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Memoirs of Thomas T.P. Chen, Former Representative From Taiwan to Canada

 



Photo credit:  https://law.yale.edu/faculty?type=faculty



     

     

My Name is Chen Dongbi ,Thomas T.P. Chen. My life: first bitter and then sweet. 


My grandfather's name is Chen Huan, he was loud and rough, and my grandmother came from a good family in Taiye Village, last name Su. As far as I can remember, they don't speak to each other!


The house they lived in  Taiye Village back then was built with straw and mud! During World War II, Taiwan was a Japanese colony. The US military launched air raids on Taiwan; we also evacuated from Tainan City to Taiye Village for almost a year.


We don’t have an ancestral genealogy, but it is said that our ancestors crossed the sea from Quanzhou, Fujian to Taiwan hundreds of years ago in order to escape poverty in the mainland China and pursue a better life!


Although Taiwanese were second-class citizens during the Japanese era, public security was good and the Japanese were loyal. I still remember that my father’s boss was Japanese and treated him very well !



                 My father graduated from Taipei State Taipei Technical School Former National Taipei University of Technology( NTU )


My father Chun Tian Chen and mother Zhuo Ban Chen

My mother was the 16th child of my maternal grandparents ; it seems that by the time she was or years old, her parents were no longer around! My mom’s brother was a legal assistant! 


My mother and father fell in love in Taipei and my grandmother traveled to Taipei to check my mother out knowing they were going to get married. The whole Taiya villagers went to see my mother on their wedding day as she came from Taipei to country side Taiya.


In a few years time my mother gave birth to eleven children , and three of them died shortly after birth! There were only eight left and I am the eldest. 


My father was smart, capable, diplomatic, and a good person, but he loved to drink. He ran a steel factory successfully with 200 employees in Tainan City. In the end, he lost money because he was a surety for his teacher. He became ill from overwork and developed cirrhosis of the liver. He died after only 100 days of illness He was 43 years old in 1945. Died young. My father's factory was also auctioned off by creditors! He left behind my mother and seven younger siblings. My second sister was only three years old at that time and could no longer remember what her father looked like! My little sister was born three months after my father passed away! My mother had worked hard all her life, I was implicated and bore the responsibility of supporting the family.


Therefore I don’t drink or vouch for others, and I exercise every day to stay healthy.






Outstanding Alumni of Tainan First High School Alumni Association 
Photo credit: http://alumni-ntfshs.org.tw/aboutAlumni01.php?CID=3&CID1=6&CID2=12&ID=143


I had good grades since elementary school. After graduating from Tainan First Middle School in 1955, I was recommended to National Taiwan University. The principal of Nan First Middle School thought I came from a good family and even invited my mother to meet him! My whole family also moved to Taipei with me.


When I was 18 years old, it was the beginning of hard times in my life. The hardest days were when my father passed away, leaving my mother, seven younger siblings and me behind! When I was a senior in high school, my family was penniless! 


I have never given up since I was a child, and my father died young, so I have to fight! I could have been admitted to National Taiwan University Medical School, but I chose law because I had the ambition to rule the country and help the poor in the future !


When I was studying at National Taiwan University, I worked as a tutor and helped American military officers wash cars to support my family. I never expected that I would have a car to drive today.


When I was a sophomore in university, I was admitted to the judicial official examination, the fourth batch of judicial officials, special excellence level. In the previous judicial official entrance examination, allocation was based on provincial nationality . There were only two Taiwanese nationals among the quotas every year. 


When my youngest brother was in the third grade of elementary school, I was elected president of the Parents' Association of Mingchuan Elementary School. I was in my third year of university. I was the youngest president of the Parents s’ Associations in the country.


The age of 28 was the beginning of my good life: a good university in the United States was very generous and gave me a five-year full scholarship to enter Yale University. Later, I married Zhang Meihe, and with Meihe's income from working in the Yale library, our family had  a sufficient income to live on.  There was enough leftover money for me to send back to Taiwan to support my mother and younger siblings !


