Auld Lang Syne ROC 100

The glorious and magnificent 100th year of ROC is coming to an end!

On New Year's Eve, there is a long list of people I wish to express my gratitude and thankfulness. I shall hum Auld Lang Syne to them wherever they are, when the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Eve in Taipei. Thank you with kisses and hugs! And wish you a prosperous and happy new year!

Should old acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind?
Should old acquaintance be forgot, and auld lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne,
we'll take a cup o' kindness yet, for auld lang syne.

And surely you'll get your pint mug! And surely I'll get mine!
And we'll take a cup o' kindness yet, for auld lang syne.

While remembering the good times with family and friends in 2011, I received a surprising email from a professional wedding photographer in China in the morning of this last day of 2011. Mr. Li Jian-yu sent me five beautiful photos he took of me when I visited Drum Wave Islet in October.

Drum Wave Islet, an island of 1.87 kilometer square, is a hot spot for wedding couples to have photos taken on the coastal city of Xiamen. No matter where you go, you bump into colorful and dressy wedding couples with their entourages of photographers and assistants in front of old consulates of many Western powers and grand mansions that used to be financial institutions.

I was lucky to run into Mr. Li after he finished shooting a wedding couple for the day. Mr. Li is a young photographer from Chuan-zhou. When I asked him if I could borrow the bouquet of red roses, he asked me if I would like to to pose for his camera with the beautiful flowers. What a serendipity it was to be turned into an instant bride (in heart) by an enthusiastic photographer on the famous resort of Drum Wave Islet when the sun set! I felt the long-gone bliss on my wedding day waiting at the end of the aisle for my father to give me away!

Now it is time I wrote down the New Year resolutions for year 2012 before the clock strikes midnight!

1. I shall stay healthy by leading a simple life.
2. I shall clean up the storage area at home, donate clothes, shoes, bags, and hats which are not in use.
3. I shall work as a friendly pharmacist at the new branch of Taiwan Biotech Pharmacy at RT Mart in Chung-ho.
4. I shall study French in order to charter a French speaking Toastmasters club in Taipei.
5. I shall practice flamenco more in order to excel at the flamenco performance at Armed Forces Cultural Center.
6. I shall visit the Toastmasters in District 76 Japan.
7. I shall go to China to have profile photos taken.
8. I shall join the Fubon Taipei Marathon to run with Toastmasters from District 76.

Happy New Year! A mysterious year that marks the beginning of a new era, the end of a 5,125-year-long cycle in the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar, awaits us!

Habanera from Bizet in Flamenco

The first lesson of ten to learn Habanera from Bizet in Flamenco fell on the last week at Falla Flamenco Arts Studio this afternoon. I was happy that I made it back to the flamenco dance school in October and performed four parts of sevillanas at Falla Flamenco Xmas Party.

Starting from the first of October, I decided to perform Habanera, not knowing how to articulate the lyrics in French in singing till I could memorize the complete libretto by heart now. On top of that, I shall be able to dance Habanera with a flamenco fan in 2012.

Lesson One (12/20/2011)
L'amour est un oiseau rebelle, RLRL(8 beats moving forward)
Que nul ne peut apprivoiser, RLRLR (8 beats twist--slow slow quick quick slow)
Et c'est bien in vain qu'on l'appelle, LRLR (8 beats moving to the left)
S'il lui convient de refuser. LRLRL (8 beats twist--slow slow quick quick slow)
Rien n'y fait, RL (4 beats moving to the right)
menace ou prière. RLR (4 beats twist--slow quick quick quick)
L'un parle bien, LR (4 beats moving to the left)
l'autre se tait. LRL (4 beats twist--slow quick quick quick)

Lesson Two (12/27/2011)
Et c'est l'autre que je préfère. (8 beats turning to the back)
Il n'a rien dit mais il me plait. (8 beats moving to the left)
L'amour! L'amour! L'amour! L'amour! (16 beats turning to the front)

