Reflection

Juin Jay Chiang

When I first heard about the A.I.D. Summer Volunteer Program, I became really quite interested in the program because the program would give me a chance to visit Taiwan and immerse myself in the culture of my background while helping out people of a similar heritage with the knowledge that I have gained in the United States. I was excited from the point I began filling out my application to the point when I arrived at the Taoyuan Training Center.

               Even though I was very thrilled to be in the program in the beginning of the week of training, I soon became exhausted and discouraged near the end of that week because of the academic rigor of the schedule. The one positive experience from the week at the Taoyuan Training Center was how I made some new friends. As the next week came around, I had to deal with monkeys. Although I love monkeys, they can be very difficult to deal with because of their disobedient behavior. These naughty monkeys are a joy to be around with, and it becomes a win-win situation when I feed the monkeys some bananas because it is an enjoyable experience for both them and me.

               Going into to the school as a teacher with no teaching experience and only the previous week’s worth of training, I had no idea what to expect even with my lack of anxiety. I was very glad to have someone teach the class beside me because I believe that I could not have done it by myself. The monkeys were too active and very clever. My partner and I even noticed how the monkeys were whispering to each other and scheming against us. During the breaks, the monkeys liked to dance, which was provided entertainment during the tedious school day. The dancing monkeys also provided vivid memories of my experiences at the school. 

               Tai Ping Elementary School included a wide range of children that spanned from six years old to thirteen years old – from monkeys to Wookies. I had to teach English to the Wookies. The noisy Wookies always had to be controlled by a higher authority. The Chewbacca of my class was also the most intelligent of student in the class. The Wookies of the woods spoke a language that was not English, which was exactly why my co-workers and I were at the school – to teach them English. As I work with donkeys to create a lesson plan for the next day, they learn also learn a lot from the experience they obtain during the program.

               Most people would learn a lot by enduring through an experience similar to mine at the school. Many can learn a lot from monkeys and Wookies even though I was the one that was in the position to teach them something. Donkeys have an immense amount of potential to learn things and become more intelligent. In this world of monkeys, Wookies, and donkeys, many of the lives of these creatures change through the experiences gained at this program. Although the monkeys can be very active, they can learn a lot if they listen attentively. Wookies have an independent mind and need someone of a higher stature to boss them around, but they can be valuable assets if they are tamed well. Donkeys can also learn valuable life experiences easily even though they like to mess around to blow off some steam.

               Through the A.I.D. Summer Volunteer program, many children have gained an interest in learning English, and, at the same time, I have also gained teaching experience, insight into the lifestyles of the villages of Taiwan, and some unforgettable memories.