Jerry.....
Neat story !!!!!
I'll pass it on, jerry..................................
Gordy
From: jerry puckett <jerry_puckett2001@xxxxxxxxx>
To: Gordon Hill <hillshead@xxxxxxx>
Subject: Teaching
Date: Sat, 3 Sep 2005 10:47:47 -0700 (PDT)
Gordy and Tom, thought I would share with you a rewarding experince. I practice a lot at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City knowing someone will want to cast. Last night this young chinese student at Utah State University stood silent watching me cast. I invited him over as he looked very puzzled and had never heard of fly fishing. His english very limited, my chinese non existance. I managed to communicate do you want to learn as I handed him the rod. The excitement in his widen eyes stood out. Laboriously we tried to comminicate as I went through the basic casting drill learned from Jason Borger. Now it is most difficult for one to learn to cast without the added difficulty of language _expression_. I ask him to teach me Chinese for one, two , three and it sounds like e, r, sah. So I am demonstrating the basic casting stroke with the pause and he could not contain his excitement and pleasure as I repeated e, r, sah. My excitement was a grin on my face as wide as the Missisppi, I am speaking Chinese! Now what I really want to say is I realized how difficult it was for this young Chinese gentleman to understand southern and needed to find a better way to communicate. Having never thought of it or seen it I simply held my arm next to his and slowly let him follow mine, not holding here, just arm mirrowing arm. E.R, Sah, E.R, Sah repeated ever so slowly. Shoulder, elbow, thumb (SET). Matthew, his given American name or as he prononced it "Matschew", was a very quick learner and was a beginer caster in 30 minutes! We were both tickled pink. Some significant barriers were crossed last night in the twilight of another passing day and this reminded me again that the teaching spirit and mind will find ways to communicte and teach. I found a new friend as "Matschew" and I ended our time together. He took my hand in both of his and repeatedly said shank you, shank you Jerry you speak good chinese. As I always say wave the majic wand and good things happen. jerry