After Curfew

How this instructor’s lending the student a helpful ear, to offer her the assistance, to assist this young woman in getting the help she needed, had made, all the, difference  in her life, translated…

The curfew of my dorm was from one at midnight to six in the morn, and as soon as the time comes, we get, locked down, and of course, traffic accidents, or things that came up abruptly won’t count.  It was past the curfew that night, I was about to call it a night, then my doorbell rang, a female classmate, looking pale, and sounded winded told me, “I’m sorry professor, to have called you up this late, but I am dizzy, and having a headache, I’m completely out of it, I need to get to the E.R.”

As a dorm super, what I’d hoped that I don’t encounter are these, midnight crises.  But, this student’s manners was, very well, and I’d immediately started up the S.O.P. of dealing with these sorts of emergencies.  “Why do you have a headache, do you know?”, finding the reasons, she’d not covered up, responded, “I’m on medication from the psychiatric department, and I’d had the side effects of headache, dizziness, and this time, it’s my body that feels, completely, limp.”  “It’s already this late, do you have someone to go with you?”, and, I’d calculated, that the female officers of the dormitories are already, asleep, that I am the only one she has, to take her to the hospitals.  “I’d already asked my classmate to go to the E.R. to sign me up, and there’s a classmate who’s waiting out by the front gates to take me to the hospital.”  “Okay, you’d handled that very well”.  And, I’d calculated, that because this wasn’t a solitary occurrence, it should be no problem, and I’d not forgotten to commend her on how well she’d, handled herself.

“Would you like me to wait up for you?”  Waiting up for someone who’s coming after curfew is no easy task.  “It’ll be too late, I’m worried it might impact your sleep, so after the E.R. visit, I shall go sleep at my classmate’s home”, such a courteous, and empathetic young woman, truly rare.  “Then, watch for safety on the roads, and, tell me the results of your checks.”  As I saw her off, I’d, started filling up the paperwork, and I’d gotten a text from her, “professor, I’m already done seeing the doctor and called my families, and after I’m done with the drips, I shall be staying overnight at my classmate’s”, so that was that, she’s at the hospital, and someone was there for her, and I’d felt better, and went to bed.

At eight in the morn the following, I saw her dressed up, readied to go out, I was surprised, and concerned, “why don’t you take a day off?  Where are you going this early?”, “to work, and I’m all right now, I’m sorry for the intrusions last night.”  She became very spirited and talkative today.  “Aren’t you going to take a day off work?”, and, in the words we’d exchanged, she’d told me that her mother had left home, and now, the household relied solely on her father’s measly wages, and, it was hard enough for him to make the pay to raise up her own younger siblings who are still in school.  “I’d taken out the student loans, and made my own allowances through part-time jobs”, although, she’d looked a bit, taken, but, she’d, expressed herself with that sturdiness, that bravery about her.

My heart went to this girl, don’t know why she’s on the medications from the psychiatric department?  And she’d, slowly let her guards down, told me, “I was once, sexually harassed.”, then she’d stopped talking, because this was a sensitive, personal matter, I’d, nodded, to show her that I’d understood, “I hope you can heal up soon, so you won’t need to rely on the medications anymore, if ever you need help, or just want to talk, my door is always open.”

Watching her leave, I’d thought of the yearly counseling seminar I’d signed up for, and the lecturers would always sum up at the very end, “the instructors at school can all become, counselors, taking actions in time, visiting with the students, to listen to them tell you what’s going on in their lives, all of these might be able to prevent something tragic that may occur.”

I’m truly glad, that I can, help this, young woman out.

So, this is how lending a helping hand made you realized, the importance of lending someone that needed ear, and, had this dorm supervisor just, brushed this young woman off, she may feel helpless, and, she may become, withdrawn, because, what she’d experienced, wasn’t, easy, getting sexually harassed in her past.

A Letter from Lanyu

That cycle of kindness still, rolled, translated…

Opening the mailbox, a letter from Lanyu slid out, I was confused, because I didn’t know anyone in Lanyu.

And, as I’d read it, I’d found that it was, a thank-you note, thanking me for giving her a scooter, to help her take the delivery job when she’d become, unemployed, to help her pass the hardships of her, life.  And, as she’d stated it, now I, remember it.

