A New Year Homecoming

A New Year Homecoming

February 12, 2010

The annual tradition of Lunar New Year homecoming for all the women here at the Good Samaritan Center gives a glimpse of a what could be what Jesus envisioned about a party. I was reminded of what He said, “when you give a feast invite those who are found in the streets ---the lame, the blind, the handicapped, the lepers …and so forth.”

In front of the center is a little garden, greeting everyone is a profusion of colors from the blooming flowers as if alerting us of the new spring, and of the hope that lies in the new year of the Tiger! As soon as we opened the doors, some of the women came in early, bright and chirpy like our pet birds! We quickly set up the tables outside, arranged the chairs, put the ‘hor d’oeurves’ (consist of pumpkin and sunflower seeds, mix nuts and rice cookies) and hot tea and juice drinks on the tables. The women came in their best, even if their best is a dirty looking sweater. As soon as they found their spot in one of the chairs, the party began for each of them. Chatting and eating away. Towards half of the morning, we could not hear each other because of the loud voice that is trying to outdo each other telling their adventures and plans for the holidays. Yet, some, seemed comfy in their little corner avoid conversations. Still, everybody is polite and happy to greet each other a greeting for the new year.

Some of our residents were busy helping prepare the food upstairs. One by one, the trays of vegetables and other ingredients for the ‘huo-guo’(hotpot – a mixture of everything in a boiling soup) are being brought down to the buffet table. Then more women came, including two former residents now living in a rehab center picked up by our social workers. A huge van parked in front of the center bringing three more former clients who now live in a supervised living facilities came. One came being pushed in a wheelchair by one of our volunteers. One woman came in drunk and looking pretty dirty, so we asked her to clean up and shower to feel better.
We started with the activities, beginning with Chinese calligraphy contest. All the women were asked to write ‘New Year blessings’ on red rolls of paper to make ‘chun lien’, or spring door greetings. One of the women amazed us as she sat down, poised like a skilled calligrapher and started to write a classical greeting. She was so focused writing as if she were another person. We all remarked how good she was. After she finished, she told me with pride in her eyes, “Sister, people took me as stupid (but I am not)!” She won the contest. Then, our Korean volunteer brought two Korean dresses for the women to try on. This was a hit! Everyone wanted to try it and take a picture. It was a lot of fun and gave the women a sense of beauty. Just before we finished setting the long table, we invited everyone to a prayer honoring the ancestors. It is a Chinese New Year tradition that is delegated to only the oldest males in the family. We changed it a little bit, so that all the women will have chance to bow in reverence and thanksgiving to God and their ancestors. Each woman offered incense and we all bowed down in front of the Cross and the altar with our surnames written on it and we finished off with a prayer holding our hands in a circle.

And so the table feast begins! Everyone enjoyed the tastes and smell of the parade of food freshly prepared and cooked upstairs in our kitchen.

After everyone quieted down with bellies full, we asked everyone to sing a lively traditional New Year song to greet each other. We could feel the excitement in the air, as we asked everyone to sit down and we will give the red envelopes. They all shouted happy New Year and clapped. Then we sang again and again. Everyone helped cleaned up. We said goodbye as we greeted each other once again.

New Challenges for Homeless People: Election Induced Enforcement

New Challenges for Homeless People: Election Induced Enforcement

It was almost 9:30 p.m. yet we were still preparing the boxed noodles, soup and oranges. We are going to distribute them during our outreach that night. The temperature had drastically dropped and the wind added to the bitter cold.

When we finally took to the streets, it was past 10 p.m., we were a bit late than usual. We decided to go Tungkuang Road Park on the east, however, there was not a single homeless person. Next destination was the Tzu-you park, amazingly, it was clear of the usual people we serve at night. We went to the Taichung Park, we saw a group of men and a woman, when we approached them, the group was not very friendly. I have seen the women hanging around the park few days ago. We walked inside the Taichung Park and its vicinity, again, there was no one around, by this time we begin to wonder where were the homeless folks who used to rest in those areas gone. We went to the Taichung Station, walked around checking, again, there was not a single soul. Instead, a policeman approached us, asking who we were looking for. We told him that we are visiting some clients who sleep inside the station. He said, “There is no more homeless people here”. We asked, “Why not? Where are they?” He said, “They are not allowed around the Station and main thoroughfare, Mayor Hu, have given us orders to clean up the Station of the homeless people, they look dirty and pedestrians/passersby are afraid of them.” So, that explained the absence of all the homeless people in the vicinity. After realizing this situation, we started to think where they might be. Thus, we went out of the central area, and there we found most of the folks, sleeping out in the cold. We found most of them towards the northern section near the railroad tracks. We spotted a middle-aged man sleeping in one of the bench at Tungkuang Park, we gave him some food and sleeping bag. He was drunk, he barely responded to us. While we were talking to him, a group of policemen stopped by and came to check on us. They immediately asked the man to get out of the park, even he could not stand. One of the police officer told him to go to the Men’s temporary shelter in Da-kong Street. I asked the police officer if he knows whether the shelter is open at that hour and will accept the man. He said he does not know for sure. The police said they want the street sleepers to go to the shelter because they could die of cold.

