The insight for my life from Berkeley

 

 <<Caution: this post is almost the same as the previous blog post, “The Origin of MyLife (2020 update)”, because when I tried to translate the updated part into Chinese, many new thoughts just came up, so I had to create this new post to translate the new thoughts back to English!>>

 

I arrived at City of Berkeley again! It has been such an amazing city that my parents had to travel for more than a thousand miles to witness the social movement that had shaken the entire world during 1970s! and that is why I have been so familiar with this place since I was a little child!

 

However, Berkeley is also somehow distant to me. Although the weather is always nice and the progressive culture welcomes everyone, there are also one of the most prestigious university in the U.S., UC Berkeley, and its affiliated world-class research institutions. I felt embarrassed when comparing myself with the geniuses from those places who might be just anyone walking on the streets! That is why I used to kind of avoid here, and the last time I was here is about 8 years ago!

Nevertheless, I have a whole new insight when I came here this time that let me think about my past and future in a totally different way! That is another reason for me to update the previous article, “The Origin of My Life”. 

In the previous blog post, “The Origin of MyLife (2020 update)”, I updated what happened since I wrote the original post in 2010. There are so many things changed in my parent’s and my life. However, the utmost important thing is that I got married! It gave me a completely new perspective of my life that is so much better than I could ever imagine! I met my wife in DPP’s fundraising event in SF Bay Area. It was not a good time for DPP facing some setbacks in the previous elections and I was deeply worried, but all I can remember is how happy I was at the very moment I saw her! Immediately I knew I could share everything with her without any reservation! No matter it is for asserting the fact that Taiwan is an independent country, advocating for protecting our environment and preserving natural habitats for the plants and animals there, or doing anything to help anyone who is helpless, vulnerable, or under-served, I know we are in it together! We share the same dreams, same passion, and same values! so I never need to justify why I have certain beliefs when I am with her, and I just feel wonderful and grateful for finally finding someone who can be as compassionate as me for all the issues that are so important to me and my family!

 

Even more amazing, I feel I have consensus with her for every small detail in our daily life! It has made me believe we are meant to be together at very beginning! I remember talking with her for hour after hour without knowing the time passing by! and taking my long vacation for the very first time just to travel with her! Every moment with her has become the most precious memory in my life, and for no obvious reason, the eagerness to take care of her and protect her from any harm has just kept coming to my mind! and thereby from falling in love with her to marrying her, everything has just progressed so naturally just like days going into nights and nights going back into days! and I just realized it is our destiny for us to get married and be in love with each other for the rest of our life!

 

My wife is the most important person of my life! Since I was little, I have understood marriage is a very sacred thing. Seeing all the time and effort my parents have contributed to Taiwan while growing up, I knew no one could ever do what they have done alone. What has been said in the marriage oath, “holding from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part”, just neatly describe how my parents have loved each other deeply enough to always stay together ! At that time, my parents had to risk their lives to bring democracy into Taiwan, but because they could always trust and count on each other no matter what kind of circumstance they were in, no any fear could ever deter their determination to pursue their dreams!

 

In my journey of following in my parents’ footsteps, I tried to do all my best and kept pushing myself to go further. I had worked hard to pass the high school and college entrance exams and then go abroad for the graduate school, but I still felt something was missing. During my college years, I spent a lot of time exploring how to utilize my knowledge and skills to make Taiwan better, but while I had more understanding about how the society works, I also felt even more confused about what I should do. As I got older, knowing that my parents at this age had already been together long enough to go through all the ups and downs of the social movements, I found I had not made any progress at all! How could I change the world if I could not even change myself? I felt trapped and frustrated and I thought my life would be in this way forever.

 

However, all the dismay has been gone when I met my wife! I immediately knew she was the answer that I have been looking for in my entire life! Just like my parents, I have been also waiting for someone who is willing to go to the edge of the world with me to pursue the dreams that we both feel passionate about! I could not accomplish enough because I used to be all my myself, but not any more! Everything has just become infinitely better than ever when I am with her! I felt my life has just started when I met her, and the most wonderful stories of my life are still waiting for us to experience them in the future! Although sometimes I feel it is a pity not knowing her earlier, still she is totally worth my waiting, no matter how long I have to wait! I even feel grateful about all the time being alone because that is what gave me the chance to meet her and marry her!

 

It will be truly great if we can also have a child and tell her or him all our ideas about how to make the world a better place to live, just like my what my parents told me! However, no matter what will happen, I am already content with her in my life! The idea of 4 of us working together to change the world is already so much better than just 3 of us, right?