Lesson Three (1/3/2012) Feet movement
L'amour est enfant de Bohême, (8 beats facing to the right RLRLRLRL (Forward Stomp, forward drag, forward stomp, forward drag, back stomp, back ball, forward stomp, forward ball)
Il n'a jamais jamais connu de loi. (8 beats facing to the right RLRLRLR, Long Forward Stomp, forward drag, back stomp, back ball, forward stomp, forward ball, turn to the left)
Si tu ne m'aimes pas, je t'aime. (8 beats facing to the left LRLRLRLR, Forward Stomp, forward drag, forward stomp, forward drag, back stomp, back ball, forward stomp, forward ball)
Si je t'aime, prends garde à toi! (8 beats facing to the left LRLRLR---L, Long Forward Stomp, forward drag, back stomp, back ball, forward stomp, forward ball, twist, twist, twist, back ball, facing to the front)

Lesson 4(1/10/2012) Hands Movement

Si tu ne m'aimes pas, si tu ne m'aimes pas, je t'aime,
Mais si je t'aime, si je t'aime, prends garde à toi!

L'oiseau que tu croyais surprendere
Battit de l'aile et s'envola.
L'amour est loin, tu peux l'attendre.
Tu ne l'attends puis, il est là.

Tout autour de toi, vite vite,
Il vient, s'en va, puis il revient.
Tu crois le tenir, il t'evite.
Tu crois l'eviter, il te tient.

L'amour! L'amour! L'amour! L'amour!

L'amour est enfant de Bohême,
Il n'a jamais jamais connu de loi.
Si tu ne m'aimes pas, je t'aime.
Si je t'aime, prends garde à toi!

Si tu ne m'aimes pas, si tu ne m'aimes pas, je t'aime,
Mais si je t'aime, si je t'aime, prends garde à toi!

Merry Christmas

We had a joyful Christmas Day. Toastmasters Bill Wan, Nate Alvarez, Libby Chung and her husband, Director Daniel Ingi Petursson from Iceland were guests of honor at Christmas dinner table at Jimmy's house on Christmas Day.

Jimmy prepared a full table of dishes, from grilled fish, roast chicken, stir-fried grounded pork, hot pot, sesame buns, lettuce, pickles. We ate, drank, and talked about everything, to exchange information and experiences about people and cultures around the world. Daniel taught us to sing Christmas Carols in Icelandic. Nate played piano, and I sang all the Christmas songs in English and in Mandarin in a children's Christmas songbook.

Daniel sat next to me at the table. When he talked about Iceland, I was all ears. Firstly, it's not cold in Iceland, because it's warmed by the Gulf Stream and has a temperate climate despite a high latitude just outside the Arctic Circle. Secondly, in Iceland, people don't have a family name. Daniel Ingi Petursson means he is the son of Petur. If Daniel has a son, he would be Danielsson. Thirdly, Iceland has the first female president in the world. That's why Daniel likes Tsai Ing-wen among the three presidential candidates of ROC.

Being a director, Daniel also recommended a dozen plays. Nate wrote down the list (a streetcar named desire, the glass menagerie, long day's journey into night, miss julie, a doll's house, three sisters, ghost, salome, the importance of being earnest, ulysses, the tricycle, picnic on the battlefield). It would be one of my new year resolutions to see them all.

Nate is from Boston. He was a music major in college. He studied international relations in graduate school. Nate came to Taiwan this year after traveling to many countries. He likes Taiwan because it reminds him of Dominican Republic full of vitality and diversity. It was Nate's debut show in Summer Shorts. Born to a Spanish mother and Irish father, Nate speaks many languages, English, Spanish, French, Mandarin. He also composes music. I think it would be awesome if we can produce a grand musical of 30 to 45 minutes for D67 Fall Conference Party 2012 in Taipei in November. It would be another one of my new years resolutions.

Many thanks go to Bill for inviting Jimmy and me to see the Summer Shorts Sunday evening, December 11th. Jimmy wanted to invite Bill for dinner. Bill invited Daniel and Nate to come along. I invited Libby and her husband to join us, because Libby used to perform in a few plays directed by Daniel. On Christmas Day, the more people, the merrier Christmas! Ho! Ho! Ho!

PS: The wikepedia provides more than a hundred languages to explain Iceland, from Acèh, Адыгэбзэ, Afrikaans, Alemannisch, Ænglisc, العربية, Aragonés, Armãneashce, Arpetan, Asturianu, Avañe'ẽ, to Zazaki, Zeêuws Žemaitėška. How come a remote island country of a population of 320,000 is interesting to people in many parts of the world? I want to see the mud waterfall where a Chinese is interested in constructing a golf course!

