TIE ALTOGETHER 結盟在人間
In East Africa 在非洲
"Can we ask Hope to offer us more scholarships?" The locals whom I have served for years ask.
「我們可以請Hope提供給我們更多的獎助學金嗎? 」當地人這樣問道。
There are many people who cannot go to schools, or who cannot keep going to learn inside schools once poverty hits; in some areas, poverty can be pervelent because of the climatic environments bringing drastic weather conditions like droughts or heavy rainshowers. There are people who can buy water when the drought is persistent. On the contrary, there are also people who need to watch their livelihood perish under the extreme weather.
許多人之所以失學是源自於極端天侯的影響。對於那些可以在乾旱期間無水可用、但可以購得水源的人而言，和那些毫無此種經費只能聽天由命任由家中賴以維生的牲畜喪生的人，命運差別懸殊。
In such situations, should I feel completely hopeless as there are tens and thousands of people who need assistances, not merely education-wise, but even dietary choice-wise: whether people have food to eat or not can lead to the fact whether people die or live.
在這樣的景況之下，我是否該面對著那成千上萬因氣侯變遷因素，以及他們本來所處的環境中的政治、經濟條佳相對不穩定，而無水可用、無學可上、無食物可吃的人，感到束手無策或者別過頭去呢?
In Asia 在亞洲
「領導者的高度非常要緊，妳就是無法取代的領導者，因為妳有打不倒的毅力和決心，所以假若如妳的洞見般，必須有效協助更大範圍的人群及物種，那麼，還是必須讓這些妳所走過的足跡為眾人所知、或者擁有金源，不論是哪一個，妳都不可能身居幕後，妳一到幕後，所有的情況就會不同，這種純粹的服務也就做不出來……」一位與我在服務道途上不斷有所交集的友人，在眾人的會談之間如此振振有辭。
"Leaders' visions are vital. Your role as a farsighted leader is irresplaceable. To make the scope and scale of helping the others larger, more grand, either the things you have managed need to be known by more, or there has to be tremendous amount of finanical support available. Whether it is about fame or fortune, it is impossible, Hope, that you are behind the curtain; once you're behind the scene or curtain, things regarding helping the others including different species will not be that pure because no one is your equivalent."
A friend of mine who has worked side by side with me for all these humanitarian actions analyzes the above-mentioned firmly.
I do not kow what I can do or will do, but I have decided to try my best, as I have always had giving away and I do not regard donating money to the needed as the only answers. Among these actions, one of them is to keep empowering the local communities where I have served like I have done in the past through making women more capable in voicing their voices. Due to these, there are several things I wish to execute in the months or years to come: I am in the hope those products or services produced or provided by these people from different parts of the world can bring these people skills they need to survive well by themselves.
我不知道自己可以做到什麼地步，不過一如早先的定見，我期許自己盡力而為。但我始終不認為金錢的捐助或者抑注，是在現場工作的惟一道途。
在這種種行動中間，最重要的是必須集眾人之力，透過某種產品的衍生、或者技藝的培訓，而使當地人在可能的安排之下產生具體的謀生能力，當然，這樣的事情並非一蹴可幾，但卻也並非無法達成……
在北美洲 In North America
From our on-line discussions, I am informed by experts who can sew well that in order to re-use the ties, stitching materials together by hand, instead of (sewing) machines, can be quite applicable.
在與北美的友人們於線上談話時，擅長縫紉的人士說明著：
「重製這些妳所收集到的(像領帶及女性貼身內衣等)物件，其實用雙手縫紉也可以達成，毋須使用到縫紉機亦無妨。」
而在我與外籍同仁共同教學的教室中，領帶乃是藉著外籍同事的一雙巧手，個個被拆解下來，我所負責的則是拿著一台母親使用過的熨斗，將拆下的領帶及內裡統統熨平。
In the classroom where I have taught with my foreign colleague, he is the one helping out for the dissembling of the ties, thanks to his very skillful ways of handling the fabrics, whereas I would utilize an iron used to belong to my Mom to iron all those materials dissembled.
Worldwide 全球
我不希望要求每個在落後地區、我三生有幸而能夠服務到的赤貧人口都進行藝術創作；人們的個性及技藝不同，應該有不一樣的能力施展空間。
I don't expect every person living under poverty level whom I have the privilege to serve to create works artistically, for every individual is born with different talents needed to be cultivated and experimented. What I would hope is that with more involvement from all fronts, more miracles can be generated and formed to result better outcome.
