Chapter 44—Post-Epilogue Renaissance

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There have been many changes since my last blog entry. I’m back at work, for one thing. Lao-puo Suzanne’s generous support of a Cambodian orphanage (she pays the rent for a high school) was dipping into my beer money, so I had to do something about that. I don’t begrudge a penny. Were it not for her efforts, the young orphaned girls, and some of the boys, would be hooking, and the rest of the boys would be begging.

I’m back in my old job, with the provincial Ministry of Housing and Social Development. Things were better when we were the Ministry of Social Services. It took the clients, after that name change, about five minutes to start calling us “the SS”.

For the wrong person, working in a welfare office is the job from Hell. For the right person, it’s the best job in government. I’m back where I was in Guangfu Township (in my beloved East Rift Valley on the east coast of Taiwan) -- enjoying my job so much I feel guilty taking my pay.

My next travel entry will be Kingston. Ontario, not Jamaica. We are going to Ontario in late September to enjoy the beautiful autumn leaves, to see our dear Renée and Lao-puo’s relatives—along with our dear friend Richard in Toronto, and Trisha (also in Toronto) who has just returned from years of living in Paris.

In the meantime, I work in Vancouver all week, and catch the “daddy boat” to our home on Galiano Island on Friday night. It’s strange coming back to my home town—I left thirty-five years ago and the changes are such that I feel a bit like Rip van Winkle on my return.

It is no hardship, to live on waterfront acreage in the Gulf Islands. We have deer in the yard, otters and seals and sea lions and orcas swimming by the dining room and our bedroom, the wind in the trees, and silence.

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