There must be some ways

It’s another week passed by without anything particular, but I was quite touched when one of my students shared his good news with me. J. had a new baby boy and it’s a tradition to give people some glutinous rice, red eggs, and cake. Although it’s a small gesture, it just touched my heart.

I guess I’m this kind of person, easily affected by petty gestures and thoughts. I hope to keep in touch with all these great students and some day I will be more than honored to share my success and happiness with each one of them.

What happened to all those high school buddies, I reckon? Is F. still in New York doing his PhD or has he already come back? Gravely influenced by a mother who was so arbitrarily dominant in the family, I wonder what C. has become now. As for my good old friend, A, I hope he has found his love. I recall all those hot summer afternoons, we rode our bikes, wandering in alleys and trying to explore our small hometown. I was the one who refused to take the college entrance exam but had to give in at the end. Those silly days!

The course of life is inconceivably intertwined with unknown pathways, which makes me ponder where my own road would lead to if I hadn’t had the courage to challenge authority… I think I would probably have become the scientist I long before desired to be, really!

What were my neurons doing when I suddenly heard a very old Taiwanese folksong early tonight ? The song triggered my deepest memory and I thought to myself why it seemed so facile to understand the lyrics although I hadn’t heard the song for ages. Were those data hard-wired in my brain and I didn’t need to try hard to locate the stored info? My question is why one cannot use the same mechanism in second language or third language acquisition? How can we unravel the mystery and come up with a pragmatic application to enhance people’s foreign language learning? There must be some ways, I strongly believe!

What if

The fortuneteller said that I would not have many friends but a few really good ones. Well, I just laughed over his comment. After all, I don’t believe in fortunetelling…

When one feels devastated or encounters major trials in life, he turns his hands in some unknown power or religions in hopes to find a way out. There is no right or wrong in doing so; but one must realize every person’s life actually depends mostly on himself or herself.

What if I, all of a sudden, evaporate from this place, would anyone notice? What if I decide to change my career plan? Will it be too late? Or what is called lateness?

Today I ripped off my attachment to the old past: a cumbersome burden traced back to my teenage days in Taidong. I burnt the archaic memory data and flushed the bitterness down the toilet.

From now on, I do what I want and choose whom I want to render service. As for friendship or relationship, I treat it as Chou-Gong: Those who are willing to play join the game, otherwise, get lost!! LOSER! (This is my own connotation!)

Suddenly

Suddenly I feel life is no longer that tough; my feelings towards others have completely changed. I used to try so hard to please everyone around me but I don’t have any desire doing that any more.

Suddenly I know I can do whatever I would like to accomplish and don’t have to look back and worry there might be hidden arrows.

Nothing would be fair no matter how hard we try; if there is any arrogance embedded in me, it will be my last pride of being human being. Stop telling me it would be much better if I were blond with blue eyes. That was absolutely ignorant and superficial!

I know I’m not a native-speaker but I’ve tried my best! And language is my whole life. You have no idea how strong my passion is! Whatever you say, it will not degrade me because I at least know how to write poetry and speak 6 languages and going on 7, 8, 9, and 10…

Suddenly all is bullshit! I shot a glimpse to the old and shabby tavern and laughed at your silly story, the one that lingered like thick foams in the sultry eve…

Life without TV

Well, I don’t have a TV now and it’s actually okay. I had lived one year without TV before I went to Norway in the year of 2000. That was a time I read the most and found myself doing so much in life.

Although I feel like 24 hours are not enough for a day, at least I get to read books and exercise more regularly.

Britain is worried about the lack of scientists in their country because the number of students taking science courses is less and less. I believe many people’s scientific knowledge is dire unless they have cultivated an interest in it. I reflect it upon our own school system and there is also a lot of stuff we must work on efficiently.

The government needs to develop a better curriculum to attract students to study physics, chemistry, and math. Students should be encouraged to take challenges to learn science too. However, I personally think one has to be given all sorts of resources to explore his or her real interest and make the best choice in terms of career. Students should be provided chances to develop at least two skills so as to meet the requirements in a more and more competitive job market.

Red King Crab invasion in Norway! Albeit the uncertainty of the impact on the ecosystem in the sea, scientists are closely observing the outlandish species. Ha! If it happened in China or Taiwan, I bet there wouldn’t be any problem at all to control the amount of those crabs because they will be caught and sent to restaurants and down to gourmets’ eager stomachs before the little ones grow up and ravage the environment…

A Piece of Me

A piece of me
Lying in the lake of Zurich
Breathing the cool air
Of silk
A piece of me
Running on the top of lily
Spinning like a whirlwind
Of the Milky

Take a sip of this nectar
On a serene summer eve
The feel of the Universe
Splits my destiny
If only I knew
If only I knew
Where to put the piece of me
In this zigzag-puzzled galaxy

A piece of me
Is void of something
A prayer maybe
A home probably
For an old folktale
Singing a mystery
Like a lost soul
Roaming on the prairie
Only if I could
Only if I could
Cast the piece of me
In the dream
Trickling down the lake of Zurich
Returning to embrace
The real Me

Written by Jerski Bjorksen

Important teachers in my life

Today was the first time I taught eight hours of classes and it surely made me exhausted by the end of the day. However, I enjoyed it very much. Later tonight J and I went to the night market for a bite. I love snacks there; there are always many varieties to choose from and people to see. Of course, night market is also a unique thing in Taiwan.

There are five teachers that had influenced me tremendously in my life. The first one is my English teacher in junior high school. She opened my window to the English world and taught me the best way to acquire this language. I still recall those role-playings we did in class. My group was always the first one to present, which gave me lots of fun in learning English.

My second one is the math teacher in junior high school too. He made math so much easier and interesting to learn. Although I hated math in high school but I did calculus at university in the U.S. And guess what? I got an A! Dear math teacher! I really love math, you know? Thanks to your great teaching!

The third one is my French professor at the college in Suisse. She showed me how a great language teacher should be; and I have been emulating her example in my own teaching career now. Oui, Madam V, je peux parler français maintenant!

The fourth one is my Chinese teacher in high school. She had me learn lots of wonderful things about Chinese literature. I did well in her class and remember she once said that I was the only one who could probably speak more articulately than her in front of all the class… Thanks to her, I was the valedictorian. But don’t mistake me for I wasn't the best student in high school. However, I was regarded the best public speaker at school. So, they elected me as the valedictorian…

The fifth one is my linguistic professor at the university. His devotion to linguistics truly inspired me; and here I am trying all I can to get back to school. I’ve decided to do research in the field of cognition and neuroscience in hopes to figure out some day to reveal how an individual can learn English well if his mother tongue is Chinese as opposed to one’s mother tongue is English and want to learn Chinese better.

I am aware that there will be tons of challenging tasks to accomplish but I’m not afraid. I have faith in God and myself as well…

Reality really bites

I don’t recall how many times I’ve had students ask me to help them with their English because they planned to study in the Unites States. The thing is they usually don’t realize preparation in advance counts a great deal when it comes to studying in English.

I believe there are many people who can carry on a decent conversation in English; yet it does not mean one is able to do studies well at university in the US. Speaking and writing are two major obstacles for lots of Asian students, let alone doing some profound academic research and oral presentation.

If someone tells you he wants to go to graduate school next year and is going to take the TOEFL exam in September and expects you to help him to increase writing skills in a month, what will you do?

Many think as long as they spend money; and time is never an issue! Sometimes I want to shout at those students! Wake up! It’s a mission impossible! Getting an excellent score on TOEFL or GRE takes time to prepare and practice; especially those tests have been modified to a more difficult level nowadays.

I’m the 'best' example! Having thought of my studies in the States, I thought I could easily get a high score on GRE. Therefore, I didn’t really prepare a lot. Guess what? It was a flop! I didn’t even finish my exam! For both verbal and quantitative sections, I had to guess many answers because I was too slow… I realized practice plays such an important role on those tests. Basically, one has to answer each question within 30 seconds and if there is any hesitation, he will fall behind the time.

Oh well, such is life! I will challenge myself again! And certainly, I will do all I can and study all is germane to the test before I embark on another test. Besides, I will time myself for each practice exam I do at home.

So, is it really difficult to mast a foreign language? I doubt it. Since our brain is full of plasticity; it should be able to acquire language skills regardless of the fact a person has passes the critical period. My speculation is as long as a person had been exposed to linguistic stimulation before the critical period and his or her brain had developed the necessary neurons for learning a language, it should not be too daunting for the individual to learn other languages.

It all depends on how much effort a person puts in and how much stimulation his or her brain has received in order to produce new neurons for the new language learning.

If a subject takes 20 minutes thinking in the target language, how long will it take for the subject to express fluently in the target language without major difficulties? I would love to conduct a research in the near future!

So, those who want to study abroad should be aware of the truth: Start preparing early if you want to study overseas. Giving yourself enough time to learn and digest and internalize English, then you should be fine!

Green Pearl

Green Pearl

Traveling miles and miles
My dear friends
From the top of Monkey Mountain
The natural pathway of cascade
Carries billions of tiny men
Sliding down the blue ocean
Via a rainbow-liked lake
Once upon the destination
Stimulation and nectar sustain
A long process of magnificence
Day after day
Year after year
Eventually comes the one and only
Green pearl
Hidden in a pink mansion
Awaiting a lucky master
To unveil its gorgeous face

Written by Jerski Bjorksen

Contact Lenses

“Yeah, we should go to grandma’s house next week,” said a woman to her son.
“That would be great!” The boy replied.
“By the way, how’s school today?”
“Oh, it wasn’t too bad. I got the highest score in a math test today. It’s 69!” The boy said with giggles.
“What? Hahaha! That’s okay, I guess…” said the woman.

