The singing sparrows in Chia-yi PAC

The Domspatzen means the sparrows of the cathedral in German. Today, the sparrows from the St. Peter Cathedral in Regensburg flew to Chia-yi Performing Arts Center (PAC) to give their first workshop and first concert in Taiwan. Being a native of Chia-yi, I was excited that I finally got to visit the Chia-yi PAC since its completion in 2005.

We arrived at Hsin-kang Incense Artistic Culture Garden in Chia-yi County at 10:30. After being warmly greeted by two Mandarin speaking guides, Mr. Wu led the little boys to tour the incense factory and gallery by interpreting in German. I led the big boys by interpreting in English.

Hsin-kang Incense Artistic Culture Garden was established by three brothers in 1988. It started with a small family incense factory. In 1997, the factory of handmade incense was transformed and expanded to a big modern facotry of automated machine and equipment. In 2004, the culture garden was built to promote the art of incense.

Like most Chinese, I was brought up to burn the incense to pray in the temple and to worship the ancestors at home. Be the incense burning one of the cultural activities, besides drinking tea, arranging flowers, and viewing paintings among Chinese people, I didn't know that burning incense was originated to be therapeutic till today. The more I knew about the incense ingredients of herbal medicine, the more I was curious about the incense treatment in ancient China.

The lunch was hosted by Hsin-kang Elementary School at the Culture Garden. The full table of food didn't stimulate the appetite of the little boys. Most of the young kids didn't extend their chopsticks to adventure the unknown dishes in front of them. Only if one boy had the courage to trial taste and agreed upon the flavor, others would follow the suit. At the end of the lunch, Hsin-kang Elementary School chorus members and the RD exchanged greeting cards with one another.

At 13:15, we arrived at Chia-yi PAC. Three big boys felt sick, one of them threw up all the lunch in his stomach. They must have caught heat stroke. After allocating them in the VIP room for the conductor, I asked the accompanying staff if anyone knew about Gua sha, an ancient medical treatment, literally "to scrape away fever" in Chinese. Fortunately, we had an expert with us. While walking between the dressing rooms and the VIP room, I also had the chance to tour the entire PAC.

The PAC occupies 6.6 hectares in area, including the center and the cultural park. The center of the Southern Fu-kien style architecture was remarkable. It must be very comfortable inside, so that quite a few singing swallows built nests there. The surrounding park was big and there was a lotus pond in the middle. It would be an ideal place for people to take a walk before or after the concert.

While Conductor Büchner gave a Workshop on vocalization skills at the experimental theater from 2PM to 3PM, I was in the dressing room with the little boys, teaching them to write Chinese characters on the i-pod, to play sumo, and to have fun. Everybody was full of energy. At 3PM, half of the young boys participated in the demo session at the experimental theater, half of them stayed to play in the dressing room.

The West in the East

I woke up early to be the first at the buffet breakfast before 8 o'clock. It looked like all RD boys and staff were still in bed. They must have had a sound sleep last night. That's good, sound sleep, sound body, sound voice.

Number One J.S. showed up at the breakfast, followed by his roomate Number Two P. F. When Number Three M. S. walked in, I asked him why he wore a wedding ring on his ring finger. He told me he was an adherent to the Orthodox Catholic Church. His mother was from Russia and he visited Russia every year to see his relatives. And he spoke Russian fluently.

In no time, the buffet room was full of the RD members. Everybody seemed to be excited about a new happy day in Tainan. After a rich and versatile breakfast, everybody was recharged to venture to the old Anping Fort built by the Dutch in 1624.

The bicycle tour of the Anping Fort was sponsored by Tainan Southeast Rotary Club(D.3470). All RD members put on the RD in Taiwan 2011 T-shirts, hopped on their favorite bicycles, pedaled the bicycles in the old harbor town of Tainan city with big smiles on their faces. What could have been a better way to promote the RD Concert Tour in Taiwan 2011?

Our first stop was the Anping Tree House and the old Tait & Co. Merchant House. The Anping Tree House was originally the warehouse of Tait & Co. During the Japanese Occupation period, it was the warehouse of the Japan Salt Company. After the Second World War, the area was abandoned. The aerial roots and branches of banyan trees wrapped around the warehouse concrete wall for a half century and create a phenomenal feature of the tree house.

