Michael’s Annual Epistle 2016 史邁克一年

選觀團訪 洪慈勇 競選總部。. 右起 4 位加拿大團員 – 林哲夫, ，我， Charles Burton & 盛雪.

Taiwan began and will end my 68th year. I will celebrate Christmas and New Year with my aboriginal godsons in Taiwan, after a week in Japan. My 2016 began in Taiwan as part of an international observation group for the January 16 election. Watching President-elect蔡英文ascend the stage to greet tens of thousands of cheering supporters that night was an unforgettable experience.

Returning to Canada I fell into bed sick for a week, then developed a rash. It took until May to find out I have “Grovers disease”, an annoying affliction of middle age men. But there are more interesting things to write about. I organized a 台灣選舉觀察座談 at 約克大學, and was part of another at UofT, as well as organizing a panel on 加拿大台灣關係座談at the Taiwanese Canadian Association 加台會夏令營 in June. In April I organized a meeting of Toronto human rights people with 香港學潮領導人Joshua Wong 黃之鋒. I am still writing letters to the powerful and the press as president of the加拿大台灣人權協會In September I got written up (中文) in the 大紀元. 有照片喔!

(http://e-paper.epochtimes.com/CanadaEast/20160923_824/EpochB_001_0923.jpg.html)

Asian Opera Fan Club with tenor Daevyd Pepper after Orpheus in the Underworld at the UofT Opera Nov 27

In October I led two busloads of people attending the 北美台灣教會協會convention on a Mackay pilgrimage to 牛津郡Oxford County, and to the 皇家博物館 and多倫多大學 walk the next day. The Mackay Memorial Museum 馬偕紀念館at Aletheia University真理大學 in Tamsui, on which we have been working for two years, opened in May. In October I met with Taiwanese director Wei Te-sheng 魏德聖, urging him to do a movie about George Leslie Mackay.

My retirement enjoyment of opera, music, theatre, art and gardens continues. Perhaps my happiest day of 2016 was July 23. I took three of my “Asian Opera Fan Club” to Elora, to hear countertenor Daniel Taylor and tenor Benjamin Butterfield, then the Festival chorus and orchestra doing Handel’s Coronation Anthems. Home in a golden summer evening drive through the country. It is a joy it is to remember this and so many concerts, meals, and happy days shared with family & friends, but alas the page is full, though I have hardly even begun the tale.

祝大家聖誕平安喜樂並新年如此充滿祝福

史邁克 December 6 (St. Nicholas Day)