elemental

Curious beginnings determine her artistic sense of form, coloring stories of her village. Cutting, planting, harvesting, complete slow rhythm of life. Her skill shines with every new expression, her heart sings.

Her simple direct feeling is all sensation.

Art enables her this beauty. She describes what she draws. Her words fly through forests, colorful birds resplendent peacocks birds of paradise.

A blind conversation developed a through line. Turn a blind eye.

Blindness listened. Blindness heard muted laughter before intuition gestured pink floating word worlds.

Laughter danced with exhaled attachment.

Blindness danced on through late yellow faltering light penetrating bamboo leaves spreading themselves over banana baskets impaled on swinging posts. Literally.

A bike bell. A young girl sat quiet watching the V girl do her toenails. Cutting, trimming, lemon/lime soak, cuticles, clear before applying a silver hued glossy glean. Nail by nail.

Blindness solved the mystery of sight crying tears of silence. A van of blank faced white Europeans trapped behind glass held rampant desires and expectations on laps. Fidgeting with uncomfortable languages floating into inner ears. Assaulting their long painful strides navigating tomorrow’s promises.

Blindness resolved to practice the subtle art of Tai-chi with precision.

Blindness exchanged blue ink for a dark shade of green. A handheld hair dryer waved hot air over a shampooed head. Mirrors whispered secrets.

Elements of silence said farewell. A series of eyes investigated decompression while swallowing fresh yogurt with peach slices near afternoon’s languishing empty promises intent on discovering new, make it new day by day. Explanations have to end somewhere.

In her village, the other world, Blindness threaded new beginnings as her loom waited for pressure and tightness between notes feeling sunlight dress saliva beads blending a weave, texture, design, saying hello Beauty.

yellow butterfly academy

tell me about my Lao motorcycle culture

125cc engines growling past orange monks

barefoot in their silence

give us the raw emotional direct experience

among a tribe of kids, their play is work.

they laughed and played all day long

poor ones collected cardboard and plastic bottle

along a dirt road.

kids with money went to school

students are engaged in self-study, pair work, and group work. They accept responsibility and develop teamwork and sharing skills. They draw. They listen to music.

some accept the reality they are responsible for their learning. some learn to take risks.

help students develop courage.

some try. some can’t, won’t, don’t.

classes are mixed abilities and ages. strong student teachers help the weak.

attendance is sporadic because of school, family responsibilities and motivation.

focus on speaking and writing. reading comprehension.

listening retention skills. get the MAIN POINT.

1. Smile, engage, and have fun.

See #1.

Imagination is more important than knowledge - Einstein.

Practice patience like water

 

silent bliss

describe laughter 

in the hour of bliss

sensation is all

languages ignore tongues

dialects and shadows whistle

in the darkness 

of sound

no feeding please

Give this to the new volunteer teachers.

LBF is a Foundation. It is not a school.

It is an English Development Center.

It offers H'mong students the opportunity to improve their English communication skills.

The majority of schools in Asia are exam-based. Teachers lecture on grammar and vocabulary. Students learn by rote. Their objective is to pass exams. Teachers push them through.

Teacher talking time is 80-20 or more. Students are dumbed down and passive. It’s all listening. They RETAIN very little.

They are never asked, “What do you think?”

They are told what to think.

Independent learning is a foreign language.

My approach has developed a healthy, easy going, stress free relaxed, student centered environment. It is communication-based, not grammar based. Teamwork. Learn by doing.

Get out of their way. Help where and when needed. Practice support, kindness and love, not feeding.

Ask students about The Spoon.

Thank you for your attention.

downstream

Here's the pitch.

She stayed until 9:45 and left for work at an upscale spa wearing aromatic Grecian urns. He gave her 10 bones. Feed me.

Familiarity breeds contempt.

Get out of my life, said Telepathy. You are subservient and I am stupid to put up with this shit. He creased her indifference into a cumulus cloud. It rained goodbye and good luck.

She sat on the bed with her back to him. Sniffle sniffle.

Her fake tears formed rivers named Regret and Hopelessness and Indifference.

Fish behind twelve Laotian dams financed with Chinese capital to provide electricity to Thailand fed 60 million Asians downstream in deltas.