德克薩斯州﹝簡稱的德州﹞位於美國中間的最南邊。地理上是個草原沙漠地帶，以前多以牧牛為生。後來挖到石油，石油及其相關工業成為地區經濟的一大支柱。世界原油市場的價格經常聽到“西德原油每桶xx美金”的敘述。這裡“西德”乃是指德州西部，並非德國。由於氣候乾燥，冬冷夏熱，農業方面並沒有特別顯眼的產品。

我住在這個地方，每年冬天可享受兩個鮮有人知的土產。這個土產是什麼呢？就是橘子和葡萄柚。我是由亞熱帶的台灣來到美國。台灣水果是又多有好吃，到了冬天椪乾橘子也是滿街賣，難道比不上德州橘子和葡萄柚嗎？答案是：“是的，比不上”。美國最有名的橘子是香吉士﹝Sunkist﹞。幾拾年前在台灣看到香吉士果汁就覺得美國應該遍地都是又香又甜的橘子。實際到了美國，在超市看到香吉士橘子，興高采烈的買來吃，結果是酸到不可以。美麗的美國橘子夢就此被打破。後來也試過加州以及佛羅里達州的橘子，全都不合格。因此橘子這個水果被我打入冷宮不得翻身，後來很多年幾乎沒再買過橘子。直到有一天友人告訴我在中國超市賣的德州橘子又大又超甜，可以一試。我抱著懷疑的態度一試。這一試不得了，簡直是如獲至寶。實在很難想像這麼一個沙漠地方竟然出產橘子。

從此，到了冬天就是一箱一箱的將德州橘子搬回家。同樣的，德州紅肉葡萄柚也是多汁好吃。Walmart Supercenter賣的德州紅肉葡萄柚約$0.48一粒，但其它超市減價賣是一元6粒。有幸Walmart接受其它競爭者的廣告，所以帶其它家廣告去Walmart買就可以了，不必東奔西跑。

有位友人的母親是住在加州，來德州看他女兒。吃到德州橘子之後就愛不釋口。母親回加州時就扛了一箱回去。這一箱可不輕，少說也有50磅。

 

擠半個葡萄柚和兩個橘子就是一杯新鮮果汁，這是我家冬天晚餐時老少咸宜的必備。

備註：我家沒有人在德州橘子推廣中心工作。

我家的小哥哥在兩年前參加過New Jersey Writing Project in Texas的Fiction組作文比賽，得了第二名。今年大家討論一下，他想改參加Creative Communication比賽的Poetry組。說是如果得到某個名次的話就可以在三千元的獎金中分一杯羹，這樣他就可以買他想要的iPod或是手提電腦。我家小妹妹一聽有錢可拿，跟著興奮起來也要參加。以為只要參加話就可以買她心愛的芭比娃娃或者Manga。

閱讀了一下規章，發現小妹妹還沒到達參加年齡。小妹妹聽了非常失望。家庭主婦就開導她，說等明年參加就是了，但最重要的是要會寫得體的文章再參加才有義意。所以在這一年間要多練習一下作文，等明年參加時就有機會得名次分獎金買芭比娃娃了。

小妹妹聽到當下就決定開始寫作文，寫下她第一篇文章。敘述她親愛的哥哥。

My Brother

     I think when my brother grows up he will be a child entertainer by using puppets to do plays and shows. I can tell his future because he is already using me as the puppet. Well, I do admit he is pretty good at puppet playing with his sister.

    Sometimes I would tell my Dad to never ask my brother a question. One day when we went hiking he asked my brother a question and it took two days straight for him to answer. It got very annoying and my mother couldn’t stand it any more, but eventually he finished.

     When I play with my brother, he always gets me hurt. Once, when I was two years old, I was standing on the couch when my brother accidentally knocked me off and when I fell, I broke my leg. My brother got in BIG trouble! I don’t know what happened next but I bet he got yelled at very loudly.

     My brother’s voice is a little bit off when he sings. Sure he can get the tune right, but his voice is not clear and isn’t fit for the stage. I say his voice sounds a tinny-tiny bit scratchy. I sometimes think my brother wasn’t born to sing, but I have to admit, his voice does sound a little better than mine.

     Mama says she wanted me because she thought my brother was very adorable and wanted another baby. She also said that it is like a person eating something good and wanting some more of it. I think my mother is right because when I saw a picture of my brother when he was a baby, he did look cute!

     I hope my brother and I will get along better because he’s going to leave his family very soon since he is fourteen years old already. I sometimes think, since my brother is going away in four or five more years and he does not have a girlfriend he needs to get one soon! If my brother does not get a girlfriend fast he is not going to get a family fast and I won’t get a nephew or niece! Well, when my brother does leave us, I will be ready to TRY not to cry.

      My brother is doing a good job being a big brother. Alright, I admit it, when big brother leaves us, I know that Mom, Dad and I will surly cry. I will never forget my funny brother, and again he is doing a good job. Being with my brother is like having a favorite food, but when he leaves home, it will be like the food being taken away from you. It is sad, but it is part of life.

     My brother may not be the most admired person on Earth, but he is the most admired brother and child to me, Dad, and Mom. My big brother is like the center in the house. I like this paragraph about my brother the best because it tells he may not be love by the people around him, but is loved by the people in his house and near him.