You never know where one of those seemingly "random" conversations will lead you...
The other day I was having one of those "random" conversations, as I often do with "B", one of the English teachers I work with. "B" can talk on almost any topic, since he has a pretty broad range of knowledge and opinions. It is always so fascinating to converse with him. He always manages to off into these interesting tangents while covering diverse topics and giving personal anecdotes.
On this particular day we were talking about how as teachers in Taiwan, we often feel more like entertainers than educators. The students in Taiwan are often so shy and reserved, that they have a major mental block or anxiety about speaking English. Getting them to speak in conversation class is really like pulling teeth, so teachers need to liven up the class and resort to certain antics just to get a peep out of students.
B started talking about the crazy classroom antics of a particular foreign English teacher "A", who used to live in Taiwan. As usual, "B"'s story got more interesting as he described his long lost friend. Apparently "A" was an extremely creative and prolific musician, performer, artist, a unique character who kept people guessing about his sexual preferences, a person with boundless energy, an unbreakable spirit, and most amazing of all, a person who had beat the odds of survival in his lifelong battle against cystic fibrosis.
Apparently A had become something of an "Urban Legend"- "B" had heard through certain circles that "A" had returned to the U.S. and had collaborated on innovative, interactive theatrical projects. "B" had vaguely heard that "A" had been working on just such a theatrical project in New York and that the theme of the play was somehow related to a wedding.
That's what tipped me off.
"That sounds like an off-broadway play that I've always been curious about seeing, but never got around to seeing- called 'Tony and Tina's Wedding,' " I said.
As I described the play, "B" got onto the internet did a search using "Tony and Tina's Wedding" and his friend's name. And low and behold- his friend was one of the people who had collaborated on the writing the play.
Amazing... when things like this happen, I really felt like a messenger, you never know what information, or connections we can provide to others that we meet in this journey called life.
Now I'm definitely going to have to make sure I check out "Tony and Tina's Wedding" the next time I'm in New York, which, will be some time this summer.
The other day I was having one of those "random" conversations, as I often do with "B", one of the English teachers I work with. "B" can talk on almost any topic, since he has a pretty broad range of knowledge and opinions. It is always so fascinating to converse with him. He always manages to off into these interesting tangents while covering diverse topics and giving personal anecdotes.
On this particular day we were talking about how as teachers in Taiwan, we often feel more like entertainers than educators. The students in Taiwan are often so shy and reserved, that they have a major mental block or anxiety about speaking English. Getting them to speak in conversation class is really like pulling teeth, so teachers need to liven up the class and resort to certain antics just to get a peep out of students.
B started talking about the crazy classroom antics of a particular foreign English teacher "A", who used to live in Taiwan. As usual, "B"'s story got more interesting as he described his long lost friend. Apparently "A" was an extremely creative and prolific musician, performer, artist, a unique character who kept people guessing about his sexual preferences, a person with boundless energy, an unbreakable spirit, and most amazing of all, a person who had beat the odds of survival in his lifelong battle against cystic fibrosis.
Apparently A had become something of an "Urban Legend"- "B" had heard through certain circles that "A" had returned to the U.S. and had collaborated on innovative, interactive theatrical projects. "B" had vaguely heard that "A" had been working on just such a theatrical project in New York and that the theme of the play was somehow related to a wedding.
That's what tipped me off.
"That sounds like an off-broadway play that I've always been curious about seeing, but never got around to seeing- called 'Tony and Tina's Wedding,' " I said.
As I described the play, "B" got onto the internet did a search using "Tony and Tina's Wedding" and his friend's name. And low and behold- his friend was one of the people who had collaborated on the writing the play.
Amazing... when things like this happen, I really felt like a messenger, you never know what information, or connections we can provide to others that we meet in this journey called life.
Now I'm definitely going to have to make sure I check out "Tony and Tina's Wedding" the next time I'm in New York, which, will be some time this summer.
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