Just as my son returned back from overseas, he’d used my name, purchased that scooter, and, due to how later he’d started, going on business trips abroad a whole lot, that scooter became, unused.  I’d suggested to him, that rather than letting the scooter go to waste, he should give it to someone who needed it.  The following day, he’d mentioned it at the office, and a female coworker told, that her older sister in Lanyu, because she’d needed the money to care for her ailing in-laws, had sold off her own scooter, and the pandemic made her unemployed, and she’d wanted to become a delivery driver, but didn’t have the money to purchase a scooter.  She’d asked my son, if he can give the scooter to her?  He’d nodded.

helping others, when you see that they’re in need! Photo from online

After he’d given away that scooter, my son told me, that as he’d taken his scooter for the tune-up before giving it away, the mechanic asked, he could’ve sold the scooter for a whole lot, why he was giving it away?  My son responded that the money he would receive from the sale, would get spent up quite easily, but, if he’d given the scooter to someone who needed it for the livelihood, then, the individual may feed the entire family.

Many a year ago, the paper my neighbors and I had subscribed were late for days, and everybody started, complaining.  And as I’d learned that the delivery boy’s scooter was broken, that he was up north on his own, and couldn’t afford to fix it up, and started delivering the papers on bicycle, I’d immediately told him, that I’m about to switch to a new ride, that he can have my current scooter, even though, it wasn’t, brand new, but it will, help him with the deliveries he needed to make.  As he’d heard, his gratitude was like he was about to get down on his knees and thank me, left that deep impression with me.

Or maybe, it’s because when I was younger, I saw how difficult it was to make a living for my parents’ generation, so, when I got older, whenever there’s someone who needed assistance, I’d, lent a helping hand, and yet, this friend from Lanyu, whom I’d never even met, sent me that, thank you note, it was, totally, surprising.

And so, this is how your kindness, had touched the lives of others, because, the assistance you offered to someone, you may think nothing of it, because it’s, too small to mention, but, to the recipient, it may be lifesaving to her/him!

A Cute Stranger

On lending that helping hand, to a stranger in need, who didn’t know how to ask for help…translated…

The sun finally, came back out, and chased away the icy cold rain of days, before, that day, the Da-An Forest Park was so populated, the people all came out, and, posed in the seasonal sea of hydrangeas.  In the crowd, I saw an eye-catching elderly woman, head hung down low, squinted her eyes, with the precious gemstone ring on her index finger, she’d, started, tapping the screen of her, cellphone, the earrings that hung from her earlobes, glowed bright under the sun.  She’d mumbled to herself, “Where’s the selfie?  Can’t find it again, how awful!”

The cell phone screen is too tiny, with the words, even, smaller, a total challenge for the elderly who don’t have 20/20 vision.  I’d allowed my nosiness to take over me, gone up to ask her, “Aunty, would you like me to take your picture for you?”

She’d started nodding like crazy, and started posing too, one minute, she’d, tilted her head, smiled, the next, she’d, struck her pearl necklace on purpose, she looked like, a professional, model, like the earlier eras of the movie stars, standing for the shots.  She’d constantly inquired, “how do I look?  Did you get my earrings?  My necklace?  Can you see my ring?  I’m sending these photos to my granddaughter, she’s studying abroad, she’s amazing!  I want to show her, that I’m, wearing EVERY piece of jewelry she bought for me!”

So, in the glow of the precious stones, is the love of the grandmother and granddaughter.  As I took the photos, I’d, had her check every shot, other than thanking me, she also told me, “I don’t know how to take selfies, nobody helps  me out, thankful, I’d met you.”

I’d told her, “someone will help you with your selfies, if only you ask for help!”

She’d repeated what I said, “oh, so long as I ask, someone will come to assist me, okay, I’ll be sure to, remember that then……”

After that, she’d walked to another location, and I actually saw someone else, who was willing to help her.  And suddenly, I’d recalled a song, “A Cute Stranger”, and I’d finally understood the meaning of the title of the song then.

And so, all you got to do is, ask, so, why don’t you, huh???  Because you don’t want to trouble anybody else, because you don’t want to look STUPID, after all, everybody knows a lot, more than you, right?

But, if you don’t ask for help, how the HECK would you, get the help you need?  I mean, we’re not all, mind readers, who can look at a stranger, and know right off the bat, hey, s/he needs some assistance.

So, A-S-K!

I’m Not N-O-S-Y!

The encounters of your life, how you try to help those whom you come across, by being, nosy…translated…

I Need to Alert Him, Otherwise, as the Escalator Got to the Bottom, When He Exits the Station, He’ll……….

