外籍生 Manju 霸王級寒流前煮營養餐

2024.1.21

1/20 收到外籍生 Manju 詢問如下

Manju~Judy told me that she has a fever. She wants to cancel the lunch tomorrow but I told her that I will go to her place to cook lunch for her. Otherwise she would sleep the whole day. Since she has a fever, could you suggest what I should cook for her? She said she bought some vegetables already. If you could provide some suggestions that would be great.

看了真是感動，Judy 是那個覺得上班很辛苦平日不喜歡動手煮飯菜的妹妹，1/21 我要帶德國外籍生去陽明山梯田，無法去妹妹家，Manju 竟然不怕被傳染(後來我才知道是打疫苗後 fever)，願意去幫忙煮營養餐，然而身為接待家庭，把外籍生當自己孩子，我連發兩封 email 告訴 Manju 有傳染風險太危險，不可以前往，也告知妹妹取消活動，千萬不可以開門讓  Manju 進入。另一個住新北投的妹妹也不顧我的勸告，在霸王級寒流(首波寒流21日報到，一路冷到下週四)來之前，加上身體復健中，1/21 一早仍然跑去有 fever 的 Judy 家，1/21 很晚才回家。

1/23 晚上我才知道，Manju 仍然 1/21 去 Judy 家，而且煮了豐盛營養的午餐，趕緊發email 向 Manju 道謝

Ginger~Very grateful for your thoughtfulness. Because my mobile phone screen is partially malfunctioning, typing is inconvenient. My previous email reply was brief. I just found out last night that you were very enthusiastic about going to Judy's house to help cook last sunday. You are so caring. I am very grateful for your thoughtfulness. Helping others is a good deed, but you must take care of your own health first. Judy is still suffering from fever after vaccination, which is equivalent to the disease. Going to her house increases the risk of infection. If you get sick because of this, how can I tell your parents? Because I care about your health, I don't want you to do such dangerous thing. Although it is said that eating together with more people is more nutritious, my two sisters are really exaggerating. They even bothered you too much to help them cook. I will find an opportunity to communicate with them again.

幫忙許多的Manju 好客氣，竟然還向我道歉沒聽我的勸告。

Manju~ I am so sorry that I didn't listen to you and went to Judy's place to cook lunch last Sunday. 
When I talked to Judy she was fine and I felt that if I didn't go to her place she would sleep the whole day which would make her even sick. When I went to her place, I found her place was suffocating, lacking fresh air in the room, so I opened the door on the balcony and let the air get inside. Judy and Ruby, both were happy cooking lunch together and I feel happy when they are happy. I can understand your worrying about me and thank you so much for taking care of it. I wouldn't have gone if I didn't feel good. Ruby said you don't have a sweater to wear. It is very cold these days, so please take care of yourself and keep yourself warm too.

竟然麻煩外籍生煮營養餐和健康照護，雖然我內心真的期待有人可以幫我把兩個妹妹安頓好，讓她們能量滿滿不怕霸王級寒流，我可以無後顧之憂安心去推廣稻米文化和水田生態，然而兩個妹妹都50歲的人，不僅讓年輕外籍生幫忙煮食，連開窗通風這種小事還麻煩別人，實在太誇張。更誇張，他們完全不覺得危險，還覺得一群人吃飯很熱鬧。

Ginger~You don’t need to apologize to me, two sisters should apologize to you. They should take care of their own health ~ they should do cooking/ventilation by themselves.If you do too much for them, they will only become dependent.

爸媽是宜蘭人，結婚後兩個人帶著一隻皮箱到台南工作，沒有親戚和認識的朋友在身邊，當時交通和電話不似現代方便，尚未念幼稚園的我感冒發燒時，台南鄰居先借錢給還沒發薪水的爸爸帶我去看醫師。當年我們受許多人照顧，所以外籍生來台灣，我也盡可能幫忙。除了春節接待在家煮食和陽明山梯田/柯林稻田/農民市集活動之外，告訴在台灣如何健康飲食，很高興來台灣一年多、覺得中文真的太難、在實驗室沒有交到好朋友的 Manju，在我家廚房交到其他外籍生好朋友，也很順利找到離工作近、有廚房、好房客的理想租屋。擔任外籍生接待三年多，出乎我意料，善的循環回到我的妹妹，甚至可以說台灣人很少能找到像 Manju 這樣愛心行動，疫情下大家自保來不及，真的讓我滿心感動。