Toastmaster Magazine Reading Gathering in June

The cozy and spacious karaoke lounge was full of laughter at Lydia's on rainy Saturday afternoon, June 27th. I saw eight golden ladies screaming at the karaoke screen, competing with one another. From Taiwanese, Mandarin, to English songs, golden ladies sang one after another without noticing me sneaking in wet when the automatic door opened.

I was one hour late for the special afternoon tea party organized by Lydia to swap memory chips of photos taken in China from our cameras. The table by the karaoke screen was fully covered with sweets of Taiwan and delicacies from China, in additions to many seasonal fruits, lychee, mango, pineapple, just to name a few.

I missed the scene of Chipao changing, I missed the scene of Peking opera posing, I missed the storytelling about our fantastic trip in China, but I was in time for Toastmaster Magazine reading gathering in June.

We didn't spend much time reading three articles in Toastmaster May 2009, 1. Technically Speaking By John Cadley, page 12; 2. Do you blog? by Lin Grensing-Pophal, page 16; 3. PowerPoint Made Easy by Narges Nirumuvala, page 22, because when in China, five golden ladies read and talked about the articles whenever we had a break on the tour bus or in the hotel room.

After reading gathering, Amy asked me if I could hang around and show her the photos we took in China on my laptop. We went to a tea house nearby and Amy was happy to see all the joyful and blissful photos we took in China in less than an hour.

Five Golden Flowers

Mencius said, "the right time is less important than the right place, the right place is less important than the right people". When people are right, they are in paradise regardless of the place and time. That's exactly what five golden ladies Toastmasters experienced in China from June 20th to June 25th, 2009.

Despite two and half hours delay due to the bad weather in Shanghai Saturday evening, Pamela greeted us at Pu-dong Airport with three boxes of big juicy waxberry(楊梅) from Yuyao(浙江餘姚). Five middle-aged women caught immediate attention from the crowd and tour group members. Our local Chinese tour guide gave us a matching nickname "five golden flowers", because we were at our golden age and we stuck together all the time.

No matter where we went, when one golden flower started doing something, the rest four would follow the suit at once. During the day, we spent thousands of RMB on silk bed spread, pearl, tea, jade, took hundreds of group photos of five. At night, we held impromptu toastmaster meetings and practiced clogging dance at the hotel room. We were like toastmasters quintuplet.

The trip to China is only the beginning. Some golden ladies are enthusiastically planning a summer cruise on Mediterranean in 2010. Imagine that golden ladies convert the whole cruise of 400 passengers into toastmasters in ten days. That would be awesome! Like attracts like, it is not an impossible dream!

My Endless Love

Recent developments involving matters of the heart were thrilling, but the excitement has died down and now you're wondering if it was all a dream. It wasn't! It's just that the focus has shifted to considerably duller concerns. Horoscope of Libra, South China Morning Post 6/25/2009

My tears poured（禁不住兩行老淚撲簌簌掉個不停）on the tour bus the last day I was in Shanghai. After we checked out of the Tang Dynasty Hotel Thursday morning, June 25th, I asked the Chinese tour guide if I could be given a few minutes to express my gratitude to the bus driver, two tour guides and all the traveling members for the enjoyable and memorable trip in China.

The moment I walked to the front and opened my mouth, my eyes were flooded with tears. Bla, bla, bla, I talked aimlessly for ten minutes. Before I returned to my seat at the back, I burst into laughter when Mr. Hsu, the Chinese tour guide, gave me a big Wuxi Yangshan juicy peach as a tangible and substantial token of appreciation! Yummy~~

Gosh, I had never thought that I could have learned so much in the past week sightseeing, shopping, eating, chatting with golden ladies in southern China. It was indeed a sentimental week in my life. Even though I didn't have any chance to meet with any toastmasters in China, I was happy that I successfully converted several tour members into future toastmasters.

I was born and brought up in a mainlanders military (Shirakawa in Japanese) community in Chia-yi. My neighbors were from all over China, from the North to the South, from the West to East. Aunty Chao across the small alley came from Shao-hsing, I adored her delicious Shaohsing cuisine. Aunty Yang next door to the right came from Peking, her Mandarin was lovely to my ears.

Traveling in China was much more than sightseeing. It was to reminisce my childhood of joy and happiness. Every person I met on the street in China reminded me of some uncles or aunts in my youth. My love of China was so immense that I became a teenager when I was in China searching for the familiar faces and voices in the past.

