The West Mediterranean Shipping by MSC Splendida

The West Mediterranean Shipping by MSC Splendida

November19,2016 we took Turkish Airplane from Taipei to Istanbul,then transferred to Milano and changed tour bus to Genova boarding on MSC Cruise. MSC Splendida is a Fantasia-class cruise ship which Length 333m, Beam 37m ,Gross Tonnage137,936 ,Passengers3247，Crew1325.

We started from Genova, Christopher Columbus 's home, along Italian coach to Rome , and Palermo ,the capital of Sicilian, near to Southwestern Malta and crossed the West Mediterranean to Barcelona of Spain and up to Marseille of France,arrived at Genova, spent eight  days.

When the cruise arrived at a harbor ,all Asian passengers in different groups got off to take a trip around the city till the sunset . Otherwise,the European passengers with family members or senior couples, were enjoying coffeehouse ,swimming,warm springs,SPA,casinos,games ,healthy sports,music,theaters, restaurants.......in the cruise.I wondered if the European used to have a brunch or taste a cup of coffee in the sunshine beside the road and salty food ,too sweet dessert or fashionable and designed dark coats .It's a different life style.

Many centuries ago,Europe was the time of explorers and adventurers,they conquered the new lands and resources ,and created the wealthy paradise around the Mediterranean .There were grand and sparkle churches ,colosseum,  columns of buildings,splendid winners gates, springs with fine pieces of sculpture,and the famous artists and sculptors' works filled with the churches, museums,plazas,parks,even at the corner of the streets.

Near the harbor and river was the early development into a great town ,the rich men built prosperous buildings in stylish luxury. Walking in the scenes, seemed the time back to the ancient times full of opportunities and challenges ,desired and curious ambition. It was a good time for current European.This was an amazing experience be carried to the most desirable destinations in the world by MSC Cruise Ship with a flock of good friends to make a trip in the West Mediterranean. 搭MSC輝煌號航行西地中海  2016年11月19日我們乘土耳其航空飛機從桃園國際機場到伊斯坦堡，轉機米蘭後，搭接駁車到熱內亞上船，乘MSC輝煌號郵輪，這是一艘豪華級郵輪，長333公尺，寬37公尺，總噸位137936噸載客人數約3247人，員工1325人。 我們從哥倫布的故鄉熱內亞出發，沿著義大利海岸到羅馬，接著到西西里島首府巴勒摩及西南部附近的馬爾他，橫越西地中海到西班牙的巴塞隆納，上溯到法國馬賽，花了八天時間返回熱內亞。 當郵輪一抵達港口，亞洲乘客都成群結隊下船到港都城市旅遊，直到太陽下山才返回船上。而歐洲乘客多為家庭成員或銀髮夫婦，他們享受咖啡廳，游泳，泡溫泉，三溫暖按摩，賭場，遊戲機，健身運動房，音樂，劇場，餐廳⋯在船上。我感覺歐洲人習慣在太陽下馬路邊吃早午餐喝咖啡。鹹口味的食物和太甜的甜點。或是時尚設計的深色外套，這是不同的生活形態。 在許多世紀以前，歐洲是一個探索冒險的時代，他們征服新的土地和資源，環繞地中海創造了富裕的天堂。建立了宏偉閃亮的教堂，古羅馬圓型劇場，巨大㘣柱的建築物，輝煌的凱旋門，裝飾精緻雕像的噴泉，著名藝術家和雕塑家的作品充滿在許多教堂，博物館，廣場，公園，甚至街頭轉角處。 靠近海港和河流的地方，是人類最早開發發展為大城鎮的地方，富豪競相建富麗堂皇的建築物是時髦的奢華。走在豪門巨室的景觀中，彷彿時光倒流到中古世紀充滿機會與挑戰，慾望與好奇野心追求的年代，對於現代的歐洲人 ,那是美好的年代。這真是個奇妙的經驗，被MSC輝煌號郵輪帶到一個世界上最想望去的地方，與一群好朋友同遊西地中海。

A Happy Accident

A Happy Accident 

May 24, 2016, Tuesday. It's rainy, in the mountain area, the paths were so slippery that we watched our steps and minded down the floors .I fell to the ground and sprained my ankle after all.

