As usual, Japanese Toastmasters flew in Friday evening, to have the mouth watering Peking duck dinner at 一條龍 in Xi-men District to start their year end journey in Taipei. 一條龍 is one of the few restaurants which offer traditional and authentic Peking (royal) cuisine. I have been a regular patron since my childhood. After dinner, we went to 饒河 Night Market via Wu-fen-pu 五分埔 where young people shopped for clothes and accessories. It was the first time I visited Wu-fen-pu, I felt in love at the first time. I shall certainly pay another lengthy visit soon in the future to hunt for treasures. At the night market, we enjoyed various traditional Taiwanese desserts, including the almond drink, Hujiao bing, ice cream, barbecue mushroom, just to mention a few. I didn't make it to the last joint meeting of Japanese speaking Toastmasters clubs and welcome dinner party for Japanese Toastmasters Saturday. Because I had a concert at a nursing home in the afternoon, and I had a Russian Dance Performance at Division H X'mas Party in the evening.
Sunday was the Marathon day. Every year, I thought about taking the challenge to run a mini-marathon of 3 kilometers around Taipei 101. Every year I procrastinated! This year I also had excuses! I needed to go to the Pharmacists Association to vote Sunday morning.
In the afternoon, I performed the complete set of sevillanas of four individual dances: Primera, Segunda, Tercera and Cuarta at the Falla Flamenco X'mas Party. Four Toastmasters came see my performance. I also attempted Habanera from Bizet Carmen with the accompany of a cello. It was a success. I wowed the full house of flamenco dancers. Hopefully I passed the audition to seize a post to sing on stage with Falla Flamenco dancers at Hero Culture Center in June 2012!
1:30 Dress Rehearsal; 3:15 Opening Falla 范德梁 Cello Solo; Sevillanas 向慈 珮霞 陶陶 伊妘; Sevillanas 書妤 若涵 扇子版; Carmen 姵君 敏敏; Garootin 美嫻 淑慧; Fandango 蕙玲 玲玲; Sevillanas 雅玲 小葳; Alegrias 珮霞; 4:00 Intermission; 4:15 LIVE: Tangos 美儀 欣萍 櫻芬; Guajirs 頌瑾 瑞霜 庭郡; Tientos 幼玲 郁珊; Guajiras 旻宜 倩佩; Tangos 佩玲 玉葉 ; Gantina 馨茹 潔婷; Solea 純純.
In the evening, we had dinner at 大隠酒食小飲私廚 James Kitchen, a Taiwanese style Izakaya on Yun-kang Street. It was located in a secluded area, but I didn't have any difficulties finding it. I was the first one to arrive. After I was guided up to the attic of tatami, I took out the case of reading glasses in my bag. It was empty inside. I couldn't recall when I left my reading glasses, maybe at the Falla Arts Center. Without glasses, I couldn't read, of course. As I was not used to sitting seiza on tatami for a long time, so I got up to stretch with a solo flamenco dance. When Japanese Toastmasters arrived from their trip taking Mau-kung gondora, the boisterous nomikai began. James Kitchen offered a array of delicious appetizers for starters. We drank merrily without reservation. It must have been more than a dozen bottles of Taiwanese beer in total. I never missed the drinking party with Japanese Toastmasters, because it was simply joyful to drink with Japanese Marathon runners of energy and spirit. Let's toast for the wonderful year of 2011! Kanbai!
In 2012, Toastmaster Watanabe Yoshihito agrees to lead another group of marathon runners to my flamenco dance performance at Falla Arts Center and have dinner at my brother's place. In return, I shall get up early to run a 3 kilos marathon, and to lead a group of cheerleaders to stand by the street to cheer up the marathon runner Toastmasters from Japan! Banbare!
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