French78部落格

Dear all:

Pierrette, Marie and Sabine finally met at Irvine dated November 30th 2008.

Pierrette prepared nice dishes ( Pork stew, 2 vegetable dishes, White Fungus sweet soup, and mix fruit)

Marie prepared Mix salad (Bitter melon, Bean Curd, Penuts with chopped green onion and cilandra)

Sabine prepared a cold vegie dished.

We had a lot of fun. However time past so fast, we did not have enough time to do some foot massages and complete the facial beauty package.

Thanks

Sabine

Pierrette現住美國加州南部橘郡爾灣。爾灣位在洛杉磯南部約一個鐘頭車程的地方，是一個新興城市，有南加矽谷之稱。Pierrette婚後便自台灣移民來此，一住便是十多年。如今獨生女Tiffany已經十二歲。Pierrette平日在家相夫教子，週末在爾灣慈濟中文學校幫忙做義工，生活充實美滿。French78在此與眾同學分享她近日的生活點滴。   - By Marie

因女兒在慈濟爾灣中文學校就讀之故，參加了學校的家長合唱團。上週末支援慈濟總會在爾灣演出「無量義經手語劇」，難得的機會穿上了慈濟志工的「八正道服」，要知這套衣服可是需要經過資格驗證通過才能穿的喔！

於是于演出結束後，趕緊為冒牌師姑拍照留念。看起來是不是很慈祥啊！

第一張是與女兒好友(我的乾女兒)合影。

女兒因為有樂團練習，無法來為老媽捧場，就請好友代勞了。

第二張是真女兒與乾女兒合影。很可愛吧！

Jacqueline with Jayhawker

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This is Michel.  Well, we all know many of us have been apart for over 30 years.  From innocent college graduates to seasoned adults, we can only guess how many life stories there are among us during these 30 years.  Our dear classmate J. Jacqueline told her story with her vivid writing, supplemented by very nice photos of herself and her family.  Please go check J.J.'s album.   

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What do you call it? My journey?                                                    By J. Jacqueline

It has been an interesting time, intertwining with old and new. My emotion is still “high” from all these encounters.  This summer, I decided to brave my constant discomfort and planned a vacation to visit Lawrence , KS , where my husband and I went to school and met in 1979. The boys wanted to spend some time in Colorado before daddy moved back home; Jason really wanted to revisit the Midwest and Andrew was eager to add Kansas to his list of states travelled.

After celebrating my father’s birthday with my brother’s family, we set out to Colorado . We had just put in landscaping but would be putting the house on the market in a few months. For the two years my husband had worked there, I kept wondering how it would have been if we had moved, if Andrew had been going to school there. Even though we’ve found that college application is becoming more and more competitive a process in Colorado, when thinking of the incredible view of the Flatirons and kids running free in the huge green open space, I could not help speculating if Andrew would have been happier doing the same things here instead of in the hustled and bustled Bay Area! Last year, we visited the Rocky Mountain National Park , the Royal Gorge, and other places JC and I toured when we first visited Colorado 25 years ago in our blue Volkswagen Bug. I wish I had a picture of the car. It was so old the body was rusting, so we painted white clouds on it. This time around, we decided to stay home, play in the pool so mom can keep up with her rehab workout, and watch the rabbits munch on our new grass and plants. It was nice not having to be awakened by an alarm clock.

