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Salone Gramp Obsessed withChinese Language
地处西非的塞拉利昂有一个美丽的克里奥语名字SALONE。塞拉利昂的男孩子被称为SALONE BOBO，女孩子被叫作SALONE TITI。当你对当地的某些事物表示疑问、不太理解时，当地人总会摊开双手，用一句“This is SALONE”来解答你所有的疑惑。即将出场的这位主人公是一位74岁的老人。
这位老人有三个名字：本名.Tonathan Fitzjohn，是塞拉利昂大学孔子学院初级班的学员。瞧！老爷子有多精神 满头银发，挺拔高大的身材，精神矍铄、声如洪钟，举手投足间透着股优雅的绅士范儿。
他还有一个响当当的中国名字——孔和平。“和平”是老先生自己选的，他说：“我希望我的国家和平，希望世界和平，这一生我也一直努力做和平的人。”“孔”姓是我推荐的，不仅因为老人喜欢儒学，而且他一直保持“学而不厌、诲人不倦”的精神追求。可别小瞧这位老先生，老人家年轻时留学英国和美国，回国后致力于青年教育，是一位资深的音乐教师。
自塞拉利昂大学孔子学院落地SALONE首都弗里敦，汉语似春风吹进校园，掀起了“汉语和中国文化热”。不少青年学子通过学习汉语打开了留学中国、改变命运的机遇之门。但古稀老翁走进孔院的课堂毕竟是少数。老人在年輕时听说汉语难学，愿意挑战自我的他遂产生了学习汉语的念头。但因忙于工作及各种条件的限制，学习汉语成为他心头未竟的夙愿。老爷子也曾尝试研究儒学，对“天人合一”的中国传统哲学思想有着浓厚的兴趣。退休后的老先生听说塞拉利昂大学成立孔子学院后高兴万分，立即赶来注册、选课，并激动地说：“我一定要学会汉语，在有生之年实现自己的心愿。”老人学习汉语的那股子劲头丝毫不输精力旺盛的SALONE BOBO和SALONE TITI们。用个贴切的词形容，那就是“蛮拼的”。为此，我尊称他为“SALONE老爷子”。
“SALONE老爷子”的OKAIDA之路
塞拉利昂首都弗里敦依山而建，道路狭窄、起伏度大，交通很不便利，学员上课迟到的现象常有发生，甚至快下课时才走进教室的学生也不鲜见，“家住的远”是学生们给出的最“合情合理”的解释。老人的家离孔院很远，但上课迟到、缺席的事情却从未在他身上发生过。一问之下才知道，为了不耽误学习汉语，他选择乘坐OKAIDA往返于孔院和家中。OKAIDA是相对便宜、快速的摩托车，也是当地年轻人喜欢的交通工具。司机们在狭窄、颠簸的山路上行驶畅通。我没想到老人会选择这种交通工具。每个上课的日子，他身背黑色双肩书包，带上食物和水，搭乘OKAIDA旋风般赶来孔院，真可谓“老夫聊发少年狂”。
每次上课走进教室，准能看见他安静地坐在前排等待上课。如此年纪的老翁本应在家含饴弄孙、安享晚年，而这位痴心于汉语的老人却宁愿接受挑战。有几次我在半路上看见风驰电掣的OKAIDA后座上老先生衣衫飘舞的背影，眼眶不由热起来，心中的万千感慨与敬佩之情无法言表。不知疲倦的学霸
课堂上的老人专注、认真，从不因自己的年龄和资历摆架子，大声地跟读，积极回答问题，不时地低头做笔记，遇到问题毫不迟疑地提出来，几乎没有走神、懈怠的时候。有时其他同学还没反应过来，老先生已经笑呵呵地给出了答案。课堂上进行情境对话练习，他不仅不紧张，反而能根据学过的词汇及对话内容，创造性地增加恰切的表情和肢体语言，使情境对话显得自然而丰富，加深了大家对学习内容的本土性理解。同学们有什么问题也喜欢向这位学霸老爷子请教。三个小时的课上下来，体力消耗很大，精力旺盛的小伙子们也常呵欠连连。我心疼他，时不时问一句“您累吗？”，他总是摆摆手，非常谦和地说： “老师，我不累。谢谢！”老先生专注、坚毅的眼神，使我不敢马虎任何一次备课、上课，唯恐辜负了这位令我深深敬佩的“SALONE老爷子”。在老先生的感染下，调皮的年轻学生们学习汉语的劲头也是你追我赶，营造出积极、热烈的学习氛围。当之无愧的冠军
在汉语和中国文化学习的道路上，“SALONE老爷子”从不畏惧任何挑战。孔院举办首届“中国经典诗歌朗诵大赛”，老先生积极报名参加。备赛期间，他利用课间请老师听他朗读、帮他正音，讨论诗歌的节奏、韵味，还发挥专业特长，创造性地用五线谱为诗歌配上旋律，一遍又一遍地练习……
朗诵大赛如期举行，一个又一个的年轻选手用心演绎他们心目中的中国诗歌，或低回婉转、或含蓄隽永、或情深意长……竞争异常激烈。我不禁为老人捏把汗，担心孩子们生龙活虎的气势给老人造成压力。老先生却不焦不躁，就那样安安静静地坐在选手席上，一如他等待上课的样子。