It was already past midnight, so we decided to end our night outreach. I wondered where that man went to sleep, after the police asked him to leave the park.

Although, it is true that some homeless men are drinking around the area of train and bus stations, it is not true of all the homeless population. The well-lighted train and bus stations are places of safety for them, from cold and other hate crimes against homeless. Homelessness is a delicate public issue. Election is coming and politicians will use them to measure how the incumbent government served its population. Mayor Hu of Taichung City has done so much to ease the suffering of homeless people in Taichung by encouraging homeless service providers to exchange views and experience through Social Welfare Department meetings. We hope that he will continue to support them and their service providers and not crackdown on homeless.

December 3, 2009

Outing in Tao-Mi and Nantou Mountains

Outing in Tao-Mi Village and Nan-Tou Mountains

The staff and Board members of Good Samaritan Women Concerns Association had a weekend outing in Nan-Tou county. We arrived at Sun Moon Lake just before 3 p.m. and decided to take a boat ride around the lake. Our boat docked at various tourist spots inside and around the lake. Our first stop was a floating garden, of what used to be a small island in the middle of Sun Moon Lake but submerged during the 921 earthquake 10 years ago. The floating boardwalk and planters provided a 360 degree angle to see the surrounding hill around the lake. The next stop was the Suen Kuang Temple, from the dock we climb uphill for about 15-20 minutes to reach the temple. There were so many tourists from China, eager to take pictures and pay respect to the statues at the temple. From the temple, we went to the aborigines’ village. There was a group of aborigines, belonging to Taya tribe singing. One of them invited me to dance and some in our group also joined in. It was so much fun to dance with aborigine dancers and their music. We walked around and bought some food like grilled sausage, a beverage with rice wine, sliced guava and fried little fishes from the lake. We came back to the port just in time to go to our destination for the night. We rented a private bed and breakfast place in Tao-Mi, Puli district. We got there just before dark. The owner Mr. Liu, welcomed and showed us our rooms. The rooms are built next to the owner’s house, has a rustic flavor to it. The rooms resembled a Japanese style accommodations with wooden floors, the beds are thin foam sprawled on the wooden floor. At the back of the main house, is a huge refectory where they serve the meals for their guests. That night, we enjoyed a sumptuous meal prepared by Mrs. Liu. After dinner, Mr. Liu invited us to go frog watching at around 7 pm. Before going to the river he took us to the famous “Paper Church” or “Paper Dome”. A beautifully engineered open building made of paper columns. It was impressive. The design and paper columns were a donation from Japan, to commemorate the 921 earthquake. After the 921 earthquake, the residents of this little village Tao-Mi did not have much left and rehabilitation was needed. The New Homeland Foundation in cooperation with the government trained the residence of this village into eco-tourism. Tao-Mi is home to Taiwan swamplands. The village changed their mindset into environmentally concerned citizens. Each year, the residents have two training on how to be eco-tour guides. We went down to the river wearing our rubber booths and flashlights looking for different kinds of frogs. Later that night, after we came back, Mr. Liu prepared tea for our group. The theme of the whole village is frog. Even the restrooms are designed like sitting frogs!

The next day, we were served a hearty breakfast after everyone came back from morning walk in the surrounding villages. We had a short morning prayer together. Just before 9 am, we all left the Tao-mi and went into the walking trail in the swampland area. All 7 of us tried the pulling trolley that takes us to the other side of the swamp filled with lilies…it was a great idea! Afterwards, we drove around the valley and mountain roads until we reached the top of the Second Mountain of 9 Mountains. On top of this mountain is a one-story house tipped into a sliding position by the 921 earthquake. Apparently, the mountain which was 2 km away from the house became their backyard after it moved forward to where the house is. This
place was the memorial site of the 921 earthquake. Further up, we went to the place where they called “mountain explosion”.
The entire side of the mountain rolled down to the valleys. It was quite, very few onlookers were there. Truly, it was a powerful reminder of the continuing movement and change of earth’s surface which is catastrophic to those who inhabit the mountainside. The residents had a change of heart, they know they have to live harmoniously with their environment.
We went home and enjoyed “huo-guo” for lunch at Kao A-yi’s restaurant. Nowadays, the little bamboo plant from Tao-mi is beginning to adopt in our little garden in front of the center.

