Fortune Cookies

Fortune Cookies
Sun's Restaurant is located in the center of San Mateo town. The business owner, is a couple, came from Kaohsiung city of Taiwan to cook and to do everything all the year without holiday.
At the Christmas Eve, American families got together at home to celebrate their greatest festival and Chinese crowded in Chinese restaurants to hold a family party. We came to dinner in the restaurant.
After 1949, Taiwanese meal mixed everywhere of Chinese Northern and Southern to change a special foremost meal. It's delicious to most of thinking of home customers. When we started at the restaurant near five months ago ,
we felt the manager's kindness and enthusiasm like a family . Now we said goodby and a bless to the hard work couple.
At the end of the dinner, we got four fortune cookies . Every cookie had one fortune note inside. Such as " Every burden is a blessing." "Deep faith eliminates fear." "Don't wait for success, start ahead without it." "Enhance your karma by being kind to everyone you encounter."
In spite of believing or not, it's fun and popular at Chinese restaurants of California.
幸運餅乾
老孫餐館位於聖馬刁市中心。餐館老闆是一對來自台灣高雄的夫婦，他們包辦煎煑炒炸及內外場，全年無休。
在聖誕夜，美國人的家庭都在家裡聚餐慶祝他們的重大節日，中國人群聚中國餐廳擧辦家族聚會，聖誕夜我們來到餐廳吃晚餐。
一九四九年以後，台灣飲食混合了中國大江南北的菜色，而發展出獨具特色的一流料理，對想念家鄉的顧客而言，它尤其美味可口。我們初次踏進這家餐廳是近五個月前，感覺老闆夫婦親切熱情像家人，今天我們來道別並祝福這對勤奮的夫婦。
餐後我們拿到四個幸運餅乾，每個餅乾內都附有一張幸運紙條，寫著" 每一個負擔都是一種祝福。" " 信仰消除恐懼。" " 向前行，不要等待成功。" " 善待你遇到的每一個人，將增添果報。"
不管相信與否，這是很好玩的，在加州的中國餐廳非常流行。

Tainan Girls' Middle School in Memory

 
Michelle and her husband are visiting to us .She is my classmate- RongRong's daughter. I was familiar with her mother and grandmother over fifty years. Their family females are the same schoolmates. Seeing Michelle reminded me to remember our mother school.
Provincial Tainan Girls' Middle School was established during the Japanese
rule of Taiwan. The historic red mansion building and palm trails stood in our mind forever. Wax apple trees, mango trees and dragon eye trees.....lots of fruits trees filled with the campus and in our memories. Being the first choice for girls in southern Taiwan, We were the lucky girls through the teenager for six years（1956-1962）.
In that time ,we learned either science and social courses or sewing,swimming,
music, paint,folk dance and athletics. The school library provided many books to lend to us. There were many school activities on campus. We received a balance education on mind and body.
We love our school and deeply appreciate teachers' kindness. We are precious
the over fifty years friendship of classmates and hope our children becoming
good friend and supporter in abroad.
懷念台南女中
Michelle和她的丈夫來拜訪我們。她是我的同學榮榮的女兒，我認識她的母親和祖母已五十多年，她們家的女性都是台南女中校友，看到她不由得想念起我的母校。
省立台南女中成立於日據時代，她頗具歷史的紅樓建築和椰林步道永遠屹立在我們心中。蓮霧樹，芒果樹和龍眼樹等，校園種滿了果樹，也種在我們的記憶中。做為南台灣的第一女校，我們六年的少女時代是何等幸運（1956-1962）。
在那個年代，我們學習的課程包括數理科，社會科及縫紉，游泳，音樂，美術，土風舞，體育。學校圖書舘提供豐富的藏書給我們借閱。校園經常擧辦各種活動。我們接受了平衡的身心教育。
我們愛我們的學校，也深深欣賞懷念老師的春風化雨。我們珍惜超過五十年的同學友誼，也希望我們的子女能成為好朋友，在海外能互相扶持。