满头银发的“SALONF老爷子”上场了。“北国风光，千里冰封，万里雪飘……”在浑厚、有力、富有磁性的声音中，磅礴大气的《沁园春·雪》展现出来……老人不紧不慢、张弛有度，那投入的神情仿佛置身于万里之遥、“红装素裹、分外妖娆”的神州大地。评委和观众被其激昂、深情的诵读深深感动，热烈的掌声持续许久，真诚地为这位持守梦想的老人喝彩。评选结果出炉，老人是当之无愧的冠军。站在领奖台上的“SALONF老爷子”啊，真是“数风流人物，还看今朝”。
“SALONE老爷子”痴迷汉语和中国文化的趣事还有很多，比如他在家中坚持用筷子吃饭，惹得家里人都笑他为中国着了魔;在条件允许的情况下，他会专门跑到弗里敦的中餐馆品尝中国饭菜……
“学无止境，活到老学到老”。上学时老师常用这句话激励我们，成为老师的我也喜欢以此勉励学生。但这句平凡话语中所蕴含的力量和深远意境真真切切传递到我心灵深处，却是通过这位年逾古稀的老者。“吾生也有涯，而学无涯”，每个人都是人生旅程的匆匆过客，没有谁敢言自己晓干理、懂万事。而唯有在这人世间不断追问、学习、充实生命的体验，追求更高的境界，才不枉来世间一遭吧。曾经，也畅想自己的晚年生活，总想着那时要“面朝大海，一杯清茶，不问世事，享受生活”。但这位异国他乡的老人却诠释出一个更高境界的人生晚年。他不畏惧岁月的无情，用火热的行动去持守、追求、践行心中的梦想，活出一个别样的“夕阳红”。祝福你，可敬的“SALONF老爷子”，你是我学习的榜样！ Sierra Leone， located in West Africa， has a beautifulCreole name-Salone. Sierra Leonean lads are calledSalone Bobo， and girls are called Salone Titi. Wheneveryou show that you are in doubt about local things and donot quite understand them， the locals always spread theirhands and answer all of your questions by saying "This isSalone". The main character that is going to take the stageis a 74-year-old grandpa.
He has three names， with his real name as JonathanFitzj ohn. He is a student in the beginner class at theConfucius Institute at the University of Sierra Leone. LooklHow bright-eyed and bushy-tailed he looks-silver hair， talland straight figure， indomitable spirit， and sonorous bell-like voice， with gentleman's elegance in every gesture.
Jonathan is also known as Kong Heping in Chinese.“Heping”， namely “peace” in English， is selected byhimself. He says， “I want peace for my country and theworld. I have also been trying to be a man of peace in mylife.” The surname “Kong” was my idea， not only becausehe likes Confucianism， but also because he persists inthe spiritual pursuit of “being insatiable in learning andtireless in teaching”. Do not underestimate Jonathan. Hestudied in the United Kingdom and the United States whenhe was young， and devoted to youth education as a seniormusic teacher after returning home.