The doctor showed me that my ankle's bone cracked under the X Rays needing plaster cast to stay still five weeks steady. 

The God closes the door but opens a window. My husband was in charge all the housework such as cooking ,shopping, washing ,cleaning....,which he considered to the women's jobs. He did them rough  to smooth and hard to easy. I enjoyed the great treat doing nothing just putting up the leg waiting the ankle to recover by nature. It's not so bad, it's a happy accident.

一個快樂的意外

二O一六年五月二十四日星期二。下雨天，在山區裡，山徑濕滑，我們小心走每一步路，注意下台階。終究我還是跌倒了，扭傷了腳踝。

醫生指著X光片告訴我腳踝骨頭裂傷了，必須包紮石膏繃帶完全固定五星期，等待癒合。

上帝關上門卻開了一扇窗。我的丈夫接手處理所有的家務事包括烹煮，採購，洗衣，清理⋯這些他一向認為是女人的工作。他從開始的生澀做到順利，從感覺困難做到簡單。我享受貴婦款待，整日無所事事，僅僅把腳抬高，等待腳踝骨頭自然癒合。想想偶而微恙也不錯，這真是個快樂的意外。

Associating a Song with Languages

Associating a Song with Languages 

April 19,2016 on the trip way to Ilan , Maggie Lin sang a song " An eighteen aged girl looks like a beautiful flower."in  fluent Hakka language that was attractive and fascinating. It reminded me to listen a Peruvian girl 's song " The Way You Make Me Feel ." from You Tube, she sang Michael Jackson's famous song entirely in her native tongue :Quechua.

In Taiwan ,the official language is Chinese .Since 1949 ,the schools were banned to use  mother's languages to teach ,even never had a native tongue's conversation with each other in 1950s campus.Through our growing time ,mother's languages were regarded as from non- education ,rural people,rough and older people . We felt ashamed to watch native opera or to sing native songs being the lower class. It's so weird and wacky that nearly missed the roots of oneself.

The same language is the advantages to communicate and understand , how to learn more languages is significant ,especially speaking Chinese, English is a strong point.

Hopefully, we still pay attention to respect the difference of the cultures and languages.

一支歌與語言的聯想

二〇一六年四月十九日在往宜蘭小旅行的遊覽車上，秋梅以流利的客家話翻唱了一首國語歌「十八的姑娘一朶花」，語言的魅力頓時迷倒衆生。它使我想起在You Tube聽到一個秘魯女孩唱一首麥克傑克森膾炙人口的歌「你給我的感覺」，她用的是她的母語印加古語克丘亞。

在台灣，官方統一使用國語。從一九四九年學校禁止使用母語教學，甚至整個一九五〇年代校園內禁止使用母語交談。我們整個成長的年代，母語被視為來自未受教育，鄉下人，粗俗的，老年人的語言。我們恥於看歌仔戲布袋戲等地方戲曲或視母語歌曲俚俗而貶低其社會階層。這實在是很奇怪扭曲的現象，因之幾乎失去自己的根。

相同的語言有助於溝通和理解，如何學習更多的語言是有意義的，尤其會説中文英文是強項。但是希望我們仍然關注去尊重文化和語言的差異性。

Wandering by Train

Wandering by train

In Taiwan, we can take a train from Keelung to Pentung with an Easy Card , it's convenient to take a wandered trip, no destination just following the feeling to somewhere.

Someday ,when the rainy and cold weather bothered us , we got on a train toward the south, through emerald green fields and hills ,passed by the blue sea rolling waves of breaking against the rocks, and the rural , farm and urban view like changing pictures.

Chasing after the sunshine ,we got off the train and walked out from Fun-Shan station.

