From Reality to Fiction (大事 → 小說)

#2023-0426

The COVID-19 pandemic has inflicted both physical and mental suffering on many of us, not to mention the lives it has claimed.

Meanwhile, the prolonged Russo-Ukrainian war, ongoing since 2014, continues to evoke feelings of grief, anger, and fear in most of us.

Tragic events are unfolding in various places at this very moment, adding to the weight of our collective anguish.

So, have we— the Humanimal Allies— managed to break free from these dire circumstances?

As the leader of the Humanimal village, Kevin bore the weighty responsibility of ensuring the safety and prosperity of our unique community. He cautioned us about looming challenges posed by our "human" neighbors in the southern districts, who have laid claim to Humanimal territory. Kevin stressed that failure to unite against our adversaries would result in collective suffering, with no one spared.

And thus, the story, or stories, would inevitably carry on. As "Mega Pelico" within the vividly imagined village of Humanimal, I found myself increasingly captivated by the unfolding events and the uncertain future that lay ahead.

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For the novel or stories that 
I'm going to write, please see 
Fiction Freewriting #2300, etc.

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相關文章 (See also)：

1)  Fiction Freewriting #2300     (2023)

2)  Why Writing? (寫作緣由)     (2022)

3)  30 Pictures / Images Illustrations     (2021)

4)  {Fiction} ~ Hunting in the Jungle     (2021)

5)  Hiking, Hiding, Fighting     (2015)

The 3rd Sunday of Easter, 2023

#2023-0423

Our bishop the Rt. Rev. Lennon Yuan-rung Chang was here at St. James' Church this morning. He celebrated the Eucharist with us and administered Confirmation for Br. Elbert -- Congratulations to you, Elbert!

Besides the Confirmation, I was very much impressed by the sermon preached by Mr. Jeff Skinner. (This was his first sermon at St. James!) Oh, yes, I look forward to many more opportunities to hear the truth of the Bible from Mr. Jeff.

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相關文章 (See also)：

1)  Easter Day at St. Luke's Church     (2023)

2)  Confirmation and Reception     (2022)

3)  Holy Eucharist with Taizé Songs     (2021)

A Sequel to "The Last Piece of Land"

#2023-0418

A month ago my brother Jinshun and I returned to our hometown, Guoxing, and talked with a land broker (also known as real estate agent) Mr. Wu. We had made an appointment with him three days before, so when we arrived at his office around 3 o'clock that afternoon, discussion started right away and we got to the point very soon.

Mr. Wu suggested that he follow us to where our "last piece of land" is located, in order to realistically assess the value (or price) of the land. We agreed and took him to the land, which is in the Shuichangliu village (水長流). Unfortunately,  he offered a very low price, no more than half of what my siblings had expected. So we didn't have a deal but returned home without entrusting him to find us a land buyer.

A few days later, I tried to seek help from Ms. Lin, who comes to the same church as I do. She kindly taught me a lot about buying and selling farmland. But before she and I had a further discussion, my sister Xiuzhi had signed a power of attorney for the sale of that farmland with another real estate agent, Ms. Zhou. This caused some tension among my other siblings as they wanted me to sign the legal papers with an agency on their behalf. -- That's why I, accompanied by my sisters Xiuzhi and Xiuqing, came to meet Ms. Zhou at Caotun and re-signed the power of attorney with her this morning!

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相關文章： The Last Piece of Land     (2023)

老夫妻與海 (The Old Couple and the Sea)

#2023-0411B

I read Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea many years ago, and was deeply moved by the story that I'd rather believe was "mostly fictious" -- How sad it would be if it was a true story!

多年前讀過海明威的名作《老人與海》，感慨萬千，寧願相信那故事 "多半是虛構的" — 如果是真實的，那該怎麼說好呢？是多麼.... 有點.... 實在令人（為故事裡的主人翁）悲嘆不已！

But now my wife and I, both being so old, stood on the beach, facing the vast ocean (namely, the Pacific Ocean). It occurred to me that this blog post of mine could be aptly titled "The Old Couple and the Sea" -- We both have gotten a lot of experience of ups and downs, success and failure, and the so-called "life and death"; therefore, The Old Couple and the Sea can be a good choice for the title of this article.

而此刻我和老婆，都這麼老了，雙雙站在沙灘上，面對著浩瀚的大海，正是 "太平洋" 啊！我靈機一動，覺得本篇貼文可用《老夫妻與海》做題目。我倆都經歷過風風雨雨，有成功與失敗，還有所謂 "生與死" 的深刻感受；因此，《老夫妻與海》不失為本文標題的一個好選擇。

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The photos below were taken at 

Yanliao Fishing Port, Hualien County; 

下列照片拍攝於花蓮壽豐鄉的鹽寮漁港。

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相關文章 (See also)：

1)  山度空間     (2023)

2)  Take a Rest at Baqi (芭崎 歇腳)     (2023)