Readers, You Are Great; But, There Will Be No More Entries In This Blog. Instead, There Is A New Blog Site...

Readers, you are great. You are my best companion while I was alone, and away in Taiwan during my sabbatical leave of 2008-2009. Thank you for your support and encouragement.

Now, my official sabbatical leave ended on July 15, 2009. There will be no more reasons to enter any new stories in this blog. Instead, I have created another blog site, entitles, "Dr. Chen Story Time." for new stories and my experiences in the U.S.

I love story-telling. I think story-telling is a very good way to get human connections. My story-telling experiences when I was in Taiwan helped me a lot. Dr. Chen will continue his story telling in the new blog site with the web-address as http://dr-chen-story-time.blogspot.com/

I need your continuous support and encouragement. Thank you all, because you are just great.

Miracle--Large or Small Did Happen

Miracle did happen all the time whether they are small or large. It happened to me who happened to be a Christian when I was taking the plane back to US from Taiwan. But I believe that it will also occur to persons of other faith as we keep humble ourselves.

Last week, I sent a note to Pastor Chen of Wu-Feng Presbyterian Church and they had my note translated into Mandarin. Here it goes.

安抵美國，見證上主應允我的禱告

敬愛的陳牧師：

我已於七月十五日安抵美國，現正調整時差中。
我想和各位分享一個關於禱告的見證。

離台兩天前，我覺得非常不舒服，胃脹，吃不下。我就禱告，祈求神的幫助與醫治，也請在美國的太太為我禱告。

當然我去找醫生拿了些藥，同時做了指壓按摩，看起來有點效果，但是，真正幫助我的卻是苦瓜根所燉煮的茶。離開台灣的前一天晚上八點，我的姊姊和外甥來看我，我說出我的症狀,外甥立刻說他也曾有過類似的症狀. 就是所謂的 ”中暑 “。於是外甥就打電話請在彰化的太太為我熬苦瓜茶，雖然姊姊和我都說這樣太麻煩了，但是，外甥卻很堅持，終於我喝了幾盎司的苦瓜茶之後，原本乾痛的喉嚨感覺舒服多了，由於翌日要搭很早的班機回美國，當晚九點我就入睡了。隔天早上我把剩下的茶也喝完了。

結果你猜怎麼了? 從台北到美國密西根州阿爾普頓的航程中，我把飛機上提供的食物吃完了，真是太令人驚訝了。

上主經常用奇妙的方式作工，我只能說這是神應允我的禱告，真是奇妙。陳明楷 敬上 2009年7月17日

To All Readers: This is my last note for this blog. New stories will appear on a new blog: http://dr-chen-story-time.blogspot.com/

Good-Bye, Taiwan

I am writing this note in tears. People know about me understanding me well; Dr. Chen is a very emotional person. When I am writing something deep from my hear, my tears pour out of me.

This one year sabbatical in Taiwan has fulfilled one of my life missions to contribute in Taiwan and to learn something I had missed when I went abroad in 1971. During this year, I taught English Technical Writing, Polymer Chemistry, and Industrial Chemical Process. I had great interactions with students especially for my English writing students. I have English Coffee Social Hour with them every week. Some of them went with me to see movies of '1895' and 'Slum Dog Millionaire'. I also see their growth in English writing skills. Those are gratifying accomplishments.

Intellectually, I also had great interactions with most faculty of the chemical engineering department of NCHU especially with Professor Dai Shenghong and Professor Jeng Ru-Jong. We had weekly meeting during my sabbatical in Taiwan. Those what I have learned and contributed are also gratifying.

The Taiwanese history re-learning experiences are exciting and are hard to describe. When I grew up in Taiwan before 1971, I was taught in school about Chinese history and geography. This year in Taiwan, I actually learn about Taiwanese geography and history. I learned about Taiwanese-French war, I learned about Dr. Mackay and Mr. Hatta Yoichi who had built Wu-San-Tou Water Reservoir and Ja-Nan Irrigation System that has turned the Ja-Yi, Tainan Plain into the rice warehouse of the Southeast Asia. I also had deep appreciation of the Hakka's culture. I went as far as Ping-Tong to see Hakka culture historical remains as well as Nan-Joung and San-Yi. I also had participated in the Tong Blossom Festival. The experiences were fascinating and fantastic.

