静水盈盈

Treasure Books

While we were shopping in the Chinese Town District in Houston, we saw a couple of Chinese Book Stores in the same shopping center. 

The Book Stores are small. They carry more music CDs, movies and videos than books. One of the book store has a little bit more selections on the children's books, which are all on the lowest shelf and on the floor. Easy access for Sophie. I had to kneel down to look for the books I want one by one --- since they're apparently not in any order.

New books, old books, out-of-print books, all together. Here is part of my lucky find. One particular, called "Weighing an Elephant" is the last copy in store. With damages on both front and back cover, it's not even in mint condition. But inside, it has 5 famous Chinese children stories, each beautifully illustrated in distinctive Chinese art style: traditional ink and wash, free style painting, fine brush painting, fan painting and paper cutting. Each illustration is a piece of art work by itself! It's a treasure book.

Good Read

I keep a canvas tote in my car, in which there are notebooks, pencils and books. Books that I'm currently working on, books I want to read, books Laura recommends, and books I have read before. 

The reason I keep the books I've finished reading is that like revisiting a place, not only it brings back fond memories, but also it makes you looking at things from a different perspective. Different time, different place, difference mood, even different season. There were so many times I was taken back by what I read. "How come I didn't notice this before?""I don't even remember I read this last time." or more often, "I can relate to this chapter so much. I cannot believe I missed this." 

Like children do selective listening, we only see what choose to see at a certain time. That's why good book is worth revisiting. I have this book called "Nurtured by Love" by Shinichi Suzuki, the founder and inventor of the international Suzuki method of music education. I read it because Sophie's Cello teacher once recommended it. It was a quick read. Lots of stories and tons of information all packed in just 100-page book. I need to lend it to a friend so I picked it up again this morning right before I had to pick up Sophie. 

In just one hour, I went through the chapters, couldn't finish it in time. Here are a few places I'd like very much to share with you: 

(When asked by a parent if her child will ever amount to something) "No, he'll not become 'something'. It is an undisguisedly cold and calculating educational attitude. So I said, "He will become a noble person through his violin playing. Isn't that good enough? You should stop wanting your child to become a professional, a good money earner. This thought is concealed in your question and is offensive. A person with a fine and pure heart will find happiness. The only concern for parents should be to bring up their children as noble human beings."

(After returning the fish to the water after a day's pleasant fishing) I have never held the practical, materialistic view that there is little use in doing something if there are no immediate profits or results to show for it. It was my father who planted the seed of this in me.

(After lending money to a friend who promised to reimburse his father in Nagoya, his father wrote to him) "I sent you that money for your studies. I'm shocked at your impertinence in lending it... if you have enough to  lend, it is better to share it, and share your friends' hardships too."

I want to make good citizens. If a child hears good music, and learns to play it himself, he develops sensitivity, discipline and endurance. He gets a beautiful heart.

The purpose of Talent Education is to train children, not (necessarily) to be professional musicians but to be fine musician and to show high ability in any other field they enter.

These are just a few. His takes on talent, on harmony, on practice, and on life are nothing you've never heard of. But when he talks about them with honesty, earnest and pure passion, not only will you get moved, you also get convinced. 

Are we on the right track?

The Point of Reading

At the end of the 1st nine weeks of her fifth grade, Laura brought back 130.5 points in her AR (Accelerated Reader) program, which was the highest in her class. She came home that day excited and proud. She should be. Her time and efforts got recognized and honored.

At the beginning of the 2nd nine weeks, we sat down, went through her reading list and had a long talk. It turned out there was so much going on behind that 100 plus reading points. She talked about the strategies she used to score high; the confusion when she found out that several great award-winning books only worth a couple of points, while the best-selling fantasy series books were given more than 30 points per book. She's especially surprised to learn that quite a few high reading level non-fiction science books are worth only half point!

"Mom, that's just not fair!" "The book I read last month, the one you recommended, only 4 points!" "And the book I'm reading right now, its' so good, and there's even no AR point for that!" 

I could totally understand her frustration. She wants her decisions and efforts recognized in the fair way, just as people would like to be treated right. 

AR is a program that has been out there for decades. I heard about it before. I never got a chance to learn more about it until my daughter started her fifth grade. Student chooses a book, does a comprehension test on the computer after finishing the book, then gets the points based on the results. It's a program that is meant to encourage the school kids to read, to love reading. Every program serves a certain purpose and at the same time sends out messages. When the program gets tied up with grade, or even Report Cards, the message it sends out is that the number of points are valued more than what is being read. Just imagine when students are striving to make more points, how much time and energy would be left to put into the reflections to the books. 

