MY KIND TEACHER, MISS ELAINE.

    We didn’t feeling like her at the first sight. We were still young at that time. Young guys prefer female and young and pretty teachers. I still remembered that even the most naughty and treacherous guy in our class would attend the class held by another foreign teacher, who was as young as us, and was really friendly with us and patient with our study. In her class no one talked much since all listened attentively, which was so amazing. So we couldn’t ignore the power of youth and beauty and I have much concern about myself since invariably I will become old and what will happen to me in my class.

    Miss Elaine won our respect by her friendship and kind treatment to us. I still remembered that once when information came to her that I never bought any dish for every meal. She just asked me if I was in short of money. I didn’t want to bother her and I said “no”. I told a lie, for I really didn’t have enough money. I could only afford 2 pieces of bread for every meal, since no one could provide me with any money except my short income coming from the crops I grew during the vacations. She would come to see me when we were having meals to make sure that I was eating dish. Because of her kind care and attention I would have to borrow money from my classmates to make her believe that I could pay for the dishes until she was fully convinced that I could pay for them. Though I had never accepted any help from her, her concern about me has moved me a lot. I still hold dear the memory of her. I pray to God that she will have a long and enjoyable life.

    She was a quite a senior teacher at that time. We just didn’t know how to address her since we still didn’t know much about the difference between Chinese and western cultures. The more we were together, the more we came to understand the way that we were supposed to address her. She asked us to address her as Miss Elaine. At first we found it so hard to understand the fact that a lady at her age should be called “Miss”, since we had been taught to use it to address young and unmarried ladies. It was only after several explanations did we realize that in foreign countries, people like to be regarded young while in China when people are old they liked to called “OLD……” as a signal of respect. Things like this are vastly different and easily cause misunderstandings. That is the very reason why I think people from different countries should be more patient and mutually comprehensible.

    After that we all called her Miss Elaine. We often commented her on such things as her new dress and new hairstyle, etc. in this way: Hi, Elaine. You look every young today, just like a girl. She would laugh and gave such responses as “Really? Do I really look that way?” However if we make such comments on a Chinese lady at her age, we will certainly be asking for trouble and what is waiting for us must be several smacks on our bums.

    I don’t know where she is now as she has returned to America. I have mailed several letters to her and got several answers. After that communication failed and I miss her a lot now.