There’s Only the Split-Second Reaction Time in Case of Emergency

The man’s wallet was about to fall out of the back pocket of his jeans, but, the tattoo on his shoulder seemed to say, “BACK OFF!”

I must call to him, otherwise, when the escalator got to the ground level, and he exits the station, then……….my husband flashed that look toward me, hinted, “just leave it alone”.

That time on the bus, a woman who looked quite fashionable had her purse unzipped, with one hand on the ring handle of the bus, the other hand holding her cell phone, talking.  I’d watched her purse for her, wanted to wait until she’s done with her call, to tell her, the passengers came and went, thankful, she was only, three people away from where I was.  Finally, she’d finished talking on her phone, I’d called aloud to her, “Miss!  Miss!”, she’d not turned her head, I’d called louder to her, she’d turned and looked at me.  I’d told her, “Miss, your purse is unzipped.”, she’d given me an annoyed looked, coldly, “I know”.  Then, I’d, felt lost, then, the population of the passengers all, looked toward me, my husband who was beside me elbowed me, like saying, “yeah, try and be nosy again!”

In case of emergency there’s only time for the split-second decision-making, I’d let go of my husband’s hand, patted the man on the shoulder, pointed to his pant pocket, then, acted gracefully, made my dash, away.

Once at a scenic trail, there was a tiny shoe of a young one or two year old, I’m guessing, that it was dropped from a stroller that the parents didn’t notice, and my type-A personality kicked in.  I’d raised my voice, called loudly, “who lost a shoe?”, hoping that the owner is still close by.  Then suddenly, an infant nearby started crying loud, I saw a woman staring me down, told me in Taiwanese, “are you PSYCHO?  Shouting so loudly!”, then, she went to coo at the infant girl she was holding.  I was like that child who got scolded, and needed the comfort, searched for my husband, and yet, he’d already, dashed to far, far away, onto the lawn.

illustration from UDN.com

That Arrow that’s Already on the Bow Must Be, Shot Out

There are, assortments of characteristics in various people in the world, no need to be alerted!

There are a lot who are kind.  There was young man waiting at the bus stop, so handsome, that I’d looked at him several, times, it’d made the sun come back out it seemed.  Then suddenly, I’d found that there were the threads from the bottom of his shirt coming out, ha, he’s wearing his shirt inside out.  The bus in coming, time’s, pressing, without a second thought, I’d stated, “hey hottie, you have your shirt inside out”, he’d lowered his head, “Shit!”, turned his back to me, took his shirt off, put it back on right.  He’d grinned at me, “thanks!”, and everybody else who was waiting at the stop laughed too, maybe it has to do with that hottie taking his shirt off, who knows.

In the MRT trains, there was a salesman looking middle age man, standing in front of me, with this huge briefcase.  I’m thinking there’s a laptop inside, the ledgers, he looked like he was going to meet up with a client.  And, I’d, lowered my head, and found, that there was a tilt on his shoes.  Can’t help it, my curiosity still got the bet of me, I had to know what’s up—turned out, there was, this tiny hole on his right shoe.

But, there are, a lot of passengers during the rush hour, how do I let him know?  I’d elbowed my husband, eyed to him to look down.  He’d elbowed me back, I know, that was, “don’t be nosy”.  Yep.  How can I tell this man with everybody around us?  How awkward he might feel?  But, I’d felt, ill-at-ease.  The schema started running in my mind, the man will walk off, and get tripped by the sole of his shoe that’s separated; when he goes to meet his client, the client tells him, your shoe’s laughing at me.

This is something I must tell!  I’d taken my cell phone, typed, “Sir, good morning, I’m sorry, you may need to walk slower in a bit, there is something up with your right shoe there.”  And, certainly, I got, elbowed, AGAIN, by my husband, but, that arrow that’s already on the bow, I must, shoot it.

As the people come in and out of the trains, I’d taken the advantage, lifted my phone, with the message I typed before to the man’s face, at first, he’d looked, shocked, then, he’d looked, surprised, and, lowered his head to his own, shoes.  I’m so glad he took the time, to read my message to him, then, that heavy burden lifted suddenly from my mind.  He’d nodded at me lightly, I’d nodded back too.  I’m guessing, he will now be troubled with, how he is to walk?  And where he can go to get his shoe, fixed?

