One of my friends from the same hometown of mine invited me to go home with him, since he has a car. I declined his offer, as I had just come back from home. What is more, he is the only son of his family, so he can return and enjoy the reunion of a big family. What he said sent some pathos to me. He proclaimed that his mother had prepared all the dishes for him for the Spring Festival. However I have no one to care for me and do something for me.

Both of my parents have passed away, leaving only two heaps of soil for me to see on the earth. Whenever the Spring Festival comes, I will feel a touch of sentimentality within me. Now I have been left alone in the world. Three of my family members have been underground, my parents and my little sister, who died so young and died simply a suicidal death. My sister’s death is a wound in my heart that has not been healed by time. Tears run down my cheeks whenever it comes into my mind.

Whatever it is, we can but have one life to live in the world. So I will live every day as if it was my last day. Whatever may happen, I will stick to life until one I will be forced to leave the world, for ever.

Life is simply so beautiful for us to treasure and cherish. Whatever it is, there is no reason for us to terminate this life. We are passengers. One day or another, our trip will come to an end, and we will have to depart from the car we have been on for the life.

To those in heaven I give my sad but the most sincere and faithful blessings. To those who are still living happily in the world I will spare no efforts to make them live each day as happily as ever. I don’t know if it is the right way of life. However it is the idealistic way of life in my view.

Today I went back home to see my grandfather who is 90 years old.

Last year he was still able to do take care of himself. He could cook meals, carry water with a little bucket, look after the chores at home, and even try to help others when it was possible. Once when I got home and saw him carrying water, I offered to help him. He declined my offer. He persisted in doing it by himself, in his words, to do exercise.   

This year things have become totally different. On entering the room I found the vast difference. He was unable to stand up, just sitting there all day long, taking naps all the time. Reluctant to submit to fate, sometimes he made efforts to move his leg a little. He couldn’t recognize anyone even standing right in front of him, because he was simply dumb and his eyes just couldn’t see much. It was so tough a task for my uncle to take care of him at home, since he is tall and heavy.

Looking at my grandfather who had lost his youth and at the yoke of the old age, I didn’t know what to say. Life became so cruel a fact to me. Time could bring us down and make us bend on our knees. Whatever a man was full of strength and spirits, years after he would be simply incapacitated. I didn’t know to which day my grandfather’s life might extend. I felt just so sad that my grandfather was so powerless made so by years. And I knew one day or another, such a day was waiting for me.

Monica advised me not to compare China with African countries. In her eyes, African people are primitive. It may sound somewhat bitter a remark against the whole people on the continent. However I have to admit that to be true.

Let me take an example. The people who belong to different tribes in one country will each other indiscriminately. The son who has been trained by different mobs will kill his father coldly and indifferently even if he may plead with him in the most sympathetic way. That is what I read from a documentary about Africa. During the colonial period, the head of a tribe fought each other at the instigation of western countries, which had evil purposes. They would sell their captives, who turned to be slaves and were sold again to North America, to the foreign invaders in exchange for money or weapons. What a tragic thing it is. Though there might be internal strife, they belonged to one country. Things would not have happen if they had followed by the Chinese concept: “However bitterly the brothers may quarrel at home, they will join up against foreign invaders.” I was too much stunned at the happenings and the thought swiftly surged in my mind that they were nothing but barbaric animals.

Of course not all people in all countries on Africa may commit such atrocities. However very seldom will such things happen on other continent. Let’s take the Indians on North America for example. They were at first very kind to the white invaders. They gave the invaders maze and corn, and even taught them how to grow crops. It was only later for the sake of industrial development that the white invaders treacherously drove them western ward, causing a lot of casualties. Consequently the term “The road of tears and blood” came into being, which best represented what a deplorable situation the Indians, who had been native inhabitants on North America, had been plunged into.

I am happy to learn that Africa is developing very quickly and China has contributed a lot to it. Nevertheless, the way to modern civilization is still very long. During November this year when I was in Jinan for a psychological training, I made friends with several African scholars and students. They were also being trained there. From their mouth I had all that I read from the documentary verified. I was so sad about that.

We were taught that African countries and China both belong to the Third World, and therefore there shouldn’t be any prejudice or discrimination against them. However I abhor the savage acts that have been conducted by them.

