After 14 years of struggle, Xie Mei-li finally becomes a teacher

Despite the fact that Cai Chong-an from Zhongpu Township, Chiayi County, has suffered from polio since childhood, he has never once become despondent or given up hope. After graduating from school, he travelled north in search of work, and 15 years later, returned home to take over from his mother in the family’s beef-noodle shop. With the help of a friend’s introduction, the following year he traveled to Indonesia to meet his future wife Xie Mei-li.

Over the past 14 years, Xie Mei-li has gone from a non-speaker of Chinese to an Indonesian language teacher at Dingliu Elementary School. Her achievement today has only been possible through incredible endurance and overcoming a great deal of frustration. Xie Mei-li attended adult language classes and mother-language teacher training classes for countless years, courageously accepting myriad challenges. The sensibility and cleverness of Xie Mei-li and Cai Chong-an’s children is their biggest comfort.

After outstanding performance at school, their eldest daughter Cai Yu-chen was presented with a recommendation for Chiayi County’s President Educational Award. Backed with the full support of her family, Xie Mei-li’s 14-year struggle to successfully fulfill her dream of becoming a teacher is a touching story filled with all the joys and sorrows of life.

(以下是中文對照)
打拼14年 謝美麗終為人師 影音
 
嘉義縣中埔鄉民蔡崇安，自小身患小兒麻痺，但他從未向命運低頭，學校畢業之後，隻身北上工作，15年前返鄉繼承母親的牛肉麵店，隔年，在友人的介紹下，遠赴印尼迎娶妻子謝美麗，從此展開異國婚姻的家庭生活。14年來，謝美麗從不識中文，到成為頂六國小印尼母語講師，其實歷經很多的挫折與磨練，才有今天的成就。多年來謝美麗參加成人教育班及母語師資培訓班，勇於接受各種挑戰。而孩子的懂事與乖巧，則是謝美麗與蔡崇安最大的慰藉，大女兒蔡羽純在校表現突出，今年獲得嘉義縣推薦角逐總統教育獎。打拼14年，謝美麗如願站上講台成為人師，甜美的果實，來自全家的支持，他們的故事是由酸甜苦辣所組合，既溫馨又感人。