In the English Camp at Doumen, each of the North American teachers is paired with one or more teaching assistants (TA’s). Most of the TA’s are university students or young teachers just a year or so out of university. They are delightful to work with and we have had some really good conversations with several of them. Quite of few of the TAs stay around for the free talk sessions at the end of each day. My TA is Ada Chiu. Ada is about 22 years old with a bright, sunny personality. She knows that I speak a little Cantonese, so when she can’t quite think of how to say something in English, she launches into rapid-fire Cantonese. Fortunately, I can usually follow the gist of what she is saying.
During the 1960s and 1970s, Ada’s grandparents and parents had a really difficult time. They were considered wealthy and faced severe criticism. Ada is thankful that things are better now. When Premier Deng announced his policy of “reform and opening” in 1979, the country began to move forward economically and the social climate began to improve. Ada states, “Deng Xiaoping is my hero.” If you could meet Ada, you would like her immediately. I hope you will keep her and our other TA’s in your thoughts.
Jeff
