Beautiful Sunday

I had a strange sweet dream. Kiminari waited for me at the end of the long red-carpet aisle to exchange vows, Takaaki took a diamond ring from his pocket, Toshiaki gave me a red rose, Steve sang "I don't want to sleep alone", and Masaki held my hand tightly. I was exhausted when I arrived home at seven o'clock, Sunday evening, October 12th. I took a short nap and immediately I started flying in the sky, I turned into Donna Sheridan in Mamma Mia Musical, I was in love with them all around me!

National Palace Museum
I like Chinese calligraphy. Thanks to Japanese toastmasters, I had the opportunity to see the 40 days special exhibition of Chinese calligraphy from October 10th to November 20th at the National Palace Museum. I was thrilled to view a few master pieces of Wang Hsi-chih (303-361), the "Sage of Calligraphy" in Chinese history, with toastmasters friends from afar.

It is hard to believe that from the 3rd century, Chinese calligraphy witnessed the maturation of various script forms, regular, running, and cursive scripts. I was impressed by the scholar calligraphers who pursued the forms of writing to achieve a realm of utmost beauty and perfection in calligraphy. In stead of writing with brushes, I spend most of the day in front of the desktop, tapping the keyboard. Time has changed, for the better?

Taipei Astronomical Museum
At a quarter past twelve, we arrived at Taipei Astronomical Museum, not to study Astronomy, but for lunch, It was the first time I ate at the huge and spacious Hunan Restaurant downstairs. It can accommodate at least five hundred people, mainly the tourists from all over Taiwan as well as abroad.

We were divided into three tables with each table eight members. I sat with three female members from Kumamoto Club and right in the middle of Toastmasters Azuma and Miyajima. While savoring the delicious Hunan cuisine, we didn't waste a single second. A warm up tabletopics session was held for two contestants, Toastmasters Miyajima and Noritomi, at the coming Division E Tabletopics Contest this Saturday, October 18th. Toastmaster Azuma was the timer. He used all kinds of colorful vegetables to indicate the time, green, yellow, red pepper, just to name a few. After the intensive training of eight table topics, I'm not surprised that Miyajima or Noritomi would claim the crown.

The differences between "H" and "K"
I didn't know that I had difficulties pronouncing consonants H and K till today. After the heated tabletopics luncheon, I volunteered myself to be the Karaoke master and introduced the background of Fort San Domingo as soon as we got on the charter bus to the Little White House.

I was puzzled why he said, "Yes, I do I do I do I do", when I invited Toastmaster Azuma "to translate (honyaku)" for me. Everybody was joyful to hear I say "to marry (konyaku) me". Then Azuma invited everybody to attend our wedding ceremony at the Little White House and thanked everybody for the big red envelope.

When we arrived at the Fisherman Wharf, I told Toastmaster Inuzuka that the best place to see the sunset (夕日 Yuuhi) is on top of the Rainbow Bridge, but he thought I was talking about courage (勇気 Yuuki). Through the consecutive two mistakes, I learned that I should pay attention to my h consonant when I speak Japanese in the future.

An Encounter with a Pink Lady Pig
At five thirty Sunday afternoon, the deck of Fisherman's wharf was packed with strollers to enjoy the famous Tamshui sunset and cool sea breeze, why not? I was among four senior toastmasters members, Alex Hsiao, George Liang, Toshiaki Kishikawa and Masaki Oshiumi. Guess what? The moment we ran into an unusual pet, a pink lady pig, dressed up elegantly, she approached us with delight. Her family gave us her food, let us play the hide and seek game with her, and took several photos of us. It was the first time I fed and held a pig in my arms. I didn't have the time to inquire of the owners why they would have a pig for a pet. But, being a Chinese, I just couldn't help thinking how the pink lady pig would taste immediately after we left her in the sunset.

A Serendipitous Recruitment of Potential Toastmasters from India
Michelle Chen of Innovative Club and I said goodbye to toastmasters from Japan when we arrived at MRT Tamshui Station. It was a serendipity that we stood next to three young and smart PhD students in Physics at Academia Sinica. I broke the ice first and five of us started talking and exchanging ideas non-stop about language, culture, life in India and Taiwan from Tamshui to Taipei. Michelle recommended NLFD (National Laboratory of Food and Drugs) Toastmasters Club to them because of the geography proximity between NLFD and Academia Sinica as well as the similarities of their research interests. It would be simply wonderful if Michelle and I could recruit all three into our Toastmasters family.

My husband woke me up and asked me if I'd like to have a hot bath with him. I was back to my everyday life again. But the melody of Beautiful Sunday will linger...

Sunday morning, up with the lark
I think I'll take a walk in the park
Hey, hey, hey, it's a beautiful day

Hi, hi, hi, beautiful Sunday
This is my, my, my, beautiful day
When you say, say, say, say that you love me
Oh, my, my, my it's a beautiful day