Living alone my self for one year is hard. Fortunately, I found a church group and a Qi-Kong group to give me support, spiritually and physically. Many thanks to my sister and her children who have taken care of me almost to every details. Also thanks to Meeilei's brother, Mr. Ou Chau-Fu who had taken me to many places in Taiwan to learn about the beauty of Taiwan. Thanks also to friends at Chau-Yang University such as Dr. Huang Jin-Teh and his wife who had introduced me to the church and Dr. Shih Yen-Feng who took me to Ju-San to see the old battle field of Mr. Lin Shung-Wun.

Lastly, I thank my wife for her generosity to grant me living here alone while she has to take care of everything at home such as mowing the grass and shoveling the snow. Those usually are my jobs. Daily Skype phone conversation with Meeilei also gave me tremendous support.

I also had made a mistake by participating in Herbalife Nutrition Club which had made my insomnia and digestion problems worse. At the moment of writing this note, I am really sick. I lost appetite and lost weight. I look forward to coming back to the U.S. to go back to the normal life for better health.

Good bye, Taiwan. I love you all.

Church Choir Said Good-Bye To Me On July 11

Since joining the Wu-Feng Presbyterian Church, I also joined the choir. Choir typically practices every Saturday night from 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM even in summer. The church is a vibrant church; even in summer the choir has full participation from the choir members. The Lo's family took a very effective leadership in leading the choir. One photo shows that Mr. Lo presented me a card while in the other photo, Mrs. Lo is sitting on the same role as mine and is the second woman on my left.

Pastor Chen Came To My Residence To Say Goodbye

Wu-Feng Presbyterian Church is almost my second family while I am living alone myself in Taiwan. Pastor Chen wanted to have a dinner banquet for the farewell party. I told Pastor Chen that because my medical problem, I preferred a light dinner. Pastor Chen and his wife together with Mr. and Mrs. Huang Jin-Teh came to NCHU campus and had a very light dinner at Sung-Yen 盛宴 of NCHU. We had great conversation and good fellowship.

Dr. Huang sat on my right while Pastor Chen sat on the left. The woman sat next to Pastor Chen is Pastor's wife.

Pastor Chen recovered very well from a head injury about 4-5 months ago. A disturbed church member attacked him and hit him on the head. Pastor Chen was rushed to hospital. His family and our whole church went through a difficult time praying for his quick recover. The Lord had heard our prayer. He is now on full duty as a church minister which is a very demanding job. He will be a good role model for me to recover my current medical problem to go back full time in my teaching duty at UW-Green Bay.

NCHU Students Gave Me A Farewell Party With Lemonade On July 7

NCHU students had inquired me how to give me a farewell party. I told them because I had digestion system problem, I requested a lemonade farewell. That did very well and we had good time on July 7.

The students had given me a ROC flag. I told them that if this was presented to me 10 years ago, I would not accept. I remember those days in the US, every time Taiwanese displayed any flags representing Taiwan, Taiwanese would be beaten by those who hold the ROC flag. Today, ROC flag represents Taiwan, not China and Mr. Ma Ying-Jiau could not even keep the ROC flag long in Taiwan.

Wen-Kai 文楷 and His Wife Gave Me A Warm Farewell

Wen-Kai 文楷 and his wife gave me a warm farewell party in Chang-Hua on July 9 at a Japanese restaurant. We took a photo at the restaurant.

Wen-Kai 文楷 and his wife, Zuei-Mei 翠美 sat at the front. Standing next to me is my nephew Liu Fan-Tsai 刘煥彩. Liu's wife, Shu-Jing 琇錦 is standing between Wen-Kai 文楷 and Zuei-Mei 翠美.

Both Wen-Kai 文楷 and Zuei-Mei 翠美 are retired. Liu Fan-Tsai 刘煥彩 is an electrical engineering professor working at Fu-Wei Ku-Ji University 虎尾科技大学. Shu-Jing 琇錦 is a school teacher. Shu-Jin 琇錦 has taught me yoga and gave me a book on how to take care of myself with massage.

Teacher Chang Said That She Discovered The First Benefit of Qi-Kong At Age 55...