Just about the time we gathered to leave the tree house, a small incidence happened. S. S. had the Epistaxis (Nosebleed). The bleeding was profuse. Dr. Wang, Director of the Earth Choir, also a cardiologist, couldn’t solve the problem. Fortunately there was a Chinese doctor nearby. She pressed the tip of the pinky finger of the victim hard. To everybody’s surprise, the bleeding stopped immediately. It was quite possible that the change of the environment or the dry and cold air of air conditioner prompted S. S.'s nose more susceptible to bleeding.

After the tree house, we rode in the Lakeside Water Bird Park along the Yenshui River till SiCao Bridge to see the birds and the mangrove. The builder and the residents of the Egret Bay Mansion in the neighborhood invited us to enjoy their community chorus with snacks, tropical fruits, and cold drinks served.

The bird's-eye view of the mouth of Yenshui River merged with Chia-nan Irrigation Canal on the roof floor of the Egret Bay Mansion was magnificent. At the same time, S. S. had the second minor attack of the Epistaxis. I followed his instructions to press his pinky finger real hard till he stopped bleeding. The grandiose bike parade ended when we returned the bicycles to the Bike Rental Shop near the Anping Fort.

For lunch, we had a mammoth volume of German food, including ham & cheese sandwiches, French fries, assorted Wieners, pickled pork knuckles and all you can drink Karamalz at Julius Mannich Restaurant. Four persons were in a group sitting around a patio table with umbrella beneath the old banyan trees. What a splendid and joyful outdoor luncheon it was! Before dessert, we got a half hour free time to see the Anping Fort and Anping Matsu Temple. After the sweet and yummy ice cream dessert, we were ready for our second stop at Sheng-Kung Girls' High School.

On our way to Sheng-Kung Girls' High School, I grabbed the opportunity to ask three questions about the history of Dutch in Tainan and gave away three surprise gifts. The questions were about the year of 1624, 1662, and 1602.

Sheng Kung is a catholic school for girls. It started with an Elementary School by catholic priests and believers in Tien-jin in 1914. In 1934, the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception (SMIC) began the management. Sheng Kung moved to Taiwan with the Nationalist Government in 1948, and re-opened the school in 1963. The present name of Sheng-Kung Girls' High School was registered in 1979.

The RD concert took place at the auditorium with the participants from the whole school of more than 1,000 junior and senior high school students and staff. Just think about the excitements of young girls meeting 60 German boys! Every girl had a camera in hand to search eagerly for the handsome boys in the choir.

The joint concert was a big success with the participation of Sheng Kung’s junior and senior girls' choruses in blue uniforms. After the concert, we were led to an activity room of Chinese Calligraphy. On top of each table, there was paper and ink, plus a blue paper bag of gift. At the back of the activity room, there was a long table full of colorful Easter eggs and pound cakes in the shape of lambs and watermelon plates.

Painting with a brush should be no strange for the RD members, but writing Chinese characters with a brush must be something new. Every German guest tried to copy the Chiense characters as elegantly as possible. On our way back to the Tayih Landis on Bus A, I asked the questions about the Chinese characters the RD boys learned in the calligraphy class. To my surprise, most kids could recognize the Chinese characters and made the correct strokes in the air. I was happy to give away more gifts as the incentives for their enthusiasm and eagerness in learning new things in Taiwan.

After the buffet dinner at the basement of the Hotel Tayih Landis, the RD had a joint charity concert with the Earth Choir from 8PM till 8:30PM. The hotel lobby was packed with more than 100 visitors, including a few new fans of the RD from Shing Kung Girls' High School. At the end of concert, the RD and the EC sang "Heidenröslein" and "Hue Gim Go", and won a big round of applause from the floor.

After the charity concert, a snack party was held for the RD and the EC. Every member was treated with a cup of tapioka fresh milk tea. No matter how much I praised the famous and popular Tapioka Milk Tea in Taiwan, it was not the cup of tea for the RD members. Love at the first sight seldom happens between men and the food.