That was a conversation I overheard on my way to lunch this noon. Well, I thought that was funny because both the mother and the son laughed over the score. I bet there are many parents out there, who would be pissed off if they knew their kids scored 69 in math. However, what’s more important to children? I think self-confidence is very critical. After all, if they have tried their best, why not let them enjoy a wonderful childhood?

I think I cursed more than one hundred times and used more expletives I have ever said in my entire life. Damn the contact lenses! I never thought it would be that difficult to put on a pair of them. I did my right eye quite easily but the left eye was the devil! It basically took me more than two hours to get it off!! Shit shit shit!!! For a typical Aries, I just can’t stand not being able to accomplish simple tasks rapidly!

Typhoon again

Today I bought two books about neuroscience on my way to work. I have to admit I’m really into this field and want to learn everything about brain, especially in the domain of language acquisition.

I crashed for two hours this afternoon, which made me revitalized afterward. Summer classes have added a much bigger load to the usual one. I feel tired and desperately in need of a vacation. However, I was so happy to see students do their public speaking practice tonight. I guess it’s all worth it even though I have to work long hours.

Will there be a twin typhoon
The rain has been on and off
What I see is my future
Cognition and Neuroscience
I will get ready
Before the storm hits…

La Corrida

Oh my goodness, the radio is playing Francis Cabrel’s “La Corrida”. This song had accompanied me for many good times and bad ones in Europe. I love Francis Cabrel’s music. One time I even heard someone playing his songs while getting out of my dorm in Oslo. The time just froze for like 10 minutes…

Yeah, I went to my French class this morning. Although it is supposed to be an advanced course, most people still need to work on their conversational skills a lot. To me, they should be in the basic-level class. I wonder whether one really needs to be in a francophone environment to master French. I didn’t speak too much but next week it is going to be different because the reason I go to this class is practice speaking… I don’t care whether others will think I’m showing off; I am not going to waste my money. Regardless of other classmates’ level, I enjoyed the class. I understood 100% the content and the teacher was amusing too.

Now that’s a sort of review for my French; next will be German in September. I am thinking to have a one-on-one class after I have taken one term. It will be more expensive but still a lot of cheaper than taking a course at a university back in the States. I will continue taking German until I feel I’m good enough to carry a decent conversation. Then, it will be Spanish and Italian. I did study those two languages myself in the past. I just need a teacher to practice with and correct my mistakes. Sounds daunting, right? But for a language-person, this is absolutely nothing at all…

Chad suddenly announced ending its diplomatic tie with Taiwan and the whole thing basically humiliated our PM. Oh well, do I care? To be honest, I think Taiwan doesn’t need to waste any time and money on those countries! What for? They are not going to help us much; on the contrary, we are the ones who stretch out hands to assist those Third World countries.

No matter what the government tries to do in terms of foreign affairs, Grand China will do its best to intervene and sabotage our position in the international community. My personal opinion is we should spend more time ameliorate our education, economy, and other societal issues. There are tons of poor children, aboriginal families, the sick, who are in need more desperately than those so-called diplomatic-tied countries.

The entire expanding-foreign-tie strategy is a joke to me. Unless, China is willing to give up on Taiwan and proclaim to the whole world that they recognize Taiwan as an independent sovereignty, otherwise no matter what we do will be a completely flop! So, wake up those government officials! Don’t waste my tax money any more!

Challenging Authority

“Hey big boss! The head teacher just summoned you to her office!” Alex told me as I was doing my math exercises at my desk.
“Yeah, I know…”
“Are you gonna be alright?”
“Don’t worry! I’ll be fine,” replied I assuredly.

As our beloved English teacher, head teacher, was replaced by the new Chinese teacher, which stirred severe turbulence in our tranquil school, I decided to put up a defense wall to observe this new comer.

Being a class leader for two years, I have gained a lot of support from my fellow students. For some reason, I just couldn’t stand this new head teacher no matter how well she taught in Chinese class. In fact, I don’t think she is a great instructor.

“What is going on with this class?” The new head teacher asked.
“What do you mean by that?”
“No one really listens to my lecture no matter how hard I try,” she said angrily.
“I can’t force everyone to listen to your lesson,” said I coldly.
“But you are the class leader!”
“That’s not the issue,” answered I nonchalantly.
“Okay, I guess I will have to take some extreme action to resolve this problem…”

A few days later, we received a huge load of homework in Mandarin, requesting us to memorize five archaic essays for a test. Everyone complained and murmured throughout the week.

“Big boss, what can we do? There is no way we can memorize those essays by heart in three days. There are at least 4,000 characters!” The whole class told me.
“I know, I’ve told the new teacher but she wouldn’t listen to me!”

What kind of teacher was that? I questioned myself hundreds of times. Why did we need to tolerate lousy teachers like that? I know teacher has been a dignified profession in our Chinese society for thousands of years. People respect teachers highly. Parents even allowed teachers to give their children corporal punishments in the past. Of course, nowadays, doing so will only jeopardize a teacher’s career and lead him or her to law suits…

“What the heck do you think you’re doing? How dare you hand in a blank exam sheet?” The Chinese teacher said.
I looked away and said nothing.
“Did you hear what I said? Or are you suddenly deaf now? Answer me!” she slapped hardly across my right face.
I turned my face back and looked right in her eyes as I shouted, “How could you slap me? My parents don’t even do that to me! You filthy, evil and ugly slut! I will make you pay for what you did to me and the whole class!”
“Are you threatening me?”
“Yes, I am. So what? You’re dead meat!”

Although I was only fourteen, I had read quite a lot and in many ways was a lot more mature than my peers. I happened to know a good buddy whose father worked in the county bureau as a high ranking official. I quickly plotted a revenge scheme and phoned my buddy’s father…

…To be continued.

French Day

Knowing what you want to do with life is something critical, be it career-oriented or spirituality-wise. It took me a long while to finally stick to what my passion gears toward on my path to dreams. I have to admit I enjoy teaching language very much. When your heart keeps sending messages to your brain, it is wise to follow it, I reckon.

Perhaps I look somewhat cold and distant for many people, but that is the way I am. I used to try to be very interested in others in hopes to let them be the same to me. Then, I realized it was impossible to please everyone and I didn’t need to do so.
So, I freed myself and just behaved what I was supposed to. At least, I think I am a well-mannered person, not having intention to harm others…

Yeah, I did get Snow Patrol’s new album. It is really awesome! And plus it is cheap too! I only had to spend NT 298! Wow, I couldn’t believe it when I saw the price; and it just made my day!

I hate moving around now but my nomadic gene is agitating again. I can feel it inside my blood. I hope this time I will get a place for settling down. Yet, I still long for going back to Suisse. The spiritual feel I sensed while riding the tram truly hit me years ago.

Believe it or not, I am taking a French course tomorrow. I just want to practice speaking. It will be fun doing that again. Funny to say, I ran into R. on the Internet yesterday. Sounded like he really enjoyed life in Thailand. Well, c’est bien, n’est pas?
Yeah, French day tomorrow!

With or Without Language

In the special edition, “Becoming Human”, from “Scientific American”, there is an essay about human language acquisition. The article mentions the delicate tools made by Neandertals and whether it was possible to pass on such skills without speaking language.

A Japanese research team made a stab to conduct an experiment, which they divided a group of undergraduates into two teams. They taught one team how to make a typical Neandertal stone tool by spoken language; whereas the other one received no such teaching expect silent examples.

I agree with the author’s point of view that we cannot presume our thinking or method of doing thing is the only way to do business in the world. The experiment conducted by those Japanese researchers must remember that their subjects are modern human beings and those undergraduates have already developed a solid cognitive ability. Besides, the team that received only silent instruction possesses verbal language skills as well. I personally think such an experiment lacks of credibility.

The question lies at the heart of the issue: How can we know whether cognition and perception of our world can be developed without certain forms of language, be it spoken or written? Modern human beings’ linguistic skills and language acquisition involve more than one aspect whether it is cognitive, linguistic, and psychological.

We can only have theories-such as Noam Chomsky’s Universal Grammar-that assume our brains are pre-wired with some linguistic ability before other stimuli come into the process of language acquisition. After all, it is daunting to measure one’s perception and cognition in the area of language learning without losing subjectivity.

104 Degrees

When I saw your glaucous eyes
Stagnant as a lake
I felt an icy cold air
Soaring rapidly like a flash
Cutting, slashing, and splashing
Where would those swans swim to
There was no end to the skyline
Only yellow tulips lay quietly
On a Scottish stained-glass ferry
Is it really that hot
104 degrees
Burning heat waves struck
I do not recall anything similar
All I have in the memory
Is more than the Pandora’s Box
A vicious thought
A wicked plot
And a lethal shot…

Written by Jerski Bjorksen

Cocoon

“What’s up with th E.?” asked Johnny.
“The same old problem,” replied Tomas.
“I thought he had got over with it. It’s been over three years….”
“Yeah, I know. There is on cure but himself. We can’t help much if he doesn’t want to walk out the shell,” sighed helplessly Tomas.

Sometimes we are stuck in our own cocoon and think there is no way out, no future, and the world must have forsaken us. Surprisingly, if one looks around or takes a deep breath or just forgets about oneself for a moment, there is usually some hidden beauty of oasis in the seemingly arid desert…

Snow Patrol has a new album. I like the song played by the MTV, “Eyes on”. I’m going to buy their CD on Friday. Well, that is if I’m lucky to get one.

One student told me she had a severe retinal problem, worse than ordinary floaters, a kind of detachment. She almost lost her eyesight when studying in high school. That struck me a bit although I know how volatile life can be at times and the morbid destiny can cast its spell on us any moment… I still felt shocked. I guess everyone has his or her untold story. It’s not just: Everyone has a dirty laundry. I shall say everyone has an unveiled sorrowful episode. The question is: Do we care to share it with others? Do others want to listen to us? What difference does it make when telling our stories or perhaps they are just too bland to the listeners?

