Random thought

A crazy night out: I got home around 4 am.
My friend called me at 7:45 am, telling me to wake up for class. I was pissed!
Contact lenses were still in the process of cleaning, time: 8:15 am.
I checked my e-mail and got nothing in the inbox.
Then David popped up on Yahoo Messenger. We chatted for a little bit.
Suddenly I decided to call him. Good to know he is going to take Mandarin classes next semester. Wish him all the best, time: 11 am.
I’m going to Taichung to see the Wongs and little Albert, can’t believe it’s been another year. I bet they are happy to be back again.
Ironically speaking, when I don’t want to focus on other people that much, they turn to me more than ever. What? Am I a free consultant?
The postman misplaced a letter to some “Dr.” from the Columbia University in our building. Amazed that they didn’t translate the address and thus sent the letter to the wrong apartment. I did the correction and put the mail back to the mailbox…time: 20:05pm
Final countdown at Taipei 101? Nope! I don’t think so this year because I was stuck in the paralyzed city last year and had to walk home…What a fool of me!
New Year’s resolutions? I got many and what about you? One thing I’d love to do is write more than 100 poems!
Why am I seeing myself riding the bus on the way home back in SLC in my mind’s eye now?
Interestingly to say, I keep running into info and articles regarding neuroscience since I’ve decided to dive into this field…

Fake

Fake

Overcast was the sky
Colourful were umbrellas
The only connection in between
Was chill rain on my lips
Ring tone rang
Text message blinked
Who was there to tackle
Bits and pieces of insanity
No more please and whining
Life is tough and demanding
Want happiness?
Then don’t fake it
Success won’t come around
Without tilling and sowing
Sometimes we just need
A little push and that kick
Right in those lazy genes!

Written by JerSki BjorkSen

Fly

Fly

Firing neurons in brain
Trigger
A burgeoning seed
Eyelids are closed
Mind is stretched
In a bolt of lightning
Rhythms of study
Fly in a shape of coil
And then racket
Leaving a trace of intellectuality
I weep for joy

Garnished with violet chrysanthemums

In a vase full of creativity

Written by Jerski Bjorksen

Hermit

Hermit

Yesterday I heard
A familiar song
Playing in my head
I turned inside out
Seeing the moon above
The earth underground
Today I built
A little house
Standing in woods
With flowers on gables
And a chimney too small
For Santa Claus
You see
I don’t need any calls
On my petite cell
I’m a hermit
Trying to compose
Something philosophical
You know
Don’t even try to disturb
Because no one will get
Any echoes at all..

Written by JeRsKi BjOrKsEn

Complex of native speaker

Complex of native speaker

“Where did you learn your Mandarin? You speak very well!”
“Oh, because I had a very good teacher who is a native speaker. Come and learn English with native speakers. Only they can give you the best learning experience…”

Such is a radio ad I heard the other day. Funny to say the English “native speaker” spoke OK Mandarin and I couldn’t tell her Chinese was that GREAT at all!

I can’t believe they allowed an ad like that airing many times a day. What’s wrong with studying a language with non-native speakers? Does that really matter? Does native speaker equal the best teaching? I just don’t think so. Many have this complex of native speaker when it comes to studying English in Taiwan; few have actually thought where the issue of the prolonged inefficiency in English learning lies in. Something has been severely wrong in our language education on this island (to the Ministry of Education)!

I’m sure there are a lot of great native English teachers; but I doubt only they can teach well. An excellent teacher is like a talented actor or actress at times; he or she must have great passion and continue pursuing all sorts of knowledge and skills so as to be a real facilitator to students. Suffice it to say that native speakers can bring a diverse culture aspect and mentality to enrich students’ language learning; yet non-native speakers can complement what native speakers can’t do, namely the difficulty of acquiring the same target language non-native teachers have been through.

