Be grateful when dinner is provided.

民國七十四年夏天，我借調沙烏地阿拉伯農業水利服務團。該團在沙國首都利雅德有一個團部，住了十多位團員。除了團長以外，每位團員都必須輪流處理宿舍內務、清洗保養汽車及擔任伙委。團員們除了正常上班外，下班後還必須做這些雜務，可說苦不堪言。

我在台灣從沒下過廚，到了沙國後，跟在幾位前輩身後學了些一招半式，混過幾次伙委。想不到春節那一星期又輪到我當伙委，更糟的是，團長還邀請我國駐沙國大使（當時兩國還有邦交）及漁技團朋友聚餐，這下子濫竽充數的我就要露出馬腳了。

所幸團員們知道我的困難，主動幫忙，台電的鄭某幫我炒「蔥爆牛肉」、徐某用竹筍罐頭炒個大雜燴，民航局的唐某煮拿手菜「紅燒雞」，我自己則炒一盤高麗菜、做了魚丸蘿蔔湯，還有洋蔥炒蝦。

這是我第一次沒跟家人吃年夜飯，不知是「每逢佳節倍思親」，還是切洋蔥的關係，又或者是既委屈又感激，我流著淚，迷濛著眼煮完年菜。

平常團員們為了各種開支常爭得面紅耳赤，但除夕那一晚，在大家的幫忙下，我完成幾乎沒想過的艱難任務，如釋重負，真正鬆了一大口氣。

隔天還要上班，我還要準備十多位團員的早餐，因此沒有「守歲」，十點多就上床。

我躺在床上，想念台灣的妻兒，想到未出國前，太太天天為我準備晚餐，我卻從未說聲「謝謝」。

有人願意為你煮飯，真的要感恩呀！

lately been reading a lot of articles. this remind of my secondary school time. every morning i will search for the newspaper around 6.20am and finished reading articles before going to take school bus to school. On sunday, we have special mini edition which is full of articles. I rarely like to read the normal news. newspaper is 我的精神粮食, but that does not refer to daily news. I am more interested to read articles post others about their experiences and what they had learned in their daily lifes.

Here, i am really touched and it reminds me to be grateful when dinner is provided! Thank God for my wonderful housemate as well for the housemates that i have now whom i really loved.