From Broomfield , Colorado , we drove through eastern Colorado , all the way across Kansas to Lawrence . Lawrence is a college town, 40 minutes west of Kansas City , Kansas and Kansas City , Missouri . We took the kids to see the apartment and the town house we once lived in, where we went to class and worked in the pretty campus on Mt. Oread , and the famous legendary KU mascot “Jayhawk”. Listening to the fragments of our memories as we strolled the campus, both kids got very excited as if they were part of it back then. Jason wished USC had a campus like this. But we could not persuade Andrew to come to KU – it’s too far from home and kind of “in the middle of nowhere”! We continued our journey to Kansas City , Missouri , stayed at the Country Club Plaza. The Plaza reflects European influences everywhere, especially those of Seville , Spain . We used to come here at Christmas time for the dazzling lights. I was surprised to learn that it’s the first shopping center in the world designed to accommodate shoppers arriving by automobile. There, we met an old friend of mine, Susan. This was my first reunion with Susan after 25 years. She was this quiet and shy Chinese American freshman girl that I got to know on the bus from the dorms to the campus in KU. We lived in different dorms, but I think I worked in the cafeteria in her dorm. We kept contact after I left school by exchanging Christmas cards and letters every year. It was her birthday. We had the famous Kansas City BBQ and shared a mud pie with ice cream. We’ve sent pictures throughout the years, but to see her in person was something different and indescribable. It brought back so many memories…. And the boys had to listen to my stories about getting up at 5 and walking in the snow to Elsworth’s kitchen….

After coming home from the heart-filled trip, we were busy getting ready for school. JC took another vacation so we could take Jason back to school. I was still drenched in my sweet memories while life went back to its usual craziness…until the email from Marie. This was like a second wave that came right after the first – without warning. The trail of emails brought me back 4 more years in life. I was overwhelmed by everyone’s responses and spent all my time busy recollecting the forgotten times. Leaving Taiwan for a brand new environment took a lot of adjustment. I was lucky to have made many good friends, met JC, and had the chance to enrich my life experience. Married life was great and work was good as well. There was not much room for thinking back, except for the seldom connection I had with the closer group of you. With the kids arriving, I put the past aside. I was busy laughing and crying with them, busy making sure I did my job and they did theirs. Then, all of a sudden, I was awoken by your emails. Your faces emerged and the happy years came back to mind. The short meeting with Gisele and Michel was so gratifying to me. It was like I finally filled a big spot of my huge puzzle! They have changed – havn’t we all? Yet I was so at ease that it seemed they have not changed at all! I wished we had more time and I wished I could do the same with each and every one of you!

Now that the zest of emailing is dying down a bit – no one to blame – we all have to live our life in the real world, we turn to the wonderful French 78 Blog to savor the good “old” days and learn the “new” about our dear friends. I am sure there are stories and stories to be told, fascinating or not, I will be eager to take them in like a thirsty, hungry sponge. The bond amongst all of us is surprisingly strong, especially after so many years, won’t you say? I see that we are no more in a hurry to pour our hearts out, to catch up the somewhat lost 30 years in an instant. That’s a good sign because what we need is a long-standing tie. By sharing on the blog, I wish we would keep it going – slowly, but surely, for many, many more years.

Who would know that while I have been struggling with physical problems, I’d have such a full load of emotional fulfillment? Adding to my joy was my husband’s returning to the area. Now I feel like I am ready to tackle the unforeseen future with all the support I know I’ll have. I can sense it already! Four years is not a long time, but the ever-lasting friendship evolved from it can be incredible. You warmed my heart and I feel so lucky that I am one of you! 

PS. Pictures attached.

      Jason was born in 1989. Andrew was born in 1994.

      Enjoy!

請按此處觀賞更多照片 ---> Jacqueline 堪薩斯之旅

Jacqueline, Michel, Gisele (from left to right)

☆☆☆     ☆☆☆     ☆☆☆

Friends,

Few more pictures to share and they are actually pretty good. (Jacqueline, thanks for the pics)

Yes, Michel, Jacqueline and me TOOK ACTION!  We did not wait.  We met for dim sum yesterday, Oct 2 in San Jose .  I was walking out from my office to lobby to see Michel imagining the feeling I would have at our first sight to each other after 30 years!  We smiled at each other in a short distance. That was an amazing and very rare feeling in life - a dream coming true!  After chatting a bit, Jacqueline showed up.  My first words were: you did not change a bit!! We hugged, we had dim sum, we talked a lot, each one of us reported a bit our life after graduation and after coming to America till this point in life.  Boy, we had a wonderful time.  Jacqueline and I did not forget to ask the waiter to take pictures even though during the whole time we were busy chatting.  This really reminds us how merciless time can be.  Just like that, 30 years were gone, after Fu-Jen!  And here we are, at out 50! 

