b'Photos were taken in the bigMother and Father.courtyard of our home in Hualien. From left: Grandma, Janie, Susan, Pan, Tammy, Gigi and Mom.Building a New Life in HualienIn time, our family found stability in Hualien. Tammy, my fourth older sister, was born there, becoming the first of us born on Taiwanese soil. We forged strong bonds with the local community. Among them was a young doctor, Ke Dingxuan(), who established a profound and enduring friendship with us. Dr. Ke earned widespread respect and admiration for his zealous commitment to free clinics and various community services. His ded-ication to the public good did not go unnoticed, and years later, it culminat-ed in his election as the magistrate of Hualien County for two consecutive terms.Due to Fathers profession, he had the opportunity to travel abroad, and his innate curiosity drove him to explore new and innovative things. Even though he was far away from home, he always held us close in his heart. During his travels, he would bring back unique and trendy items, ranging from toys to household appliances, which were considered quite advanced in Taiwan at the time. As a result, our home occasionally featured items that 28'