Taipei Main Station, he’d moved his feet back a bit, bowed to me to say thank you, then, walked slowly out of the train.  That genuine way he’d bowed at me, it’d moved me, then, I’d, elbowed my husband, my way of saying, “See, I’m helpful, NOT N-O-S-Y!”

And so, this just showed how alert you are with your surrounding environment, and it’s a good thing, because you notice things that nobody else seemed to notice, and yeah, being a bit nosy can get you that eye roll, sure, but hey, you’re just, trying to help, and every once in a while, your nosiness actually, helped someone out.

These Moments of Blessings that Came Out of Our Contracting the Virus

Their preschool age children, became adults as they contracted the virus, helped around the house, so they can, focus on making their swift recoveries from contracting MERS-CoV!  Translated…

In the post-pandemic era, not having contracted the virus seemed, an “abnormality”, as people greet one another in the post-pandemic era, instead of, “have you had your breakfast/lunch/dinner yet?”, it’d become, “have you contracted the virus yet?”, as a school instructor, with two young children at home, I kept walking on eggshells, worked hard to sanitize my self and everything around, to prevent contraction, that will eventually, affect my work in school, and the health of my two young children, and yet, the eventuality of contraction still, arrived!

Gladly, other than the first few days of severe discomfort, for the rest of the contraction term, I’d felt less energetic, in need of more rest, and as I’d thought, that I’d become, mildly symptomatic, that I only need a few more days’ rest before I recover fully.  My children started falling ill too, my husband had to work from home, and care for two young children, and had to make the meals for all of us, he had, burned on both ends all right, my husband who’d originally thought that he was the “chosen few”, but, he’d still contracted the virus and passed to us all, again.

how the young children started helping out around the house without being told after their parents contracted MERS-CoV!

photo from online

Thankfully, the kids’ symptoms vanished in a handful of days, they’d returned to their former, active, selves, hopped around the house, and played like there was no tomorrow.  And yet, for the two of us adults, although our symptoms weren’t severe, but, the time to fully recover seemed far, far, faraway, and my husband and I can only, drag our sick bodies in the house, during our at-home quarantines, relayed in the cooking, and often, we’d taken two, three hours, to make one meal.

But we are, blessed, that the young preschool age siblings who are at their most playful years, started clearing the tables.  Other than they couldn’t cook the foods, the collective up the dishes, the bowls, wiping down the tables, washing the dishes, my five-year-old son, and his three-year-old younger sister shouldered.  Watching their tiny forms, carefully, carrying the dishes to the sink, fought over to get the stools so they can reach the sink, and how they’d, fought over whose turn it was to do the dishes for this meal.  “It’s my turn at lunch, you’ll have your turn at supper!”, because the most frequently heard conversation that came from the kitchen sinks during our time of quarantine.

On the supper tables, my husband and I showed our gratitude to my children’s gentle kindness, thanked them for picking up after all of us after the meals, so my husband and I had less to handle.  The two of them were really mature in responding to us, “You two are so ill, we can handle these things!”, hearing their words, I’d forgotten, that they were only, preschool age children; and, no matter how sick we’d felt as we contracted the virus, but, being bless with our children as little helpers, seeing them grow up overnight, becoming helpful to us, and understanding toward us, this was, a huge motivation to help us recover faster!

And so, these young children, became adults, in handling the household chores, after their parents both contracted the virus, and that’s how a well-rounded family is set up, because these children understood, that mommy and daddy had fallen ill, that they need to help the parents as they recover, and these young children already developed the empathies that some of us adults don’t have yet!

I Only Need Twenty-Five Dollars

How this woman who operated a stand at the marketplace helped this elderly person, who came to her asking for some loose change, how this is a rare gem that everybody is now, more guarded toward one another, especially in times of the, pandemic, this is what we need more of these days, translated…

A little past two in the early afternoon I was just, collecting up the things from my marketplace stand, ready to go, suddenly came, an elderly man with a four-legged walker, hair all white, asking, “can you give me twenty-five dollars?  I’m hungry and wanted to buy a bowl of rice with the meat sauce on top.” I’d responded, surely, then I’d, pulled out a hundred, stuffed it into his pocket.  He’d told me, “I don’t need that much, I just need twenty-five.”  I’d pressed down the hand that he’d reached into his own pockets to pull out the money, had him go and get some food, before the shop is closed.

