Grateful Toward the Free Umbrellas, He’d Used One, and Returned Five Back to the Place

Kindness flowed around in this neighborhood all right, from the Newspapers, translated…

The umbrellas provided for those who need, either that the umbrellas would get forgotten somewhere, or that they don’t get returned back at all, and, the number of these free-for-use umbrellas are declining in the numbers, but, the free umbrellas for the use of those who may need in Shi-Chiu Borough, Keelung kept growing in number, the locals not only would return the borrowed umbrellas, they’d even, donated some from their homes too, a local person because he was very grateful for the compassion umbrellas, allowing him to not get wet on a rainy day, he’d returned FIVE back to the office, everybody there chips in, in this effort to show compassion.

Lin, the man in charge of the borough had placed a row of compassion umbrellas out by his office, and, a year ago, there were only one-digit number of the umbrellas, but now, there are, over twenty, and the ones that got broken, would be recycled, and on the rainy days, the locals would borrow it away, and when the weather gets better, they’d returned them.

Lin said, it rains a lot in Keelung, and there would be the local residents who’d gone to the marketplaces that were rained on, and couldn’t get home, he’d had the thought of placing the “compassion umbrellas” so everybody can get home without getting wet.

And because the office is on the way to the marketplace, when the man in charge of the borough saw a person without an umbrella, he’d bring one to her/him, and said, “Don’t get wet, you’ll catch a cold!”, it’d made the locals feel warm inside.

“The compassion umbrellas are very practical”, a resident, Yu told, once he’d forgotten to take his umbrella and was drenched, thanks for the umbrellas, he didn’t get too wet.

Most of the users would usually return the umbrella the very next day after they took it home, and there were a lot who showed their gratitude by bringing an extra umbrella to return back to the office.  A local, Lai said, “Everybody is a part of this kindness, I’d donated an umbrella too.”

Lin said that there were locals who’d donated five umbrellas at a time, and not left her/his name, just told him, “it’s to help those in need”, it’d moved him so, and so, he’s passing on the program.

A lot of the volunteers at the points all brought their extra umbrellas, so this work of kindness keeps on rolling.

So, kindness is also infectious, because someone was aided, and so, the person showed gratitude by returning the “favor”, so those in need would have it available to them, and, this is just in ONE small borough here, but, imagine how much good this could accomplish, if several boroughs start doing this, kindness is still, cycling here…

 Still NOT my photograph…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The Elderly Woman Was on a Cart, Being Transported to the Hospital in the Hot Weather, the Passersby Were Extremely Kind, Put Up Shades So She Won’t Get Overheated

Help from strangers, goodness in the world here, from the Front Page Sections, translated…

The owner of the roadside food stand, the truck driver, the young man who volunteered for the local worships put up the money and gave the assistance, were reported for doing good?  “There’s no need to put our good deeds out there.”

The eighty-year-old elderly woman, Lin two days ago, lay on her flatbed transport, her daughter rode her motorcycle, and dragged the flatbed, with her on it, to the hospital, the oyster-fry shop owner, the truck driver, and a young man who volunteered at the temple celebrations witnessed this, they’d put up the money, to get the elderly woman to the hospital, and installed warning lights on her flatbed, and this once again, showed that heartwarming stories are still, occurring throughout Taiwan.

The elderly woman, Lin, lived on the third floor of a housing unit with her fifty-eight year-old daughter, they’d picked up recycle materials to make ends meet, and because it’d become hard, for the elderly to climb up the stairs, she’d often slept in the cart that she’d used to haul off the recycling materials with.

The elderly woman has a debilitating condition, every two months, she’d needed to go to Changgang Hospital in Chiayi to see her physician, but, they were without money for a cab, each and every time, the daughter would ride on her motorcycle, pulling along the flatbed, and she’d ride for eighteen kilometers, to get her mother to her doctor’s appointment.  And because her elderly mother is sitting on the flatbed, she’d ridden her motorcycle very slowly, and, each time, the trips took them over an hour each way.

Two afternoons ago, around five, the mother and daughter showed up as they’d passed through the Chingtien Temple, and was spotted by the oyster fry stand owner, Hou, and the truck driver, Chen.

