四海、三國

 地中海、加利利海、死海、紅海

以色列🇮🇱、約旦🇯🇴、埃及🇪🇬

終於我走過部分耶穌所走過的路。

十一日走遍這些地方很難不有走馬看花的感覺，每一個地點都值得停下來細細讀一讀有關的經文、分享和默想。按第一次來聖地也是太奢侈的做法。因此每一天僅有晚上或是早上或車上的一點點時間安靜思想，盡量把切身處地的感動或是得著記下零碎。行程非常豐富，幸好牧師提醒我們帶備他的書同行以作備忘。

四月十四日早上我們到達約旦的安曼再轉機到以色列。一輪風風火火的整頓行李後，終於安坐旅遊巴士上。窗外的風景與一般外國的沒有甚麼區別，人民的膚色是白的，卻讓我突然定神的是一小群穿著白恤衫，黑西裝帶黑帽子，兩鬢編了小辮子的男人。一陣感動湧上心頭，我實實在在地到了「應許之地」，The Promise Land。這一群穿傳統服裝的人提醒我，血緣上他們就是亞伯拉罕的後裔，承受「應許之地」的族群。現在就在我腳掌所踏之地。我知道他們的歷史比我自己的民族更多更深刻，家裡書架上有關他們的書比中史多，感覺既熟悉又陌生。這方彈丸之地和人民，他們的歷史和興衰在向世界作見證，神確實存在。

第一天第一頓飯(或是以後的每一頓)讓我更深領略以色列，「應許之地」確是流奶與蜜之地。因為他們的蔬菜果實都非常非常好吃。一切蔬菜都不用澆上沙拉醬仍然可口，我幾乎每天都只吃蔬果和Pita Bread蘸hummus，非常美味，他們烹調的肉類多是過熟和太硬。

以色列的旅遊局以兩個人用杠抬著的一掛葡萄的標誌為優質和合格的商號。(民13:23)

台式和風

我們和我最好的朋友來到台灣。相識二十幾年，我們第一次兩個人去旅行。

在台北一路到宜蘭，小平房、店鋪、道路、商業區井然有條，雖然下着雨，路上沒有濕粒粒的邋遢感。讓我宛如置身於日本的鄉鎮。旅館是安排在一家溫泉飯店，簡約時尚又不失優雅，飯堂佈置窗明几淨。好友安排好一切行程、機票、餐用訂位、司機接送，總之我就安然踏上這個既隨遇而安又細心安排的台灣之旅。

說到台灣的和風格調，畢竟是被日本統治過五十年的地方⋯⋯如此又翻開一段寄人籬下的殖民歷史。台灣人不如中國人對日本的厭惡感，又不如港人對日本如痴如醉，他們的日常卻不宣不揚、不卑不亢地遺留了淡淡的和式風格，和諧地摻和在他們的文化、生活中。

如今天旅館提供的早飯中有一味清粥小菜，林林總總的小菜中有咸魚仔、花生、菜圃，其中更有不少和式醃漬物。這正揉合了兩種文化風格的餐點。一次五十年的擦身而過留下的痕跡，台灣人沒有抗拒或拆毀它，而是接受它，把被動的改變作為自己的新資源，釀成一種新風格。我很喜歡這樣的台灣。

今天的香港努力地拆毀和燒毁，殖民過去，再過些年日香港歷史中或許會有156年的空白。

「龜」途

每一段旅程也有歸途，這次也不例外。第一次義工式出外嘗試窮遊，親身參與了想了很久的海龜保育工作，工作之餘也遊覽當地，皮膚曬黑了，身上的蚊釘蟲咬至少有五十處（是的，我們來餵海龜，也餵蚊😰）每天像猴子般左抓右抓，十級痕癢！

從前對於環境生態關注卻沒有好好實行，這次親眼見、親身觸摸過人類危害自然生態的惡果，現在補賞一點實微不足道。夜間站在Ambalangoda 的海旁，遠瞻海上忽明忽暗的漁燈晃搖，是一艘又一艘連成一線的捕魚網等待收網，海上平靜無浪，心裡泛起波濤，湧著惻忍。相信Brigitte 和我也有很多嶄新的體會。

我們也回家了！這次衝衝在港逗留數日，未有通知很多人，但我很快又會回來。

跟住太公有食神

我有一個朋友，她很特別，跟她做朋友是一件樂事。不過如果你只「識」她而不「認識」她，或許你會被她稱為「太公」這個匿稱和霸氣的外表嚇怕。自從幾年前她帶我去「掃街」這幾次回港也重覆了這個動作。我也欠她一篇文章，一直有拖無欠。今年12月我和姪女回港，一如以往「太公」熱情款待，讓我們住進她五星級的家廠言歸正傳，要說「太公」的非她的待客之道，而是她的「謂食之道」。不管是貴的、平的、高級的、平民化的，只要是好吃，她都有貨。（按她說的，香港、日本都有support)😊