I think no matter in which country we may live in, we should respect ourselves first and then we may look forward to being respected by others.

After several days it will be Spring Festival. Perhaps it really goes as what a famous poet put it: “You miss your relatives more during festivals.” Spring Festival is the most important festival in China. It is a time of reunion. All family members, no matter where they work, will come home to enjoy the get-together.

However things are quite different now. When I was young, the life is hard, especially financially. Most of the families were poor and they just couldn’t afford to enjoy luxuries of any form. But we felt content with only good meals, some fireworks, and playing games with our playmates. We enjoyed ourselves so much. The snow was heavier then. Sometimes we did nothing but roam in the fields for a whole day, only to be scolded by our parents. It was so chilly but we simply enjoyed ourselves so much.

Most of my intimate playmates have found jobs in the city. They are living a more comfortable life than I do. They have cars. But we seldom get together now. Perhaps we are too busy with our work. Some of them are even reluctant to go back home. It is not actually because we give no thought to the relatives, but we are simply too lazy.

Time flies. Now we are approximately in our middle ages. Sometimes when I am alone I am reminiscent of the days past and try to figure out how many days left to me. “Don’t stay idle until your hair becomes gray and what you can do then is only to moan for the past days.” As Yue Fei, one of the prominent patriots and military commander, put it in his Manjianghong.

Thank  you for you concern.
    I think we  have much in common as regards the present education system, which is the toughest, severest problem in china. Sometimes I think it is simply suffering from cancer and therefore incurable. How I wish someday we will be liberated. Not only we, but also a lot of others, have much concern about it too. But we need a reform, not a fight. 
    China is one of the largest countries in the world. I think there should be some order and obedience. Some countries in Africa are suffering from serious internal strife and bloodshed. People there are killing each other. The son even suspects his father to be treacherous and nonchalantly kills him instantly. There is no social order. All is in a mess. There is no even social concience, let alone responsibility for their home or country. Though there are a lot of problems in China. China is developing at a fast pace and it is now enjoying a greater prestige in the world. The people are living a better life than that of several years ago. To a large country, stability most precede prosperity. I am happy to see the great progress China is now making.

    However, I don't mean there are no problems. There are a lot of problems in China, such as corruption, environmental pollution, some violation of intellectual property caused by ineffective control of the government, etc. Such things happen in other countries too. Therefore, what we need to do is try to help the government to change them, rather than take violent measures to fight them.

    Just think of what has been happening in China in the past years, when all of the warlords were fighting against each other for supremacy. Thousands of people were killed. There was not a strong central government as the stronghold for them. People just lost the shelter from which they can take refuge. Were the people happy at that time. During the reign of the Qing Dynasty, such a small country such as Belgia invaded China as a member of the League Forces of Eight Countries. Were the people at that time happy? That is why I think we should first of all maintain stability and then we can achieve prosperity in a true sense. This has nothing to do with "Being brainwashed by something". It is only commonsense I think.

    I have a lot of complaints about our government as a victim of the present educational system. I have grievances because no one department wants to stand out and shoulder responsibility. Even the vice Minister proclaimed pathetically that the teachers should not be put to blame for the present deplorable teaching situation in China. What should be put to blame is the Educational Department of China. I am just so bewildered that who should be responsible for a change of it. Sometimes I am even in despair.

    What I can do now is to give the students enough freedom and happiness. I don't assign undue heavy homework to my students to do harm to their health. I would rather take the workload upon myself. In my class I make every effort to make them laugh and try to arouse their interests in learning, rather than by means of intimidation or assigning heavy homework instead. The students are forbidden to jump or laugh or run during class intervals. I just ask them all to go to toilet to make themselves refreshed during the ten minutes intervals. What I do is sometimes in conflict with the school rules. So the leaders don't like me. One of them even laughed at me for showing sympathy for the students. I don't know what to do or to say. Students are just citizens like us. We have no rights to treat them in a bad way.

    That is my philosophy about something in China and what I am doing now. I think what I am doing is better than just speaking loudly but doing nothing effective for the students.