Mid-Autumn Moon Festival Celebration

Taiwan Jia You! (Taiwan Rise Up!) The balloons with our PEACE PRAYER went up to the sky.
Peace is the theme of our Mid-Autumn Moon Festival Celebration this year. We asked the women to remember the flood victims in southern Taiwan. They wrote the prayer in a dove shaped paper and tied it up to the balloons. Around 20 women showed up to participate. We had Karaoke singing contest and barbecue. Some men who are friends of the women also came and they assigned themselves to the barbecue pit! Soon as we put the food out, everybody grab their barbecue sticks and put it in the fire! Everyone went home so happy taking “yue bing” (moon cakes) and pomelo.
After the party, the moon was shining so intense in the peaceful and calm sky. 2 October 2009

Long Road to Home ---Story of A-lu

Long Road to Home --- Story of A-lu
(the name/s of the persons involved were changed to protect their identity)

Finding A-lu

In 2003, one day during an outreach, I and the social worker went inside an old compound. The place used to be a flea market. Under a huge tree, a dilapidated sofa lay a person, her filthy hair tangled in grease and dust. Upon talking to her, we found out she is a woman. She can only utter a phrase, “Wo bu zi dao!” (I don’t know!). We offered her boxed lunch and a drink which she accepted and immediately left us. There were men around, selling their second hand wares, so we asked them if they know her. The men told us her name is “A-lu.” From then on, we visited and followed up on her case for about two years.

Helping A-lu

A-lu became very familiar with us and eventually began trust us. One day she came with us to the center. Took a bath, and I gave her a haircut, off with the grease and dirty tangled hair. The social worker immediately made appointment with the Taichung Hospital Mental Health Department. A-lu was admitted for treatment for a month. The process of searching her identity began. Our center, the hospital and the Taichung government worked together on her identity and eventually. We found her relatives.

Finding Her Relatives

She has a son adopted by an old soldier who earned living selling old books and magazine in another flea market. The two lived in a roach infested place filled with very old books and magazine. Tragedy struck one day, the book place burned down, and the son had no place to go. We took the son temporarily at the center, allowed him to live in the basement, until the Taichung City child welfare department found a place for him. Meanwhile, A-lu’s daughter’s information was also found. The daughter lives in a Catholic-run institution for the mentally handicapped. Her story eventually became clear to us through the son. He was able to tell us what he could remember about her mother when he was very young. His memory of A-lu goes back to when he was about three years old. Her mental condition began early, and her daughter was taken into custody by the city government. A-lu and the son, lived with the old soldier, until one day she had a terrible car accident which made her mental condition worse and she ended up wandering in the streets until we found her. The son grew up with the old soldier but never attended school, by this time he was already 15 years old. His case was taken over by the Taichung City child welfare department and put him to school to finish primary. He is now in junior middle school.

Reconciliation

Finding A-lu and her family was a beautiful story of reunion and reconciliation. A-lu now lives in a supervised facility for people with mental disability, for life. Her son also lives in a supervised facility for young people until he can find work and a place of his own. He hopes to study social work someday. On special occasion, we invite the whole family for get-together and to be reunited. Many other stories of reconciliation are waiting to be told at Good Samaritan Women Center.

September 25, 2009

PEITA - A Mother's Sorrow

PIETA – A Mother’s Sorrow

September 17th Thursday, very early in the morning we received a call that one of our resident woman’s daughter died in a car accident in Chungli, a city in the north. Three of us staff sat down with her and gave the news. We witnessed a string of tragedy in one person’s life. Later that morning, I along with two Taichung county social welfare officials, accompanied her to the police station to know more of the details and file the police report. She was crying all the time. After police report was taken, we were asked to wait at the lobby. I witnessed how the Taiwanese people deal with tragedy.
A woman we saw coming in to the police station approached her this time, along with two teen aged girls. The woman is the Director of the children village where her daughter was temporarily living in custody after the two of them was found living in the streets for about a week. She was brought to Good Samaritan Women Center. The Director along with two girls and made a low bow saying sorry “tui bu chi” to her. She sobbed even more. Then there was quiet and calm for a long time.
We moved to another corner of the lobby to wait for the investigator. We sat there for quite a while she cried non-stop. All of a sudden, two men came up to us. It was the driver of the 16 wheeler-truck who killed the daughter. He was inside the interrogation room. He was allowed to come out to kneel in front of the mother. He was crying asking for forgiveness. She sobbed with so much grief when he saw him. We were all feeling the deep sadness. All I could do was held her hand and offered her water to drink. The driver and the mother exchanged some questions and answers. Later on, she asked him to stand up and uttered a forgiving word, “stand up, being mad at you will not help, my daughter is already dead.” I looked at her with admiration, she is a woman with a lot of inner strength.
The investigator was taking a long time to arrive, so we decided to go ahead and went to the morgue. We waited in a smaller investigation room next to the coroner’s room. She was to identify the daughter’s body in the presence of investigator. All but me, were telling her not to see the daughter’s body until she prepared and made up. The others doesn’t even realize what they are saying. All the talking and suggestions from others in the room made her confused. The point is we were there to identify the body, so she has no choice but to look at the mangled little body of her daughter, no matter how hard this will be. It was past 8 p.m. when the investigators came, she and I were the only ones allowed to get inside the morgue. When we all gathered, the police opened the body bag. I held the mother as she sobbed in muffled sounds. Everyone stood still, waiting for her to calm down. The police asked one question, “Is she your daughter?” and she responded positively. Then the investigation process began. It took about two hours questioning all the parties.
Since it was too late to go back to Taichung, we decided to stay with the children’s village. That night, all the children in the orphanage hugged her and told her how her daughter was before the accident. She was very calm during this time. I stayed overnight also to be with her. The next day, I went back to the women center, and she decided she liked to stay behind and rest. The director promised me that they will watch and support her. As of this writing, she was still at the children village, wants to stay near her daughter’s remains and arranged the funeral. She chose to have a Christian funeral for her daughter, even though she is a Buddhist. We await for her return at the women center.

