In order to support Taiwan Railway, Virginia invited her parents, her high school classmate Judy, and me to participate in the first Go Mountain Go Sea Charter Train Cruise today. We left Taipei at 7:50AM, took the coastal railway to Taichung, and took the mountain railway back to Taipei at 7:10PM. It was my first time riding in a charter train, I loved it, free Karaoke bar operated by young and pretty girls, snack lounge served by handsome guys, and first class treatments from train station masters.I didn't sleep well last night, because I was excited to travel a whole day with two beautiful musicians. I brought the complete notes of Chorus of Beethoven's No. 9 Symphony 4th Movement with me today to sing Ode to Joy, one of Beethovens masterpieces together on the charter train. Virginia and Judy could help me with German. They were both educated in Germany when young.
Being busy visiting scenic places along various train stations, including museums, temples, gardens from dawn to dusk, we didn't have time for Beethoven until the last hour of our trip. When Judy encouraged me to read the lyrics of An die Freude in German, I was ready to please Beethoven and Schiller to the best of my ability.
But the moment I opened my mouth, I tickled every funny bone of Virginia and Judy. They just couldn't stop laughing at me and my awkward German. Even Beethoven and Schiller would jump out of their graves and have a good laughter. I felt like a born stand-up comedian, and became instantly recharged to compete at Division H Humorous Speech Contest in October.Am I frustrated that I couldn't pronounce German well, even though I had studied German for three years in college? No, not at all. Am I feeling panic about my singing "Ode to Joy" at the Joint Anniversary Party of Success and Kumamoto Toastmasters Clubs Saturday evening, October 11th? No, not at all. With me, I have an ace in hand, the four parts of Chorus of No. 9 Symphony CD, Toastmaster Masaki Oshiumi sent me in advance so that we can perform the duet together on stage.
I'm determined to make Virginia and Judy proud of me singing Ode to Joy in German. I'm determined to impress Japanese toastmasters with Masaki-san the tenor and me the alto. I'm determined to win a big round of applause from Beethoven and Schiller in heaven. I'm ready to open my mouth and sing, are you all ears? Freude schöner Götterfunken, Tochter aus Elysium ....
2 comments:
Hi, it was fun reading stories about your activities in Toastmasters club over ---- where? This is Jo Liu, President of ASCAP Club in New York.
Congratulations! Our contestant also won the Area 31 Division C District 46 of Eastern Region of USA's Humorous Speech Contest, on Sept. 22.
If you ever visit New York, please be sure to contact me: JLiu@ASCAP.com Our club meets every Friday at noon. Perhaps you can join us in one meeting?
Cheers,
Jo Liu
ASCAP Club
One Lincoln Plaza
NY, NY 10023
New York is one of the three cities I like most in the world, next to Rome and Taipei. If you can make it to Taipei, there are toastmasters clubs in English, Japanese, Mandarin, Taiwanese, Hakka, German, Spanish.
At the moment, I'm still rewriting my humorous speech. It's more like acting in a monologue.
Being also one of Division H evaluation contestants, I'll say it's challenging to evaluate a humorous speech, to provide constructive suggestions in such a short time.
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