    No matter what others may say, I am trying to be a responsible, considersate and all in all a good teacher. I have confidence of being one. Kathy, you are a good teacher, too, since you try to help your students to learn in many ways. You are so consciencious. But I can't do everything that you can do. We are in different teaching environment. What is more, as a college teacher, you have far more time at leisure than we do. I am only a middle school teacher, just like one of your sisters.

    Sincerely I wish to make friends with you and exchange views on different things.

    P.S.  I have been studying many years after graduation to obtain a master degree to change my then situation. However I failed due to some kind of corruption scandal. I lost heart and resigned to my fate.

    http://space.englishcn.com/56066/viewspace_17560.html#xspace-itemform

    Someone accused me of being in favour of the current education system. Alas. I am a victim of it. I will love everything but it. I think not only our generation, but the next generation will be ruined by the present education system. We are simply mistreated, both the teachers and the students, unhumanly.

    Try the link above and you will know what my views on the present education system are, and whether I am supporting it.

    Really I missed  what the center of the argument  was between Monica and ray until Monica has told me. What I have done is trying to make them reconciled. I don't know what kind of person Ray is, his age, character, education, or even his work, which will have a great influence on his thinking. I don't think  you involve too much in this issue.
    Monica told me that the center of their discussion is "Should a Chinese person feel ashamed to complain and talk about problems in China at front of us? Has Kathy's question to Nina ashamed your country or not ?" I said sorry to her and gave her the definite answer"no". I think what Monica told me was helpful to me to give an answer.
The hot argument, is between Monica, from Zea Zealand and Ray , from China. I don't think it is right for us to take this side or that. Maybe you are too upright to choose the side but I don't want to.

    As to the leader's attitude toward me, I am feeling ashamed of myself. It was a CYLON on Psychological Training held by the teaching committee. I was chosen to give the speech and I proclaimed boldly in the eyes of the leaders that the teachers and students had been under too much pressure and heavy workload, which proved to be unbearable for them. I had been expected to say something to encourage the teachers to work harder, but I failed. I didn't give the speech according to what I had been expected to do. So one of the leaders present said I was incapable to know what my mission was and THEREFORE I was not qualified teacher in a sense. In their eyes, I should have complied with their order. What was more, my speech aroused a lot applause among all the common teachers. You claimed that you were regarded as one of the best staff in your school. I admire you. If I want to, I can easily get such an worthless reward if I simply do anything as what told to do, or simply lick others's boots, or kiss their asses.

    You, like me, don't know where the question is. I have done several articles on the present education system in China, and I have reiterated several times that I am a victim of it. Looking through my articles you will find them. I have never looked on it as a political issue, otherwise I woundn't have given such a speech at the cyclone. I have done more than you in this respect. Ray and Monica have gone too far in the argument.

    I have been to Jinan for ten days on a Psychological training programme, as the representive of my school. The professors also criticized the education system bitterly. One of the professors admitted that they could criticize in that way, while we just couldn't. He moved me so much by his honesty. He said that there were a lot of problems in the fundamental level of Chinese education. He sadly told us that we were not Juses Christ. We had no power to redress the wrongdoings. So, in colleges it is comparatively liberal for you to give the opinions, but at middle schools, we are forbidden to do so. If you don't think so, tell you sister, who works from 5 in the morning to 10 at night, to make a protest, or you may tell others of  your family members, who are respectfully teachers.

    There is a very strict rule established by the local teaching committee that we are not supposed to say anything unfavourable with the present political trends, as they put it, not even to utter grievances or complaints about anything, otherwise we will be punished in one way or the other. I don't want to be a martyr, to make useless sacrifices at the cost of my family livehood. I have been a martyr at the cylone.

    I can understand what Monica feels about us. But I can't understand your attitude towards political issues. Seems that you are from abroad too.

    Needless to say that my students all think I am a good teacher for reasons I have said repeatedly. My attitudes towards my students has annoyed my leaders. I have suffered a lot for that. However I persist till now. You said you have been teaching in a middle school. But from your words I can't discern them. Sounds that the change of your teaching environment has made tremendous changes on you if what you said is true.

    You are a good teacher, however. I have seen your students words to you.

As is my habit to browse some of the updated articles here, I occasionally find a hot argument, or a dispute, in Monica’s blog between Ray, a guy from Guangdong Province, China, and Monica, a lady from New Zealand and I want to show my views here.

