Workaholic vegetable seller, selfless and generous to a fault

Excerpts from Readers' Digest's 'The generous vegetable seller'
by Esther Liang

Ms Chen leads her life with a daily routine. Waking up at three in the morning, she makes her way to the vegetable wholesaler and sets up her stall, which she tends till seven or eight in the evening.

In the dark and damp market, Ms Chen, nearing her 60s, holds the stall her father left her dearly. Yuan-Jin Vegetables is her everything.

With her vegetables selling at "a bundle for NT$30 (S$1.30), three bundles for NT$50", she earns only marginal profits.

Yet, her frugality has allowed her to donate about NT$10 million towards various charitable causes, including helping schools, orphanages and poor children.

The selfless generosity of a woman with such humble income has placed her under the international spotlight.

In March, Forbes magazine named her one of 48 outstanding philanthropists from the Asia-Pacific region. A month later, Time magazine selected the year's top 100 influential people and she emerged under the Heroes of Philanthropy category.

Fellow Taiwanese and Oscar- winning director Lee Ang wrote her entry personally. "Money is worthy only if given to those in need," he quoted Ms Chen. He also wrote: "Amazing, but of all she has given away, her greatest gift is leading by example."

Despite the honour of receiving the Time award in New York, gaining global recognition, and a personal meeting with President Ma Ying-jeou, all Ms Chen really cares about is her vegetable stall.

Born in 1950, Ms Chen lost her mother after completing her primary-school education. Her mother was admitted to hospital because of difficulties in labour and the family had to pay an insurance of NT$5,000 before medical attention could be granted.

Ms Chen saw her father asking their neighbours for money, but it was too late to save her mother. The eldest daughter in the family, Ms Chen had to grow up overnight.

She gave up her studies and dedicated her life to helping at the vegetable stall.

When she was 18, her younger brother fell sick and the illness dragged on for over a year, gradually depleting the family's savings.

Doctors suggested that the family send her brother to Taiwan National University Hospital, but they could not afford the fees.

Mr Huang Shun-zhong, a teacher at Ren-ai Primary School, started a donation drive.
Unfortunately, her brother could not be saved.

After experiencing the kindness bestowed upon her family, Ms Chen made up her mind to help the poor once she was able.

When her father died 17 years ago, Ms Chen, a devoted Buddhist, generously donated NT$1 million to Fo Guang Shan Monastery.

In 2000, she donated NT$1 million to her alma mater, Ren-ai Primary School, to set up an Emergency Relief Fund to help poor children obtain financial help.

All she needs is food and a place to sleep. Everything else is a luxury. She does not buy expensive clothes as "I do not socialise much, hence, there is no need for such beautiful clothes. The clothes from the roadside stalls are good enough for me, and, even then, I like to bargain".

She also sleeps on the hard floor, a habit from her younger days when she started working at the vegetable stall.

The comfort of her warm bed made getting up early to go to the wholesaler very difficult, especially during the cold winter months. Hence Ms Chen made up her mind to sleep on the cold floor, where she would not run the risk of being late.


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Caterers and dinner guests need to be reminded...

about the adage, 'Waste not, want not'.

This afternoon I was not amused when my nose detected an awful smell of stale curry and saw a black plastic bag of discarded food and used paper cups outside our compound. It was obvious that a worker of the previous night's caterer, took the easy way out by throwing them in the dark.

In front of our house is a multi-purpose hall of the Sri Swami Subramaniyar Hindu Temple on Jalan Pusing, Batu Gajah.. Occasionally, the hall is booked for wedding ceremonies and dinners. This is the first time discarded food was thrown in front of our compound at the side end which is shielded by some bushes. Before this, they threw it in someone's vacant land nearby.

