My Cousin, Maylin, and Me (10/9)

     Maylin is my dad's oldest sister's daughter.  She's one of my most admired cousins in the Sung Family.  Dad has 6 brothers and 6 sisters, with numerous cousins for us.  There are many with great accomplishments, but Maylin always is number 1 in my heart.

    Maylin skipped the 6th grade which impressed us all.  She is 7 years older than I am, so you know it was a big deal to skip a grade when we all had to take the infamous entrance exams to go to middle and high schools as we progressed in the Taiwanese education system.  She did well in all her high school years and entered the famed University of Taiwan, 台大, as we called it, majoring in "foreign languages".  I always wanted to be smart like Maylin as I was growing up.

    Maylin's dad died at the age of 49 when she was in high school.  It was devastating to her and the family, but her dad left a fortune for my aunt and their 6 children to have comfortable living.  Maylin finished her bachelor's degree from the University of Taiwan and got a job working for CAT (later became China Air Lines), the CIA and others.  My recollection was that she wanted to go to the US to further her education, but her brothers were against it. She met her future husband, Guild Anthony Fetridge, an airman from the US and decided to marry him to go with him to the US.  My recollection was that it was devastating to her family when she decided to marry a foreigner.  It was an uproar for the Sung family.  I believe at that time our cousin George had married an American girl, but no one said much about it.  But for a girl to marry a foreigner was not the same in the Sung Family.  Maylin married Fetridge despite the opposition and moved to New York.

     My family moved to Taipei during my senior year in high school.  Since I was supposed to take the entrance exam to go to college, my parents were reluctant to move me to Taipei.  So, the arrangements were made for me to stay with Maylin's mom to finish school and the exam.  It was a great arrangement as my aunt missed Maylin a lot and I was there to be with her, to keep her company.  She told me I reminded her of Maylin.  I did pretty well at school.  I was offered a 4-year merit scholarship to go to the National Normal University.  It was quite an honor as the local newspapers reported the list of 4 or 6 high school seniors from Tainan to receive the awards.  I should have been happy; the honor, the 4-year scholarship, and best of all, I wouldn't have to take the infamous entrance exam.  I remember going to my parents in tears that I didn't want to be a teacher.  At first, my parents were relieved that they didn't have to pay for my college tuitions, but they didn't stand in my way.  Mom said that if I didn't want to be a teacher, I didn't need to do it.  I remember my Grandfather Sung hit the roof when he heard that I was turning down the scholarships.  He didn't think a girl needed to go to college to begin with, now I refused to accept a 4-year scholarship to go to the best teachers' college in Taiwan.  My mom supported me in my decision.

     In my decision to choose a major, Maylin played an important role in influencing me.  I had wanted to go into science or math, but my grandfather and my parents both were against it for fear that no one would marry me if I went into those fields.  Who wants to marry a smart woman?? So, I told them I would follow in Maylin's footsteps and go into foreign languages.  At that time, National Chengchi University had the "diplomacy" major for future diplomats.  I would get a degree in languages, in law and also in political science.  I chose that field and made the cut to enter that field.  My desires were to go to work in the United Nations after getting a masters' degree in International Relations from Brigham Young University.  But Elwin swept me off my feet and he didn't mind marrying a smart girl (Elwin wrote this).  You may remember that Taiwan was kicked out of UN to allow the Peoples' Republic of China to enter, which would have ended my dream of working there, anyway.

     So, there it was, after these many years, Maylin and I had a chance to meet again.  Because of the holidays, I only needed to take a day and half off to be with her for the 3 days she was in Hong Kong.  President Aki was kind enough to allow me to have the personal leave and I would make up the time missed.

     We had a grand time taking Maylin around.  She may be a few years older than I, but is very active physically.  She still skis 4 times a year in the Alps, Vail, Park City and Idaho.  She is semi-retired as a commercial realtor in Manhattan.  We took her to visit Nan Lian Garden, and to the Victoria Peak the first day.  On the second day we visited Aberdeen and saw the junk boats that she remembered from 40 years ago.  Hong Kong has changed a lot, but it's still Hong Kong and we all enjoyed it very much.  Below is a link to the slideshow of our trip called Maylin and Me. (https://picasaweb.google.com/dixiedoctochina/MaylinAndMe2011#slideshow/5663142166349286162)

     It was a fun week as I celebrated my birthday with Elwin and Maylin. 

10 Very Hungry Hippos (10/2/2011)

    This week went quickly.  We stayed home to clean up the apartment on P-day, but spent the next 2 days working at the temple.  By the time we came home Wednesday night, the wind was howling.  Typhoon Nesat came by and the number-eight warning was issued early Thursday morning as winds gusting up to 121 km/h, which were recorded in some exposed areas.  We were safe and sound.  With the extra time off, we were able to catch up with some chores.  In fact, I made 48 tortillas that morning, preparing for the missionaries to come to dinner Sunday. 

