Only the Maternity Leave Bonuses? Helping Women to Enjoy Becoming Mothers

Why the whole environment doesn’t add to women’s wanting to have children, causing the aging population, the declines in birthrate to continue, from the Front Page Sections, translated…

The Legislative Branch upped the bonuses of women having children, and although all three of my children are all, over four years of age, I’m still very happy, toward the signing of this law. After all, this was, the most direct, most simple method. But, there are a lot of highly-educated, high income friends who’d still, refused to have children, and all these working moms told me, that it’s simply, too tiresome, to have to work, and look after their own young.

I was born in the eighties, and, a lot of my friends and families had their young after age thirty, they’d lacked that strength compared to the people in their twenties, and they’re at the stage of their lives they needed to, work hard to get ahead in their jobs, it would be, even more difficult, to look after their families. I’d consoled with them, to stop working, and enjoy being a full-time mother, but they’re not, taken with the idea.

Surely, the birthrate had been, dropping year after year, and the divorce rates, higher and higher, our generation has that sense of emergency toward marriage. I’d heard many who’d experienced it, telling me, that women need to be economically independent, not wanting to let go of their jobs, with marriages, untrustworthy, who has the mind, to have, and raise children? But, the duties of childrearing are mostly on the women’s shoulders in Taiwan, and this, won’t be resolved, with a couple of thousand dollars worth of bonuses given by the government.

One of the root causes of decline in birthrate is the economy, secondly, it’s the problems of the society. If the families are stabilized, if men are willing to chip in to help with raising the children too, then, women would surely, enjoy being mothers.

And so, this showed how it would be, unwise, for women to settle down to have children, and how this society doesn’t support the ideas of we women having children, after all, we are the ones, raising our own young, while you men just comes home after a long and hard days of work (NEWSFLASH, you MORONS, we women work our nine to fives outside the home, and we come home, to continue the job for 24/7!!!), and, this problem still won’t be resolved, by the extra bonuses that the government pays us women, for having more children, and what are we, NUTS? Why would we want to start our families, if we can excel in our jobs, after all, a job that pays well, gives us that sense of security, and, none of us would be happy, not contributing to this society here!

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Learning to Let Go from Saying Goodbye, to Be a Man of High-Quality

On the last rites, the final rites of one’s passage, translated…

I’d gone to two funerals of my high school classmates in these past few months, and, at the funeral, the collages of their lives were played.

Those old scenes all came back to me, I’d thought about the laughter, the sorrows, the ups and downs of life we’d shared, our friendships which were kept, I couldn’t help but start crying hard! And, in the three, or five-minute short film, it’d, told of the stories of their over fifty years of life, and this was, saying goodbye to life.

We are all, staying afloat in this sea of mirage, and we’d felt, that cold chill! In this mirage of a life, we’d gone to the funerals, and we were often, impacted by the mixtures of emotions. Looking at others, then, thinking about ourselves, our whole life is a huge lesson in learning to say goodbye, and the hardest part of it all, is learning to say goodbye to ourselves, to say farewell to the youth that’s slowly going away, to wave goodbye at the beautiful faces that time had, sculpted, to say farewell, to those whom we loved and cared dearly, our families, to say farewell, to all our meaningless pursuits of fame and fortune…to bid farewell, to everything earthly. Life is learning to let go!

As I’m about to become Buddha! My funeral, I’d wanted to be like how the Buddhist Master, Shen-Yen’s making myself into a better person.

Before I go, I shall, have that slight smile, and with a heart of gratitude, for everything that’s happened in life to me; before I go, I hope that my loved ones, friends, families, and relatives can, use the Buddhist chants, to help my soul return to the West. As for the rituals, I’d wanted everything to be simplified, I shall become nothing but mud, to become the guardians of the flowers.

