graduation tears

I graduated the school on last Wednesday. So, I have a master degree now. In fact, I have walked a long and delayed road to this simple, well, not easy academic career. I can write one more line in my resume when I want to apply for job or further study. I may be happy.

From graduation

I finished 4 semesters in this school for last 2 years in Tainan, Taiwan. In some sense it was hard working to overcome language problem, but I should say life in campus was quite good except small matters. I liked and enjoyed here even though it's so hot in Summer just like now. How can I describe the atmosphere of this school? It always reminds me my old junior high school in Seoul. Lovely old style buildings, rich trees, plumbs, flowers and many kinds of insects, birds, and tree animals, all those make me feel I'm in a garden.

I've met and let go many friends since I've been here. And I should say most of them are nice and gentle. What else I can expect from local friends to a foreign student like me. They were always kind and helping at any rate. They would be my precious friends on in my life, I hope so. It must be much better if my language was good as much as necessary conversation with them before they left campus. However, we could share many laugh, chat, meal, tea, travel, and thinking. In this respect I surely say they are my friends.

I am not so pretty sure I can transfer to divinity degree in the third grade here on coming September. I just applied. If the result is positive, I may stay one or two years here more. Even though I must consider my family in Korea, I will be happy to hear the admission.

For now, I'm interested in the early relations and influences between folk religions and Christianity in Taiwan, especially West coast area. I would like to study and research those folk faith and various types of temples in advance by myself. I hope my Chinese can be improved enough to catch required resources. Also, some of my friends will help me to contact and interview with real religious people of Taiwanese folk religions. I'm already excited to prepare that plan.

Graduation is the last step of study and the first of working. But I'm planning further study although my option is not so many. Therefore I don't think this graduation is the last stage of my study. I'll go on unless my physical condition would stop me or God says something different about my future.

Congratulations on myself.

From graduation

Tea in Summer

I have some good tea of Taiwan. As we know, this island is famous for tea products. Since 18th century many merchandisers from West have rushed to buy Taiwanese tea. One of well known name of those is Eastern Beauty東方美人, still being produced. Probably Western people were fascinated by the great taste and perfume of Taiwanese tea.

Taiwan tea industry have produced hundreds kinds of tea. But generally we may know one name, Oolong烏龍 or Oolong tea, which can represent almost all various tea of Taiwan. Of course there are High mountain tea, Iron Kanin, Alisan tea, Puer tea and so on on on if you really insist make a list of Taiwanese teas. But you don't have to classify detail of those great teas. Just come or buy some and enjoy, then you will know the tea is made for drinking and feeling, not for studying.

You would enjoy hot tea with milk, cookie, or biscuit in the afternoon if you are English as well as European. You would cherish a kind of liturgy of drinking tea if you are Japanese. And you will chat and share your life with you friends drinking tea if you are Taiwanese as well as Asian. Whoever you are, whatever you drink, tea can give you some room for you busy day and night. That's all.

Just one more step, if you want to know more about tea and its culture, you can learn about fabulous world of tea which has various kinds of taste and perfume. No wonder, you will be shown yourself as a vintage person to your neighbor and friends.

However, dislike millions of cold shake-hand tea on the street, hot tea which from tea leaves is not so convenient hoby for busy people phyically and psychologically. You have to prepare tea, tea pot, tea cup, hot water, bucket for waste. It will make you mad if it's in Summer.

Nevertheless, still, I enjoy my Oolong teas of Taiwan. You may ask me why. Then I say, Taiwanese tea is quiet, mild, easing, slowing down me whenever I taste it. Even in hot mid-Summer in hot Taiwan!