Beautiful Chickens @ 省議會紀念園區

#2026-0729

This afternoon, I took a walk through the Taiwan Provincial Consultative Council Memorial Park and came across several beautiful chickens. They were not very large, but their colorful feathers were striking and made them a real pleasure to watch.

After taking a few photos of them (see the pictures below), a gentleman about my age walked over carrying a bag of chicken feed. He scattered some of it along the stone-paved path, and the charming birds immediately gathered around, happily pecking at the food. It was a simple yet delightful scene that made my afternoon walk even more enjoyable.

下午散步到省議會紀念園區，看見幾隻好漂亮的雞。體型不大，羽毛顏色卻很迷人。我拍了機張照片（如下圖）之後，來了一位年紀與我差不多的男士，帶了些雞食來，撒在石板路上，那幾隻可愛的鳥類便爭相啄食啦！

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相關文章 (See also)：

1)  《優游水鴨情》   (2023)

2)  流蘇花園 (相簿２)     (2023)

3)  Do You Speak Mandarin and English?     (2016)

4)  日月潭的孔雀園 (The Peacock Garden)     (2013)

A Cute Pet: 大甲的歐巴

#2026-0728

Jean and I returned to Dajia once again. As we stepped into the living room, the house was quiet. We soon learned that the family had gone to worship at the Temple of the Mysterious Lady of the Ninth Heaven (九天玄女). The only one at home was their adorable little dog, who welcomed us as warmly as if we were old friends.

His Name Is Oo-Baa

牠的名字叫「歐巴」，不是「歐巴馬」。

牠很可愛，

真的很討人喜歡。

沒想到，我們才剛見面⸺　

　也許以前見過，但那是很久

　很久以前吧！⸺

牠對我，就像熟悉的家人。

（或許在牠眼中，人類都是友善、可信賴的）

完全不陌生，

倒反~~~~~

親切得很。短影片，可以為證！

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相關文章 (See also)：

1)  The Faith of the Canaanite Woman     (2020)

2)  Regarding "Puppy" (颱風的名字)     (2023)

3)  也為狗狗祈禱！     (2023)

4)  Puppy Love     (2010; originally, 2003)

5)  愛    (2010; originally, 1989)

生活點滴：A Joyful Return to St. James'

#2026-0727

Jean and I finished our ten-day stay in Dajia and returned to Wufeng on Thursday, July 23. I spent the following two days resting and doing some chores. Then, yesterday, we were delighted to attend the Sunday service at St. James' Episcopal Church in Taichung once again.

During our year-long stay in Hualien, it was impossible for us to attend Sunday worship at St. James'. Instead, we attended services at St. Luke's whenever possible. (See #2026-0628 for our final worship there.) It was especially convenient because we only had to walk downstairs from our room on the fourth floor to the chapel on the first floor.

Yesterday, however, we had to leave home much earlier because the English service at St. James' begins at 9:30 a.m., and it takes us about twenty-five minutes to drive there.

How glad and excited we were to be back at St. James' and to see so many familiar friends again after a whole year!

Just as we had expected, our rector, Rev. Lily Chang, together with many brothers and sisters in Christ, welcomed us warmly.

"Welcome back, Jerry and Jean!" they said.

Some of them also asked about our grandson, James.

"Is your grandson coming too?"

"No," I replied. "James met a former classmate and the boy's parents in Houli (后里), where the boy's maternal grandmother lives. They planned to visit her together before taking James back to Taipei for a short vacation of three or four days. In a few weeks, James' former classmate will be leaving for the United States, either on a study tour or for a longer period of study abroad."

After lunch, Jean and I stayed in the Coffee Hour room on the first floor, chatting with several of our close friends. We stayed there for quite some time, enjoying what turned out to be one of the longest and happiest conversations we have ever had after a Sunday service.

By the way, today I gave Rev. Ben Simmons two copies of my Mandarin conversation textbook, Yong Pinyin Xue Shuo Huayu (用拼音學說華語), which I published in Hualien last February. I wanted to encourage him, knowing that he plans to devote more time to learning Mandarin this year and next. I also presented a copy to Rev. Lily Chang as a souvenir because one of her photographs appears as an illustration in the book.

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相關文章 (See also)：

1)  Palm Sunday, 2023     (2023)

2)  I Love My Church     (2025)

3)  Mandarin for Faith and Life     (2026)

4)  十個職場人的故事 (A Personal Note)     (2026)

5)  Our Final Sunday Worship at St. Luke's     (2026)

A Meal After Farewell

#2026-0722

After attending the funeral of a beloved relative, we followed the advice of the older generation and decided to stay somewhere for a while instead of returning home immediately.

We had originally planned to go straight home. However, after receiving a phone call from our non-Christian relatives reminding us of the local custom, we decided to stop at a café or coffee shop on the way. A quick Google search led us to a café with the beautiful name 巷口茉莉, which literally means Lane Corner Jasmine. Unfortunately, we were unable to find its exact location or a suitable place to park nearby.

We then thought of a hot-pot restaurant with an attractive garden at its entrance. Many years earlier, around the winter of 2013, my former students had warmly invited us to attend one of their class reunions there. The gathering had been held at 鍋仙 (Pot Immortal or Pot God). We wondered whether the restaurant, nestled in the quiet countryside, was still in business.

To our delight, it was. There it stood, surrounded by peaceful rice paddies. So we turned into the restaurant and, perhaps somewhat surprisingly, enjoyed a good meal after attending such a solemn service as a funeral.

Before and after the meal, I found myself quietly praying more than once:

"Lord, have mercy on us. We miss so deeply the one whose funeral was held this morning. Yet life must continue, and we must walk the days You have set before us. May we receive this meal with grateful hearts rather than guilty ones. Amen."

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相關文章 (See also)：

1)  A Reunion of My Former Students     (2013)

2)  I'll Get Up Early Tomorrow     (2026)

3)  A Short Visit to "Wu Lu"     (2021)