As he’d left, the younger owner of the adjacent stand asked, “Sister, aren’t you worry people might cheat you if someone tells you that s/he is hungry and you’d started giving money away?”, I’d shaken my head, told him that my own father told me, that someone who’d asked for help from a stranger must have endured through something hard in life, especially the elderly.  Besides, he’d not asked for much, just a bowl of stewed meat sauce over rice, so I’d not questioned it, and am willing to assist.  After all, being old, it’s only natural that we all may become, forgetful, to take our wallets with us, and, we aren’t agile enough to make it all the way back to our houses to get it, that was why he’d asked for my help.

what the elderly man asked the writer for…loose change, photo from online

Then, about twenty minutes later, the elderly man came back, pulled out seventy-five dollars in returned change, placed it on the rack of my stand, said to me with glee, “thank you so much!  This was, one fulfilling, lunch that I got with your money, this is the change the shop gave back to me,”, I’d told him to keep the change, but he’d smiled and waved no, turned to, leave.

Seeing how he’d, staggered as he left, it looked like my father in his elderly days, and, my nose started, souring up then……….

And so, this, is how much it takes, to help someone out, and, we shouldn’t be guarded, that everybody is trying to cheat us, but, this is too hard, especially with the way this world is going, but gladly, this woman kept her good heart as well as the beliefs of how everybody she met does not have ill intentions, and was still willing to, lend that helping hand as she saw the needs of someone else.

The Cause of Poverty: Broken Relationships with the Families

The understanding, the awareness, that the writer arrived at, on his trip around Taiwan, to visit the distant region areas, where there are, too many families, waiting for, assistance, the call, for everybody to lend that, helping hand!  Off of the Front Page Sections, translated…

I’d recently finished the fundraiser, 1919 Cycling Around Taiwan, the fifteen day cycling trip of “I ride, You donate”, for the families in dire need.  With a team of sixty-two cyclist, riding 1,300 kilometers around Taiwan, and we’d visited twenty-nine help center, to understand the trials of life of the families hit by emergency situations, hearing their voices, helped them walk that extra mile.  The fifteen days’ of in-depth entering into the poverty-stricken, distant regions, made me see what poverty looked like, and it’d made me realized, that “the origins of poverty WAS from the broken family relations!”

the plea…

photo from online

In actuality, poverty is a widely defined concept, there’s no set definition of it.  From the language, the two characters mean “extremely deprived”, so, poverty is used to describe people living in the hardships of economics, with a shortage of all the resources they’re in need of.  But, being poor, it’s a subjective interpretation, and a comparative; and, there are more levels of poverty than just the economical, materialistic, it may also include societal, economical, as well as political.  In my fifteen days cycling to raise fund for the poverty stricken regions, with personal contact, interactions with the dozens of families, it’d made me feel, that poverty is actually the results of “broken relationships”, especially of the family relationships that were, broken down.

Aunty Chang in Pingdong, is an exemplary case of this.  Aunty Chang is seventy-one, with the condition of mildly mental retardation, live with her younger brother who had a stroke, her own emotionally troubled son, and the nephew with epilepsy.  This family of four lived off of the assistance of handicapped individuals, and the assistance for the elderly.  What added to their difficulties was, that last year, there was a fire on the second floor of their home, the furniture all burned up, there’s now, just the living room on the first floor that can be, used, the originally home with almost nothing now, looked like ruins, and, as it rained, the house would, start, leaking, the place was totally, unoccupiable.  Our teams helped fixed up Aunty Chang’s home, and as she’d cried and told of her trials of life, I can only cry with her, and hugged her, to give her the emotional supports, and told the assistance foundation, to help them look for more resources to help the family, to help them fix up this broken home, so at least this family would have a steady roof over their, heads.

And, there was, an Atayal fellow cyclist this year on our team, who’d, gone on the entire fifteen days’ trip with us.  He’d witnessed the needs of these families, and shared with me, that what he saw, was no different than what he was growing up in, forty years ago.  When this man was only five, his father died from long-term alcohol abuse, leaving his mother, to raise him and his siblings up.  Thankfully, that his mother insisted on getting the children into the church, to help them keep their, faith; because of the church’s unconditional love, and help, it’d helped covered for the lacking of functionality of his family, and it’d helped the family members patched their relationship with one another, up, keeping this Atayal teammate of ours, not gone astray, and he was able to break away from the cycle of poverty, to not pass it down to the next, generation.

