Dr. Ziyin Mai
Postdoctoral fellow (2013-2014)
Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Ever since I joined the CUHK-LIN family sixteen months ago, my impression of this department, this university and this city has been the central topic of many conversations between me and my friends. I may not be able to recall my exact words in each of those conversations, but my concluding remarks were always the same - yes I love this place, and it was love at first sight. I remember the first day when I stepped into the Leung Kau Kui Building and discovered Room G14 with a little bit of surprise. ‘So there’s a common room here, too! This must be a good department!’ Back then I had just completed my PhD degree at Cambridge University. One thing I had missed about my old university was its common rooms. Common rooms are charming, as many stimulating academic discussions happen there and many innovative ideas spread from there. It’s a place where young talents share their crazy ideas and pursue common interests, and senior members pass on traditions and wisdom over wine and coffee. This is exactly how I feel about our department - it’s a place where you offer and receive all-round support. In the past sixteen months, the efficiency and effectiveness of our General Office deeply impressed me. The professors, despite their heavy duties and full timetables, never failed to motivate and guide me. It’s my great honour to belong to this closely-knit research community, and and celebrate the 10th anniversary. Happy Birthday! I wish you many years of prosperity ahead!
作爲一個土生土長的廣州人，又在北京和英國待了許多年，來到香港的那一刻，每一件事物看起來、聼起來、聞起來都既熟悉又陌生，以至於有一種夢幻般的不真實感。我還記得我第一次走下2號校巴、過馬路準備進入梁銶琚樓的時候，猛然看見地上的黃色英語標誌，寫著 ‘Look Left’，這個標誌是那麽熟悉，在英國天天見到；讓我吃驚的是這個Look left的下面還有兩個中文字“望左”，我站住了，情不自禁笑出聲來。我看得出來這是粵語，不是普通話。粵語是我的母語，但在我的成長經歷中很少在正式場合使用、更不會書寫，因此它在我的潛意識中有著親切、家常、隨意的感覺，是跟父母撒嬌的語言、跟童年的夥伴談心事的語言，與許多童年回憶有著千絲萬縷的聯繫。來到香港，我仿佛來到我專屬的迪士尼樂園。這裡說“課室”而不是“教室”，這裡說“飯堂”而不是“食堂”，久違的童年常常在我毫無準備的情況下撲面而來。其中的樂趣，或許只有我自己才能體會。就是在這樣不斷發現、不斷得到驚喜中，我來到中文大學語言學系已經十六個月了。這一年多以來，教學和科研的壓力都相當沉重，但難得的是有同事和支持和資深教授的指引，讓我們這些學術界的新人看到自己的潛力和未來的方向。我想說，這個學校、這個學系給我的感覺，仍然是一個神奇的迪士尼樂園。對我來説，選擇語言學、進入學術界的原初動力來自于對語言的強烈興趣。在這個樂園裏，這種興趣得到最大限度的鼓勵和發展。這裡從不缺少志同道合的小夥伴，歡聲笑語處處聞。我得以盡情地運用我所熟悉的兩文三語，每天都有新發現。今天我有幸作爲中大語言學與現代語言系的一分子，見證她十周年慶典。我祝願這個語言學的樂園越辦越興旺，成爲更多人夢寐以求的人生樂園。