Mission: Houston

2008-06-14T01:24:00.016-04:00

“When the time is right – I will be coming back to you. Now, hold you thru the nite, just like I always do…”

Just like the lyrics of the old song popularized by the Auzi dual Air Supply on Taipei streets in the 1980s, I find my roots back to the City of Houston – my first resettlement home away from Home in America, at the time is right, and after two days of back-to-back driving back through winding countryroads from the free state of Maryland.

Recall back in 2004 when moving to Maryland. I was off on I-10 driving across this Texas-Louisiana border. Amidst a sense of “out of Africa”, the reluctance of departure from all familiarities, a surge of emotion suddenly overpowered me as I was in tears when calling my colleagues Quico in Dallas …. In part for facing the uncertainly ahead in the East Coast and the thought of being away from Texas where I have never been away from - for life- my life back then thus far. So long, Texas medical center; Bye bye, Allison the Hurricane; Farewell, Quico/Holly, Gary/Yvonne, all the couples I knew all treated me like their families … I knew life would never be the same as I headed to Capitol Hill, the holy Mecca of policy shrine..[Some community friends I worked with in Maryland]

Now that this time on my trip back home I was totally thrilled. I had a new opportunity to shape it for the world in Houston. My heart was in the wind and I went straight home like an arrow for the 900 miles drive. But like what Forrest Gump said, whenever I drove to the end of the prairie, where I could not tell where the skies fall and the horizon rise, I thought about Jenny: my Houston Jenny 娟妮.

RECONNECTING WITH THE VOICES FROM THE PAST

“Students don’t care how much you know, until they know about how much you care”….
It was a surreal experience coming back to Houston to work for my home institution, UT HSC. Sometimes when I was giving lectures in class, I found myself among those attentive students taking notes in the classroom. I was on his spot. I was on her seat. There. Fighting for the first row with classmates where I can take good notes. I was right there. Eight years have passed.

Reunion of SHIS Alum, 2008

Most faculty members stayed with the institution since the time I left 8 years ago. There must be something good about this School. The school has a great character of continuing to enhance what students have, rather than picking on what they don’t. I deeply appreciate the philosophy and hope to further this idea to another level.

MEET DEBRA - My New Old Friend

Debra Winger has a book-signing promotion function here at MFA in Houston so I attended. She is 53 now and is radiating the charm of a mature woman, very confident and caring in her talk. She certainly looked different from her appearance in “An officer and a gentleman” opposing Richard Gere. Not sure if she is commercially motivated for her new book (I certainly hope not) she spoke of philanthropy a lot. She is now volunteering for a NGO advocating for the prevention of blindness. I like the fact that she is totally comfortable with where she is now and is comfortable with her aging appearance. I can relate to the bearing of aging on an actor (particularly a female actor) as I am working hard on growing my mustache to make up for my hair loss. In any event after her talk while she was autographing her book,
I was waiting in line for her for an hour to see her. Not having her book in my hand, she looked at me in wonder. I shake her hand. “Thank you for what you did”, I gazed her in her blue eyes, “that was beautiful of you”. She smiled and looked at me as if she were accepting another flower from her fans. I know Debra’s work for more than 20 years while I watched her movies “An officer and a gentleman” playing a factory worker fell in love with military trainee Richard Gere. I was in tears watching the movies while I was in uniform protecting my country while bearing the pains of my high school sweetheart “defected to the enemy forces”. Yes, Debra was there. She has been there for the past 20 years, when I was in Baltimore Marathon running through the prairies, unlike the Great Prairies in Dallas, where I could not tell where the skies fall and the horizon rise, I thought about Debra - my Jenny Houston ...

At Finish Line

2006-10-15T14:42:00.000-04:00

This was near the finish line.

Baltimore Marathon

2006-10-15T13:12:00.002-04:00

I completed the Baltimore Marathon amidst the icy weather. The mid 30F~lower 40F temperature actually made it very pleasant to run. It took 3+ hrs to complete the race. I was hoping to run fast enough to qualify for Boston Marathon but did not quite make it. Oh Well - the quest for excellence is a lifetime process. I hope to make it sooner or later.

Mission: Houston. Here I am!

Mission: Houston

At Finish Line

Baltimore Marathon