Have you eaten? (11June2015)

Have you eaten?   

(Advanced Project 2: Speaking in Praise.   Objective: prepare a speech praising someone.

Occasion: Father’s 84^th birthday celebration.  Audience: family and friends in Singapore)

吃饱吗？that’s Chuichow - our Chinese dialect - and it means //  ‘have you eaten?’   A question Father & Mother often ask me & my siblings. They ask in the morning, in the afternoon and at night.  I wonder - do they / EAT TO LIVE?   Or / LIVE To EAT?     The truth is // “have you eaten?” / is our parents’ way of // expressing-their-love.   Today, we gather here to celebrate Father’s birthday. On behalf of my siblings, I would ask “Father 吃饱吗.

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Father is an ordinary man with - 1 wife and 6 children.  To provide for his family, Father tried animal farming / even though he knew nothing about it.  At first, the ducklings didn’t survive, the chicken /ran away.  Through hard work, Father’s family gradually expanded /to include brood (bruːd) of chicken, ducks and pigs.   A big and crowded family – isn’t it?  To ensure we’ve enough to eat (again “吃饱吗”) Father would go to nearby seaside to catch crabs and gather seaweeds.  Oh!  The crabs are for us, seaweeds/ for the pigs.   

Due to urban development, we left the farm and moved to public housing. Father took up odd jobs to bring $ home. Years of toiling / took a toll / on his health.    Father – You’ve done so much /to provide for us.  Thank you!

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20 years ago, Father was diagnosed with // kidney failure. ///  To maintain his life, Father has to have regular dialysis treatment to remove the waste in his blood.   Imagine these:// poke by - big- fat- needle / three times a week, //  bound to a machine/ 4 hours each time!   PAUSE///

For the past 20 years, Father takes all these in his stride. // He has enormous courage & grace - to face and accept / his illness.   // Yes, occasionally Father moans about this pain or that discomfort. /  But, Father / makes an effort / to keep his moaning / to the minimum – we know, // he doesn’t want to affect our emotions. PAUSE///

Life has become tougher / for Father in recent years - he is physically weaker, his hands feel numb.    // Despite all these, Father - continues – to- put- on- his- brave- face.  And he has not forgotten to ask us “吃饱吗”    /// One day, I asked him “Father,  what-keep-you-going? //  Have you – ever- thought of ---- giv-ing- up?  /// After one minute of silence, // he said // “Respect life. We must have / a good name. We must / think of others.”      PAUSE////

Father - you set a good example for us – to live a dignified life, /

                                                                         to be compassionate / despite our suffering.   //

I’m not sure if we could emulate (ˈem. jə .leɪt )  you.   One thing for sure, we saw .. & we learnt .. from your example of filial duty.

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Father, I still remember when Grandma was very ill,  you moved into Grandma’s room / and watched over her day & night. For many months, Father and Mother attended to Grandma’s every needs.    

You’ve cared for Grandma, it’s our turn to care for/  you and Mother!    

Besides attending to their medical needs, my sisters, brothers & brother in law & sisters in law – we - often bring Father and Mother out – not just / to eat Chilli Crab or to see cute Panda – but to create / happy // and precious memories /with Father & Mother.   Father & Mother are also very happy whenever grandchildren and other relatives visit.

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 Father is an ordinary man - no impressive name or massive fortune.  But he lives an- extra-ordi-nary life / with- dig-ni-ty /and / com-pass-ion.    

Father, // we hope /  you find comfort / from our love, // as much as //

                                        we find courage / from your examples. 

Happy 84^th Birthday!  Father!   We love you!     吃饱吗？  Let’s bring out the cake and sing the birthday song!