By Wen Ying Fan Backpack slung casually over one shoulder, his head topped with a cap, Professor Kirill Ole Thompson slipped quietly into the dimly lit cafe. Recalling what I’ve heard from classmates and vague impressions from two years ago, he’s most often described as “a very nice teacher.” Doesn’t tell you a lot, does it? Though he has been teaching in the department for 26 years, not much is known about this ever-smiling professor. Now, the Foreign Exchange will present to you a full story on him so that next time when someone asks, you can say more than just: “He’s a nice guy.’ Originally from Norway, Prof. Thompson’s great-grandfather moved to the United States, and eventually settled in Minnesota. Perhaps it’s the colder climate up north; the neighborhood has a rather large Norwegian community. He grew up around Thor, the God of Thunder, Loki the Prankster, and the children’s favorite Kris Krinkle of the Christmas season. They kept a lot of the customs and lifestyles from the Scandinavian regions: eating cod and specially fried cookies. One of the cuisines, lutefisk, literally "crazy fish,” may taste strange to foreigners, but is loved by many Norwegians. “It tastes good to me,” as he puts it. Keeping in touch with his roots, Prof. Thompson still maintains the farm established by his grandfather in Minnesota.
At university, while majoring in philosophy and literature, Prof. Thompson took Chinese philosophy from the History department and found the spontaneity and natural ethics appealing. It was different from Western philosophy which revolves around substance, essences and universal principles, and which didn’t make sense to him. Chinese philosophy focuses on change, instead; nature is transforming, yielding, responding–closer to human experience. This emphasis on constant change, the basis of all Chinese philosophy, echoed his own view of life, and encouraged him to continue in this field. Graduating from university, Prof. Thompson applied to graduate programs at the University of Hawaii, where there were actually Chinese scholars teaching philosophy. Why pick Hawaii? Besides having great scholars in his field of interest, the archipelago was also the crossroad between Asia and the States. There, he met many Asian acquaintances, and had contact with various cultures: Taiwanese, Japanese, Chinese and Korean. On January 1st, he ground rice to make traditional mochi (rice cakes) with his Japanese friends. He celebrated Chinese New Year with his Hong Kong and Taiwanese friends, and learned that grandmothers are usually the decision-makers in a Chinese household. The days in Hawaii not only introduced him to the Asian ways of life, but also laid his foundation for the Chinese language. Taking the Chinese philosophy program meant that he was required to read Chinese texts written centuries ago. Yes, you read that correctly: Prof. Thompson learned and actually mastered reading classical Chinese. He shrugged, saying that it’s like Taiwanese students knowing how to read Shakespeare, but can’t say much in a casual conversation. Already used to reading ancient texts, writing Chinese characters wasn’t a problem, either. So to finish his dissertation, Prof. Thompson flew to Taiwan, and has remained here since. Unlike other foreigners who might have troubles adjusting to the new environment, he was relatively comfortable here, thanks to the seven years in Hawaii. Road signs, menus, shop names–the often elaborate writing doesn’t confuse him. He knows most of the traditional celebrations, the cultural taboos and norms. In fact, Prof. Thompson might be even more familiar than us, as philosophy itself is the basis of much of our culture. He does sometimes have difficulties speaking colloquial Chinese with people, especially about complex topics. Speaking colloquially was the one thing he had to practice after completing his degree, but there was no real pressure for him to do so. Coming to Taiwan was a good choice: he continued his studies in literature and philosophy and met the woman who became his wife. NTU offered an excellent academic environment, great colleagues, and a department of intelligent students. I added the last part myself but Prof. Thompson is really happy with his life here and will continue to impress us with his ever peaceful nature and his ongoing researches in the literary philosophical field. The Origin of Prof. Thompson’s Chinese Name: The name “” was suggested by one of the Chinese philosophy professors at the University of Hawaii, meaning “to investigate all things in order to exhaust their patterns.” He took the first and last letters of ’s phrase, “” to form “” which magically conformed to his English name, “Kirill.” “” was originally “” but changed because Prof. Thompson liked Tang dynasty culture, especially the poetry and Chan Buddhism. The phrase “” sums up the central ideas of “”, the subject of his doctoral dissertation, and reflects his own devotion to inquiry. This smile: Peace may be Prof. Thompson’s nature, but philosophy has a lot to do with it, too. Being able to see things in different perspectives allows him to understand other viewpoints and takes the unnecessary frustration and anger away. “Anger won’t get you anywhere,” said with his trademark expression. a
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May 2024
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