Ms. Chang Fu-Ying 張富英, as we often called her Teacher Chang because she is a retired school teacher. Ms. Chang is in the 70s and still very healthy. She has practiced Qi-Kong for at least 20 years.

She said that she discovered the initial benefit of practicing Qi-Kong because one day (when she was at age 55), she forgot to wear eye glasses to read newspaper. After reading the headlines, she was amazed to find out she could read the fine print without the eye glasses. Qi-Kong had helped her greatly on her eyesight.

Uncle Lin, Lin Wun-Pang 林文榜 is the oldest member in our group. He is in the 80s. I know he can drink alcohol more than any of the young members. He is very healthy. He also comes to practice everyday.

Mr. Wang Pou 王博, Father of Mr. Wang Yun-Hei 王雲诲 First Established This Qi-Kong Group in 1992.

The name of the Qi-Kong group is called Taichung Wisdom-Energy Qi-Kong Chung-Hsing Practice Group, 台中智能気功中興練功場. It started in 1992 when Mr. Wang Po 王博, father of our captain 王雲诲 , went to China to learn about this Qi-Kong hoping not only to cure his liver disease but help the populace. When the Qi-Kong practice started, every cost was payed for by Mr. Wang. Till these days, this Qi-Kong group teaches based not on profits but on charity; members pay only minimum membership fee for the basic cost which includes group uniform, banquet cost and scholarship money for members' children.

Mr. Wang Yun-Hei 王雲诲 is the right of the attached photo. The person sitting on the left is Mr. Chen Mung-Nan 陳猛男. Mr. Chen used to worked for the founder of the group, or father of Wang Yun-Hei 王雲诲. When Mr. Chen was in the 40s, he had severe stiffen shoulder problem. After practice Qi-Kong regularly, his shoulder problem went away. He also said that that Qi-Kong gave hime many more benefits.

Qi-Kong Group Gave Me A Farewell Party At My Residence On July 11

Members of the Qi-Kong group came to my residence for fellowship as well as signed names on the group photo to send me off on July 11 after morning practice. Each friend was then gave a 2-3 minutes on the reflection how did they start Qi-Kong and how did Qi-Kong help them all through these years.

The name of the Qi-Kong group is called Taichung Wisdom-Energy Qi-Kong Chung-Hsing Practice Group, 台中智能気功中興練功場. It started in 1992 when Mr. Wang Pou 王博, father of our captain, went to China to learn about this Qi-Kong hoping not only to cure his liver disease but help the populace. When the Qi-Kong practice started, every cost was payed for by Mr. Wang. Till these days, this Qi-Kong group teaches based not on profits but on charity; members pay only minimum membership fee for the basic cost which includes group uniform, banquet cost and scholarship money for members' children.

Here are the members' reflections except those of Coach Tong 童菊蘭 , Mr. Yiao 游国, and Mr. Tsai 蔡奕淦 . The reflections of Coach Tong 童菊蘭, Mr. Yiao 游国 , and Mr. Tsai 蔡奕淦 had been reported in my previous postings. (See my 7/7/09 and 7/08/09 psotings.).

Mr. Chiang Chiu-Kwei 冮秋癸 reflection: Mr. Chiang was forced to retire in 2007 from a factory because of knee cap problem. Doctor said that he needed a knee replacement. Mr. Chiang started Qi-Kong in 2007. His knee has been completely recovered plus had more energy than the year he retired.

Ms. Lin Su-Jeng 林淑真 and her husband Mr. Yang Sun-Seng 楊順生 came to practice at the nudge of their relative, Ms. Chang Chun-Mei 張春美. Ms. Lin said that Qi-Kong helped her not to sneeze easily and less body pain. Her husband said that this Qi-Kong is too easy for him. He went to other group to practice Tai-Chi instead.

Mr. Yiao 游国 Works Harder Than I In The Qi-Kong Practice

I am posting two more photos here to show my other Qi-Kong friends. One is a photo with Mr. Yiao 游国 . Mr. Yiao 游国 is in the 70s, but he looks younger than that. Mr. Yiao 游国 started Qi-Kong practice in 2004. He comes to Qi-Kong practice every morning, at least 10 minutes earlier than everybody else. After many years of practice, he is trimmer and less prone to cold.