Since the Confucius Institute at the University ofSierra Leone was established in Freetown， the capitalof SALONE， Mandarin has blown into the campus like aburst of spring breeze， setting off the "Chinese languageand Chinese culture craze". As a result， many youngstudents have opened the door for opportunities to studyin China and change their destiny by learning Mandarin.Nonetheless， few people in their old age take class at theConfucius Institute. Jonathan heard that Chinese languag～was difficult when he was young， but he was willing tochallenge himself， so he came up with the idea of learningChinese language. Howeve r， due to busy wo rk and variouslimitations， learning Chinese language remained hisunfulfilled yet long-cherished wish. He has also tried tostudy Confucianism and thereby develops a keen interestin traditional Chinese philosophy fe aturing the theorythat "man is an integral part of nature". After retiring， theold gentleman was ove rj oyed to learn about the ConfuciusInstitute at the University of Sierra Leone. He immediatelyrushed to sign up for the course， and excitedly said： "Imust learn Chinese language well to realize my dream inmv lifetime." His Dassion for learninst Mandarin is no lessgreat than that of those energetic Salone Bobo and SaloneTiti. To describe it with more appropriate words， he is“pretty strenuous”. Therefore， I address him respectfullyas “Salone Gramp”.“SALONE Gramp” on OKAIDA Sierra Leone's capital-Freetown， was built aroundmountains， featuring narrow and undulating roads andinconvenient traffic. It is not uncommon for students to belate for class or even arrive at the classroom just before theclass is nearly over. "I live far from the school" is the most“reasonable and plausible” explanation from the students.Jonathan also lives far from the school， but you neversee him late or absent for school. I did not know it until Iasked him that he chose to take Okaida for commuting inorder not to miss his study. Okaida is a relatively low- costand fast motorbike， which is a favorite transportation foryoung people here. Drivers of Okaida can go through thenarrow and bumpy mountain roads easily， but I did notexpect that an elder would choose such transportation. Onevery school day， he carried a black backpack with foodand drink， showing up at the Confucius Institute promptlyby Okaida. To say "he is an elder with passion" is anunderstatement.
Every time I walk into the classroom， I can surely seehim sitting quietly in the front row waiting for class. An oldman of his age should have stayed at home， playing withgrandchildren and enjoying his golden years. However，this old gentleman who is obsessed with Chinese langu a gewould rather be up for the challenge. On several occasions，I happened to see him on the back seat of Okaida with hisclothes dancing in the wind， and then my eyes grew wet，with strong emotions and admiration beyond words.A Indefatigable Straight-A Student
In the class， he was focused and conscientious，and never put on airs merely because of his age andexperience. Reading after the teacher loudly， answeringquestions actively， taking notes from time to time andasking questions without hesitation whenever he ran intoa problem， he barely got distracted or slack. Sometimes hesmiled and gave the correct answer before other studentsknew it. When doing conversation practice， he was notnervous， but could even creatively add appropriatefacial expression and body language based on thevocabulary and dialogues that he has learned， makingthe conversation sound natural and rich. This also helpeddeepen the understanding of the class in a localized way.Other students liked turning to this straight-A elder forhelp when they had questions. After three hours of class，even the most energetic young students felt exhausted dueto great physical exertion. I worried about him and oftenasked him， "Do you feel tired？" He always waved his handsand said very modestly， "Madam， I am not tired. Thankyoul" Seeing the focus and determination in his eyes， Icould never be slack in teaching and preparation for anyclass， for fear that I would let down this "Salone Gramp"who I respect the most. Encouraged by him， those naughtyyoung students started to learn Chinese language withgreat passion， thus creating an active and fervent studyingatmosphere. Well-deserved Champion
On the journey of learning Chinese language andChinese culture， "S alone Gramp" fears no challenge.He actively signed up for the first session of "ClassicalChinese Poetry Recital" held by the Confucius Institute.During the preparation， he asked teachers at theConfucius Institute to listen to him reading， and to helpcorrect his pronunciation. He also discussed with teachersab out poetic thythm and style at break time. He even drewon his own profession-creatively using the staff to matchthe poetry with melody， and then practiced it again andagain...
The recital contest arrived as scheduled. Youngcontestants one by one gave shows of Chinese poetrywith their whole heart and their own understanding，either sweet， or implicit， or affectionate tune， making thecompetition extremely intense. I could not help feelingnervous for Jonathan， worrying that the vim and vigor ofthese kids would daunt him. However， he was not in theleast anxious， sitting quietly in the seat of contestants， justas he was waiting for class.
