Hi, James,
I have been reading/enjoying the exchanging emails which have a lot of good thoughts on saving/reserving our mother tongue, Taiwan Hakka, among you, Thomas and my teacher, 羅先生. Once again, extremely thankful to your looking-up to and promotion of Hakka-3-line-poem.
Let me use a few old H3LP to express my viewpoints on Taiwan Hakka(language and among other things) (Please read through the linked emails below.) and then give my personal experience in spoiling, indulging and satisfying my quest for 阿姆話 through「客家三行詩」in the last four years.
1. On 12/24/12, I wrote my first H3LP like with 「客家粗俗氣」and 「冇押冇韻冇像詩」.
2. From then on, I wrote, wrote and wrote with what I had in mind and what I tried to convey in very simple Hakka words and a simple format: at least 3 lines and 19 words for a poem, and practiced, practiced and practiced...At the beginning and then on, 羅先生 would tirelessly correct my wrongs and replace with rights for numerous 「客家字」which are new to me. I am forever thankful. He also sent me a Hakka dictionary then, by which I have flipped through day and night to find the correct character to use since. Again, I am very grateful.
3. Four years gone by, I have noted that I have written more than 600 sets of H3LP. Believe it or not, I am loving it and also getting good at it.
4. With two children graduated in English literature and language and teaching "Creative Writing" as professors, I write H3LP with "creativity" in mind and strongly believe it is the future of Taiwan Hakka literature. Who cares what those scholars and experts say about H3LP! Simply because they haven't found a way or two to promote/reserve/rescue 「奄奄一息客家話」. Very disturbing, isn't it?
客家三行詩
莫笑冇押也冇韻
其實耐看又耐用
推行三行詩
吟唱確實係方法
可惜時機吂成熟（吂=還沒有）
目前要緊事
自家學寫三行詩
推「客家啟蒙運動」
HAPA-NA 帶頭
推銷「客家啟蒙文」（The article on Taiwan Hakka Enlightenment Movement in three languages, 英、漢、日文）
教育喚醒臺灣客
仰般去推銷
各種方法（電郵、郵寄、演講、臉書、投書等）去分發
影響一儕算一儕
最好个辦法
實際踏上臺三線
山內(Na) 壁角留腳印
As Thomas repeatedly mentioned and reminded Taiwan Hakka everywhere, simply follow what our Sebai, 關西羅先生, said in his "Enlightenment Movement" article and just act and do it.
Now let me challenge you start and write your first Hakka-3Line-Poem and in turn you urge/inspire every HAPA-NA member to try and write his or her first poem. After that is done, there is any reason not to try your idea of 「吟唱」to promote H3LP.
This is just for your information. No hard feelings, please!
Best regard,
Big Ben 大戅客 華府