While the big boys went to the Da-Dong Nightmarket, I stayed at the rehearsal room with three RD little boys to study the music notes and German lyrics. Everyone took turns teaching me German and explaining to me the story of the song. I felt very grateful to them. By then, I was told that the curfew at 10PM would be executed because of the coming first concert at Chia-yi Country Culture Center tomorrow evening.

The Big Day

I didn't get much sleep because of my excitements! It was after midnight when I walked into my bedroom thinking of the Regensburger Domspatzen (RD) coming my way on the CI62 somewhere above the clouds in China. At ten past five, I was waiting in front of the Gu-Ting Elementary School for Ms. Joaan Chang to pick me up to welcome the world's oldest boys' choir at the Tao-yuan Airport.

At seven o'clock sharp, the little boys of the RD first showed up, followed by the big boys. None of them showed any sleeping eyes! Maestro Roland Büchner greeted Earth Choir Artistic Director Chylin Hong and her grandson. The Choir manager Christof Hartmann gave me a big smile and said hello to me. Herr Hartmann and I had been writing emails to each other since last November. Finally I got to meet with him in person. He looked a sweet and soft man, not like his name "A Hard Man".

After the group photos, we rushed to Tainan on two charter buses. I was in charge of Bus A for the little boys. Mr. Wu was in charge of Bus B for the big boys. Mr. Wu was exited to converse with his big German boys in German before his German got rusted. He came back to Taiwan in March this year after his advanced studies of Piano in Hamburg for three years.

As a beginner of the German language, I could only say a few greeting words in German. Then I gathered my courage to sing a children song "Lightly Row". After a couple of phrases, I passed the microphone to the little boys sitting in the front rows. In the end, all boys sang along and we finished together the first ice breaker choral song of "Hänschen Klein" in German.

It was a 3 and 1/2 hours journey from Taoyuan to Tainan. I exerted myself to smile most of the time on bus. I tried my best to entertain the questions of the little German boys in ENGLISH. I didn't know how much they could understand me, but I kept talking, about the pronunciation of four tones in Mandarin, about the Chinese Zodiac in a 12-year cycle, about the Legend of the White Snake, about the religions in Taiwan, about everything to my knowledge.

As a curious linguist, I wouldn't give up the chance to conduct a small experiment about the language ability of the little boys to distinguish the four tones of Mandarin. As I had anticipated, all little boys could distanguish the four tones without any difficulties, maybe because they were small children, they could learn fast. Maybe because they were musicians, they had sensitive ears. Or maybe both.

To me, numbers are the hardest part for a foreign language acquisition. But after I taught the little boys the numbers in Mandarin, in less than ten minutes, M. I. could count from 1 to 99 in Mandarin. His fast mind on numbers were impressive! Wow, I told him he would be Bill Gates when he grew up.

It was a smooth journey from Taipei to Tainan with a short break at Taishan Rest Area to get rid of the biological waste and to replenish the hydrogen dioxide. We arrived at the Tayih Landis Hotel one hour ahead of time. Before 12 noon, everybody was dressed up to wait for the host of the luncheon party at La Mode Cafe'. To be honest, I could eat a horse after a long bus journey. I was so hungry when we could finally start our luncheon waiting for the host to come. I believed the boys felt the same way, too. We started with soup, salad, Spaghetti, followed by coffee and cake.

The Press Conference featuring the Tainan City Mayor started at two o'clock at the lobby. Dr. Shane Wang, Director of the Earth Choir, explained how happy he was to invite the RD to Taiwan after two decades. The RD sang three songs, "Sing we and chant it", "Zu Regensburg auf der Kirchturmspitz", and "Kommt ein Vogerl geflogen".

After the press conference ended at 3:30PM, it was free time. I told the kids to use the hotel facilities before dinner. It would be better for them to stay awake to get a good night sleep to adjust the jet lag as soon as possible. M. E. was in the lobby and he helped me take a videoclip of congratulatory message for the 10th anniversary of Kyoto Toastmasters Club at the Hotel Tayih Landis Tainan.

At 6PM, I was all dressed up in my bling bling yakata to enjoy the Japanese cuisine at the big and fancy Yamato Restaurant. We were treated as the honor of guests with sashimi, sushi, and many exquisite seafood dishes, but the kids were not excited. They were simply too tired to appreciate any luxurious and exotic food on their first day in Taiwan.