Marathon Runners Toastmasters from Japan

It has been the third year in a row Toastmaster Yoshihito Watanabe lead a group of Marathon runners Toastmasters from District 76 to join the annual Fubon Taipei Marathon Sunday morning, December 18th. There were eight Toastmasters this year, including 渡辺（吉）さん（赤羽）、齊藤（赤羽）、安部さん（武蔵小杉）、豊満さん（輝）、渡辺（友）さん（響）、小堀さん（築波）、酒井さん（輝）、酒井愛里さん.

As usual, Japanese Toastmasters flew in Friday evening, to have the mouth watering Peking duck dinner at 一條龍 in Xi-men District to start their year end journey in Taipei. 一條龍 is one of the few restaurants which offer traditional and authentic Peking (royal) cuisine. I have been a regular patron since my childhood. After dinner, we went to 饒河 Night Market via Wu-fen-pu 五分埔 where young people shopped for clothes and accessories. It was the first time I visited Wu-fen-pu, I felt in love at the first time. I shall certainly pay another lengthy visit soon in the future to hunt for treasures. At the night market, we enjoyed various traditional Taiwanese desserts, including the almond drink, Hujiao bing, ice cream, barbecue mushroom, just to mention a few.

I didn't make it to the last joint meeting of Japanese speaking Toastmasters clubs and welcome dinner party for Japanese Toastmasters Saturday. Because I had a concert at a nursing home in the afternoon, and I had a Russian Dance Performance at Division H X'mas Party in the evening.

Sunday was the Marathon day. Every year, I thought about taking the challenge to run a mini-marathon of 3 kilometers around Taipei 101. Every year I procrastinated! This year I also had excuses! I needed to go to the Pharmacists Association to vote Sunday morning.

In the afternoon, I performed the complete set of sevillanas of four individual dances: Primera, Segunda, Tercera and Cuarta at the Falla Flamenco X'mas Party. Four Toastmasters came see my performance. I also attempted Habanera from Bizet Carmen with the accompany of a cello. It was a success. I wowed the full house of flamenco dancers. Hopefully I passed the audition to seize a post to sing on stage with Falla Flamenco dancers at Hero Culture Center in June 2012!

1:30 Dress Rehearsal; 3:15 Opening Falla 范德梁 Cello Solo; Sevillanas 向慈 珮霞 陶陶 伊妘; Sevillanas 書妤 若涵 扇子版; Carmen 姵君 敏敏; Garootin 美嫻 淑慧; Fandango 蕙玲 玲玲; Sevillanas 雅玲 小葳; Alegrias 珮霞; 4:00 Intermission; 4:15 LIVE: Tangos 美儀 欣萍 櫻芬; Guajirs 頌瑾 瑞霜 庭郡; Tientos 幼玲 郁珊; Guajiras 旻宜 倩佩; Tangos 佩玲 玉葉 ; Gantina 馨茹 潔婷; Solea 純純.

In the evening, we had dinner at 大隠酒食小飲私廚 James Kitchen, a Taiwanese style Izakaya on Yun-kang Street. It was located in a secluded area, but I didn't have any difficulties finding it. I was the first one to arrive. After I was guided up to the attic of tatami, I took out the case of reading glasses in my bag. It was empty inside. I couldn't recall when I left my reading glasses, maybe at the Falla Arts Center. Without glasses, I couldn't read, of course. As I was not used to sitting seiza on tatami for a long time, so I got up to stretch with a solo flamenco dance.

When Japanese Toastmasters arrived from their trip taking Mau-kung gondora, the boisterous nomikai began. James Kitchen offered a array of delicious appetizers for starters. We drank merrily without reservation. It must have been more than a dozen bottles of Taiwanese beer in total. I never missed the drinking party with Japanese Toastmasters, because it was simply joyful to drink with Japanese Marathon runners of energy and spirit. Let's toast for the wonderful year of 2011! Kanbai!

In 2012, Toastmaster Watanabe Yoshihito agrees to lead another group of marathon runners to my flamenco dance performance at Falla Arts Center and have dinner at my brother's place. In return, I shall get up early to run a 3 kilos marathon, and to lead a group of cheerleaders to stand by the street to cheer up the marathon runner Toastmasters from Japan! Banbare!

