This Summer . . .

Note: The names used for the students in this article are pseudonyms.

_____

As I write, summer is not quite over; and there are those who doubt that it has ever arrived, because, not withstanding "global warming", there has been little in the way of sunshine. But it can't have been that bad: Trees have come in to bud, flowers have popped their heads out, and a lorry passed me on the road yesterday, heavily laden with hay. And in another respect also, this summer has been much like previous summers. As in the past, we have had foreign students to stay.

This year they came from: Italy, France and Spain, and for the first time, from China. And while we had personable girls from Venice, and humorous and energetic boys from France, it was our Chinese students: Chiang, Kuan-yin and Wan who made this summer special. But it must also be said, that irrespective of where they come from, students are good for us. Because, apart from the little additional income that they bring in, they compel us to abandon our dormant state and spring into life.

So let me tell you a little about our new friends from the East.

For reasons that will later become clear, among the younger students, Chiang stole the show. And rightly or wrongly, in appearance, I saw him as a young Chairman Mao. Of course as he is just 13, that might change; but for now he is short, squat and broad featured. A few years younger than Kuan-yin, his English is not as good; so it fell naturally to Kuan-yin to be his mentor. "You are terrible" I heard Kuan-yin telling him in the bedroom, only to hear Chiang ask, "What is terrible?" It was a good natured exchange, with Kuan-yin trying to encourage Chiang to keep his diary up to date.

But if Chiang was the youngest of the three, and not so good at English, he had his strengths. When it came to mealtimes, and though he knew that there were chopsticks should he need them; he was determined to master the art of eating with a knife and fork.

And this, taken from my diary, is another example of his strength of character:

"Because he had to be up early on Saturday, I told Chiang that we wouldn't play chess, or, go through the poems. So at something of a loose end, he came in to the study. Curious about my shelf of books on China, I selected a few, those with a good mix of text and pictures and gave them to him. From time to time he came over to talk about what he was reading. And mindful of his age, there was a particular moment in these interruptions, that was truly memorable. While looking through, "The Best Sights In Beijing", he came across a picture of a "Nine Dragon Screen". We are told in the commentary that, "the whole thing is built with glazed coloured bricks". But there was something about this dragon screen, that Chiang wanted me to know. First, and pointing, he asked what a particular part of the dragon was called. So I told him that the word was "foot". Then, standing beside me with the book open, and leaning slightly forward, he started to speak. But as he spoke, there were long pauses for thought. And what was compelling was, that these were moments of great intensity, as he struggled to find the words that would allow him to tell me, what it was, that he wanted me to know. And difficult though it was, there was never any prospect that he would give up. What he wanted me to know, and succeeded in telling me was, that as one of the original dragon feet had not been well made, it was remodelled in wood. Something that he had remembered from a television programme."

And Chiang was sharp. Surrounded as I seemed to be, with so many people doing their best to communicate in English, it wasn't long before I found myself instinctively using the expression, "good man!". It was a simple and effective way of showing my appreciation. But Chiang, alone among the students, was quick to realise that he, could turn the tables on me, with the restult that we frequently ended up good-maning each other.

With Kuan-yin the experience was somewhat different. With a good command of English, he had a warm, generous and confident nature. A confidence that came to the fore when, for the first time, he met our other students at breakfast. Straightaway he introduced himself, and asked what they had been doing. And as was the case with Chiang, he was interested in everything: how the dishwasher worked; and by the pelican crossing, how the ligths worked, and why the cars didn't stop as soon as the button was pressed. And after his first brief telephone conversation with his father, he burst into song, "I can fly but I can't fly higher". But not withstanding these good beginnings, within days, there was a cloud on the horizon.

Unhappy at the presence of another Chinese student in the house, Kuan-yin's father, fearing that he would not make the most of his opportunity to speak English, wanted him moved. For our part, (and knowing the challenge it can be, for children to settle with a "host family",) we were upset for Kuan-yin. And when it was confirmed that he was being moved, Kuan-yin was depressed. So I tried to lift his spirit, by telling him how much we had enjoyed his company, that we would keep in touch, and, that I had something special for him; a gift that I would give him before he returned home. And I sent an email to his father:

"Hello

Attached are some pictures that I took of your son Kuan-yin before he left this evening for his new family. He was sad to be going and we were sorry that he had to leave.