Winter Solstice

Winter Solstice
Yesterday was winter solstice. The neighbor Marlak gave us a box of gingerbread, which was baked by herself. She made gingerbread man and many different styles cakes. She said," The gingerbread cakes are the king of cakes in cold winter. " That felt like to eat sesame oil chicken with ginger and rice wine in the winter of Taiwan. The ingredient of ginger original produce in South Asia can keep our body warm in the cold winter. In America, gingerbread is particular associated with Christmas.
Yesterday was the important " Winter Solstice Festival ". In Chinese lunar, a day was both of the longest night and the shortest day . We made boiled balls of glutinous rice flour, were eaten during the cold night. Passed the day, people prepared to fix house and to save food taking a good happy lunar new year.
PC 'vocation starts from this day to January 1 next year. American are happy to welcome New Year.
Yesterday,December 21 /2012, according to Maya's prophecy, the day was at the end of the world .Today morning, we find that nothing happened. We still survive.
冬至
昨天是冬至，鄰居瑪拉克送給我們一盒她親手做的薑餅。她做了薑麵人和許多不同形狀的薑餅。她說薑麵餅是寒冬餅乾之王。那感覺好像在台灣冬天吃加了老薑，米酒的蔴油雞。薑原產於南亞的食材，可幫助我們在寒冬保暖身體。在美國，因寒冬薑麵餅和聖誕節有了特別的聯結。
昨天是中國農曆的冬至節，是夜最長日最短的日子。我們用糯米粉做湯圓，在寒夜煑來吃。中國人過了冬至，就開始準備修繕房子，儲存食物，迎接一個好的快樂的農曆新年。
PC的假期從今天開始到明年一月一日。美國人正快樂的迎接新年。
昨天是二0一二年十二月二十一日，根據馬雅預言，這天是世界末日，今天早上，我們發現什麼事也沒發生，我們仍然存活。

New Learning

New Learning
We wanted to take care of Jeany and her new born baby coming to America. We never thought of learning how to use iPad. To take pictures, to write blog, to send e-Mail, to answer to Skype,and to put pictures on Facebook...all let us feel like that we go abroad to study.
I was writing my homework in blog day by day. PC said, " You may throw out your old dictionary, if you want to know something to search Google." This idea was rude but useful. The dictionary is on iPad,and the books are on iPad, even the pictures are on iPad.....My generation faces the change to turn over my precious things and I know that the future will face more challenges.
NR brought a compass and a piece of map to walk around the city and he wrote an essay on his blog to remark the trip of Forster City. Jeany found Blogger's app and taught us to load up the pictures on blog easily.
At the age of seventy ,we ever thought to live a simple life. We neither care the new product nor care how to use. This trip of learning life is a happy accident.
新的學習
我們為了要照顧Jeany和她的新生兒來到美國。我們從不曾想到要學習使用iPad。照相，寫部落格，發電子郵件，用Skype講話和上傳相片到臉書等，所有這些學習讓我們感覺像是出國留學。
我每天在部落格上寫家庭作業。PC說," 你可以扔掉你的老字典，要知道什麼去搜尋谷歌。"這念頭實在粗魯但真是有用。字典就在iPad上，書在iPad上，甚至相片也在iPad上----。我的這一代面對巨大的改變，我們一向珍惜的事情被顚覆了，我知道未來我們將面對更多的挑戰。
NR帶了指北針和一張地圖去走訪福斯特市，並寫下短文在部落格紀錄這趟旅程，Jeany發現了部落格的指引，教我們容易上傳照片到部落格的方法。
來到七十高齡，我們曾想簡單過生活。我們既不關心新產品也不在意它們怎麼使用。這趟學習生活的旅程對我們是個快樂的意外。

A High Chair

A high chair
Miles is my fifth grandchild, I am happy to join my grandchildren's growth and ever gave a hand. By now, I still learn with new parents how to take care of a baby well. In spite of we have much experiences ,it hard to be an expert. Because every child is different ,we can do our best but can't hold everything.
Jeany bought a high chair to her son . From now, he sits in a safe chair which the height is above the dinner table, and feels eating with his family together. Let him learn how to eat on the fixed seat. I ever chased after my oldest grandson to feed a bowl of meal for several hours , then he was slow in everything. Changing the habit spends his parents many years.
A high chair might train a good habit to eat and will build a way to think of how to do well in anything. Even details are worthy of learning.
高腳椅
小麥是我的第五個孫子，我很高興能參與我孫兒們的成長並助一臂之力。直到現在，我仍跟新手父母學習如何將嬰兒照顧得更好。不管我們有多少經驗，還是很難成為專家。因為每個孩子不同，不管我們多努力還是無法事事圓滿。
Jeany帶回一張高腳椅給她的兒子。從今起，小麥坐在一張高度超過餐桌的安全座椅上，感覺他跟家人一起吃飯。讓他學習如何坐在固定位置上吃飯。我曾經追著大孫子餵一碗飯，餵了幾個小時，也養成他做每件事都拖拖拉拉，他的父母花了許多年的時間才把壞習慣改正過來。
一張高腳椅可訓練吃飯的好習慣，也讓我們在每件事情上，思考有什麼方法可以讓事情做得更好，即使是細節也值得學習。

