Leslie Reunion 1999 home page | Start of family tree | Lorenz page in family tree
HOW I GOT TO TAIWAN
I am a born teacher, I have a learning problem called dyslexia, and I am a risk-taker. I believe those three characteristics have shaped my life more than any others.
I was born on August 30, 1932 to Charles Luecking and Eleanor Lorenz Luecking. My sister, Sarah Lane, was born 3.5 years later. Our father was a struggling attorney who strongly believed in education. When it was evident that even though I seemed bright enough, I hadn't learned to read or write by the age of 8, I was sent to private schools with small classes and caring teachers who helped me cope with my dyslexia. I couldn't put a name to my 'condition' until I was in graduate school in the '70s.
One of the joys of my life is my special friendship with my wonderful cousin, Judy Lorenz Green. Judy and I have never had an argument in 65 years! Can you imagine? We spent virtually every Sunday afternoon and all holidays over at our grandmother Lorenz's house_ mostly laughing, or at least it seems that way now. Oh, we had fun! I'd get these 'great ideas' and schemes and Judy would go right along with them_ and we'd laugh. (One Sunday afternoon I can remember meeting grandmother Zulema; a beautiful quiet lady with braids encircling her head.)
In 1955, Gustavus Adolphus Buder, III and I were married and moved to Panama for a year and a half, where he was stationed in the Army. Our daughter, Cristy Lane was the first baby of the New Year in 1956. We moved from Panama (where I did not learn Spanish), to Wichita Falls, Texas (where I did learn Spanish). G. A., IV, (Dolph) Mary Leslie (Leslie), and Douglas (a special needs child) were all born in Texas where Gus and I divorced in 1966. I then married a German man, Gerd Huber, in 1967. I learned German because my parents-in-law do not speak English, and I like to talk!
The next part of the 'story' is difficult for me, and, as it was the worst period of my life, dates and details are fuzzy. Gerd was offered a teaching job and graduate work in German at the U. of Colo., Bolder, where we moved in 1968. Gus (I suspect the father Gus in this complicity) decided that he didn't want the children to move out from under their control, so he sued for change of custody (money talks) and won. Gerd and I moved, and the children were allowed to visit summers and holidays. Charles Luecking Huber was born in Boulder, in 1969. After Gerd's grad work, he got a teaching job at Caltech in Pasadena, California. However, on one of Douglas' visits there, when I wanted to put him in a special school, Gus decided to kidnap Douglas, and after two tries, was successful. The upshot is that I did not see any of my children for the next six years; when I did see Dolph, I didn't recognize him. (That's tough for a mother to take!) The ONLY way I could survive was to emotionally 'divorce' the children- to cut them out of my life- not easy, but possible. Lane was the first to come back, and now we are VERY close, we usually talk on the phone daily. Nothing is all bad as we have a super friendship with NO emotional baggage- her step-mother has that. I do talk with Dolph and Douglas on holidays.
I went into bilingual-Spanish teaching in CA, and eventually developed The Marcy Method - 'Think in English' language acquisition program which I am also using here in Taiwan. I don't relate to books very well because of my dyslexia- I use miniatures which are far more fun!
Christmas, 1991 I invited Lane on a 4 week trip to East Asia - and we had a wonderful time. She kept asking me what I had against reservations (at Christmas time) but how did I know if I'd like the places and how long we wanted to stay? I learned then that I can be dumped in any airport in the world and make it- local first class- a very secure feeling!
In 1992, when I decided that I could not take Gerd's alcoholism any more, I left my home (with some clothes and my computer) and moved to a retirement community - the peace was life-saving! When I needed to look for a permanent place to live, one of my friends said, 'Why don't you go to Asia, check it out, and if you don't like it, come back and make plans?' Good thinking! In June of '93, at the age of 60, with very little money and two suitcases I could carry, I bought a round-trip ticket to Taiwan. (Of all the Asians I had worked with, I liked Taiwanese the best.) I arrived with a two week non-renewable tourist visa_ I did not know one person out of the 22 million on this island, I did not speak one word of Chinese, I did not have a reservation or a job, and I'm still here! Yes, I guess it was a risk, but it truly never occurred to me that I wouldn't make it. I did have Plan B though- go back to the US where I would implement Plan C. What was Plan C? I don't know- I never got that far.
I arrived in Taipei on a weekend, and on Monday, I started going to Toastmaster's meetings - one every night. Not many 'foreigners' go to the meetings, Toastmasters are very friendly, positive people and welcomed me with open arms. I got some teaching jobs right away, made many friends, and love the culture. My friends tell me I was Chinese in my first life! You should hear me speak Chinese (Taiwanese is beyond me) with taxi drivers, which I take once or twice a day. My Chinese friends don't know how much Chinese I speak - if they knew I can speak Chinese, they would never speak English with me; ever the teacher.
I have a very nice place to live, two dear little doggies who adore me, hundreds of friends, and I am happier than I have ever been in my life. Three local friends of mine (I am totally immersed in the Chinese culture, communicate mostly in Chinglish- in school the Taiwanese are taught English in Chinese by Chinese teachers who don't speak English; hence, Chinglish) and I started an association where locals come to practice their English. We've been in business two years, are growing_ what can I say? I think I am sooooooo lucky and am having sooooooo much fun. Most 66 year olds are retiring, and I feel as if I'm just getting going_ there is so much I want to do and so many possibilities!
My four Buder children live in the St. Louis area, Chuck and his wonderful Venezuelan wife and little boy live in California, and I have no plans to leave Taiwan. As long as my health holds, and I know I'm making a difference, what more could I want?