It is his turn. The silver-haired "Salone Gramp" tookthe stage. "North country scene; A hundred leagues lockedin ice; A thousand leagues of whirling snow..." With hisdeep， powerful and magnetic voice， the magnificent poemof Snow-to the tune of Chin Yuan Chun unfolded_With moderate tension， he seemed very into the sceneof the poem as if he was standing right in that far landof China which is ten thousand miles away and "clad inwhite， adorned in red， growing more enchanting". Deeplytouched by his aroused and passionate performance， thejury and audience offered their long-lasting applause，sincerely cheering for this old gentleman who sticks to hisdream. Eventually， with the result announced， the elderlybecame a well- deserved champion. Standing on thepodium， "Salone Gramp" exemplified that "for truly greatmen， look to this age alone."
There are many funny stories about Salone gramp'sobsession with Chinese language and Chinese culture. Forexample， he insists on eating with chopsticks at home，which amuses his family， saying that he is enchantedby China. When it is possible， he even runs to Chineserestaurants in Freetown to have Chinese food.
"Knowledge is infinite， so it is never too old to learn."When I was at school， my teacher often inspired us withthis old saying. Therefore， when I have grown up to be ateacher， I also like to encourage students with this saying.But it is this older gentleman makes me really feel that thepower and far- reaching meaning contained in this sayingis really passed to my heart. "My life is finite， but learningis infinite". Everyone is a hasty passer-by in the journeyof life， thus no one dares to say that he knows everythingand understands everything. Only when you keep chasing，learning， enriching your life experience， and pursuing ahigher spiritual realm， can you make the living worth thewhile. At one time， I envisioned my twilight years of facingthe sea， sipping a cup of refreshing tea， withdrawingfrom the world and just enj oying my life. Howeve r， thisgentleman embodies a higher realm of later life. He doesnot fear the heartlessness of the age. Instead， he sticks to，goes after and fulfills his dream with passionate actions，living a unique life of "sunset glow". Best wishes to you，my respectable "Salone Gramp". You are a model for me！
地处西非的塞拉利昂有一个美丽的克里奥语名字SALONE。塞拉利昂的男孩子被称为SALONE BOBO，女孩子被叫作SALONE TITI。当你对当地的某些事物表示疑问、不太理解时，当地人总会摊开双手，用一句“This is SALONE”来解答你所有的疑惑。即将出场的这位主人公是一位74岁的老人。
这位老人有三个名字：本名.Tonathan Fitzjohn，是塞拉利昂大学孔子学院初级班的学员。瞧！老爷子有多精神 满头银发，挺拔高大的身材，精神矍铄、声如洪钟，举手投足间透着股优雅的绅士范儿。