And so, this is, what life is reduced to, when we all die, we’d become, NOTHING, it’s what we did whilst we were still living, that will, hopefully, get remembered, it’s the lives we managed to touch when we were still on earth, that will keep on flowing, even after we’re gone, and, like this person, just keep everything simplified, because, there’s NO need, to have a flashy funeral, because you’re, already D-E-A-D, and you should NOT care who shows up at your funeral, besides, why would it matter to you? You’re, no longer “here” (on this PLANET???)………

The Time that’s, Stopped, on Those Walls…

The time that’s, stopped, on those walls, do you not see it, how the clock turned DEAD at a quarter ‘til???

The time that’s, stopped, on those walls, what does it signify? That time hadn’t moved on, but, we surely, had, ‘cuz, we are, no longer who we were, a minute ago, and, nothing’s, ever gonna be, the same again!

like this???  Old, and broken?  Photo from online…

The time that’s, stopped, on those walls, how can we, make them restart again? If only, it’s, simple as, changing those dead, used-up batteries! The time that’s, stopped, on those walls, and now, the minute, hour, and second hands, they all, started, us down, like those, bright and shiny eyes, in the darkened corners of the nights.

The time that’s, stopped, on those walls, it’d felt, too surreal, like, everything and nothing was, exactly, the same, and yet, it’s, somehow, different, you know? The time that’s, stopped, on those walls, we walked by that wall, with that DEAD clock, every day, as a reminder, of what? I can, no longer, recall now………

The time that’s, stopped, on those walls, they can’t, restart again, can they? It wouldn’t be, as simple as, changing the batteries on that clock, because, even IF the machine starts to work again, nothing will ever be, the same as it had been, or was, once!

Trump Stated that the School Teachers Should Start Carrying Guns, the Parents Were Angered by His Statements

The PRESIDENT of the U-N-I-T-E-D S-T-A-T-E-S, had BLURTED something OUT, without having the THOUGHT run through his HEAD again, I’m afraid!!! And he still couldn’t, make UP his mind of which side to STAND at!!! With MY opinions on the matter inputted, from the Front Page Sections, translated…

In the seventeen deaths middle school shooting in Florida on the fourteenth, President Trump saw about forty students, teachers and parents on the twenty-first, including the six survivors of the shooting. They’d begged Trump to “Do something about it”, to prevent similar cases from happening repeatedly in school, Trump promised to have the stricter background checks for gun purchases, and even brought up the thought, of having the school teachers armed, to have the teachers also carry guns in the classes, but last year, a parent of the student who’d died in the Florida middle school shooting rebutted, “How many students need to die under a gun?”

gettng questioned on the policies he set up for gun control, photo from online…

In this nearly one-hour long meeting, Trump was focused in listening to the demands of the students and parents saying how the security needs to be reinforced in the schools, how there needs to be more drills, and to up the age of buying the weapons too. But Trump replied as he had before, that he was for owning a gun, to protect the people themselves, to SHOOT the shooters first.

The student who’d died in the shooting, Pollack’s father, Drew told Trump, that his daughter got shot NINE times then died on the day, “That is why I’m here”, he’d asked Trump, “How many schools, how many students need to be under attack? This needs to stop now. If there’s no change, I won’t ever stop.”

Trump stressed, in the future, “We will do a very strict background check, and focus on the gun purchasers’ state of mind,” he’d also mentioned, that it’s needed, for some of the school teachers, to train to use a gun, to scare off the possible shooters.

Trump said, “If the school teachers have the licenses to carry the concealed weapons, then, they will be trained, especially, and there wouldn’t be a gun-free zone in the schools.” Trump believed, that banning all guns from the schools will only worsen the matter, he said, “the gun prohibited zones means, ‘let’s go in and shoot everybody inside’.”

here’s one, have a LAUGH, everybody, found online…

Trump said, take for instance, the Florida middle school shooting, “if there was a teacher trained to use gun, then, it’s easy, to disarm the shooter quickly.” But Trump also admitted, that it’s debatable, the thought, of having the school teachers bear arms.

