Letter XIII: The Christmas Week and a Trip to the Taipei High Administrative Court

Hello Tim!

The weather this week has warmed up a bit occasionally with some random rays of sunshine, but the nights have still been breezy.
It is Saturday in the afternoon at this moment, but later, I will be going to meet my German class friends and teacher because he and his wife (my former English cram school teacher) are taking us to a Christmas dinner, a "Weihnachtessen" (Christmas meal), as he put it. I'll see how much I can write before leaving home.

New Book; First Library Edition, but Not Quite

So when I first heard the phrase "library edition", I would first get super riled up because what would come to my mind would be the most luxurious version of a hardback book you can ever find. However, if I found out that you are only referring to my latest acquired book "For the Most Beautiful", I would know that it's a totally different thing. The passion doesn't die out, though.

That was the book I was talking about a month or two ago when I promised my mom not to buy any other book for myself for a while for this book alone.

I got this from Amazon, which was the only place I can still find available hardcover ones. When I first found out that it literally was a library edition- that was once a borrowed book from a library, I didn't quite know what to feel. I was quite happy, for I finally get to put the book on my shelves, as a company to the other book that belongs to this trilogy, but with the tags and the stamps and the tapes... I was struggling if I should remove them for a long time. I used to put it on my shelf and looking at it from different angles, frowning and contemplating if I should at least try to remove the removables, but my final decision was no. My attitude for books was to treat them well enough that they still look like the moment I got them. It had looked like this since I tore the wrapping open, so I am to keep it that way.

Beautiful, just the way you are.

ANYWAY, (I feel like I am going to saunter off-subject a lot this week...) this was a book about the golden apple that started the Trojan war. I have read and heard of several stories and novels of this particular war, and since I was fascinated with it, I am more or less familiar with this war. 

However, this book was told from the perspectives of the Trojans, which was quite different from what I used to read from in the past. I knew that this would be good, for I know that this author, Emily Hauser, never disappoints, albeit with the fact that I have only read one book of hers. She has the ability to fill up the blanks and the vacuums of the small details of the original texts of Greek mythology, and that is the reason I love the series so much.

Her third publish would be in June 2018, I believe. I cannot wait.

A Trip to The Taipei High Administrative Court

Last Tuesday afternoon, our civics teacher brought us to the Taipei High Administrative Court near our school. We were long told about this small class trip, and me, having civics as my favorite subject among the social studies (history, geography, and civics), I had been looking forward to that particular event since we were first informed of this event.

Group photo; the one lying face down on the stairway was Patrick. No photos were allowed inside, I guess.

Before arrival, we were told that we were about to see an actual case in the process, with the judges and lawyers. That would be a brand new experience to all of us, an unprecedented feeling, to take in the solemn air of the judicial atmosphere.

But (yep. Plot twist.), when we arrived, the instructor told us that there was an abrupt change in the schedule so we wouldn't be able to see any court sections. That was a pity, but since the court itself was so near to our school, about ten minutes of walking distance, and with the fact that it is accessible to all citizens, and that no application needed to be made in advance, I think maybe in the future I can ask my classmates for company to witness a session ourselves. That would be nice.

After being engaged in a small tour around the environment of the court, we were taken upstairs for a small lecture of one of the judges. 

The judge was nice, pleasant and easygoing with us. When we asked him questions, he would give detailed explanations, along with several examples of cases he had judged for in the past twenty years. We could see that he was really devoted to his job and that he really was focused on making himself understood, but with the slightly slow pace he talked, I noticed that William dozed off midway. I was personally interested in the topic, for I have not once, but for many times thought of becoming a lawyer or a judge, just to make justice be heard, but now I am more and more convinced that this is not a job for me. 

The second question I asked, was like this: "Have you ever had conflicts between your own conscience and the book of the law in your hand when holding a session?" He answered yes, and explained that there would be times when you want to punish the criminals more severe than what legally limited;  there will also be times when you sympathize with the person who committed a crime, but you could not lift the condemnation because the law forbids it. This was the part I was mulling over once over again, for I understand that there is no, and there never will be a complete and perfect set of law system. I wouldn't want to do or be involved in things or decisions that I disagree, even if it is something as holy as the law itself. Therefore, I don't think that I would love to become a judge, no matter how the law sounds so fascinating.

