Work and rest

Grapes by Tang dynasty poet Han Yu

New tendrils not quite out, half still withered,
Training posts, once fallen, upright again,
If you want a full plate pile of white milk,
Don't say no to adding bamboo to let dragon whiskers climb!


Chapter 11: Big Ocean

In 1967, I was sent by the government to Canada to survey in preparation for the next expo. In August, I flew from Tokyo to Vancouver and then to Montreal. After two weeks in Montreal, we went to New York, then Chicago, California to visit each of my children. Afterward, returned to Tokyo. In August 1969, Suyuen and Minjun were married in California, Sudong, and Susi attended. In 1973, my eldest grandson was born. We didn't have a chance to visit until 1975. Minjun asked us to visit so we came in June and we went to South Dakota to visit them first, and then Sudong drove us to Yellowstone National Park and then Los Angeles to visit David, our grandson. In early July, Sudong drove us through Utah and Nevada back to Brookings, SD. From Brookings, we flew to New Jersey to visit Susi and our two granddaughters, Sujin had already left for Washington State for a new job. We went to Washington D.C. with her and the children. From D.C., we returned to Chicago. That was in summer break time, so Suyuen stayed in Aspen. So then we went to Aspen and stayed ten days. Then Suyuan drove us to Salt Lake and went back to California. In September we went back to Tokyo by way of Los Angeles and Hawaii. In 1977 December, we went from Tokyo to Richland, WA where Susi and Sujin had moved and spent Christmas and New Years there through February 1978. From there we went to Los Angeles. Suyuen picked us up and drove us to Riverside where they lived. Sudong and Qinyu drove over from Brookings to visit us in Riverside. Until April, when Diqin stayed in California [sic: we know that Diqin (my grandmother) actually came to Richland in hopes that her health would improve--she suffered from asthma. She was so mad at him for leaving that she had a nervous breakdown. My mother realized she had become irrational and took her to a doctor and she was prescribed medicine that helped her calm down. In September of that year, Diqin returned to Taibei on her own.] and I returned to Taibei by way of Tokyo. In summary, I flew back and forth across the Pacific eight times, which is why I named this section Dayan (Big Ocean)--most of this time was retired and leisurely and taking trips. 

My First Visit to Canada

No. 1

Heavy clouds, dim moon, the water dark and murky.*
Jet high altitude, one leaf flight** 
Safety belt loose, time to nap.
We cross the Pacific Ocean in our dreams. 

*We took an evening flight. We boarded at night and then fell asleep. The next day, we woke and landed in Vancouver.
**A reference to a story about someone who flew by leaf. (My mom doesn't know it.)