To Margaret Mary Katherine Aly-Youssef

Professor, I’m not sure whether you would google your own name, but I hope you would find this someday.

I’m one of your students in Beijing Foreign Studies University, China, in 2011. Please pardon me for preferring not to have my real name written in my blog. I just want to say “Thank you so much” once more. It is such a pleasure to have your classes that it is a great pity this semester is over and we have to say goodbye.

I, just like everyone else, am so impressed by your friendliness, your happiness, your humor, your knowledge on everything, your stories of your wonderful experiences, and so much more. Though many Chinese teachers teaching English want to make their classes relaxing and full of laughter, few of them could wear an Indian-style jacket when teaching the history on Indian people, or get a lovely reindeer headband when Christmas is drawing near, not to mention you have so many novel things such as fortune-telling crystal and Indians’ accessories. Your “slip on a banana peel” joke is the funniest one I have heard in this year 🙂

Apart from these, there is one more thing that would make me never regret for having your course, which is REAL critical thinking you taught me. You give me many new ideas without any silly questions such as “Somebody think we shouldn’t help poor people in Africa because it’s their own fault to have so many children to eat up all their food, do you agree with this opinion?”, which I often came accross on oral classes before. You showed us many truths we never knew and may never know without you. You gave us access to another side (which is unfortunately a dark one) of the US and its history. You let me realized that even the land of opportunity has so much problems and, what’s more importantly, you let me have more confidence in our government and our country than ever.

Humorous and passionate, loving your motherland and our country, seeking for truths, you showed us what an upright citizen should be. You always asked did we learn a lot in your class, of course we did, dear madam.

And I really appreciate your little cute Christmas gift.

Thank you for all your efforts to give us such an unforgettable course. Wish you have a very, very happy life forever.