每次她帶我去吃的餐都很特別也極為好吃，要說最回味的是日本壽司和差館里的魚肉燒賣、豬腸粉同間車仔麵檔的叉燒！😋但說到個人喜好當然是焙茶雪糕。太公識食也不厭其煩地帶我們一個又一個「食點」遊下去，份量和口味亦控制得非常妥貼。看她點餐和食店老闆的互動也很有趣。說話回來，看她和每一家食店老闆如此熟落，他們亦按她喜好上菜（有時亦頗刁鑽的），說到底也是她待人之道，人與人之間相處有來有往。

真心的，不是客氣，Brigitte、Caitlin 和我過了非常開心的一晚！🥰謝謝太公！

井底蛙看世界 - 深入斯里蘭卡的熱帶雨林

1/11/2019 - Sri Lanka Day 12

深入斯里蘭卡的熱帶雨林🌳🇱🇰🌳

We arranged another local tour today to the Sri Lanka Rainforest and waterfall.  It requires a little bit of hiking so we decided to wear our sneakers but when the tuktuk/tour leader saw us, he said we should wear flipflops, so we changed to flipflops.  After half an hour of tuktuk travel time, we arrived at a rural area and the leader led us into the wood and between bushes, then I know why we need flipflops cos we need to walk into the creeks and brooks to the other side.  After several crossing of water, we finally reached the waterfall.  I am so happy that it was not too difficult.  NOT! The most adventurous thing is that we are to climb up the rocks to the waterfall with flipflops and crocs?! 😨 I don’t know how I did it... but it was accomplished!

I don’t know if I will be doing it again.  In a country lacking of basic safety knowledge, their car have no safety belt and people ride on motorcycles some with no helmet, the turtle conservation coordinator work with open ended electric cables above open water, I wasn’t told that this trip requires climbing of rocks.  Going with people without knowing your physical limitation, they will not care whether you are capable either.  Trying to catch up with the team rather not my goal but to take care of the step right in front of me is crucial. I admired at the youth of the teenager and the 24 years young girl, they are swift in walk, climbing and so ready to swim in the hilltop pond in their bikini.  My thought is... no way I will submerge my body in that water, even with clothes on, who in the world know what will be in it?  And it turns out there are tiny little fishes to do the fish massage again and I saw water mosquitoes sliding on the water surface.  Another lady from The Netherlands in our group, who is maturer than I am, she is taking her 1st on-herself-journey to explore the world, as she is so contained the first half of her lives with family and kids. She does like a happy little girl goes on her first picnic trip. I really like talking with her and listen to her stories and life wisdom. And she dies gave the same feeling how she could have accomplished this rain forest hike. 🎊

Life is full of responsibility and the older we get the more are in our backpack, young people travel light, they have high adaptation to the environment and accommodate easily.  Learning to grasp the flexibility between the two is another wisdom.  I am so impressed with the Tonja, the Dutch lady, she learned that one of the three sisters helping staff here do not possess a Sri Lankan gem which her two sisters does, as this stone represent good life, luck and health in their culture.  When we were at the mine which produce the unique Sri Lankan Blue MoonStones💎, she bought her a stone to complete her life. What a good deed Tonja is doing.  It is such a blessing to bless people with small gesture when this is just a minor cost to us, it means the whole world to a Sri Lankan. Bless her heart. 

有時候環境很不熟適，路徑也崎嶇，人人都只按著自己的步伐前進，孤身一人、沒有人在左右扶持，能把自己目前的一步站穩，學習少挑剔別人也不挑剔自己、按耐𥚃面的投訴，走到盡處就看見美麗的風景。神的創造使人心胸寬廣，自然也容得下別人的短處，更願意滿足別人的缺。人生的智慧，我們要走過多少個坎兒才懂？🧐

井底蛙看世界 - Turtle Bath

1/10/2019 - Sri Lanka Day 11

Turtle Bath 🐢🛁

We spent the entire yesterday and today afternoon giving the turtles a bath.  Lifting these humongous creatures really need lots of strength, for the smaller size one we were able to lift them out of the tank alone or cooperating with two, however Mal (the turtle center coordinator) will help us lift them out.  We thoroughly realized the Chinese saying “老鼠拉龜”, you have no where to grab a hand on. 🐭🐢The turtles need to be bathed once every 1-2 weeks, mainly to scrub the moss off their shell.  As most of their shell are damaged by fishing net and a turtle was injured by an insane guy using a wood chopping tool on a turtle shell intend to eat and drinking its blood thinking that will help with longevity. Another one having trouble to eat because a fishing hook got stuck in his throat.  Good news is, one of the turtle is mostly recovered the front flap issue caused by fishing net and should be ready to send back to the ocean next month. ☺️ Just by looking at the damaged shell already make me feel bad inside, touching it and feeling the crack with my fingers make me angry.  Poor animal, so beautiful and does no harm to human were seriously hurt because of our stupidity.😡 We are using very primitive tools to bathe the turtles, a piece of coconut shell, sand and water, using these natural ingredients, so organic and local by just what is available.  We continue to clean the tanks which require lots of labor, we all worked very hard to have the walls and floors of all tanks scrubbed and sand drain out.  The turtle project is about to complete, we will conclude the project by cleaning the beach and autographing the wall for memory.  Working at the turtle conservation center is hard labor, lifting, scrubbing, digging, cleaning, soaking in salty water everyday, including my own sweats.  I am very impressed by Mal for he is working non-stop during the year (no vacation, just off the weekend)to keep these turtles living with dignity and preserving them by keeping their offsprings strategically reproduce.

