Dona Dona for the Dexter steer

I borrow a letter from my classmate who is living in New Zealand. Her descripition of "disposing" a "surplus" steer is quite touching. This little short lived creature has exactly the same destiny of Dona which we were very familiar at the college by then. The Song "Dona Dona" has been so familiar even by now we can sing without missing a word.
The calligraphy shown in the blogs was actually written for them to bring to New Zealand home. With this letter from her, one classmate asked for the skin for shoes, and I asked for the male part for male nutrition. ha ha.

As a Buddhist, I have refrained from killing since mercy is one major character in the Buddism doctrines. However, in reality, as part of food chain, it is inevitable for lives of domestic nature, such as steer, ducks, chicken, geese etc, to become food for human being. How to convert life into food? Not me, but I guess there should be some balance in the mankind so that every job can be executed by certain people. With the balance reached in job and distribution, people in all kinds of religion can ejoy their peace of mind as part of the big world community.

******


Dear 老潘和阿妙；

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按理6、7、8月才是這兒的冬季，但今年氣候特異，5月20幾號就開始有寒流，晚上達零下2度下霜，所以今年的奇異果還沒有完全成熟就被凍啞了，無法熟甜，據新聞報導，果農損失慘重。前幾星期又有強烈寒流來襲，凌晨達到-7度，草上結了一層厚厚的霜一直到10點才退去。今天早上9點時雖然有大太陽但陽台上的溫度計顯示-2度，屋內10度；現在是下午一點，屋裡屋外一致是15度。羊毛拖鞋/手套、羊毛內衣、羊毛被，都是禦寒必備，棉被已不能夠保暖，果然是要適地、適所、適材、適料。

早到的冬季也使我們(EKO)農場的草生長遲緩，不夠牛吃；EKO農場約3英畝(Acre)，依紐西蘭的養殖慣例只能養三頭牛，但因為牳媽去年12月又生了一頭小公牛所以我們有四頭牛；不得已，只好決定把3歲大的閹牛給處理了。紐西蘭的農家"Home Kill"自家牛，是相當普遍的，他們認為自己養的牛的生產履歷自己最清楚，也最安心(尤其狂牛症出現後)；而且依據當地的動物保護法"Home Kill"牛必須由有執照的專業人士，在牛安心吃草、毫無防備下、一槍斃命，不可以讓它痛苦、緊張，因為緊張和痛苦會讓它的腎上腺素激增，肉的PH值異常，造成毒素。

我們家也是經過激辯；因為我不想在家園中有血腥，要求把閹牛載出去處理或賣掉；但是老K及兒子一致認為只有在自家的園子裡它才不會因環境變遷而驚慌；隔壁鄰居及獸醫也一直規勸我們，閹牛三歲是太老、油也太多了，一般閹牛過了18個月後就只長油不長肉了。

所以6月3日那天，專業屠宰公司的貨櫃車開進我們農場，老K最愛、也最乖巧、貪吃的閹牛就在30分鐘內被完全支解；我不敢去看，但有聽到參訪的好友Steven 余及廖醫師說明經過(因為老K其實也是很shock的)；當天，老K自己在院子裡清洗內臟到半夜，天寒地凍的洗，應該是有帶贖罪的心情吧! 畢竟那是他最疼愛的一頭牛(當天上午我遠遠的看到老K用手一把一把的
餵牠吃乾草，那是牠最後的早餐)。寫著寫著，我不禁場起了"Dona Dona"那首歌詞 :"Who told you a calf to be"，牛的命運注定是到屠宰場滿足人類口腹之慾的，在這兒還沒看到過有壽終正寢的老牛(可能只有印度及泰國的聖牛有此好命)。 一個星期後，屠宰公司送來分割好的牛肉，有香腸、絞肉、牛排、漢堡肉、醃腿肉及薄片肉等等完全和超市一樣的包裝；我雖然負責烹煮牛肉，前幾星期我一口都不敢嘗試，但據吃過的朋友及家人反應都說"讚"。某天，應兒子要求烹煮肉燥，乾鍋炒牛絞肉居然很香、毫無腥味，比超市買的牛肉，品質優良許多；從此以後，我也不排斥食用自家牛了，只是每次烹煮時，我都向閹牛致恩。

雖然"Home Kill"自家牛，很衛生、很新鮮、很安心，而且每個吃過的朋友都上癮了，但我不能保證明年你們來旅遊時能不能吃到我家的牛肉，因為我真的不願意再看到"Home Kill"自家牛的場面了，寧願把它們賣掉就好了，但兒子說"那樣只是掩耳盜鈴，對他們是更殘忍；牛的命運註定是如此，在自家風和日麗的環境中安樂終了，是它最好的結果"。 所以呢?! 最好的結論就是不要養動物，而且吃素；其實，吃素是吃植物，植物也是有生命的，如果它會說話的話，應該也會叫痛吧?! 所以呢!? 真正的結論是，一切順應自然即可。

trash man? I am

Walking Ginger down the hill in my routine morning walk, I saw a crushed PP cup. I picked it up as my habit, and carry it to the nearby trash can. I started doing my stretches, when I saw a jogging lady coming closer to me.