For those who teach English in Taiwan, how many of you actually love teaching? How many of you really regard language teaching as a long-term or lifelong career? Or is it just some quick money you can make here? Of course, a coin has two sides. People with complex of native speaker have to wake up soon as well…

Rhombus

Rhombus

Shivering feel pinches
My delicate spinal cord
Leaving a touch of aching green
Atlantic Ocean
Your liquid magic
Overshadows pieces of intrinsic spree
Blood filled with love
Coincides
Vessel full of sadness
Collides
In the wind
Sparkled was a star of rhombus
Colored in purple and pink
Over the wave
My spirit can’t hold still
On your irises
With chanting of blue mermaids
And music of lost ships…

Written by Jerski Bjorksen

Popsicle

Popsicle

Blue butterflies hover around
Nets of memory sleep on the ground
Echo of cicadas summons
Curiosity of little punks
In a muggy summer
With camphor trees standing highly
By the pond
Waving chasing and shooting
Weapons of destruction
Manipulated dexterously
In the hands of angelic demons
Wishing to catch and torture
The queen of diamond
Dancing in the muddy air
Out of the blue
There comes a shout
Popsicle tasty popsicle
Arms drop heads turn
The mischievous mob disappears
Under a spell of the hawker
Cast via ice of sugar brown

Written by Jerski Bjorksen

End

Students at the National Taipei College of Nursing asked me to help them with some English quiz materials. They complained how badly their foreign teacher teaches and the difficult assignment they got for the quiz. Well, I checked what they’re asked to read-two articles about SARS and Avian Influenza.

What can I say? Their English teacher sucks! Yet, this is no news at all, is it? I also encountered some lousy professors back in Swiss or the USA. I guess having a great teacher is definitely something one can’t always ask for although we take it for granted all the time.

After teaching three hours straight at the college, I sped to my private student at the other end of the town. Luckily I only had to tutor L. one hour today. Then, I got 15 minutes to have dinner, which I had some soup and tofu. I decided to hire a taxi to save time so as to be able to rest a little before the evening class. As soon as I got into the cab, the rain started pouring. I had a small chat with the driver. He thought I worked for some fashion clothes company. Now that was something new. No one ever told me that before. Either they guessed I did marketing or yeah, TEACHING!!

The evening class went by rapidly and it was surely a blast interacting with students, seeing them glow in class. I forgot how tired I was after the class. Well, still couldn’t call it a day because I had to tutor R Mandarin tonight. We met at Dan Ryan’s like most of the time. It is always fun tutoring R. She is a wonderful girl. While we were talking about Christmas songs, I suddenly had a déjà-vu feeling; but it wasn’t with R but with someone else. It was so weird; but I could see this person via my mind’s eye. Perhaps W’s tarot was right; I will meet this person who is a foreigner in the near future…Yeah, go figure…

I read J’s blog tonight and felt compassionate for her. Well, such is life and I will not blame her at all. I had shed enough tears and cried my heart out. So, I turned my head and decided all must be done with some action. I almost bought another neurology book today but oppressed that impulse because I haven’t finished the one I’m currently reading. What was on my mind tonight was in fact bullshit! I don’t know why I still sent an IMS to W. There is no hope between us at all. So pathetic, really. I took out the ice pick and severely stabbed my frontal lobe in my mind’s eye. I know I had to do that in order to wake myself up. Love stains…

After saying goodnight to R, I walked all the way home. The rain was still scattering in the chilly wind. I have never felt so resentful toward Taipei like tonight. Screw the bus, damn the scooter and all the ugly neon signs!

I wanted to go to Water but my other half said no. It’s over… It really is. I seemed to hear Christmas caroling from SLC, a place I had lived for over two years in the United States. Gosh, if I ever…

La haine est un poison mortel

While everyone else was talking about this weekend’s Christmas party, I just laughed inside my heart. Who gives a shit about that boring party? Every year is the same, drinking free beer and spirit at a bar. I will not go not because of the company but people I do not want to see and hang out with.