I didn't go to bed until until after midnight. It was a long, but fruitful day. My job of the RD concert tour was to make the boys feel happy, feel at home, and to make the boys be at their best condition to break a leg on stage at the six concerts in Taiwan. I pledge to do it well till the kids return to their sweet homes in Regensburg!

Let the World See Taiwan

It was the last day Ms. Jana Barnhill, the International President 2008-2009, was in town. I listened to her speech, "Why communication is so important and relative to career diplomats?" at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA).

After Jana's speech, Mr. Pierre Chen, President of MOFA Toastmasters Club recommended me to see Mr. Guo-nan Chin, Section Chief, Third Section, Department of European Affairs. Mr. Chin was nice to give me 60 ROC-100 pins as souvenirs for the Regensburger Domspatzen. Mr. Chin also lent me ten DVDs about Taiwan for our German friends to watch on the charter buses.

1. Greeting the Lunar New Year on Taiwan, 48 minutes, March 2003
2. An Index of Culture—The Museums of Taiwan, 25 minutes, July 2003
3. Taiwan's National Palace Museum in Transition, 25 minutes, July 2003
4. The Fragrant Fruits of Taiwan, 27 minutes, March 2004
5. Between Heaven and Earth—The Temples of Taiwan, 28 minutes, February 2006
6. Taiwan's Festivals: Links with the Past, Bridges to the Future, 28 minutes, July 2007
7. Taiwan Where Mountains Meet Sea, six minutes and forty seconds, September 2009
8. Let's be Friends, 30 minutes, December 2009
9. Tradition Meets Modernity—New Energy for Taiwanese Music, 28 minutes, December 2009
10. Savor the Flavors of Taiwan, 26 minutes, December 2010

The ten DVDs are in many language versions, English, French, German, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, Portuguese. It will take me at least three lives to be able to know about Taiwan in all the above languages.

Even though I am not a career diplomat working for MOFA, I am excited that I could apply the communication and leadership skills I learned in Toastmasters to serve my country as a civilian Ambassador–at-large to Let the World See Taiwan whenever possible!

Heart to Heart

What a beautiful and colorful big heart we created with all the wishes from Ms. Jana Barnhill, the International President 2008-2009; Mr. George Yen, the 2nd Vice International President; Mr. Keith Ostergard, the Region 13 Director; Mr. Mike Yang, D67 Governor, and many Toastmasters in District 67!

心の物語: It is a story about the big heart and the friendship between Taiwanese and Japanese Toastmasters in year 2011. Nobody would have thought it would be a story of a heart. It was just what we could have given from the bottom of our hearts at the very beginning.

Friday evening, April 22nd, I escorted five Toastmasters from D76, including Toshio Yada 矢田敏雄 (District 76 Secretary), Yoshikazu Kawakami 河上悅和 (Minato-Mirai TMC), Kozue Sakai 酒井こづゑ (Musashi Kosugi TMC ), Noriyuki Kobori 小堀則之 (Tsukuba TMC), Masaki Oshiumi 鴛海眞樹 (Kitakyushu TMC), to the welcome dinner party hosted by D67 Governor Mike Yang.

After dinner, we rushed to the second party hosted by President Joseph Fan of Innovative Toastmasters Club and five Innovative club members. Be it late in the evening, we held an exciting impromptu tabletopics session for 30 minutes to break the ice among Taiwanese and Japanese Toastmasters.

Before we called it a night, I asked the Toastmasters from D76 if there was anything we Toastmasters in Taiwan could do to convey our feelings towards the Toastmasters members in Sendai and in Kesennuma devastated by the earthquake, 9 on the Richter scale, 11 Mar 2011. We talked about fund-raising, we talked about donation of the clothes, but we were worried about the violation of the bylaws of the Toastmasters International. In the end, we came up with the love project to collect the messages of Taiwanese Toastmasters.

Saturday morning, April 23rd, we started implementing our project from nine o'clock with the help of D67 Spring Conference 2011 ambassadors to write the posters, and Ms. Airi Sakai, the daughter of Toastmaster Kozue Sakai, to purchase the colorful post-it at the nearby Mitsukoshi Department Store. During the two days spring conference, we collected more than 300 heartfelt wishes for our Japanese toastmasters fellows in Sendai and in Kesennuma.