他还有一个响当当的中国名字——孔和平。“和平”是老先生自己选的，他说：“我希望我的国家和平，希望世界和平，这一生我也一直努力做和平的人。”“孔”姓是我推荐的，不仅因为老人喜欢儒学，而且他一直保持“学而不厌、诲人不倦”的精神追求。可别小瞧这位老先生，老人家年轻时留学英国和美国，回国后致力于青年教育，是一位资深的音乐教师。
自塞拉利昂大学孔子学院落地SALONE首都弗里敦，汉语似春风吹进校园，掀起了“汉语和中国文化热”。不少青年学子通过学习汉语打开了留学中国、改变命运的机遇之门。但古稀老翁走进孔院的课堂毕竟是少数。老人在年輕时听说汉语难学，愿意挑战自我的他遂产生了学习汉语的念头。但因忙于工作及各种条件的限制，学习汉语成为他心头未竟的夙愿。老爷子也曾尝试研究儒学，对“天人合一”的中国传统哲学思想有着浓厚的兴趣。退休后的老先生听说塞拉利昂大学成立孔子学院后高兴万分，立即赶来注册、选课，并激动地说：“我一定要学会汉语，在有生之年实现自己的心愿。”老人学习汉语的那股子劲头丝毫不输精力旺盛的SALONE BOBO和SALONE TITI们。用个贴切的词形容，那就是“蛮拼的”。为此，我尊称他为“SALONE老爷子”。
“SALONE老爷子”的OKAIDA之路
塞拉利昂首都弗里敦依山而建，道路狭窄、起伏度大，交通很不便利，学员上课迟到的现象常有发生，甚至快下课时才走进教室的学生也不鲜见，“家住的远”是学生们给出的最“合情合理”的解释。老人的家离孔院很远，但上课迟到、缺席的事情却从未在他身上发生过。一问之下才知道，为了不耽误学习汉语，他选择乘坐OKAIDA往返于孔院和家中。OKAIDA是相对便宜、快速的摩托车，也是当地年轻人喜欢的交通工具。司机们在狭窄、颠簸的山路上行驶畅通。我没想到老人会选择这种交通工具。每个上课的日子，他身背黑色双肩书包，带上食物和水，搭乘OKAIDA旋风般赶来孔院，真可谓“老夫聊发少年狂”。
每次上课走进教室，准能看见他安静地坐在前排等待上课。如此年纪的老翁本应在家含饴弄孙、安享晚年，而这位痴心于汉语的老人却宁愿接受挑战。有几次我在半路上看见风驰电掣的OKAIDA后座上老先生衣衫飘舞的背影，眼眶不由热起来，心中的万千感慨与敬佩之情无法言表。不知疲倦的学霸
课堂上的老人专注、认真，从不因自己的年龄和资历摆架子，大声地跟读，积极回答问题，不时地低头做笔记，遇到问题毫不迟疑地提出来，几乎没有走神、懈怠的时候。有时其他同学还没反应过来，老先生已经笑呵呵地给出了答案。课堂上进行情境对话练习，他不仅不紧张，反而能根据学过的词汇及对话内容，创造性地增加恰切的表情和肢体语言，使情境对话显得自然而丰富，加深了大家对学习内容的本土性理解。同学们有什么问题也喜欢向这位学霸老爷子请教。三个小时的课上下来，体力消耗很大，精力旺盛的小伙子们也常呵欠连连。我心疼他，时不时问一句“您累吗？”，他总是摆摆手，非常谦和地说： “老师，我不累。谢谢！”老先生专注、坚毅的眼神，使我不敢马虎任何一次备课、上课，唯恐辜负了这位令我深深敬佩的“SALONE老爷子”。在老先生的感染下，调皮的年轻学生们学习汉语的劲头也是你追我赶，营造出积极、热烈的学习氛围。当之无愧的冠军
在汉语和中国文化学习的道路上，“SALONE老爷子”从不畏惧任何挑战。孔院举办首届“中国经典诗歌朗诵大赛”，老先生积极报名参加。备赛期间，他利用课间请老师听他朗读、帮他正音，讨论诗歌的节奏、韵味，还发挥专业特长，创造性地用五线谱为诗歌配上旋律，一遍又一遍地练习……
朗诵大赛如期举行，一个又一个的年轻选手用心演绎他们心目中的中国诗歌，或低回婉转、或含蓄隽永、或情深意长……竞争异常激烈。我不禁为老人捏把汗，担心孩子们生龙活虎的气势给老人造成压力。老先生却不焦不躁，就那样安安静静地坐在选手席上，一如他等待上课的样子。
满头银发的“SALONF老爷子”上场了。“北国风光，千里冰封，万里雪飘……”在浑厚、有力、富有磁性的声音中，磅礴大气的《沁园春·雪》展现出来……老人不紧不慢、张弛有度，那投入的神情仿佛置身于万里之遥、“红装素裹、分外妖娆”的神州大地。评委和观众被其激昂、深情的诵读深深感动，热烈的掌声持续许久，真诚地为这位持守梦想的老人喝彩。评选结果出炉，老人是当之无愧的冠军。站在领奖台上的“SALONF老爷子”啊，真是“数风流人物，还看今朝”。
“SALONE老爷子”痴迷汉语和中国文化的趣事还有很多，比如他在家中坚持用筷子吃饭，惹得家里人都笑他为中国着了魔;在条件允许的情况下，他会专门跑到弗里敦的中餐馆品尝中国饭菜……
“学无止境，活到老学到老”。上学时老师常用这句话激励我们，成为老师的我也喜欢以此勉励学生。但这句平凡话语中所蕴含的力量和深远意境真真切切传递到我心灵深处，却是通过这位年逾古稀的老者。“吾生也有涯，而学无涯”，每个人都是人生旅程的匆匆过客，没有谁敢言自己晓干理、懂万事。而唯有在这人世间不断追问、学习、充实生命的体验，追求更高的境界，才不枉来世间一遭吧。曾经，也畅想自己的晚年生活，总想着那时要“面朝大海，一杯清茶，不问世事，享受生活”。但这位异国他乡的老人却诠释出一个更高境界的人生晚年。他不畏惧岁月的无情，用火热的行动去持守、追求、践行心中的梦想，活出一个别样的“夕阳红”。祝福你，可敬的“SALONF老爷子”，你是我学习的榜样！ Sierra Leone， located in West Africa， has a beautifulCreole name-Salone. Sierra Leonean lads are calledSalone Bobo， and girls are called Salone Titi. Wheneveryou show that you are in doubt about local things and donot quite understand them， the locals always spread theirhands and answer all of your questions by saying "This isSalone". The main character that is going to take the stageis a 74-year-old grandpa.