I ordered Ginger to jump up the cement table so she won't scare the lady. I happened to see some ladies are scare of dogs, especially those in large size like Ginger. To me it is funny considering Ginger's nice temper, but they are just scared by nature. The lady come up and talked to me and said:

"You are the first guy I saw who will pick up the trashes".

Wow! She is also the first person giving me the echo for doing this! I love my community, and I love it to be clean. Picking up a trash helps its look and it is not a burden to me at all. Why not do it? I saw it from my classmate Lau K, when I was in Taiwan. It is just a habit.

This is just a very first small step toward my dream-size commitment, also my blog name:"Broom Our World"

However, it is not a dream, if everybody applies this hablit.

I can't hide even from my dog?

The temperature is shooting up to tell what summer means in Southern California. After an afternoon walk with our pet Ginger for a round in horse trail around the Creek Side Park, I decided to dip myself in the pool while I reject Ginger to join with me because she seems to have ear infection.

I know this cunning creature is suspecting me for something against her when I tried to handle her. I have to take a pipece of treat to lure her in. I called her to come so I can leash her. She stand still, and when I wag the treat to her, what she actually responded was walk away instead of coming closer. Eventually I had to pull her in by force and leash her to an anchor so she can watch me swim without joining.

I mentioned to Grace about this cunning pet. Her comment is quick and sort of a matter of nature: " I know you can't do any hiding, even from a dog". True and thanks God, I am not in the profession of secret service or spy, where diguse and witness is the name of game, exactly like the drama we are watching now, which is called "潛伏". Straight Honesty has to be my only policy to handle things. Sigh.

頂天立地

"頂天立地" 在不同的時空階段下我有不一樣的体會與覺悟.

小時候家窮, 母愛雖不缺但零用金永遠談不上,在羨慕同伴之餘常希望自已早些長大成人, 才能"頂天立地"隨心所欲的花錢, 做自己愛做的事情.

長大後買房時,不喜歡公寓式的住屋, 因為上頂不到天,下觸不著地.對出身鄉下晨昏踩土的我很不習慣. 但是理想雖高,以己身財力所及, 只能生活在蜂巢式的公寓中做一個不是頂天立地的人.

其後年紀又長了許多, 出門己常被稱"阿伯". 當時結交了許多各方年青朋友,也常倚老賣老,鼓勵後進. 我記得告訴大陸耒美創業的好友, 美國這裡生活雖辛苦些,但是你自已是為自己打拼.一天不工作可能就一天沒飯吃,不像大陸還可混著吃大鍋飯. 但是你是有你自已的空間與自由,可謂"頂著自己的一片天, 站著自已的一塊地",不再是社會大机器下的小螺絲. 沒有人干涉你. 你是徹徹底底的頂天立地的男子漢.他們似乎頗受鼓舞.

有時候也覺得在商場打拼,在社會打滾, 遇人不淑或受人坑害,所在多有. 若有人能完全承受而不改變自已原有的慈悲心態, 繼續發出光熱給他人,就好像一個人頭腳穩立在天地間,坏事到他身上不會像常人一樣隨波傷及其他人以求自保或報復發洩. 相反的,他吸收並消化了坏的衝力, 同時繼續發出他一貫的善力對待他的一切. 這種修為,應該也算是很頂天立地的人了吧!

我也堅信一個頂天立地的人必須仰不愧於天,俯不怍於地,尊不虧於父母,卑不疏於子孫. 噫,微斯人,吾誰與歸?

European trip 2009 concluded in Paris

Photo taken in Paris on end of May, 2009, article drafted on June 28, 2009

On last day of the trip, we had a farewell party at Paris to put a half-month European trip to an end. Today, we renite together two families at Tony Yang's house at W. Covina. We have been living in neighboring cities, but our past world are so different that we can never be friends until we met in this European tour. They came from China, and live long time in Hong Kong. His youngest son kai was also our tourmate, and I can see he is well educated and elegant. I feel this is just a lucky encounter by chance, or in typipcal Chinese term as 緣份.