這也就是為何我會衷心期盼經由不同的力量的投入和分享，更多可能可以衍生、更多奇蹟可以在這個世間響徹雲霄。
"Hope Baby" 「希望寶貝」
一位前輩很喜歡稱呼我為「希望寶貝」，因為擔心我營養不良，三不五時為我準備愛心餐點和水果，單單上一週就因著這位前輩，而使我胖了三公斤……
One elderly friend enjoys calling me HOPE BABY. She worries about my dietary choices, so she often prepares food as well as fruits for me. Just last week, because of her, I gained three kilos!
這也是拿了兩條全新領帶給我、領帶還放在嶄新的盒子裡面的同一位形象高雅出眾的前輩。
This is the same person giving me two brand new ties still wrapped inside exquisite boxes.
「傻子呀! 水果那麼一點點，幹嘛放那麼久不把它們吃完呀?!」她會如此跟我說……
"Those fruits are so little. Eat faster!" She would say
到之前服務的大學去拿另一位善心前輩準備的女性貼身衣物時，我沒有料到她會將那些衣物分成三等份，一份是尚在發育期間的少女所穿、一份是已經用過的、一份是全新的。重重的一大袋，幸而有另一位熱心公益並且才華洋溢的前輩幾年前所贈予我的偌大背包，外表看來不太大，卻能夠裝載下那些物件。
Then, I went to a university I used to teach for the collection of some bras. This would be another older friend of mine quite talented and professional in her fields. What I've not expected would be that she has classified those items into several different categories--the used ones for girls, the used ones for adults, and some that are brand new. The whole bag is very big and heavy. Fortunately I carried with me a backpack that day given to me by another older friend of mine who have told me that the bag could be handy when I do my service work. The reality is, once those bras are stored inside, no one can really tell how many there are!
雨天裡面這位前輩教授於夜間與我談完後仍然要至另一棟大樓教書，戴著小女兒買給她的呢料圓形帽子，優雅美麗的她說道：
「我現在都鼓勵女兒們做自己就好，一個母親的擔憂是一生一世的事情，真的好辛苦……還好老大有和Hope老師到肯亞去，她回來之後變得好正面……」
That was a rainy day. This professor mentioned "I have encouraged my daughter to be themselves. To be a MOM is tiresome! Fortunately Jennifer (who's the older one) went to Kenya with you. She has really changed a lot after coming back... Apparently she is more positive after the journey."
我說：「那不是Hope的功勞! 是當地的環境和種種影響、氛圍、及當地人的熱力所致! 那種影響非常有魔幻感，到過當地的人都可以感受得到!」我說。
"It's all because of the locals who are so hospitable! The entire environment with the charming surroundings plus their cultures provide magics for each and every of us!"
與教授在斜風細雨間道別後，來到學校的餐廳，這是一個家族所經營的餐廳，裡面有雜貨店、有餐飲部、甚至有外配嫁來多年後的家人到台灣打工數個月再返家。彼時在該校教書就和他們很熟悉，這次正好順道拜訪他們。
I waved this professor goodbye in front of the building she needed to enter for a lecture. After doing so, I was visiting a restaurant inside the same campus. I used to know many of the crew members there. There are even those who are with their family memebers marrying to the locals while they fly here to work for a few months before heading back home once more.
「美女老師，妳那麼久沒有來，我們老闆都超級想念妳的!」幾位員工像久久不見老友般與我噓寒問暖。
Once I entered the place, several of them greeted me! "WOW you've not come for such a long time. All of us miss you very much, esp. our boss!"
老闆聞風後從廚房走出，晚上已經過了八點鐘，他二話不說幫我包了一個免費餐盒。
Hearing this, the boss went to meet me from where he was. It was 8:00 p.m. or so. Swiftly, he organized a box full of food for me to carry away for free.
吃也吃不完的食物在裡面，一如我所經過的地點和遇到的人們，對我而言，世界各處都總有濃濃的人情味和鳥語花香。
Inside that box, more than enough of food would feed me throughout my body, heart, and soul--everywhere I go globally, there is much hospitality, with such beauty the Mother Nature offers as well.
「雨不小耶~~~送妳到大門口去坐車好嗎?」熱情的老闆這樣問我。
"It's rainy. Let me drive you to the front gate?" The Boss of that restaurant asked me.
自然我是回絕了的，不好意思這樣麻煩人家，更加不好意思的是自己何德何能，接收這許許多多風土人情不斷轉換中，一個又一個動人的故事。
Of course I declined. Meanwhile, I wonder from where I am this lucky to have received so many visible and invisible gifts from all whom I have met or not.
此生此世我總感到自己承載的幸福和喜悅無以為報，每一個過程都有感人不已的片斷和故事，別有一番滋味在心頭。
In this lifetime, I usually feel what I have gained make me speechless, as each and every turn brings other new warm surprises making me even more fulfilled...
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