Last year my wife and I went to Cambodia, we saw poverty, economic inequality, however, people still struggle to learn as many languages as they can to earn small wages for a living. That reminded me of how fortunate I was and how I should be grateful for what I had been given.

This year my life has come to a big change. Finally I resigned from the carmaker I had been working for six years and eight months because of numerous reasons and have received an offer from a bigger international company. Before the starting of New job, I spent one week visiting Kyoto with my wife. Here I saw an advanced, organised society, a society where its people get their jobs done properly and even beautifully, where drivers overtake cyclists while keeping a safe distance, where streets are clean, where people truly care about how to nurture pupils' creativity and knowledge of how the world works.

I think it's an ideal place I have been eager to live in, though I'm not sure how much I know this place. Indeed, every society has its own problem, but in Taiwan, the government does not care about economic and social development as well as welfare of people. In Taiwan we don't know what to show to visitors from other countries, we don't know what we're proud of, sometimes even don't know who we are.

Since I have been given the chance to work for the new company. I have a new hope that I'm able to give better life for my family and better education for my kids. I wish my kids leaving Taiwan and getting to know the world, earn a living in a country they prefer, and have a colourful life. And that means I will have to work harder, and manage my family relationship properly.

Easy to say, but I will do my best for my family.

November

I'm on the way to Hualian for Taiwan King of Mountain bicycle race tomorrow. I have been feeling partly excited because I love challenge and am going to race with a pro team I have newly joined, partly nervous because the challenge is tough like a blood stained beast (more than 5% steep and over 27% the last 10km climb to the top), partly anxious because of recent devastating news of the one who suffer from the lost of family. One who is a friend of mine has lost his mother, the other who had been an unfamiliar neighbour passed when he was running a marathon. Rumour said he was pushed by his colleague and ran reluctantly while he was having a bit cold. Whatever the true reason, he was only 45, a father of two and a husband.

This saddens me enough as I myself am a father and husband too, and I love challenge. It's almost a cliche saying life is short, life is fragile, but when death comes with its blood stained teeth, resistance is futile.

What is life? What is the purpose of our life? What can we do to make it count? What can me and my family do to be ready for the next journey after this life? All these questions have been circulating in my mind, and I still haven't found any answer satisfying enough to even just one question.

New Goal

The night sky marathon held at Tainan this year can be considered as a turning point because Canlace finally agreed that we can make a plan to move to Tainan.

Just like the previous two years, I biked down from Banciao which took me 17 hours (including countless breaks) due to the extremely hot weather. I arrived there around 6pm, by the time I got there Canlace had already wandered and eaten around the city with her best friend. She took high speed railway and got to Tainan about 10am in the morning. Since the marathon started at 4pm, well before I got there. I might as well let it go and instead spend quality time taking my wife around the city. It wasn't until then did I realise that I am so deeply obsessed about this city where I had grown up and learned and experienced so much during my college year.

The plan would be of two-year, roughly. Ever since our discussion of the possibility of moving to Tainan, the plan has become my new goal after the previous year's "226km super triathlon in 11.5 hours" or "100km ultra marathon in 13 hours". Living in Tainan has been my dream, and now it's about time to fulfill it.

Nothing to Envy

Recently I have been reading the book "Nothing to Envy" by Barbara Demick, and...seriously, if North Korea Government would open to the world, I would wish to go there and help...

If they would...

Evening Marathon at Tainan

There I go again, I’m going to bike-ride from Banciao to Tainan in 14 hours followed by a full marathon. It’s a once a year event representing my deep love for Tainan, or the long gone life I once had.

Though I have kept telling myself not to worry, I still can’t help feel nervous because riding such a long distance contains safety issue which has been haunting me not to forget that I’m a father of my son and I should treasure my life. And I usually start missing my son as soon as I go for a travel. I still have no idea how to deal with this emotion.

But, I need refreshment, challenge, I need something exciting, something to spark my passion for everything. Still can’t believe I’m so cool down now. I didn’t used to be like this!

I have done such long rides twice: two-day ride on road bike in 2012, and one-day ride on time trial in 2013. This year I’m going to do one-day ride on my road bike to prove that road bike is not a problem for me. Again, this is one of the things making me nervous!

Still two weeks to go. Lord, please stay with me.

It feels like my soul has been trapped here, where I am, not my body.