Firstly, I would like to remind you of the purpose of the founder of the website. Thanks to him, we can meet here and put forward any views on any issues. No matter what other purpose he may have, it is he that made it possible. I don’t think he has founded this website for us to touch upon sensitive political issues and make hot disputes on any of them. The administrator here, as may be the supervisor of all things here, will have trouble if we do so.

Secondly, I would like to remind you of our purpose of building my blog here. I have never had any intention to show off my English here, though it is a foreign language to me. I have to confess that I have built my blog here to make friends all over the world, though till now I have made foreign friends with only Monica, who is a kind and open-minded and pretty lady; to keep a record of my life, which is the very reason why I have tried to find time out of my tight schedule to drop several sentences down here each day, to tell others that if one day when I cease to be, there will be some friends who can have a good memory of me; to use English to think, which is very important to put to use what I have learned, as obviously there is no such an environment where I can speak English so freely. What above said are my purposes of building a blog here. There are absolutely no political intention for me to write anything down here, not for fear of certain political persecution, but because I am not in the least interested in it. Political issues, in my mind, should be the center of discussion only for these politicians, or those who are ardently interested in them.

Thirdly, we should have patience and tolerance to other, especially to those foreign friends. We have several foreign friends here and Monica is one of them. She is from New Zealand, and also quite young. She is only 26 years old. Frankly I don’t agree with some of her points of view on something. However I would like to make friends with her, and that is the very reason for me to grade her as the No.1 friend on my friend list. I am not kissing her ass. She is so kind to have read nearly every article of mine and given me comments and advice. Her help is tremendous I think, not only to me, but also to others. Westerners are quite liberal in giving their views, though sometimes the views are given in a very sarcastic and bitter way. Patience and tolerance from both sides of the argument are very importance for us to maintain a lasting friendship. There is a famous Chinese saying: It takes one hundred years for us to be brought together on a boat trip by God. I don’t know the translation is expressive, but I treasure friendship so much.

Fourthly, if we think others are hostile, we should always bear in mind that what we think to be the hostility may derive from a different cultural background. Different customs and traditions have made us think differently. Our jokes may sound ironical and bitter to others, while in our own country they may arouse great laughter among the audience. Even if our expression in the language is poor, our offer of friendship will bring something for us in return. I have written an article on the misunderstanding between people of different cultural background.

Fifthly, I want to reiterate that we are not politicians. We should feel free to express what we want to say here. But it is no use making hot disputes on political issues. Furthermore, if what we talk doesn’t do any harm to our country, then we should say what we like to say. I think both Ray and Monica love their respective country very much. But we should not take it into everything we may touch upon, for otherwise we will find our talk here too tedious, naïve and meaningless. Country concept, is irrelevant to us here. We are not preachers for our country.

Sixthly, I would like to say something on what Kathy put forward in her article, which is responsible for the hot argument. Education system in China, is backward and with very bad results. Kathy, not only her herself, but also several of her family members, are teachers, so she has the right to say something about the education system. What is more, I agree with her, since I am the victim of the present education system. I love China, because it is my motherland. I love teaching, because I love my students and love to be with them as a job. All my students proclaim that they are heartfelt happy in my class because I am in their eyes, humorous, responsible, fair and square, and teach them in an effective way. Nevertheless, I am rendered a patient of heart attack. Heavy pressure and workload, combine to bring me down. In hospital the doctor said that my heart was as inefficient as a sixty-year-old man. I am only 36. I have strained myself too much in the past in my work. They advised me to change my job. Any Chinese will know that it is impossible to change my job at my age. At school only those who have social background can do less work. I have to do as a common teacher does. What is the worst, once I was given a hint by one of the leaders that I am not a capable teacher. I don’t know what to say.

The students, in many schools, especially in senior high schools, are at school, as Kathy said, from five in the morning and ten at night, with only a day off in a month. What can you expect from them? Personally I think they are only meek, obedient, passive, inert, foolish and unhealthy animals at the yoke of heavy homework and exercises. They are not as happy as when I was young. Though we were so poor, we could enjoy life more. I don’t think it is a complaint to say so. And I have no intention to mind who I may talk to. In actuality I have no courage to say anything I want to say, so here I am telling the truth. I have never kissed any other’s ass. However, I am eager to meet responses.