When the message is wrong, the whole purpose of reading is falling apart. When you hear kids say "what's the point of reading when there is no points to earn in the end?", how would you justify that this program is meant to encourage lifelong love of reading and even right learning habits and attitudes?

We trust our kids with schools and teachers, hoping they learn more than just how to read, write, add and multiply. Every program starts out with good intentions. I guess it depends so much on how it is carried out. Kids CAN tell.

Yesterday, I found Laura in her cozy reading corner. I asked, "What are you reading?" 

"The Rules, Mom. There's no AR points for this."

"Enjoy!"

 

My Own Quest

I have wanted to write something about A. S. Byatt’s “Possession” for quite some time, and the book has been tucked in my handbag for the same long period of time. Every time I got the chance to open my writing journal, I ended up reading the book instead.

I picked up the book years ago for a very simple reason. Gwyneth Paltrow was on the cover (Yeah, I like her a lot.) I figured it might have been put on the big screen, and she must be the leading lady.  I didn’t know it was on the list of TIME’s 100 best English-language novels from 1923 to the present.

It turned out that it wasn’t like any book I’ve ever read. The book begins in the Reading Room of the London Library, when Roland Mitchell, a postdoctoral research assistant stumbles upon two unfinished letters that once belonged to a Victorian poet he’s working on, which reveals a most divine, painful and powerful story between the poet and a woman not his wife.

Actually that is only part of the deal. When Roland sets out a mad quest for the truth behind those letters, Maud, who happens to be a distant descendant of the mysterious woman, joins the quest as they together find not only their own identities, but their “love” for each other. Only ironically, their “love” feels hopelessly weak and pale compared to  their Victorian counterpart. 

 The most amazing part of “Possession” is Ms. Byatt’s flawless invention of letters, dialogues, poems and dairies from the 19th century. The story is vividly retold in their “own” voices, no details spared, not even one single heart beat skipped. There are places where the slightest fluttering of pulse is palpable and it becomes too painful to read on. Yet, it's presented in such a calm way that as if it is a long-forgotten memory. Only the sparkles in their eyes give them away.

I remember how the book kept me up deep into the night when the shadow of the book light shut everything else out of its door, and I was hopelessly immersed in the quest for their destinies. 

Romance actually is not a proper word here. At our times, romance is sometimes under the suspicion of not being genuine, for it is too often “discolored” with its short life, over decoration and showing-off.  It’s more about affection, attachment, necessity, and liberation of two sensible, struggling yet strong spirits that try, in vain, to connect with each other against all odds. 

This writing has been an equally hard process for me. I wrote, I stopped; I read on, I restarted, I put it aside again. Every time I found it harder to pick up where it was left, because new thoughts kept checking in. It’s not like finding the right words. It’s more about not wanting to leave anything behind.  Like our little Sophie, every time we go out, she just has the hardest time deciding what to leave behind. She wants to take everything she can possibly hold in her little hands. I have been in the constant overwhelming state of mind ever since I started. 

Not that it is “DONE”, I can put the book down, for a while. It’s another book on my bedside table, without a bookmark --- I can read any page I happen to flip open, just for the mere and ultimate enjoyment of its exquisite language. 

The Last Chinese Chef --- A book to be savored

Writing about another culture is a challenge. Writing about Chinese food culture, if not a mission impossible, still sounds like a foreigner trying to read meanings of ancient Chinese poetry. There’re just too many bases that need to be touched. It’s risky. 

But those bases are so well touched in The Last Chinese Chef by Nicole Mones that I almost felt I were a lao wai, a foreigner at some point. I came out of the book totally enchanted, educated and humbled. 

How could I not feel humbled? When I first picked up the book, I was merely looking for another good reading from Nicole Mones. Her debut novel Lost in Translation was put on the big screen. It was followed by another book set in China --- A Cup of Light. It’s always fun to read stories in modern China through the eyes of a lao wai, a foreigner. Not only do I gain new perspectives, it also helps me see things in a more balanced and unbiased way. 

The Last Chinese Chef turned out to be more than just fun. It’s a great learning experience of one of the most fantastic cuisines. Its philosophy, its passion, its rules, and its history are deliciously wrapped up in the story. I was handed over a full menu, yet I didn’t feel forced upon.

If you happen to liken the story to a full-course meal like I did, since it’s a book about food, it won’t be hard for you to find the “appetizer”, which opens the book and pretty much keeps you turn the pages to the very end. (I wouldn’t say it because I don’t want to give it away.) The “main course” is heavy, hearty and kind of anticipated, which connects all the elements. The ending serves as dessert. Dessert calms your palate as well as your heart, as in this book. 

The Last Chinese Chef is a well-prepared meal with beautifully balanced ingredients. I got up feeling good, nourished and very hungry. I tried a dish from the book right away. It turned out great! 