I understand that you were not happy that he was living with another Chinese boy, that you wanted Kuan-yin to be speaking only English.

As a parent, I can understand this concern, and it was both thoughtful and courageous of you to allow your son (at such a young age) to travel so far from home. You should be very proud of him because he has many excellent qualities both of character and understanding. That said, and as you may well send your son abroad in the future, I think there are a few things that I might usefully say, and especially as it is not easy for you to know how things work here. Knowing what you might want for your son, is one thing, knowing what you might get, is something quite different.

It does not follow that because your son has gone to a house where there are no Chinese, that he will speak more English, or have a better learning experience in that regard. Families are very varied. Some keep students for the money they get paid and have no special interest in the student. Some may be interested, but not particularly well educated or articulate, and the level of communication within the family may not be that good. And it is possible that the chief preoccupation in a family may be television and computer games, with little meaningful English exchanged.

And other families may be like us: cultured, refined highly educated, articulate and with good communication within the family; people who look after students with the same interest and care as if they were their own children.

For our part, when we have students of the same nationality staying, we insist that they speak in English, and in the case of your son, we did not have to insist. And though there was another Chinese student here, I frequently heard them speaking English to each other in the bedroom. And Kuan-yin was especially good and thoughtful when it came to helping Chiang, whose English is not so good. This willingness to help, was a very positive aspect of his character that he was developing alongside his English. And of course, as we have been to China, there were no shortage of things to talk about.

Unless something goes very badly wrong in your son's life, he will do well. He was a delightful person to know. We would be very proud of him if he was our son. So I hope that moving him to another house is not a disappointing experience. As I said, families are very different, and it does not at all follow, that his visit to England will be a better or more productive visit, because he is the only student from China in the house. For students, much depends on the quality of the family that they are staying with.

Cormac"

_____

Now as will become apparent, we didn't loose touch with Kuang-yin, but left to ourselves, myself and Chiang, (at a leisurely pace), got on with the business of getting to know each other. Each evening I helped him to read through two poems for children, that are fun: "The Owl And The Pussycat", by Edward Lear, and Lewis Carroll's, "You Are Old Father William". So for those of you who don't know these poems, here they are in full:

The Owl And The Pussy Cat

The Owl and the Pussy Cat went to sea

In a beautiful pee green boat.

They took some honey and plenty of money

Wrapped up in a five-pound note.

The Owl looked up to the stars above,

And sang to a small guitar,

"O lovely Pussy! O Pussy my love,

What a beautiful Pussy you are,

You are,

You are,

What a beautiful Pussy you are!"

Pussy said to the Owl, "You elegant fowl!

How charmingly sweet you sing!

O let us be married! Too long we have tarried:

But what shall we do for a ring?"

They sailed away, for a year and a day,

To the land where the Bong-tree grows

And there in a wood, a Piggy-wig stood

With a ring on the end of his nose,

His nose,

His nose,

With a ring on the end of his nose.

"Dear pig are you willing to sell for one shilling

Your ring?" Said the Piggy, "I will."

So they took it away and were married next day

By the Turkey who lives on the hill.

They dined on mince, and slices of quince,

Which they ate with a runcible spoon;

And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand,

They danced by the light of the moon,

The moon,

The moon,

They danced by the light of the moon.

_____

You Are Old Father William

"You are old Father William" the young man said,

   "And your hair has become very white;

And yet you incessantly stand on your head --

   Do you think at your age! it is right?"

"In my youth," father William replied to his son

   "I feared it might injure the brain;

But, now that I'm perfectly sure I have none,

   Why, I do it again and again."

"You are old," said the youth, "as I mentioned before,

   And you have grown most uncommonly fat;

Yet you turned a back-somersault in at the door --

   Pray what is the reason for that?"

"In my youth," said the sage, as he shook his grey locks,

   "I kept all my limbs very supple

By the use of this ointment - one shilling a box --

   Allow me to sell you a couple?"

"You are old," said the youth, "and your jaws are too weak,

   For anything tougher than suet;

Yet you finished the goose, with the bones and the beak --

   Pray, how did you manage to do it?"

