The Northern California Chinese School Association held its first educational seminar of 2024 at the South Bay Overseas Chinese Education Center on September 29th (last Sunday). They specially invited Mrs. Yun Wenzhen, the wife of the Director of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in San Francisco, to be the guest speaker, sharing her journey as a diplomat’s spouse and valuable experiences in educating children.
In her speech, Mrs. Yun Wenzhen humorously shared her acquaintance with and companionship with Lai Mingqi, as well as the nuances of raising children together. She cleverly interspersed performances of songs like “I Am a Cloud”, “Wandering Clouds”, “Where Does Time Go”, and “Heart of Gratitude” during her speech. The songs seamlessly blended with the content of her speech, creating a moving atmosphere that captivated the audience.
Mrs. Yun Wenzhen mentioned that she and Lai Mingqi met during their university years, got married after graduation, and have experienced six overseas assignments together since 1994, spanning from Atlanta, Washington, Boston to San Francisco. After each overseas assignment, they always return to Taiwan for a period of rest.
She shared an anecdote about her husband eagerly offering to feed the twin babies once, but ended up confusing the babies and inadvertently causing one to go hungry while the other drank two bottles of milk. Such humorous incidents highlighted the challenges and joys of parenthood in their diplomatic lifestyle.
As their children began schooling, Mrs. Yun Wenzhen was concerned about their adaptation to local Mandarin education upon returning to Taiwan. Consequently, the couple decided to independently teach their children Mandarin at home. They purchased numerous books, CDs including classics like “Romance of the Three Kingdoms”, “Journey to the West”, and even martial arts novels by Jin Yong to spark their children’s interest in the language.
Throughout this process, Mrs. Yun Wenzhen encountered amusing and poignant situations that evoked laughter and empathy. For instance, one of their children wrote, “I am filled with anticipation, carrying a peacock’s heart for a picnic.” When questioned by her husband about the choice of words, the child innocently explained it as feeling joy and excitement, leading to a realization that the child meant “joyful heart” instead of “peacock’s heart”.
She emphasized that life inevitably entails challenges, particularly for families of diplomats where frequent relocations and educational concerns for children often lead to conflicts. Understanding and respecting each other are crucial in resolving these issues, akin to learning a synchronized dance routine through continuous practice.
The President of the Northern California Chinese School Association, Li Naya, expressed that the educational seminar was meticulously organized by the association. This year’s theme focused on the well-being of teachers, aiming to provide support and care through the event. Noteworthy was the record-breaking attendance of over 100 participants at the seminar.
Director Lai Mingqi expressed deep gratitude for the invitation extended by the Chinese School Association, providing his wife with the opportunity to share their life experiences with everyone.
Director Zhuang Yashu of the Overseas Chinese Education Center conveyed appreciation to all principals and teachers for their dedicated efforts in sustaining the legacy of overseas Chinese education. The Overseas Chinese Affairs Office consistently supports the sustainable development of overseas schools and maintains close collaboration with the association to offer robust assistance.
The educational seminar featured five captivating sessions, including Chen Liling’s “AI Easy Start Guide”, Wang Zhimei’s “Creating High Interaction without Apps”, Wang Manqing’s “Unlocking the Emotional Code of Special Education Students”, and Li Weiqian’s “Weiqian Soup: Applying a Spiritual Bandage to Your Heart”. During breaks in the presentations, teachers were treated to beautiful performances on the pipa and piano, providing them with a rejuvenating and uplifting experience as they began the new school year.