2020年3月31日 星期二

Having Afternoon Coffee at Music Waterwheel

#2020-0331

Thanks to my sister Xiuzhi for her making and sharing this one-minute film (see below): Guided by her (who looked like a movie director), Mom and I were exercising (or dancing) at Music Waterwheel (北港溪 音樂水車) while no other visitors were there watching.

This was Jean's and my first time to be there at Music Waterwheel, which is next to the well-known old bridge called "Glutinous Rice Bridge" (糯米橋 or 國姓鄉北港溪石橋).

We all -- including another sister of mine, Xiuqing -- had a wonderful time having coffee and a lot of "free chats" over there this afternoon. (Thanks and praise to the Lord.)














2020年3月28日 星期六

Lanterns at Ataabu, 2020

#2020-0328

A few days ago when we saw these lanterns showing up in the Ataabu park (阿罩霧公園), we presumed that they were part of the displayed pieces for the 31st Taiwan Lantern Festival (that is, 2020 台灣燈會在台中).

When we saw them for the first time, they had just been moved here from other places, and they didn't light up yet. So we said to each other, "They are a bit strange and ugly! Don't you think our small and beautiful park is occupied by too many huge objects?..."

However, we changed our opinions as soon as we saw them again this evening -- They are brightly lit now, looking so attractive, so charming, especially in the dark evening!


















2020年3月26日 星期四

遊園小記

#2020-0326

兩人走向霧峰「民主草坪」,望見路旁的小葉欖仁,都已長出了新葉,濃密的嫩綠一片,好不吸睛,我忍不住取出手機,卡嚓兩三聲,留住春天充滿希望的印記。

回頭一看,那棟經歷「九二一地震」已然嚴重傾斜卻未曾倒塌的老屋旁邊,有幾棵高大的,名叫什麼「蘋婆」的樹,也趕在這時候,爭先恐後地發枝吐葉,一簇簇的紅與黃堆疊著,令我眼花撩亂,真分不清楚哪些是葉,哪些是花。

接下來一個多鐘頭,我們流連於議會紀念園區,在樹下緩步移動,享受由上方穿透下來的陽光,身心一同,有種閒適、輕鬆、和溫暖的感覺。我走過旅人蕉叢,發現粗大的樹幹底部,竟有不少綠色幼株,從泥土中長出來,好像老人與小孩聚在一塊兒,當小孫子承歡膝下,老爺爺奶奶們就笑將出來了。

群樹當中,我印象最深刻的,還有楓香和柚木。記得從前寫過一篇題為 Lao Ye (老葉) 的小說,故事結尾,提到我跟老葉說,我家附近已栽種了幾株 maples (楓樹),所以未來「賞楓」的話,不一定要走訪「奧萬大」老葉的住處。但是老葉反駁道:「楓」和「槭」是不同的(雖然英文都以 maple 通稱),依老葉的見解,我這裡的 maples 其實是「槭」,他那邊的 maples 才是真正的,名副其實的「楓」。(是這樣嗎?.... 那麼,園區裡我所見的「楓香」呢?......)

關於植物的名稱,涉及植物分類,傳統上有「界、門、綱、目、科、屬、種」等基本階層 principal ranks 以及其他所謂次級階層 secondary ranks 例如:之間的「族、組、系」或之下的「亞科、亞屬」等等。坦白說,我根本不是學「生物科學」的料,還好當初沒考進植物系或生物系就讀。今日遊園,因 COVID-19 (新型肺炎) 疫情的緣故,刻意走入沒有人群聚集的林子裡,意欲「偷得浮生半日閒」,不料「群樹爭春我亦忙」,看似熟悉的一草一木,瞬息間都變得魅力十足,令人感動。