Though the students and teachers are under so much pressure, I don’t think for them to have a way out. The most advantageous part of the present education system is that it metes out an opportunity to everyone in the society, in the most impartial way, especially to the poor. The equitable chances for everyone who are eligible to enter a university (whether they are eligible or not are largely determined by the marks they get at the college entrance examination.) is the only advantage of the present education system in China.

What above said is my views on the argument between Ray and Monica. What I would like to say most is that the two sides of the argument should calm down and try to get reconciled to each other. I believe that if we smile at others, we will get smiles back. If we smile at life, life will smile back to us.

    Having been exerting myself for so long in my work, I am feeling all is in a mess. Every day I sleep late and get up late. No effective schedule works for me. It must not be beneficial to my health. So I will try to do as what the saying goes: Early rise, early sleep.

    Today is just so fine a day. The sun generously sends its rays of sunshine upon us. Bathing in the sunshine is just so much fun. I feel there is a hand stroking me and massaging me, which makes me so comfortable in my cosy room. I think I should thank providence for the beneficence and benevolence.

    The Spring Festival is forthcoming. I have to do some preparation, such as buying something for the children and the elderly. It is a time for us to do something for them. It is a trouble, since I have to go out a lot in such cold weather. I only want to enjoy the sun in my room.

    I have sworn repeatedly that I wouldn't drink wine. But last night I went to a dinner and came back a drunkard. Today I still feel dizzy and muddleheaded.

    Wine plays such a crucial role in our social life. Most of our social life is involved in it. At table everyone is as generous as a king to persuade others to drink, and take pleasure in making a drunkard of someone. Last night unfortunately I became a victim and vomitted nearly all I had eaten. I suffer a lot from it. I don't like drinking. But I have to. I don't want to be one isolated from the society. I want to be part of it and I need to keep contact with my friends.

    Embracing a long history, China has its own peculiar cultures and customs. Wine culture, is crucially important. If someone may have interest in wine culture and do some research in it, he will find more materials than enough to write a book or two on it.

    Knowing that it is detrimental to health, I know I should restrain myself from overdrink. However its role as a media in social commmunication can't be ignored.  

Sounds so strange that everyone of us living in the world is so busy doing this or that. Seems that we all have a holy career to engage in that we forget how to enjoy life. We are only passengers in the world. Very soon we will fall into oblivion after death. What should be the first thing for us to do in our life?

    Firstly, language barrier exists throughout the process of our communication. Seldom is there anyone who can claim that he is a master of a foreign language if he or she has never lived in the country where the language is spoken. It so often occurs in newspaper or magazines that such and such a person can master several times and can use them as freely as possible. I just can't believe it. I have been learning and teaching English for so many years, however still now I am only writing in chinglish sometimes. So many things in language need to learn. Even a single word may cost a lot of time to learn. Some words we just can't make clear in what exact situation or context they are supposed to be used. I feel like being in a maze frequently and occasionally I feel I can only try to express myself as clearly as possible. The reason for my using big words so often is only because I have no courage to make clear what a word really means, for example, I don't think there is someone who can give all the uses of the word "fine". Big words has fewer meanings while small words have more. What I can state here is that we can only try to learn and we are always on our way of learning. So please don't accuse me of being profound when using big words.

    Secondly, every country, even a small tribe has got a lot of profuse and wideranged culture background. Different countries, different customs. In China, we think it too naturally when we greet each other in the street by "Have you had your meals?". Nevertheless, in English-speaking countries it will be regarded as an invitation. If we greet westerners in this way, a misunderstanding will appear. When I was learning English in University, I was so conceited after reading nearly all the novels on shelf in the library in English. However now, sometimes I just don't how to express myself clearly and to the point. Continual learning has humbled myself and made me be modest at every occasions.

    What a sad  thing it is to know from Kathy's blog that our generation won't be able see the day when Chinese education can compete with that of the developed countries. As a teacher of China, it is the saddest thing.

