Zhen Songwei: mentor and friend and family affection-remembering colleague Teacher Yu Airong

Zhen Songwei: mentor and friend and family affection-remembering colleague Teacher Yu Airong (Alberta Times) At 8:00 a.m. on September 13, I received a call from the editorial office of the "Alberta Times"...

(Alberta Times)

At 8:00 a.m. on September 13, we received a call from the editorial department of the "Alberta Times". The former editor-in-chief of the newspaper, Mr. Yu Airong, passed away due to illness at 6:00 a.m. local time. The shock came with a heavy heart, and the past memories of working with Teacher Yu Airong lingered in my mind all day long, and her voice and smile appeared from time to time. I graduated from the "old third class" in the late period of the Cultural Revolution. After being recommended by the school, I entered Sanbu Dade School in Kaiping to teach in 1969. In fact, I didn’t know anything about teaching at that time, and I didn’t even get a quick training. I just imagined how my previous teachers taught me in the classroom. In addition, with the momentum of the Cultural Revolution, I was not afraid of anything. I took my textbooks and went to class. Facing students who were only a few years younger than me (due to historical reasons, many students could not go to middle school after graduating from elementary school. After a few years, when elementary schools opened attached junior high schools, they went back to school). The feeling was different again, and I was really a bit overwhelmed. Teacher Yu Airong and I happened to be in the same Chinese language group at that time. She was in the first grade Chinese class and I was in the second grade Chinese class. During this period, Teacher Yu gave me a lot of help in business, from preparing lessons for each text to how to pay attention to students' dynamics in class, how to deal with naughty students, and so on. I remember one time when Teacher Yu was discussing a teaching issue with me, and I was embarrassed to get too close, so I stood a little farther away. She pulled me over and said, "My sister-in-law, why are you so shy?" (Her husband is my brother-in-law). At that time, I felt really embarrassed. Teacher Yu is an amiable, humorous person. Although through training, correspondence courses, further studies and the accumulation of practical experience, he later won the support of students from junior high school Chinese classes to high school Chinese classes and became the backbone of teaching. This is completely inseparable from Teacher Yu’s tireless and patient guidance to me. The 1970s was the late period of the Cultural Revolution in Mainland China, but publicity and education activities for the masses were carried out one after another. To implement the principles and policies of the superiors, publicity activities must be carried out before each "movement". In addition to newspapers, large street posters and slogans, holding large-scale exhibitions was the most direct and most effective method. I have loved art since I was a child, and was especially good at calligraphy. Teacher Yu recommended me to her husband, Brother Shuoqin (Brother Shuoqin was in charge of this work in Kaiping at the time), and the relevant departments directly named me and transferred me out. In fact, I asked myself whether my artistic calligraphy was still a "mama way" at that time. I joined an exhibition team full of old-timers in the local art circle and good calligraphers. I knew that it was Teacher Yu who gave me this rare learning opportunity. Through constant consultation with seniors, observing practice, and studying with concentration, I became one of the people who would be seconded to local exhibitions and publicity at all levels later. After immigrating to the United States in the 1990s, Brother Shuoqin started the "Alberta Times" with his unique vision, expertise, perseverance, and constant struggle. Teacher Yu was his most capable assistant. The newspaper was successfully run and got better and better. Being able to join the "Alberta Times" and become a member of the newspaper, I think, was also recommended by Mr. Yu Airong as the editor-in-chief. As the most influential Chinese newspaper in the local area, it was a good idea to set up a small reporter station in Los Angeles, where the Chinese gather and where the Chinese Consulate is located. It was late at night and I could not sleep all night. Teacher Yu had been tortured by illness in the past few years. She fought against the illness with a strong will. During this period, I visited her twice. Although she could no longer speak and talk, her thoughts were clear and she could recognize visitors. Unexpectedly, this time she was really gone. Have a good trip, Teacher Yu.