我瞧見幾棵在國姓老家見過的「大紅樹」,特徵是葉子很大,採下部分葉片用手搓揉,手心就會染紅,好像流血一般。小時候聽父母如此稱呼:客語 Thai Fung Su;閩南語 Tua Ang Chhiu (或拼成 Tua Ang Tshiu)。對於這種樹,我特別有感情,因為老家(土磚平房)客廳最主要的屋脊樑,就是採用自家山上的一棵大紅樹,經過一番浸泡防裂處理,然後削刨而成。

今日近午時分,當我彎下腰來細看插在大紅樹下方的「植物簡介」時,真出乎我預料,名牌上印著「柚木」二字 (See photos far below)。顯然這才是正式的中文名稱。查維基百科「柚木」條目,見一提示:本條目主題不是結出可食用果實的「柚子」。我這輩子錯把「柚木」當作柚子樹,竟然錯了六十多年,到今天,才知道心目中的「大紅樹」就是柚木,別名胭脂樹,又稱血樹,或「麻栗」。

= = =
相關文章 (See also):
1)  七絕《春回》        (2018)
2)  春遊                               (2011)
3)  《春》----好文佳譯賞析     (2011)















2020年3月23日 星期一

A Prayer that I've Read on My Birthday

#2020-0323

On my birthday I've received a lot of blessings from my friends -- by means of Facebook and/or LINE. I'm grateful for their best wishes, and I also wish them (all my friends and my relatives) a really wonderful day today. 

Meanwhile, I feel like praying for MORE people in this world, who have been affected or harmed by the COVID-19 virus. O Lord, you know who they are; by "more people" I mean "not only my family and my neighbors but also those who live or work far way from my place, especially those who are physically and mentally suffering in this difficult time." May you, Lord, continue to bless them all with hope, peace, love, and joy!

This year (2020) I'd like to read the following 
prayer out loud, which I've just received 
on my birthday from YouVersion:




2020年3月21日 星期六

A Dialogue between the Sun and the Spider

#2020-0321

Time: Saturday, March 21, 2020, at 5:00pm or so.

Place(s): The spider is seen somewhere in Wufeng district, Taichung, Taiwan, and the setting sun, according to Universe Today (www.universetoday.com), is about 150 million kilometers away from the Earth, where human beings and many other living things live.

Sun: Hi, Spider, what are you doing over there?

Spider: I'm waiting...

Sun: I see you doing nothing but sticking yourself to the net you've woven. You've been there at the same spot of the transparent cobweb for hours. Don't you want to move a little bit?

Spider: Just leave me alone. I'm waiting...

Sun: Waiting for what? -- or for whom? -- Look at me. I'm now setting... well, from your point of view, I'm setting in the west now; but people in another place will see me rising in the EAST, and call me "morning sun." You see, I'm always busy working. I won't take a rest; no, never rest even a second. Time is so limited and so precious. How can we waste it in doing nothing at all?

Spider: Well, I don't care... and I don't think I'm wasting my time. But you... your business is YOURS, not mine, eh?

Sun: The problem is that you've been doing nothing for HOURS. Don't you have anything to do, or to complete, before evening comes? It's getting dark soon, as you can see.

Spider: So what? Time just flies this way. -- Anyway, I've done the most important part of my job. The spider's web. What else should I do? Can I force you, the Glorious Sun, to stop moving along? 

Sun: But at least you can...

Spider: Shhhh... No more talk. Somebody is approaching! 

Sun: Oh, I see what you see. You mean the man and the woman walking up the hill? The woman seemed to have enjoyed their hillside walk very much. She told the man, with excitement, that the sunset was beautiful and that they were lucky to be in time for watching such a scene. And do you see what the man is doing? He's taking out his cellphone-camera from his pocket, and now...

Spider: He's looking at me, and to you. He must have noticed your amazing glory at dusk. Oh, he quoted the Chinese proverb "Xiyang wuxian hao, zhishi jin huanghun" meaning that ...


THE SETTING SUN SEEMS SO SUBLIME,
BUT IT IS NEAR ITS DYING TIME.

Spider (continues to say): It's funny, isn't it? You are so Great while I am small. But the man's trying to put you and me together.

Sun: Really? ------