Cocoon might be rotten after days or years; but if we don’t break it ourselves, we might’ve died long before it gets eaten away naturally. Therefore, help yourself and don’t expect highly from others because they could let you down very easily…

The Sky in Taipei

Recently I read some news about the original singer, Ms Wang, of “The Sky in Taipei”. It said that she and her husband donated one million US dollars to a school in Virginia as a scholarship for Asian students. They also sold their own company which was worth more than several billion NT dollars and decided to do volunteer work all over the world.

I was touched by their generous deed because they are only in their late forty. It made me think and believe there are in fact nice people out there: the world isn’t really in the cul-de-sac and we should keep hope for a better future. I admire those who have a big heart and selflessness. It is not easy to put aside one’s wealth and devote to others fully.

I love the song “The Sky in Taipei” although I’m not literally from here. I used to sing the song when I was in Europe. There are many fond memories in this city I reside now; yet there are many sad ones too.

For a city like Taipei, I wonder how many people are like me, a passerby, trying to look for a sense of belonging. It’s true we don’t always see a blue sky here but I had the luck contemplating one a couple of times. Fortunately, I’ve grown to adopt myself to different environments over the past few years. I guess my loneliest time, which was in Oslo, had given me the strength to overcome whatever trial I might face later in life… I also miss the sky in Oslo at times…

Hundred Pacer Snake

Hundred Pacer Snake

Clandestinely
Meandering like a river
A symbol of guardian god
Under the beauty of geometry
Lies an ancient sorcery
A totem is thy territory
The almighty emblem
Evoking power of mastery
Reunites tribes of valiant warriors
In a chaotic circumstance
When the summer bell strikes
Thunder and lightning withdraw
A harvest festival summons
The primitive and ethereal vocal
Embracing dancing and hailing
Hundred Pacer Snake
Everlastingly

Written by Jerski Bjorksen

Bronca and Wernicke areas

If Mandarin speakers learn Chinese in a different way compared with English counterparts, then what is the major variation in brain activities? Chinese happens to be a language that uses sound and character separately. If one does not learn the written form, there is no possibility that he knows how to write characters via the pronunciation.

Presumably, Mandarin speakers use both tactile and visual sensory mechanisms to master their mother tongue, but would that help them to acquire other alphabetical languages? Or would it be a hindrance? If one’s linguistic parameter, confined in the area of first language acquisition, had been set long before mastery, how hard would it be to switch the parameter to adapt other languages’ parameters? Or is it just impossible to change?

How much should be sufficient in terms of frequencies of word use so as for an individual to reach the native-like fluency in second language acquisition? How can we manipulate our brains to acquire new linguistic skills so that neurons, be in the Bronca’s or Wernicke’s area? How dissimilar is it in these two areas for both Mandarin and English speakers? What about bilingual people and those who acquire their second language well later in life? Could one use fMRI or PET to sort out some pattern or distinction?

I’m curious about those questions as we know Bronca's area is mainly responsible for outgoing speech, words for speech, and semantic processing or assigning meaning to words, whereas Wernicke's area is linked to memory functions, especially short-term memory, language comprehension, and processing incoming language whether it is speech or written language.

"Lucky"

Indigo bracelets lay quietly on my desk as I got up to reach “Scientific American”. It’s already 6:26 pm; and I had another class to teach tonight.

The radio was playing the cheesy English learning program again. I wondered how many people really benefited from it. But I loved the songs they played sometimes. Too bad there was only one English radio station over here although one could get online and get all sorts of international ones on the Internet.

The weather was clement this morning, which struck up my memory of Vevey. I bet there must be tons of tourists there now. I recalled one late afternoon, C., B, and I were walking around the lake and we found several swans swimming with carefree air on their faces. C. picked up a piece of wood and craved it into a seahorse with a Swiss knife. He gave me the seahorse and I named it “Lucky”. I had taken “Lucky” to many places, including Norway and the United States. Now, “Lucky” still sleeps soundly in my precious memory box…

Fighting gamely

Why on earth are we living in this world full of chaos? People over here are losing confidence in the government; and yet those legislators and government officials are digging scandals and dodging the issues, respectively. How many out there are truly making effort so as to better our society?

They say everything is getting more expensive but salary; I say there are still quite a few making a fortune monthly, be it legally or illegally. One just needs to realize what he or she wants for life and not to go with the flow blindly.

I reckon I must fight more gamely in order to have my goals fulfilled. I can act nonchalantly and mind my own business. But I do care about those are close to me. However, one critical aspect to a happy life lies in one’s own attitude. If you really know what you’re seeking and doing, you don’t have to care too much about others’ criticism. It’s not easy being singled out and fighting the world; but truth will shed light on many things sooner or later. The question is: do we have enough patience to persevere to the very end?

I am mesmerized by “The Shadow of the Wind” written by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. Hope some day soon I will get to read in Spanish as well…

German again

So, I dug out my German textbook and started to do a little review after such a long pause. Funny to say, after having learned Norwegian, I no longer feel it’s that difficult to study German. I guess it’s because Norwegian is also a Germanic language.

S. rang me this morning while I was still asleep. I thought he would be stuck in Bali due to the typhoon. Good to know that he is back and safe and sound.

I was watching TV news while preparing my lesson tonight and I glimpsed that the weather has been scorching hot in Arizona, 48 degrees Celsius! The TV showed some images of ongoing lightening as well. It really makes one wonder what is going on in our world? Is it really the end of the world? Is it the fulfillment of the Apocalypse? Therefore, one thought came over me: why bother to care so much about things in life? I don’t need to worry about what people think of me, not to the extent to affect my own feelings. After all, we are all going to die sooner or later. Accordingly, we should live to the fullest of our own lives.

Yeah, I do feel revitalized in reading German again. I just love learning languages. I believe the neurons in my brain are very active and doing their best to acquire new skills. I know I will sleep well tonight, no doubt. Time to read Amy Tan again…

If I Die

If I die, would anyone mourn for me?
Should I care, should I not?
We all long for being loved
But does that truly matter?
If I die, would anyone cry for me?
I have no answer
Not in my mind’s eye
Not in my brain’s neuron
Who says there must be an end
To every story we hear
I want mine to be the exception
Way offline
Hard to comprehend
If I die, would my friends feel sad?
Do I want to know?
Maybe not
Why can’t we let negative thoughts take over
Just for a while?
Why must we stay positive always?
As human beings, it crawls up in our nature
I know I shouldn’t think like this
Yet who would really give a shit!?

Mountain Carp

Mountain Carp

There is a mystery about you
The beloved pet of crouching Buddha
Running away from menace
The fatal chase of ferocious feline
Thousands of years had passed
Leaving a trace of escapade
In the sable forest hunted by
A fearful blue ghost
On a sunny day of autumn
A troop of little pupils
Wandered around the steep treks
Searching the lost folktale
At the top of Mountain Carp
Where was it
Dead silent as it was usually
They looked up and saw only
The Orchid Island far east
Like a leaf floating in the sea
My first childhood outing
Lingered in my midnight dream
For ages and ages…

Written by Jerski Bjorksen

Trash Trash Trash!!!

When was the last time I really cared about myself? I wonder anyone out there truly cares about me? What kind of friend am I in their eyes? I don’t believe fortunetellers but at times I question myself why no one seems to bother…

So, that’s it! I am going to treat myself better! Those who are friends come to me; I’m not going to stretch out my hands. I got books to read, research to do, novels to write, and dreams to fulfill. Therefore, adieu for a while!

Some colleague asked me whether I had a bad day today. I didn’t even say a word but walked straight to my class. I despise those who come to “teach”. If they are passionate about teaching, I have nothing against them; but if they are here to take advantage of us, I look down on them.

That’s why I decided to study something more, not only to pursue my childhood dream but also get out of here. I’m sick of those fucking trashy people!!

Neurolinguistics, here I come!

WiMax vs. 3G

V. and I were talking about 3G mobile phone yesterday when he suddenly mentioned WiMax. What is WiMax? It is an acronym that stands for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, a certification mark for products that pass conformity and interoperability tests for the IEEE 802.16 standards.

With WiMax, one can also send and receive large files of video, photo, or music in a long distance, approximately 50 kilometers. It is useful having a cell phone integrated with this function in big cities. As for 3 G, one can also do the aforementioned things and even watch news or movies.

Now, the question is if WiMax or 3G provides the access of Internet, then one can also use free online telephone service such as Skype to make calls. What will happen with all those mobile phone companies? For those who are metropolitans, wouldn’t it be so convenient to use the free Internet phone to call friends or even clients any time and any where?

How would those mobile telecommunication corporations deal with this situation? Maybe they will have to increase the charge of the Internet service on cell phone. Although there are still a few years to go, I’m sure with the advance of technology, we will soon be able to use either WiMax or 3G in many places…

Civilian

It’s been nine days since Israel has started its air strike on Lebanon. No matter what reason hinds a war, I think the poorest victim is civilian. What choice can a civilian have, expect for awaiting his life being taken away?

Middle East has been a very unstable zone for decades. Israel’s aggressive stand towards other countries around has caused many conflicts albeit some sporadic truces in between. When can all of us learn how to live peacefully? Is this an omen of the end of our world? Or perhaps it’s really the second coming of Jesus Christ.

Feud can’t be eradicated if on one wants to forgive and move on. War can’t be stopped if the goal to pursue world peace and love never reaches a consensus. The very possible outcome is all of us kill each other and at the end Homo sapiens dies out.

