Trees getting makeup

Spring slowly paints Trees with a brush

Yellow

Light pink

Violet red

Light magenta

White also

Green, don’t hurry

Trees have been standing lonely for a season

Waiting to get makeup

Dressed up beautifully

Ready to greet the lovers

Life extension

In medical science, there are many cases when an organ is transplanted to a patient. However, there is a risk that the patient’s body might reject it and lose their life. Do you know that nowadays medical science is so advanced that they can take your cells and plant them on a ‘mould organ’ and grow it using machines for several weeks, then transplant the new organ to you once it is functional, and extend your life?

A few days ago, on a famous show called ‘Oprah’, they had a show with Dr. Oz talking about Extreme Life Extension. Dr. Oz talked about the latest high-tech breakthroughs in medical science. He interviewed the researchers at the organ transplant lab. He briefed the process of growing the organ to transplant. Dr. Oz also introduced a guest who lost part of his finger and couldn’t find the missing piece. He had used a powder developed by medical science and grew a new, functioning half finger. He said that finger was younger than the other fingers and the nail on that finger grows faster than his other fingernails.

Wow…isn’t it amazing? We know that lizards can re-grow a lost tail. People can also grow a lost part huh!

Let’s imagine, if the mystery of living forever wasn’t a mystery anymore…. Do you want to live forever? How would the world be if the population keeps growing more and more?

在醫學上已有多項器官移植到病人身上的例子，但其風險是接受者可能会排斥而失去生命。你可知道現在醫學進步到可用‘模形器官’，然後抽取用自己的細胞出来培植在該模形器官上，用機器培植，幾个星期成熟後即已有功能就可將新的器官移植给自己，延長生命？

前幾天美國著名的Oprah節目與Dr. Oz訪談關於 Extreme Life Extension（我翻譯為: 廷續生命極限）。Dr. Oz介紹了近日高科技的醫學突破，他錄影到該培植器官醫所及他大略講讲解醫務如何進行培植器官。Dr. Oz也介紹一位嘉賓的一根手指，他的手指因故段了半截，但找不回段截駁接回他的手指，他用了醫學研發的粉狀物，成功生長出活動自如新的另半截手指，他說這手指比其它手指年輕，而且這手指甲長得比其它的指甲快長。

嘩..是不是很驚奇？我们知道壁虎能長回段的尾巴，人也能長回段肢咯！

想像一下，長生不老的奇蹟不久就不是奇蹟了… 你會要長生不老嗎？人越来越多，會是怎樣的世界？

Just do it

It is easy to say, “Just do it!” However, we need to do the right thing. But sometimes, even though you think you are doing the right thing, some people might disagree or discourage or suspect you. That might trigger your emotion and thought. Let’s take one of my experiences:

I used to go hiking short distances; it was one of my activities in Penang on weekends. Sometimes, if I saw a plastic bag on the trail side, I would pick it up and it became a trash bag. As I was walking down the hill, I would pick up others trash along the trail. Usually I had about two or three trash bags with me by the time I reached a trash bin at the grounds area. Once, I saw some rubbish along the trail side close to a rest hut. I was picking it up as a group of people going down the trail passed by. One guy said to me in Hokkien, “You are from MPPP (short form of Penang City Council, but here people are kidding that you are a street cleaner) huh.” I sensed his teasing and I felt a little unhappy, so I didn’t respond to him. One of them said to him, “Don’t say things like that to people.” They left and I continued to pick up rubbish. It was just two or three minutes later, when a lady was going up the trail. She passed by me, and said to me in English, “You are great.” I was smiling in response to her. She was going, and I was continuing to pick up rubbish. As I was going down, if I saw rubbish along the trail I picked it up too. Someone saw I was holding the bags and picking up rubbish and asked me, “What do you do with the trash?” I responded, “Put it in the bin at the grounds area.”

I simply just did a thing, but I heard many voices…. And my emotions and responses changed.

“做就對了！” 這句話說得容易，但卻是要做對的事。有時你即使覺得你做了對的事，也會有人不讚同或嘲諷或懷疑你，舉個我自己的例子﹕

我曾在檳城某處的短程爬山，那時是列常的休閒活動之一，我下山時若看到有膠袋棄丟在山路旁，我就拾那膠袋把它當垃圾袋，一路回程就拾起路旁的垃圾，到山腳下的垃圾桶時，我手提著的已是兩、三個裝滿垃圾的袋。有一次，在靠近山路途的一休息站附近有不少的垃圾，我在拾起著，一群人走過要下山去，一位男性用福建話對着我說，“你是MPPP（檳城市政局簡稱，但這里是取笑你為清潔工人）的人啊。” 我感受到他的揶揄，我有點不高興也不去理會回應他，他身邊的另一人說他，“不要這麼說人啦。” 他們繼續走了，我繼續拾垃圾。就過了两、三分鐘，有一位女性走上山來了，經過看到我，用英語對着我說，“You are great（你很棒）！” 我微笑回應她。她繼續走了，我繼續拾垃圾。然後我一路走下山看到垃圾就拾，有一人看到我手提垃圾袋拾拉圾，問我說，“你將垃圾拿去那里？” 我回應說，“丟進山腳下的垃圾桶。”

