For heaven sake
剛到美國之初，系上的學姊Beth特地買了很貴的票請我去Heinz Hall聽韓德爾(Handel)的神劇"彌賽亞(Messiah)"。當晚依慣例聽到"Hallelujah"那首，全場的人都站起來，這種感覺不知如何形容，飄飄然的很舒服！

之後系上只要有人的Grand proposol (研究計畫案)通過，一位可愛的教授就會跑去那人的辦公室唱兩句"Hallelujah"。

最近系上有4位學長姐即將畢業，他們必須要通過論文口試(dissertation defense)正式口試前兩週，我們這些PhD students都會被邀去他們的練習演講(dry-run)並且給予feedback，他們嘔心瀝血的論文內容複雜，幾乎在場聽眾聽完後都會發出讚嘆聲，最常用的就是"For heaven sake...."，意思很像「(幸好)老天保佑 !」

這時我發現系上的同學同事們(只有我一個台灣人)都必須要有堅強的意志力或是有個宗教信仰才能夠維持精神生活，否則非常容易向壓力投降，尤其是像我們這種international student，還記得我曾經借我的小小辦公室給來自約旦的學妹膜拜阿拉，雖然系上每個人有不同的信仰(基督教最多、印度教、回教、佛教)，大家都相處和睦而且可以互相討論。

有一陣子心情低潮和媽媽通話時，她提到了她一直為我念經回向，當然也希望我自己好好"作功課"，而且要記得替周遭的人祈福，甚至包括我不喜歡的人。我聽到這些話時，好像置身於那晚在Heinz Hall聆聽"Hallelujah"時的感覺，這時感動又溢滿我心...
For heaven sake, I have a supportive and lovely family
For heaven sake, I have you as my friend
For heaven sake, I have chances to chase my dream even though it is still high

My preliminary oral exam will be hold next Friday. I just finished the powerpoint for my dry-run tormorrow. Please cross figures for me.
I am also going to make a blessing list:

祝福爸爸工作順利、媽媽心情愉快、弟弟學業進步、所有親友...
祝福在台灣的小毛、小玉、小球、小花、小眼田、叮噹碩、熊、大球、家碩、小美、meymey、宋、阿通、雅玉、東、鳳琪、依潔、snoopyfan、璇、亞陸...
祝福在美國的Ketki, Beth, Hazel, Sana, Razon, Somaya, Ana, Frieda, Emily, Britney, Hsiang, Monica, Jali, Jenny, Martha, Samuel, Icep, Roy, Willy, Patrick...
還有很多很多...........
p.s.依慣例，送你們一首歌: Whistle down the Wind (洛依韋伯音樂劇: 微風輕哨) Whistle down the wind
Let your voices carry
Drown out all the rain
Light a patch of darkness
Treacherous and scary

Howl at the stars
Whisper when you're sleeping
I'll be there to hold you
I'll be there to stop
The chills and all the weeping
Make it clear and strong
So the whole night long
Every signal that you send
Until the very end
I will not abandon you
My precious friend

So try and stem the tide
Then you'll raise a banner
Send a flare up in the sky
Try to burn a torch
And try to build a bonfire
Every signal that you send
Until the very end, I'm there

So whistle down the wind
For I have always been right there
So whistle down the wind
Let your voices carry
Drown out all the rain
Light a patch of darkness
Treacherous and scary
Every signal that you send
Until the very end, I'm there

So whistle down the wind
For I have always been right there