太平洋的彼端，吹來了春風已逝的消息。
海的這端，驟地七月吹雪，滿城惆悵。

因為春風，我知曉了天地的遼闊，世界的斑斕，
井中觀天的我，才敢懷抱更高的夢想。
是您的暖風吹拂，
為我遮擋了多年的冷雨寒霜。

走看世界，挑戰自我，
春風的暖意相隨，我得以鬥志高昂。

一同品嘗的那片比薩，依舊美味如斯，
而春風，卻已成追憶片片，化為霓裳。

願您遠走之際，無痛無傷，
重回雲的懷抱，永享安詳。

The most delicious pizza

The most delicious pizza I ever had in my life was in the summer of 94’ when I was 15. That was the day I got admitted into the best high school in Taiwan. That day, Ms Chang, my middle school literature teacher, accompanied me to the high school. After the registration, she took me to Pizza Inn to have lunch, which I had dreamed to try ever since I was a little kid.

In order for me to enter high school, Ms Chang had tried for a year to convince my mother to let me study and prepare for the entrance exam. Although we were 14 and 13 yr-old at the time, my brother and I had a full time job as janitors at Suzuki motor factory. The work hours were 4am-6:30am and 5pm-10pm. The scope of work included cleaning offices, cafeteria, and all restrooms.

However, to study in the evenings at the school for the exam it meant giving up on this job. Even though the pay was only $300 USD for the three of us (mother, brother and me), this was half of our monthly family income. It was very difficult to give it up. After many phone calls and visits, Ms Chang finally persuaded mother to give me a chance to pursue a brighter future for myself and my family.

Before that day, I was a poor kid struggling to get food on the table, not knowing what my future could be. Ms Chang saw my potential and gave me time and support to help me realize it.

That summer day, while eating that pizza, she smiled and told me:

” I had fulfilled my task today and I won’t be able to accompany you going forward."

“Now, it’s up to you. Make it great!”

After so many years, I still remember the taste of that pizza: base of gratitude, topped with enthusiasm, full of hope, and filled with joy I have never had before.