Congratulations to Craig M. Long

#2018-0107

Congratulations to our very good friend Craig Michael Long, who was baptized this morning -- on the first Sunday after Epiphany. (This is a special Sunday in our church; it's the Sunday we commemorate the Baptism of our Lord!)

How happy we were to see Craig receiving Holy Baptism! And, how excited we were to join with him who was committing himself to Christ and to renew our own baptismal covenant at the same time! ... May the Lord bless him and his family and all of us who are his good friends! Amen.

Walking in the Rain (雨中即景)

#2018-0106

Walking in the Rain*

Walking and chatting in a drizzle of rain 
Jean and I enjoyed our dreams again. 
Will chasing rainbows get us nowhere? 
By dreaming of the past and the future 
We've made this day a better picture!

What we have at present is a present: 
Like the moving pictures in our minds, 
The rain reminds us of our days of all kinds, 
So vivid and dynamic, so real and romantic!
In whatever weather, we'll keep going together.

        -- Written and illustrated by Mookoo Liang on Saturday, January 6, 2018

* For the Chinese translation of this poem, please see: 《雨中即景》中文版  

  

My Favorite Colors?

#2018-0104

Are red and purple my favorite colors?

Yes ... and No!

This morning the quality of the air was so bad in the Foggy-Hills* area that my wife and I preferred to stay home. But when our mutual friends Mr. and Mrs. Zhan took their granddaughter Yuxin to Wufeng*, we were very pleased to go outdoors to meet them ... and we were happy to "eat out" together with them!

During our lunch at 糧 (read as liang, the name of the restaurant, meaning food, grain, etc), Jean and I talked about the serious air pollution in Central Taiwan. "Not only the central part," Mrs. Zhan said, "but many other parts of Taiwan are in the harmful smog now!"

How right she was! If you had read the reports (See copies below) made by the local government or by EPA Executive Yuan, you'd have seen that a lot of places were colored in red or in purple, meaning that the air were "very unhealthy" in these areas this morning. -- Oh, purple had been my favorite color for a long time, and red could be my choice at times. (See the last four photos, and you'll know why.) But now, thinking about the air quality, I dare not say that I like them. The very attractive colors have now become so ugly ... as you can see!

=     =     =

** Note: "Foggy Hills" means the same as "Wufeng" (霧峰).

《莞爾哈哈》

#2018-0103

《莞爾哈哈》

昨夜的月　特圓
月下長談　也鮮

兩個男人
一把年紀　都瘦
說起從前
講到目前　都懂

因為有 "共款" 的背景
所以能完全領會

因為有 "冇共款" 的經歷
所以可以盡情分享

哈哈！
同係 "肖馬" 的
平日 "盡冇閒" 的
兩個 "客家人" 
故事...............................未完

留給了
　　我　今早起床
　　　　第一個微笑！

圖／文： Mookoo Liang

附註：從上文，或許看不出交談地點，只知道時間；或許猜不到交談的內容，只約略知道交談者的身分背景。這些都不要緊，沒什麼關係。只要能藉著「想像」去「感受」一下那「月下長談」的效果，或「笑」果，就行了；這就算是頂好的「讀詩人」了。----- 至於文字中加了引號 ("...") 的語詞，乃取自客家話。例如：

共款 (khiung khuàn) =  一樣、相同

冇共款 (mò khiung khuàn)  =  不一樣

肖馬 (seu mâ) =  [生肖] 屬馬

盡冇閒 (chhin mò hàn) =  很忙，沒空閒

"客家人" =  客語發音為 (Hak kâ ngìn) 
一般介詞 "的" =  客語發音為 (ke) 或 (kai)

The First Meal in 2018 (元旦早餐)

#2018-0101

What do you usually do on the first day of a new year? ... And what have you done or what are you doing on the very first day of 2018? ...

Are you taking a rest? -- Good to do so. January the 1st is a national holiday. Many people need to have a good rest, especially those who sat up late on the last night of 2017.

Are you joining in a particular event for celebration? -- Good to do so. Many people, as I can see, have been participating in the flag-raising and hiking events held by the township office or the local council. Hiking in particular would make you more healthy and happy!

Did you make a plan for this very first day of the year? Or have you made a new plan for the new year as a whole? -- Good. Good. If you have a feasible (or workable) plan for the days to come, you may carry it out, in the period that you've set up. Well begun is half done! Just keep going ... toward your new and good goal.

As for me, I'd like to thank my Lord for what He has done for me (and for my family, my church ...) up to now. And early this morning Jean and I got up for a morning exercise -- taking a walk, and then we went to McDonald, Wufeng, for a simple breakfast. We got a discount when buying 超早吉事蛋堡 (a particular kind of burger) over there this morning, for it was still early when we arrived there!