June 2021: Making the Most of my Situation

 Sunday yesterday felt like an elongated moment, wherein I (as time) seemed to take my time instead of finding more things to do and moving through them just to get them done. Perhaps this is because I have finally completed my preparations for the next couple of weeks of online classes. Here by myself in my apartment in the relatively small town of Wufeng, Taichung, Taiwan, I sometimes notice a space within myself that I might have once defined as loneliness. Nowadays, I simply breathe through it as part of my decision to untie myself from self-definitions, so as not to be defined, not even myself. A couple of very large birds just outside my main window have set up a nest, they and the geckos keep me company.

 I used some class time the other day to teach students about sound symbolism and how to look and listen more closely to words. I said the word “pharmacy” very slowly to clearly enunciate its three syllables, pharm (farm) a (uh) cy (see), and I then asked them what sounds they heard. Nothing! So, I explained to them that “pharmacy” sounds like “pharm/farm a/uh cy/see” or see a farm (which is where medicine used to come from before big pharma came along). Then I pointed out the name of a major vaccine supplier called Sinovac (see/no/vac), and asked them, what sounds do you hear? Still nothing. So, I tried the name of one of the so-called “remedies” for C19 called Remdesivir. Hell, I’ll just give that to you: rem/remedy + desivir = remedy deceiver or deceiver of remedy. As they say, it’s all in the words.

 Teaching online sometimes feels like I’m talking into a dark void of scattered awareness. While the technology generally seems to work, and students usually seem to be able to see and hear me, most of them do not take the initiative to speak out. Perhaps for fear of exposing their locations, I’m not quite sure. Therefore, it’s up to me to track them down, which I do by gently calling out their names and narrowing in on their presence. I liken this to coaxing frightened rabbits out of their dark dens to come out into the sunlight, see the green fields and eat the dandelions. Yea, that’s about it. Even if it takes me the entire first period (which is usually does), I will, one by one, get each of them to come out of hiding, sound off and sometimes even tell a story, sometimes.

 I talk a lot online to my students. The funny thing is, I feel that they might actually be listening more intently than they did when we were in the classroom. I’m guessing from their responses, that they don’t have anything better to do while being stuck at home. Come to think of it, I might even enjoy listening to Thomas if I were stuck at home in their shoes.

Adjusting to Online Teaching

 Although I could guess that our school was going to move classes online once again, I didn’t guess that the change would come so soon. One weekend I’m home visiting my partner, planning to return to school on Monday morning, and then on Saturday night, two weeks ago, I got an email saying to move all classes online beginning Monday. I was all set to start cruising into wrap-up mode for the semester, and then, boom, every class has to be video recorded with electronic attendance and so on. What else can I say but, goodbye end of semester happy slack days.

 Thankfully, as it’s now just a matter of rolling over in bed, turning on their smartphones and checking in, most of my students seem quite content to participate. How much they’re actually paying attention and/or focusing on the class is anyone’s guess. Not to worry though, I reckon it’s only a matter of time before a software update begins monitoring their rate of focus, eyes on the screen and so on.

 Additionally, and quite surprisingly I might add, I also seem to enjoy communicating online with students. Whereas before, I was thankful just to have a semi-captive audience (once students actually made it to the classroom), we now have software monitoring what time they check in and how long they stay. I can only guess where this is all going. So, I go down my attendance list, check to see if people are actually listening when I call their names and I ask them how their Covid vacation is going — extra credit if you have a story to tell.  And if that doesn’t work, I always have plenty to say and (lol) I never seem to get tired of saying it. After all, I figure that someone outside of the mainstream news propaganda outlets ought to at least attempt to explain to people, especially young people, what the heck is going on these days, why it’s happening and where we’re heading. Overall, this online teaching isn’t nearly as bad as I thought it would be.

 Moving on to the main issue at hand, the CONtagion monster has again returned to Taiwan, and its name is of course still Fear. With afternoon temperatures hitting 39 C, I’m seeing big SUV’s passing by me with their windows rolled up and only a driver inside — obediently wearing a facemask. Here in Taiwan, If the government says wear a facemask when you go outside, then that’s what everyone does, including me. Lol, because, if I don’t obey, not only might I have to pay a fine of $500, but I also might end up on the evening news (as an example of an uncooperative foreigner). No way!

 For about a year, I was quite reactive to the so-called new normal (standards ideocracy), but that was before I forgave myself for being so stubborn and decided to finally let go of logic and reason — threw them out the window and released myself of that burden. Really, forget about attempting to make 3D sense of what’s going on in the world; better instead to remain grounded and focus on principled living — doing unto others as you would have them do unto you, judge not lest ye be judged and so on.