If only dinner guests who attend buffet are conscious of the proverb, 'Waste not, want not', then they would not take more food than they could eat. Any leftovers still in caterer's containers are likely to be given or eaten by somebody later. But unfinished leftover foods are normally thrown into big plastic bags to be thrown away. If the caterers had provided separate bags for foods and disposable plates and cups, then the leftovers could be given to dogs or rice even to chickens. In this way, there is no wastage of food, and at the same time, there is a big reduction in rubbish to be collected. Stale foods leave an awful stench, so any reduction or preferably a target towards zero leftover foods will be most welcome.

I hope someone who reads my post and know the caterer would inform him about this.

What was the guy thinking when he decided to do this?

Please check out Mary Schneider's 'Water, water everywhere...' to know how the Australians are trying to save water, a commodity which we Malaysians have in abundance and are still in wasteful mode.

http://thestar.com.my/columnists/story.asp?file=/2010/12/6/columnists/butthenagain/7545470&sec=But%20Then%20Again

Malaysia Boleh or Bokiasi?

Our PM's way of reaching greater heights will literally be in the form of Warisan Merdeka, which should be taller than Petronas Twin Towers.

Why do we have this urge to splurge?

The reason as is shown in a message, aptly shown in Daniel's graphic creation, is clear to those who understand Hokien:

"It's now or never..." Nothing is likely to dissuade those in favour of the ego boosting project, not even the problems faced by Dubai...

"Dubai's real estate regulatory body on Thursday accused the Gulf emirate's state-backed master developers of damaging its ailing property market by continuing to build despite a rampant oversupply.

"The master developers should understand, believe, that they are damaging the sector by introducing more supply," Marwan bin Ghalaita, the CEO of RERA said in an interview published by Arabian Business online magazine.

He named troubled Nakheel, the giant property arm of debt-laden Dubai World, as well as troubled Dubai Holding, which is owned by Dubai's ruler, and Emaar, developer of the world's tallest tower, Burj Khalifa."

More where that came from:

The Star: Big developers accused of hurting Dubai property

http://www.starproperty.my/PropertyScene/TheStarOnlineHighlightBox/8914/0/0

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Ways of getting attention

In a court of law, a lawyer has to be appointed to act for someone because he knows the rules. It is common for someone at the witness stand, feeling frustrated because questions are framed in such a way that he or she has to answer 'yes' or 'no' and not allowed to elaborate on it.

What I have seen on television last night was a scene of our Parliament in session where DAP Members of Parliament, YB Jeff Ooi (Jelutong), and then YB Fong Po Kuan (Batu Gajah), had to continue speaking despite being told to sit down by Speaker, Tan Sri Pandikar Amin. They were suspended for not obeying orders.

For anyone watching the scene the first time, it would appear both MPs were rude and therefore justly suspended for a short while. But I am sure I am not the only one having this perception that the Speaker had been biased in numerous occasions when dealing with MPs, depending on which side of the political divide they are from. Much leeway when dealing with BN MPs but harsh and quick to suspend when dealing with opposition MPs. Had the Speaker been more generous in allowing topics proposed by opposition for discussion, as well as giving more time for them to discuss in more detail when they were given the chance, all these apparent disobedience would not happen. Given that time is precious in Parliament, much time was wasted in so many occasions involving relatively petty issues.

The double standards are obvious too where Speakers are concerned. Speaker's power is deemed paramount in Parliament, yet a State Assembly Speaker was dragged by force with the help of the police acting on the order of a mere State Secretary, with the acquiescence of or more likely, upon secret orders from people in the higher order.

I can imagine local issues which seem important to local people have little chance of being heard, so the local MP has to try very hard to make it possible, sometimes by indirect means. It is like getting a leg in the door first to get attention. I can empathize with the MPs, if they felt frustrated for whatever reasons.

Outside Parliament, it would appear that to get PM's attention, it is relatively easy if one happened to be a turncoat, alleged victim of sodomy or even a reformed rude rapper.

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Can renewed intimacy save a broken marriage?

The following is the ending part of a story which is worth repeating...

In the morning she presented her divorce conditions: she didn't want anything from me, but needed a month's notice before the divorce. She requested that in that one month we both struggle to live as normal a life as possible. Her reasons were simple: our son had his exams in a month's time and she didn't want to disrupt him with our broken marriage.