My Christmas Card

My Christmas Card
When I was a little girl, I liked to go to church every Sunday morning. If I remembered a sentence of Bible that the priest had taught, I could get a Christmas card.
In all my childhood, I collected a lot of Christmas cards which were signed some names who to whom by English , I didn't know what meant in them .But I really loved these cards with snowy world. There were many pretty little houses with chimneys on sloping roofs, Santa Claus wearing red coat to drive his deers cart flew over the night sky .Sparkle stars and splendid Christmas trees brought me to a wonder- land.
When I was a teacher, I always appreciated plenty of Christmas cards flying into from everywhere of my students and my friends. I loved the greeting " Merry Christmas and Happy New Year" to each other.Every year ,to choose ,to send and to receive the Christmas cards were the happiest things. I decorated them on the wall of my living room and enjoyed them.
I didn't know what happened that the letters and greeting cards got less and the postman sent ad mails and bills instead of letters. Recently I seldom received any Christmas Card.
Today, I surprised that my family young generations are all active on Facebook.
我的聖誕卡
當我是一個小女孩時，每個星期日早晨我很喜歡去教堂。假如我能背出上禮拜牧師教導的聖經經句，我就能得到一張聖誕卡。
在我童年歲月中，我收集了許多聖誕卡，卡片內有英文簽了名寫了字，我不知道裡面說什麼。但是我真的喜歡這些雪世界的卡片，裡面有許多漂亮的小屋，斜斜的屋頂上立著煙囪，聖誕老人穿著紅外套，駕駛著馴鹿車飛越黑夜的星空。閃爍的星星，燦爛的聖誕樹，帶領我到奇妙的夢幻世界。
當我是一個老師時，我總是欣賞許多我的學生和朋友從各地飛來的聖誕卡。我愛彼此間的問候，"聖誕快樂!新年快樂! " 每一年，選卡片，寄卡片和收到卡片都是最快樂的事。我把聖誕卡裝飾起居室的牆壁上，時時享受欣賞。
我不知道為什麼我收到的信和致意的卡片越來越少，郵差送來的是廣告信函和帳單不再是信，最近我幾乎不曾收到聖誕卡。今天我驚訝的發現，我家族中的年輕世代都活躍在臉書上。

