文字的奇妙，真是無遠弗屆。

有一來客自大平洋彼岸，但需耗費兩日的旅程才能抵達大平洋的此端－台北。

造訪的時日，剛好新書「希望不滅」見大樣，唯獨缺少那張吃過N次香料王國的咖哩美食的照片。台灣的主人，誠摯的邀請來客當晚一起以印度咖哩為晚餐吧，順便補上書中的那張照片。來客些微不解，主人幌幌大樣。書的「粗坯」引起來客無比的興趣，因為在飛機上，華航雜誌他已經自學關於中國字的奧妙。他對台灣的主人說：「No matter I can understand Chinese or not, you must give me one book!」同時他表示從未有的經驗，一本書的作者是他所認識的人，這種感覺是相當奇妙有趣的。

自客人回家，新書問世已個把月有餘。

每天忙碌，仍未忘記來客所託。

終於，在一個寄送快遞的越洋包裹中，

除生意業務資料外，在辦公室夥伴訝異眼光中，

夾進了一本來客完全看不懂的中國書－「希望不滅」

It was really wonderful to receive your gift book inside the envelope with the business matters and so.

At first glance I didn’t understand what was it about. First of all I thought  that you had to deliver something else to like protect the video CD or so. Then I did begin to browse the book without understanding a word of course. But as you know, in this part of the world, books are read turning its pages from right to left and we read passing by our eyes beginning in the left corner to its opposite right side so this is to explain you that I was trying to understand something taking the book wrongly at all!!!  Any how I gave the book to some colleagues at office to show them the beautiful writing characters until somebody found, in what we thought was the last page of the book, your dedication and quickly came and show me surprised. Finally I understood everything and immediately recalled our conversation about your trips, the book and your promise to send me one when the book came out. It was really very funny all the mess we did, telling everybody this story about our trip to Taiwan…

Now I have the book over my night table at home, praying God that I could perhaps by osmosis begin to understand it!

Thank you Sophie for this beautiful present that brought me so many happiness.

In a separate mail I will be discussing about business matters.

Best regards to Gene and you,