Sunday afternoon, April 24th, after the closing ceremony of D67 Spring Conference 2011, our honorable and dearest International President Jana Barnhill stood before the big heart and wrote her wish and signature on the Japanese flag to complete the big heart of the Toastmasters.

It was the first impromptu ad-hoc project for me to work with the Japanese and Taiwanese Toastmasters, and many Toastmasters dignitaries from the Toastmasters International. It was a beautiful and special experience to see the birth of a big heart, which not only showcased the special bind between D67 and D76, but it also gathered the momentum among Taiwanese Toastmasters to convey our camaderie love to our fellow toastmasters in need in another country or district.

There is a Chinese saying, 眾志成城 (zhòng zhì chéng chéng) Unity is Strength. A big heart was born by you and me, of you and me, and for you and me! When we are heart to heart, we'll hold together! When we are hand in hand, we'll find a way!

Songwriters: PAUL KENNERLEY, EMMYLOU HARRIS

Heart to heart we'll hold together
Hand in hand we'll find a way
Oh, the storms of life may blind us
But with the loving vows that bind us

Heart to heart hand in hand we'll stay
Side by side forever and always
Day by day till our lives are done
This sweet love is ours to treasure

Far beyond all time and measure
Side by side day by day as one
The years cannot take what's between you and me
We'll stand her together for the whole world to see

Heart to heart there'll be no other
Hand in hand for our love is true
Oh, the words that we have spoken
Will be a promise never broken
Heart to heart hand in hand with you

D67 Spring Conference 2011

When D67 Governor Mike Yang asked me to organize a chorus of 100 Toastmasters to open the D67 Spring Conference Party, I said NO, simply because it was a mission impossible. But, on the second thought, who would not jump at this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to showcase our patriotism in celebration of the centenary of the founding of the Republic of China?

It was a touching moment when the Masters of Ceremonies announced the opening singing, the curtains were open slowly. Every singer was full of excitements. Every singer was ready to exert herself to sing with joy. We ang with the beautiful scarves of our national flag on our shoulders.

We were a chorus of 60 members, including 30 female vocals from District 67 and 30 singers from Hsin-tien Women Chorus. We opened the eyes and ears of the audience of D67 Spring Conference 2011 Party. It was an unprecedented singing event in the history of District 67! We made it with honor and pride!

Friday evening, I recruited the last member of our singing group. I was thrilled when Mrs. Mike Yang agreed to join our singing performance when I invited her at the welcome dinner party. I sent her the music notes and mp3 late Friday evening, and Madame Yang came to our dress rehearsal on time Saturday evening, despite of her busy schedule. I couldn't thank her enough for her support of D67 Spring Conference 2011 by participating in our singing event. Action speaks louder!

Among hundreds of photos I took at D67 Spring Conference 2011, I like the one with D67 Governor Mike Yang's glowing smile when his better half kissed him on the cheek after D67 Spring Conference party Saturday evening, April 23rd. For all the years I had known Mike, it was his happiest moment, a moment of achievement, gratitude, and love!

A Long and Arduous Journey

D67 Spring Conference 2011 was around the corner! D67 Female Vocals were still not in shape, to be honest! But, there is no turning back now! We couldn't do anything else, but practice to the best of our abilities!

Thirteen singers from D67 female vocals showed up at our last rehearsal at Grand Toastmasters Club Thursday evening, April 21st, including six golden ladies Toastmasters. Every singer was thrilled to get a scarf of our national flag in memory of the 100th Year of ROC from Toastmaster Caroline Kiang, the Organizer of the D67 Spring Conference Party 2011.

President Erin Ke didn't show up at our rehearsal because of the scooter accident of her fiance on the way to the meeting. They must have been in a rush to the rehearsal and in the end they ended up in the hospital. Fortunately both Erin and Joel were alright, the old woman that Joel hit insisted to stay in the hospital for observation overnight. Erin sent me a text message to apologize for not being able to come to the rehearsal and she said that she and Joel might encounter an unpleasant law sue!