And now, the 1919 Cycling Around Taiwan’s fifteen-day long journey is over, but, the needs of these families in the distant regions are still, pressing, and all we can do, is to keep watch over them, continue to accompany these families in need, help raise the funds for the families that are faced with the emergencies, to help those who have the needs, for one more, extra, mile.  I invite you, the readers, to offer a helping hand to those families that are broken down, lacking the normal functions, so the members of these families can, have the hopes for a better, tomorrow.

what we can do to help!

poster from online

Because of you, love cycles!  Help us help those in poverty, to return the relations we share with the outside world back to, love again.

And so, this, is from going deep into the local regions, to SEE and FEEL the needs of these families, and, if we don’t get immersed in the trials of others, and learn to empathize with their situations in life, we will never be driven to help.

The New Year’s Resolution of the Ordinary People: the Ending of MERS-CoV, War, & Inflation

The lights in the darkness, as we’re, still, not yet, out of, the darkness, but there’s that dawn that’s, coming on, in the, distance, if only we can all, look closely, and treat those whom we encounter with, kindness, as this world, slowly, heals back up…off of the Front Page Sections, translated…

Going to the super convenience shops, the cashier whom I knew well told me, that the elderly woman’s son is dead.  The elderly woman is a frequent customer, she’d often shopped there, and sat for an entire afternoon, and she had only her son with him, her life is, lonely.  The younger generations of cashiers and workers all loved the kind elderly woman, and when they’re not working, they would carry in conversation with the elderly woman.

The elderly woman had often come to pay for her own son’s traffic fines, and she’d started, ranting, “Told him to drive slow, he didn’t listen, always sped, and gets caught, and disregarded the fine notices, I can’t stand it, so I’d, paid for the fines for him…”, the clerk told her to get hard on her son, to NOT pay for his fines again.  And yet, the next time, the elderly woman still came, to pay, and still kept, telling how bad her son is.

Not long ago, the elderly woman came into the shop to print something, she’d looked sad, and, I’d asked her what happened?  She’d told me sorrowfully, that her son is, gone, he’d contracted MERS-CoV, and was, getting better too, but, with a progressive conditions, he’d still, died.  And so, all of us, tried our best, to offer her console best as we can, as the New Year’s arriving soon, her being alone, it’d, impacted us so very, much.

An elder told me, that she’d seen the news of the pandemic growing worse again in China, and the Russo-Ukrainian Conflict that’s, caused the people to be without their homes, and all those footages she saw on T.V., made her heart break, and so, she’d, stopped, watching the news.  But she’d still, carried on in the means of giving to the community on her own just the same, she’d told, that she hoped that 2022 can soon be over, that the pandemic had taken many lives now, plus the impacts of the Russo-Ukrainian Conflict, causing the hikes in everything we need, a lot of families are, torn apart, so many became, unemployed; there’s no way to make ends meet, in her own means, within her own capabilities, she’d, often donated to the charitable foundations that helped out the lesser in the communities. 

In the unsettlement of the times, there are still, many who are, kind and warm in the world, in the waves of the cold fronts coming on, these individuals offered hope, and warmth to the world.  A single mother posted on the Group of our local community, that her son in elementary school is saving up the pints of the super convenience stores, he’d wanted the items from the cartoon, but she’s a low-income household, and she also has cancer, she couldn’t, afford to spend so much money, to buy enough to get the stickers for the points she’d begged the neighbors, to donate some points.  As soon as the posting came up, everybody started responding, and fulfilled the young child’s wish, and, it’d, helped shown the mother the compassions.

China is currently being HIT by the waves of the pandemic, there’s the cold meds shortages, my older sister who lives in China couldn’t get the meds, and asked if I could mail a couple of packs of cold meds, or the Chinese herbal cure remedies for MERS-CoV.  I bought a few boxes of Theraflu, and, there was only, a box of the Chinese herbal cure remedy left, I’d bought it, and thought, I should probably, mail one more does, and as I passed through the traditional Chinese medicinal shop, I’d gone in to inquire if there are the ingredients, and as the owner heard I was mailing them to across the strait, he’d pulled out two bottles from the back, told me that there are only, two bottles remaining, that he won’t sell them, only give them to those who are in need; and told me, this was made from the same ingredients of the Chinese herbal remedies to treat MERS-CoV, that from before when the pandemic was hitting us hard, he’d given away so many bottles, not asking for money for them.  I am so appreciative for the shop owner’s compassion, and grateful that he’d held no discrimination toward China, and was willing to help me help my own sister.