“I could tell, by one look, that they’re not well off!”, the driver, Chen told, the mother daughter were parked by the side of the road, the elderly woman was without any mobility, lay, slanted, on the cart, and, other than the quilt that was beside here, there was also, a store-bought packed lunch; the elderly woman’s daughter was sweating like crazy, panted, told that she’d ridden for forty minutes, she’d become overheated and tired, she stopped, to rest.

The owner, Hou and the pickup driver, Chen decided to put up the money, so the elderly woman could be transported via a cab, and, a couple of the young men from the temples saw, and they all went to help out.

The youth from the temple, Huang said, everybody worked together, some flagged down the cab, some accompanied the elderly on the ride, some rode alongside the daughter, to help the elderly cross the streets, he’d bought a flashing light, placed it at the tail of the flatbed.

Huang said, that the cab driver was kind too, kept waiting for them at the hospital, and then, he took the elderly woman home.  The trip cost five hundred dollars, but the men gave the driver an extra hundred dollar bill.

The group of young men were asked, “Can we mention your act of kindness on the papers?”, everybody frowned and said, “This, is what we can do to help out, there’s no need, to make it known to the world.”

And here, we still have kindness from strangers, because they saw this elderly woman who was in need, and, they all chipped in, to offer her assistance, and, this, is a heartwarming story, in this world that’s growing colder every single day, as there are so many awful things happening in the world right now, and we need MORE stories like this one, to keep our faiths up.

Angels Came Knocking

Kindness can still be found all over the places, translated…

Growing up, in a poverty-stricken time, I’d often gone to Sunday schools with the older kids from my village, memorized the verses from the Bible, sent the blessings………colored in the pictures with the angels on the cards, and, took the bus fares (we’d walked home and saved the money for the bus fares for candies and cookies), even the pastors’ and the fathers’ praises, and their warm hands on our heads.

Until when I’m older, I’d started taking up the rituals of Buddhism, compared to how Christianity and Catholicism had told us to be kind to others, Buddhism also taught me not to discriminate other religions, to show as much respect to it as I would my own religion, it’s the consciences that everybody should be keeping.  And so, if you ask me, are there angels, buddhas?  Without any hesitation, I’d tell you “YES!”

Reasons?  That’s quite simple, because I’d met them, so many of them too.

A Small Wish Became a Huge Torch

This angel I’m about to introduce to you, I’d always called him Mr. K, because I fear, that he wouldn’t want anybody else to know, that he has a set of wings.  But, because the times had changed, and, we may need to revise some of our outdated beliefs.  I believe, that “good deeds needed to be known”, we must incorporate this cycle of kindness in the atmosphere; we must use the love, the kindness of angels, to chase away the trickeries of the devils.

His last name is Sun, from Hualien, everybody called him by his English name: Calvin.

That year, because the program, “Light Up” I produced was lacking in funds again, and, although we’d set up a foundation, to get more funding from the outside world, but, the budgets from every single program, couldn’t allow us to slow down and take a breather, and, the speed to which we’d received the funding are usually, left, quickly behind by the expense department, after three months of continual “drought”, the younger employees from the company told me, that two years ago, when we were “hitting the walls”, wasn’t there a man from the internet, who’d stated that he was willing to sponsor the show?  I’d told the worker, later on, we were able to get enough funding, and we’d turned the man down, and now, we go back to ask him to donate, he may not be willing anymore.  The young person replied, how would you know if he’s willing if you don’t ask him?

After the meeting, I’d immediately gone “fishing” in the pond of e-mails, for that letter, and, finally, I’d found it.  And I’d written a letter, asking him for assistance, the man told me he was willing to put the money up for a season (13 episodes).  I’d read and reread the letter so many times, still in disbelief, because he had yet to discuss with me, the requirements of his donations yet, we’d had so many incentives to give to our donors, including putting the names on the end of the shows, the thirteen-volume DVDs……………he’d turned it all down, but, in the very end, he still couldn’t say no, and he’d only agreed to one thing: at the end of every episode, used his deceased mother’s name, to help Light Up carry on the work.