I found a book given by a wonderful French family I met in Oslo a few years back; which kind of made me sad and elated at the same time. I wonder how they have been doing after all these years. The book titled “Le Miracle De Votre Esprit” by Dr. Joseph Murphy had actually accompanied me for many days in the past. I like the entry on page 116 which goes like: La haine est un poison mortel. Hatred is a fatal poison. Yeah, I agree with that completely but how many of us can really relinquish hatred, a natural habit, when we feel being judged with injustice or being cheated by our beloved ones? I find it very difficult to forgive someone although time might be the best cure in many cases. However, a problem is a problem, it will not disappear automatically albeit the oblivion of time. The ultimate solution is going back to where the problematic source lies in, digging out the rotten part and trimming it and smothering some ointment to cure the wound…

Question is how many of us are willing to solve a problem and let go of hatred? It really depends on each individual; and no one can force us to do that.

Determination

Determination

Hustling
Bustling
Sound of steps sinks
Buses speed like a stream
My eyesight lands on
A broad vision so green
Throwing
Mangling
Mind of determination leans
Fixatedly
With cold fluid
From heaven’s spring
Say what
None spoken
All must be tossed
Behind an unrealistic sea
If I want to lead the future
By childhood dreams…

Written by Jerski Bjorksen

Whose fault is that?

With recent scandals in President Chen’s family and tumultuous political issues prior to the mayoral election, many Taiwanese people have been very upset about the pan-political environment on this small island.

Well, certainly it is not the first time we heard and saw ugly sides of politics and politicians. In every democratic country, it is no doubt a must-go-through process to a mature political ideology and system.

I was surprised to read some report stating that Miss Long Ying-Tai gave a speech about the current political status-quo in Taiwan and the responsibility for which government, politicians, and civilians have to be held responsible.

Basically, I agree with what she mostly talked about; but I beg to differ from one specific point-citizens should be also responsible for the candidates they have chosen in Taiwan. I think she forgot how much time we have gotten real democracy in Taiwan. The Chiang family had ruled Taiwan under dictatorship for almost a half decade; and the slow process to acquire democracy requires much more than one aspect.

We often think our legislators, politicians, governmental officials suck; on the other hand, how many of us have asked what our educators have given students in terms of knowledge and cultivated manners of democracy? Does our Ministry of Education care about political science education? While we always compare our political system to other American or European nations, we should truly reflect upon the veritable source of problem, that is education.

It is an analogy like demanding Iraqi people to grow over night and become a democratic country while most people still lack of the concept of democracy. How can we blame people that chose a rotten candidate for a governmental post without considering how much knowledge and cultivation they have received either from school or society?

Not everyone is like Miss Long, having an opportunity to receive higher education in a highly developed and democratic country, let alone living for a long period of time in a foreign nation to witness real democracy.

Therefore, I do not think it is fair to say people in Taiwan should take a lot of responsibility for having chosen a wrong president or other political figures. She must also remember one can change over times, even a great president like Bill Cliton also lied and made mistakes!

Spiritual Talk

Tout ce que vous désirez, lorsque vous priez, croyez que vous l’avez reçu, et vous l’aurez. Et quand vous priez, si vous avez quelque chose contre quelqu’un, pardonnez-lui, afin que votre père qui est dans les cieux vous pardonne aussi vos péchés. (Marc 11: 24~25)

I had a little chat with W last night, which really made my day. Yeah, it was more about spirituality and religious beliefs. I thought about C in Swiss. When I was there doing my in-training, we read scriptures together and prayed every morning and night. With the rapid pace of daily life and distance between people, it is not easy to find someone who can and is willing to discuss the issues regarding one’s spirituality or philosophical thought.

I know what others were thinking last night but in fact, I was just enjoying a great talk feeding my spiritual body. That doesn’t happen all the time; and I have to admit it was a real blast!

Cognitive Influence

What would be the brain imaging when one’s second language acquisition is slowly developed? Can one reinforce his or her cognitive ability via second language learning? What about multi-lingual people?

I have an assumption- people should work on both cognition and brain enhancement when acquiring a second language should they anticipate mastering the target language.