The other photo is with Mr. Tsai 蔡奕淦 who is in the 50s. Mr. Tsia 蔡奕淦 is a successful business man. He comes to coach us on Saturday. He does have much medical problem to start with. He use Qi-Kong as a method of maintaining good health. He has practiced Qi-Kong since 1992.

Coach Tong 童菊蘭 Was Influential In Convincing Me Usefulness of Qi-Kong

I had reported several stories describing me how did I start with Qi-Kong practice about 6-7 months ago. I use the time for my morning exercise; having no thought about Qi-Kong can do more than the regular exercise such as swimming or playing tennis. My idea about Qi-Kong changed when coach Tong approached me with CDs and a book, "The Melody of Qi" 氣的樂章. The book describes blood circulation in terms of resonance which I understand. That book has made me a convert and coach Tong really plays a key role in making me serious learning about Qi-Kong.

Actually, she had done more than that. She gave me few private lessons teaching me Squatting feet (in front of wall), Swirl ling waist etc. For that I am expressing my sincere thanks to her.

On July 11, Qi-Kong group had a farewell party for me allowing everyone to say few reflection words on Qi-Kong practice. Coach 童菊蘭 Started Qi-Kong in 1996. She was in such bad physical shape in 1996. She could not eat; and alarmingly underweight. She caught cold often; each time she got a cold, the cold would linger at least a month. After practicing Qi-Kong, she no longer catches cold easily. Actually she maintains her beauty and vitality in her 50. She is a good role model for everyone in the group.

The Friendship Given by My Qi-Kong Practice Group Have Deeply Warmed My Heart

Living alone is not easy. This sabbatical leave gave me an experience of living alone which had occasionally given me blue mood.

Fortunately, I found several groups in Taiwan giving me great support, physically, intellecturally, and spiritually.

The students' group gave me intellectual support, the church group gave me spiritual support, and the Qi-Kong Practice Group gave me physical support.

In these one and half an hour daily practices of the group, I had developed deep friendship with the practice members. I will devote several stories introducing my Qi-Kong practice members.

Playboy-Like Jeng Jin 鄭經 Exhibited Unusual Diplomatic and Political Skills In Governing Taiwan

The oldest son of Koxinga 鄭成功, Jeng-Jing 鄭經(1642-1681), was a playboy and a womanizer. He once had sexual relationship with his brother's (Jeng Hsienh) mother . Even Jeng Jing 鄭經and Jeng Hsienh had different mothers, this unusual sexual relationship was considered as an incest according to Han-Chinese ethics code. This had angered Koxinga who ordered to execute Jeng Jing 鄭經. Koxinga's deputies did not follow the execution order; the execution of Jeng Jing 鄭經 was spared because Koxinga died on 1662.

Koxinga's death brought in power struggle among Jeng Jing and his brothers and uncles. Jeng Jing 鄭經 then stationed at Ei-Mung 廈門. He had displayed unusual diplomatic and political skills. First, he dealt with Ching agreeing to follow Korea-China relation model for Taiwan-China relation to buy time for him to defeat his political enemies in Taiwan. After he consolidated his power in Taiwan, he allied with Japan and England against Ching which then allied with the Dutch. Jeng jing 鄭經 developed naval forces, ship building industry and trades which made Taiwan one of the richest countries in the Southeast Asia. Jeng Jing 鄭經 further developed agriculture system in Taiwan, built soldier-farming systems that made Taiwan self sufficient in food supply.

Jeng Jing 鄭經 biggest blunder was his involvement in Chinese civil war in the so-called Three-Territory-Event 三藩事變 in 1673. The involvement of such civil war consumed mush of Taiwanese resources and brought the end of this kingdom in Taiwan.

Jeng Jing's 鄭經 unrestrained private life brought his early death in 1681. His death brought another power struggle among the successors of Jeng Jing 鄭經. This gave Ching an opportunity to conquer Taiwan in 1683. After that Taiwanese lived a very miserable life under Ching's administration.