"In my youth," said his father, "I took to the law,

   And argued each case with my wife;

And the muscular strength, which it gave to my jaw,

   Has lasted the rest of my life."

"You are old," said the youth, "one would hardly suppose

   That your eye was as steady as ever;

Yet you balanced an eel on the end of your nose --

   What made you so awfully clever?"

"I have answered three questions, and that is enough,"

   Said his father. "Don't give yourself airs!

Do you think I can listen all day to such stuff?

   Be off, or I'll kick you down stairs."

_____

Though he read them slowly at first, Chiang read them well, struggling only with the more unusual words. And as he had a sense of the dramatic, it wasn't long before he was reading them with the appropriate dramatic emphasis. But what he most warmed to, was playing chess.

Again from my diary:

"... Having explained that chess is about two armies fighting each other, I told him, (with a little dramatic emphasis), something about each of the pieces. Of how, for example, the knight because he is on a horse, can jump over the foot-soldiers, the pawns. And we talked about the queen being married to the king. And of how, because she is married to him, she is the best of the fighters in protecting him."

By the use of email, and as his mother teaches English, I encouraged Chiang to keep in touch with home. And when we had photographs, we sent these also. With his limited English, it was understandable, that Chiang's messages home were brief. But when he told his mother that he had been to a "bar" but that it was too noisy, I though it useful to confirm, what I suspected she knew. That he hadn't been to "The Cat And Fiddle", or "The Rose And Crown", but to a private disco run by the language school.

A week after his arrival, Chiang was joined by Wan, a young professional, family man, who had come from China to update his skills. And though we had yet to get to know him, we knew that we wouldn't be having those magical moments of misunderstanding, that we sometimes had with Chiang. Moments such as this, from my diary:

"This morning, when Chiang appeared for breakfast, he was wearing a bright yellow shirt, on the front of which was a very colourful and very dynamic ski logo. Seeing it, and giving him the thumbs up sign, I complimented him on his style. Not understanding what I had said, but seeing my thumb in the air, he dashed upstairs to get Leuigi, our young Italian student, out of bed."

On his first morning with us, (and to our surprise), not only did Wan appear for breakfast, but over it, he and Jenny discussed some of the world's big issues. Among them, as to whether or not, China was ready for democracy. Wan didn't think so, citing as a reason, his country's very large peasant population. On hearing this, (I was not there at the time), my first thought was of India. And while instinct told me that prudence was called for, one thing was clear. That in the coming weeks, we would have some interesting (but friendly), discussions. And from this new and very personable guest, there was more.

Over lunch he expressed surprise, at finding that the English, "like the Americans", had a sense of humour. "I have only been here half a day" he said, "and already there is so much humour". So I explained that while the English have a reputation for having "a stiff upper lip", they are in fact, expert at making fun of themselves. And having allowed a decent interval to pass, I gave him a copy of Noel Coward's, "Mad Dongs And Englishmen", not realising, that as a consequence, I would have work to do:

"When Wan arrived home in the early afternoon, he was as we say, zonked, and slept for more than 4 hours. Before he went off to rest, we had a brief chat about Noel Coward's, "Mad Dogs and Englishmen". So when he reappeared, and though he claimed to understand the irony, he had a few questions. "Perhaps" he thought, "the people seeing the Englishman in the midday sun might think that the Englishman is brave and that they are lazy". And he seemed perplexed that we are told several times that they, "go out in the midday sun", but that we are not told, where or what for. So I encouraged him not to be too literal in his interpretation, explaining that the fact that they "go out" is what matters, and that nothing else is relevant. And I suggested also, that if the native population behave in a particular way, (stay out of the mid day sun), it is because they have learned how to adapt to the conditions..."

In the weeks that followed, we came to know Wan as a highly intelligent, gracious and committed man. Someone, who was determined to make the most of what had come as an unexpected opportunity to visit England. And we were impressed with both the ease and honesty with which he could discuss potentially difficult issues. Though I must add, that at times like these, we were not trying to persuade him that the West was superior and the East inferior. And I was candid in telling him of my own view, that to try to "impose" "democracy" on China, would be a disaster. And when I did question his view of China, citing India as a country with a large peasant population, where "democracy" was possible; his response was challenging.

