The Day of Pentecost, 2025

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The Day of Pentecost, as I understand it, is one of the three most important Feasts observed in our church — the other two being Easter Day and Christmas Day.

(In the BCP, there are actually seven Principal Feasts, including the three mentioned above, as well as Ascension Day, Trinity Sunday, All Saints’ Day, and The Epiphany!)

To celebrate the Day of Pentecost, most of us wore something red, and part of today’s Gospel was read in different languages — including English, French, Spanish, Korean, Mandarin, Taiwanese, and Hakka. (If Hans and Atsushi had been present this morning, we could have heard it in two more languages — German and Japanese — just as we had hoped.)

Over forty people attended today’s English service, including three special guests: Ms. Catherine Lee, her brother David, and David’s wife, Anna — Anna, I hope I’ve spelled your name correctly! During coffee hour after the service, we had a long and joyful chat. From our conversation, I learned that their family name, Lee, was spelled “Leigh” centuries ago. What an interesting talk we had today — on the Day of Pentecost!

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相關文章 (See also)：

1)  The Day of Pentecost, 2018

2)  The Day of Pentecost, 2020

3)  The Day of Pentecost     (2022)

4)  O Happy Day! (聖靈降臨日, 2023)

5)  The Sunday of Pentecost, 2024

Meeting the Ye Family Again

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Heart to Nature / 心向自然

~ ~ ~ 葉春光水墨創作展 ~ ~ ~

Yeh Chun-Kuang Ink Painting Exhibition

Today, Jean and I went to Nantou City to visit the ink painting exhibition of our old friend Mr. Chunguang Ye.

Hosted by the Cultural Affairs Bureau of Nantou County Government (南投縣政府文化局), the exhibition runs from June 7 to 17 and features more than forty of Mr. Ye’s paintings, along with a few calligraphic works.

Among these masterpieces, my favorite was a painting titled Farm Field Symphony (農田交響曲) — a truly eye-catching piece, like many of the others. According to the artist, it was “inspired by the beautiful rice paddies in Chishang, Taitung County.”

What made the visit even more special was the rare opportunity to see Mr. Ye’s two daughters, Wanxuan and Zirong, again. They both learned English from me many years ago, when they were still in elementary school. This morning, they recognized me right away and said, “Oh, Mr. Liang, you haven’t changed at all! You look just the same, even after all these decades…” Could that really be true? We’re all much older now! I’m a grandfather of two. And, as I later found out, Wanxuan — Mr. Ye’s eldest daughter — now has a daughter of her own, who is already in university!

Today’s reunion with the Ye family reminded me of a short story I wrote in 2005, titled Lao Ye (meaning 老葉 in Mandarin). It was later included in my first collection of short stories, published in 2012. If I recall correctly, it was mostly based on real events, with only a few fictional touches. But these days, I seem to be forgetting more and more of the details!

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相關文章 (See also)：

1)  Lao Ye     (2010; originally, 2005)

2)  "A Story Untitled"     (2024)

3)  Waterfalls, Lunch, and the Cottage     (2016)

Countryside Views in Dajia Today

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Once again Jean and I returned to Dajia, where we stayed for one night and two days (Thursday to Friday). We spent the night there because early the next morning A-Ya (阿雅), the hired carer for Jean’s elderly mama, was leaving home to attend a special Muslim worship service at a mosque in downtown Taichung.

This afternoon, I took a walk by myself in the countryside (see photos), exploring a new route in the latter half of my hike. Look! The sun came out this afternoon, and everything in the sunshine after the rain looks especially eye-catching!

During the walk, I saw a faint rainbow in the eastern sky. I noticed an airplane, partly red, flying smoothly southward—then another one, silver-gray, followed. I passed through rice paddies and taro fields, and came across or walked alongside irrigation canals, the flowing water in the ditches reflecting the blueness of the sky.

Oh, what countryside views in Dajia today!

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相關文章 (See also)：

1)  春耕     (2011)

2)  Walking in the Sunshine     (2022)

3)  The Countryside (田園風光)     (2019)

4)  又回大甲 (With 6 Old Photos)     (2024)