Even only thirteen female vocals practiced for only 30 minutes this evening, before the biweekly regular meeting of Grand Toastmasters Club started, I was more confident we would break a leg to wow the Toastmasters at D67 Spring Conference Party 2011 the coming weekend, just like the Hsin-tien Women Chorus wowed 10,000 people at the Third Li Shutong (李叔同) Lakeside Concert in Ping-hu, September 18th, 2010.

Venture to the South

Six golden ladies Toastmasters went to Kenting for a three-days vacation just one week after the Spring Scream 2011. Kenting has a lot to offer, the blue sky, the white sand beach, the nature, the culture, and most of all, the crazy and wild night pubs!

What a fruitful and relaxing Spring journey 2011--Venture to the South! If you are planning for a Spring Journey in 2012. I shall say, it'll be none other than the Spring Scream 2012!

Day One—Sunday April 17th
6:30AM Departure from Hsin-Tien Culture Center by Charter Bus 鄭木松 517HH
9:30AM Seven Stars Toilette at 竹山紫南宮
1:20PM Lunch
2:30PM 大鵬灣
5:00PM 關山
8:00PM 警官山莊 Check in
8:30PM 墾丁西門町
10:30PM 休息

Day Two—Monday April 18th
8:00AM Kenting National Park
8:40AM Longkeng Ecological Area
11:00AM Taipower 3rd Nuclear Plant
11:45AM Lunch
1:00PM 出火景觀區
2:15PM 枋寮龍安寺
3:10PM 海鴻飯店正港豬腳
5:00PM 月世界
6:35PM Dinner

Day Three—Tuesday April 19th
7:50AM 安平開臺天后宮
8:15AM Fort Zeelandia
9:00AM 安平樹屋
10:45AM 井子腳鹽田
11:30AM Lunch
1:00PM 北港朝天宮
6:00PM Dinner
7:30PM Home

日本新舞踊千鶴流萬華分會第五回發表會

各位來賓、各位女士、各位先生：我們下半場即將開始，請您陸續就座，並請您關上手機，或改為震動！

皆様、間もなく、後半が始まります。どうぞ、お席にお戻り下さい。攜帯電話の電源を切ってください。或は、マナーモードを切り替えてください。

各位來賓，大家好、大家午安！今年欣逢中華民國建國一百年，在此與大家一同祝福中華民國國運昌隆，人民安和樂利。我是下半場的司儀名取千鶴慈，請多多指教。觀賞完上半場的精彩演出，相信大家期待下半場更精彩的演出！

皆様、今日は。今年は中華民國が創立されて、百年になります。本日、皆様のお蔭で、盛大な發表會ができまして、心より感謝致します。私は名取千鶴慈と申します。日本新舞踴千鶴流萬華支會第五回發表會の後半の司會を擔當させていただきます。どうぞ、宜しくお願いいたします。

下半場開場舞第12首花櫻，描述滿城櫻花盛開的美景，萬紫千紅的春天來到了！由千鶴流本家名取千鶴慧扇率領八名的年輕美眉，王雅蓮、張秀珊、林庭如、劉妍蓁、謝靜慈、賴玉頻、張馥安、蔡佩穎，為大家熱情演出！

これから、後半に入ります。もっと美しい日本舞踴、もっと素晴らしい日本舞踴を皆様にお屆けしたいです。ぜひお楽しみに。さっそくですが、第12番花桜、九名の踴りてさん、どうぞ、ご覧下さい。

第13首 山茶花的歸宿，描述一枝獨秀，冬天綻放的山茶花，等待有情人終成眷屬的春天到來。由千鶴流本家師範千鶴紫月為大家演出！

第13番 山茶花の宿、赤く咲いても　運命かなしい 冬の花 春はいつくる　さざんかの宿、どうぞ、ご覧下さい。
第14首 北斗之星，描述北國男子不畏風雪交加的嚴冬，同心協力，共創美麗的家園。日本311強震海嘯，摧毀無數的家園，造成重大災難。我們謹以北斗之星舞曲鼓勵我們的日本友人，勇往直前。由千鶴流分家名取千鶴敏秀、千鶴藝、千鶴麗子、蕭春月為大家演出！

