Our NATMA international medical mission team plans to visit El Salvador from April 14^th to April 22^nd, 2012, 3 days for medical mission and 3 days for touring and sightseeing.

Briefly, El Salvador is the smallest and most densely populated country in Central America with a population of 6 million people. With a size approximately two-thirds the size of Taiwan, El Salvador also has the 3^rd largest economy per capital income in Central America, after Costa Rica and Panama. Her west border is the Pacific Ocean and east border is Honduras. El Salvador offers beautiful landscapes made of volcanoes, lakes, and ocean beaches attracting more and more visitors from US and Europe.

The health ministry of El Salvador and Taiwan Ambassador of El Salvador 陳新東 graciously welcomed our visit. The El Salvador health department has specifically requested aid including primary care physicians, anesthesiologists, urologists, ophthalmologists, and spine surgeons.

We plan to have mid size team, with approximately 25 medical personnel, to serve citizens in need in El Salvador. You are urged to join and support this noble medical mission.

The international medical mission is one of most distinguished activities sanctioned by NATMA. Our medical members have previously contributed in Haiti, Grenada, Costa Rica, Panama, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic and Belize. We serve underprivileged people by offering medical care, giving medical supplies, and providing medical education. Furthermore our tremendous efforts develop diplomatic relationship between our motherland, Taiwan, and her friendly countries. Along with providing humanitarian aid to those in need, we concurrently tour beautiful countries and experience diverse cultures.

If you have interest in participating or have any further questions regarding this medical mission, please e-mail me at hsu77@yahoo.com or call me at 909-985-2924. Together we can make the 2012 El Salvador Medical Mission a success!

Respectfully,

Charles Chung-Pang Hsu 許宗邦

Lead, NATMA International Medical Mission in 2012.

What is the work/ life balance that 2G is trying to achieve ? What should we pass down?”

Hi everybody,

Although similar talks were had, I sensed a different energy in our 2G annual meeting this year. 

I have some minutes that I would like to share with you, but unfortunately they are not 100% complete as I had to leave early. There is also a pending action plan aimed towards next year's annual meeting in Southern California. 

The first attachment highlights some of the talks/discussions that we had.

The second one is a "wish list" for NATMA2G that HoChie led us through to talk about what our visions were for NATMA. I am attaching that list here below.

I also wanted to highlight what I perceived as real shifts:

1) a diverse group of 2G this time who represented different points of views as Taiwanese-American physicians

2) a push to be more inclusive both at a professional level (include other health professionals), as well as the "identity level" (green vs. blue, speaks Taiwanese vs. not, etc)

3) a real acknowledgement by 1G that resources are needed for 2G in order to kickstart things. Specifically, someone who professionally can help us maintain lists, websites, communications, publicity/recruitment, etc. , 

4) fresh ideas such as having the $1000 scholarship fund be towards a project that would help the Taiwanese-American or Taiwan community.

Thanks and please look for follow-up emails from Rita, Ho Chie, Ilin, Warren, etc 

Thanks so much for a great meeting!

Jennifer

記NATMA 第27屆(2011)年會      黃哲陽

YODA唱詩

NATMA 第27屆年會於二零一一年九月23-25日在Washington DC/Rockville Hilton召開，我太太因事不能同去，所以我單身前往，相約與同樣情況的詩人Mohe(毛蟹)共處一室。我這婦產科醫師習慣隨時隨地睡覺，泰山崩於前， 鄰床換了人，鼾聲再大如猛虎怒吼或如雷雨交加，都處變不驚，照睡不誤。這種安排我是隨遇而安，也讓我因利乘便，心想毛蟹談吐風趣，出口成章，妙語如珠，與 他朝夕相處三天，或許能夠激發起一些我這枯乾貧瘠的文心。我們準時於22日6:00 pm到達Washington DC的雷根機場，託毛蟹的福，詩人Yoda(又答)來接機。又答身材保持得很健壯，沒有一點老態，看起來像四十幾歲的中年人，還能夠玩足球，說話更詼諧、 幽默，我在想，是否詩人都是這副德性。

從雷根機場到Rockville Hilton 的途中，我們經過了Potomac River，望見兩岸綠樹成蔭，風光明媚，河水比上個月才看到的多瑙河清淨多了。這裡的高速公路也維持得很平順乾淨，大概在此美國的權力中心，「錢力」比 較多的關係；而在加州我們經常進出的10號公路是破破爛爛的，大概是地處邊遠半沙漠地帶，被認為鳥不語花不香之地，無甚重要，公路年久失修，也沒人管。

年會的節目從23日下午開始Art and Humanity Series，首先馬作忠放映浮士德歌劇，一邊旁白解說，瞭解故事之後，才能欣賞他們的演唱，浮士德為了得到第二春出賣靈魂給魔鬼，最終還是悲慘的下場， 可作世人的警惕。接下來是攝影家洪啟峰的Photo Art Appreciation，他展示並解說他在Great Falls所照的一些景像，白鷺、灰鶴、巨岩、急流、濃霧，都照得栩栩如生。最後是詩人又答和毛蟹詠唱他們根據畫家施哲三的畫所作的詩，給予我們聽覺、視 覺和心靈的大饗宴。