And so, here, you can see, how this is all, the American President’s one-man-SHOW, he’d stated an idea, and, someone from the audience (a parent whose child had died) challenged his thought, Trump fended for his idea, and, then agreed, with the parents’ views on how it wouldn’t be SOUND, having the school instructors armed. And from this, we can see??? How easily businessmen change their minds, and, how AWFUL it’s gonna get, for the LAND of the FREE, to live under, “King TRUMP”!!!

In Love with Batik

Made a fool of himself, because he’d not gotten to know what sort of an attire the batik was! Translated…

On the weekends, the Taipei Main Station became a gathering place for the migrant workers. Seeing those Indonesian migrant workers put on their Batik (printed cloth, dyed with wax), I was reminded of thirty years ago, as I was, sent to Jakarta to work, I’d bought two suits, to be like the locals!

a sample of the cloth…found online…

I’d found the prints that were, plainer, the colors, not so bright, and I’d felt very crisp, wearing the Batik. The only regret I have, was that I’d not, have the opportunities, to wear it out to show it off.

Back then, there were, more and more Indonesian trading companies set up in Taiwan. We are, a shipbuilding company, with a lot of clients, and, we’d gone to the airports, twice, or thrice per week to pick up our clients. And, shortly after, in order to fulfill the needs, China Airlines started having the no-transfer flights from Taipei, but, the flights arrive at eight at night. Here comes my chance, I can get off work, go home, take a shower, change into my Batik, and go pick up the clients.

And maybe, our skin color was lighter than the locals, that, it’d made us, stand out, that some of the locals would see us, and look back, and smile at us. Then, I’d, noticed, that there was, a female police officer by the gates, who’d looked at me, and smiled lightly. I can’t be uncourteous, I’d, nodded in acknowledgement toward her too, and smiled my gentleman’s smile. Then, after awhile, every time I arrived, she’d always, flashed that smile toward me, and sometimes, she would really be, grinning, ear to ear towards me. And, the female coworker close by would give her a nudge, encourage her to come and talk to me.

here’s a person, wearing batik, from online still…

Then one day, as I’d, entered into the corridors, before I could stand up straight, I saw her, walking straight toward me, and I can tell, she was, blushed. My heart rac’ed a bit, but, I’d, warned myself, getting sent to Indonesia is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for work, NOT for romance. I have a beautiful wife, a cute son at home, this, is unacceptable.

That female officer walked toward me, said lightly, “Sir”.

Wow, she spoke Chinese.

She’d gotten closer to me, and said, very lightly to me, “Can you, not wear the pajamas, to the airports?”

So, this, is something that’s, interesting about culture, because you’re, in a different culture, and, the way they dress, is different than what you’re used to, and like this man had, bought the batik, which was originally supposed to be used a pajamas, and he’d, worn it out…cultural differences, is what we all need to, watch out for when we enter a different country from our own!

Changing a Thought, Your World Opens Right Up

Found something that kept her calm, through her husband’s temporary “fix”, translated…

As I accompanied my child to off the island to school, other than helping him settle in, I’d also taken the opportunity, to visit locally, and enjoy this little peaceful time I have. In the embrace of Mother Nature, having been stressed out too long in the nitty-gritties of the day-to-day, I’d, broken free, like a bird from a cage, I’d felt, so very free.

After a few days, although I’m now, recharged spiritually, but my body was having the fatigues from the travels. There’s a saying, “There’s NO place like home”, it’s, so very, true, as I’d reached out, and touched the doorknob of my own house, I’d finally felt, that I can, finally rest easy. But, as I’d, pushed open the doors, my steps, as well as my smiles, froze solid, and, the luggage I had in my other hand fell.

The lanai in front was a huge mess, and, the table and chair where I usually sat leisurely to read, was pushed to the side, the cardboard boxes, the plastic baskets, everywhere, the originally cleaned tile flooring, covered in muddy footprints. There’s, that awful feeling from the pit of my stomach, I’d trembled, as I’d, turned on the lights, I’d, stood there, with my jaws, dropped, in shock, couldn’t make a single sound.

