Gina's 6th Housewarming Anniversary Party

Gina has a cozy apartment in Chung-ho. Every year she invites Grand Toastmasters Club members to her place for lunch or dinner once or twice. Gina has a sense in interior decoration and cooking. When Gina announced her successful experiment with the salty pork Italian style at our last meeting, I'd been looking forward to the invitation to her sixth housewarming party since.

When Sophia and I rang the bell, Tony answered the door. He came earlier to help Gina set the table. Tony receives education in English for 6 years. His mannerism tells, he is a British gentleman, composed and elegant. We were seven at the table, Arlene, Eric, Arlene, Tony, Sophia, and me praising Gina's hospitality, while taking pleasure in savoring the colorful and mouth-watering dishes in front of us. IPP Annie and her son came join us late for tea and desserts.

After lunch, Sophia and I were in a rush to return to Taipei to greet her guests from Malaysia. Being a stranger in Chung-ho, I relied on the motorcyclists for directions. Just when I caught a target, my mouth shut immediately when I realized that a foreign was gazing at me and Sophia. I was hesitant for a second, but I went ahead and asked him for directions in Mandarin out of courtesy. He shook his head looking innocently. When I switched to English timely and he gave me the answer I wanted with relief. When he asked me where I was from with a big friendly smile on his sunny face, the traffic light turned green. I felt 30 years younger trailing him crossing the ZhongZheng Bridge to Taipei.