A Day at the Women Center

A Day at the Women Center - September 15, 2009

When I arrived this morning, everyone has arrived, we said good morning. I haven't put my bag down, I noticed a new woman came down from second floor. Su-u came down with bread. She welcomed me with a big hug. I commented on her red lipstick and she looked good. She said she missed me. Su-u used to live with us, but now she has her small apartment on top of the restaurant she works for. She often visits back. Weiyin, the social worker, got my attention that we have a new woman who came yesterday. Then A-ngo came down rushing, her hair rumpled and she seemed disoriented. I asked how is she, but she doesn't seem to comprehend. Fangxue, briefed me that she took her to the hospital last night, upon checking her with 40 degrees fever. Luckily, she is free from the HIN1 virus. She took the morning medication, I asked Fangxue to take her to the 4th floor to rest and be isolated from other women. Meijing, our Korean lay missioner volunteer was already busy cleaning around. Another resident was busy calling a prospective employer for interview. Lucky, the dog, was lying under my office table.

I prepared the drinks for the morning outreach. Fangxue came down with 4 'piandangs' (box lunches), and some day fresh bread. We both left on our motorcycle to visit and take food to the women in the park and around trainand bus stations. We parked at First Square, and saw 2 homeless men sitting in on of the bench, filthy, already drinking 'gin'. I started a conversation with them, and asked if they saw Shuzhong, one of the women we regularly visits. They said she hasn't showed up. We went to the train station, we did not find a single woman, but talked to two groups of homeless. A couple, the husbad is eating noodle, he sits in front of the train station in one of the posts, while the woman stood around him not too far away. They all sleep inside the train station. We gave a box to one of the eldely who earns his leaving collecting recylables.

We drove to the Taichung Park and met four homeless women. We talk with them for a little while. We distributed all the food so we decided to go home. It was already 11 a.m. and the sun is so hot.

We came back to the center, A-yi was there, she used to live at the center but left without saying goodbye. Now she wants to come back. She went out to smoke. Then lunch was served. After lunch, everyone seemed to find a little corner to rest. They will come down later to the cool first floor to sit down and talk with each other. Another woman came up just when we were finishing the dishes, A-chiu, huge, one-eyed, filthy and doesn't wear slippers! She gave me a big hug! Asked where was I. She ate by herself. She promised me to take a shower afterwards!

Meanwhile, I have to do some office work. Weiyin is asking me about the budgets. I barely finished my first paper work, Rick Hsih came, he is a reformed alcoholic and very active with AA and Alanon. He came for a visit. Meijing and I sat with him and asked about the details of the women seminar on alcoholism held last August 21st. He and I planned the workshop before I left for the U.S. He was very happy with the results. We talked about the follow-up seminar for next year and talked about the feedbacks. A-chiu came down, joined us for a hot coffee, she looked very nice and clean, wearing her jewelries! Rick said goodbye. I went back to paper work.

Heavy rain began, and so I checked outside and found out the plants were all dried up. So I asked one of the women to help me water them. Two of them take over to water the plant.
The rained did not show any sign that it will stop. It was already past 5 pm, all of us staff can't go home. Li-zhen, came back from her new work. Talked to Weiyin a little bit about her health insurance. Fangxue was cooking soup in the kitchen. Meijing and I were talking about the volunteer seminar. Finally, it was decision making time...go home and brave the rain. Meijing left and afterwards, I followed. Weiyin and Fangxue also started to get ready to go home.
Ms Jie, the night supervisor has not showed up yet. I got home safe, in between flashes of lightning and thunder and the heavy pouring rain. Thanking God for the day and its grace!