On my way home on the bus, I took a second look at the highway from the CKS airport to Taipei, I was glad I was back to Taipei. I love Taipei. I miss my sweet home, I miss my husband, I miss my brother, I miss my everyday life in Taipei. At last, I can sit in front of the desktop dreaming~~~

The Last Waltz

It would have been perfect if I could waltz in the arms of a handsome young man on the marble floor at Paramount Dance Hall the last night I was in Shanghai. I put on the newly handmade gorgeous red chi-pao in embroidered silk at midnight only to a small Fukien snack shop in Chia-ting, the most remote and desolate area in Shanghai, with two golden ladies and two body guards. When the old toy-like jackpot in the vulgar estaminet played old popular Taiwanese songs every five minutes or so, I couldn't help humming along. The locals had no idea what I was singing. What a funny and hilarious last night in real and honest-to-goodness Shanghai!

It was simply hectic. After coming back from Hung-zhou, we had a relaxing group foot massage in a huge hall followed by a herbal cuisine at Shanghai Tongrentang. The driver then speeded up to take us see his favorite and the famous acrobat show "Intersection of Time" by ERA. Then we rushed to pass the underground tunnel beneath the Huang-pu River from the West to the East, only to miss the turn off the lights of the Bund at 10PM.

Night Shanghai didn't start till 11PM, but our bus driver took us to the outskirt of Shanghai for the night. It would cost RMB 200 to ride from the hotel back downtown. No matter how much young and single Jim wanted to stay up for the night at a pub in Shanghai, he was reluctant to join us to settle for a small bistro in the countryside, in the middle of nowhere, next to the famous Formula One race track in Shanghai. Fortunately, Gary donated a small bottle of hard liquor, Wu Liang Yi, for us to get drunk the last night we were in Shanghai.

最後一夜 作詞：慎芝 作曲：陳志遠 演唱：蔡琴

踩不完惱人舞步　喝不盡醉人醇酒
良夜有誰為我留　耳邊語輕柔

走不完紅男綠女　看不盡人海沉浮
往事有誰為我訴　空對華燈愁

我也曾陶醉在兩情相悅　像飛舞中的彩蝶
我也曾心碎於黯然離別　哭倒在露濕台階

紅燈將滅酒也醒　此刻該向它告別
曲終人散回頭一瞥　嗯......最後一夜

Impressions of West Lake

Tell me, Where is my lover?
A silk umbrella, Lost on the broken bridge;
Tell me, Where is my lover?
In the mist on the water, the lotus of fragrance;

Rain~~ Rain~~
Rain~~ Rain, Please tell me!

A thousand years ago, My lover gone;
In the smog, drifting on the lake;
I long to see him again, after a thousand years;
My lover, Are you waiting for me?

Da~~ dalala~~
Wu~~ dalala~~
Ha~~ Ah~~
Rain Ah~~ Wu~~

Tell me, Where is my lover?
The crimson sunset and verdant willow trees;

Tell me, Where is my lover?
Cry out with my strength, transform into a pair of butterflies;

Rain drops on the lake, wets the summer breeze;
Rainy season, Rainy legend;

I long to see him again, after a thousand years;
My lover, Are you waiting for me?

From 印象西湖雨 -- Director: 張藝謀 Music: 喜多郎 Singer：張靚穎

The stage was set on the West Lake. At the center there was a white disk. When the lights were off, the white disk turned into a full moon, scrolling down the legend of the love story in the rain on the West Lake for a span of a thousands years.

From the beginning till the end, I was breathless in tears watching grandiose "Impressions of the West Lake", seeing elegant and graceful actors and actresses dancing on the water of the West Lake, with the overwhelming lighting and sound tract effects.

It was worth of the round trip airline ticket from Taiwan to Hungzhou just to see the breathtaking master art piece of Director Zhang Yimou with my dear golden ladies friends under the willow shade on a breezy summer evening.

A Love Story

"I had a crash on a monk. I couldn't let go of him. I stalked him crossing the river and turned into a snake. When he hid himself under the bronze bell of a temple, I seized the bell with all my energy, spit the fire to burn him to death. It is because of love and I just can't help it!" It's the love story of the famous Japanese dance Doujouji, I'm going to perform in 2010.