Later on, I’d learned, that since several decades ago, he’d been a faithful viewer of the show, he was moved by the stories we’d reported, there was a woman, Wu, from Hualien who, in order to save the young prostitutes, had a bounty on her head by the mafia, it’d caused her to have severe depression, and still, she wouldn’t loosen her grip on trying to help save those young underage prostitutes.  He said, back then, he’d made a promise to himself, if he had the chance, he will sponsor the program.  Not knowing, that his small promise to himself had caused a huge torch to be burning later on.

Three months’ funding was like the time it took, to drink up a cup of bubble tea, in an instant, seeing the bottom of the cup.  One day, he’d called us up, asked us if we managed to get the funding for the finishing of the show?  I’d told him, ashamed, not yet.  And he didn’t think that long, and added three more months of donations immediately.  I was stuttered, told him, that he was the CEO of a company, that he could use the name of his company to donate to the show.  He’d replied, that there were too many shareholders, and it would be hard, to convince them one by one, it’d be easier, if he’d done it on his own.  I’d kept him on the phones, told him, that “Light Up” is a show that focuses on gratitude, that we’d gotten such huge donations from him, and we’d never even seen him before, and never said thank you to him in person, I asked him if it was okay that I paid him a visit one day?  He was so quick, said yes right away, and immediately, we’d signed on a date, for him to come to the show.

The Lights of the Angels Continued Lighting the Way

The mornings in January in Taipei feels freezing, on the morning that we’d agreed upon, I’d waited by the side of the road, with this warmth that’s flowing from my heart.  I’d started guessing, that if he didn’t drive an imported car, it would be a high-end Japanese car, I’d looked left and right for awhile, then, an old car, covered in dirt pulled up, I’d not given it a second look.  But, a middle aged man came out, with a bag in hand, smiled, and walked toward me, without giving me time to react, he’d started, said that he’d checked me out, that I wasn’t some scam artist.  I’d asked him to come upstairs, he’d said no, said that we’re all very busy, there’s no need to entertain.  He’d handed me this handbag that he had, I was stunned, he’d explained, that it’s almost the New Year’s, that we must be short on cash, that, was all cash, that we should put it to good use right away………I don’t recall if I’d said thank you, but, I’d remembered, the moment I walked into the office, everybody in the office was screaming, as if a bomb just dropped on the building, then, they’d all nodded and agreed, that an angel did knock on my doors.

Because of his help, I’d decided to widen up Light Up even more, to not keep it in Taiwan, to help the field of vision of the Taiwanese people to be bigger, to see how big the world actually is.  We’d gone to Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, etc., etc., etc., through the program, we bore witness to how the Chinese from areas worked so hard, to maintain their culture; we’d also gone to Sichuan, to that place that’s been torn apart, to give warnings to those who are in the earthquake regions in Taiwan, that we must start respecting the land, to not overuse it; we’d also rushed to northeast Japan, and bore witness to the lessons that the earthquakes, the tsunamis taught to us……I will never forget, that night in Brunei, as I teared up, wrote my thank you letter to him, thanked him for helping us continue our good work, the very next day, he wrote back, said that he will do everything he could, to accompany “Light Up” longer still.

At the end of 2012, he’d notified me, that he will take some of the funding he’d given to our programming, and put it in a funding to help the younger generations to start their own business, seeing how hard it is, for the younger generations to find a job.  And, it took just a few months’ time, and I saw how the program he’d helped the younger generations start, become a growing agricultural industry quickly enough, and at the same time, those who were helped by him also hollered for their companions to join in, and slowly, it’d become their own successful realms too.

As we parted, he’d told me, that no matter how hard the road up ahead gets, I must not give up easily.  I’d promised him too, that I will NOT let him down.

He’d sponsored our program for two years and three months, gave us the motivations to keep going.  Am I not lucky enough, to meet such an angel with a heart and compassions?

I also hope, to pass on this blessing to you, hope, that you can watch out for someone else in need, to keep passing hope to those you meet up.  I truly believe, that one day, you too, will hear that knocking on your front doors, then, you’ll see, an angel, with wings, flapping, smiling at you…………

So, it’s with this man’s kindness, that the programming was continued, and, the programming was on bringing about hope to the rest of the community, and, this man who helped out saw that there’s a need, and so, he’d provided the funding for the program, that’s kindness all right!

