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Tzu Chi San Francisco helps stranded travelers |
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Translated
by Ted Hwang
Sep 20, 2001
After the World Trade
Center attack on September 11, the FAA grounded all commercial
flights. In the afternoon of September 13, Mr. Liao, a traveler
from Taiwan, phoned Tzu Chi San Francisco requesting help with
reserving air tickets back to Taipei. The volunteer on duty
at the office told him flights would only resume again on September
17. Mr. Liao was startled and said they were a party of six
college students from Taiwan on a backpacking trip in the U.S.
Two of them were still in L.A. waiting for replacement of a
lost passport. They were on their way to Hong Kong and back
to Taiwan, but had no money for accommodation. The sister invited
them to stay at the Tzu Chi San Francisco office and sent brother
Lin to pick them up right away.
Once back at the office, the sister cooked
a pot of rice noodle soup that the students enjoyed. They said,
"delicious, and it tastes like home, too!" The students
also participated in and gained much from the group study and
sister Lin Cheng-Chun's sharing on September 15. The students
had no cash, so Tzu Chi brothers and sisters wanted to give
them money, but they firmly refused. Instead they borrowed from
their out-of-state friends. Another volunteer brought them to
Western Union and gave them a tour of the city.
The sister curiously asked them how they
had gotten the phone number of Tzu Chi San Francisco. They replied
that before they embarked on the trip, friends and family told
them to always bring Tzu Chi's contact numbers when travelling
abroad so they could contact Tzu Chi if they needed help. The
students also said they would like to join Tzu Chi after returning
to Taiwan.
The sister booked their airline tickets
and made sure they boarded the flight to Hong Kong, continuing
on to Taiwan on September 17. Brother Lin drove them to the
airport.