I was ready to pay a visit to the monk under the old bronze bell of Hanshan Temple. I put on my favorite Japanese costume. The Yukata is a gift from Toastmaster Takao of Osaka Toastmasters Club and the handbag is a gift from Toastmaster Shimada of Kyoto Toastmasters Club. I bought the Obi and Geta in Okazaki, Nagoya, when I was a student at a local language school in 1996.

To my big surprise, there was a golden monk under the bronze bell when I climbed on the attic. I was the lucky one to be alone with the monk for a while till someone climbed up the attic. I exerted all my energy to strike the bell three times to express my love and gratitude with a group of witness. The monk reminded me of my dear husband at home. He just sat there quietly to watch over me with all his love and support.

After Two Decades

I read "Shanghai Refuge: A Memoir of the World War II Jewish Ghetto" by Ernest G. Heppner, I read "Emily Hahn in Shanghai" by Wang-pu, I read books of Eileen Chang and Lu Xun, I saw movies, "Empire of the Sun" 1987, "Suzhou River" 2000, I was eager to see the old Shanghai in the past. But what I saw was a modern Shanghai spiked with thousands of skyscrapers at high density, to my dismay. Shanghai is a huge international city, adorned with signs of KFC, McDonald, Starbucks. I miss the old Shanghai, the Shanghai in "Lust, Caution" directed by Ang Lee in 2007.

Shanghai in the 21st century is woven with overpasses, highways, and subways. The old turn-of-the-century shikumen (stone gate) housing complex blended features of east and west was obsolete. Xintiandi of renovated shikumen lanes was like an empty shell designated for tourists only. When the old residents of shikumen were forced to move to a new skyscraper apartment afar, they took away with them the old memories.

I walked into a Starbucks Cafe' in Xintiandi by myself. After ordering my favorite cup of Frappuccino topped with chocolate chips, I went up the steps, fetched a chair to sit by the window on the second floor, sipped a mouthful morning nectar, jotted down a few lines on my postcard. I began my first morning in Shanghai, but I could as well be at any Starbucks Cafe' in the world, same menu, same interior designs (except the photos on the walls), same international customers. We are in a global village.

I joined the golden ladies to walk into my second Starbucks Cafe' in a row in Yu Garden downtown Shanghai, this time I didn't order anything, firstly, the waiting queue was too long, secondly, I was in a hurry to have myself measured by Chi-pao Master right at the coffeehouse. I was thrilled to have two chi-paos and one jacket made in Shanghai.

After a good Shanghai style lunch, we stopped by St. Ignatius Cathedral for ten minutes to have photos taken before we hit the freeway to Suzhou. I rushed to get into the Cathedral to offer my humble pray for the world peace, even I am not a catholic (有拜有保佑). When I knew that St. Ignatius Cathedral was destroyed during the cultural revolution, I thought of the Urakami Cathedral in Nagasaki destroyed by the atomic bomb during the World War II.

Garden of lions was the first place we visited in Suzhou, it was the old home to I. M. Pei, international renown architecture. At age of 90, Master Pei gave Suzhou his master piece "Suzhou Museum" which he treasured as his little daughter. He held a birthday party for her little daughter at Garden of Lions on October the 7th, 2006. Just imagine I.M. Pei held his lovely petit wife's hands to entertain guests from all over the world at his old home. That would be the greatest honor for any Chinese to return to the old home.

The hefty and sophisticated Suzhou Industrial Park aside, I like Suzhou the best among five major cities in Jiang-nan. The serenity and tranquility of Suzhou reminded me of Kyoto in Japan. Like Venice, Suzhou was also built on water. At night, the boat ride on the ancient water routes meandering through the quiet old small town was cool. It would be a plus if the punter could sing a piece of Suzhou serenade.

Su-zhou is not only an old town of 2500 years, there are also many romantic and heroic stories to cherish. People in Suzhou enjoy Ping-tang, a entertainment form of the story-telling by two musicians, the woman plays Pi-pa and the man plays Shamisen.

PS: By the Golden Rooster Lake in the Suzhou Industrial Park, I ran into a young lady fortune teller. I sat on the rickshaw listening to my fortune told by a young woman. She told me her master taught her the skills to read the face and palm. I believe in her about my fortune. I have a dream and I shall have it realized in this life. Then I shall head for the nirvana!

Make It Happen

"Make it Happen"—The slogan of RBS (the Royal Bank of Scotland Group) in Hong Kong, was tailor-made for us. When we saw the eye-catching slogan everywhere at the airport of Hong Kong, we simply couldn't miss this meaningful group photo of four. Four golden ladies toastmasters finally took the initiatives to venture out of Taiwan to join Pamela in Shanghai.