The Students from N.T.U. Sold Handmade Soaps to Help Those Who are Living on the Edges of the Society

Good deeds, caught on “tape”, from the Newspapers, translated…

Four students from N.T.U. set up the group, “NTUtopia” platform, worked with the not-for-profit organization of “Community Village”, helped those who lived on the edges of the society, they not only set up the handmade soap gift box sets, they’d even push forth the products to the EMBA Alumni Group of NTU to be used as the gifts of the Alumni Group’s meetings; they’d raised funds from the online community as well, and gotten the monetary supports from multiple enterprises, so the not-for-profit organizations can have more funds to do what they need to do.

“Community Village” is located in Taoyuan, and, it specializes in placing those individuals that don’t fit the criteria of being placed in homes, or those who are abandoned by the society, couldn’t take care of themselves, like homeless people, or those who had gone through huge trials in their lives, orphans, those who are mentally ill and couldn’t find a place to live in.

One of the members of the NTUtopia, Jia said, that “Community Village” does not receive monetary assistance from the government, and, although the public makes small donations, the village also sell their own handmade soaps, secondhand books, sell the recycling materials, but, the money it brings in is still not quite enough, to care for the over a hundred homeless members’ living expenses.

Jia said, that she and her group had visited numerous not-for-profit organizations, but, the “Community Village” was one that impressed them the most, the members of her group saw six elderly who are disabled, with illness, all cramped, inside a small room, it’d made the students feel bad.  After the students learned of the situation that the “Community Village” was faced with, they’d decided to do something for them.

In order to earn more profit, the “Community Village” taught the student to make handmade soaps, so they could have a viable skill, but Jia said, that they’d found that the soap the “Community Village” made are almost invisible, and plus, the packaging wasn’t attractive that it is really hard, to get the consumers to buy, and so, she and her group had helped develop gift sets, and introduced the product to the NTU EMBA Alumni Group, and the soap gift boxes became the take-home presents for the initiation of the new president of the Alumni Group, and this was, the very first step, to sell the handmade soaps to the outside world.

NTUtopia also set up a fundraiser for “Community Village” on its online platform, find the enterprises sponsors for them, at the same time, they’d put the products that “Community Village” make at the N.T.U. Arts Festival too, slowly, getting the products on the maps, which helped the group get more funds from individual donors.  Jia said, next, they are going to help other foundations which aren’t well-known to the community, but are in desperate need of funding, to make the rest of the world notice.

And so, this, is from a student set-up organization that’s doing all of this, because a need is realized, and, someone took the initiatives, to make the needs of the group known to the rest of the public, and that still just shows, how far one small thought can go.

A Woman Who Looked After Someone at the Hospitals, Free of Charge

Giving, without wanting OR expecting anything in return, knowing that she’d made a difference, that, was enough for her, translated…

Awhile ago, I’d gone often, to the hospital, to visit my relative who fell ill, I saw a plain-looking, smiling older woman, in and out of the ward close by.  I’d heard the head nurse told, that this woman helped as a bedside assistance, but doesn’t charge the people who looked after, she specializes in caring for those who couldn’t afford to hire a bedside assistant, or those elderly who lived alone, and, the days passed by quickly.

I was in awe, at how much she was willing to give to the world, after all, most who’d worked as an around-the-clock caretaker do it for the money, but she had, taken care of the ill, whom she’d never been in contact from before, free of charge, she could be an angel for all we know.

Later on, as I’d struck up a conversation with her, I’d learned, that she’d worked as a manager for the banking systems and had once, walked on Wall Street too, and now she’s retired, she’d become a volunteer caretaker.

Reason why there was this drastic change to her life was because as she’d started working, she’d fallen super ill, and, because there was, a kind volunteer who looked after her, that, was how she was able to recover; and ever since, she’d made up her mind, that one day, she will, give back to the world.  As she was working, she’d often donate her wages to the hospitals, to help those who are too poor to pay for the treatments; after she retired, she’d had the time, and earned her caretaker’s certification.

In the hospitals, I’d often seen the family members showing their gratitude toward the older woman, she’d always replied that it was no big deal, that helping the patients make their full and speedy recovery, is what she’d wished for.  All of these family members and patients all promised her, that they will cherish each and every day from now on, working hard, to give back to the world, that her heart on them, will not, go to waste.

