A Note From April 15, 2024 (In Memory of Ms. Martha, 1936-2025)
One year ago...
Went to the waterfall over by the indigenous village. Over by Zuocang Mountain, across the river and not too far from school. Took a walk thereabouts. The photos show that the weather was sunny, and that I lingered by the rocks, watching the thin but broadening curtain of water. It looks like the water was clear and white, and there may have been some small fishes swimming in the stream.
Afterwards I took my scooter up north, over to where the Liwu River flows into the sea. It was a rocky beach, some jeeps were parked on the riverbed. I remember watching that thick band of water crisscrossing its way into the deep blue sea, and thinking to myself, "so this is where all that water from the high mountains goes to eventually!" and I had hearkened back to my trip up to Hehuanshan two weeks before.
Without any predetermined sort of agenda or any constraints of time, I then rode up the Liwu and into Taroko National Park. I took a walk along the Shakadang. In the springtime the vegetation was much more lush than I previously remembered, the water was deep and blue as always. I remember thinking to myself, "how incredible this trail is, this trail that I sometimes took for granted. With all its rocky curves and fresh views at every turn, the gorge really does feel like a 'mysterious valley' as they used to call it."
What did I do after that? I don't remember, but what an incredible day that was, one of three mini-adventures! How incredible was it to be in a place like Hualien, where I could amble about on a random Saturday and feel so inspired by what was around me. What an incredible time that was. That was a good month. I bought chocolate for my students in a small shop in an unfamiliar part of town. Teacher Yu-Lin warmly praised my lesson at the evaluation on 4/11. My forehead was badly sunburnt and I was so embarrassed that I thought about skipping school -- but the kids were so understanding and good natured! Driving behind a convoy of cement trucks on the winding road to Aowanda. Seeing my students show so much improvement on their midterm exams. What a blessing that April was.
As I sit here in my chair in Los Angeles, I feel warm. And I stare out the window at the spotless sky, the palm trees and power lines, hearing the muted songs of birds. And so life has taken me here now. April really is a beautiful month in Los Angeles. Last week it felt like summer, and I felt like a little kid, ambling my way around downtown. Or at Eaton Canyon, where a crowded riverside park suddenly turned into a rugged wilderness playground. People of all ages and all races, splashing through the water, having a good time. All sorts of languages being spoken. That's our Shakadang right there.
And Ms. Martha from church. She is from Taiwan, and a very warm lady. She grew up in Taiwan during World War II, almost from my grandmother's generation. 88 years old. 22 years ago she had a severe form of cancer, which made her unconsicous for over 30 hours. She lost many feet of her small intestine. But she is still here, walking to church every Sunday (except yesterday because it was raining), with a smile on her face, calling friends to check up on them. Yesterday she said to me, "Don't worry. Be like Martha."