Deep Thinking

Look at the number of people on this planet who speak Chinese. Don’t you think it would be wise to start learning a little? When I travel to DC for NLLD, several of my state representatives point out the debt the U.S. government currently owes China. Businesses keep their eyes on China. There are tremendous opportunities. So what’s stopping you? No teachers perhaps? Look at today’s announcement from the National Foreign Language Center at the University of Maryland.

“Chinese Learning Objects
Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Chineese Learning Objects addresses the critical need for high quality materials by developing e-learning lessons that will help students improve their ability to read Chinese.

This project responds to a growing interest in Chinese language study that has not been met by an infrastructure of highly qualified teachers or excellent materials appropriate to secondary school students. Not only will the project provide an additional source of instructional materials, it will allow schools to use technology to moderate the effects of a severe teacher shortage by supplementing face-to-face instruction with technology-delivered learning activities.

Beginning in July 2007, instructional materials will be available via the Internet without costs, user ID, or password. In addition to meeting reading proficiency needs in secondary students, the materials will be accessible to students in lower level courses at colleges and universities, to government personnel seeking to improve their reading skills, and to the public at large. CD-ROMs will be available to schools that prefer an alternative to the online version.”

Having lived in Taiwan, ROC, earned a doublemajor in Modern Languages/Chinese and formerly being married to a Chinese man, you would think I’d do better at reading and writing Chinese. Alas! I need a refresher course. I have lots of phrases and vocabulary words tumbling through my mind, but when I attempt to read Chinese, I panic. I’m pleased that resources like this are out there for everyone to use.

If today were your last day to choose whatever activities and food you’d like before you entered military service, what would you do? My list is pretty long and involved. I’d need to recover before I was useful. Kind of like when you return from a vacation and need a vacation. I’d be reading, singing, listening to music, racing through the stores, visiting EVERY friend I could, chatting on the phone, blogging, emailing, writing, taking care of details, playing with the animals, washing, cleaning, and indulging.

What has son #2 been doing this weekend? Visiting Best Buy to play Guitar Hero one last time, walking through Wal-Mart’s electronics to be sure he is current, wearing a suit to dine out at Logan’s (where they all applauded for him & gave a Yee-Haw), reading StarCraft, playing StarCraft online with his buddies, visiting his friends at Books-A-Million, and just hanging out with the dogs and cat.

Seems not so different, but you’d have to see the attitudes. We had to nag to get him to pack up his toiletries & one change of clothes. I had to nag a week to get him to sort through his possessions so we could box some for shipping months down the road. His room is still a disaster. It doesn’t phase him. He’ll walk out in an hour with the bed unmade, bathrobe on the floor and clothes still in a laundry basket.

He just doesn’t have that anxious worrying air that I have everyday. Is it because he is young? Is it because I’m a mom? Is it because I am an obsessive-compulsive worrier who wants to be in control of all details? Probably. It doesn’t really matter how it occurs, but in an hour he’ll walk out on the first steps of his journey to become a man. He’ll leave all the worrying to me. I’ve got it covered.