Fir Tree and Pumpkin

Fir Tree and Pumpkin
On October,every super-market sold pumpkins,coming from Northern America ,even gathered them in a big square. Many parents brought their children to choose some of them in the pumpkin's hills.
Then lots of different size pumpkins stood in line on outdoor or garden of most of American families.After several days, the pumpkins were carved a face with two eyes ,one nose and a big mouth. At the end of October,they were decorated with candles inside as a jack o' lantern to celebrate Halloween.
Till the fourth Thursday of November,all pumpkins became pumpkin pies lying on the dinner tables to celebrate Thanksgiving Day.
Fir trees appeared on the stage as pumpkins to claim that a great festival is coming. On the square, every fir tree was rolled up gathering.The air smelled of Fir trees. People go back and forth to search an elegant tree to decorate their living room for Christmas .
In Andersen fairy tales ,we read that a little fir tree grew in the forest, he was desirable to be decorated with glittering stars to live in a bright living room and hopeful to see the children's faces light up watching the presents at the Christmas Eve ,then......we felt sorrow for the last fortune of the little fir tree.
In Taiwan ,we celebrate Lamp Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, Moon Festival. All the popular festivals, except for having a glorious time at the party, we wish to share love with family and friends kindly .
樅樹和南瓜
十月裡，每一家超市都賣南瓜，甚至將來自北美各地的南瓜，集中在一個大廣場銷售。許多父母帶領他們的子女，在如小山的南瓜堆裡挑選南瓜。
然後見到多數美國家庭，門囗或花園列隊站立許多大小不同的南瓜。幾天後，這些南瓜被刻成一張臉，有兩個眼睛，一個鼻子和一個大嘴巴。到了十月底，它們內部被插了蠟燭做成一個個鬼傑克燈籠慶祝萬聖節。直到十一月第四個星期四，所有的南瓜做成了南瓜派，擺在慶祝感恩節的晩宴桌上。
當樅樹出現在舞台上，就像南瓜一樣，宣布一個盛大節日的到來。在廣場上，每一棵樅樹被捲成圓筒形，成堆放一起。空氣中散發著松香。人們來來回回的搜尋一棵最高雅的聖誕樹，去裝飾他們的客廳。
在安徒生童話中，我們曾讀到一棵生長在森林中的小樅樹，渴望能裝飾著閃亮的星星，生活在輝煌的客廳，享受聖誕夜孩子們看到禮物興奮發光的臉。然後呢?我們悲傷小樅樹最後的命運。
在台灣，我們慶祝元霄燈節，端午節，中秋節。所有受歡迎的民俗節慶，除了慶典時的光輝燦爛，我們更希望大家能和家人朋友親切的分享愛。

Life in the Bay Area

Life in the Bay Area

The Bay Area is either the richest or the poorest in California.  Many high technology companies need more workers of genius who are coming from other countries of the world. They will get high income and green card quickly , their demands  create many new consumption, such as Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Korean, Jewish market and business. Although a lot of master's or doctor's degree persons want to search suitable jobs are difficult.  People losing job or waiting job depend on saving are hard, especially most of American seldom have a habit of saving. For example, San Mateo County has hundreds stops to provide a free meal to homeless people. Any country is faced the problem of poverty even the richest.  

House-keeper, baby-sitter, nurse are the hot job.Though day care or nurse school the manager needs license .

After school, most of Chinese children learn Chinese, English, math, piano, violin, Kung Fu, tennis ..... So an expert on those courses is really need.

Some positive people explore many new field and found many chances.Some

negative people always look the dark side and upset. Up or down who knows?

生活在灣區
在加利福尼亞州，灣區是最富裕也是最貧窮的地方。許多高科技公司需要更多來自世界各地頂尖人才的員工。他們可獲得高薪，也很快取得綠卡。他們的需求創造許多新的消費，就如中國人，印度人，日本人，韓國人，猶太人的市場和商務。但是有許多碩士，博士卻很難找到適合的工作。人們失去工作或等待工作依頼儲蓄維生是很艱難的，何況多數美國人很少養成儲蓄的習慣。例如聖馬刁郡就有數百個服務站，提供免費餐食給無家可歸的人。任何國家都要面對貧困問題，即使富裕國家也不例外。
管家，保母，護士都是熱門工作，但是育嬰中心或安親班的管理者需要有執照。
放學後，多數中國的兒童要學中語文，英語文，數學，鋼琴，小提琴，功夫，網球等，專精於這些課程的人才是真正需要的。
正向思考的人探索許多新領域，也發現許多新機會。負面思考的人總是看到黑暗面而備感挫折。向上提升或向下沉淪，誰知道?

Distance

Distance

Over forty years ago ,my aunt and cousins moved to abroad, my classmates went abroad to study and lived in America.Since then I lost them ,because calling telephone or sending telegram were expensive and depending on airmails to connect was getting more or less. Even till my good friends passed away,my feelings were that they were going to a distant country farther than America .

Today, going abroad to study, to travel or to visit is not a heavy burden to most of middle class families of Taiwan.Recently e-Mail and Facebook shorten the distance between countries. We can see pictures and talk with them close to nearby.

Geography distance and mental distance are the feelings in time, degree, space and distance. We can shorten through the ways of technology and enjoy the change.