Division H X’mas Party

What would have been a better thing to do on a chilly winter night than perform a Russian Dance? If you picture us running here and there, jumping ups and downs with a full house of Toastmasters and friends, plus four full tables of pizza, fried chicken, fresh tropical fruits, wine, vodka, beverage by the fireplace, we had it all at Division H X'mas Party Saturday evening.

Division H Governor Assam Chan hosted the X'mas Party at his newly bought grand and luxuious Southern California Mansion in Chu-wei. His lovely better half Wini greeted all participants warmly. She walked around to take good care of Toastmasters and friends with her 9 month pregnancy. Assam and Wini's first child will be born before the Chinese New Year. Before the party intermission, Wini lead Grand's Russian Dance Troupe to the dance room of three mirror walls to have our dress rehearsal of Kalinka for the last time. We felt grateful to Wini and we were ready to break our leg.

President Gina kept us waiting at MRT Chu-wei station in the cold wind for more than 30 minutes because she had to fetch Grand's new club banner. Being a group of 11, including 8 Kalinka dancers, Gina, Roy, Joel, Grand placed No.2 in terms of the total participants, next to Sunrise Toastmasters Club's big crowd of 30 participants. Seven Toastmasters Clubs in Division H participated in the X'mas Party, including Formosa, YWCA, Sunrise, Sunshine, Motorola, LV, Grand. Grand was the only club with a banner at the party! Our club banner with the new Toastmasters logo meant the Toastmasters in a new era!

The cheerful and joyful X'mas party was full of laughter and prizes. The show time featured musical instrument playing, including keyboard, cello, harmonica, guitar, ukelele. After a group of kids performed modern jazz dance, Grand brought the party to a new height with our colorful and exotic Kalinka Russian Dance. We won a super big round of applause from the floor! President Gina was pround of her Russian costumes design. Roy was amazed at our outstanding performance. Joel stood behind us hanging Grand's club banner on his neck.

After the party, Wini saw us off at the gate. Erin, Joel, Victor, Sharen, Brian and I hung around at Mos Burger on our way to Chu-wei MRT station for the 2nd party. We chatted until 10:30PM. It was windy and chilly in Tamsui Area, but we felt warm among the big Toastmasters family members.

Year End Concert

I got up early to have my hair curled at a beauty parlor in the neighborhood this morning for two big events, the year end concert of classic Chinese songs at Fu-der Nursing Home in the afternoon, and Division H Xmas Party in Tam-shui in the evening.

The year end concert was a warm up concert for the coming New Year concert at the Cardinal Tien Hospital in January. I arrived at Fu-der Nursing Home at 1:30PM to meet up with singers from Wen-san Communicty College for the first time, and to work with the sound track system at the nursing home, and to go through the details of the concert program with the helping assistants.

It turned out to be a successful concert for a group of 20 plus in-patients at the nursing home, young and old, men and women. A few patients sang loudly along with us at the mix and match chamber and karaoke concert. I saw tears in the eyes of the patients listening to the classic Chinese songs at the nursing home. I saw their lonely hearts at the nursing home.

Toastmasters Learning Styles

I'm curious about people, their mindsets and their behaviors. Everyday I enjoy observing people around me. The Toastmasters provides a great arena for me to observe enthusiastic people with different learning styles.

We were a group of eight Toastmasters of Grand Toastmasters Club. We met to rehearse the Russian Folk Dance Kalinka this evening. When Toastmaster Piao Piao arrived at the Exit 5 of MRT CKS station, she immediatly took out a pad to jot down the position of the group dance at different time slots. She must be a visual learner.

Eight of us were rehearsing at Exit 5 for one hour, till the MRT officer asked us to move. We found a nice place near the theater cafe' to continue our dance. It was a wonderful memory in the rainy winter of 2011, running here and there, jumping ups and downs outside of the National Theater. After our lengthy rehearsal for 3 hours, Toastmaster Victor took out his i-phone 4S to record the dance. Victor might also be a visual learner.

People learn in many ways, seeing, hearing, and experiencing things first hand. Some people remember best materials they've seen. Some remember things they've heard. Others remember things they've experienced.

Visual learners are those who learn through seeing things. Visual aids improve the ability to recall and retain information more completely. Auditory learners are those who learn best through hearing things. Kinesthetic learners are those who learn through experiencing/doing things.

