My hometown Shima is on a river called Nine-Dragon River. This river flows to where fresh water meets sea water, and that is why my hometown crabs are known to be very tasty. My last visit home was in 1995. With a lot of changes having taken place in the 12 years, everything seemed unfamiliar, at first: the hot humid weather, the crowded streets, and the entirely changed landscape. After we arrived at the gate of the primary school across our alley, I could not even find the alley. The alley appeared to be incredibly small. But when I went out to the markets with my mom, things began to turn normal.  True, there is a new bridge across Nine-Dragon River. True, there are many new streets and new buildings. But this is the homeland I had lived for 47 years, and now I am with my mom, and I will be seeing many of my relatives, friends and former classmates and students. It's so good to be home, again.

Taiwan, Hongkong, and Mainland China, 2007