This was agreeable to me. But she had something more, she asked me to recall how I had carried her into out bridal room on our wedding day.

She requested that every day for the month's duration I carry her out of our bedroom to the front door ever morning. I thought she was going crazy. Just to make our last days together bearable I accepted her odd request.

I told Jane about my wife's divorce conditions. . She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd. No matter what tricks she applies, she has to face the divorce, she said scornfully.

My wife and I hadn't had any body contact since my divorce intention was explicitly expressed. So when I carried her out on the first day, we both appeared clumsy. Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holding mommy in his arms. His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sitting room, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms. She closed her eyes and said softly; don't tell our son about the divorce. I nodded, feeling somewhat upset. I put her down outside the door. She went to wait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the office.

On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest. I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn't looked at this woman carefully for a long time. I realized she was not young any more. There were fine wrinkles on her face, her hair was graying! Our marriage had taken its toll on her. For a minute I wondered what I had done to her.

On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of intimacy returning. This was the woman who had given ten years of her life to me.

On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was growing again. I didn't tell Jane about this. It became easier to carry her as the month slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger.

She was choosing what to wear one morning. She tried on quite a few dresses but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, all my dresses have grown bigger. I suddenly realized that she had grown so thin, that was the reason why I could carry her more easily.

Suddenly it hit me... she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her heart. Subconsciously I reached out and touched her head.

Our son came in at the moment and said, Dad, it's time to carry mom out. To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an essential part of his life. My wife gestured to our son to come closer and hugged him tightly. I turned my face away because I was afraid I might change my mind at this last minute. I then held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly; it was just like our wedding day.

But her much lighter weight made me sad. On the last day, when I held her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. I held her tightly and said, I hadn't noticed that our life lacked intimacy.

I drove to office.... jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my mind...I walked upstairs. Jane opened the door and I said to her, Sorry, Jane, I do not want the divorce anymore.

She looked at me, astonished, and then touched my forehead. Do you have a fever? She said. I moved her hand off my head. Sorry, Jane, I said, I won't divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn't value the details of our lives, not because we didn't love each other anymore. Now I realize that since I carried her into my home on our wedding day I am supposed to hold her until death do us apart.

Jane seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove away.

At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my wife. The salesgirl asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and wrote, I'll carry you out every morning until death do us apart.

That evening I arrived home, flowers in my hands, a smile on my face, I run up stairs, only to find my wife in the bed - dead.

My wife had been fighting CANCER for months and I was so busy with Jane to even notice. She knew that she would die soon and she wanted to save me from the whatever negative reaction from our son, in case we push thru with the divorce.-- At least, in the eyes of our son--- I'm a loving husband...

(Especially when we are already old when the end is already near, more so with children... Marriage is like an egg, once broken cannot be mended to its original state. But modern views seem to suggest 'moving on' is better for happiness for the rest of one's life instead of clinging on to something which is already dead. To each, his or her own views and opinions, and final decision.)

Why I think renewing intimacy to save a marriage is easier said than done:

Let us assume the ending was not tragic. The story involves husband who wanted a divorce and he was persuaded by renewed intimacy which were lacking because of his neglect and pre-occupation with someone new. The wife wanted him back which was the key, the rest depended on how easy a man could be persuaded with intimacy with a woman... provided she was not already an object of hate or abhorrence.

By switching sexes in the example, it could be very different. Imagine the wife having found a lover and wanted a divorce. If we believe in some basic differences between man and woman, having looked for someone new is a sign that a woman has lost her love for her husband to start with. Would she be so easily persuaded by renewed intimacy? Or more likely, she would not even allow him to touch her! The main condition of intimacy would been been unacceptable from the beginning!

We should recognize the fact that each individual is different and there is a marked difference between man and woman as well.

On a lighter note, I have never been able to carry my wife properly, more so with my present backache. Will she carry me instead, to see if it works?

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