Over 60

I'm yet to be 60, three more years to go, before I reach the age of Hua-ja, a cycle of sixty years in traditional Chinese reckoning.

Oh, my God! I was in shock when I stepped on the digital weight at the pharmacy this morning. It read 60.1. Just in one month without overseeing my weight by stepping on the weight on daily basis, my weight soars up beyond 60. I knew I was putting on weight for the past month because I didn't control the uptake of calories. But, over 60 kilograms! I am overwhelmed! I must take action now. I must start a diet plan at once. I must reduce five kilograms in two months.

However, it's not going to be easy. Look at my agenda full of spring wine parties till the end of February. Before the end of year of rabbit, I attended wedding banquets and year end parties every other evening. After the beginning of year of dragon, I'm going to spring wine parties and birthday parties one after another.

Chinese are fond of eating gatherings. In a boisterous eating gathering, that's all life is about for Chinese, to celebrate with family and friends with good food! At the dinner table of love and laughter, we share, we enjoy, we enrich our senes with new tastes, nes smells, and new textures. I love it!

Isn't it better live to eat than eat to live? But, in order to live well, I need to eat well to contain my body weight below 60!

Women of the World

Po-tzu is full of foreign brides, mainly from Vietnam, a few from China and Indonesia. Brides from China assimilate into the local community easily because of the language. Brides from Vietnam often gather in a small group to chat at a local Vietnamese beauty salon. I assume they share their experiences about housekeeping and children education.

I visited a beauty shop in Pu-tzu to have manicure and pedicure this morning, and to know about the Vietnamese brides. While Ah-er worked on my nails, I intruded their women's small talk in Vietnamese by asked questions. Ah-er is a beautician with an artistic sense. She started her small business of a beauty shops after she married to an old Taiwanese man. She has a 10 year old son. She also runs rotating savings and credit associations (ROSCA) for her neighbors and friends.

During one and a half hours of manicure and pedicure with Ah-er, I was amazed at these young and beautiful Vietnamese brides. They are good at reproduction. All of them have kids in schools. They either work at the factories or open their shops of specialties (eatery, grocery store, beauty parlor) to take root in a new society they call home.

At home, the Indonesian maid Eni becomes a close friend. We chat day and night just about everything during the Chinese New Year. My mother-in-law stays in bed most of the time. She doesn't say a word. As the only daughter-in-law at home, I listen to Eni's stories, her marriages, her son, her dream. Eni also compares the pros and cons of staying at a nursing home and staying home with domestic helper. In a small global village of Pu-tzu, I can reach out to women of the world.

Auspicious Chinese New Year Dishes

Except for breakfast, Eni asked me what to prepare for lunch and for dinner everyday during the Chinese New Year holidays. It is challenging to feed six adults with traditional Chinese New Year dishes for a week (my father-in-law lives on liquid preparation, Eni is Muslim). It's tempting and exciting to invent new year dishes with ingredients from the vegetable garden in the front yard.

The first day of the first month of year of dragon falls on Monday, January 23rd. Three weeks before the Chinese New Year, I mailordered three dishes from 7-11, including the stewed pork knuckles, steamed glutinous rice, lamb chop pot. I ate them all before the Chinese New Year. I didn't place another order to bring home for the new year gathering, because I know I can make better new year dishes.

On New Year's Eve, supper is a feast with families. As the chef of the house, I followed the tradition to make a huge communal hot pot surrounded with silver coins to signify the family reunion. We have raw meat (chicken, beef), seafood (squib and sea cucumber), vegetables (crown daisy from the garden) for the hot pot. We had fish (the surplus of the year). We had two kinds of fried rice cakes (to advance toward higher positions and prosperity step by step).

For the third CNY Eni stayed with us, I finally learned how to make her favorite Indonesian dish, sambal goreng teri (Spicy salted anchovy with peanuts and bean curds). Eni gave me a big jar of sambal goreng teri to bring home to share with my friends at Spring Wine Parties in Taipei.

