每日评论0815 除了感恩還是感恩

除了感恩還是感恩

週二午間有幸在美南新聞總部接待來訪之美國國務院南部地區辦事處主任凱莎琳何及副主任貝爾一行,參觀了國際貿易中心、美南新聞媒體中心及正在興建中之銀行金融中心。

我在午宴上代表幾內亞駐休斯敦總領事館向她們表示感謝,參加者還有衣索匹亞駐德州名譽總領事卡比地大使,休斯敦前房屋部長金諾威,環球第一銀行總裁JP朴及好友賴清陽大律師。

何主任之任務是在德州、路易士安那、奧克荷馬 、內布拉斯加、阿肯色、新墨西哥及柯羅拉多州主管對一百五十個各國駐在地之總领事館之安全及服務事項,她任職國務院十餘年並在華府主管和許多國家之條約談判， 她並且獲得加州大學法學博士及律師执照。

這位優秀之公務員來自越南難民家庭,當年還是孩童隨着父母來到美國,他們在久經戰亂之苦而有幸逃到美國來重新開始人生之新頁。

當天我在印刷厰中展示我們還在印刷中之各國不同語言之報章時，其中有越文日報，隨着时代之變遷,我們也帶領參觀了新媒體電視台攝影中心及金融中心之工地,她對於同是移民一代進入媒體及金融表示高度之驚奇。

送走了何主任及貝爾副主任,在美南新聞之广場長廊上,我注视著他們的背影,心中湧上無限的感慨,回憶起孩童時和父母遠離故土生長在一個無電無自來水的異地他鄉,就如何主任一樣,我們童年時之艱辛歲月日後變成了我們在人生奮鬥中之動力，看看藍天和聳入天空之大吊車,何主任和我都要感謝這塊土地給予我們之機會,我們除了感恩還是感恩!

Gratitude, Gratitude Again

At Tuesday noon, we had the privilege of welcoming Katherine Ho, the Regional Director of the U.S. Department of State Office of Foreign Missions Houston and Regional Office and Deputy Director Scott Bell to the headquarters of Southern News Group. In addition to touring the International Trade Center, Media Center and the under-construction banking financial center. I expressed our gratitude to them on behalf of the Guinea Consulate General in Houston at a luncheon. Other attendees included Ethiopian Honorary Consul General Ambasador Kebede, ITC co-chair Mr. Jim Noteware, Chairman of Global One Bank, Mr. JP Park, and Attorney Andy Lai.

Ms. Ho has responsibility in eight states and oversees the security and services for foreign missions and consulates from 150 countries. She has served in diplomatic posts for over decades. She also holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California and is a licensed attorney.

This outstanding civil servant comes from a Vietnamese refugee family and as a child she came to the United States. As the passage continued, she described how the Ho family fled war-torn Vietnam and arrived in America as refugees. Despite the many hardships they faced, they were able to start anew and build a successful life.

I showed Ms. Ho the newspaper printing press where various newspapers in different language are printed, including the Vietnamese Daily News. The tour also included the International Trade Center our television studio and the construction site of our new financial center. She expressed surprise how we got involved in both media and finance.

After the visit, we said goodbye to them and I saw her as she walked through the long corridor of our compound.  My feelings were that we both had the same childhood experiences. I was living in Burma, a foreign land without electricity or running water. This shared experience, however, has become a source of motivation in both our lives to fight for our future.

Looking to the sky and the towering cranes, we both express our gratitude for the opportunity we have been given in this great land.