Silent Night at Wutai village
I fullfil one of my dream this year, to bring my family ( Fruit not counted ) to Wutai for Christmas, a dream I made on Jan. when I first visit this Shangerila in Sourthern Taiwan. the first visit was right after Chrismas, the tall Christmas tree and colorful decoration were hanging still, I can feel the all Christian village should be a great place to be during Christmas Eve, so I booked Tuku's art house 6 months ago.We were escorted by Mr. Bao - a gentelman who I met at the Golden Melody Award, and I found he was from Wutain as well, a native Lukai tribe; so with his help and previlage, when landing at Kaoshung airport, he came and pick up us to the Wutai village.
the road to Watai was destored by this summer, especially when the typhoon Hai Tung hit southern Taiwan, the road broken to pieces and the falling rock and mud stone block the road, Central government ignor the situation and delay the recovery of the connecting road, the village was totally islolated for almost 6 months, no tourist and no business at all. we were so lucky, the road was back to normal ( semi-normal , so to speak ) 2 days before our arrived. we arrived on the 24th of Dec. - the Christmas Eve.
after the delicious lunch with Mr. Bao, we checked in Tuku's house and see her artistic son again, then I brough my family to a Art Street stroll, to my surprise, there isn't any street handicraft anymore. we run into a artsit who is curving the river stone, paining color on to them , drill a hole and placing lace, it sold between 50 to 150 NT only, I asked what happened, he told us the typhoon swipt almost all the living of the village people, no tourist means no income, so, all the young and workable move down to city to make a living. accoring to his expression, it will take 1.2 billions NT to repair all the damage road, they don't think the Chen Shui Bai administration will do so as the aborignal vote for him is minority.
Finally, the night comes, we see the neon and dressing lights eveywhere in the village, but it last for only 10 minutes, then it's black out - the electricy system cause some problem , half of the village were in the dark - it covered the house we are staying, we can't shower in the lights. but when tilt to the sky, I saw the most vivid stars in my life, they are so near and it twinking and shinging over our head, Thanks for the darkness, the stars shins bringer than ever, and we are so lucky to find the starry night of Christmas Eve.
4 o'clock in the morning, the sincere Christians singing all the Chirsmas song in the garden of our staying house, I woke and be invited to the Church ceremory beginning by 4:30 am, put on my heavy coat, without brush my teech or wash my face, I walked into the just finished Church, sitting on the first 10 row , surronding by all the tribes, most of them ar Lukai and Paiwai, Decon and Priest conduct the long Chrismas ceremory, they speak the native language which I can't understand, however, the ambience was so touching, I am not sleepy anymore, preying and listing to all the good word together with them, I sit for 2 and half hours there, and I thinks this is a very cherish moment in my life, I simply gain one of my unique experience, an experience hard to forget, I even think I should be there every Christmas.
Visiting the Aboriginal Culture Park from 1030, as Mr. Bao is in charge of the music and performance section, I sit in 2 session and have lunch with a few of the performers, they are reletively higher in education and social quality, but mingul with non-aborignal for too long, they are afriad of forget all the heritage and culture. in Taiwan, there are 12 tribe speaks morn than 100 diffierent tribe language, between tribes, its hard to communicate each other, to my surprise, why all 12 tribe under one religious umbrella - The Christian ?
The park is a nice place to be, it was established 20 years ago, but this is my first time visit , I love it and to quote what my wife say : I must had the DNA of tribe.
Bought 18 different pained stone sourvier for managers who sit on the managers' meeting. as tomorrow will be the day of my internal announce, I don't want to turn it too semtimental, but a samll token as memories is what I want to do.
AJ called and promise to do what I request after New Year, a first keystone is setting, I will drive all my effor to build the safty net to a 100% secure status.
posted by Roger @ 12/25/2005 08:39:00 下午
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