Red Envelops

At 8:30 in the morning, I waited in line with my husband and our Indonesian maid Eni in front of Pei-tien Temple to collect red envelops from the government officials. I asked the policemen who kept the order, how big red envelop I could get, NT$200, NT$20, NT$10? He didn't know and I was curious!

The moment I received the red envelop from Ms. Chang Hwa-Kuan, Chia-yi County Magistrate, I opened it. It was a NT$5 coin attached to a new year card of year of dragon. Why five dollars in stead of two dollars? Number 5 is auspicious in Japan, because of the pronunciation of 5 in Japanese "Go". "Go" means luck or fortune in Japanese. Japanese people worship in the temples by donating five yens.

Better five than two, in terms of amount and value of a red envelop! In addition to the red envelop, I also had a couple of photos taken with Ms. Chang Hwa-Kuan, Chia-yi County Magistrate, and with Chen Ming-wen, the newly elected legislator from Chia-yi. It was the first time in my life to meet all big heads in Chia-yi on the second day of the Chinese New Year.

The second day of the Chinese New Year is for the married daughters to visit their birth parents, relatives and close friends. Even I was born in Chia-yi, my family moved to Taipei before I got married. I haven't followed the tradition to return home on the second day of the Chinese New Year since I got married to avoid the traffic jam on the freeway.

My husband gave me a red envelop on New Year Eve. I gave Eni a red envelop on New Year Eve. It is auspicious to receive red envelops from the elderly. It is fortunate to give away red envelops to the youngsters. I put the red envelops beneath my pillow during the Chinese New Year to wish for a prosperous year to come.

Never Give Up

The first day of Year of Dragon falls upon the World Freedom Day in Taiwan. On January 23rd, 1954, 22,000 ex-communist war prisoners of the Korean War (1950–1953) arrived at Keelung harbor. The Republic of China (ROC) government honored these soldiers to fight communist expansion worldwide by declaring January 23 the World Freedom Day.

After the Chinese Exclusion Act (1882-1943), the Red Scare (1947-1957) targeted at thousands of Chinese in the US. In 1949, anti–communist fear, and fear of American traitors, was aggravated by the Chinese Communists winning the Chinese Civil War against the Western-sponsored Kuomintang, their founding of the People's Republic of China, and later Chinese intervention in the Korean War against U.S. ally South Korea.

The Red Scare in the US turned into the White Scare in Taiwan. During that anti-communist period of time, thousands of Taiwanese and Mainlander elites were interrogated, sentenced to death secretly, or kept in prison on Green Island for decades. The White Scare breaks the hearts of people in Taiwan till now.

Being a woman, I feel lucky to be born in modern Taiwan. I can vote, I can be voted, I I can shoulder responsibilities in Toastmasters and in societies, I can realize my dream without any gender obstacles. I have every reason to exert my effort to live to the fullest of my life.

I lost one of my mini faux orange flowers on my dark Crocs while collecting the pumpkins and corns in the family farm along Po-tzu River. I thought it would take me forever to find it in the vast land, but to my surprise, I found it at my footstep before I reached the pumpkins farm. I was glad that I didn't give up looking for it. Now I have a story to tell whenever I see the orange flower on my Crocs.

With six big pumpkins I collected, I developed many exciting pumpkin recipes, pumpkin soup, pumpkin pie, macaroni pumpkin cheese, pumpkin fries for the Chinese new year holidays. It is auspicious to start the prosperous year of dragon with golden pumpkins and a lost and found Jibbitz orange flower on the trail.

Adventurous Aging

I don't know skiing, I don't know skating, I don't know surfing. I attempted the snake board on Chinese New Year Eve.

When I saw my little niece propelled the snake board in any direction by standing her left foot on the board, moved both feet in and out on snake board, I didn't hesitate to give it a try. But, I couldn't find the balance with the help of two adults. I tried to stand my left foot on the footplate, I fell hard, first on my hips and then on my head, BANG! A huge lump immediately developed after my head hit the marble floor. It hurt!