第14番 北斗の星、風が走る、雪が舞う、 日本の北の果ての皆さま、地震に負けず、津波に負けず、北斗の星に、がんばれ。どうぞ、ご覧下さい。

第15首 夕陽之戀，期昐愛人夕陽西下時來訪，在詩情畫意的小天地，共譜愛的戀曲。由千鶴流分家名取千鶴桂英為大家演出！

第15番 ゆうすげの戀、ゆうすげは、夜に咲き、朝に散る花、ゆうすげも、命ある花、いつまでも、どこまでも、どうぞ、ご覧下さい。

第16首祝盃，描述宮廷喜慶的場景，佳偶舉杯，共渡吉日良辰。由千鶴流分家名取千鶴蘭、千鶴金鳳為大家演出。

第16番祝盃、お祝いの酒を飲むさかずき、皆さんの家族繁栄を喜ぶ気分にさせる、どうぞ、ご覧下さい。

第17首 響板舞，在日本四國的高知，每年八月初煙火節的重要舞蹈。最早是農民敲打著響板，趕走田裡吃稻子的小鳥，現在是舞者一面敲打著響板，一面舞出節慶的歡樂 。由千鶴流本家及分家十八名舞者共同合力為大家演出！

第17番 よさこい鳴子踴り、よさこい祭りは毎年8月四國の高知市で開催される祭り、老若男女を問わず、楽しく踴り。どうぞ、ご覧下さい。

第18首 女子鬼龍院、描述黑道大姊頭的恩怨情仇，由千鶴流本家師範千鶴松扇，為大家博命演出！

第18番 女の鬼龍院、女だてらと、笑わば笑え、変る世間に、流す涙を誰が知ろ。どうぞ、ご覧下さい。

第19首武田節，描述太陽高照山頭，武田武士上馬出征，以保家衛國為己任，期與日月爭輝。本舞曲漢詩吟唱的部分，引發思古的幽情。由千鶴流分家名取千鶴敏秀、千鶴藝、為大家演出！

第19番武田節、ときこと、風のごとく、うごかざること、山のごとし、どうぞ、ご覧下さい。

第20首 迷戀，描述愛情海的浪漫風情，是千鶴流二代目宗家千鶴美扇之創新舞作，舞法特殊，具有現代風的舞曲。由千鶴流板橋分會家元千鶴春扇擔綱演出，詮釋都會女子的新愛情觀！

第20番 魅せられて、女は海、女は戀、好きな男の腕の中でも、ちがう男の夢を見る。どうぞ、ご覧下さい。

第21首 風流水景色，描述江戶時期的夏夜，與友人一同乘船出遊，享受江邊的花火風情。由千鶴流分家名取千鶴桂英、千鶴金鳳為大家演出！

第21番 風流水景色、赤い提燈、屋形の船が、思い思い出させる、水花火、どうぞ、ご覧下さい。

第22首 胡蝶的花舞台，相信各位貴賓已經迫不及待觀賞日本宗山流家元蝴蝶老師的創新舞作。大変お待たせいたしました。

第22番 胡蝶の花舞台、どうぞ、ご覧下さい。

第23 首壓軸的火炎之舞，由千鶴流萬華分會家元千鶴娥扇為大家精彩演出！

第23番ほのほ、本日の最高の一曲、どうぞ、ご覧下さい。

各位貴賓、各位先進、各位愛好日本舞踴的朋友們，非常感謝大家，今天蒞臨觀賞日本新舞踴千鶴流萬華分會第五回發表會，現在很榮幸再為大家介紹今天參與演出的全部舞者。

皆様、本日の演出はいかがでしょうか。改めて、本日の演出者をご紹介致しましょう。

一排 呂惠玉、陳虹潤、董春香、張云甄、鄭淑華、秦雅琪
二排 賴玉頻、張馥安、劉妍蓁、千鶴慧扇、張秀珊、林庭如、王雅蓮、謝靜慈、蔡佩穎
三排 蕭春月、千鶴蘭、千鶴金鳳、千鶴麗子、千鶴敏秀、千鶴藝、千鶴桂英、千鶴慈
四排 現在出場的是千鶴流本家四位八十高齡以上的舞者，四位十八姑娘一朵花：
千鶴藝扇：每星期從新竹往返台北五個小時，認真學習日本舞。
千鶴吟扇：今天年齡最長者，還是一樣的妖嬌美麗, 愛嬌たぶり。
千鶴松扇：風雨無阻從新竹來台北學舞，今天的獨舞很有女子的大丈夫的氣魄。
千鶴瑞扇：紀ちゃん已經洗腎十二年，上個月才動完大手術，真是令人欽佩。