He has three names， with his real name as JonathanFitzj ohn. He is a student in the beginner class at theConfucius Institute at the University of Sierra Leone. LooklHow bright-eyed and bushy-tailed he looks-silver hair， talland straight figure， indomitable spirit， and sonorous bell-like voice， with gentleman's elegance in every gesture.
Jonathan is also known as Kong Heping in Chinese.“Heping”， namely “peace” in English， is selected byhimself. He says， “I want peace for my country and theworld. I have also been trying to be a man of peace in mylife.” The surname “Kong” was my idea， not only becausehe likes Confucianism， but also because he persists inthe spiritual pursuit of “being insatiable in learning andtireless in teaching”. Do not underestimate Jonathan. Hestudied in the United Kingdom and the United States whenhe was young， and devoted to youth education as a seniormusic teacher after returning home.
Since the Confucius Institute at the University ofSierra Leone was established in Freetown， the capitalof SALONE， Mandarin has blown into the campus like aburst of spring breeze， setting off the "Chinese languageand Chinese culture craze". As a result， many youngstudents have opened the door for opportunities to studyin China and change their destiny by learning Mandarin.Nonetheless， few people in their old age take class at theConfucius Institute. Jonathan heard that Chinese languag～was difficult when he was young， but he was willing tochallenge himself， so he came up with the idea of learningChinese language. Howeve r， due to busy wo rk and variouslimitations， learning Chinese language remained hisunfulfilled yet long-cherished wish. He has also tried tostudy Confucianism and thereby develops a keen interestin traditional Chinese philosophy fe aturing the theorythat "man is an integral part of nature". After retiring， theold gentleman was ove rj oyed to learn about the ConfuciusInstitute at the University of Sierra Leone. He immediatelyrushed to sign up for the course， and excitedly said： "Imust learn Chinese language well to realize my dream inmv lifetime." His Dassion for learninst Mandarin is no lessgreat than that of those energetic Salone Bobo and SaloneTiti. To describe it with more appropriate words， he is“pretty strenuous”. Therefore， I address him respectfullyas “Salone Gramp”.“SALONE Gramp” on OKAIDA Sierra Leone's capital-Freetown， was built aroundmountains， featuring narrow and undulating roads andinconvenient traffic. It is not uncommon for students to belate for class or even arrive at the classroom just before theclass is nearly over. "I live far from the school" is the most“reasonable and plausible” explanation from the students.Jonathan also lives far from the school， but you neversee him late or absent for school. I did not know it until Iasked him that he chose to take Okaida for commuting inorder not to miss his study. Okaida is a relatively low- costand fast motorbike， which is a favorite transportation foryoung people here. Drivers of Okaida can go through thenarrow and bumpy mountain roads easily， but I did notexpect that an elder would choose such transportation. Onevery school day， he carried a black backpack with foodand drink， showing up at the Confucius Institute promptlyby Okaida. To say "he is an elder with passion" is anunderstatement.