The Re-Naming of Our School; Beheaded Statue

As you know, the school we study in was called Zhong Zheng, which was once a Shilin High School, but in 1975, the name was changed to Zhong Zheng to commemorate the president that passed away. However, due to the recent amendments to the law, all names that involve names that were directly/indirectly related to Chiang Kai Shek has to be either removed or re-named, for he was responsible for numerous and countless deaths in massacres in the past. "He was somehow like Hitler." But I don't understand! True, what he did might be inexcusable, but that was also a part of our past, with the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall, and the many a street that was named after him. The politician who forwarded this act claimed that this was a consolation and compensation to the families who were once deeply hurt by him and his commands.

Because of all these, our school became an obvious target. We didn't know about this after the school had finished on the day this happened. When I got home, I came across a news report of how a statue of Chiang Kai Shek in school was beheaded and graffitied with the words "No removal, no name alterations, then get beheaded". This raised some worry and horrors for the parents because the vandalism seemed a bit "out of control". I heard that the vandals were caught some days ago, but there were still doubts that they came from a bigger organization, and therefore the after-school study period was temporarily canceled.

True; this was quite horrifying. (online image)

As for what our school's name is going to be, honestly, we still have no idea.

Personally, I think that "Zhong Zheng (中正)" is a nice name, not because it was the name of a former president, but the words themselves means "virtue and well-doing", which projects good images for our school. Simply naming the school from where it is located (i.e. Shilin High School) was practically too plain, but I doubt if the final decision would be up to us. Maybe one day we will get the announcement of our new name of the school out of the blue from the administrative offices, and there wouldn't be anything we are able to do, I believe.

We'll see. I'll keep you updated when we were all informed of the new name.

Posting of My Christmas Story

Yep, my Christmas short story is over here!

I hope all like it and have a merry Christmas.

Dinner with Friends and Teachers

Because it was Christmas, the German class this Saturday was canceled, and instead, our teacher, Eric, brought us to a nearby restaurant for a Christmas meal.

Let's put in more details of my class.

When I was still a ten-year-old, I went to a cram school named "Sunshine", a chained English cram school that is quite famous in Taiwan, I guess. There I met Teacher Eric, a teacher from Switzerland who was known for his strictness for students. Before enrolling in the courses over there, all I knew about English was reading (not that surprising) and NOTHING ELSE. I used to hate writing (who would guess?) and I used to have an awful grammar structure and so ugly was my handwriting that it was indistinguishable. He was insistent that I write slowly and I was asked to do tons of redos. Three years later, his wife, Tr. Villy, who came from Singapore, took his place and it continued for another four years. Somewhere in between, my attitude towards English changed massively due to various reasons, and the couple was always by my side.
I also have friends of seven years. Henry, Nina, Serena and many others and I have learned and laughed together for a solid seven years! That was incredible for students in cram schools. The more surprising thing was, however, the first time when I entered their group all those years ago, I felt more like an intruder, for they had known each other since kindergarten! Still, I am glad that I have long been accepted by them.
Though some would say that English cram schools aren't necessary if you have self-motivation, but the thing is that I found the motivation through the process of cram schools. I am not advertising or anything, but I want to say that this gave me the opportunity to have such a loving family -Henry, Nina, Serena and I are the members of the German class- that I am so familiar with, I am forever grateful.

From the right to the left are: Villy, Eric, me, Henry, Serena, and Nina

HENRY YOU STOLE MY HAT

Though I did say I was not focusing on the dishes, it still was tasty and awesome.

That night of dining and eating, my focus wasn't quite on the food- it was the festivity of a Christmas celebration I felt on the dining table when we were talking about various subjects and laughing at silly things, when we were listening to the stories that were told again and again by the teachers, when the students later went to a nearby bookstores for some stationery shopping after parting with the teachers... This is a brand new kind of Christmas for me. Looking back at the previous year, I spent the best Christmas with EHP; this year, I spent an immensely splendid time with Sunshine.
My mom knitted a shawl for Villy and a scarf for Eric; both of which were wrapped up by Allison -she is just awesome-, and both of which the teachers loved.
I got a bit carried away, didn't I? Well, it's Christmas.

Merry Christmas, all my readers!