I need some change, but not until very recently have I realised that I can do nothing at all without good enough financial condition. Freedom ain't freedom no more without the help of money, this is what I have come to understand now.

I need a good change, but until then I need to get myself free from financial issue first.

book reading

i've been reading The Hobbit without watching the movie yet. very slowly do i read, with the pace of about 5 to up to 20 pages per day, mostly because my time has been occupied by job, exercise, family etc, and i can only take some short time on reading. But i do enjoy it every time i read, books like this always bring my spirit to somewhere i can relax (mentally of course), and occasionally books also stimulate me to think over what kind of life i really want. like Hobbit hole, if i have enough budget, i would like to build one for me and my wife for our life after retiring.

don't know if Eucan would love reading like me or not? yesterday on the way home i found myself wishing he would be like me already, although deep in my heart i still know that he is who he is throughout his life.

new plans for this year

last week a colleague of mine came and told me i've been chosen as one member of the new team for the new car model, and have got a chance to be responsible for new parts. i didn't really believe that until yesterday my leader summoned and announced to me and another guy of our current team. today we had our first formal meeting for this new car model. i am very excited about this not only because of the chance of doing something different, but also that being chosen means ability being recognised. the schedule is tight, the plan will kick off right after Chinese New Year, but it's okay, because it's like an adventure to me, just like an unexpected journey to Bilbo i guess. i will do my best and put all i have got in this new project. i'm looking forward to it.

apart from the job, today i also got the front rim wheel of S80. well, it's time to improve my leg power. this year, i will be able to keep paddling at the speed of no less than 45km/h for at least 2 hours! this is my plan of the year!

let's run

i feel alive when having muscle soreness;
i feel alive when sweating a lot;
i feel alive when self-pushing hard;
i feel alive when enjoying warm weather;
i feel alive when seeing the crystal clear sky with long long clouds across and the wake of aeroplane;
i feel alive when breathing hard for fresh air;
i feel alive thinking when running;
Good morning!
Good run in the morning!
these are all what i got in this beautiful morning!
stand up and let's run!!

Oct. 13th, 2012

This is my boy, born on Oct. 13, 2012. If I remember right, one or nearly two years ago I didn't want to have kids at all because of numerous reasons such as kids are hard to deal with, there is no hope for this world, I want a life with freedom. 

But, this all has changed since the day I started dating with my wife Canlace and the day we were foretold about the coming of our son.

Canlace and our son. People say the process of pregnancy and being in labour are a torture, we did experience them...well, at least I did witness them. As soon as I was called into the room what came into my view were my wife with legs open and big amount of blood and busy-in-busy-out nurses and our doctor. I was called in to support and encourage Canlace, but when the contraction came and she started yelling, I found I had no words to encourage her. If I were able to experience that even once in my life, I would probably know how to; but I was speechless but whispering "go! go! push! baby! You're doing great!" 

But...how on earth would I know she was doing great if I have never had such experience?

Foot print. So cute. 

Until the moment our son was born, I had been kind of worried about my wife's condition. She doesn't do much exercise, I had been worried the process might be difficult for her, even losing her life. It was a great relief to see both mum and kid were safe and sound. Then when I sat down, I realised that I have become a father.

My boy. So proud of him, so proud of my wife.

My mum and niece and my son.

This is an internet world. It would probably be hard to find someone who have no facebook accounts. People click "like" after you post your pictures on and give some words when they want. This is of course also what I have been doing especially when my son was born. I want this world to know about the birth of my son, I want people to know that I am proud of him and how great he has changed my life. But then I found I had been a bit depressed when seeing some regular friends didn't post their words and even didn't click "like". I had been wondering: do they not care about me? My son is born!!

Sleeping

But then a word came through my mind it said, "you shouldn't attract people's attention using your son. He is him, and you are you."

Don't know where this word might come from, God or...? But it did awake my awareness that I shouldn't try to be famous through my son. I should be totally proud of him. Whatever he will do, I should not be disappointed just because what he does doesn't go my way. From now on, what I have to do is to put my focus on him, my wife, my family alone. No others. Just us three.

Now Canlace is breastfeeding him, and I am writing my blog. My employer only gives three days to fathers of new born babies and today is my first day, but it's enjoyable just being with my wife and my son.

10:10pm, time to sleep.