A snake board evolves from the skateboard, brings with elements of snowboards & surfboards. A snake board has two pivoting footplates attached at each end. Wheels are attached to the footplates to move in 360 degrees.

I have another new year resolution for year 2012, to learn skiing, to learn skating, to learn surfing. I wish I could stand on the moving board firmly to perform spins and somersaults. Am I too old to be ambitious?

Acting Your Age

I don't know skiing, I don't know skating, I don't know surfing. I attempted the snake board on Chinese New Year Eve.

My little distant niece was excited to show off her newly bought snake board. She showed us how to propel the snake board in any direction by standing her feet on the board. She moved her feet in and out on the snake board, the LED lighting on two wheels beneath the board flashed like two fire balls.

I was eager to get on the board, to get the feeling of what it was like to have two wheels under my soles. It was hard for me to find the balance on the board with the help of two adults. I felt like a giant from Brobdingnag, too big to move an inch.

In order to demonstrate my courage, in front of my husband, I tried to stand my left foot on the footplate on my own, no sooner than later, I fell hard, first on my hips, and then on my head, BANG! A huge lump immediately developed after my head hit the marble floor. Ouch, it hurt! I was amazed at how fast my head reacted to the sudden stroke! It was like a golden dumpling falling out of the blue on my head on the Chinese New Year eve.

A snake board evolves from the skateboard, brings with elements of snowboards & surfboards. A snake board has two pivoting footplates attached at each end. Wheels are attached to the footplates to move in 360 degrees.

In year 2012, I have a plan, to stand on a moving snake board firmly to perform spins and somersaults. I shall wrap myself well with the helmet, knees protective gears. Am I too old to dream, to be adventurous?

One Year Old

I like Chinese New Year! What a treat it is to leave behind the hustle and bustle city life in Taipei for a week of New Year holidays to embrace the farm life in sunny southern Taiwan. On my way home from Taipei to Chia-yi on the highway, I thought of the old days visiting friends afar for Christmas in the US.

After marrying my husband from Po-tzu, a small town in Chia-yi county, for 26 years, I feel excited to go home to see my parents-in-laws, my extended relatives, and to see what happened to two jars of star fruits I preserved at the beginning of Year of Rabbit.

The star fruit tree in the front yard grows many star fruits in winter, too many to be absorbed by the family members. As the star fruit juice is good for the vocal cord and throat of a singer like me, I collected all green star fruits on the tree, sliced them, preserved them with sugar in two big jars.

The star fruit juice turned into star fruit wine, to my delight. My friends will be happy about it, because I shall bring three bottles of star fruit wine to the Spring Wine gatherings with Toastmasters and friends. The star fruit slices from the jars are dried in the sun to make star fruit jerky for desserts.

Before the end of New Year holidays, I shall collect the star fruits on the tree, make another big jar of star fruit juice and wait the magic to happen in 365 days at the end of Year of Dragon.

Voice of Taipei

We held a celebration luncheon at Bi Luo Chun in Hsin-tien at noon, Teacher Wu and five students. Wu was very pleased with the New Year Concert and invited us for a gathering at her favorite teahouse. I brought the prototype concert DVD made by Daniel Wu. Everybody was eager to receive a copy of the concert DVD. As Wu insisted on paying for the meal, five of us gave her a red envelope in return.

I feel extremely fortunate to make friends with singers at Our Lady of Providence Community College after learning the classic Chinese Jazz songs with Wu for three months. We build the solidarity among us especially after the new year concert at Cardinal Tien Hospital. It's beneficial to organize an event to involve teacher, classmates, and friends. We all decide to continue the singing class if Wu agrees to teach us for another semester.