    There are a lot of serious problems with the current education system. The Chinese government is well aware of that. I don't know for what reason it fails to change it. I also have to admit that the present education system is the most fair and square thing in China, and it is conducive to all the people, especially the destitude. For those impoverished people in China, to enable finanically their kids to enter univerisity is the only and the most heroic feit for them to accomplish in their life. Entering a university, especially a decent one will provide them with a bright prospect of obtaining a decent job, which in their minds will ensure the life of their kids, though many of them fail to get that the job they are so desirous of even after a college education.

    The children are under severe burden and pressure that people from other countries will only find it unimaginable, so are the Chinese teachers. I am a teacher and so I have been endowed with the deplorable opportunity to witness all of that. My wife and I are both middle school teachers, and both of us are suffering from heart attack due to the high pressure at school, which can bear evidence to the fact that we are both extremely diligent teachers. We have no time to take care of our own children, because we have to take care of the children of others, and we are forced or obliged to do so. I think we have been inhumanly mistreated.

    What the present education renders are only a lot of mentaly deranged teachers and mentaly and bodily impaired students. According to my knowledge, most of the teachers in china have some psychological problems and many of them are so severe. We have no rights to give vent to some of our pentup feelings. They are like a tumour, eroding our health and rendering us incapable workers for under our influence, a lot of the students are suffering from the same problems.

    I am a teacher, but I just can't like the present system, which renders me an incapacitated worker.

    What is more, the social position of all the teachers  in china, according to what the leader in the educational committee in our city claims, has been the lowest in china since the building of the Minguo. 

    I began to read another novel, SISTER CARRIE, by Theodore Dreiser. It is a tougher task than THE GODFATHER, but an easier job than LORD JIM.

    As one of the representative masterworks of Theodore Dreiser's , SISTER CARRIER is widely acknowledged as a great accomplishment.

    What impressed me most is not the words or the plot, but what Dreiser described the job-hunting experience of Sister Carrier. Like what Dreiser put it a waif, Sister Carrier wandered in the street of Chicago seeking a job. Most of what she met was polite declination, there were also some ruthless rebuff. The poor thing, feeling so much frustrated and discouraged, finally managed to find one with so meager pay.

    Despite that fact that Carrier humbled herself so much, from time to time she met with rude and impatient remarks made by the bosses of the department stores. unlike the prosperous economy in Chicago now, the working conditions of the people there were only too pathetic. I don't know whether it was at the stage of the primitive development.

    Job chances were so rare that it was so difficult for Carrier to find one.

    Till last night I had finished reading the novel, THE GOD FATHER by Mario Puzo, which had been a fascinating experience.

    It is the third time for me to have read the novel, so I am quite familiar with the outline of the novel. Mario Puzo is so adroit at descrīption. I was only amazed at it. Whenever I have time I will take the book and keep on reading until I am severely rebuked by my wife to have dinner.

    Don coleon is the hero of the novel. But I like Michael the best. He showed his careful tactical monoevering at the end of the novel to wipe out his enemies, the Barzini and Tattaglia, as well as the family traitor Carlo Rizi and Tessio. He was all but successful. He was crowned Don again after his father's  death.

    The outline of the story is very clear. It begins with three supplicants to ask favours from the Don at his daughter's wedding, during that time the Don is the most generous in providing helps and ends with an complete victory on the part of the Coleon Family headed by Michael.

    Though it is the third time, my interest is far from erased by the repetition. If I have time in the future I will reread the story to amuse myself.

    I have read two novels again and again, one is the THREE KINGDOMS by Wu Guanzhong in Chinese, the other is the GODFATHER by Mario Puzo.  

    Great news it is to know that we are going to work five days a week and we don't have to give lessons at night. There is a decree seriously issued by the government. Seems that is not kidding matter this time. Both the teachers and students exclaimed on hearling the news. What we are afraid of is that it may become another policy which is not supposed to be implemented, only lip service.

     I am not lazy at work. I am, on the contrary, very hardworking indeed. That is why I have been suffering from heartattack. I have taken all the matters relevant to work too seriously. Now from years of working experience I know that I just can't finish all the work how I may exert myself. I am a teacher, so I have to keep the students safe, discipline the students, improving their learning, and I have to meet the demands of the leaders to finish a lot of useless toil all the time. After every exam, we teachers will be graded according to how our students have performed in it, or to say more exactly, what marks they have got. So many numbers, the rate of excellce, average students and how many students have passed the exam will be the standards by which we are judged by. Unlike those educationalists in the past, we are now imparting book knowledge, regarding it as the first and foremost task of ours. What is the worse, we have to toil for more than twelve hours per day. We just have no time to take care of our kids. More often than not, I leave my kid wandering on the school campus while I am taking care of the students. Even in so doing I will be put to blame for bringing kids to school. But at home there no one to look after him--my wife is a teacher too.

