| Finished Pride and Prejudice. One of the most enjoyable books I've read in a while. I really have a lot that I would like to discuss with other people. Problem is guy friends probably have not read it. Girl-friends...well...I dunno if that is such a good idea unless it's a pack of them.
well at least I guess I'm in on the secret now... |
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| Two articles related to food that I liked. One is a fascinating look at the possible(or rather likely) causality of the FDA recommended high carbohydrate/lowfat diet to the frightening rise of Type 2 diabetes, obesity, and heart disease in America. The second article is geared toward Christians. A well-written explanation and timely call to the spiritual discipline of fasting written by John Piper.
1)http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F04E2D61F3EF934A35754C0A9649C8B63&sec=health&spon=&pagewanted=1
2)http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/OnlineBooks/ByTitle/1591_A_Hunger_for_God/
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| Hi all. It's been four weeks since I've come back from Taipei. Two since starting school. And it feels like years have gone by. Naturally, I could write about a sorts of feelings and thoughts but I'll stick to one. Anyways, Jefferson is maybe 3 blocks from Philly Chinatown. And unlike all West coast Chinatowns', Philly's has a large Fujian population. Without going to much into the history of these people, the important thing to know is that Southern Fuzhou in China remains a very poor province. As such, most of the immigrants that have come to America from Fuzhou are poor, uneducated, and illegal. And many of them have made their way to Philly and settled down as my neighbors. Living most of my life on the westcoast, I've never run into a first generation immigrant from Fuzhou. Philly was my first encounter. Oh and I should add that I am proudly half Fujian. My Grandfather fled with the KMT to Taiwan from Fuzhou with during the war. Anyways, first week here, my dad, mom, and I saw a Fuzhou restaurant and of course had to go in. There were 5 tables. 2 had customers(from Fuzhou). We were the center of attention. And as soon as they found out my dad could speak Fujian we were family. The Fujian man asked in the Fujian dialect which town my grandfather was from and then proceeded to recommend dishes. The owner's daughters age 8 and 10 might as well have been my sisters. They placed all our silverware, showed me personally to the men's room, stood over our shoulders as we looked at the menu, and sat and chatted with us as we ate. They were the most outgoing, articulate, well-mannered, bright little girls I have ever seen in my life. Completely unafraid of strangers and completely not into themselves. I was half expecting them to ask for a piggyback. Yeah, the food was terrible. But I'd go back just to hang out with them. Next weekend I went to the Chinese church which is also situated in Chinatown and met the Chinese Pastor. Apparently the church use to be a social service center for Chinatown residents, especially the Fujian minority who were poorer and less-educated than the Cantonese immigrants and more often than not, more illegal. On top of this, the Fujian(especially the older generation) speak little mandarin and no english. So, the church provided everything from translation services to ESL classes, legal counseling, impromptu medical care, transportation,you name it. Naturally, the church became a lifeline for the Fujian community. More than that, the Fujian who often hold a deep seeded sense of inferiority b/c of their lack of wealth and education found a place where people saw them as equals. Of course, they still aren't used to that as the Pastor mentioned that the Fujian members of the church still have trouble looking their Cantonese and Taiwanese brethren in the eyes when being spoken to. Actually, a Fujian lady just called me to welcome me to the church and ask if there was anything they could pray for. Through her broken mandarin I could tell she was nervous to call me. But God bless her for it. Anyways, conclusion is if there is some sort of free clinic in Chinatown me and my stethoscope are so there.
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| Din Tai Fung introduces drunken chicken for the first time to their epic menu...and it makes the primetime news in Taiwan. Camera pans over the chicken for ten whole seconds. Customers are interviewed. You're half expecting to see a roundtable discussion. In Taiwan, food is news...literally. I love this country.
If your in Taiwan right now and reading this...do yourself a favor and buy some guavas....holy moly.
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| I will miss these evening walks. It's not everyday you can go out alone and not have anyone know where you are. You share the Taipei dusk with the elderly who also are mostly by themselves doing calisthenics. The junior high is empty except for the kids who don't mind playing basketball in the dark. The cicadas have quieted down and the bats are out circling the lamp posts. You notice the leaves on the trees as if for the first time, the way they move to the breeze, the way the light shines behind them. Tonight the clouds have made way for the moon which you haven't seen for a month. And a strange and wonderful feeling creeps over you. Maybe it's the heat or something. But for one really really long moment...that feeling that you have all that you could ever want. and everything says to you...and surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age...
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