Mei, my mother-in-law and me


Meihe Zhang came from Tokyo in 1964 . I was teaching in Edmonton  in 1967 before she entered the library department.


Yale Law School library
photo credit: https://law.yale.edu/


I studied in the United States in 1962, entered Yale in 1964, completed my doctoral thesis in the summer of 1967, and received my JS degree in January 1968 . After graduation, I came to Canada to teach!



I was at Columbia University the first year and the second year at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. I entered the top eight elite schools in the Eastern United States (Ivy League) with a full scholarship. During the summer, I worked in restaurants in New York because I also had to send money back to Taiwan to support my mother and younger siblings.


front row:My 1st sister, Mum, sis-in-law, niece , my 2nd brother & nephew
Back row: my 4th brother, 2nd sister & 3rd brother 




Me, Mei and my 2nd Sister Kim



I went abroad when I was 26 years old. In 1965 , I wrote my master's thesis at Yale, "Taiwan's international legal status has not yet been determined and should be decided by the people of Taiwan through a vote." A professor at Yale published it. It was the era of the two Chiangs, and I was on the blacklist until Lee Teng-hui  took office became the President of the country and cancelled the blacklist. I was able to returned to Taiwan for the first time .


I was 26 years old when I left the country and was 53 when I returned home !


I worked as Professor of Law at Queen’s University, Kingston since July 1971 to June 1998 and worked as Barrister & Solicitor since July 1975 and retired a year ago. 


Unexpectedly, I, who was previously on the blacklist, was actually appointed as the representative from Taiwan, ROC to Canada by Chen Shui-bian in 2001 and stayed in Ottawa for 6 years!


Mr. Peng Mingmin is my mentor: I am his favorite student, and it was he who encouraged me to study abroad! Unfortunately, due to the pandemic in the past few years, I was unable to go back to visit him until he passed away!


Mr. Peng Mingmin is an idealist; but the truly great and powerful one is Mr. Lee Teng-hui!


In the old days of Chiang Kai-shek and Chiang Jinguo, Shi Mingde did not hesitate to fight against violence despite being imprisoned. He was a great idealist; even his older brother was tortured and imprisoned! I helped his brother apply to immigrate to Canada as a refugee.


It’s strange that after all these years, there are still a few people in Taiwan who identify with China! They should immigrate to China!


The Kuomintang (KMT Party) has no talents and has lost its direction. Taiwan does not have a good opposition party, which is not a good thing!


I never expected to live to be twice as old as my father! I have my father's head and my mother's heart! I’m glad I  can now live a healthy and worry-free life!


We are lucky enough to be born as humans, so we must have love for vulnerable animals!


There are many flowers and trees in my front and back yards, and my living room is filled with potted plants in winter. Since I don’t know how to cook, I only plant flowers and trees that can be enjoyed.


I have always gone to bed around twelve o'clock since high school.


Now I pay attention to diet, exercise and do housework every day to stay healthy, and the two dogs I raise make me very happy! I mainly watch various programs on the computer, and in the morning I go to the senior citizen center to do some exercise. I drive my own car to go to two churches for worship on Sundays and my life is very fulfilling!


Life is short: I can still remember not long ago when I was going to kindergarten! I was born on January the 15th day of the lunar calendar, which was February 8th of the Western calendar. Then my father came back from Shanghai in July and didn’t register me for residence until the 15th day. So I have three birthdays! I can choose any one to celebrate! But I want to forget my age as much as possible, hence I don’t celebrate birthdays!


There is a motto hanging in my office: "There is no better way to cultivate one's self than to have few desires, and there is no better way to cultivate one's character than to study!"


Life will be in vain in the end, but now you should live a healthy and happy life! Especially without health, there can be no happiness!


Now I am content as long as I am healthy and happy.