    Whoever has concience may have an investigation into the working conditions of the teachers. Just look at the tight schedule you will instantly know what is happening to them. There is a school in the nearby county. All the teachers are severely required to sit in office from 5 in the morning to 10 at night, with only 30 minutes in the morning, one hour at noon, one hour in the afternoon to have three meals. They will have to work 7 days a week. How will they be supposed to go home to see their parents.

    You may protest in a way against the inhuman treatment some may say. There is a very simple way to deal with such kind of staff---anyone who violates the "rule"(it is really a rule indeed.) will be dimissed without any compensation. Perhaps in Hainan Province a teacher who refused to give lessons during vacations was fired, with the support of the local government. We are slaves in a way. We have been trained to be teachers, how can we supposed to make a living without the job?

    If someone may ask all the teachers in China whether they like their job or not, I think most of the teachers will give the firm and definite answer that they don't.

    The students are in worse situations. Since no teachers can affort to be graded very low by the students' marks, they assign unduely a lot of homework to do. Some of the assignments are really nonsense, since a lot of them ask the students only to read, recite. Thanks to the way of teaching, I know a lot of English words ahhahah. The students' health conditions are the worst in history. Will they be qualified constructors in the long run? I am too much perplexed, bewildered.

    The decree requires the students only to attend class only five days a week, without classes at night. They can only go to school five days a week. They will have a lot of spare time.

    I am in doubt just whether it will be earnest implemented and when it will be put into effect.

    Today I went to the hospital to have an phsical examination. The doctor advised me to have a checkup on my kidney, which made me worried. A colleague of mine is still now in hospital for treatment of her kidney failure. Out of deep fright I went obediantly to the hospital. I am so happy now since after an detailed examination I have been proved to be as healthy as can be.

    Health matters so much to us. In May this year I went to the hospital and was diagnosed as a victim of heart attack. The doctor proclaimed that my life was really at risk. I gave up my plan for a travel and I paid the cost for a violation of the contract already signed with the travel agency. It was at that moment I realized what life meant to me. The doctor warned me not to leave the patients' room. He said my life would be threatened when I went out since heartattack was the most unpredictable disease that put a threat to human life. We didn't know where it was and when it would go to us.

    No matter in what a state our life is, we should be content with ourselves so long as we can breathe freely. Recently I can't even write a blog since the heart attack.

    On reading some of the discussions here, I am just caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. I want to express my thoughts and ideas freely. However, I have met so many setbacks and frustrations.

   Once I gave a lecture on taking better care of the teachers and students, since they are under so much pressure from all sides of the society. After the lecture I was directly reported to the leaders. I am now in a fright of being persecuted in one way or the other.

    Frankly I said nothing with evil meanings or malicious intentions. My lecture was mainly based on the material I had gleaned in my working experience. I was only too much concerned about the health conditions of both the teachers and the students. I have been suffering from a heartattack for a long time, which partly derives from a burdernsome work. After the lecture a leader immediately said that I was not so positive in my views and he gave a clue that I was not a qualified a teacher even.

    There are a lot of rules and regulations. We would be deemed unqualified if we utter any complaints or grievances. I think people should give vent to their stifling emotions, otherwise they will suffer from some kind of disease. In Japan, any staff can beat a mimic leader--a sculpture in a special room to release them of the mental burden. It should be accepted by all that no matter how well a leader has performed his duties, there will be complaints. But in China rarely are there leaders, especially leaders at the rudimentary level can look on this as human nature. The least unfavourable words will make them angry and take reprisals.

    However, I don't mean in China everything is unfair to everyone. China is a big country with a long history of feudal rule. As is known to all the residuals may not be eradicated completely. There is so large a population in China. Too much democracy may arouse internal strifes as happening now in other parts of the world. What I want to say is that so many people have gone too far. They regard the leadership as their divine gift from heaven and they can make unscrupulous use of it. In a sense the leadership has become dictatorship.