I think I'm more of an auditory learner than a kinesthetic learner. Taking singing for example, I can remember the lyrics easily when I hum along with the melody in the air or in my ears. I remember the dance steps when I know the melody. I learn a foreign language by reading out loud. When the sound is on, my mind is on. I'm on the learning track!

Knowing what types learners we are help us improve our learning. No matter what types we are, life is about having fun. When people have fun, people learn. After a fun rehearsal this evening, I believe Grand Russian Dance will be the most exciting and entertaining program at Division H Christmas Party Saturday evening, December 17th. We shall bring a lot of joy and fun to Toastmasters and friends, and to our selves, too.

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do. --Apple's "Think Different" commercial, 1997

Who is reading Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson? I bet there are millions of them in the world. President Gina Cheng of Grand Toastmaster Club has a copy in English on her shelf. President Shen, the tenant of my penthouse, has a copy in Chinese on the dinner table.

Like most people, I was curious about Steve Jobs who connected creativity with technology, who changed the world with his innovation, character, leadership, values. President Gina lent me her copy of Steve Jobs Thursday evening, December 7th. I leafed through the thick book of 630 pages during the weekend. I really admired Steve's courage to challenge, to lead, to be different. I believe Steve is working hard on innovating the Heaven with his creative and artistic genes right now.

Everyone has a reason to read Steve Jobs. President Gina bought her copy, she must be interested in the leadership of a CEO of the richest company in the world. President Shen bought his copy, he must be interested in the knowhows to get rich as he is a Taiwanese businessman flying back and forth between Taipei and Shanghai.

I read the book because I want to know how a giant was born, was brought up. I was interested in the natures and nutures of humanity. I read the book between lines to find out Steve's interpretation of staying hungry, staying foolish.

Being born in the same year as Steve Jobs, I have so much to learn to stay hungry, stay foolish. I'm lucky I'm in good health and I have a foolish and hungry journey in front of me.

Summer Shorts of Tellus Theater

What an adventure I made this evening! I finally made it to Toastmaster Bill Wan's show at Somebody Cafe' in Xi-men District. To my surprise, my brother Jimmy accepted my invitation to go along. Jimmy never attends any social functions with me. I guess Jimmy and Bill must be connected in some way. Bill was invited to Jimmy's place for dinner for a couple of times when Bill was D67 Chorus member two years ago.

The stage on the 3rd floor of Somebody Cafe' was cozy and modish. The French chanson was played in the air when Jimmy and I walked up the stairs. Bill and other actors and actresses were busy putting on make-ups and costumes. I saw Bill behind a dark curtain. I saw many familiar Toastmasters.

Summer Shorts was directed by Daniel Ingi Petursson, Head of Taipei's first and only English speaking theater company--Tellus Theater, formerly known as Thalie Theater. Daniel was trained in theater in Paris at the Ecole Jacques Lecoq and at the Ecole Philippe Gaulier. Tellus Theater is a group composed of amateur performers trained in Petursson's acting workshops, and wish to share their passion of the theater.

At the beginning of the Summer Shorts, Jimmy and I sat on a double sofa at a corner. Then I moved to the front row facing the stage, sitting next to two ladies Toastmasters from Taipei Metro and PMI Toastmasters Clubs. The small theater was full of Toastmasters atmosphere, it was friendly, it was experimental, it was impromptu, it was spontaneous. The actors on stage reached out to the audience on the floor in the middle of the show without being separated by an invisible fourth wall.

Summer shorts were a series of short and humorous skits to depict the anxiety and emotions of young people facing the ruthless competition and indifference in the stressful modern society. I liked the poem recital at the very beginning, I liked Bill's monologue of a desperate actor talking on the cellphone day and night waiting for an audition, I also liked the skit of love and hatred between Medea and Jason.

After the show, Bill asked me if I would consider joining Tellus Theater. It was a tempting invitation for me to know more about myself through acting, interacting, reacting. It was a proactive way for me to become a reader, a writer, a playwright. Maybe it's time I learned communication skills outside of the Toastmasters.

On the way home, Jimmy invited me to have snack at Jingmei Night Market. Jimmy told me he enjoyed the Summer Shorts. He wanted to invite Bill to his place for dinner on X'mas Day to know more about the expressive art therapy. I was happy for Jimmy to venture out of his comfort zone. I want to thank Bill for giving Jimmy and me an relaxing and inspiring Sunday evening!