I’m glad to see my parents today although we didn’t get to talk much. They came up to help my sister take care of my niece; then they will head back to Taidong by next Wednesday. My little niece is very excited about going down to Taidong to see the Aboriginal Festival. Wish I could go with them, but looks like I’ll have to wait until September.

I had some glutinous rice my mother made for us this afternoon. It’s so delicious and sort of quenched my nostalgia…

Angel or Devil~Chapter 2

“Mom! I’m home!” Jade-Lynne shouted as she walked in the house.
“Oh, hey honey! How’s school?” asked Marianna.
“Fatabulous! I helped Jenny finish her science project.”
“Really? You mean that molecular biology one?”
“Yeah…”replied Jade-Lynne as she opened the fridge to grab a Popsicle.

After dinner, Jade-Lynne went into her room, which was decorated with all sorts of silver objects. She just loved the color and proclaimed it could make her head cool down and think more thoroughly.

When everyone at her age was playing dolls, she was only intrigued by the adult world. However, she was very into making clothes for her pet, Vector, a green lizard.
She got a sowing machine as her 4th birthday gift, which made her smile that whole week. All the relatives and friends who came over the house were amazed by her delicate artwork. She applied geometrical patterns and Indian totems to make clothes; and the colors were usually very attractive blue, indigo, red, yellow, and green.

Pacing back and forth impatiently, Jade-Lynne murmured “That little bitch is not here yet and it’s 12 o’clock! I am going to teach her a serious lesson later!”
Soon after she said that, Erica rushed to her breathlessly.
“I’m so sorry, Jade-Lynne! I got…Ouch! Why did you slap me?”
“To teach you how important being punctual is! You ugly tramp!”
“Now, give me the damn crystal ball right now!” demanded Jade-Lynne.
“I…I…” stammered Erica.
“Don’t you tell me you didn’t bring it!” Another slap slashed right across Erica’s face.
“My mother took the ball and forbids me to get it out.” said Erica tremblingly.
“Then today is really your day to sleep with the demon!” screamed Jade-Lynne.

Jade-Lynne took out the bayonet hidden in her back and stabbed right through Erica’s left wrist. Erica was screaming and crying to beg for mercy. Yet, Jade-Lynne seemed not to hear anything at all. She continued stabbing for a few times and then stopped to take out the ropes she had prepared beforehand. The blood had already trickled down to the floor and formed a small pool.

“Do you like honey and chocolate sauce?” asked coldly Jade-Lynne.
“Yeah, why?” replied Erica.
“Well, well, it’s your lucky day! I’m going to treat you a real nice lunch!”
As soon as Jade-Lynne said that, she quickly pushed Erica down and tied her hands and legs with the ropes tightly. Then, she poured a big bucket of mixture of honey and chocolate sauce all over Erica.

“Okay! You’re ready to enjoy the meal I specifically prepared for you?”
“Please, have mercy, Jade-Lynne! Don’t do this to me! It’s all gooey!”
“That’s even better! Now I got another surprise for you, your special company for the meal! Hahaha…”laughed loudly Jade-Lynne.

She opened a big jar which contained thousands of big black ants and dumped all the voracious creatures out on the ground and walked away slowly without turning her head a bit…

Over The Horizon

Over The Horizon

Faces of dolphins protrude
From the surface of blue sea
Sirens of enigmatical history
Revive gently
My old days buried
With memorable comrades
Dearly
Master of pedagogy secluded
In a misty mountain far east
I miss you
Over the horizon
I see you
Across the Pacific
Being wrapped in Burgundy
Projecting a long lost picture
Of graceful memory

Written by Jerski Bjorksen

When I see your faces shine...

One of the most fulfilling things in teaching is seeing students’ faces shine like a star.
I enjoy sharing my experience in language acquisition with students. I know it’s not an easy task to mast a foreign language. One needs not only assiduity but also determination, patience, and perseverance.

When I told mother I wanted to be an English teacher and actually went ahead and became one, she asked me whether I knew how to teach. That’s a really good question.

For some reason, I just knew how to teach, if you ask me. The reason my mother asked me the question was that I’m very quiet in person, especially in a group. That is just my nature and I cannot change it.

But when I stand in front of a podium, I am completely different. I become very eloquent and love every minute interacting with audience. That’s also why I participated in all sorts of speech contests back in the school days.

How many of you have had the experience giving a speech to over 2,000 people? I had and I didn’t get any stage freight either. I was only in the fifth grade.

Tonight, I saw again my students’ faces shine brightly, like some enlightenment struck them. I knew they got the information of how to study better and apply what they’ve learned in life. Language is all about application and practice, isn’t it?

If I Were You

“Do you want to go back to Europe?” a friend asked.
“Sure, I’d love to. But it’s not now; I got something else I need to accomplish first…”

The radio is playing Hoobastank’s “If I were you”.

“If I were you, I would go now. What makes you reluctant to take off? Nothing is left expect all those tragedies.” continued the friend.
“You don’t understand. I must fulfill an important promise to myself. But someday I will go back to the lake…”

How many times have you said “If I were you, I would do such and such…” to friends or even yourself?

I’m a typical Aries, especially during my youth. Whenever, I thought of something worth a try, I did it without much consideration. There were great moments but also some of the lowest of lows.

Perhaps I gained more experience and wisdom in life, which I regard as critical elements for being a human in this world.

Right now, I think more thoroughly before making any important decisions because experience is such an expensive cost of life.

Try to arrange time for German courses again. I just hope this hectic period of time will go by sooner…

Angel or Devil~Chapter 1

“You’re so grounded! Jade-Lynne Knutson!” shouted Marianna hysterically.
“But Mom, I didn’t do it!” said Jade-Lynne tremblingly.
“Still lying? Where did you get all this money from? A child would not have 500 dollars in her purse!”
“But…but…I found it…”
“I don’t want to hear any lies! Now go to your room! You’re grounded for a week!”

Jade-Lynne was five years old but she was a lot of smarter than her peers. She had already read all the Harry Potter series and could do college calculus I. Her classmates adored her, especially when she gave her sweetest smile to every person she met.

“It’s so unfair! You never listen to me and I still need to call you Mom!” retorted Jade-Lynne.
“Face it! Nothing is fair in this world. You’re my daughter and I’m the mother! I will not tolerate your attitude any more. Now, I count to three and you’d better disappear in front of me!”
Stomping her feet hardly, Jade-Lynne ran into her room upstairs.

Sitting on her bed, her head started to race like a spinning top. “I will not let Erica get away from this! That bitch will definitely be dead meat by the end of this week!” thought Jade-Lynne with her calculating nature.

“Please don’t cut my hair, Jade-Lynne! I love my hair so much…”begged Erica.
“Really? How much do you love it? Show me!”
“I wash it everyday with milk…Ahhhh, please don’t pull it so hard.”
“You little bitch! What did you tell my Mom, huh?”
“Today is your day to sleep with the demon!” laughed evilly.

“Okay, okay, I will give you all my Barbie dolls and plus my secret treasure in the garden-the crystal ball!” said Erica
“Who wants your stupid dolls! Bring me the crystal ball at noon tomorrow or you are absolutely going down to hell!”

Before Jade-Lynne walked off, she snapped a strand of smooth blonde hair and cut it hard, leaving Erica sobbing in the dark.

To be continued…

Yellow Hibiscus

In the front yard of my next-door neighbor stood a hedge of hibiscus trees. There was one special tree that always had yellow flowers among the red, pink and orange…

JJ liked to play with his rabbit; I liked to chase after my fat guinea pig!

Who said we couldn’t pick the unripe grapes? I always plucked them to make strong ammunition of my bamboo guns.


Yellow Hibiscus

The flow of memory lane
Strikes up an oblivious fan
Turning languidly
With its heavy head
Where is my bucket of strawberries
Who ate all my cheese cake
The current of windy day
Brings down a forgotten dance
Where is the dragon
Who took away Confucius’s cane
Little child has a small pet
Running around like busy ants
Under the tree of yellow hibiscus
Scatter my all-time favorite
Mischievous robber bands…

Written by Jerski Bjorksen

Splash

Splash

Rain follows a trailing spiral

Down to the bottom of muddy road

Crickets sing with sparrows

Up to the end of blue horizon

Golden stars yellow tarts

A small child's laugh

Like a dancing lark

In a park

Whether purple or turquoise

Forest or wilderness

Morning dews are lovely kaleidoscopes

East West North South

All reflect a beautiful ray of colorful touch

Monet Picasso and my own imagination

Splash

Splash

And

Splash

Written by Jerski Bjorksen

Chinese Trend

My genealogy says my ancestors came to Taiwan about three hundred years ago. They were from a town called Chuan-Chao in the province of Fu-Jen. However, I overheard my parents talking about my great-grand father was actually an adopted child in the family. So, my biological ancestors were from another kinship.

What difference does it make when someone asks me whether I’m Chinese or Taiwanese? I reckon the real issue lies in the political ideology between China and Taiwan. I have nothing against people from Mainland China but I have to admit communism is not my favorite political regime.

I should be very proud because I was raised in a Mandarin environment; yet does that make me more advantageous in this globalization? I doubt it. At least, the Chinese trend is just getting started and it will at least take another 15 to 20 years for it to reach a full-fledged state. And again, who knows whether this Chinese fever will die down before it bears its fruit.

While many are rushing to learn English in Taiwan, one should maybe take a moment to think about Chinese and Taiwanese cultures. Is your English good enough to clearly tell foreigners about your own root and legacy passed on by your ancestors? Or are you just learning American or British culture and hoping to be like them? Let’s face it. It will never happen because you’re not born in either of these countries. But again, does that matter in the pursuit of being a global citizen?

Duck Weed

Today on my way to work, I was reading Jeff Hawkins again. The subject matter was memory lane. All of a sudden, a picture of duck weeds emerged in my head. Then, it’s a small pond near uncle’s farm.