距離
四十多年前，我的阿姨和表弟妹移民美國，我的同學出國留學並定居美國。從此我就失去了他們，因為打電話或電報都很昂貴，僅靠航空信藕斷絲連。直到我的朋友過逝，我的感覺是她們去了遠方，去比美國更遠的地方。
今天，出國留學，旅行或拜訪，對台灣多數中產階級的家庭都不是沈重的負擔。最近電子通信和臉書縮短了國與國的距離。我們能夠看見相片也能對話，好像近在眼前。
地理的距離和心理的距離是一種感覺，是對時間，程度，空間和距離的感受。我們能夠透過科技的方法去縮短並享受這樣的改變。

Sweet Name

Sweet name

Miles is just four months old, he rolls over smoothly and lies on his stomach like a smile curve. He sticks up his hands and legs up and down rapidly but doesn't go ahead.

If you call him " Miles", he gives you a big smile immediately. He knows "Miles" at the start, but he doesn't  understand the name coming from his grandfather thinking over and over and naming " 張千里". 

Because of he was born in Dragon Year. According to Chinese Zodiac, Chinese dragon owns the highest dignity and honor. "千里 " as dragon flys far away in pursuit of a better life.

Carnegie,King of Steel, when he was ten years old, he had many little rabbits, he told children who fed the rabbits would name the bunnies in 

their honor. Then like a magic, all children took care of the rabbits after school. 

It is important to everybody however a name keeps company with a person all his life. Generally,a name is expressed that the aged gives the rising generation a great bless.

美好的名字
小麥已經四個月大，他能靈活的翻滾，他俯臥翹起雙手雙腳像微笑曲線，然後快速的上下撲動，但是無法前進。
假如你叫他" Miles ",他會立刻給你一個燦爛的笑。他開始知道Miles是叫他，但是不了解這名字是來自他祖父反覆思考命名的" 張千里 "。
因為他是龍年出生。根據中國的生肖，中國的龍擁有最受尊崇的威嚴和榮耀的品位，" 千里" 期望他能龍行千里，去追求更好的生活。
卡內基是美國鋼鐵大王，當他十歲時，他有了許多小兎子，他告訴孩子們誰餵兎子，將似他的名字為兎子命名，然後神奇的是，所有的孩子放學後都去照顧兎子。
可見名字對每個人都很重要，因為它陪伴我們一生。名字也是表達長輩對年輕世代最大的祝福。

ibook

iBook

I am reading a book" How to win friends and influence people." from ibook. It's hard due to my poor English. But it's convenient because of reading from iBook, just clicking.

Two years ago,we passed Santa Barbara and entered a famous book store-Borders. There were many books of novels and children stories, a special area of Jean Austen system novels in exhibition.I loved the classical atmosphere,but couldn't do anything to help the closed fortune. Shopping on line defeated the chain stores.

Technology brings efficient and convenient life. We must think of how to use it for improving life,not afraid of harm in living.

電子書
我正從電子書中讀一本書，書名是" 如何贏得友誼並影響人們 ".以我的英文程度讀起來實在有奌困難，但是從電子書看書還真方便，祇要奌一下。
兩年前，我們經過聖塔巴拉拉，進入一家很出名的書店一Borders。裡面陳列許多小說和兒童圖書，並設有一專區展售珍奧斯婷系列小說。我很喜歡這家古典氛圍的書店，但是對它即將結束營業的命運，完全無能為力。網路書店打敗了這家著名的連鎖書店。
科技帶來有效率和便利的生活。我們必需思考的是如何利用它改善生活，而不是害怕生活受到傷害。

Lemon Tree

Lemon Tree

Jeany and I took a walk on Sunday afternoon . We saw a  yellow lemon tree in 

the sunshine. Jeany sung a song, " I 'm turning my head up and down. I 'm turning turning turning turning turning around. And all that I can  see is just another lemon tree."

"So beautiful Lemon Tree, I love it."

 An American couple stood up and opened the gate and shook hands with us." That song is our song , when we were young ......I wonder how.I wonder why. Yesterday you told me about the blue blue sky. And all that I can see just a yellow lemon tree." They were singing merrily by the lemon tree, and talked about Fool's Garden with Jeany  in a great pleasure.

They picked two lemons to us and told us how to cook chicken with lemon inside. In American recipes use lemon instead of Chinese rice vinegar.

At all times ,there were popular singers and popular songs, that always reminded us happy memories of passing time. What's my song?