Golden Ladies Dinner Gathering in December

I'd like to start with a confession of mine in 2011. I know I'm not young, I mean my body. Everyday I look at the mirror in the morning, I see a face full of wrinkles and dullness. I want to do something fast and quick, to let a plastic surgeon bring back my youth, even it's superficially and artificially. Anyway, beauty is only skin deep.

Lydia hosted a sumptuous dinner party for Golden Ladies at New Southeast Seafood Restaurant this evening. It was one of the best banquets I had in year 2011. From the fresh and living creatures in the aquarium, creative and artistic chefs in the kitchen, to the ambience and atmosphere, it was the restaurant of choice for good Taiwanese seafood in Taipei.

At dinner, Toastmaster Pamela Yang reflected upon her recent solitary trip to the Great Wall in China on her birthday. She talked about a precious birthday gift she received from her niece. It was an empty book for the keeper to write down three good things everyday. In response to Pamela's story, Toastmaster Harry Fang encouraged us to greet people by asking what good news to share today!

Back to my confession, I found myself impotent in front of a table full of the mouth-watering dishes. Every dish brought an esctasy. Every dish aroused a climax. After three dishes, I was overwhelmed and exhausted. Eating is more demanding than making love. Oh, my God! Am I getting old? Which doctor can I go to?

Harry and Lydia were sweet and kind to invite all golden ladies for a 2nd round at Abby Cafe' where I recited "Les Feuilles Mortes" by Yves Montand. Abby cafe' was at the corner of Heping West Road and Nantsan Street. It was the first time I visited the warm and cozy coffeehouse even though I went past the place at least once a week. I like the interior decoration with the exciting and intriguing fresco. At Abby, I sang a lot, I danced a lot, I forgot how many glasses of red wine I drank. I was high!

I hit the sack the moment I got home. In my dream, I turned into a woman of burning desires and fervent passions. I could eat, sing, and dance the way I want. Brindisi!


Oh! je voudrais,
Je voudrais tant que tu te souviennes,
Des jours heureux où nous étions amis.
En ce temps-là la vie était plus belle,
Et le soleil plus brûlant qu'aujourd'hui.
Les feuilles mortes se ramassent à la pelle.
Tu vois, je n'ai pas les oublié...
Les feuilles mortes se ramassent à la pelle,
Les souvenirs et les regrets aussi

Et le vent du nord les emporte
Dans la nuit froide de l'oubli.
Tu vois, je n'ai pas les oublié
La chanson que tu me chantais.

C'est une chanson qui nous ressemble.
Toi, tu m'aimais et je t'aimais
Et nous vivions tous les deux ensemble,
Toi qui m'aimais, moi qui t'aimais.
Mais la vie sépare ceux qui s'aiment,
Tout doucement, sans faire de bruit
Et la mer efface sur le sable
Les pas des amants désunis.

English Translation by Maëlstrom

Oh! I would like
I would like you so much to remember
The joyful days when we were friends.
At that time, life was more beautiful
And the sun burned more than it does today.
Fallen leaves can be picked up by the shovelful.
You see, I have not forgotten...
Fallen leaves can be picked up by the shovelful,
So can memories and regrets.
And the north wind takes them
Into the cold night of oblivion.
You see, I have not forgotten
The song you used to sing me.

This song is like us.
You used to love me and I used to love you
And we used to live together,
You loving me, me loving you.
But life separates lovers,
Pretty slowly, noiselessly,
And the sea erases on the sand
The separated lovers' footprints.

A moment of significance—President Anxiety Syndrome

Grand had the first club meeting at the new meeting venue this evening. President Gina found the new venue two months ago, with a good location near MRT station and a reasonable rent. We moved because we wanted to contain the room rental expenditure. We moved with an aim to recruit more new members. It was a big move for Grand, we changed the meeting venue, we changed the meeting time, from Thursday evenings from 1975 to Wednesday evenings from 2011!

After the afternoon dance practice of Mambo 5 with golden ladies at Lydia's mansion, I arrived at the new meeting venue 45 minutes early this evening for three reasons, to help arrange the room layout, to rehearse the group Russian dance to be performed at Division H X'mas Party, and to get ready for my prepared speech on President Anxiety Syndrome (PAS). It was a special memorable day today, because we received a new club banner with a new Toastmasters logo.

