书城文学在鹰眼的那些记忆
4386600000013

第13章 ESL party day

When ending a unit in ESL class,a party would be held as a rou-tine.usually when copying agendas On Monday,we could know when we were going to have and how it was to be held if there was a mark seen as FOOD DAY or PARTY DAY.A private party held in class was in need of supports from students.In Ms.Gibson’s party.we all had to bring food by ourselves and share with each other.Food could be either bought directly from supermarkets or made by hands.Of course,in such an international class,we were urged to prepare the national food of our own in order to represent our colorful cultures.Sometimes,we even had to spend some time making a list,discussing what each of us should bring respectively.I"d had 3 parties in all during my stay there.I tried bringing Chinese dumplings stuffed with pork and cabbage to the party and saw if other people liked.Some Koreans tried a little bit,while those Mexicans seemed not interested in all.What they had always brought was potato chips,tacos and their Mexican sauces.After bring-ing dumplings for the first time,I didn’t think they liked.I found the students,even as foreign ones in the United States loved snacks and junk food exactly like American people.Students from Korea enjoyed much eating the fried chicken and students from,M"rica enjoyed much eating chocolates.It was indeed amazing to me that as teens they could assimilate to this society so fast.

The way party was held in Ms.Tiffany’s ESI.was different.Ms.Tiffany court always buy us a big cake in the party and didn’t need us to bring anything.Cakes in America are amazingly large.The largest one we bought that I could remember covered half of the table set in the room.After getting a piece of it,we were asked to make a card forthe special day if it was a festival or write a thanks letter if someone was leaving.Even if someone who only worked with them for a week,they would passionately held a small party for his or her leaving.In ESL here,we often had tutors from the University of Iowa come and go.They routinely stayed with us only for several weeks.When they were leaving,we got to have a party for them.We drew pictures showing our wishes or we could just brought homework in class and did it.There was absolutely enough freedom for us to do everything.Having stayed there for some time,I was gradually getting used to it.Probably teenagers should originally be given enough spaces both in mind and inroom to do things they enjoyed.

To be honest.I used to conceive too much freedom for teenagersas irresponsible.However,when I actually was under such a circuml-stance where everywhere had my rights to decide,I began changing my views.Making decisions On my own really gave hie a sense of beinggrown up.With tittle goes by,we will ultimately be grown up and even-tually had to learn to live without restrictions.In my opinion.too much reslriction could in the way of ereation from sludeiits.In most Chi-nese high school teachers dared not to hold parties or never think of having a partY because as Chinese teachers they had to let us get rid of everything that may impact our grades and exams.From Alnerican edu-ation of parties, I think Chinese schools could accept a bit of such apirits as education sometimes acts not merely as a transnlitting of knowledge but also an influence of moral values which call on us com-municating with other people and valuing every encounter with people we meet.