Koxinga 鄭成功 May Be A Hero; But He Also Committed Atrocity Against Dutch

Facing with the advancing Ching's army together with the shame that Ching had inflicted on the Jeng's family because Ching had raped Ms. Ta-ga-Wo-Ma-Tsu 田川氏 (たがわ まつ)(1601-1646) (wife of Iquan and mother of Koxinga) and later forcing Ta-Ga-Wo-Ma-Tsu 田川氏 (たがわ まつ) to committ suicide, father 鄭芝龍 (1604-1661) and son 鄭成功 (1624－1662) had completely different responses. Iquan 鄭芝龍 chose to surrender. He betrayed Ming but himself betrayed by Ching and was imprisoned for 22 years and was eventually executed by Ching in 1661. The son, Koxinga 鄭成功 chose to fight. At the peak of his career, he successfully expelled Dutch from Taiwan in 1662 and became a hero.

Koxinga was not interested in invading Taiwan until 1658 when he lost his campaign in Nanking because of his blunder. While army and naval fleet had already encircled Nanking and were counting days for the victory, Koxinga threw a birthday party outside of the Nanking castle. His soldiers and sailors were drunk when Ching had sensed the opportunity to attack Koxinga's army. Koxinga hurriedly retreat; and from that moment, he lad lost the military upper hand against Ching. Koxinga needed a base to retake Ching; this time, he targeted Taiwan, then a Dutch colony.

Koxinga invaded Taiwan on APril 30, 1661. His fleet and army took Provincia castle quite easily on May 4. The Dutch defended Zeelandin for more than 10 months. The Dutch surrendered to Koxinga on January 25 of 1662.

When Dutch defending Provincia surrendered to Koxinga, they had expected that Koxinga treated them with the status of prisoner-of-war. Well, this was not the case. Koxinga's army killed the men and raped the women. Also during the Zeelandin siege, Koxinga hunt Dutch all around Taiwan, killing them with cruelty such as nailing them on a cross etc. In fact, in those campaign, Koxinga had committed atrocity against the Dutch.

This is part of the bloody history of Taiwan. While most Taiwanese worship a hero-like figure of Koxinga, Koxinga did have his dark side needed to be discussed.

Pirate Jeng Ju-Long 鄭芝龍 Was A Complex Character

Pirate Jeng Ju-Long 鄭芝龍 (1604-1661) inherited Lee Dan's pirate empire and became a godfather himself in 1625. Jeng was a genius of language and he had many other skills. Besides Mandarin, Jeng also mastered Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish and Dutch. He also played Spanish guitar. The Europeans called him Iquan because this was the name when Jeng was baptized with the Catholics religion.

The relationship between Dutch and Iquan was uneasy. They fought war in 1633 but without any win or loss on either side. Iquan agreed to give Dutch a port at Fu-Jou 福卅 in exchange of giving Iquan monopoly of sea-transportation between China and Taiwan.

During 1633 and 1635, there was a famine in China while the Dutch needed Chinese labor to develop her new colony. Iquan's fleet then transported Chinese laborers to Taiwan and made a good fortune himself.

These Chinese laborers were not human slaves because at the time the Dutch gave them great incentive to come to Taiwan to develop agriculture. However, Dutch squeezed them with hefty tax which resulted in Kuo Huei-I's 郭懷一 rebellion in 1652.


Iquan himself made a huge political gamble by accepting Ming emperor's invitation to become an Ming's minister while ending his pirate career. With his new minister position in the Ming's court, he took his Japanese wife 田川氏 (たがわ まつ) (1601-1646), and his oldest son Jeng Chung-Kung 鄭成功 or the Koxinga back to China and gave his son Chinese-style education. Iquan further expanded his naval fleet power by attacking other pirates who were not under his control.

As Ming's 明 government and troops got weaker and weaker when Ching's 清 troops advanced and took control huge territory from the Ming 明, Iquan betrayed Ming 明 and surrendered to the Ching 清. It was an irony. As Ching threw a big party accepting his surrender and as the banquet came to an end and as Iquan was isolated from his own troop, the Ching清 handcuffed Iquan and escorted Iquan to Peking. There, he was imprisoned for 22 years.

There was one thing Iquan finally did it right. He refused to persuade his son to surrender on Ching's 清 behalf. For that refusal, he was executed. At the execution, he finally made peace with himself and with his son.