My cousins and I used to play there on Saturday afternoons. Gosh, we hated the noisome odor from the pig sty! Yet, we loved to feed the gold fish in the pond. I particularly loved the duck weeds because they could grow fast and I enjoyed picking them out of the pond.

There was a stream running slowly beside the Bei-Nan River, where lots of duck weeds “resided”. They actually floated around and never stayed put. Doesn’t duck weed mean an uncertain life? I didn’t know that until later I studied it at school.

Why did the duck weeds pop up in my head? I really don’t know. However, for some reason, I’m sort of like duck weeds. I’ve traveled to several countries and it’s not just for vacation but mainly for schooling. I pretty much lived in a country for one or two years.

Looks like my mind’s duck weed is agitating again. But I hope this time I will find the place I would like to live for a longer time. And certainly, my life isn’t uncertain; it’s more crystal-clear than ever!

La Suisse, tu me manques, tu sais?

Sister Gwen

Dear Sister Gwen,

How’ve you been lately? How’s life treating you in the world of spirit? I had written thousands of letters to you but never gotten a chance mailing to your side.

It’s been three years and from time to time, your smile would pop up on my mind. I’m sorry I never got to say good-bye to you. But I cried when I learned your passing away. Sometimes, I hate myself for not being able to see you for the last time, but then I would think I only want to keep your healthy and happy image in my memory.

It must’ve been a shock being diagnosed of cancer and announced for reaching the end of life. How cruel it was for a young person like you. Tonight I think of you and recall many wonderful times spent in your hometown. I wonder whether you will judge me for who I am. I hope you will not do so…

I suddenly miss the blue ocean in Taidong tonight. I miss seeing shooting stars in the summer. I miss my highs and lows in my school days.

What is it like on the other side of the veil? Is it cold? Is it full of love? I wish I were really an alien, so no one could penetrate my locked heart. Did you know I had buried my heart at the bottom of Geneva Lake before I went to Paris? Did you know I had prayed hundreds of times on the top of Mont-Pelerin? All had been gone for years by now.

Does love really stain? Why did I feel my heart has been colored?

Did you know I wrote a poem to commemorate you? I will survive and continue to be your fighter. I will go on for a PhD and accomplish your part of studies too. Please be happy and keep smiling for all the eternity…

Veil

Sultry summer eve
Sinking as my heart weeps
Tranquil midnight dream
Shattered as lightning whips
Enigma as death
Perplexed mortal man
Past or present
Emperors or civilians
No one could truly escape
Wish I could find an elixir
Sending you to the Promised Land
Tremble not, my dear friend
Albeit everything must end
Pure spirit as yours will forever remain
If the Milky Way had another name
I would engrave your faith
On the other side of the veil
If the universe had another space
I would weave your love
Into a supernova with a smiling face

Written by Jerski Bjorksen

Prince of Peace

Prince of Peace

Where is the real world inside a crystal ball
Where is the sheer cold outside the gloomy wall
Isn’t someone just sitting quietly over the shadow
Aren’t peasants already gone for the season
One spot dots between his horizon and my skyline
A mermaid’s face sheepishly turns
Can one truly walk on the water
Or is it just an illusion
Fading in an insane vision
What is it over the rainbow
Is it a legendary kingdom
What is it across the Milky Way
Is it a hidden sanctuary
One silver dream emerges from the icy abyss
A dragon’s karma spookily hunts
Should one abandon his soul
Yet uphold someone else’s
Mystery or misery
Miracle or malady
It won’t matter anymore
Because the prince of peace has appeared…

Written by Jerski Bjorksen

Sleepless Night

Yeah, I wasn’t able to sleep last night, too much going on in my head. I will start a new class by Monday, need to prepare some other teaching materials, and pull myself together to seriously study neuroanatomy.

George W. Bush is in St. Petersburg for the G8 summit. I wonder how many people would care about this news in Taiwan. I’m always intrigued by international politics, and thanks to the three political science courses I took at the university in America, I got to learn politics from another perspective.

Many European countries complain Vladimir Putin’s seemingly backward policy in democracy. But what can they do? Russia got oil and we are in an energy crisis all over the world. Yeah, perhaps we should release the machine invented by some genius, using just water as energy, and no body gets to fight over gasoline. Then what would those Middle East countries do? They would probably become poorer but maybe there won’t be so much conflict for oil.

Long time ago, I published a poem called “Formosa”. It’s about Taiwan and its history and political situation. I know I have Chinese roots but just despise the complexity of cross-strait relationship between Mainland China and Taiwan. We did not get democracy until recent decades but being always threatened by the biggest communist country in the world is definitely not a comfortable thing to live with daily.

Like I said in “Terra-Cotta Soldiers”, I refuse to be anyone else's belongings but my own master…



Formosa

Tossing from the ocean
Rushing to an island
Deep blue lilies
Shed a light on
A broken family
Hundreds of years
Numerous tears
A colonial past
Bled an enormous gap
From tulip to cherry
From red stars to green leaves
A grand new hope
Is about to free
Dragon is awakening
Phoenix is hovering
I shall make myself known
As my name was shown
Formosa
The eastern nova
Glowing like a diamond pagoda

Written by Jerski Bjorksen

I Wish

I Wish

I wish I never knew the language
My heart would not pound so rapidly
There were many questions without answers
At least not within the extent of my knowledge
Why would familiar music trigger childhood memory
Thousands of neurons float gently
Through the end of eastern rainbows
A picturesque image fades
At a preliminary stage of metamorphosis
I wish diversity was a process temporarily
Reflecting one’s weakness only
I wish I never met the personage
So my soul would not run away from me…

Written by Jerski Bjorksen

Teacher's Pet: Chapter 2~ Friend and Foe

Wang is the other teacher’s pet in my class, he is also the vice class leader. Coming from a wealthy family, he gets whatever he wants. His father is the president of the parents’ association. You know the one who donates the most money to the school for activities, sports meeting, and carnivals.

Sometimes, I envy Wang’s possessions and the privilege to materials. However, Wang is willing to share his assets. We are the best friends and classmates. He always invites me to his house, the four-floored gigantic building. We like to swim in the pool on the top of the house, dancing, playing music, and competing to see who can dive in the water for the longest time.

Wang is also an excellent student and studies diligently. He and I vie for the first place all the time.

For some unknown custom, we kids like to take out our little desks and sit in front of the door doing homework after school. I even ask my little brother to be my spy, checking on Wang’s daily schedule to see whether he studies or not. Then, I will decide how much effort I need to put in so as to outrun him in class. My poor little brother usually protests but I can coax him to do it most of the time by giving him my allowance.

You probably have no idea how a sixth grader can study. I usually stay up late to memorize Chinese articles and do math exercises. Many times I would hear the croaks of frogs or the singing of crickets at night. One time I even heard the sound of the Pacific Ocean sending the waves of midnight bells.

And the way to keep myself awake in winter is studying on my balcony and using icy water to wash my face…My teeth tremble like energizer bunnies, and I persevere to finish what I plan to study.

To be continued...

Questions I want to ask God face to face

Recently I had a chance reading some friends’ bogs, and that motivated me to post entries on my own. Well, I did. I have to admit I always wanted to pen down my thoughts and feelings. As some of you’ve known, I write poetry too. As a non-native speaker, it’s in fact quite fascinating to do so.

Long time ago, a thought came over me: What if having sex didn’t bring any physical pleasure at all, would people still be fervently engaged in it? What if sex were only for the purpose of procreation, would there be so many sexual crimes, broken hearts, and tragedies in our world? I know no one is perfect and we all incline to be sensual, but there is much more that one can pursue in this universe.

I always love chatting with those who have more life experience or full of wisdom because I can learn from them. Observing every bit of detail in life makes me wonder my own existence in our galaxy. Wouldn’t it be nice if I didn’t have to fight my own carnal weakness? Wouldn’t it be nice if I only needed 1 hour sleep every day? I would love to use the rest of time figuring out life and death, and the veritable meaning of life.

If God were like us eons ago, having walked the same path as what we’re doing now, where did He get His faith and strength from? What about all His fellow comrades? Had they also exalted to Gods and Goddesses?

If someday I got to meet God face to face, I would like to ask Him all the above questions. And yeah, I also want to know whether He encountered all the problems we have in our world as well, issues such as different races, sexualities, intelligences, and degrees of wealth. I hope His answers would be what I expect or at least not far from what I’ve come up with.

One last thing I would like to ask God is what His mother tongue is…

Multilingual Mind

Although most of us speak Mandarin Chinese at school, work, or other social gatherings, my first language is actually Taiwanese. I didn’t learn Mandarin until I went to kindergarten. However, I don’t recall how exactly I learned to speak Mandarin. The only memory lingering in my head is my mother showed me how to count from one to ten because she said the teacher in the kindergarten would ask me on the first day of school.

After elementary school, I officially started to learn English. The reason I said officially is that I wasn’t completely ignorant of the existence of English. The Catholic nuns near my house often communicated in English and I was also exposed to some American TV programs at home.

Unlike many kids in Taiwan nowadays, I took my first English lesson in the 7th grade. I guess I was blessed to have an unconventional teacher for we were asked to memorize dialogues in English and act them out all the time. I got to know it was critical to think in English if I would like to speak like native speakers.

The rest of my schooling in Taiwan, I forced myself to eat, run, or sleep all in English as so to master the language. Then, I went to Switzerland for college, where I acquired French. I was lucky enough to spend two years in France too. Therefore, my multilingual mind rapidly adapted to the new environment. Believe it or not, I only spoke a handful of times Mandarin for the entire period in France. The best proof is I wrote my journal in French for those days.