But our excitement was extinguished as soon as we buckled our seatbelts on the airplane. "Due to the bad weather in Shanghai, we are requested to stay on board for at least two and half hours before we could take off", announced the pilot. No sooner than later, the aircraft was filled with complaints in all kinds of languages and dialects, simply chaotic and noisy. I was quiet and patient because I had needlework with me.

I contained my temper and ignored the criticism, but at last I raised my voice to solicit the tranquility and peace on board. "Nobody wants to waste time on board, no movies, no music, no magazines, nobody wants to be late for home or office, but safety is No. 1, isn't it," I shouted. The timely dinner service stopped every passenger's mouth efficiently and effectively. After dinner, I walked to the end of the plane to stretch myself and met an Italian Professor of Management who just couldn't stop complaining. And, I had the opportunity to chat with him in Italian for two and half hours.

We were requested to stay on board when we landed at Pu-dong Airport at a quarter passed ten. A team of 5 HINI inspectors fully gowned in white jumpsuits checked each passenger's temperature with a huge gun-shape thermometer of nine laser points. We were like livestock ready to be shipped to the meat market in Shanghai after the quarantine by the Shanghai City Government.

Right before the clock struck twelve, we checked in the hotel. I was exhausted, but I didn't want my first night in Shanghai empty handed, no chance to go to the pubs downtown, no chance to sip a glass of Martini on Cloud Nine at the Hyatt Hotel. What a waste! I wanted to spend RMB, that's what I was here for!

Five golden ladies chartered a taxi to see the night of Pu-dong for one hour upon my request. When I stood by the Huang-pu River on Bing-jiang Boulevard looking at the Bund across, my tears poured（禁不住兩行老淚撲簌簌掉個不停）the first night day I was in Shanghai. At 2:30, I sat in my hotel room making a postcard for my brother Jimmy who accompanied me to visit Shanghai in 1991. I didn't hit the sack till 3 in the morning wearing a big contented smile!

All's Well End's Well! Shanghai, I am back after two decades. I brought my dear golden ladies toastmasters friends along with me. We made it to Shanghai!

Eyes on Me at Taipei Eye

Gosh, I had never thought that I could have learned so much in the past week escorting Toastmaster Norton Moise sightseeing in Taipei. Norton arrived in Taipei on the 4th of June, flew to Tokyo on the 9th, during his five days in town, I listened to his touching stories one after another. I finally got to unveil this passionate gentleman who sent me a colorful oil painting before his arrival.

Being a smart old Professor of Physics at Caltech and Otago University, Norton certainly had a lot to share. I was lucky to be all ears when Norton told me about his life experiences when he had to rest here and there because of his back pain. Norton broke his back parachuting in Germany during the World War II.

Imagine if you once fought on the battlefield in Europe against Nazi when you were a young solider, what you would like to see if you were given a chance to visit Taiwan! It isn't a wild guess if your answer is paying homage to late President Chiang Kai-shek at CKS Memorial Hall in Taipei and CKS Mausoleum in Cihu. That was what Norton did to fly from Dunedin to Taiwan. Norton was happy and lucky that he made the pilgrimage with success, joy, and gratitude.

Norton is not only a lucky American kiwi, he also brings lucks to those around him. When Norton took me to see Chinese opera at Taipei Eye Saturday evening, June 6th, two big lions danced auspiciously right in front of us. During the acrobatic performance, I was even invited to get on stage to be part of the performance. Wow, it was thrilling to be lifted up by two muscular young men in the air and joined the big acrobat team of 20 on stage. What a once-in-a-lifetime experience it was! I was on cloud nine.

The last night Norton was in town, he told me that he had a great time in Taiwan. I took his words when he commented that we were right briners, because we were helplessly emotional. Norton always had tears in his eyes when he talked about his childhood stories. I always had tears in mine when I listened to his moving stories. Norton, I'm going to miss you! Have a safe trip to Japan, Alaska, California and back to Dunedin. Hope to see you again!

Toastmasters Leadership Village in Hsin-Tien

Linda, Trini, Amy, and I joined the demo meeting of Leadership Village Hsien Tien Advanced Toastmasters Club this evening. Marian Hsiao, the Incumbent D67 Governor complimented the foursome of us for dressing up and adding colors to the demo meeting. No one could be happier than Marian, because a new advanced Toastmasters club was born this evening. Many senior toastmasters signed up as the dual members on the spot. D67 will advance in the world ranking consequently.