As a prepared speaker, I was excited to deliver my advanced speech, Project 4 the Coach of Interpersonal Communication manual. In order to have a successful and meaningful roleplay with President Gina Cheng to share with her what I learned when I was the President of Grand Toastmasters Club, I went through my old Toastmasters photoalbum two decades ago.

Leafing throught the thick Toastmasters photoalbum in the past week, I realized I had PAS when I was the club president 1993-1994. But, it was also a moment of significance, to Grand and to me. Looking back, I was grateful what Grand Toastmasters Club did for me and I was pround what I did for Grand Toastmasters Club.

I made Grand the richest Toastmasters club in Taiwan, because I had a good treasurer. We held biweekly meetings at the meeting room of Taiwan Pharmaceutical Industry Association for free when I was the Secretary General for three years. We had the highest membership record of 50 members. We invited keynote speakers to our seasonal dinner gatherings at 5 stars hotels.

Two decades later, the Toastmasters becomes bigger and stronger. Among 13,000 Toastmasters clubs in the global network, many club presidents are striving to make their clubs strong and healthy. Every president is eager to make club members enjoy the club meetings, so that club members can hone the communication and leadership skills in a friendly and supportive environment.

President Gina had the PAS the moment she took the post. She woke up in the middle to the night worrying about the assignment takers wouldn't show up at the meeting at the last minute. She planned various activities and events to boost up the membership and worried about the low attendance rate. She turned into an instant dress maker to prepare our Russian dance costumes! Toastmasters are invincible. We excel at what we do when we are prompted to venture out of our comfort zones.

In five months of her presidency, I saw the guantum leap Gina made for Grand and for herself. In the next seven months, I believe Gina will continue to wow us by how much she grows in Toastmasters and what a legacy she leaves for Grand Toastmasters Club members to cherish for a long time.

Japanese Festival in Taiwan 2011

Japanese are grateful people. After the 311 earthquake, every Japanese I met in Taipei thanked Taiwan for being a generous country to donate over 20 billion Japanese yen to the victims in Japan. Taiwan and Japan are neighbors. Neighbors come to the rescue faster than the relatives at far in the global village.

The Annual Japanese Festival in Taiwan takes place in December at the Shingkong Mitsukoshi Hsin-yi Plaza. The 9th Japanese Festival attracted more than 26 teams of 296 performers from all over Japan Saturday and Sunday.

Among all exciting groups of the Japanese Festival 2011, I like Wase Glee the most. They were a group of two dozen male singers from Waseda University. The Wase Glee was formed in 1907 to sing Waseda school songs. The male-only chorus in white jackets and bow neckties demonstrated the power and vitality of Japanese youth. I was lucky to be all ears to their beautiful voices on their first concert tour in Taiwan.

The Japanese Dance Group Sobu-Ryu (日本舞踴創舞流)--The Seijo International Japanese Dance Group(成城國際舞踴団) wowed the Taiwanese audience. Vice Leader Sobu Kichinojo was patient and gentle in guiding the elementary school kids to perform traditional Japanese dance on stage. I saw the performance of the Master Sobu Kichinojo at a closer distance. The Seijo Dance Group came to Taiwan for the first time. I was lucky to see the early training of Japanese dancers at young age.

Hiroyuki Kurosawa 黑澤博幸, Soul & Beat Unit Ten-chi-jin, won a big round of applause from the audience after his performance of Tsugaru-Shamisen (津軽三味線). Kurosawa san is from Aomori prefecture, the epicenture of the 311 earthquake. He expressed his appreciation for Taiwanese people for the immediate response to rescue to rebuild Japan from the unfortunate diaster in March.

The Kurashiki Fashion College Fashion Show was eyes opening. Within 20 minutes, I saw more than 100 designer made outfits from Avant-garde to traditionals. I particularly love students' creative designs with Denim. It was the first time I knew that Kurashiki was the birthplace of Japanese denim.

I look forward to the Japanese Festival in Taiwan 2012 in December and I shall catch up the Hula dance performance I missed this year!