What is it like in my brain when I speak French? Do the neurons function in the same way as they do in English or Chinese? Is my acquisition different from those who grew up in a multilingual environment? To what extent is the variation? Would it be possible one can learn several languages simultaneously? And how would neurons handle that as opposed to the regular monolingual learning process?

In retrospect, I know when I spoke Chinese and English in high school, I seldom encountered difficulty expressing myself, be it cognition-related, or ordinary usage in life.

Teacher's Pet: Chapter 1~Me

I know many of you don’t like teacher’s pets but I happen to be one. I like to study and always want to excel. Meanwhile, I also love sports, so I joined the school’s field and track team.

My parents are always busy with work; but to me, doing homework is the first priority in my school life. I set up a daily routine, getting up before dawn, eating breakfast, getting dressed and walking to school by myself. I adore the cold and fresh air early in the morning, especially when passing by the boulevard lined with tall coconut trees.

Being a class leader, I’m in charge of many things, collecting fellow students’ exercise books, keeping everything in order in classroom, and yeah, leading the class to do the daily ritual-greeting to every teacher before each class starts.

I am also the master of our flag-raising ceremony every morning. Usually they would pick a girl but I am the best public speaker in school. Therefore, teachers assign me to do this honorable task.

Now, you might think many will probably not like me. Wrong, I’m in fact very popular among the peers. My friends like to hang out with me; not only can I help them with homework but also come up with numerous brilliant ideas for entertainment.


To be continued…

Everlasting Banquet

One of Chinese sayings goes like “There is no banquet without an end in this world.” I used to be very upset about it, not realizing how reality could be and bite! After having spent almost 10 years overseas, I know much of our life cannot be turned back, or I should say it’s hundred percent irreversible.

On Sunday afternoons, we would get together, having lunch, chatting, and sharing many thoughts about life and death. I enjoyed the intellectual and spiritual stimulation of those days. After church, we sometimes would drive into the mountains to see the breath-taking scenes. I loved the fresh air and some unexpected aboriginal habitats scattering in the valleys.

I hope everyone I used to be close with is doing well, no matter where he or she is, or any lifestyle he or she is leading. We tend to judge others by social norms or our own standards; yet who are we to do so ? It’s a dire feeling to lose contact of those friends.

J.C., I know your divorce was a catastrophe but whom should we blame? I recall the night I rang back to Taidong, you said you were just being strong and perplexed why everyone expected you to show weakness because you’re female. Of course, it all had passed and we grew older and life keeps going and we will probably never see each other again…

I wish there would be an everlasting banquet, so we could be together forever!

Military Days

“What’re you reading, Jersk?” asked Eric.

“Oh, it’s a novel of Amy Tan.” said I.

“The Hundred Secret Senses?”

“Yeah, it is.”

Eric and I both like to read, but he prefers reading Chinese books, especially he is preparing for the graduate school entrance exams. He majored in Chinese in university and always wanted to be a high school teacher.

“Colonel asked me to buy steak for his breakfast this morning. I don’t know what to say. The chauffer had no idea where to get it, either. It’s 6:15 am!”

I replied, “Tell him to eat shit! Freaking psycho! I don’t understand having been in the United States for a few years could make a person go nuts like that!”

“Sometimes, I wonder whether I’m really stupid, you know?”

“Why would you say that?” I asked.

“He keeps telling me I’m stupid, clumsy, and not good enough. Like yesterday, I did clean his office and meticulously make sure every leaf of the plants was clean. But this morning, he called me in and scolded me for not cleaning the office properly because there were leaves on the floor.”

“What the heck was he saying? I know you clean his office every night! And you’re not stupid! You’re one of the smartest guys I’ve ever known.” said I.

“I reckon the leaves must’ve fallen during the night. But he wouldn’t listen to me but kept shouting at me. Sigh…”

“That son of bitch! The leaves must've fallen from the ugly tree! Someday, we will teach him a real lesson!” replied I angrily.

Many a time, I would ask myself why the hell I was doing in the military. A major waste of my time in life was what it was. I despised the hierarchical system and those who still possessed the aristocratic mind-set. Were it not a compulsory service, I would never join the military. Luckily, my rear admiral was a decent guy and he respected others too. Eric was not fortunate. His colonel was a fucking jerk, a snob, and a hypocrite. In front of my boss, the admiral, he would speak softly, lowering himself, and showing his best side; once he turned his back and faced us, he would become a ferocious werewolf. Gosh, I so wanted to punch him right in the nose. No, I should get a gun with silver bullets and shoot him to a beehive.

“Don’t be sad, Eric. You only have 30 days left and will retire and probably go back to school. Think about the positive side!” said I.

“I know, but I just feel so helpless at times. I’ve tried all I can but he is just too difficult.”

“I know what we can do before you leave!” said I slyly.

“What? You got another one of your witty schemes?”

“Doesn’t Colonel have an expensive Chinese painting hung on the wall in the office?” asked I.

“Yeah, why? That painting is worth NT150,000 according to him.”

“Hmm, that’s great. We are going to leave a precious mark on it! hehe.”

So, right before Eric left, he and I wore gloves to take off the painting one night and drew a huge turtle on the back of the painting and then slid it back to the frame. More over, we slightly changed the plants to different directions as opposed to the ones that Colonel’s Feng-Shui master had indicated. Theoretically, this would bring bad luck to the colonel!

Two years later, I met Eric near his university. He successfully got into the graduate school and had been teaching Chinese in a private high school for ten months…

As for the colonel, I heard he was debugged and sent to a naval school to wait for his retirement because he was allegedly accused of having some sort of illegal trading with outsiders.

Chapter 1: Catholic Monastery, Part II

The first time I adventured in the wonderland was a late autumn afternoon. The white and yellow chrysanthemums were in blossom; and one could easily smell the fragrance of roses thirty feet away from the garden...

As I gently turned the door knob and pushed the heavy door open, I was astonished by the volumes of books displayed in front of me. I bet there were at least five hundred thousand books! The ceiling must have been renovated for a few times, as I could see the painting of Maria and baby Jesus appeared quite new and bright.

I walked toward the shelf next to the French window and found an interesting collection of ancient religious books. To my great surprise, there were several series of Chinese religious tales. I noticed one of them marked by a red dragon on the rim. Out of curiosity, I pulled out the book and started to flip through. It was all in English even though I did not know any words, I recognized the alphabets.

While I was contemplating the vivid illustrations in the books, my eyes soon fell on a blue phoenix. The wings of this gorgeous bird were so pretty and I couldn’t help myself but stretched out my right hand to caress them. As I was appreciating the delicate picture, I suddenly found the eyes of this beautiful creature moved back and forth. I thought I was dreaming, but the phoenix briskly flapped its wings and turned into a crimson animal.

To be continued…

My family in America

Dear family,
I don’t expect you will see and read this letter but I would like to tell you how much I have missed you ever since I left the United States. The first time I experienced crying while I was asleep was on one of my business trips in Hong Kong. I woke up and couldn’t help but cry. I remember clearly walking back to the yard and I saw Kelly was fixing the lawn-mower and he was so happy to see me and gave me a hug. He led me to the kitchen and gladly said the rest of the family would be so thrilled to know I was back. I then saw Kim coming down the stairs with the little ones and their friends. She shouted with joy and the little ones were jumping and hailing.

I’m so sorry I didn’t keep in touch but I want all of you to know how much I love you. Thanks for having taken me into the family, which warmed me a ton as a lonely student in a foreign country. Sometimes, I wish I could be just anyone of you, then I would be able to do more in the church but now I’m on my own. I know God is still taking care of me, yet my heart is stricken with incurable wounds. I want every one of you know I will never forget your faces, names, and every bit of memory weaved in my good old days over there.

I try not to be cynical for I sure know it’s useless and doesn’t help much to move on my life. A typhoon is coming tomorrow; and I hope it can sweep away all of my sorrow and chagrin. I recall a poem I wrote back then. It was penned down after a geographic excursion at the Great Salt Lake. Adieu, my beloved family…

Isostacy

Salinity soars
With an ancient past
Bonneville drained
As eons ago
Great Salt Lake roars
In a bi-direction sophisticated road
Flowing into a miraculous combination
Pink mirror with green floor
Extending a picturesque tempo
Why can’t anyone stop for a moment
Pondering the wisdom of Nature
Melting glaciers evaporate
Sustaining forces dismiss
Causing enormous rebound
Like mankind
We all miss
The purity of love and a peaceful mind
Conflict will forever exist
If the support of charity subsides
Like isostacy
Leaving our offspring
Nothing to shore up

Written by Jerski Bjorksen

Only Love Begets Love

On the prairie of Siberia
Lies my lonely dream
Awaking in the imminent spring
Melting snow as the breeze sings
Why can’t I see thy face
In the blue lake
Why can’t I feel thy breath
In the cold air
The sun rises again
Yet my love seems so far away

In the castle of Normandy
Weaves my favorite memory
Walking on a sunny street
Sharing messages as the spirit lifts
What makes a man happy
In a serene city
What makes a man ready
To accept the eternity

Only love begets love
Truly as the Christ taught
Only faith begets faith
We shall all be saved
On the prairie of Siberia
Buried my somber dream
In the castle of Normandy
Raises my joyous memory…

Written by Jerski Bjorksen

Ostrich Egg

So, France lost in the World Cup. Yeah, I was a little sad but they have done their best. What can I say? C’est la vie! The afternoon thunderstorm slashed the thick air in the city; and I was on the bus, looking out the window. I said it was all good, we did need some water to cool down the high temperature we’ve been having for the last few days.

One of my students told me the next host country for the World Cup would be South Africa. That’s interesting to know because no one seemed to mention it at all. I don’t know much about South Africa, only the memory from the navy days. Da-Bei was on a tour and stationed over there for a few days. He brought me some colored stones and an ostrich egg. I think I still keep the egg at my parent’s house.

