too. I want to be like Janice, and be their tutor,” Mary explains.

Even more, Mary tells us, “My dream is, ‘how can I speak to everyone about anything?’”

Today, more than three years after they were paired as student and tutor, Mary and Janice are still working on perfecting the rules of the English language. As LCMC’s Executive Director, Gabe Martinez Cabrera, snaps a few photos, Janice reads over sentences Mary wrote as homework to practice using the singular versus the plural correctly. Janice reads aloud, “Men are stronger than woman.” Before she can turn to Mary to work through the correction, she chuckles and turns to Gabe. “I don’t know, Gabe, do you agree, men are stronger than women?”

Wisely, Gabe laughs and responds, “Not always. Very rarely, actually, I’ve learned.” Mary’s listening comprehension shines as she follows not just his answer but his sense of humor, and she and her tutor erupt into good-natured laughter.

Janice’s energy and Mary’s trust in her teacher make for enjoyable lessons every week, with jokes between the two of them and plenty of high-fives. Janice credits Mary’s drive, and Mary credits Janice’s patience. After witnessing their lesson together, LCMC would most definitely credit both.

Summing up the overwhelming feeling in the room as Mary triumphantly makes corrections to her homework and more high-fives are shared, Janice says, “I keep telling everyone, the friends around me, teaching is so fulfilling. You are helping the next generation. If you see, the happy face of Mary, reading her journal because she wrote her sentences with her English, her dreams are coming true.”

To become a volunteer tutor like Janice, click here to sign up for an information session on how to get involved! Can’t commit time to volunteering, but want to support students like Mary? Click here to make a donation to support our tutoring program!

We, the Chorus Members, are the happy Sun-flowers

Sun-flowers? Sun-flowers? Where are the happy yellow faces turning to follow the sun’s progress across the sky?  Sorry, Stacy!  We will do it again next year.

But, look!  These are 16 TAC Music Lovers and friends all smiling facing Stephan’s camera.   (We are missing Mei-Lih, from her smart GPS directing her to the end of River Road.)  Mei-Lih, you did not miss anything anyway. 

I think Mckee-Beshers Wildlife Management official web site had reported incorrectly.     It reports: “Ideal viewing times may begin July 22-23, and the peak time to see the sunflowers begins July 29-30. Sunflowers are usually in full bloom for two weeks.”  

Today is July 26!

Full-loaded with summer crops at Homestead Farm – Jen-Jen has pick-your-own nectarines, Mei-Lih has a full bucket of pick-your-own big juicy blackberries.  The rest of us opt for purchasing fresh mixed yellow-white corns, beans, okras, heirloom and yellow tomatoes. 

Feast of the Day:  We are all treated by Stacy’s husband, Dr. Lin at the “New Village Restaurant” Germantown.  Stacy picks the best bright sunny weather for the day after week’s soaking rain and storms plus her husband’s generous offer for 13 courses of banquet style tasty appetizers, entrees, lobsters, and red bean dessert….  Can I at least say “THANK YOU” to them?

Amy:  Sorry, you miss it.  You guys arrived and left to the restaurant a bit too early!

 Forget about the missing sunflowers.  We are the happy SUN FLOWERS.

Change of Scenery - Tucson, Arizona, May 1 - May 7, 2018

I'm soaking in the beauty in Arizona with Li-Lin and Dr. Kao - tucking Dr. Kao's walker in the car and pushing him slowly to let him enjoy the natural beauty in Arizona.  I'm younger and tougher comparing to his physical disability. 

Dr. and Mrs. Kao were my benefactors during the time when I did not know where to get my lodging in 1974, my first job after graduate school, teaching at Campbell County Public School, Lynchburg, VA.  I am grateful for what they did for me.

I'm also the beneficiaries of Arizona's Teacher Strike this week.  Li-Lin, an IT teacher for Pima County public school teachers was off and was able to take her father, Dr. Kao and me to visit the National Parks (Saguaro, Sabino Canyon, Mission San Xavier.... etc.  Mrs. Kao prefers to stay home cooking Ba-Zon (sticky rice wrap) due to her walking difficulties.  I'm the lucky one - Thanks Arizona!

Enjoy the outing pictures.

1. Arizona Saguaro Park 2. Kao's family, parents, son, Bryan, son-in-law, Phil and Li-Lin at dinner gathering at the backyard of her neighbor. 3. Mission San Xavier 4-5. Sabino Canyon National Park