Awesome ! It's a beautiful city, surrounding by a long stream called Tsaur Gong Jiunn which was an irrigation channel, built in 170 years ago by Tsaur Gong ,from Kuo- Pen River to irrigate the farms almost all Big Kuoshung area . When the industrial life instead of agricultural society, the people ignored it's existence and became a dirty under channel. Currently, the local residents remembered the past great channel and recovered glorious features in friendly environment with clear water, plenty of various plants ,athletic equipment ,leisure garden ,children park and bike path.

Now ,Fun Shan is a quiet, pleasure city surrounding by the winding stream and making your head swim scenery. Our meeting with the amazing city was by accident but enough an unforgettable trip.

坐火車漫遊

在台灣，我們可以憑一張悠遊卡坐火車從基隆到屏東漫遊，它很方便可隨意上下車，可以是沒有目的地僅隨感覺去某個地方的旅遊。

某一天，當我們煩透了濕冷的雨天，我們坐上了開往南部的火車，穿過翠綠色的田野和丘陵，駛過藍藍的海洋，看滾滾浪潮衝向岩石激起浪花，鄉村、農田、城市的景緻像一幅幅不斷變動的畫。為追逐陽光，我們在鳳山市下車，走出火車站。

哇噻！這是個多麼美麗的城市！它整個被一條長長的河流包圍著。這條河流叫曹公圳，是一條灌溉渠道，在一百七十年前由被尊為曹公所建設，從高屏溪取水，曾經灌溉區遍及大高雄地區的農田。當工業化的生活取代了農業社會，人們忽視了它的存在，逐漸成為骯髒的地下渠道。近年來，地方居民懷念以前偉大的灌溉渠道，並以生態環保的友善思考，淨化水質，廣植各類水陸植物，運動設施，休憩庭園，兒童樂園和自行車道，恢復其過往的繁榮景象。

現在，鳳山市是一個安靜舒適的城市，它被一條蜿蜒的河流和令人目眩神迷的風景包圍。我們和這個奇妙的城市相遇純屬偶然，卻是一個令人難忘的意外小旅行。

A Great Blessing

A great blessing

My daughter in law is ever changing from a shy girl to a brave mother. I appreciate her to struggle for the problem and to face the problem calmly.

My grandson worried about his hair cut would be laughter by his classmates and didn't know how the adult were afraid of the adventure that the surgeon will operate on his head. I taught him to read prayer and he wondered," Why do you speak Taiwanese ,isn't the God listening any other languages?" I smiled at the pure and ignorant child," If you can translate into Chinese or English ,the God will understand." "Grandma, I just remembered what you had taught me." It said : "Oh, My God ! I think of you wherever you go, in the heaven ? or on the earth ? I wish the human no more suffer from the disaster and the diseases turn away from my body. All unhappiness disappear without a trace."" If you feel nervous ,the words will be relieved." We wish a great blessing for his good health.

Thank God and doctors my grandson is safe, we were filled with admiration for the courage of my son's family to overcome the challenge again .

一個大大的祝福

我的媳婦在不斷的改變中，從一個羞怯內向的女孩成長為一個勇敢的母親。我欣賞她能在掙扎於問題中，選擇勇敢冷靜的面對問題。

我的孫子擔心理光頭會成為同學的笑話，而不知道家長多麽害怕外科醫師在他頭上的手術是多大的風險。我教他讀祈禱文，他竟質疑，「阿嬤，你為什麼唸台語，難道神聽不懂其他語言嗎？」我微笑的看著這個純真無邪的孩童，「如果你能翻譯成中文或英文，神都能理解。」「阿嬤，我剛剛記起了你曾經教過我的。」「天羅神，地羅神，人離難，難離身，一切災殃化為塵。」「如果你覺得緊張時，唸這些話，會讓你感到安心。」我們真心祈望神明保佑孩子健康長大。

感謝神和醫師，我的孫子平安了，我們充滿了讚嘆兒子一家再度克服挑戰的勇氣。

Changed and Unchanged

January 26, 2016 ,we visited Tiejhen Mountain and Jenn Lann Temple in Daijia Town with Taoyuan Hiking Team . I was very excited that it was so close and far to me.