They have a cool and very delicate dinner arranged for me and Grace. The soup was peronally made by the host, Tony, and it was really wonderful. It is typical Fuzhou fish ball soup with albolone slices. We also finished one bottle of red wine. After dinner, we went to my house to complete the mutual acquaintance of each other's home. They got the pleasnt meeting with our pet Ginger and recognized her as well behaved dog. They also like our tree garden, and fish pond etc. With this reunion, we feel like making a family of new friends, which is also one more harvest of the European trip.

Their house is not as new, and not built as 豪宅. However, it was smartly decorated to be very elegant and comfortable. The yard is not as big, but it has so many fruit tree with abundant havest of peaches, lemons, pumpkin and the 玉蘭花. A fish pond with clean walterfall. Basically a good taste of hobby symbolize the good life of the host.

NOw Grace will be burdened with a return favor. THe real issue for her is what elegant dinner she can find to treat them back? It is fun of socializing, and the cost of it. As for me, I do not care too much about it, I am in charge of talking and eating. Maybe that's why I like making friends while Greace is quite skeptical and selective. ha ha.

母愛何辜?

母親的慈愛乃上天所賜,造物所賦, 但若扯入爭議卻又何辜?近日電視數度播報扁媽在高雄挺扁聚會時在台上聲淚俱下,聲援愛兒無罪何辜,卻被關到"瘦枝落肉" 体衰人萎. 天下慈母心,支援兒女真是沒有條件. 只是在這樣高度爭議性的政治埸合,令我不得不細思慢深嚼這代表著什麼人性意涵.

剛好下午看了一部電影, Public Enemy. 主角 John Depp 演活了1933 年代的銀行大盜. 他殺人搶劫,進出監獄如家常便飯, 全國出名,卻仍有美女委身追隨,不畏"我倆沒有明天"一再重演的險境. 我細思女人愛情的深淺似與對方在其子宮內的時間長短成正比. 如果男歡女愛時論秒論分的接触就足以令女友以身相許,不計福禍, 那麼接連十月的同体感情,如何構成絕對的愛護與支持,不計榮辱或其他是非對錯,就自然不言可喻了.(當然, 本人黑桃這個不太正經的比喻不入大雅之堂,只是想用比較科學的計量方式來凸顯其深淺區別而已.哈哈!)

所以母親是榮是辱,為賢為愧,絕對性的責任就落在兒女身上. 精忠報國的岳飛, 慈母為他刺字在背而名垂千古. 亞聖孟子取義,自成一家之言,其母為其三遷而居更傳為美談. 就屬現世的達官貴人也多積福慧以彰顯其母之德, 既使無能力做到的,也都能消極的少做令母親煩勞或擔憂的事. 至於令母親蒙羞痛心的事更絕對避免. 本人黑桃一介平民,更是”飯飯之輩”也知道一些. 當年服兵役時抽中傘兵,听說訓練嚴格,、如入魔鬼營, 尤其跳傘訓練更吉凶難卜,所以一直隱瞞實情一直到傘訓結束,手腳無缺,才敢稟告,就是要免去慈毋幾個月的憂心.

如今扁媽如此高齡, 卻被扶到台上作呼冤喊弊的哭訴. 尤其鏡頭上還有人為她繫上黃色頭巾, 與其他台上的政治人物完全沒兩樣, 確確實實成為政治舞台的一個籌碼,交由全國司法與老百姓評判是非對錯. 這是把人性中高貴的母性用在骯髒污穢的政治砧板上作賭注. 阿扁啊, 我為你難過,我為你不齒啊! 昔日在台大宿舍我們同舍不同系. 至少也是熟識. 我在美國期間你居然在政途上如明星一般竄起,竟至坐上大位. 本以為你會以布衣之姿平民之忱給台灣帶來祥和富庶的美夢, 沒想到八年來經濟上卻由四龍之首掉到最末, 社會上更見種族撕裂,藍綠痴仇... 治國需能力也很靠運氣, 國家退步也就算了,最令你校友黑桃我不堪的是你的操守. 你與你的妻子家人連同部屬竟多有手腳不乾淨的官司, 牽連之廣,訴訟之長,金額之鉅,竟至你下台一年多還沒能結案. 試問你一生為人到此,有何堪可告慰之事?

阿扁校友, 因為你,我曾經拒看母校台大寄來的刊物 “台大校友,以表達對台大品德教育失敗的不滿. 今天我送你前幾句文天祥的正氣歌, 請你細思,姑不談浩然正氣, 你起碼是否對得起老母,家人,朋友,乃至於你曾經統治過的全國同胞:

天地有正氣，雜然賦流形。下則為河岳，上則為日星。於人曰浩然，沛乎塞蒼冥。 皇路當清夷，含和吐明庭。時窮節乃見，一一垂丹青。