檸檬樹
Jeany和我星期日午後去散步，看到迎著陽光的黃色檸檬樹。Jeany隨口唱起," 我抬頭低頭，我轉啊轉我的頭，這樣我就能看到另一棵檸檬樹。"
" 好漂亮的檸檬樹，我好喜歡。"
一對美國夫婦站起來打開門，並和我們握手。" 那支歌是我們的歌，當我們年輕時---"
" 我想知道怎麼了，我想知道為什麼，昨天你告訴我有關藍藍的天空。我看見的僅僅是一棵黄檸檬樹。" 他們站在檸檬樹旁唱得很快樂，也極愉悅的跟Jeany談起當年主唱者Fool's Garden 。
他們摘下兩顆檸檬送我們，並告訴我們如何用檸檬塞進雞腹內烹調檸檬雞。美國食譜中常淋上檸檬汁替代中國人的米醋。
各個年代，都有受歡迎的歌星和流行歌，總能讓我們憶起往日情懷和歡樂時光。而我的歌是什麼?

Macy's Furniture Store

Macy's Furniture store

Macy's Furniture Store, is a huge showroom in San Mateo and provides a wide assortment products, include sofas and living room ,bedroom, dining room furniture.

Neither Extra 20% off +free shipping nor a one- year guarantee, my first 

impressions of the store are the good qualities coming from employee.

All workers look like retired men working a part- time or a second full- time

Job.They were honorable and polite to listen the customers with attention,then introduced the suitable furniture in patient. They replied any questions gently.
We liked the quiet atmosphere of the showroom and the good manner of employee.

In Taiwan, we hardly consider that some careers are fitting for the retired men wanting to work again. They may not be efficient like an Apple Store' worker, but they may achieve target effectively in some careers.

丨
梅西傢俱店
梅西傢俱店位於聖馬刁，有很大的展示空間，提供了各種各類的產品，包括沙發和起居室，臥室，餐廳的各種傢俱。
我對此傢俱店的深刻印象，旣不是八折加免運費的優惠，也不是一年保固。而是它的優良品質的員工。所有的員工看來都像退休人員作部分工時或二度就業的人，他們彬彬有禮，專注的傾聽客戶需求，然後很有耐心的介紹合適的傢俱。他們回答任何問題態度溫和。我們喜歡展示空間人多卻安靜的氛圍和員工的斯文有禮。
在台灣，我們很少考慮到有些行業適合退休後想再工作的人。他們也許不像蘋果總店的員工那麼有效率，但是在有些行業他們能更有效用的達成目標。

A Code of Identity

A Code of Identity

Along the Bay shore ,taking a walk is a pleasure time . There are many beautiful gardens, extraordinary colorful roses are the best scenery. Above all, the perfect difference of two gardens always catch my eyes .I wonder who are the owners?Isn't a Chinese? a  Japanese?

A garden was built a trellis latticework by wood,  then the vines of luffas climbed up and twisted with leaves and stems .After yellow flowers smiling in the warm sunshine, plenty of luffas were hanging from the vines.

And on other sides,was planted various vegetables, such as cabbages, green onions, sweet potatoes and onchais(空心菜).

Another garden was planted pine trees in order and cut into various styles. The stone lanterns of temple are around a small pond feeding several golden fishes. It appears a graceful,calm and artificial beauty.

Both of the gardens,seem telling some words, "my owners came from Eastern. In deep mind ,they had a code of identity."

認同密碼
沿著灣岸散步是非常愉快的時光。有許多美麗的花園，極鮮豔多彩多姿盛放的玫瑰是絶佳景色。其中有兩座完全不同風格的花園，總是吸引我的目光，佇足而思，這是誰家庭園?主人是中國人?日本人?
一個花園用木頭搭建一座絲瓜棚架，不久就看到絲瓜藤攀爬而上，纒繞著莖和葉，接著開出許多小黃花，在溫暖的陽光下微笑，慢慢的從藤蔓中垂掛下一條條絲瓜。
在另一邊種了各種蔬菜，像高麗菜，綠蔥，甘藷和空心菜。
另一個花園種了許多小松樹，排列整齊且修剪各種造型。養著金魚的小池塘周圍置放了幾座寺廟的石燈座。散發出優雅，寧靜，人工化的美麗。
這兩個花園似乎在訴說，我的主人來自東方，在內心深處存在著認同的密碼。

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