There is one story that has been drowned out in the war of words in the media over the water shortage -- the story about Lee Chin-ming (
It is certainly moving to hear of an ordinary person nurturing such a dream in today's utilitarian society, but it is also distressing to discover that he is so far short of the funds needed to fulfil such a worthwhile dream.
Although President Chen Shui-bian (
A bowl of beef noodles is a very common dish in Taiwan. Most people believe that no special skills are needed to make it. However, it is not that easy to give the dish that special flavor or to become famous for serving great beef noodles. It is certainly no easy task to become wealthy by selling such a common dish. Even rarer is an entrepreneur who dreams of helping society with his wealth by establishing a university "as good as Stanford University." What vexes A-ming is that there are so many rich people that would rather donate money to build new temples than to establish good universities that would serve future generations.
Most people in Taiwan are put to shame by A-ming's quiet willpower and the spirit in which he has been pursuing his dream. His "Taiwan Spirit" is the very source of the power with which the Taiwan miracle has been built over the past 50 years, a spirit that has almost disappeared from today's society. At a time when most people are focusing on get-rich-quick schemes or dreaming of winning the lottery and becoming rich, people like A-ming, cooking his beef noodles bowl by bowl, taking one step at a time, are rare.
Will there still be hope for Taiwan if people are no longer willing to sacrifice themselves or donate their money for the education of the next generation? Will we still be able to be competitive internationally by the end of this century? Surely, the answer is no. If our politicians are absorbed by power struggles or competition for personal gain instead of the interests of the people and the welfare of the next generation, they will certainly leave an empty legacy.
While the media are flooded with the empty words of politicians, we can almost smell A-ming's sweat as he makes his beef noodles. We hope that this smell can be transformed into the fragrance of books and flowers at a university, realizing the dreams of an ordinary man.
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