Unlike most classmates who are frequent patrons of karaoke where they can hone their singing skills, I'm reluctant to go to the noisy karaoke to share the stage with strangers. But, I was convinced by Chien-ron this afternoon that there are a few quality karaokes in Taipei. She shared with me her secret list of karaokes in Taipei and I plan to visit them all in year 2012.

The first time I heard Chien-ron sing at class, I was impressed by her voice quality, her impeccable articulation of the lyrics, and her singing demeanor. Chien-ron goes to Karaoke every afteroon to practice singing. She meets many singers and amateur singers at the karaokes in Taipei. She knows many interesting stories about the karaoke culture in Taipei. I become curious!

Chien-ron made up her mind to sing at age of 50. When her husband asked her what her dream was and what she wished to accompany in her golden years, Chien-ron thought singing would be the answer. She didn't waste time looking for good singing teachers to help her with vocalization, and she didn't hesitate to go to karaokes to polish her singing skills, she is realizing her dream. Her time and efforts in the past 3 years pay off. She is happy with her voice and she has many singers friends.

Karaoke was not on my new year resolutions on new year eve. But I make my year of dragon resolutions before the end of year of rabbit, January 22nd. I want to visit six recommended karaokes in Taipei after the Chinese New Year. I want to explore the karaoke subculture in Taipei. I want to know more about voice in Taipei!

Excellence is a Habit

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. ~ Aristotle

Daniel Wu and I spent more than one hour at Starbucks Cafe' this afternoon, talking about producing the DVD of New Year Concert of early Chinese Jazz songs, including the contents, the delivery, the opening, the closing, and the acknowledgement. I was eager to produce a quality DVD both entertaining and educational with some storytelling of the old Shanghai in addition to the live performance of 18 singers.

Daniel Wu was invited to film our New Year Concert at the Cardinal Tien Hospital Wednesday morning. After the concert, he refused to produce any DVD because he was short of time at first. But he called me yesterday afternoon and we talked about the concert, he decided to work with me. He must have been moved by my enthusiasm and determination to make a good concert and a good concert DVD.

Arranging and filming a concert is one thing, making a concert DVD afterwards is another. Both of them are challenging and demanding. Before the New Year Concert, I rewrote the concert program for God knows how many times. Now I think of the concert DVD day and night to make it a piece of video art work for family and friends, and for myself.

Yes, I'm enthusiastic about the popular Jazz period in Shanghai in the first half of the 20th century. I read many books about the international residents in colonial Shanghai between the 20's and 40's, written by Americans, Jews, and Chinese. I'm always mesmerized by the vitality and diversity of the city--Paris in the Orient.

Daniel sent me several files of old photos of Shanghai in the 19th and 20th centuries late in the evening. I'm grateful to him for providing me with more ideas to produce a quality concert DVD and I have better plans for New Year concerts in the years to come.

One more thing, Daniel and I exchange emails in English, it's nice we can communicate with the same language and we can see things from similar perspectives. It looks like I might be able to charter an English speaking Toastmasters Club in Hsin-tien if I know more people like Daniel, from a stranger to a friend and/or a Toastmaster!

Taiwan Presidential Election 2012

According to the Central Election Commission, the presidential election voter rate for 2012 was 74%, the lowest voter turnout since Taiwan's first direct presidential elections in 1996.

I was not eager to vote, because I was disappointed with President Ma Ying-jeou of the Kuomintang (KMT). I could not trust Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen of the Democratic Progressive Party(DPP). I saw no future for Chairman James Soong of People First Party(PFP). But I did vote, to fulfill my responsibility as a citizen of Taiwan.

I was happy with the party election result; KMT has 5,863,379 votes (44.5465%), DPP has 4,556,526 votes (34.6178%), Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) has 1,178,896 votes (8.9566%), and PFP has 722,089 votes (5.486%). As parties with more than 5% of the total votes have the right to seats in the legislative yuan, four parties are in the legislative yuan. It is a victory of the minorities of the Taiwanese people.

