Up the Yangtze

By three methods we can learn wisdom: First by reflection, which is noblest; second by imitation, which is easiese; and third by experience, which is the bitterest. ~ Confucius
子曰：「生而知之者，上也；學而知之者，次也；困而學之，又其次也；困而不學，民斯為下矣。」《論語·季氏第十六》

I took my first cross-country cruise on Princess with golden ladies last September. It was such a joyful experience, I made it a plan to aboard a cruise every year, preferably with Toastmasters, say to organize a joint Toastmasters meeting between Japan and Taiwan on Princess. While enjoying the delicious food, we could have plenty time toastmastering.

After watching Up the Yangtzu* directed by Yung Chang (張僑勇), I thought I must board Victoria at least once in my life time, to see the beautiful scenery along Yangtzu River--the longest river in China.

I searched on-line immediately to see how many cruise liners running along Yangtzu. Take Victoria Cruises, there are Victoria Anna, Victoria Grace, Victoria Jenna, Victoria Katarina, Victoria Lianna, Victoria Sophia, and Victoria Selina. I like Victoria Sophia the best, firstly, the Victoria Sophia is the flagship for Victoria's upgraded fleet, secondly, the Chinese name of Victoria Sophia is "the Dipper", last but not the least, Up the Yangtzu was filmed on Victoria Sophia!

The old famous three gorges was replaced by modern Three Gorges Dam completed and fully functional as of July 4, 2012. I wonder what Li Bai** (701-762), the Immortal Poet, would say, if he could get on board of the Victoria. I won't see the three gorges of the past for sure, because they are under the water, but I still want to see the three gorges because of Li Bai.

Remarks:
* 沿江而上榮獲二○○八年金馬獎最佳紀錄片。
** 李白 下江陵  "朝辭白帝彩雲間，千里江陵一日還。 兩岸猿聲啼不盡，輕舟已過萬重山。"

Prison Movies and Books

In order to understand more about prisons, officers, and criminals, I’ve watched at least 20 prison movies in the past two month. Some of them are brutual (The Experiment, Law Abiding Citizen), some of them are touching (The Green Mile, The Longest Yard) , some of them are hilarious (Big Stan).

Gridiron Gang is a touching movie, based on a true story about kids at the Camp Kilpatrick, LA County Probation Department. The supervisor and former football player Sean Porter sees the lack of discipline, self-esteem, union and perspective in the teenage interns and proposes to prepare a football team to play in one league to fill their void. With the support of his superiors, he coaches and leads the kids to become mentally tough by playing football together. His successful experience changes the lives of many young kids at the detention center.

True Notebooks: A Writer's Year at Juvenile Hall by Mark Salzman was touching about juvenile delinquents. Mark taught at a writing class for boys at LA’s Central Juvenile Hall in 1977, a lockup for violent teenage offenders, including thoses charged with murders. The redemptive power of writing gives the boys a chance to come to terms with their crime-ridden pasts and searching for a reason to believe in their future selves.

In the US, the juvenile halls are filled with gangsters kids from minorities, black, hispatic, orientals. In a more homogenous society in Taiwan, the kids at detention centers are mainly from broken families. Likewise in the world, quite a few are gangsters kids.

It is a serendipity to know another dimension of the real world through prison volunteers. I felt blissful when I conducted a book reading of True Notebooks at Taipei City Library Wanhua Branch Saturday morning, May 23rd.

Make a Difference--Prison Volunteers

In less than a week, Toastmasters from District 67 will hold two consecutive demo meetings in Mandarin for prison officers at Taipei Juvenile Detention Center Monday and Tuesday, June 22nd and 23rd. Hopefully the prison volunteers initiatives will be accepted and recognized by the Ministry of Justice, so that prison volunteers can appy the communication and leadership skills they acquire in Toastmasters to help incarcerated people at juvenile detention centers and prisons in Taiwan. Toastmasters don't give up upon themselves, let alone kids at the centers or on the streets.

For juvenile detention centers in Taiwan, we can adopt Youth Leadership Program and we can charter gavel clubs for juveniles. It is not a dream to organize a speech contest for kids at detention centers if we coach them how to organize their thoughts, control their fears and emotions, face failtures, stand up from where they fall, and eventually gain self-esteem. It would be the ultimate goal to organize a speech contest outside the detention centers to give those who once make a wrong choice in life to turn into winners of their own and prove to the outside world that they are worthy and to win respect from family and friends again.