Looking around me, there was, a huge pile of dirt the size of a small mount, and the bamboo had, grown taller than I am, blocking the screen doors; the other bamboos, grown too large out of proportions; and, the gardenia with the branches like the antlers of deer, lying to the side. The piles of fertilized soils, the granite pieces, all, scattered, across the ground…………it’d, looked like, a BOMB had been, dropped here.

About a week ago, my husband looked around on the lanai, and, he’d, measured the space, with his calculating gazes, I’d caught a glance, at his usual act, I’d called out, “oh no!” to myself, I’d, rushed up to him, to ask him what was up. Just as I’d suspected, he’d started, getting so enthusiastic, describing what his plans were, of having a small garden on our lanai, and, I’d, rained down on his parade, “Please, stop your delusions, you just wanted to be the frontiersman, and I’d needed to, clean up after you, like from before when we kept the birds, and the dogs too…………”

He knew he wasn’t going to win the arguments, he’d, fallen silent, and not mentioned it again, I mistakenly thought, that he’d, stopped pondering about it, without knowing, that this, was, only the calm before the storms.

That very night, one of us carried the sour face, the other, scrubbed up the mats, and there’s, this awful tropical depression visiting our home, followed by the days of silent treatments, the air, froze up.

like this???  Not my photograph…

Every day I’d waken up, pulled back the drapes, and, I was, face-to-face, with this withered garden, it was, truly, depressing. And, I just couldn’t deal with it anymore, rolled up my sleeves, tidied it up out there.

I’d first, trimmed the branches off the bamboos, remove the stems of the dying bamboo, the yellowed leaves as well, them, made the space, for the gardenias. After half a day of sweating it all way, I’d, gotten rid of my displease. And, I’d, taken a look at the scene, and, it was, breathable, and finally, I’d, rid myself, of the dark clouds that loomed over me these past couple of days.

More importantly, I’d put the fruit trees I’d especially loved which I’d planted inside a pot from before into the ground. And, in this garden which I’d once fought not to have, I’d, placed in some of my most cherished plants. Because, knowing my husband, my husband, who only has very short attention span, will soon forget the existence of this garden, and, I will be, the faithful gardener, who will always be looking after this small patch of my own dreams.

So, this, is how this woman changed her mind, to pull herself out of that tropical depression that she’d been in because of her husband’s temporary fix of having a small garden on their lanai, and this still showed, just how powerful the thought is, change a thought, your world lights up!

I’m Not a Porcelain Doll, the Reflections in the Doll Corner

This morning, the Porcelain climbed off that high shelf that her owner kept her on display, toward the floor, and, she stood there, in front of the mirror (b/c it’s a girl’s room, and ALL girls want to get dolled up, don’t they???), and, she’d looked at her self in the mirror, left, and right, like how a scientist is examining something s/he’d just, discovered…

I’m not a porcelain doll, Porcelain mumbled to herself, although I looked delicate, fragile, easily shattered, but, I have, a heart of a Raggedly Ann, you can SHAKE, toss me, and let me DROP to the floor, I still won’t BREAK!

not my photo…

I’m not a porcelain doll, the Porcelain decided, that she will NOT be fragile like she’d always been, she’d wanted her owner (a little girl???), to pick her up, and play with her without worrying about shattering her, and so, Porcelain started changing, metamorphosing, and, the little girl who’d owned her, hadn’t seen her, she’d, forgotten about the existence of this particular Porcelain she loved so much.

not my photo…

I’m not a porcelain doll, I won’t break if you shake me too hard, and, even if you tossed me high up in the air, and I come down, landing on my head, I still won’t CRACK wide open!

But, although Porcelain had, made up HER mind on not to break anymore, she still can’t change her physical self, and, surely enough, she’d, shattered, for the last and final time, and, we are all gathered here today, to MOURN the loss, of our dear friend, Porcelain, she was, a very good doll, she just can’t get satisfied, being WHAT and WHO she is, that, is why, she had “died”………