Canadian Taiwanese Association 2002 



The inaugural meeting of the Tsai Ing-wen Supporters Association in East Canada invited Professor Chen Dongbi, the former representative to Canada, to give a speech - Part 1 and 2


                                                        

The Chairman Su Tseng-chang I Know - Lawyer Chen Dongbi, Former Representative of Taiwan to Canada



Inevitable legal issues in life: marriage and inheritance (Episode 1)



Inevitable legal issues in life: marriage and inheritance (Episode 2)



Regular meeting of the Taiwan Ivy League in Toronto - A brief discussion on family legal issues - Ambassador Chen Dongbi, former representative of Taiwan to Canada, lectured Episode 1



Regular meeting of the Taiwan Ivy League in Toronto - A brief discussion on family legal issues - Speech by Ambassador Chen Dongbi, former representative of Taiwan to Canada - Episode 2

May 18, 2019-Recorded by Liang Qingxiang

Outstanding Alumni of Tainan First High School Alumni Association 


Representative to Canada Chen Dongbi (Thomas T.P. Chen) and his wife had a warm and harmonious gathering with the overseas Taiwanese community https://www.epochtimes.com/b5/2/8/26/n210839.htm


Chen Dongbi held a banquet to thank the overseas Taiwanese community in Ottawa for their hard work in organizing the National Day celebrations.

https://www.epochtimes.com/b5/2/11/14/n245405.htm


Chen Dongbi and his wife relished the details of their six years in Canada.


Representative to Canada Liu Xiquan, Director of the Third Bureau of the Presidential Office, has been appointed to take over. https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/focus/paper/24496


Change of Representative in Canada Jeopardizes Taiwan Friendship Act

https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/focus/paper/29388


駐加拿大前代表陳東璧回憶錄


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    駐加拿大前代表陳東璧回憶錄



               





我是陳東璧。我的人生:先苦後甘!

我的祖父叫陳劦,説話大聲,是個老粗,祖母是來自太爺庄姓蘇的好家族,所以,據我的記憶,他(她)們互不講話!

當年在太爺庄他(她)們住的房子是稻草蓋的土角厝!二次大戰期間,台灣是日本的殖民地。美軍空襲台灣;我們也曾從台南市疏開到太爺庄差不多一年。

我們沒有祖譜,但據說:祖先為了逃避大陸的貧窮,追求更好的生活,幾百年前從福建泉州跨海到台灣!


日本時代雖然台灣人是二等公民,但治安好,而且日本人講義氣。我還記得父親的老板是日本人,對他很好!


我媽媽是我外祖父母的第16個子女;好像45歲時父母都已不在了!我媽媽的哥哥是法務助理!我媽媽生了十一個,三個生下不久就去世!只剩下八個,我是老大。


                 我的父親陳春田畢業於臺北州立臺北工業學校



我的父親陳春田與母親陳卓伴


我的父親聰明、能幹、外交好、人好但是愛喝酒,最後因為替他的老師作保而賠錢,積勞成疾,肝硬化,病了100天就過世了,1945年享年43歲,英年早逝。父親的工廠也被債權人拍賣掉了!留下母親和七個弟妹,那年二妹才三歲,已記不得父親長什麼樣子!小妹是我父親過世後三個月才生的!母親辛苦了一輩子,我承擔養家的責任,也被連累了!


所以我不喝、不替人作保,而且每天作運動,保持健康。


我從小學就好成績,1955年台南一中畢業保送台大,南一中校長以為我是出自好家庭,還邀見我媽媽!全家也跟著我搬去台北了。




台南ㄧ中校友會傑出校友
Photo credit: http://alumni-ntfshs.org.tw/aboutAlumni01.php?CID=3&CID1=6&CID2=12&ID=143


18歲時,是人生苦日子的開始。最辛苦的日子是家父過世時,留下母親、七個弟弟妹妹和我!當年我高三,家無分文! 


我從小不認輸,加上父親早逝,不得不奮鬥!我本來是可保送台大醫學院,但有野心想將來治國平天並救助窮人,才選擇法律!