The older woman said, although being a volunteer caretaker doesn’t pay, and she’d often had to take money out of her own pockets, but she felt fulfilled on the inside; being able to help someone else heal up, so they’d start smiling once more, it’d made her life filled with meanings.  I believe, that in everybody’s thoughts, she had managed, to plant some kindness, and, one day in the future, these fruits of kindness will eventually be reaped, making this world even better.

And so, this, is how an act of kindness can affect someone else, and change into many, many, many acts of kindness, the cycle of kindness is rolling, because of this woman’s own life experiences, and her willingness to give back to the world that we live in.

Rescue that Came on Time

Translated…

Going to school in Kaohsiung, a motorcycle IS a necessity, this, was from the experienced I’d gained, over the four years.  Once, I’d driven a friend to take the high speed trains, and on my way home, my gas meter stopped working, and when I’d realized that I was out of gas, it was, already too late.  In the midnight hours, I’d taken my motorcycle, walked along southward, feeling sorrow for myself.

Then, a car pulled up, “Hey bud, what can I help you with?”, it was, a woman in her forties.  “Oh, your motorcycle broke down.  Just park it by the side of the road, and get into my car.”

The woman bought a bottle of water, told me to drink it up, then, used the empty bottle, took it to a gas station, and, filled it up, she’d even paid for the gas.  “It’s no big deal, the cost is equivalent to a can of beer anyway.”  She’d patted me on the shoulders, as she’d told me.

“Where are you from?”, she’d asked.  “I’m from Taipei.”  “I’m from Pingdong.  People who live away from their home should look out for one another.  You can go to that super convenience shop outside of your school, I’ll treat you to a cup of coffee, that, is where I work, I’m taking the night shifts there.”, then, she’d rode off on her motorcycle as she waved goodbye to me.

Turns out, the stories in the textbooks, about how people help each other out is for real, and I was lucky enough, to encounter it that day.  After we’d left the books, as well as the schools, who, will remember all of that?   I’d made up my mind, to offer a helping hand, to those in need too.  With this warmth in my chest, I’d ridden my motorcycle, back to my dormitory.

And so, this, is how kindness gets passed along, you offered a helping hand to someone, and, the person you’d helped felt grateful, and, becomes more than likely to offer a helping hand to someone else, and that, is how the cycle of kindness will keep on rolling!

The Happiness Fund for the Little Boy

The ins and outs from life, translated…

Had it not been for the reminder of the teacher, I could’ve NEVER known, that this little boy who’s standing before me, was from such an unfortunate background.

On my daughter’s fifth grade field trip, I was invited to go along, other than helping her homeroom instructor, maintain the order of the class, there was a little boy, with his head shaved and shiny eyes, who caught my gaze.

In the free time, the little boy approached me, asked me curiously who I was?  Where I lived?  He’d helped me taken care of the odds and ends, when ALL of his other classmates ran off to play in the game rooms, his helpful manner deeply touched me.

After the teacher told me in private, that, was when I’d learned, that the little boy was a transfer student from somewhere else.  He was from a broken home: his father was a drug addict, frequented in and out of jail a lot; his mother, in order to keep her five kids away from the husband, from getting beaten up by him, placed them into an orphanage.  And, the teacher heard, that his mother was diagnosed with something terminal too.

After hearing, I’d learned, that the orphanage this little boy is living in is close by the school, and I’d phoned the orphanage, asked the director of the orphanage, if there’s anything I can do to help out.  After I’d had a conversation with the director, I’d learned that there are a lot of people who are unseen, unnoticed, like this little boy.

The call I made, it was, right before the New Year’s Eve, I’d looked up at the sky, kept praying for the sake of the little boy.  I’d made a wish: in the future New Year’s to come, other than giving my family members their red envelopes, I’m also going to open up a compassion account, called, “the Little Boy’s Happiness Fund”: to give out red envelopes anonymously to the children in the orphanage, hope that they get out of their bad situations soon, to get the love from families who love them, to have complete happiness that surrounds them.

And so, this, is from the interaction with the world, the woman felt sad for the predicament of that little boy, which caused her empathy to kick into effect, which then, drives her to act, and she’s helping the kids in the orphanage now.