What are YOU waiting for?

Ghost Story

I love reading, but I'm not kind of person who reads just about anything he/she gets hands on. (well, it's not necessarily a good thing) That's why when I noticed a pile of books on Laura's night stand, all with haunting images on the covers, I felt I had to take a closer look.

It's not hard to tell, from the covers and titles, that they're ghost stories. My own experience with ghost stories doesn't go beyond Chinese Pu Songling's "Liaozhai", a collection of supernatural tales written about 300 years ago. They're not purely stories of vixen spirits and ghosts. To me, they're more about human beings. It just seems that it's easier for a ghost to make things happen. What used to be hidden, or twisted, or undercover are all brought to light, unfolded right in front of people, with the helps of the "ghosts". But still, I don't like ghost stories.

Laura chooses her own reading list. From time to time, I DO pick up one of her books and read, especially when she says, "Mom, you have to  read this book! This is the best book I've ever read!" You guess it right. 8 out of 10 book she reads, she will say that. The truth is quite a lot of them are indeed good. Among them, Lucy Maud Montgomery's  "Anne of Green Gable" and Frances Hodgson Burnett's "Little Princess" are about young girls' stories and adventures, both of which I love dearly. 

There are times I wonder how those young characters, who're about the same age as Laura, manage to speak to her despite the fact that they live a century apart to one another. I imagine the connection and the moment she believes she were part of their journeys. I've been there. It's magical, the feeling that you're the witness of their incredible adventures. You feel it's your duty to stand by them, to hold on to what you believe it's right, and something too precious to let go. That's usually when a strange sensation comes in. I wish I were taken back into their world. I wish I were the one who makes all the things happen.

Does it sound familiar, by any chance, to what's going on in those ghost stories, where the boundary between the reality and fantasy usually goes blurred? Is there a part of me who has always wanted to "mess" with that boundary? That part of me has been touched after I picked one of the books from Laura's "ghost" pile.

The book is called "The Doll in the Garden" by Mary Downing Hahn. It tells how a 11-year-old girl, Ashley (Here we go again, about the same age as Laura), in a secret garden back in the yard of her newly-moved-in apartment, uncovers an antique doll as well as a secret behind the wicked landlady's lifelong guilt. The mysterious "ghost" cat leads the way back in time, and what they see in another world helps the landlady make good, and eventually helps Ashley to make peace with her own late father. 

There're so many elements between the covers, all weaved together nicely: regret, fear, lost, grief, love, friendship... With the right degree of thrill and a lovely ending, this ghost story is easy to read, hard to put down, and warm to the heart. I finished it in one take. 

Laura didn't recommend this book to me, though. My guess is that she's been too wrapped up in the same series. By the time she left the doll and the secret garden, she couldn't wait to move on to next one. It has become impossible for me to keep up with her reading. So next time, maybe It's my turn to say,"Hey, Laura, you have to read this!" And in the sense that every (good) book is a great adventure, and every (good) book gives you a deeper understanding of the world around you as well as your own nature, I'll also add "It's the best book ever!" 

My reading list? Ghost story is not on there still. But I know next time I encounter one, I won't make a detour. 

Peter Rabbit

"...At first the characters were merely lines, then in one or two strokes, they acquired details, then suddenly personalities. Then attitudes..."* 

I didn't grow up with Peter Rabbit, nor did I know about it until I had Laura. But the minute I saw it, I instantly fell in love with this bunny --- perhaps the most famous bunny in the world, with his blue jacket, which was lost in his adventure into Mr. McGregor's garden. It never fails to give me (and Laura) pleasure everytime we read it. Simple story, beautiful watercolor illustrations, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, along with the stories of Squirrel Nutkin, Tom Kitten and Jemima Puddle-Duck, has indeed, stood the test of time. 

 When computer games and electronic toys are hot on shelves these days, books sadly are not as high on the list as they used to be. Personally books are always my love and bedtime wouldn't be the same without a book or two. "Where is Peter's Dad?" Laura asked, knowing the answer herself. "He went into Mr. McGregor's garden by accident and was put in a pie." I always thought this is a little bit dark for young kids. Laura never gave it much thought when she was little though. I don't know why she popped the question tonight. Maybe she wanted to hear it from me, see how I responded, or what I thought about it. Anyway, she laughed a little laugh at my answer, then said," I like the names of those four little bunnies." I know in her little mind, something's going on, something she decided to share with me, maybe later. How this little bunny bounced into the world (into that wedgewood mug), and all the way till this time, is itself a story, amazing and beautiful story. May the simple, pure of joy of reading bring you pleasure, content, and joy.

* Miss Potter, The Novel, Richard Maltby, Jr., Chapter 8, P98.