Imagine!  Before this date ( 10/2/2008 ) - 

Last time I saw Michel was in summer 1979!!

Last time I saw Jacqueline was in 1990!!

Guys, it's time to make up the lost time.  Don't wait anymore!  Do the things you love within in your ability and law permits, just for the heck of it!!  For example, if you like the trendy mini-skirt in hot pink, the torn apart type of jeans to fit in with you daughters and sons, JUST DO IT!  Don't you want to be "in"??  Don't you want to be "hot"??  Hey, how about a big sis vs. young brother type of romance?  No fear please!!   Michel wanted to fulfill his passion of playing music, he started The People two years ago and now became popular!  We just have to do it, at least, TRY!  DON'T WAIT ANY MORE!!!

Madeleine, our organizer!  You brought back a lot of old days memory.  Wow, that was 2005 I went back to Taiwan ??  You might be grandmother soon. Thanks for sharing the nice pictures.

Delphine, thanks for the kinds words describing us "wonderful three" and "beautiful".  I felt too excited and encouraged to fall asleep last night!  

I am still waiting the gentlemen in the group to throw a few words.  Hey, I understand Chinese characters okay?  But I am fine with your own timing though. 

Jolyn-Gisele

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."

--Martin Luther King, Jr.

報告班代：

人生天地間，忽如遠行客，

沒想到，三十年後，我們竟重山萬水，天涯一方。

想當年，咱們藍球場上，一起奮戰，汗滴禾土，雖然敗多勝少，

（highlight甚少），

但屢敗屢戰，甫仆甫起，和血吞牙，

誰知竟是日後的人生！…

可歌可泣的四年呀！

「朝發上林，暮宿上林，朝朝暮暮，上林依舊」，

三十年後，睹「字」思人，獲悉永遠的班代，風采依舊，

瀟灑更勝，可喜可賀，只恨

天涯寥落，僅能憑目寄意，聊表思念。

佛家有云：

既從一念生，還從一念滅，生生滅盡處，滅滅生機起。

可作你我全班見證偈語！

小Marie最聰明，沒事搞個blog，煽風點火後，她卻蹺著玉腿，

啜著coffee，拈花帶笑，

坐看咱們四十男女，

刀來劍往，百家爭鳴，郎情妾意，春意滿堂…

說實在，高明布局，深得劍道要旨，令人

欲罵無言。

大伙兒也只好：

有力卸力，無力借力，

是龍是蛇，還看今朝！

期待下一個三十年…

祝福班代暨本班帥哥美女群

eat，drink，and　be　merry,

Edouard        971017

大家好，這一好可三十年…

唉！

半個月沒開信箱，沒想到，不開不知道，一開嚇一跳。

看到大伙十五、廿少年時的照片，真感概繫之，無以名之，

「一天來寫一百年」的史家回溯，瞬間充塞胸臆。

果真是白頭宮女話當年。

從退伍第二天起，男人就不免俗的開啟可能終其一生的拼戰，　

我就這樣，孜孜矻矻，忽忽已廿六個年頭，

其間的緊湊、壓力、忙碌，豈一個茫字所能形容。

終於熬到退休，出清全部壓力後，才赫然發現，

人生重新開展。

有人為自由下定義，自由就是想做什麼，就做什麼，同學們，

知道嗎，這些日子以來，我是想做什麼，偏不做什麼！

箇中三昧，真一個爽字了得！

空暇的時候，我常比較退休前和退休後的日子，最後總以

「無年無月，樂不知返」作收，真好。

江湖大俠，用劍名家在武功的修為上，常有重劍無鋒，大巧不工

的說法，也只有進窺到「無劍勝有劍，無招勝有招」的境界，

才算躋近「技進乎藝，藝進乎道」的武學至境。

這似乎就是我現在的人生！　

何處高樓無可醉？誰家紅袖不相憐？

祝福大家，都有苦盡甘來的人生！

Edouard   　　　      971015