    I think that it is better for China to have a media independant of government inspection. Everyone can go there and make complaints. I don't think it will do harm to the government rule. It will only be a psychological therapy. I don't think there will be human resources to cope with the managment work since there are too many pentup complaints in the society.  

TO MONICA AND KATHY

    I agree with most of what you are discussing and what is in Monica's article.
However, things in china are a lot different from that of foreign countries.
I agree with Kathy that the students are greatly restrained by the word limit when they are supposed to write a composition. They can't express their thoughts and ideas clearly. I ask my students to write something down daily as a journal. They can write everything may pop up in their minds and they can write as long as they like. It is ok for them to drop only one or two sentences down for one journal.

    For vocabulary, I have reiterated several times here I have been misled by the educational system in China. You can go to any university and inquire into the students' English study, you will instantly find that the priority for a students to learn english is to learn my heart the words. They are so tough a task for students to fulfil. They are like monks, reading books of vocabulary every morning as a mass. I have done the same job. Luckily later on I changed my way into reading english literature instead of only memorizing each word without contextual usage. Nevertheless, vocabulary has helped me a lot in a lot of exams and in reading. As to my daily teaching english, I think we have put most of the time to word learning.

    Monica, I respect your help to every english learner here. However since you are from Newzealand, you never will know in what a way chinese students are learning english. What I want to tell you is that English is the most important subject in china. No students can afford to give it up. The main purpose of the students to learn english is to take exams, and then to communicate with foreigners.

    Especially in writing, as foreign learners of english, my students including me, can't find the most suitable and adequate words to express what we are thinking. We have to use the words or phrases that are available in our mind to express our thoughts and ideas. So we from time to time may write Chinglish. I don't think we can write perfect english as you  native english speaker may do. I don't know if  you know any foreign languages. If you do, you may make the same mistakes. If we say "hello" "how are you?" and then shut our mouth, maybe you will say that we are speaking perfect english. If we continue talking, then our chinglish will inavoidably been brought to the light.

    I have been using english-english dictionaries for a long time. However, I don't think the oxford Dictionary of english is as useful as longman dictionary, which is concise, clear, and with a lot of word usage. So I asked my students to have Langman dictionaries each.

    Due to Kathy's introduction, I read an article on China Daily on the present educational system in China. Most of what he said is true to the core I think. However I am still skeptical about whether the people at the lowest rank of the society can have the chance to get higher education in the hope of changing their fates as they so often desire, if the present educational system is overhauled.

    I was born into a peasant's family, which had got a favourable treatment during the reign of Chairman Mao, who is so often than not, accused of dictatorship now. Thanks to the present educational system, I was endowed with an opportunity to enter the college to be trained and my life had thereby made a drastic turn, for otherwise I would be in the fields ploughing the poor barren land, which is hard work and what is reaped every year is not enough to feed my  family. I am from the lowest rank of the society.

    The educational system has changed a lot. The changes are not favourable with the poor people, the rising college fee for example. A lot of families are made poor because their longing wishes to have their children educated, especially in a university. Usually a family will have to invest all their lifelong earnings in the education, and as a result they have became destitudes. What a tragedy it is for they to see that after even a university education their kids are still unable to find a job, to make a decent living. However the dim the hope is, they have something to aim at. If there was not a strict educational system which is widely acknowledged as the most fair and honest system in China, how can they have the smallest hope to change their destiny?

    I have not many favourable feelings towards the present system, and the comparative fairness of the present college entrance system is to my like.

    What I hate most is the heavy pressure on the students, especially the primary and middle school students, who are still  young and immature, and they have to shoulder the responsibility for their "bubble" future. They have to toil laboriously at least 10 hours a day while their parents can enjoy an easy and comfortable life, rising at 9 in the morning and leaving work at 5 in the afternoon. WHAT A CONTRADICTION IT IS! The young suffer and the growups enjoy. And we say the children are the hope of the future. I think they have become the victims of the future, with thick glasses on and a weak body limpering around.

    So far as the healthy condition of the present youngsters is concerned, I think the government has ruined at least two generations, and the present educational system is being pushing forward.