I feel sorry for New Party because KMT didn't support its alliance. To my surprise, DPP helped TSU win three seats at the legislative yuan. PFP gained two seats because Chairman James Soong participated in the presidential election. I anticipate a legislative yuan of more voices and better quality in the coming four years.

The Quality of Concert Pays Off

It was a shock to know that a few singers complained about the cost sharing of New Year Concert held at Cardinal Tien Hospital yesterday morning. They should have said it earlier, and I would have arranged other singers to replace them. None is irreplaceable these days! You can't have your cake and eat it too!

I knew it would happen, therefore I made it clear more than once that all singers paid for their singing opportunities on stage. Isn't it fair that the expenditure a group concert be shared by all participants on stage? Of course, I would anticipate the voices of objection to pay and I could understand why some singers complained, because it was much more expensive to sing on stage at a concert than at a karaoke.

As the planner and organizer of the concert, I'm reluctant to refund the monetary donation or contribution, so to speak, to those who were not willing to pay. Why would people want to take advantage of others who paid the cost according to the game rules? I should have signed contracts with singers beforehand, and there would not be any complaints. I learn a lesson that it is important to write everything done in agreement on paper.

Of course, we could have contained the expendiure by not using an audio company to provide the sound track service, but then it might not be a concert in the end. And Cardinal Tien Hospital wouldn't have given us so much support! And we wouldn't have had a pleasant and successful concert!

Looking back at the amount of time I spent on preparing the concert program, arranging rehearsals, making powerpoint presentation, I was not regretful, I did my job well, and I learned a great deal about the classic Chinese songs between 20s and 40s. If I would be given another chance, I would make the same decision. Because it is my belief that people on stage are obliged to the audience, complaints aside.

Do I feel sorry for those who fail to keep their promise? Yes, indeed. But look at people around us, many don't have jobs, many can't make their ends meet. I can't help but worrying about what is wrong with the the economic situation domestically and globally. Hopefully, the year of dragon will bring about a prosperous and happy year for all!

New Year Concert of Mandopop of 30s~40s

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way. ~Charles Dickens(1812 - 1870), A Tale of Two Cities~

Learning by singing is a way to understand the lives in the early period of the Republic of China (ROC). Being in charge of the the New Year Concert of Mandopop of 30s to 40s, I was contented to produce a chamber concert of quality and success for 100 people at Cardinal Tien Hospital in Hsin-tien Wednesday morning, January 11th. It was the first ever. And I hope I can produce bigger and better New Year Concerts at Cardinal Tien Hospital in the years to come.

When the music played in air, together we transcent back to the new era of Chinese Republic between 30s and 40s. We lived again in the splendor days in the most glamorous and versatile city in China, Shanghai--the Pearl of the Orient. We listened to the beautiful songs of the childhood of our parents, and we were connected to the people in the best and worst of times in modern Chinese history.

