2009 in review

2009 is about to end in a few days, it's quite an eventful year with turns and twists that keeps me extremely busy, it's also the year that marks my 30 years living in the United States.

First of all, thanks God my mother is still vibrant at the advanced age of 85. She even learned how to sit in front of computer, look into the webcam, speak into the microphone while taking my calls on Skype.

2009 is the year that brings many happy events to my extended families. Niece Michelle was blessed with a bouncing baby boy in April, nephew Barry got married to his beautiful bride Lin-wei in June when I traveled to Taiwan for, nephew Benson's wife, Ching-yen, is expecting, and niece Ya-ching was accepted into the 4-year BS program in the Department of Nursing at Chang Gung Institute of Technology.

2009 is also the years that brings devastating event to my extended families. When the deadly typhoon Morakot hit Taiwan, with it one of my younger brothers sustained a total loss of his fish farm, thus his way of living. With the support of my siblings, he will rebuild. I had a painful discovery of how blood relations can be in such a discord that I had to lobby so hard to gain the support for him.

However, the Fall of 2009 also brought two of my brothers to California. I had great time with them while they were here.

As for me personally, 2009 marks the 30th year that I have lived in the United States. When I arrived here on August 15th, 1979 as a graduate student, little did I know that I would make it here.

At work, I had the busiest year in my career as I had to step in for a consultant who was out of the country for two months when his mother was dying. I practically worked seven days a week in that period. Since I am given more responsibility at work, I don't see it will ease up anytime soon. 2010 will be a very busy year as well.

On my literary program, I finished reading five novels by Edith Wharton (1862-1937) and four novels by E. M. Forster (1879-1970). This concluded my reading of six authors out of twenty-eight in the Library of Essential Writers Series published by Barns & Noble.

In 2009, I still make it a priority to exercise five times a week with a well balanced exercise program, and I also pay more attention on nutrition. As a result, I can't be happier when my doctor gave me a clean bill of health and my weight stays the same as last year.

Last but not least worth mentioning was my visit to Taipei Hoping Church in June, where I had the chance to reconnect with some college friends and meet some new friends. I pray to God that these friendships will last.

Charity begins at home

When the deadly typhoon Morakot hit Taiwan, it's force not only took hundreds of lives but also wiped out the livelihood of hundreds of thousands, especially villagers, farmers, and fishermen.

In my wildest dream, it never occurred to me that one of my very own would completely loss his way of living; that one of my younger brothers would not be able to continue his business raising fishes in his fish farms. The damage was so severe that it's beyond repair.

I felt a pang of concern when I leaned about it. What' would happen to his college-bound daughter? Would she need to drop her inspiration of a good college education? How about his two younger children? Would they end up growing up so fast as the result of the family misfortune thus innocents lost?

How could I not help my own sibling in disaster and my own nephew and nieces while I am living in the world's richest country, having a professional job with a respectable income? I couldn't look the other way, I had to do something to help him. Fortunately, my other brothers responded to my call that we ought to help him rebuild his business, and my sister agreed with me that we ought to support our college-bound niece in her college education.

As I am anxious to see that my bother gets back on his feet as fast as he can, a slow process that tests my patience, I feel guilty to spend in this holiday season on a HDTV and a media console, a replacement of my 23-year old Sony that quited on me in August. How can I splurge thousands on entertainment while my own brother is still struggling? I can't allow myself to do so.

"Charity begins at home, but it shouldn't end there". But one ought to help one's own family before one helps other people, that's what family is for. Everyday, I pray to God that my brother can rise beyond his misfortune and stand on his ground again.

Guernica, by Dave Boling

Hiking in the Basque country is one of the hiking vacations that I want to do, so I was eager to read this book. However, it took me awhile to get into it, but I couldn't put it down when Boling started telling the devastating German bombing of Guernica, the heart of Basque country, on the eve of World War II.

In "Guernica", Boling skillfully weaves the histories of Spanish Civil War, World War II, and the creation of a mural Guernica by Picasso with the lives of fictitious characters from two families, the Ansotegui and the Navarro. He makes learning history less boring, at least for me.

The Song of Songs: A woman in love - Translation & commentary by Benjamin J. Segal

When I was in college in the early 70’s, I attended the regular Sunday services and youth activities in a Presbyterian church in Taiwan, where the culture was very conservative then, romantic love between man and woman was seldom openly discussed. My pastor focused on the Christian’s devotion to God when he mentioned the “The Song of Solomon”, he sort of avoiding the implied relationship between a man and a woman.

