Final Essay on

[Rob_Hugo@PortNW]

This was my first seminar through USC US -China Institute and I absolutely loved it! I am so glad I persevered and signed up to take this week long class on East Asian Art and Literature. It was much better than I anticipated & I feel like I won the teachers lottery in many ways. Each day was full of wonderful resources I will use in my 6th grade Ancient Civilization or English classes . I was taught to appreciate Asian art more and how to read Buddha iconography which will come in handy when we do our unit on the Buddha. I am ashamed to say I did not know that PAM even existed till this seminar What a treasure tp have so close by! I loved the Silk Road Gallery and visited it several times at lunch/breaks during the week to be inspired for when I will teach the Silk Road again. I fell in love with the Chinese garden and finding out about the important of courtyards, from the moving water, to the rocks, to the crooked walk way, to the Koi-all mean something. In making a courtyard they were trying to recreate what paradise, Eden was like.

I loved the poetry/literature Clayton Dube shared with us. I teach a unit on the 3 Chinese philosophies and will definitely use some of the poetry that we all liked so much. I was in awe when Sonya Lee showed us the Buddhist caves in Dun- Huang and excited to hear that they are bringing one to the Getty next May. I plan on taking my students there! Professor Kim gave me some great pieces of literature that I really liked. One i will use with my students "When my name was Keoko" I will be going to the Ming Dynasty exhibit at the PAM also.

I will be doing "Sijo" poetry with my students this year that Jennifer Kim taught us to do. She gave us great literature and history that I will go back and use/read again Our field trips were just a perfect way to end an inspirational week. I felt invigorated, more peaceful and stronger after visiting the Chinese garden. Visiting the Japanese Museum and having a docent who was put in a concentration camp in California was mind boggling. I look forward to reading 'Baseball save us' and 'Welcome Home Swallows'.

Everything was so well organized for us, the food was delicious, the company fun, the classes so inspiring! Thank you for inviting me. I am a better and more complete human being from having taken part in this wonderful seminar on East Asian Art and Literature.

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