我簡單只是做一件事，竟會听到很多聲音，我的情緒也跟着變換應對。

Medical insurance

A few days ago, I took a little roll of bread Steve made from the freezer. I thought to cut it into three slices and bake it for my breakfast. The bread was frozen and hard. I managed to slice it once, and while my right hand was holding the knife trying to cut the second slice, the bread skipped out of the way, but the knife cut into my left forefinger. So, it was bleeding fast. I called Steve, he came back home to take me to the ER at the hospital. I was kidding and blamed Steve for making such a hard kind of bread when the registration staff asked the cause of my injury! The wound was not long but a little deep, so the doctor gave me four stitches. He did it in less than half an hour, but we were waiting there quite long. We arrived there about 10.50am and it was 1.50pm when we finally got out.

I wondered why we had to go to the hospital ER even just a little injury? If in Malaysia, we would go to a clinic. Here, the medical procedure is a little different. We need to have an appointment with the doctor. As we have medical insurance, we pay US$10 for every doctor visit, but US$50 to go to a hospital ER.

In the USA, the fees are expensive for people who don’t have medical insurance. How expensive? I don’t know. I knew a Taiwanese person who went back to Taiwan to seek medical help, as she doesn’t have medical insurance…

I wish all of us are healthy always!

几天前，我从冰箱拿出一粒Steve做的小面包，准备切成三片放进烘炉做早餐。刚从冰箱拿出的面包已冻硬，我拿着刀切了一片，要切第二片时，右手用力将刀切下，面包溜开，刀却向我的左手食指切下，血很快就流着。我打了电话给Steve，他回来带我去医院急诊处（ER）。在登记人员记录我的伤口原因时，我开玩笑说都怪Steve的面包做得太硬！我的伤口不大却有点深，医生给我缝四针。缝针的时间不到半小时，但等的时间却很长，约10.50am到医院，出来时已是1.50pm。

我好奇为什么这点小伤要去医院急诊处，如在马来西亞不是去诊所就可以了吗？这里的医疗程序是有点不同，看门诊的各科医生，须预约，我们医疗有保险公司的，每次看门诊医生，付费是US$10。而医院急诊的付费是US$50。

在美国如果没有医疗保险，即说费用是很贵的，有多贵？我不知道，我知道有台湾人没有医疗保险只好回台湾医病…

最好是大家健健康康！

Angel and Devil's private lives

Angel and Devil each have their own jobs; they are very busy. Nevertheless, there is no compatibility between Angel and Devil, always squarely opposed on an issue in an argument; both sides criticizing each other. If one of them knew the other has some small bad issues, surely they would make public the other party’s bad things to Souls who are in heaven and hell. Absolutely, all Souls knew that Angel and Devil often goof off, not focused on their jobs, but spend time pulling the scabs right off from each other. Sometimes Souls complain how Angel and Devil have high ranking jobs and salary, but they don’t service well the communities in heaven and hell. However, sometimes Souls like to hear these kinds of reports, so they will discuss, comment or gossip about these matters.

On the other side, in fact, Angel and Devil are stressed. Even though in their private lives, they are scared that the other party might explore something by hidden camera. That would be terrible. The reality is…

Every time before Angel has a shower; Angel needs to check all places in the bathroom to make sure there are no hidden cameras. After checking, then Angel feels safe to take off the fake wings which Angel actually got through several other Souls – a Soul bought it from another Soul, who bought it from a toy store. Angel is proud and looks in the mirror with a sinister smile, “who will know I am an Angel with no wings and can’t fly!”

Every time before Devil brushes his teeth; Devil needs to check all places in the bathroom to make sure there are no hidden cameras. After checking, then Devil feels safe to take off the fake fangs, which Devil actually got through several other Souls – a Soul bought it from another Soul, who bought it from a dentist. Devil is proud and looks in the mirror with a foolish smile, “who will know I am a Devil with no fangs and can’t suck blood!

天使和魔鬼都各有自己的職務，忙得很，但天使和魔鬼一直以來都勢不兩立，時常針鋒相對，互相批評指責對方，只要抓到對方一點點毛病，誓必把對方的醜事公告於天界地界的靈魂們知曉不可。所有天界地界的靈魂都知道天使和魔鬼時常‘吃蛇’ ，正務事不做，卻花時間去互揭瘡疤。靈魂們有時候抱怨為何天使和魔鬼享有高薪權位卻没好好為天界地界服務，但有時候又樂得有新聞聽也加入說三道四，議論紛紛。

而這邊廂，其實天使和魔鬼是很壓力的，即使自己的私生活，也很怕被對方偷拍到那可不得了。原来…

天使每次要洗澡都必須檢查每處的浴室，確定没偷拍器後，才安心脱下那暗中托傳了幾位靈魂從玩具店購買的假翅膀，得意向鏡中的自己奸笑，有誰知道我是没有翅膀不能飛的天使！

魔鬼每次要刷牙都必須檢查每處的浴室，確定没偷拍器後，才安心脱下那暗中托傳了幾位靈魂從牙醫所制做的假尖牙，得意向鏡中的自己傻笑，有誰知道我是没有尖牙不吸血的魔鬼！