Rabbi Benjamin Segal translated and commented the “The Song of Songs” in a way that I had never thought of then. The title “The Song of Songs: A Woman in Love” clearly speaks that “The Song of Songs” is the book in Bible that celebrates the unconditional romantic love, it’s not just a book that emphases divine love to God. I found Rabbi Segal’s interpretations very interesting and liberating.

Natural Treatments for Tics & Tourette's by Sheila J. Rogers

This book is my crash course about Tics & Tourette Syndrome. It clearly explains what the disease is, how it impacts the patients and people around them, the possible causes from environment and diet, the different treatment options that focus on natural remedies and the management of environment and diet. I am not a medical professional, but I always pay attention to what environment and diet can impact my health personally and that of my loved ones. If this disease struck myself or any of my loved ones, I would seek every treatment options, including the natural remedies described in this book. Coincidentally, shortly after I finished reading this book, ABC aired an episode of its 20/20 programs, "Teens Take on Tourette Syndrome" that reinforced my understanding of the disease, on Friday, 05/22/2009.

2008 in review

With a 4-day long weekend for the New Year holiday, there is plenty of time for me to reflect events in the past year and plan for the new year. Though the world-wide financial meltdown of 2008 had shaken the very foundations of every society on earth, it was a very good year for me, albeit, a hectic one.

On the home front, no misfortune or disease befell any of my relations in Taiwan except my eldest brother who underwent a rectal surgery to treat the severe hemorrhoids that he suffered during his biking adventure around Taiwan. Thanks God, he had a speedy recovery.

As for my 84-year old mother, she was as healthy as she could be consider her advanced age. I kept my weekly calls with her throughout 2008 and I called to wish her a happy new year on the eve of New Year. My weekly call is the one thing she always expect on Saturday mornings, she talks, I listen, it will not change for 2009 and for the years to come.

I was delighted when my youngest sister called to tell me the improvement of her depression, as a result, her relationship with my mother had taken a turn for the better. I couldn't help feeling a sense of relief, after years of efforts, that she began to see that blood is thicker than water regardless whether there was some perceived injustice and injury inflicted on her, and by and large the perception may not be always correct.

As the first daughter of my parents and the only unmarried child of their eight children, I feel it's my duty to keep the different family relationships in harmony. It has not been an easy job, especially in a huge family like mine, nevertheless, every effort counts and I intend to bear it.

One thing I did early in the year was to document my family tree so to provide a way for the younger generations to connect with their elders and their cousins regardless where we live. In May, I took a quick trip to Taiwan for the wedding of Benson, the son of my youngest brother. As all my nephews and nieces get to the marriageable age in the next 10 years or so, there will be many weddings to attend. In 2009, there is one in June and I probably will make the trip.

On the personal side, health first. I kept my weight at 112 pounds and all my vital signs in the healthy range, thanks to the years of healthy diet and exercise regimen and a very good family doctor. However, in two of my yoga classes, I experienced a sudden excruciating pain of my lower back and my right shoulder that prevented me from doing the yoga poses that I used to do easily. Since I have exercised and practiced yoga regularly for many years that should keep me in great shape, I thought that the pain would just go away with break from exercise and yoga for a week or two. Little did I know it took me more than four months of physical therapies to get back to near normal. I still feel a tingling sensation every now and then, maybe it's just the sign of aging after all. However, I am not ready to throw in the towel yet without doing every exercise that I can to reverse it.

On my literary project, I completed the reading of three novels by Russian writer Leo Tolstoy (The Cossacks, War and Peace, Anna Karenina) and four novels by English writer George Eliot (Adam Bede, The Mill on the Floss, Silas Marner, Middlemarch) in the Library of Essential Writers Series published by Barnes & Noble. I will release my review of each novel in the new year.

I also cataloged some of my books in LibraryThing site and got involved in its Early Reviewer program which publishers offer unpublished books for review before releasing them to general public. I need to complete the cataloging of all my books in the new year.

On the career, I am still working on this multi-year and hundreds of million dollars program for the same company that I joined in 2004. If everything goes as planned, I probably will retire within this program in five to seven years when I am ready to retire. The jury is still out, but everyone is hopeful since this is the most important strategic project the company has in 60 years.

On the financial side, I am still on a very solid ground as I suffer no more than everyone has suffered when world-wide financial meltdown shock the very foundations of every society on earth. Though it was a tremulous and scary year, I was shielded from it to some degree. For that, I am grateful.

Last but not the least memorable was my reconnection with Winya and through her with some Hoppingers that I may meet again. Life comes in full circle, we plan, God laughs, how wonderful it is!