Gosh, those military days were so far away, almost fading into oblivion. I didn’t like my service and always think it was a waste of time. What did I learn? Nothing! I read many English novels and that could be the only beneficial thing for the entire two years. But speaking of South Africa, I think of my ostrich egg and the novel I got from Da-Bei. I recall the day he came back to the classroom and told me he was soon leaving for the battleship fleet. We were at the naval school in Zwo-Ying…

Chapter 1: Catholic Monastery

Behind the loquat trees lies the spacious catholic monastery. I await Sister Anderson’s smile after school. Her bright laughter always stirs a bit of awe from my heart. I timidly walk into the garden through one of the side doors. I love those sisters’ starched white robes; it gives me a sort of comfort.

On every Wednesday afternoon, when I’m not out in the forest with other playmates, I am always in the garden of the monastery, helping to pull some weeds, and watering the sweet potatoes and cabbages. My reward would be picking those purplish grapes and golden loquats when they are ready for harvest. And I’m usually the first one who tastes this out of the world fruits!

I don’t really speak any English because I’m only six years old. But I am fond of the intonation given off from the utterances of Sister Anderson and other nuns. Many a time, I would daydream myself speaking fluent English but actually just muttering gibberish.

The second floor of the monastery is a big library, full of foreign books and biblical documents. The old books in the darker corner emit a pungent and stale smell, which makes me dizzy every time I enter the room. However, I like to spend my afternoons in there because there is a little world, filled with wonders. I haven’t told anyone about this wonderland, not even my dear Sister Anderson…

To be continued…

Terra-Cotta Soldiers

Terra-Cotta Soldiers

Silence of sleep

Thousands of years

A forbidden mystery prevailed

Bright sunshine overwhelmed

Millions of human beings

An ancient dynasty

Reappeared

Palace, military and hegemony

Slowly evoking a vivid history

Buried power with treasuries

Reemerged

Fear, blood, and dictatorship

Gruesomely established the first unity

Emperor and Empress

Heaven and Earth

How daring were they

Locked us there

Even just terra-cotta soldiers

We demanded democracy

And refused being belongings

Written by Jerski Bjorksen

All in gray

It’s not a good day for me. I felt tired after teaching six hours straight, and the weather was so sultry due to the typhoon. I went to Watersheds with Dr. Joy but I had something else on my mind…

P. emailed me back, asking about my plan of going back to America. I haven’t thought about how to tell P. the details. I’m really on my own now, without my favorite religion, without siblings, and without parents. I guess I can go ahead and pursue what I have had in my heart since my childhood.

I’m sad but try to be nonchalant. Yet it just doesn’t work! I’m afraid everything I see would turn out gray again. Those days in France, I thought it was the end of my path. I don’t want that appears again, really, I don’t want to see things all in depressing gray…

Wish we could speak French together...

I saw my second oldest sister yesterday. She was also on her way home. Although we live quite close to each other, I don’t see her that often. She told me last night that she got a job doing housework for a family. I thought that was great because she never really had a career since she got married not long after college. However, I also had some sort of mixed feeling because she was a French major in university. She never got to use that language skill after school. Sometimes, I think that’s a pity; yet who am I to judge?

Does going to university make an individual superior than others? Does that make a person smarter? In our society, I think we care too much about diploma. It’s true one can receive certain intellectual stimulation in a college milieu, but it also depends on a person’s desire to explore the world of knowledge.

I wish my sister had continued her French education and used that language skill, so we could speak French together. But I know she is happy with her life, which is the most important thing to me…

Seditious Media

Media in Taiwan could be one of the weirdest phenomena one can find in the world. 24/7 broadcasting bombards you with sensational scandals if you flip on your TV. Recent insider trading of the son in law of Mr. President causes a tremendous ripple effect in both political parties.

How can a person like Chao be so greedy? Doctor by trade, he graduated from the top university in Taiwan. Is his family poor? Not that any one of us knows of. Avarice is indeed a destructive abyss. I think those legislators should pass a law enforcing those who embezzle or do insider trading to return the money that doesn’t belong to them, or even better confiscate all their property to help the poor and needy children. No wonder people say politics is dirty but I say many government- related individuals are filthy.

Whenever it comes to politics in Taiwan, it just makes one deflated, depressed, and suicidal. What the heck is our government doing? And what are those TV news stations doing? Isn’t our society messed up enough? Gosh, I want some clean news, okay? I don’t give a shit about a fifty-year-old woman getting married to a twenty-three-old lad. I don’t need all the details three days in a row. I know I know I can just turn off the TV. Yeah, in fact, I ditched it!! I don’t have one now… I’d rather read Amy Tan or “Scientific America”.

Allez La France

Yeah, France is into the World Cup final! Unbelievable! I bet Portugal must feel like shit. Oh well, c’est la vie! France vs. Italy, which one do I support? Certainly it’s France. After all I had lived there for over two years. I was lucky because people I met were quite nice to me…And I tried my best to learn the language as well.

I only have to work for two hours today, which is awesome. I need some time sorting out my stuff and doing errands. In addition, I’d rather stay in my air-coned room than go out in the scorching sun. Yikes! I detest summer in Taipei.

I'm an alien

I’m an alien
What about you
Did you ever run into my people
I’ve seen many of yours
What made you think I had other intention
I was just being polite
I know you very well
But you have no idea about me
I’m an alien
What about you
We see you by heart
Yet you see us by appearance
What made you think you're wiser than others
There will always be aliens
Beyond your limited imagination
I’m an alien
And you are still a human
I guess after all we are all different

written by Jerski Bjorksen, July 5,2006

I love math

The new life has begun; and I know for some reason I won’t have much chance being with my family. Isn’t that the way it has been for several years? However, I can strongly feel it’s the end. I started to read Amy Tan’s new book “Saving Fish from Drowning”. It’s a hilarious book with a sense of humor that makes me laugh. The first time I read Amy Tan, I was a junior in high school. It’s the novel “The Joy Luck Club”. I even told my pen pal that book would become very popular. It proved I was darn right. Okay, I know what you’re thinking. I did have some pen pals in high schools, mainly for practicing English. You had no idea how I was attracted to the language. I used to watch L.A. Law in order to learn English.

My high school math teacher said math was very important and if we didn’t study it hard, we would be a failure in life later. Screw the heck out of him! I didn’t like math was because the way he taught. His handwriting was so small and his voice so weak, we could barely hear him. This kind of teacher is basically unqualified. If I were the dean, I would fire him first!

So, one day, I brought ten English books, including my favorite novels, scattering all of them on my tiny desk in the math class. I didn’t take out my math textbook, nor did I listen to the whole lesson. I knew the teacher noticed what I was doing but he didn’t say a word; instead he went to our class teacher and complained about my audacious and rude behavior. Was I audacious and rude? I was just trying to show my discontentment and protested I disagreed with what he said.

Why didn’t he ask me I hated math? As the matter of the fact, I loved math, especially when I was in junior high. My beloved math teacher was one of the best. He made learning math so fun and easy. I thought about going into the scientific filed because it was not only my childhood dream but also the encouragement of that great math teacher. Yet all had changed after entering high school. I failed on math for my junior and senior years in high school and didn’t bother to take the make-up tests. I hated math or I should say I hated the incompetent teacher!

Years later, while I was studying in the Untied States, I wanted to prove that I could learn math well. So I took calculus which wasn’t required by my major, linguistics. But I did it anyway and I got an A. I know nothing is hard as long as I want to accomplish. Damn the math teacher! I’m now an English teacher myself but sometimes I think back how teachers could ruin a student’s life and self-confidence. Fortunately, I wasn’t affected by that. And I have to say I had so many great experiences due to my language skills…

On the other hand, you can tell I like to challenge authority, which can be very catastrophic at times. I know we all have to bend a little bit, tolerate a little bit because not everything will fall on our track. I know being a human being, we are gregarious and it would be dreadful staying secluded. Nonetheless, it is good to get away from the daily routine, people, work, and let oneself sink to the very bottom of personal contemplation in this universe.

I still have to say thank you to the high school math teacher. Without him, I wouldn’t have known how to be a better teacher myself. What’s wrong being a garbage collector? Why does everyone have to be a doctor, scientist, teacher, or president? What makes our world so precious? Isn’t it the diversity and different layers of thoughts diffusing in our society? I still believe the dictum said by Confucius: Teaching students according to each individual’s talent and capability.

I’m in the mood for some Norwegian music. Yeah, I’m going to listen to Silje Vige...

Madame V

Madame V was my French professor at college in Swiss. She is one of the best teachers I have ever had. She not only speaks French fluently but also English. Her impeccable accent intrigued me when I first heard her in class. To my greater surprise, she was so patient when it came to instructing French. For those who have studied French, you should know the complexity of French grammar compared to English’s. I admire Madame V’s dedication in education at an international school. I was even more touched after I got a list of linguistic books from her while I was studying in the United States. Merci bien, Madame V!

Have you ever tried code switching? Normally bilinguals will switch languages back and forth. I heard people do that when I was in Vevey, Suisse. So, I tried it in Mandarin and English. Then, after I learned French and mastered it, I tested in English and French. Interestingly, I could do it quite fast too. My method is one sentence in French and the subsequent one in English. One has to utter his words like he is speaking only one language. It’s actually quite fun. Try it for those who are bilingual.

Alrighty, I have to dash now. Hope everything will go smoothly today. Oh my God, the radio is playing Faye Wang’s “I do”. This song reminds me of my old days with Sterling in Taidong, sad times in Suisse, and good friends in Oslo. Henry, I hope you’re doing fine in Australia. Still remember Norwegian? It was fun learning the language, right? And I loved your cooking too!