I will walk to the baby turtle tank everyday to start off the day just to see the swimming turtles like a black dancing flower will make my day and forgot all the labor. I prayerfully said in my heart that these newbies will live long(some live 20-30 years, some can live 300+ years) and stay strong in the sea! 🐢💪🏻

井底蛙看世界 - 原始粗礪美

1/9/2019 - Sri Lanka Day 10

原始粗礪美

或許斯里蘭卡並不是旅遊的第一選擇，在還沒有來之前我也懷疑自己是否會後悔。恐懼總讓人卻步，這一次，沒再多想孤注一擲就是斯里蘭卡。現在已覺，此行不枉。圖片放上網很美麗，風景也無懈可擊，人民生活簡樸，皮膚深棕色，衣著破舊，眼光深邃，他們認為我們是從地球另一方的天堂來的，我們來到看到他們的山明水秀認為這𥚃才是人間天堂。

今天上午我們自費出遊Madu River Safari，只是3500 rupees ($20usd)，專車接送（tuktuk)，包船遊、導遊、玉桂園和fish massage。河上風光，兩岸叢林，小船越過河上樹枝密佈的樹簾洞，船家關掉引擎，任由小船隨波漂流，鳥鳴不絕於耳，宛如走入株羅紀世界的場景。一路上看見巨型蜥蜴🦎、🐒、King Fisher和不知名的鳥兒，一隻鷹從空中急降獵食，上揚時鷹抓已捉住一條小魚。不自量力的海鷗居然想從鷹抓中搶過獵物，在空中一番爭鬥，最後當然不能成功。這一切的大自然現象隨處可見。

這裡沒有五星酒店、沒有冷氣、沒有米子蓮餐飲，每天要自行到屋外冷巷的溝渠旁用最快的速度洗衣服（因為很多蚊子和昆蟲和巨型蜥蜴），洗澡沒有熱水，一星期只有一餐用葷，沒有Wifi (但明顯我有data SIM card)，可是這裡的美是粗獷、不修飾的原始魔力，花草樹木沒有限制地在地面上怒長，禽鳥、走獸無拘束地翱翔，或許是最貼近上帝創造時的模樣。天、地、海、錦繡山河、一切最原始的創造，總帶給人安慰、教人謙卑，也讓人縱使看一萬次也永看不厭。願這片土地永續不被污染。

井底蛙看世界 - 回「龜」大海

1/8/2018 - Sri Lanka Day 9

回「龜」大海🐢

Second day of Turtle Project, all Turtle tanks at the Disabled Home need to be cleaned on Tuesday and the Conversation center tanks on Friday.  

Today is a special day!!! Because 105 eggs hatched overnight! We get to take them out of the sand nest and examine them before releasing them to the ocean. 105 baby turtles! They buried deep into the sand... we carefully scooped out the sand and when saw the tiny little flapping flaps, we will need to pay special attention not to hurt these little creatures and take them out from the sand as they are stacking on each other.  Just this morning we found 99 baby turtles and a few unhatched eggs and a few dead turtles.  What joy it is to be the ‘mid-wives’ of these beautiful animals. I pray that God will bless them all to survive and grow into big strong sea turtles when they are in the ocean.  Good news is after doing some examination, the manager said we are able to release partial of them tonight at sunset! Time is important as birds will be looking out for food when there are too much daylight. We all gone crazily happy for this exciting news!

After this joyous morning, here comes the dirty job... tank cleaning!!! First draining, scrubbing, scraping then refill with sea water... we seems doing a hard jobs but the real heavy lifting tasks is to connect the pipes from to ocean to the tanks and connect it with the water pump as well as electricity.  It is magic when the guy was doing it in front of our eyes.  I wonder how he can accomplish all these on his own. We spent the entire morning cleaned 5 tanks and 4 more in the afternoon, the center manager did the rest on his own in addition to the water pump. Only us 5 ladies, we achieved a lot and we are drop dead tired yet with a happy spirit. Brigitte is working especially hard to clean the tank, she is happy. ☺️I hope this experience will carry her a long way as to be a responsible, selfless and hard working individual. 

6:30pm, we get to release partial of the baby turtles into the Indian Ocean. It’s like a ceremony of joy, seeing them in shell buried in the sand, hatched, witnessing the first flap of movement, swimming like a dancing flowers in the pool of water then heading out to the boundless ocean... my heart is filled with joy, yet, anticipating a full of obstacles future they are heading out into.  That’s nature which we all need to accept the fact of reality. Each of us get to release 5-7 turtles, I asked God to bless these little creatures to live strong! 

What I’ve encountered today worth a lifetime memory.  As simple as that, joy derives from involving in life changing moments.