Auspicious New Year Day

Be it chilly and rainy,  it's blissful to be surrounded with family members to welcome the first day of the year with a sumptuous feast. On New Year's Day, a tasty fusion cuisine for lunch was the treat with my extended family of six members, including an eight months old niece-in-law, at a famous shop "A Small Bowl of Mutton" in Hsin-tien. We had mutton soup, T-bone lamb steak, beef bibimnba, and sesame oil vermicelli.

After lunch, we headed for a frequently visited picnic area along Hsin-tien River. While my husband served the melon for dessert, I saw the heavy mist descending in the mountains adorned with mottled golden leaves, like a huge scroll of Chinese water painting in the sky, so beautiful and serene in the rain. The unpleasant rain turned to be a blessing in disguise. The raindrops created multiple chiffon layers to cover the mountains with mysterious veils and gave the world a romantic look. It's blissful to be absorbed in the beauty of nature.

In the afternoon, upon Toastmaster Joy Chyr's invitation, five golden ladies Toastmasters joined the karaoke gathering at her apartment near Shida. Even though it took three hours for the repairman to come back and forth to fix the karaoke machine, we gained extra time to share our new year resolutions and made acquaintance with one another. I was excited to make six new friends, including a veteran showbiz celebrity (小黑人金澎), a movie critics (洪光遠), four outstanding karaoke singers.

It was still drizzling when I left Joy's cozy lounge. What an auspicious New Year's Day to have the rain for a good beginning of the spring and a prosperous year ahead. Many thanks to Joy for providing the platform for Toastmasters and friends to exchange ideas and thoughts! I wish everyone a prosperous and happy new year!

小黑人金澎首先開口清唱，湖南《辣椒歌》：「遠方的客人你請坐，聽我唱個辣椒歌。遠方的客人，你莫見笑，湖南人待客愛用辣椒。雖說是鄉下的土產貨，天天可不能少。要問辣椒有哪些好？隨便能說出好幾條。去濕氣、安心跳、健脾胃、醒頭腦，油煎爆炒用火燒，樣樣味道好。沒有辣子不算菜呀，一辣勝佳肴」。唱畢後，立刻引來滿堂彩。

接著小黑人金澎強力推薦林強作詞作曲的平凡的老百姓，道出他單槍匹馬，由澎湖來台灣打拼的心歷路程。藝名金澎的由來是祖父是金門人，父母在澎湖成家立業。

（離開故鄉這多年　我一直在想　有什麼人會凍了解 一個庄腳囝仔　來到都市的心情）

離開故鄉幾落年　不知到底是為什麼 只想趕快要逃避　找一個屬於自己的日子
想起細漢彼當時　別人笑阮父母不識字 是為怎樣　是為什麼　甘說父母教我的　不是道理
長輩勸我少年人　要打拚大賺錢　大漢了後　才不讓看不起
我的親戚　我的厝邊　有錢玩大家樂　我想沒啥意義
我之所以要離開　這個傷心的都市　因為檳榔吐甲滿滿是
希望咱攏會凍出頭天　做給別人看的起 會凍自由說話　無人冤家生氣
台灣有自由的空氣　台灣有熱情的人情味　台灣有現代的老百姓

長輩勸我少年人　要打拚大賺錢　大漢了後　才不讓看不起
我的親戚　我的厝邊　拿錢在猜數字　我想沒啥意義
我之所以要離開　這個傷心的都市　因為檳榔吐甲滿滿是
希望咱攏會凍出頭天　做給別人看的起 會凍自由說話　無人冤家生氣
台灣有自由的空氣　台灣有熱情的人情味　台灣有現代的老百姓
哦　台灣有自由的空氣　台灣有熱情的人情味 台灣有現代的老百姓
離開故鄉這多年　現在知道為什麼

（我想　呷甲這大漢　最大的希望是要做一個 快樂的　平凡的　老百姓）