In the past year, although, the nine-in-one election had shaken up the communities here, I’m still more than grateful for all the loves, all the wonderful things I’d encountered, I hope, that the new dawn of the new year will light the path of our future, I hope, that the pandemic, wars, and inflations, will all be over, soon.

And so, despite how the world is really bad, overall, there are still, those tiny moments of hope that sparked, that lights people’s heart up, like this woman’s encounter, and that just showed, how kindness still starts small, from individuals, and then, it will hopefully, spread out, and, if we interact, relate to one another in this mean, I’m sure that this will speed the healing process of the planet up too.

Giving Them a Hand, Liao Helped the Homeless Get Back on Track

The amazing work of a social worker from this foundation, helping the homeless population, and educating the members of the public, to be more tolerant, more accepting to those who aren’t, with as much resources, off of the Newspapers, translated…

The Homeless Taiwan Association’s female social worker, Liao, started working to help rehome the homeless population four years ago, she believes, that, everyone can be hit by the hard times; hoping to catch those who are in need in time, wanting to assist the homeless persons to break the vicious cycles of ending up on the streets, and also educating the public about the various faces of poverty, giving the help to the homeless, and help them find a better place in society.

Liao said, that her social work studies in the college years didn’t have a specialized department teaching her how to assist the homeless, after she’d graduated, she’d started working at the Samaritan Female Care Association of Taichung, and started getting involved in helping the female homeless population locally.  She’d worked with a moderately mentally decapacitated twenty-three-year-old woman who was homeless with her father, lived on the streets, then got placed in the shelters, and found work at a work center, it’d left a deep impression with her.

the social worker, teaching someone who’s homeless how to use a SmartPhone, photo courtesy of UDN.com

Homeless is a condition, NOT an identity, it can, happen to, anybody, from the societal level, it may be the pandemic, the financial crises, the changing in formation of the industries, which caused the middle age and older adults to become unemployed, and due to their age, their low levels of education, without a viable skill, they can easily turn to the streets; and there’s the other, personal factors, maybe due to illness, the lack of functioning in the homes, or the death of the parents, at age twenty, couldn’t find a viable way to make a living, no governmental, no external support, and in the end, ending up, on the, streets.

Liao said, assisting the homeless, other than helping them return back to society, she’d also wanted people to understand their predicaments, the foundation has the rehoming services, the medical, the employment assistance, and legal counseling, etc., etc., etc., and now, there’s the, “Scented Bathhouse” program, to allow the homeless to take a shower comfortably.

It’s not always easy, offering services to the homeless, Liao also felt defeated, if there were only, two, three successful cases, but the rest all fall back into the homeless state of, being, sometimes, when the organization give out the resources in the nights, for instance, if they’d started eating the meals as they received, this may be the individuals’ first meal, and sometimes, the passersby would start cussing them out, and believed, that it’s because the homeless are not working hard enough for their lives, that’s why they ended up, homeless.

Liao said, every generation is troubled by different things, seeing the struggles of the homeless population at the bottom of society, she hoped that everybody can live on with ease, it’s just, that there are different values, and different ways people make their own lives, matter, that the homeless aren’t at all, good for nothings, if everybody can try and understand that there are others who are different than s/he is, and be accepting to one another, then, this world will be a better place for all.

And so, this is the amazing work of this social worker, she’d helped those who are homeless for whatever reasons to get back on their own two feet, and she’s now, trying to help those in the society understand, that there’s more to the homeless population, than the fact, that they’re, wandering the streets, that they all have their, stories to share.

The Homeless Weathering the Winter, the Misunderstood Gazes Felt Colder than the Harsh Winter Winds

The observations, of someone who HAS, that roof, over his head, the interactions with the local homeless populations, off of the Front Page Sections, translated…

The winter sun finally showed its face, I’d gone to the gazebo of my local park to have my picnic, there was a middle aged man lying on the benches, sleeping, peacefully, everything is, serene.

Then suddenly, a police officer barged into the park, first, he’d, started filming the man who was asleep on the bench, then, waken him up using a loud voice.  The man woke in shock from his reams, not known, what had, happened?  The officer explained, “I’m showing care and concerns for you!”, then, disappeared, in a flash.  I didn’t know whether to laugh or to be shocked, this sort of “care”, surely, it’s, awakening all right!