Wind Flower

The bell just rang and J and I ran so fast to the school gate. We were desperate for the weekly ritual, catching little frogs in the rice paddies. We must be there before the sun went down because we wanted to pick some watermelons too…

I’ve lost all the contacts from my childhood. Yet some of the faces still emerge from time to time in my late night dreams. I cried when J had to move away due to J’s father’s debt. What would be worse than losing a good buddy in the eyes of a seven-year-old?

Have you ever cried in your dream? And suddenly you woke up and found out you were really crying. It happened to me once while I was away on a business trip in Hong Kong. It hurt so much! I dreamed of my very good friends in the United States. It hurt so much because I had missed them dearly.

A picture of wind flowers gently rocks my deepest memory of childhood. The generous Catholic sister waved her hands, telling me in Chinese that I could pick the ripe grapes in her garden. I always heard those sisters speak English or some language I didn’t understand. I told Sister Anderson I wanted to learn English. She gave me a book about wind flower. I remember she taught me the first sentence: Wind flower is beautiful but there is a story behind the beauty…

How hard would it be to unfold the mystery of brain? Is it possible to build an intelligent machine like Jeff Hawkins thinks? Would the energy support the machine function like the one in our brain cells? What is the role of mind or heart in this mechanism of intelligence? A machine will not have mind or a heart. And how do we evaluate the intelligence of a machine? Can an intelligent machine possess human-like linguistic character? It would be thrilling to do a profound research in the above questions.

Fourth of July

Today is the Fourth of July and it’s also my niece's birthday. I still recall the day I left for the US, my sisters and little niece sent me off at the airport. She was so small but for some reason she knew I was going to be gone for a long while. She squeezed my hand so hard and wouldn’t let me go. Now she is a first grader and will be moving to Beijing soon. Wish her a great birthday with all those who celebrate the Independence Day in America.

On my way home, I noticed the half-full moon hanging quietly in the sky. Can you believe we can actually see the moon in Taipei? I wonder how many people would take a moment and look into the sky tonight. Sometimes, we rush to do this and that and forget to stop for a minute to look around the enviornment. You’ll be surprised to see the beauty of nature even in this city jungle. ICRT is playing one of my favorite bands, ColdPlay. I feel content, really. It’s one of those days in life; I don’t need to worry about anything just relaxing and doing some self-reflection.

Fourth of July, yeah, I wish I could be at the top of Mon-Pelerin, overlooking the great Geneva Lake. I bet the lying-down-on-the-ground cherry tree must have lots of cherries now. It was such an unforgettable surprise stomping upon that tree on a serene summer afternoon.

Taipei 101

Sterling and I went to meet Clair this afternoon at Taipei 101. Gosh, it’s been a long time since I went to that place. I remember I took Raphael there when he first came to study Chinese at Shi-Da. I wonder how he is doing now. For some reason, I felt he was like my son. Some said I was too nice to him but I knew how that felt being all alone in a foreign country. The first time I went to college in Swiss. I couldn’t believe all the stores were closed after 6 pm. So, I thought maybe I could use my lunch hour to go out to buy some stationary. But guess what? The shop was closed for lunch break! I cursed several times…

So, what is it about manipulating one’s brain so as to acquire new skills? I actually believe it is feasible; and I would like to conduct some research in this area. It would be compelling if I can monitor my own brain activities. I want to see how PET or fMRI show when I speak French, Norwegian, Chinese, and English, respectively. What about when I think in English and write in Chinese simultaneously? I figured that I could actually do that at a relatively fast pace. Can others do the same?

I sorted out my poems under a new file folder. Someday, I will publish my own anthology, I promise! Yeah, America, I’m coming!

Lara Fabian

Okay, the training session sucked! But at least I know they’ve tried their best… I’ve got myself the Internet and shall be getting it set up by next Tuesday. It would be great because I can start doing more research and get more things done on here as well.
I suddenly realized that I still have several hours left at the German language school. But I’m so busy and can’t attend the classes. Hopefully I will be able to squeeze some time after August. Oh, I bought Lara Fabian’s “9” album today. I just love to listen to her. She sings so well in French; and I also found out she is actually Belgian not Canadian.
On the way home, I saw many people gather at Carnegie, watching World Cup. I’m just going to wait until the semifinals. Yeh! I only have to work three hours tomorrow!

BBC

So, summer vacation has begun! I’m jealous because I still have to work. I have to attend a training session this afternoon. It’d better be good or I’ll be pissed. And those foreign teachers had better be there too. Who says only native speakers can teach well? I beg to differ… Anyway, I’m not going to whine on that. At least I really love teaching and always have passion in helping students, not like many others who just want to “experience” the culture!

Can’t believe I woke up at 5 am today! I hope it’s not a sign of aging, hehe. But it did feel great. I love listening to BBC on the radio but since it broadcasts so early in the morning, I usually don’t get to hear the news. Today was an exception.

I bought another copy of “American Scientist” and a book about brain science. Sigh, I just can’t resist the temptation when it comes to books. Incurably bookalcoholic me!

Suisse Suisse Suisse!!!

Finally I’ve moved all my stuff to the new apartment. It was such a drag hauling my belongings; especially I have so many books! It must’ve been over 100 kg!! Anyway, I am glad it’s over. Again, I forgot how sultry it can get here in summer. I wish I had some time off, so I could head to the beach or at least take a trip back to Taidong. Unfortunately, I have to work a lot in July and August.

I had my students talk about their summer vacations and it turned out most of them liked to travel overseas. Bali sounds cool but after those devastating explosions, some are more reluctant to set their feet on that island. It’s always fun listening to students’ interesting experiences…

I hope Dr. Joy has brought me some books about neuroscience. And of course the infamous “Sun Cake”! It’s been ages since I had it. Ta-Bei took me to one of the best stores in Taichung before. I remember we rode his DT, wandering in numerous alleys to find the place. I can’t believe it was over 13 years ago. Damn! I feel old…

Guess what? I got to speak French today while chatting with a new colleague. I just love that language. Sometimes, I really miss Lausanne and speaking of which, I still owe Cryille a letter. His second baby shall be due any time soon. Last time I saw him and his wife was in Zurich. We had a blast spending the tranquil afternoon in the park, along the lake, and at that authentic Chinese restaurant. It was such a fatabulous day! Oh, by the way, that McDonald’s near the bridge hadn’t changed a bit when I visited Zurich again after almost seven years. The first time I was there I had just finished my in-training at Mont-Pelerin.

Why must it be London?

Does he have to go to London? Nay, there are other great art schools in America too. Just a while back, I saw my own poem glued in his sketch book. Hey hey, finally my work is in his as well. Now, everyone talks about World Cup, but I only want to watch the final four games. Who is going to win? Brazil still looks promising!!
So, here again, one of my favorite poems. For those who have lost their accents, I wonder it is a good thing or not…

Cloisonné

Cherry blossom danced gracefully
On a sidewalk of Kyoto City
French melody played cozily
With rhythms of autumn breeze
When travelers’ eyes gazed
At an oblivious scene
The magic of Sahara would release
My dear olive tree
Don’t ask where my hometown is
My accent has even changed
Only the beauty of cloisonné
Can gently rock
My sweetest memory
In this sunset of the Mediterranean Sea

By Jerski Bjorksen October 17, 2005

Once in a blue moon...

Although life can be hectic and tough, but I had metamorphosed once and clearly know there is only one cure that can push me moving forward. I have no time weeping for the past, let alone sobbing for any loss. My recent focus in life is on neuroscience and its relationship with language. Why didn’t I ever pay close attention to this fascinating field? The intricate structure of brain and its related functions profoundly amaze me. I have never thought I would actually buy a neuroanatomy book and spend hours and hours figuring out the complexity of our important organ. I have therefore determined to dive into this academic area in hopes that I will someday come up with concrete methods helping more people to acquire languages effectively, especially students in Asia. Now, the programs at Brown and Chicago seem very nice, yet I might end up going to University of Texas, Dallas, since their neuroscience program intrigues me deeply as well. And certainly, my two good Taiwanese friends live in Texas and they always want me to move there. For now, I just need to concentrate on narrowing down my research area and writing up a project proposal in the domain of neurolinguistics.

I haven’t been back to Taidong for over three years. At times, I miss the blue sky and green mountains and of course the Pacific Ocean. I miss being able to ride my bike on the street, enjoying the fresh air on a late summer night. It was a great blessing growing up in a place like Taidong. My childhood memory is full of fun activities and adventures. When the feeling overcame me the other night, I quickly penned down a poem “Forest of Horror”. I can still clearly see the picturesque scene near the Beh-Nan River and my good old buddies from the third grade. Those fabulous days had long before turned into verdant leaves on the white water of crystal-clear streams in my beloved hometown… The excitement of exploring the notorious forest had always been hidden at the bottom of my heart. And the fictitious part of babies’ cheeks was a mischievous fantasy I got from some comic book I read in elementary school.
I would love to dedicate this poem to all my friends that are from Taidoing or had spent time there or anyone who simply knows that paradise…

Forest of Horror

Stand by me
Bamboo leaves
Dangle down the winding stream
Afternoon rings
Entertainment begins
Every one dashes to the green submarine
Catching little slimy loaches
One bet leads to another
Who dares to challenge the forbidden scene
Marbles tops and comics
All these shall be the reward of bravery
Blindfolded he must be
Walking into the Forest of Horror
Surreptitiously
The sun shines languidly
No breeze but trembling feet
One two three
Take off the shield
Abruptly
Swirls a blast of chilly wind
Everything seems static
Jaws drop eyes freeze
A baby’s bleeding cheek
Hangs in an old banyan tree
Turn spin and we all see
Four five six
Scream push and flee !

Written by Jerski Bjorksen, May 24, 2006