People swim at a beach as a rain squall caused by nearby Typhoon Nesat approaches in Hong Kong on September 29, 2011. Hong Kong locked down on September 29, suspending financial markets, schools and transport services as strong winds from the deadly Typhoon Nesat brought disruption to the city.

Photograph by: Dale de la Rey, AFP/Getty Images

    By Friday morning, it was safe for us to go back to work.  October 1 was the Chinese National holiday.  The temple was on the holiday schedule and was open from 7 AM to 1 PM.  We had so many members who came to visit.  It was fun to see a lot of the Filipinas and friends.

    We were also invited by the Tolo Stake to attend a special activities day for the elderly.  We told them we'd go if they wouldn't call us elderly; instead, they could call us seniors.  It was all agreed and we went happily as seniors.  It started with a temple session at 11 AM; a luncheon at the Kowloon Tong Church Building (across from the temple); then 2 tour buses took us to Yuen Long to visit a cookie factory and a noodle factory.  At 5:00, we were taken to a seafood restaurant and had a wonderful seafood dinner.  Afterwards, the bus drove us to West Kowloon Waterfront Promenade to watch fireworks for the celebration of the National Day.  We didn't stay as we would have to wait over 2 hours for the fireworks to start.  So we; the Deans and us two elderly (senior) couples, headed home on the MTR and watched the fireworks at home on TV instead.  It was sure a fun day.  Thanks to all those who made arrangements to make this possible.

 

Tolo Stake Activities for the Elderly

   Even though this was a General Conference weekend, regular church schedule was kept in Hong Kong because of the time difference from Salt Lake City.  The delayed General Conference would be held a week later, with Cantonese and Mandarin translations.  We had a wonderful fast and testimony meeting.  We enjoyed the testimonies being borne by 7 or 8 of the members of the congregation.  A young man from Beijing got up and shared his testimonies with us.  We came to find out he wasn't a member yet ,but loves being with church members.  He was so happy to find the Gospel and felt comfortable to come to church with us to share our love for the Savior.  What a cool guy!  

   After Church, we had all the young missionaries over for a delicious Mexican dinner.  There were 10 very hungry hippos at our apartment that day.  You probably wonder how we accommodate that many people in our 460 square feet flat.  Hmmm...first we moved the couch to one side of the living room against the wall, then we lined up 2 card tables and a computer table in the middle of the room to form a dining table.  Yes, it was room to room, but it worked and the missionaries didn't mind, neither did we.  We had a good time.  Listed below are recipes for those who may be interested.

Mexican Dinner

Shredded Pork Taco Filling

Ingredients

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 (3 1/2) pound pork shoulder roast
• 4 cups beef broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 large white onion, cut into large chunks

Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken
Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) jar salsa
• 1 (1.25 ounce) package dry taco seasoning mix
• 1 lime, juiced
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Refried Beans 

 Ingredients

• 1 onion, peeled and halved
• 3 cups dry pinto beans, rinsed
• 1/2 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 5 teaspoons salt
• 1 3/4 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin, optional
• 9 cups water

Spanish Rice

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup uncooked white rice
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cups water
• 1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles
• 2 teaspoons chili powder, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon salt

Homemade Flour Tortillas

Ingredients

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 tablespoons lard
• 1 1/2 cups water

Directions

1. Whisk the flour, salt, and baking powder together in a mixing bowl. Mix in the lard with your fingers until the flour resembles cornmeal. Add the water and mix until the dough comes together; place on a lightly floured surface and knead a few minutes until smooth and elastic. Divide the dough into 24 equal pieces and roll each piece into a ball.
2. Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Use a well-floured rolling pin to roll a dough ball into a thin, round tortilla. Place into the hot skillet, and cook until bubbly and golden; flip and continue cooking until golden on the other side. Place the cooked tortilla in a tortilla warmer; continue rolling and cooking the remaining dough.

Whole Wheat Flour Tortillas

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups whole wheat bread flour
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 cups boiling water
• all-purpose flour for rolling

Directions

1. In a large bowl, stir together 1 cup all-purpose flour, the whole wheat flour, and salt. Rub in the shortening by hand until the mixture is the texture of oatmeal. Make a well in the center, and pour in the boiling water. Mix with a fork until all of the water is evenly incorporated. Sprinkle with a bit of additional flour, and knead until the dough does not stick to your fingers. The dough should be smooth.
2. Make balls the size of golf balls, about 2 ounces each. Place them on a tray, and cover with a cloth. Let stand for at least 1 hour, or up to 8 hours.