The police may mistaken that he was a member of the homeless in the community, but, from what he had one, and what he took with him, he may be a member of the local communities, just out for a walk at the park, and saw that the weather’s nice, and lay down on the park benches to, sleep a bit.  And, this “lying flat down” move of his, caused the officer to mistake him for a homeless man.

This way of showing cares and concerns for the homeless population, no wonder, all the homeless people had escaped out of this, particular, park!  There were the female homeless persons who’d, selected to camp out in the public restrooms instead.

This seemingly shiny, glorious society, is actually, a desert for the lesser, they’d relied on the kindness of others to keep themselves alive, they’re all, nomads in the city here.  Those with the resources, write out the rules of the game of survival that only benefitted themselves, willing to sacrifice more employees to win, those with the families to provide for, those who want to keep a regular work, sleep schedules……..are most often, the losers, some may become members of the scam artist rings; those who’d fallen, to the bottom of the food chains of this society, might actually be those who refused to sell their souls, those who refused to go against their own, conscience.

Due to the high cost of housing, and the gaps between the rich and the poor widening, now, even those who are just out of colleges wanted to just lay flat, how can we blame the homeless for not working hard enough?  Treating the homeless who didn’t know how to fight back, as the damaged goods of the results of the progression of the society; in this crazy world, there are those who appeared bright and shiny, but had been rotten down in the cores, those are the truly, broken.

winters are getting even harder for those without a roof over their, heads!

this is all, that those at the bottom of the society can do, to keep themselve alive, through the cold winters…photo from online

I’d gone to Taichung for a trip from before, went to a local park to get some sun.  Before I’d left, I’d gone to use the restrooms, saw an older man at the sink, washing up a heavy coat, that brand new looking faucet, with not enough water coming out of it, the man worked hard, cleaning his clothes, like he was, trying to, wash away his, identity too.  I’d gone outside, saw a few of his article of clothing exposed out in the open at the corner of the park, I’d returned back to inquire, “it’s already winter now, the thick coat, without the washing machines to wring it dry, you may need at least, two, three days for it to dry out completely, what’ll happen to you when you get cold at night?”, those who are down and out, had no choice, the man smiled and told me, “I’ll fare just fine!  It’ll be, okay!”

I’d served my armed service terms in Taichung from before, and personally experienced the horrifying temperature change from day to night, once I was on shift as a standing guard in the middle of the nights, I’d had my army outfit fully on, with a large coat, it still wasn’t enough, and even after I’d put my raincoat on, I was still, shivering underneath.

I’d asked the man, if he wanted a sleeping bag?  He’d nodded.  But, I can’t get one for him, and so, I’d, taken my brand new feather filled coat I bought recently that I was wearing to him.  These past few years, I’d given out, several of my coats already, if I couldn’t purchase the sleeping bags these homeless in the community needs, that’s what I’d, done for them.  The elderly man kept pushing the coat away, but took it because I’d insisted.  Without the coat, I was, suddenly attacked by the colder winds, and, fearing the cold, I’d often gotten ill because of it, and I can’t imagine, how these homeless on the streets are, weathering the cold of the days and nights of winter.

From before, there bus station at Jen-Ai Road, the sky bridges had many homeless persons camping out on it, some had kept the dogs too.  Most may wonder, when you can even keep yourselves full anymore, why would you want to have a dog?  Because dogs don’t discriminate against the homeless, and they’d offered warmth of their bodies to the homeless in the cold, dark nights.  And now, the bridge was being, torn down, I’d wondered where would those homeless people, go?

The attitudes toward the homeless in the city of Taipei had changed a lot, but only in the regions where the massive numbers of homeless population gathered, and, those who are alone, are faring way, way worse, and the homeless in the other cities, I can’t even begin to imagine what life would be like for them!

Or maybe, what chilled people to the bones wasn’t the cold winds of winter, but those misunderstandings, misconceived notions we have of the homeless population.

And so, this, is how the bottom half of this society worked very hard, to keep themselves alive, and warm, as best as they possibly can, in the winter seasons, and, there are more living on the streets now than before, because of the bad economy, and, when we, ordinary people can’t even make our own ends meet, how would we have the spare changes, the extra mind, to give and pay to these, people who are actually, the most in need, now that winter’s, getting colder by the days in the world right now?