Nostalgia

李白 : 夜思

床前明月光，疑是地上霜。 - 舉頭望明月，低頭思故鄉。

Night Thoughts

I wake and moonbeams play around my bed

Glittering like hoarfroast to my wondering eyes

Upwards the glorious moon I raise my head

Then lay me down and thoughts of home arise

D arrived in Taipei last night. It was really good to see her. We were waiting anxiously for her arrival all week and when the time came I think I ended up having verbal diarrhea about everything that has been happening here in Taipei. Poor D. She very graciously listened to all of our experiences and laughed along even though I'm sure she was very very tired from her plane ride. I think it was that little taste of home that was really comforting.

This morning I opened my mailbox and found 2 more e-mails from my co-workers. I received 2 yesterday too! It really made me miss them so much more. I've been trying hard not to "imagine" what they're doing, and what my students are doing, and what's going on a JPS but it's hard. I miss them a lot. Luckily days here are busy and full of events. It's more in the evenings, when I know that in Canada everybody is just waking up and starting their day that I start to think of home.

I never really got the Li Bai poem up above. I would just recite it in Chinese school because I had to, but I think I get it now. It's like that "American Tail" song "Somewhere Out There". When it comes down to it, there are really only a couple of things that you look at that would be the same everywhere. The surrounding is usually different (e.g. buildings, people, smells, foods, flora, fauna). The sun is the same but I never hear any poems where somebody is just staring at the sun. And stars are the same, but the night sky is different all around the world. Unless you're a stargazer, you'll never be able to keep track of the stars! But the moon...ahh the moon...that's a big, easily identifiable object that just begs you to stare ...no gaze...no ponder....at it. Not that I've really done any moon gazing in Taipei, but I can understand and place myself with the poet now. Night time is quiet. You tend to reflect...and as I check my e-mail, and read e-mails at night...

I think of home.

And I miss it.