A Lesson Learned on A Beautiful Sunday Morning

I didn't know how big and complex the Taipei Train Station was till Sunday morning. It took me 15 minutes running up and downstairs of a small corner of the huge Taipei Train Station to look for the VIPs from Japan. At last, after one hour of blind chasing in the mammoth maze and three international phone calls, we found one another at MRT (Massive Transit System) TRA (Taiwan Railways Administration) Transfer Area. I knew the delay would have happened, but I didn't know it would have been that long. It was all because of the wrong meeting point I had chosen and I learned a lesson.

When I told five toastmasters and friends, including Inatsugi Masahiko, Hiramatsu Shiro, Azuma Kiminari, Mutsuko Miyajima, Shida Mizue, after the Joint 10th Anniversary of Pacifc and Peace Toastmasters Clubs Dinner Party Saturday evening, about the meeting point Sunday morning, I received nothing but puzzled faces. I told them to find the TRA sign when they got off the MRT-Red Line, I would be waiting for them right there. They wouldn't miss it. I was a little too optimistic (ignorant to be precise) so to speak.

I thought it was easy, convenient and accessible to meet at the transfer point to take the train to Taoyuan since most VIPs stayed at the hotels along the MRT-Red Line. But, just imagine, five Japanese to the TRA for the first time, they were no doubt in a foreign labyrinth. They were in the massive flow of people at the crossroads of two major transportation routes. On top of that, they needed to find MRT TRA Transfer in a short time. But, they MADE it! Toastmasters are indeed a smart and shrewd pact. Toastmaster Azuma even drew the whole layout of TRA and came up with a better idea for future improvement in case of TRA Renovation takes place.

Being in a rush, I purchased five tickets at the last minute. When we passed the ticket checkup point, the lady in charge was so happy for me to find my missing friends from afar. She didn't even verify the number of the tickets. And I forgot to buy a ticket for myself.

The chaotic beautiful Sunday TRA adventure opened a successful and fruitful meeting at Success Toastmasters Club. Even though the meeting was 15 minutes late, it was one of the best meetings at Success Toastmasters Club. D67 Governor Jack Tsai, DTM waited for us patiently to deliver his welcome message and left in a rush to another important Toastmasters gathering.

When I arrived at home, I told my husband about the incidence at TRA. He responded to me that he didn't know where the MRT TRA Transfer was, either. What can I say but feeling lucky and fortunate that I didn't miss one of our VIPs? I hope the trouble and anxiety I had given to Toastmasters fellows and friends from Japan didn't leave a bad impression. I shall purchase and distribute the train tickets in advance in stead of naming any ambiguous meeting point at Taipei Train Station in the future.

There is an Italian saying, if things don't happen to our expectations, at least we earn an experience. I earned an experience and I learned a lesson. I hope Toastmasters fellows and friends from Japan had a good memory of TRA in Taipei.