The demo meeting was cool and fun without designated assignment takers on the agenda. Senior toastmasters volunteered to take the challenge to play various impromptu roles. Trini was the general evaluator and I was the individual evaluator of guest speaker Norton Moise. Tabletopics session was replaced with Everybody Speaks Session, a debate on what is more important between heart vs love, tie vs water, pen vs apple, book vs mobile phone, hand vs TV. Everyone was given 30 seconds to state their point of view with the wildest imagination possible. The meeting room was full of glee and laughter.

Toastmaster Norman Moise from New Zealand was the guest speaker of honor. He told a story about two boys, his encounter with Ricky, a baby boy who was born on the same day as his, December the 3rd. Norton and Ricky were both delivered by their fathers, Norton in a taxi in Chicago in a snowstorm, Ricky in a car in Dunedin. When Norton read the news about Ricky in the newspaper, he called Ricky's family immediately. He invited Ricky's family for sumptuous breakfast to celebrate Ricky's one month birthday at a fancy restaurant in Dunedin. Two strangers met, and they were connected afterwards.

I was very impressed with Norton's meaningful story at the demo meeting. Norton is a great story-teller indeed. At age of 82, he certainly has a lot to tell. But Norton does not just tell old stories, he makes new stories everyday. The more I get to know him, the more I admire his courage to take the challenge to travel on his own with a pacemaker in his heart.

"Life is about meeting people NOW", says Norton. Thank you, Norton for the valuable lesson in life. "When people buy, you sell. When people sell, you buy", says Norton. Thank you, Norton, for the valuable know-how in the stock markets which will make me and toastmasters who attended the leadership village (LV) demo meeting this evening rich people for the rest of our lives. How about you invite your bridge partner Warren Buffett to a toastmaster meeting in Taipei, Norton?

An Octogenarian Toastmaster from New Zealand

An octogenarian Toastmaster from Dunedin came visit me in Taipei this afternoon. It took him 28 hours to fly from Dunedin to Auckland, Singapore, Taipei. At age of 82, Norton Moise set his foot on Formosa for the first time. He was excited about his two months journey in northern hemisphere, with Taiwan the first stop, followed by Japan, Alaska, California. Norton is an American Kiwi, a retired professor in Physics, a well-known artist, and a veteran toastmaster in New Zealand.

When Norton Moise showed up at the exit of the CKS International Airport at 2PM, Toastmasters Alex Hsiao (another octogenarian) and Gina Lin of Success Toastmasters Club and I were much relieved. Norton smiled at us, took out his newly brought digital camera and took a shoot of us three immediately. When I asked for the sand Norton promised to bring to Gina, Norton realized that he forgot to put the sand in his luggage. Being a collector of sand of the world, Gina was not disappointed because Norton promised her to send the South Pacific Ocean sand as soon as he finished his extensive journey at a cost of US$15,000 dollars.

After picking up Norton at the airport, we gave up the original plan to show Norton Cihu Mausoleum where the late Presient Chiang Kai-shek's remains were placed, because of the heavy rain. In stead, we drove all the way to Taipei to visit CKS Memorial Hall and saw the change of the gurads at 4PM.

We stayed at Norton's room for an hour to chitchat after we accompanied Norton to check in his hotel. Norton's eyes were flooded with tears when he talked about two important persons in his life, Ms. Beulah Shoesmith, who taught him math in high school and his grandfather who taught him to play chess. At six, we had dinner at a Japanese restaurant in the neighborhood. I taught Norton how to say "I love you" and "You are beautiful and sexy" in Mandarin, so that he can flirt around when there is an opportunity. It has been a lovely day with an octogenarian Toastmaster from New Zealand, enthusiastic in science, arts, and flirtation.

Norton will be the guest speaker at the first gathering of Hsin-Tien Advanced Toastmasters Club. He is going to talk about his encounter with a little boy who was also born on the taxi on the way to the hospital. Norton has an IQ of 180, is a genius in Mathematics. He shook hands with Albert Einstein in person when he was 16 and made up his mind to study Physics from then. Being a certifed stock broker, Norton knows the stock game well. While everybody is losing money form stock market during the financial crisis early this year, Norton made a fortune on the contrary. Come ask him how to get rich tomorrow evening.