Hi Mai Laoshi,
As another alum noted in these stories & memories, the first day of your Chinese class will be emblazoned in my memory forever. I too thought I’d made a grave mistake by signing up for Chinese on a whim. Map/rabbit, cracker/ice cube…I can’t imagine these objects have been compared in other contexts with such dramatic effect. I fell in love with Mandarin due to your teaching. Your class was so much fun because of your passion for the subject and because of the great crew of classmates I studied with. I married a student whom I tutored for your 102 class (whose Mandarin still needs work…), and the best man (Bryan Kim) and a bridesmaid (Nozomi Naoi) were friends I met in your 101 class. After Carleton I lived in Taipei and then Shanghai. Your courses had a profound impact on my life. Thank you for your dedication and passion for the subject and for your students. I hope we meet again…perhaps in Hawaii.
Sincerely,
Andrew – 陶安多