Every time I walk into the classroom， I can surely seehim sitting quietly in the front row waiting for class. An oldman of his age should have stayed at home， playing withgrandchildren and enjoying his golden years. However，this old gentleman who is obsessed with Chinese langu a gewould rather be up for the challenge. On several occasions，I happened to see him on the back seat of Okaida with hisclothes dancing in the wind， and then my eyes grew wet，with strong emotions and admiration beyond words.A Indefatigable Straight-A Student
In the class， he was focused and conscientious，and never put on airs merely because of his age andexperience. Reading after the teacher loudly， answeringquestions actively， taking notes from time to time andasking questions without hesitation whenever he ran intoa problem， he barely got distracted or slack. Sometimes hesmiled and gave the correct answer before other studentsknew it. When doing conversation practice， he was notnervous， but could even creatively add appropriatefacial expression and body language based on thevocabulary and dialogues that he has learned， makingthe conversation sound natural and rich. This also helpeddeepen the understanding of the class in a localized way.Other students liked turning to this straight-A elder forhelp when they had questions. After three hours of class，even the most energetic young students felt exhausted dueto great physical exertion. I worried about him and oftenasked him， "Do you feel tired？" He always waved his handsand said very modestly， "Madam， I am not tired. Thankyoul" Seeing the focus and determination in his eyes， Icould never be slack in teaching and preparation for anyclass， for fear that I would let down this "Salone Gramp"who I respect the most. Encouraged by him， those naughtyyoung students started to learn Chinese language withgreat passion， thus creating an active and fervent studyingatmosphere. Well-deserved Champion
On the journey of learning Chinese language andChinese culture， "S alone Gramp" fears no challenge.He actively signed up for the first session of "ClassicalChinese Poetry Recital" held by the Confucius Institute.During the preparation， he asked teachers at theConfucius Institute to listen to him reading， and to helpcorrect his pronunciation. He also discussed with teachersab out poetic thythm and style at break time. He even drewon his own profession-creatively using the staff to matchthe poetry with melody， and then practiced it again andagain...
The recital contest arrived as scheduled. Youngcontestants one by one gave shows of Chinese poetrywith their whole heart and their own understanding，either sweet， or implicit， or affectionate tune， making thecompetition extremely intense. I could not help feelingnervous for Jonathan， worrying that the vim and vigor ofthese kids would daunt him. However， he was not in theleast anxious， sitting quietly in the seat of contestants， justas he was waiting for class.
It is his turn. The silver-haired "Salone Gramp" tookthe stage. "North country scene; A hundred leagues lockedin ice; A thousand leagues of whirling snow..." With hisdeep， powerful and magnetic voice， the magnificent poemof Snow-to the tune of Chin Yuan Chun unfolded_With moderate tension， he seemed very into the sceneof the poem as if he was standing right in that far landof China which is ten thousand miles away and "clad inwhite， adorned in red， growing more enchanting". Deeplytouched by his aroused and passionate performance， thejury and audience offered their long-lasting applause，sincerely cheering for this old gentleman who sticks to hisdream. Eventually， with the result announced， the elderlybecame a well- deserved champion. Standing on thepodium， "Salone Gramp" exemplified that "for truly greatmen， look to this age alone."
There are many funny stories about Salone gramp'sobsession with Chinese language and Chinese culture. Forexample， he insists on eating with chopsticks at home，which amuses his family， saying that he is enchantedby China. When it is possible， he even runs to Chineserestaurants in Freetown to have Chinese food.
"Knowledge is infinite， so it is never too old to learn."When I was at school， my teacher often inspired us withthis old saying. Therefore， when I have grown up to be ateacher， I also like to encourage students with this saying.But it is this older gentleman makes me really feel that thepower and far- reaching meaning contained in this sayingis really passed to my heart. "My life is finite， but learningis infinite". Everyone is a hasty passer-by in the journeyof life， thus no one dares to say that he knows everythingand understands everything. Only when you keep chasing，learning， enriching your life experience， and pursuing ahigher spiritual realm， can you make the living worth thewhile. At one time， I envisioned my twilight years of facingthe sea， sipping a cup of refreshing tea， withdrawingfrom the world and just enj oying my life. Howeve r， thisgentleman embodies a higher realm of later life. He doesnot fear the heartlessness of the age. Instead， he sticks to，goes after and fulfills his dream with passionate actions，living a unique life of "sunset glow". Best wishes to you，my respectable "Salone Gramp". You are a model for me！