接著出場的是千鶴流本家師範：千鶴紫妹：千鶴紫月：曾任千鶴流理事長十五年，致力推廣日本舞踴。

接著出場的是千鶴流本家家元：
千鶴春扇：千鶴流板橋分會春扇日本舞踴教室的千鶴春扇老師，也是今天上半場的主持人。
千鶴尹扇：

続きましては、はるばる日本から、千鶴流萬華支會第五回發表會を応援していらっしゃる日本宗山流蝴蝶家元です。皆さん、盛大な拍手でお迎え下さい。蝴蝶先生、素晴らしい日本舞踴を披露して下さって、ありがとうございました。

そして、千鶴流二代目宗家千鶴美扇です。美扇先生は台灣で千鶴流初代宗家の後を継いで、精一杯美しい日本舞踴を教えて下さって、、ありがとうございました。

最後大家熱烈歡迎千鶴流萬華分會第五回發表會的總統籌-千鶴流萬華分會的千鶴娥扇老師。娥扇老師以五年的時間籌劃今天的演出，希望大家喜歡，也請大家多多給我們指教與鼓勵。

再次感謝千鶴流總會與板橋分會的支持，以及遠從日本來台贊助義演的宗山流家元宗山流胡蝶。感謝各位貴賓的掌聲！最後謹祝大家闔家平安，幸福快樂，我們期待再相會！

皆様、本日日本新舞踴千鶴流萬華支會第五回發表會に、ご參加くださり、誠に有り難うございました。また、お會いしましょう！さようなら！

D67 Female Vocals in Place

What a happy singing gathering of D67 female vocals at Grand Toastmasters Club this evening. Ten Toastmasters singers went through two songs to be performed at D67 Spring Conference Party 2011, Saturday evening, April 23rd. Everybody was full of excitements to participate in the special singing event to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Republic of China.

Looking back at D67 Chorus debut performance at the D67 Fall Conference Dinner Party 2009 Saturday evening, November 28th, we are proud with our achievement to increase the number of singing toastmasters in D67, from 20 singing Toastmasters in 2009, to 30 female Toastmasters members in 2011. What an amazing record we made for District 67!

Even though we didn't have much time to rehearse the entire two songs in two parts comprehensively this evening, all singers practiced diligently with the Toastmasters members of their parts, all singers agreed to come to the next rehearsal Thursday evening, April 21st, and singers were committed to perform to the best of their abilities at D67 Spring Confrence 2011.

When Toastmaster Carolian Kiang asked me to organize a group of 100 singers to perform at the opening of the Spring Conference Party, it was a MISSION IMPOSSIBLE to me. How can I make it happen in a short time? How can I recruit 100 Toastmasters to form a "chorus"? How can I leave a good impression of D67 Toastmasters chorus to the singers and to the audience?

Hsin-tien Women Chorus agreed to support the D67 Toastmasters singing event without reservation upon my request. Former District Governors Athena Lien and Marian Hsiao signed up before I opened my mouth. President Erin Ke and members of Grand Toastmasters Club expressed their interest in this once-in-a-life opportunity. Six Golden ladies Toastmasters jumped upon the chance to show the love for the ROC on stage. Many toastmasters members signed up to support the singing activity after they saw the D67 female vocals want ad. I was moved and overwhelmed. A good beginning is half the battle.

I'm sure that the unprecedented opening singing of D67 Spring conference party 2011 will be successful. It will be a historical moment for Taiwanese Toastmasters. I am obliged to all the singers who participate in the ROC 100 celebration singing event. I can't thank them enough for their support and encouragement! I look forward to seeing the wide open eyes of the audience. I look forward to seeing more happy singing Toastmasters in D67.