I thought that o7-semester 2 was my last semester at AUT but I had another opportunity to teach one more semester in 08. This is what I wrote at the end of 2007.
A moment of gathering together only once in a lifetime, a once-in-a-lifetime chance meeting, or every moment we share with one another, is a precious moment that you will never have again. How do you translate "Ichi-go Ichi-e"? Today was my last class teaching at the Auckland University of Technology and we talked about "Ichi-go-Ichi-e". I don't know if the students fully understood the meaning of this expression but I think that they got the sense.
The past two semesters of teaching at AUT were provided when I was still deeply suffering from the culture shock of moving from the US after 23 years living there. The different work environment, different type of students, different University system, and most of all, teaching in someone else's program were all challenging and an adventure for me. Over the past nine or so months, however, I absorbed a lot of energy from the students and learned a lot from them. I am still standing a bit off to the side of this culture. Well, my progress is that I have reached the present stage; at least I am not a stranger anymore and I feel as though I can contribute to this society a little.
I had such feelings of fulfillment and achievement today because the students and I all felt that we shared some precious time together. I'll never again stand in front of this class, consisting of many Chinese, Taiwanese, Korean, and a few Kiwi students. I'll certainly miss them.
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