In China, he told me, there is no tradition of obeying the law, to the extent that, even where attempts had been made to establish local democratic processes, they were all too easily, undermined by corruption. And neither, he reminded me, had China, been colonised, or adopted English, as in the case of India. So from Wan's perspective, (though he was too polite to say so), I was not comparing like with like. And I too left some things unsaid. Chief among them, the belief, that if I studied the history of feudal societies in China, I would almost certainly find, that there was a "tradition" of keeping, and where necessary, enforcing the law.

And something else.

In time, and by his own admission, Wan told us that his view of England before he left China, was Dickensian; though he didn't use the word. What he had expected to see, and especially in London, were men in top hats and capes. Though he did claim, that while on a day trip to Edinburgh, he had seen a woman in a car, wearing a wig of the type that he had expected, and a white tunic. So I told him that Charles Dickens has a lot to answer for. And I put forward the hypothesis that, this particular view of England, acquired through school textbooks, would appeal to the Chinese, who, however keen they are to compete economically, are still a very conservative society. Whether Wan appreciated that this statement was less than the truth, I can't say. But at the time, I felt that to go any further would have been inappropriate, and possibly discourteous. So I didn't discuss, as I might have, why this Dickensian view of England, is something that the ideologues in China, are still happy to promote through the teaching of English in schools.

But as is the case with Chiang and Kuan-yin, I have many other memories of Wan, happy and sometimes funny. Memories that I hope will keep me company, when, in "old age", the sum total of sensual pleasure, wiil be sitting in a chair for several hours. Memories of our visit to Norwich Cathedral where, sitting just inside the West Door, we listened to Evensong. And from where, I explained that the chorister's were singing in Latin, and why. And I will recall our walk around the cloister, from where I took his picture against the backdrop of the Cathedral spire. And of how, from this same vantage point, I was able to show him the constituent parts of the cathedral; explaining how they were first conceived and used. In the case of Norwich, a thousand years ago. And I will remember our walk around the cathedral grounds, stopping at the grave of Edith Cavell. And of my telling him how, in the absence of local stone, the materials used by the masons in building this cathedral, were brought from Normandy.

And I will recall Wan standing in front of me here in the study, with a blockbuster of a dictionary that he had purchased for the bargain price of £4.99. Of how I laughed at the size of it, and told him, that he would be taking home to China, far more words than he would ever need to use. And I will remember, how disappointed he was, when looking up the meaning of the phrase, "ice-breaker," he discovered in the explanation, a grammatical error. A scholar and a perfectionist, he just couldn't find the words to express his disappointment. And something that didn't occur to me at the time, was; that while for me £4.99 is a snip, for Wan, in terms of Chinese monetary values, it was £4.99 x 16 - a small fortune.

And in the context of the "stiff upper lip", I will surely appreciate Wan's introduction to English eccentricity. It came in the guise of Kemp's Men, Morris Dancers and disciples of William Kemp; a noted dancer in his day; and friend of William Shakespeare. But, as often happens, when both men fell out, (and to prove that he was still a person of some note), Kemp danced from London to Norwich. Notwithstanding the state of the roads in those times, it took him nine days. He wrote a book about it. And from its title, came the expression, "a nine day wonder."

And I will remember also, how he enjoyed the simple pleasure, of walking in clean air.

And he, in his old age, I hope, will remember me, and of how we collaborated on the theme for his presentation, "The Garden As An Aspect Of English Culture".

And again, in my dotage, my thoughts I am sure, will turn to that moment at breakfast when, Chiang, with his hand in the air, started speaking to me in Chinese. For the life of me, I could not understand why, or what it was he wanted. But whatever it was, I sensed that it had something to do with a bell. "Can you spell it?" I asked, running the index finger across my hand, "or write it on the computer". "I don't know", he said despairingly, and sat down. Desperate to help him, I started to question him again, and then it hit me. In his mind, and with his hand in the air, he was ringing the bell on the bus. And what he needed to know was, when to ring it, so that he could get off at the designated meeting place for his trip to London. And what I had mistaken for Chinese, was Chiang's attempt to say the words, "John Lewis". The store outside which they were supposed to meet.