 

At this time, I am a scientist in the government facilities, working hard to develop the low-cost genetic screening assays available for all the newborns in my area! The work is very rewarding to me, because I have found my unique way to follow our family tradition of making the world better! I must thank my wife about it! because without her encouragement and always believing in me, I might still work in a small company and have no chance to know that my knowledge can help so many people!

 

I think I am doing well now, not too far away from the goals set at the beginning of my life. Although I don’t know exactly what my next step will be, as long as my wife is with me, I have nothing to worry about!

 

By the way, my work place is very close to Berkeley! That is why I have come to where I used to avoid! but I feel totally different about this place now, because after I get married, I have been fully confident of myself! I feel proud of myself right here no matter if I can never get into any department of UCB! Maybe I will even settle down and start a family with my wife in Berkeley!

 

Also, I have just realized that a very important concept of my family’s dream is that all human beings are born equal, so no one should every be treated differently because of his or her difference from the others. Therefore, the purpose of opposing the authoritarian regime is to let all the people have freedom to express their opinions, the purpose of maintaining Taiwan’s status as an independent country is to let Taiwan’s future decided by all Taiwanese people, not by China or U.S. or any special interest groups, the purpose of building a social welfare network, such as the social security system and universal healthcare, is to let everyone, no matter rich or poor, live a good quality life, and the purpose of supporting gay marriage is to make sure everyone is treated fairly regardless of his or her sexual orientation difference such as LGBT status. Although my parents and DPP have supported a variety of social movements, the core beliefs for all of them are always the same that all human beings are equal and should be equally respected! The environmental movement is also the extension of this kind of respect to all the living creatures on earth!

 

However, if I am not confident of myself and always think I am inferior to the others, how can I promote the ideal of equality for all? That is why I really need to thank my wife for vanquishing the biggest obstacle in my life so that I could finally move forward and make progress! That is why I feel so grateful for her help in the city that meant so much for my family! 

 

I have too many things to thank her and too many words to say to her! so I have decided to reserve a table for a romantic dinner with her at Julia Restaurant, a place so fascinating just like her, right inside Berkeley City Club. At there I am going to tell her all my stories related to this city, from how my parents came here under their very tight budgets in 70s to see the college students protested the unfair system with courage and determination, which later inspired them to plan for a revolution to make Taiwan an independent nation! and how I came here later after I finished my college, trying to understand more about my parents’ passion when they were young and also think about how to continue their good work in making the world a better place. I had thought about a lot of plans based on my unique personality and experiences, but I could only keep them to myself with no one to share with, until I finally met her after a very awfully long time! And only because of her support, I could come to this city once again full of self-confidence! so at last I will tell her my stories of Berkeley can continue only because of her! and we are going to create even more wonderful stories in our future! After the dinner, maybe we can hold each other’s hands and stroll along those historically important places, such as People’s Park, maybe the most iconic gathering place for the anti- Vietnamese war movement, Telegraph Ave, a vibrant street embracing all kinds of cultural diversity, and of course the beautiful UC Berkeley campus! (and then we can go to the amazing ocean front trails to watch the sunset together!)

 

 

 

 

UC Berkeley is one of the top universities in the world! And that makes City of Berkeley the most intellectual city in California!

 

 

 

The most famous gate of UCB

 

 

 

 

 

Immediately outside the gate is Telegraph Ave, the most bustling street of Berkeley. It is still full of the spirit of the anti-war movement in 60s and 70s.

 

 

Berkeley City Club was where I attended the banquet for UC Systemwide Bioengineering Symposium. It is one of the National Register of Historic Places, designed by Julia Morgan, who is also the architect of Hearst Castle.

 

 

 

Julia Restaurant is a breathtakingly beautiful place! There are so many different styles in every little details but all of them are in harmony with one another!

 

 

 

 

People’s Park is the most iconic gathering place for the anti-war movement in 60s and 70s. 

 

 

 

 

It is still an important meeting place for the progressive movements nowadays.

 

 

The ocean front trails of Berkeley is beautiful in both sunny and cloudy days!

 

 

 

 

Watching the sailing boats in Berkeley Marina can always calm my mind!

 

 

Although Berkeley is a big city, you can still see a lot of wild animals! There are so many turkeys in the park near the ocean.

 

 

 

 

 

Going south, the ocean front trail becomes a straight road, with many people jogging and biking here.

 

 

 

 Both my wife and I love Snoopy! It is so great that he is in Berkeley too! Maybe it is the hint from the God telling us that Berkeley will be our home where we will live happily and build our family together!