吳萍康師生新春演唱會
民國風華─經典老歌大家唱
崇光、文山、內湖社大經典老歌班聯合演出

地點：天主教耕莘醫院E棟十四樓E1教室
地址：新北市新店區中正路362號
時間：民國101年1月11日（星期三）上午十點至十二點

時間 曲目 原唱者 演唱者
10:00-10:02 歡迎詞 林恆毅副院長 耕莘醫院
10:02-10:04 祝賀詞 吳治香主任秘書 崇光社大
10:04-10:06 經典老歌簡介 吳萍康老師 崇光文山內湖
10:06-10:10 桃花江 姚 莉 開場大合唱 崇光文山內湖
10:10-10:15 天倫歌 吳萍康老師 崇光文山內湖
10:15-10:20 我有一段情 吳鶯音 梁玉春 文山社大
10:20-10:25 斷腸紅 吳鶯音 趙瑞芬 文山社大
10:25-10:30 何必相逢 吳鶯音 李向慈 崇光社大
10:25-10:30 月圓花好 周 璇 鄧紀屏 文山社大
10:35-10:40 春之晨 周 璇 葉玉嬌 內湖社大
10:35-10:40 夜上海 周 璇 鄒建輝、林彩紅、李向慈、陳惠娟 崇光內湖
10:40-10:45 五月的風 周 璇 孫茜蓉 崇光社大
10:45-10:50 情人的眼淚 潘秀瓊 陳瑛慈 內湖社大
10:45-10:50 我是浮萍一片 白 光 金 玲 內湖社大
10:50-10:55 天邊一朵雲 白 光 高沛麗、孫惠英、金 玲 文山內湖
10:55-11:00 採西瓜 姚 莉 吳萍康老師 崇光文山內湖
11:00-11:05 秦淮河畔 姚 莉 孫茜蓉 崇光社大
11:05-11:10 春去春又回 甄 妮 彭淑宏 文山社大
11:10-11:15 滿江紅 朱成奎 文山社大
11:15-11:20 小時候 李香蘭 曾武雄 崇光社大
11:20-11:25 恨不相逢未嫁時李香蘭 陳惠娟 崇光社大
11:25-10:30 十里洋場 李香蘭 孫惠英 文山社大
11:40-11:45 秋水伊人 龔秋霞 許金星 內湖社大
11:45-11:50 合家歡 周 璇 全體大合唱 崇光文山內湖
11:50-12:00 謝幕＆大合照

After the concert, Grace Chen invited me for afternoon coffee at Chosen Coffee at the lobby of Cardinal Tien Hospital to share our afterthoughts about the concert. We had a check list to evaluate if our concert is of quality, for instance, performers, venue, audio sound track, lighting. We were pleased with our audience. They were properly attired. They observed the house rules. They applaused at the right time to cheer up the performers.

An octogenarian lady sat at the next table at Chosen Coffee, overheard our conversation. She told us she knew all the classic Chinese jazz songs we sang at the concert, but she didn't know there was a concert. (Obviously, I should have worked harder to promote the concert.) She asked us how I went through the red tape and bureaucracy to give a concert at a teaching hospital. After I told her all the details, the octogenarian lady frowned her forehead and replied that she would not do it if she were in my shoes—too many headaches.

At the beginning of year 2012, I am contented that I made it happen, the New Year Concert of early Chinese jazz songs, for 18 singers classmates, for the community in Hsin-tien, and for myself. I shall have a story to tell for a long time. And I shall continue to explore many interesting stories for my autobiography when I am an octogenarian.

Shanghai Girls

I'm getting excited about the coming concert of Chinese classic songs at Cardinal Tien Hospital in Hsin-tien Wednesday morning, January 11th. Why is that? I'm one of the singers and I'm the person in charge of the whole event, from arranging the program to making the accompanying powerpoint presentation.

Starting from August last year, I began the weekly singing class at Lady of Providence Community College in Hsin-tien Thursday afternoons. For the past three months, I was eager to attend the three hours class to listen to Professor Wu's beautiful voice interpreting classic Chinese songs, I had a great time listening to Professor Wu talking about the best old times of the music and entertaining world in Shanghai--the Paris in the Orient.

The moment I saw "Shanghai Girls" by Lisa See on the book shelf of new arrivals at Taipei Library, I couldn't wait to borrow it to leaf through the entire book to know more about the old and mysterious Shanghai. Shanghai Girls takes place between 1937 and 1957. The era belongs to my mother!

I was amazed at Lisa's broad and extenstive knowledge and research work about the Chinese tradition, life, culture, and languages. I like Shanghai Girls for another reason, Lisa used the Wade-Giles system of transliteration for Chinese words in Shanghai Girls, which is more familar than Pinying to people in Taiwan, to baby boomers of my age (born in 1955) in Taiwan, to be exact.

The dress rehearsal was a success this afternoon. All participants took turns to sing on stage. Every singer was lifted up to break a leg at the New Year Concert at Cardial Tien Hospital in Hsin-tien Wednesday morning. Just come join us to have fun!