So it came as something of a relief, to know that Chiang would almost certainly meet Kuan-yin on the bus in to town, in which case, they would make their way together. But in the unlikely event that they didn't, and as he had a short walk to the agreed meeting place, I took the precaution of writing a note asking for guidance:

"My name is Chiang

Please tell me how to get to John Lewis store.

Thank you."

And I will remember Kuan-yin for the reasons that I gave his father: For his kindness, affability and intelligence.

On his last evening in England, and with the consent of his new "host family", Kuan-yin, came to dinner, after which, and with a cup of English tea, we sat on the verandah. There I gave each of them a copy of the book on Norfolk & Norwich, which I had compiled and wanted them to have as a gift.

The first page in this book, is a personal letter to each, saying how much we had enjoyed meeting them, and expressing the hope that they were returning home with lots of happy memories. On the following page, is a map of England and Scotland, blanked out, except for that corner highlighting East Anglia, and showing Norwich in relation to London. On the reverse of this page, is a short poem written by me, called, "Liberation". And though it is pertinent to China, I offer no explanation as to what inspired it.

More generally, the book traces the history of this region, from the time of the Romans, through to the present day. And there are character sketches of some famous people associated with Norfolk & Norwich. Among them: Queen Boudicca, Julian of Norwich, Anne Boleyn, and Robert Kett, who, conducted his own peasants revolt, only to be hanged from the ramparts of Norwich Castle. After Kett comes Horatio Nelson, Edith Cavell, and the possibly less well known Margaret Fontaine, who, on her death in 1940, bequeathed to the museum in Norwich, her collection of 22,000 species of butterfly. Specimens gathered during her extensive travels around the world. And not to be omitted here, Ebenezer Brewer, who, produced the first edition of what has become known as, "Brewers Dictionary Of Phrase And Fable". There is a detailed look at the city of Norwich. And at Sandringham, the Queen's official residence in Norfolk. "The Roman Catholic & Anglican Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham" is also featured. As is the particular place where we live. And Norfolk's quite unique place names get a mention also. And especially for Chiang and Kuan-yin a poem by Tusn-hsien; about which, I offer the briefest of explanations. Having first made reference to a famous Chinese lady, Ch'iu Chin, I have this to say:

"And near the end of the book I am giving you, is a poem, by another Chinese writer, who lived in London over 100 years ago. He was not happy, and longed for the country that he new and loved. The poem is called, "Ballad of the Great London Fog.""

Now I know that much of this will pass over the heads of the boys just now. But firstly it is a gift. And secondly there is the hope that in time to come, they will appreciate it fully.

As for Chiang, he did all the things that you would expect him to do before going home. He went around the house taking pictures, and in particular, pictures of the many portraits of Leo growing up. And nothing would do until he had a mock-up of the pair of us playing chess. After which, and in the interests of art neuvo, Jenny, posed in the kitchen, holding a cabbage. And when I asked him what he most enjoyed about his time in England, he thought for a while and said, "this house". And when I then asked what he liked least, with courage, (and though he had never complained), he repired, "my sandwiches". With great certainty, he told me that he was coming back to England next year. Be that as it may; the final picture taken on the morning of his departure, was of the pair of us. Chiang, as it were, "ready for the road"; and me in my pyjamas.

Among the many other things that Wan and myself talked about, (things too numerous to mention), was the Chinese temperament. As to why it is, when we have Chinese communities in our major cites, communities that have been there for hundreds of years, I can't recall, over my lifetime, a single person of Chinese origin, who has been prominent in public life.

Well, broadly speaking, it was against this background, that the ceremony of handing back the key took place. During it, I tried to persuade Wan, that in the time honoured tradition, the ceremonial required him to bow. But, at the point of departure, and, with our gift of "Brewers Dictionary of Phrase and Fable" safely stowed away, he had the measure of me. Smiling broadly, he presented the key. And I am pleased to tell you, that he remained - upright.

______________

© Cormac McCloskey

Related websites
   Queen Boudicca
   Julian of Norwich
   Anne Boleyn
   Robert Kett
   Horatio Nelson
   Edith Cavell
   Sandringham
   Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham
   Norwich Castle
   Norwich Cathedral
   Kemp's Men of Norwich

Note: This blog, "This Summer. . .", was first published on Windows Live Spaces, by me, on 1st September  2007