There are now over 100 juveniles incarcerated at Taipei Juvenile Detention Center. They are dividied into four classes, including one for girls and one for high-risk offenders. Like all juvies around the world, many incarcerated juveniles have mental retardation, learning disabilities, and emotional disturbances. For more information about the surroundings of Taipei Juvenile Detention Center, please see the mircofilm produced by Taipei Juvenile Detention Center.

In American criminal justice systems a youth detention center, also known as a juvenile detention center (JDC), juvenile hall or, more colloquially as juvy, is a secure residential facility for young people, often termed juvenile delinquents, awaiting court hearings and/or placement in long-term care facilities and programs. Juveniles go through a separate court system, the juvenile court, which sentences or commits juveniles to a certain program or facility. There are 120,000 juveniles incarcerated in detention centers across the United States. Upon release, 75% will either retrun to prison or die on the street.

Toastmasters training is proven to reduce recidivism in the US. Let's join hands to help incarcerated juveniles and adults learn communication and leadership skills in Toastmasters and become better persons in the society.

China Toastmasters Club's 30th Anniversary

Golden ladies were invited to China Toastmasters Club's 30th Anniversary to perform Mamma Mia Parody Saturday evening, June 13th.

MC: We are about to see a grand show by sexy and spicy golden ladies. Please turn on the flash lights of your smart phones. I give you "Mamma Mia Parody".

Lights off~

Daughter (singing from the back of the hall): I have a dream, a song to sing, to help me cope with anything. If you see the wonder of a fairy tale, you can take the future even if you fail. I believe in angels, something good in everything I see (walking on stage). I have a dream, a song to sing!

Lights on~ (Golden standing on stage in position)

Daughter: I'm getting married. Mamma mia is so excited to invite all her best friends to my wedding party. They have a song to sing, Super Trouper.

Mamma Mia and Friends (Singing and Dancing): Super Trouper beams are gonna blind me, but I won't feel blue, like I always do, 'cause somewhere in the crowd there's you. I was sick and tired of everything when I called you last night from Glasgow, all I do is eat and sleep and sing, wishing every show was the last show (Wishing every show was the last show). So imagine I was glad to hear you're coming (Glad to hear you're coming), suddenly I feel all right (And suddenly it's gonna be), and it's gonna be so different when I'm on the stage tonight. Tonight the Super Trouper lights are gonna find me, shining like the sun (Sup-p-per Troup-p-per), smiling, having fun (Sup-p-per Troup-p-per), feeling like a number one. Tonight the Super Trouper beams are gonna blind me, but I won't feel blue (Sup-p-per Troup-p-per) like I always do (Sup-p-per Troup-p-per), 'cause somewhere in the crowd there's you.

Daughter: Yes, I do, I do, I do. I found the secret diary of Mamma Mia. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, five romatic evenings with five gentlemen. (Five gentlemen* with masks on walking on stage) They all want to give me away together. Mamma Mia, I thank you for your love. Please pursue your dream from now on. Let's give a warm round of applause to welcome Mamma Mia to perform Mamma Mia.

Mamma Mia and Friends (Singing and Dancing): I been cheated by you since I don't know when, so I made up my mind, it must come to an end. Look at me now, will I ever learn? I don't know how but I suddenly lose control. There's a fire within my soul. Just one look and I can hear a bell ring. One more look and I forget everything. Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Mamma mia (Daughter and Fathers with masks on clapping hands), here I go again. My my, how can I resist you? Mamma mia (Daughter and Fathers with masks on clapping hands) , does it show again. My my, just how much I've missed you? Yes, I've been brokenhearted, blue since the day we parted. Why, why did I ever let you go? Mamma mia (Daughter and Fathers with masks on clapping hands) , now I really know. My my, I could never let you go.

Ending Pose, Group Photo~

Remarks:
* Originally, Mamma Mia Parody was to mock past District 67 Governors in a funny way, George B.(ush) (Yen), Eric C.(lapton) (Liang), Mike J.(ackson) (Yang), Harry F.(onda) (Fong) would be called upon, but we cancelled the scene to make the show as smoothly as possible. The musical turned out to be a blast with the full support of the audience. The silvery A-Go-Go costumes of the 70's were stunning! Five gentlemen were called upon at the last minute to wear masks to hide their identities. They added much fun and mysteries to make Mamma Mia Parody another memorable and successful performance of golden ladies!