When I Met Canuck's Comments

When I Met Canuck's Comments ----Written for its 3rd birthday "Foreign Teacher Classroom?" Such a name was the most eye-catching for me, so I clicked on it one day in the late July 2001. "Ah, he is from Canada," murmured I without too much amazement, though it was my first time to glimpse at a photo of a foreigner. "Canada? Where's Canada? A state in the United States?" I wondered, as I looked it up on my new globe. "Ah, here it is! It is not a state but a big country bordering on the U. S. A.! So far from China!" I went back to take a closer look at this "classroom." I was considered studious. Chat rooms, network games, and forums were not my cup of tea. That year English fascinated me, so it was very usual for me to hang out on Hongen Online, a nice place teeming with very cool English learning stuff. "He looks handsome, and he has a soft voice." I thought while I listened to his sound files. His picture was right of few inches before me, but I never got excited. For me he was only pixels on that picture. "He must be working for Hongen," I declared. Without any thought that I would get to know him, I closed the page after reading some of his "interviews." While the page disappeared on my screen, Canuck the name took its root in my heart. Nevertheless, it was assumed that there was no way I was able to contact with him. He was a foreign teacher in Hongen Company after all! A couple of days passed by. On 30th as usual I stepped onto Hongen looking for "treasures." "A Talkative Foreigner (老外侃大山)?" For an instant, I was attracted to this feature. I, however, learning that it was a kind of forum, didn't move my cursor over to it. I didn't even notice the English words beside it. That's right. I thought forum of all kinds were not good places to go, especially for young girls like me. I thought I was very wise not to goof around on the forum, a dangerous place full of filthy words and sexual, boring, and dirty guys, as the news report warned young people. At the time I could use all bad words to describe the forum. Instead of staying at such a place to do nothing, I thought, I preferred to spend money and my youth on things more worth doing, not only for the sake of myself, it was also for my parents. So I went on to explore other parts of the website. "Online Community?" After getting tired of English tips, I saw four big Chinese characters on the web page I'd just opened. "Well, I'll take a look. I need some breath of fresh air, anyway." Finally I let curiosity get the better of me. I went into it and created an account with a code name Jenny16 and a nickname Jenny. I have been using this English name since the year I started to get on the Internet. When watching the film Forrest Gump, I became fond of this girl-like name the leading female character used. Perhaps people can't tell how many women in the world are named by it. I don't like things that have been worn-out, especially in cyberspace where unique or crazy names are often seen. But it has already become a part of me, and I like people on the Net calling me by Jenny. It brings me a feeling that can hardly tell by words. In fact, barely can people tell many things in the world by human language, just like the thing that got me join in this Online Community. My eyes seemed to have been designed for searching English words. Immediately I saw two English words on the left bar. With a click, my eyes were suddenly glowed with surprise, as if they got a stroke. I cried out, "Ca-nu--ck's Comments!" I had trouble pronouncing the word. There was no reason for me to react like this, all right. He was not my friend; I'd never got a word from him; I didn't even know him, nor did I see the English words beside "A Talkative Foreigner" were Canuck's Comments the other day. Yet, I felt I had known him for years, and Canuck's Comments, as well. "Wow, so many English articles!" With the motivation of the English environment appeared my first post attached by Jenny16. When I was about to close the page, I glanced at the top of the screen. "Master, Ca-nu-ck. Why did he choose such a strange name?" I still felt him so far away from me. "He won't notice me," I thought, "because he is the master." At that time I hadn't had a clear idea of what masters here did. I did not realize I had already become a member of a forum, either! Thanks to the name of Online Community, I developed fondness for our forum, a blooming lotus glowed with dewdrops in the pool of Internet. If Hongen named it as Exciting Forum or things like that, I probably would have been scared away by "Forum." My first post was a composition for College Entrance Exam of English. Both in Chinese and in English I asked someone to correct it. Next day, eagerly I put my name and code into the blanks. To my big surprise, Canuck replied it and presented me with a correction! I was so excited. I felt so proud to receive help from a Canadian! Next day, I even received a message from him after I posted a re-pasted article with the "Original" copyright statement. Apparently, I violated the rule of the forum, so the message contained a notification. He also encouraged me to write more on my own in this forum. At the same time, I learned that this was a forum. It dawned on me that forums were divided in quality. I saw a reply under the re-pasted article. "Maryk in Canada? It was sure someone pulled my leg! It is impossible for another Canadian to join in a Chinese forum. Forums on the Net never find ways to change for the better. Such a person is boring to death! But wait, what s/he said is pretty good..." Canuck's encouragement did put a great efficacy on me. I put down roots in this forum and set the entry page as home page in my Internet Explorer. With the excitement of getting others' replies and stars I learned a lot of things and to think for myself, and that Maryk IS a nice lady from Canada. Meanwhile, my English became better through frequent writing. It can't be denied that I have spent a lot of time to this forum over the past two years, but I have been rewarded much in return. Viewpoints from some wise people give me food for thoughts and broaden my mind; personal experiences of other people are a way for me to be acquainted with life; friendship gives me warmness, as well as a compensation for loneliness and being stranded in real life; acclaim is a proof of my effort paying off; encouragement turns out to be motivation for me to keep going straight forward. Most importantly, in our net-family I've found my value that shines upon me on the rocky path to the future. Now as Ricle, the master of English Café, says that Hongen Forum seems to have had some problems. Lack of novelty, frequent system break-downs, and deficiency of physical encouragement have driven many members away. We, as its members, probably aren't capable to interfere in Hongen Company's business. No matter what will happen to this forum, it has left me good friendship and a bucket of sweet memory. "Do not care about how things end but their processes." Still I hope this lotus will keep its beauty to attract people who are fond of "the flower that grows through the mud has no dirt on its petals." ************As a proverb goes, "Things are of half the success if the leader takes the first action." :-) This article may not so good, but it was consumed with my love for this forum. No matter how bad your writing seems to be, the love is the same. Jenny

• ·My life as a teacher (3
• ·Birthday's greeting fro
• ·为什么老是觉得困啊
• ·Ready To Celebrate The
• ·Reply to Julia: re her
• ·Mystery Word -- "Panic"
• ·"Pandora's Box" -- ano
• ·Language & Patriotism
• ·My Wife (Part 3) & My
• ·Love in East and West.