1949-1955 my elder sister and I were sent to live and received elementary education on the town with my dear grandmother ,due to my younger sisters and brother coming one by one. In the meanwhile, the KMT military suffered defeat in Mainland China and came to Taiwan ,a small part of them temporary living in half of our school house.Watching the soldiers routine trainings and listening the stories of battlefields was attractive to the pupils. Not enough schoolrooms, we were often reading under the trees or two classes used the same room by turn . 

Taking a trip on foot in spring and summer to Tiejhen Mountain was unforgettable memories, we walked in line to the destination- The Sword Well ,the legend said that 1662 Koxinga's army passed through the area,suffering from no water , Koxinga drew a sword and prayed to God ,and then spring up here . So that local people built a temple and a well to memorize the events.

In that time, we went to and fro school on foot and took off our shoes holding by the hands ,because most parts of our schoolmates no shoes , bottom skin of our feet asleep no more feeling hard，cold or heated. My grandmother gave me two dimes as pocket money every day ,by the way ,there were many vendors around a big old tree of The Jenn Lann Temple, I used to buy a guava and ate on the long street. 

The Jenn Lann Temple is one of the most famous Matzu Temple in Taiwan ,has over two hundred years of history ,though the residents of the town busy in celebrating Matzu birthday on March every year,such as playing Taiwanese local opera,treating the visitors and relatives and following Matzu to go back her mother's home which is The Peikang Chaotienkung of Yunlin county. Till now,it has become a world famous religious ceremony and has attracted domestic and international tourists.

We were jogging around the grand park in the Tiejhen Mountain which was the military camp in the past and opened to the tourists recently,  except The Sword Well I didn't find anything what was similar scene to me . While we were walking in downtown Daijia ,unchanged temple and the old tree still stand here . The passing of time changed the features of the town ,but unchanged Matzu cultural and an honor to Koxinga's.

變與不變

二〇一六年一月二十六日我們桃源健行隊拜訪了大甲鎮的鐵砧山和鎮瀾宮，我非常興奮來到這個親密又疏離的地方。

一九四九至一九五五年，姐姐和我被送到這個小鎮和親愛的外婆居住並接受基礎教育，因為兩個妹妹和弟弟接二連三報到。在這同時，國民黨的軍隊在中國大陸戰敗並來到台灣，其中有一小部分軍隊暫時駐在我們一半的校舍，觀看士兵們的常規訓練和聽戰場上的故事，對小學生有致命的吸引力。由於校舍不夠，我們經常在樹下讀書或兩個班級輪流上下午共同使用一個教室。

當時春秋兩季遠足到鐵砧山是難忘的記憶，目的地就是劍井，傳說一六六二年國姓爺鄭成功的軍隊經過這裡，苦於無水可飲，國姓爺拔劍向天禱告，泉水從此處湧出，因此地方人士建國姓廟及劍井紀念此事。

在那年代，我們上下學步行來回，脫下鞋子提在手上，因為大部分的同學都沒有鞋子打赤腳走路，我們的腳底皮都像睡著似的，感覺不到疼痛和 冷涷,或燙腳。外婆每天給我兩角零用錢，在經過鎮瀾宮旁的大樹下圍繞著許多小販，我會順道買一個芭樂沿著長長的街道邊走邊吃。

鎮瀾宮是全台灣著名的一座媽祖廟，有超過兩百年的歷史，當地居民每年三月都忙碌的為媽祖慶祝生日，如盛大公演台灣地方戲曲歌仔戲，宴請親友和來賓，伴隨媽祖回雲林縣北港朝天宮的娘家。流傳至今，它已經變成世界著名的宗教慶典活動，吸引了許多國內和國際的觀光客。

我們繞著鐵砧山廣大的公園漫步，這𥚃過去是軍事基地，近年開放給旅客遊憇，除了劍井我看不到曾經熟悉的景物。當我們走進大甲市區中心，不變的是媽祖廟和老樹仍屹立這裡。隨著時光流逝改變了小鎮的容顔，不變的是媽祖文化和對國姓爺的尊崇。