當攝影專家洪啟峰在演講攝影欣賞時，我覺得他好面熟，越看越像是高雄中學的一位 同學，等他講完之後，我就趨前與他相認，起先他不認得我，跟他報我的名字，他才記起，我們的確是高雄中學初中同班，高中隔壁班的同學。我來美國四十多年， 中學時代的同學除了一位之外都失去聯絡，每想起少年時的生活，那時的朋友都失散了，心中總覺得有點悵然，此次無意中碰到五十多年未見面少年時的同學，怎能 不令人感到驚喜！因為他是邱總會長請來的年會正式攝影師，年會中間他都在場照相，使我有很多機會與他交談敘舊，真是人生一大樂事。

傍晚在Reception Dinner之後，NATMA理事會與Taita Med67同學會同時間進行，我也是理事之一，覺得兩邊都須參加，但分身乏術，我先去理事會參加會議，確定通過NATMA會歌後，再去同學會。到同學會時 已近尾聲，同學中，印像最深刻的是FAPA (Formosan Association for public affair,綽號”喊打”)前總 會長李青泰雖然經過健康的挫折，現在已恢復到看起來好像跟以前沒有兩樣，他捍衛台灣的鬥志一樣堅強，講話一樣中氣十足，腦筋一樣清晰，甚為可喜。

24日早上的節目開始是生命關懷系列講座，由Keynote Speaker陳定信院士講「造就良醫的省思」，莊明哲教授講「身心靈的健康，經驗分享」，莊教授年近80，樣子比實際年齡年輕，說話幽默風趣。然後李華 林博士講「熱心愛台灣，熱心愛生命」，李博士童顏鶴髮，對台灣人文有偏好，與NATMA有相同的理念，將和NATMA有一些合作計劃。接下來是吳子丑教 授、呂福泰教授與第二代的莊逸琳、林祐妃、莊育玫的「薪火傳承，跨代對談」。最後林榮松講「義診回顧」，邱義男介紹「人文關懷的新據點-台大醫學院人文 館」。

Keynote Speaker陳定信

中午午餐後的會員大會，邱總會長宣佈下任總會長選舉結果，許昭雄醫師當選。

 下 午的CME Program由Keynote Speaker 陳定信院士講「Elimination of Hepatitis B Virus Infection」，陳院士不愧為國際知名的學者，他深入淺出的解說，條理分明的分析，令人佩服其才高八斗，學富五車。接下來一些演講者也都是頂尖學 者，莊明哲教授講「Genetics and Environmental Factors」，吳子丑教授講「Perspectives on HPV Vaccine Development」，趙坤山教授講「Nuclear Crisis in Japan」，最後呂福泰教授講「Erectile Dysfunction」，使一些盹盹欲睡的老聽眾們突然振奮起來。

晚上的宴會繼相當可口的雞肉與蟹餅西餐之後，就開始娛樂節目。首先由葉思雅教授帶領唱NATMA會歌。接著陳彰的口琴表演。然後是邱會長五歲的天才孫子Malachy配合Digital footprint口述公公的故事，童稚心和聲令人感到窩心。

再來是李樹德和林海羿的Ball Room Dance，他們一對醫師夫婦已經跳了二十多年，在九十年代曾得過US national amateur冠軍，樹德在一年前中風，在太太鼓勵、帶領下，繼續跳舞以作復健。

前US Ball Room Dance Amateur Champion李樹德和林海羿

當晚的表演，他們選擇兩支slow tempo的曲子，第一支是Waltz，音樂採用Theme of Papillion，第二支是Bolero，音樂採用 Si Quieres (if you want)。樹德理了一個五分頭，看起來較年輕，昂首微笑，充滿信心，輕擁、帶領著海羿，隨著音樂，翩翩起舞，樹德的右肢還有一點不大靈活，但海羿很輕巧 地配合完成舞步，他們優美的舞蹈不只贏得滿堂采，也讓許多人感動得熱淚盈眶。接著前職業歌手許正雄唱搖滾樂，帶動大家起來做消化運動。再下來是女高音陳慧 如的獨唱，然後她繼續指揮大華府台灣合唱團演唱一系列的台灣鄉土歌曲，激發起大家思鄉之情，晚會就在一片懷鄉思緒中結束。

25 日早上是激情過後的Morning after，有些人起不來，有些人趕著要回家，聽眾少了一些，但是還有Taiwanese American Senior Society 的節目。蔡錫淇的「沙塵風暴」，葉思雅的「宗教與醫學」，鄭錦家的「抗癌症、抗炎症」，高鷹的「阿茨海默病」，鄭博仁、張簡吉誠的「Global Mission」，施哲三的「Taiwan Art & Culture Garden」，都是很精采的節目。