每日评论0815 除了感恩还是感恩

除了感恩还是感恩

週二午间有幸在美南新闻总部接待来访之美国国务院南部地区办事处主任凯莎琳何及副主任贝尔一行,参观了国际贸易中心、美南新闻媒体中心及正在兴建中之银行金融中心。

我在午宴上代表几内亚驻休斯敦总领事馆向她们表示感谢,参加者还有衣索匹亚驻德州名誉总领事卡比地大使,休斯敦前房屋部长金诺威,环球第一银行总裁JP朴及好友赖清阳大律师。

何主任之任务是在德州、路易士安那、奥克荷马 、内布拉斯加、阿肯色、新墨西哥及柯罗拉多州主管对一百五十个各国驻在地之总领事馆之安全及服务事项,她任职国务院十餘年并在华府主管和许多国家之条约谈判， 她并且获得加州大学法学博士及律师执照。

这位优秀之公务员来自越南难民家庭,当年还是孩童随着父母来到美国,他们在久经战乱之苦而有幸逃到美国来重新开始人生之新页。

当天我在印刷厰中展示我们还在印刷中之各国不同语言之报章时，其中有越文日报，随着时代之变迁,我们也带领参观了新媒体电视台摄影中心及金融中心之工地,她对於同是移民一代进入媒体及金融表示高度之惊奇。

送走了何主任及贝尔副主任,在美南新闻之广场长廊上,我注视着他们的背影,心中涌上无限的感慨,回忆起孩童时和父母远离故土生长在一个无电无自来水的异地他乡,就如何主任一样,我们童年时之艰辛岁月日后变成了我们在人生奋斗中之动力，看看蓝天和耸入天空之大吊车,何主任和我都要感谢这块土地给予我们之机会,我们除了感恩还是感恩!

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.