我唸台大時是當家教及幫美國軍官洗車子養全家;沒想到今天竟然自己有車可開。


大二時我考上了司法官,司法官第四期,特優級;以前的高普考,按照省籍分配,每年的名額中,台灣籍只有二名。


最小弟弟國小三年級時,我被選為銘傳國小家長會會長,那年我大學三年級,是全國最年輕的會長。


28歲是我好命的開始:當年美國的好大學很慷慨,給我五年的全額獎學金進入耶魯大學,嗣與張美和結婚,再加上美和在耶魯圖書館打工收入, 我們全家已有充分收入過日子, 還有足夠的餘錢寄回台灣養母親和弟妹

美和、岳母、我


1964年張美和從東京來的。我1967Edmonton 教書她才進入圖書館系就讀。


1962年留美、64年進入耶魯、67年夏寫完博士論文,68年一月拿到學位。畢業後就來加拿大教書了!


Yale Law School library

photo credit: https://law.yale.edu/

第一年在哥倫比亞、第二年在費城的賓州大學。我都以全額獎學金進入美東八大名校(即Ivy League),暑假就去紐約的餐廳打工,因為還要寄錢回台養母親及弟妹。





                                                        我、美和、二妹美慧



我當年26歲出國,1965年在耶魯碩士論文寫「台灣國際法律地位未定,應由台灣人民投票決定」,耶魯的教授拿去出版,當時是兩蔣的時代,我上了黑名單,直到李登輝上台取消黑名單後我才第一次回國。


出國時26歲,回國時已53


沒想到,以前在黑名單上的我,2001年竟被陳水扁特派為駐加代表,在渥太華駐了年!


彭明敏先生是我的恩師:我是他的得意門生,是他鼓勵我出國留學的!很遺憾,前幾年因為疫情的關係,ㄧ直到他過逝,沒能回去拜望!


彭明敏是個理想主義者;而真正偉大而有權謀的是李登輝!


在從前兩蔣的時代,施明德不惜被關而反暴,是個偉大的理想主義者;連他的哥哥都被刑求而坐牢!我曾幫他哥哥以難民身分申請移民來加拿大。


台灣這麼多年來還有一票認同中國的人,很奇怪!他們應該移民去中國!


國民黨已沒人才並失去方向;台灣沒有好的反對黨,也不是好事!


我沒想到會活到我父親兩倍的年齡!我有父親的腦袋和母親的心腸!幸爾現在能過著健康、無慮的生活!


我們是運氣好才生成人,所以對弱勢的動物都要有愛心!


我家的前後院都有很多花木,冬天我的客廳也充滿盆栽。因我不會煮菜,所以只種能供欣賞的花木。


我從中學開始都是十二點左右睡覺。


現在每天都注意飲食、運動和自己做家事以保持健康,而所養的兩隻狗,使我很快樂!我主要是看電腦的各種節目,而早上是去老人中心作運動。星期日去兩個教會作禮拜,自己開車,生活很充實!


人生苦短:回想不久前我才要進幼稚園呢!我出生農曆十五那天是洋曆二月八日,然後父親七月從上海回來,十五日才去報戶口。所以有三個生日!我可以隨便選那一個慶祝!但是我想盡量忘記年齡,所以不慶祝生日!


我辦公室掛著一個座佑銘:「修身莫若寡欲,致欒無如讀書!」


人生最後是一場空,但目前應過着健康和快樂的生活!尤其沒有健康就不會有快樂!


現在只要健康與快樂就心滿意足。






加拿大台灣同鄉會 2002


    
加東蔡英文後援會成立大會邀請前駐加代表陳東璧教授演講 - 上下集







 

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駐加代表陳東璧夫婦與僑界聚會溫馨融洽

https://www.epochtimes.com/b5/2/8/26/n210839.htm


陳東璧宴謝渥太華僑界舉辦國慶慶典的辛勞

https://www.epochtimes.com/b5/2/11/14/n245405.htm


陳東璧夫婦津津樂道駐加六年生活點滴

https://www.epochtimes.com/b5/7/4/11/n1674653.htm


駐加代表 內定總統府第三局局長劉溪泉接任

https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/focus/paper/24496


駐加代表換將 危及友台法案

https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/focus/paper/29388


編輯:Junogalaxy