The point is cognition is not easy to be quantitatively measured since everyone might have various perceptions toward a certain thing or event. Subjectivity plays a critical role as opposed to objectivity in this regard. We often hear teachers in all sorts of fields encouraging students to think positively and believing some subjects, commonly perceived daunting such as calculus or German, are actually simple one way or the other. And we also notice that psychological factors have great influence on a person’s learning; yet how does this link to our brain activity? Our synapses seem to operate in a random pattern contrary to what neuroscientists used to think, a more organized and fixated fashion. What does that help us to probe more deeply into the relation between neuroscience and language acquisition?

If “Use it or lose it” really stands to its credibility, then one should be able to improve his or her cognition and brain power when it comes to learning a language. I personally think the issue also lies in how much effort an individual puts in the language acquisition and the degree of devotion, focus, and diligence involved. Question is: how do we empirically manifest this phenomenon? And can we find a relatively efficient method to boost our cognition and brain power?

Everybody wants to rule the world

H told me “Everybody wants to rule the world” was his favorite song one afternoon while we were back in junior high school. I happened to hear this song on the radio today, which made me think of H, well a long lost friend. The last time I saw him, he was attending the police academy. I assume he is now a police officer somewhere…

The DJ said: if you can rule the world, what will be the first thing you want to do? I just popped out: I will kill all the bad guys! Gees, I don’t know why that just came out of my mouth without much hesitation. I guess we have really too much evil-doing in this world. People need more peace and love and caring…

Another day has passed by; and Christmas is coming soon.

La Vie En Rose

La Vie En Rose

Ticking sound fell
On a plate so fair
Racing beat struck
In a heart so bear
A glimpse was cast
Upon a hidden mirror
Ten fingers were tied
Into two congruent souls
My eyes are a reflection of
La vie en rose
When tarot meets fortunetelling
A spark might be ignited
Wish I could engrave
My love embossed
With colours of rainbow
And a touch of everlasting vow

Written by Jerski Bjorksen

Only I Could

“Hurry, Jesse wants to see you now,” said Tom.
I dropped the book in my hands and sprang to my feet and ran like a bolt of lightning.
“Jesse, look at me, look at me!” as I slightly slapped his face.
“T…Teacher, I…I don’t think I… can ma…make it this time…”
“Don’t say that, please. We are about to find out the secret of LinguaNova.”
“I…I miss Sister Anderson, and I...am sorry I…ne..never…learned En..English well…”
Hearing this made tears well up my eyes; yet I tried not to drop a single one.
“No, you can’t die! Remember what we had promised Sister Anderson? We would find out the cure for your stuttering and you are coming to LinguaNova with me.”
“I wi…wish this da..day would co…come but…” said tremblingly Tom as he insidiously fished in his pocket and pulled out a green jade of monkey.
“I…I want to..gi…give you this. This i…is my…lucky mon…monky. I…I hope you…an..and the re…rest of our…gro..group can fin…find out the… secret of prefrontal lobe soo…soon at LinguaNova.” Tom slowly let go of his hand and closed his watery and dark eyes.
“No…please don’t go!” Tears finally rolled down my cheeks and I suddenly apprehended the feeling of shedding tears.
I lifted my right hand, trying to wipe the beads of sorrow, and only realized the jade monkey had turned into a glistening and transparent necklace engraved with a Chinese character-“Love” at the center…


When was the last time your heart was touched by a story, a movie, or someone you loved? When was the last time you enjoyed yourself under the sun, on green grass, or the breeze of autumn? If you know you have only one day to live, will your soul cry like a baby? Will you regret having bickered with someone over trivia things? Will you miss this life on this earth?

I looked around my room as I woke up this morning, pondering whether I should turn on the CD player and put on my favorite music. For some reason, I thought of a bleak past crawling up the screen of my eyes. Only if I could, only if I could, I would rather leave everything behind and travel to the world of spirit without any reluctance…