"Kalinka" (Russian: Калинка)

Be Russia the biggest country in the world (Russia: 17,075,200 km2; Canada: 9,984,670 km2; United States: 9,631,418 km2; China: 9,596,960 km2; Brazil: 8,511,965 km2), I've never beeen there. I don't know if I'll have the opportunity to visit Russia or to study the Russian language in my life.

The first time I thought of learning the Russian language, it was when I accompanied Government officials to deliver the medical aids (worth of US$ 15,000,000) on a charter China Airline Cargo to Kiev when I was the Secretary General of Taiwan Pharmaceutical Industry Association in April 1992. In year 2004 and year 2010, when I visited Mongolia as a Toastmaster (I brought along the banner of Grand Toastmasters Club), I thought about learning the Cyrillic script of the Mongolian and Russian language. When President Gina Cheng of Grand Toastmasters Club decided to perform a group Russian dance at Division H X'mas Party, I thought about learning the Russian language for the third time.

President Gina Cheng went to Russia in June with a tour group managed by Roy. After her trip back to Taipei, Gina shouldered her responsility as the club president and recruited Roy as a new member. Being an experienced tour guide to Russia and Europe, Roy knows a lot about Russia. He collects a couple of Russian dancers costumes. Upon his suggestion, Grand came up the idea to perform a group Russian Dance at Division H X'mas Party. I took charge to choreograph a simple and joyful group Russian dance Kalinka for Granders.

President Gina invited Grand's Russian dancers to her cozy home for a potluck hotpot gathering this afternoon. I was the first one to arrive to see a full table of sewing materials Gina lay on the table to work on the Russian dance costumes. While waiting for other dancers to show up, we discussed about the preparation for the coming first meeting of Grand Toastmasters Club at the new meeting venue in December.

The potluck hotpot was rich and yummy! Gina prepared a hotpot of lamb chops and frozen bean curds. I brought along a well-cooked pork stomach and vegetables. Sharon brought fish and meat balls. May brought a box of Mister Donut. Brian brought a cake. After a sumptous lunch, we brainstormed the Russian dance steps together for two hours at Gina's playroom in her building. It felt good to sweat a lot imagining ourselves running around on the playground covered with heavy snow in Moscow! Erin joined us after her guitar class at 5PM.

Part I (slow-fast-slow-fast-slow)
Male Dancers 2 x 8 beats
Female Dancers 2 x 8 beats
Couple Dance holding arms 2 x 8 beats
Two circles (Male dancers inner circle, Female Dancers outer circle) 2 x 8 beats
Couple Dance holding hands 4 x 8 beats
Two lines (Male dancers front line facing back, Female Dancers back line facing the audience) 4 x 8 beats
Two Groups of four Holding Hands 2 x 8 beats
Group Circling 4 x 8 beats
Tunneling 4 x 8 beats
Pose 1 x 8 beats

Part II (slow-fast-fast-fast-fast)
Facing the audience 1 x 8 beats
Line Crossing 2 x 8 beats
Male Dancers Cross legs jumps 4 x 8 beats
Male Dancers Holding Up Female Dancers 2 x 8 beats
Ending 4 x 8 beats

If possible, all dancers can sing along the pretty song Kalinka in two parts in Russian.
Little snowberry, snowberry, snowberry of mine!
Little raspberry in the garden, my little raspberry!

Ah, under the pine, the green one,
Lay me down to sleep,
Ah, rock-a-baby,
Lay me down to sleep.

Little snowberry, snowberry, snowberry of mine!
Little raspberry in the garden, my little raspberry!

Ah, little pine, little green one,
Don't rustle above me,
Ah, rock-a-baby,
Don't rustle above me.

Little snowberry, snowberry, snowberry of mine!
Little raspberry in the garden, my little raspberry!

Ah, you beauty, pretty maiden,
Take a fancy to me,
Ah, rock-a-baby,
Take a fancy to me.

Little snowberry, snowberry, snowberry of mine!
Little raspberry in the garden, my little raspberry!

PS: I must thank President Gina for her enthusiasm to bring up a mission impossible--the performance of Grand Russian Dance at Division H X'mas Party! After spending hours and hours choreographing Kalinka Dance, I realize that I don't have to go to Russia to know Russia. In the meantime, I can't wait to see Russia with my own eyes and to dance Kalinka with a bunch of Russian kids on the playground covered with snow in Moscow!