The biggest and most exciting event, Goldies' Tour to ShangHai, was finally finalized. Over past two months we talked about the tour back and forth numerous times through e-mail and at the gatherings. Now what we need to do is packing and waiting.
Totally five of us; Lydia, Linda, Sherry, Pamela and I, will go on the trip. Actually Pamela is currently staying in ShangHai and waiting for us there. Three weeks to go, and I am counting the day! This is the first time I visit China, so happy that I'll make my first trip with my goldies friends.
Sightseeing, food, meeting T/Ms in ShangHai and having ChiPaos tailor made are the major
programs in our mind now. If possible, we will perform our clogging there, too. The utmost concern is having fun.
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2009年5月31日 星期日
2009年5月30日 星期六
A Date with Taipei Hwa Kang Arts School 華岡藝校
Everything in the universe has rhythm. Everything dances.- Maya AngelouDance is one of the greatest joy in the world to me. When dancing to the music I just wish time never ends. Whether I have this talent of not, I don’t know, nor do I care. I simply love the feelings of excitement and contentment putting my whole body and soul into dance. Without music and dance, how colorless our lives can be! I feel depressed often times realizing that it become the most luxurious hobby to me as how on earth I can find the time I need to dance with so much obligation in me?
Lydia likes dance, too and has the talent. What I envy her most is that she has all her time to enjoy dancing. Thanks to Lydia, I spent tonight at 城市舞台 , Taipei Culture Center. It was also a date with 華崗藝校。 I used to think it’s easy for students to enter Taipei Hwa Kang Arts School. Most people have a certain kind of art talent. After seeing the performance of all the student dancers, my impression changed.
How much time they had invested and efforts they had made to bring the audience such a fabulous night? Their instructors/teachers must have gone through a hardship, too, to make it happen. I can’t remember their names, but believe Lydia can help provide us with the information. Throughout the performance, every detail was skillfully taken care of. The smooth flow and transition created a kind of tranquil in the audience.
The theme of the performance is “Four seasons”. The whole program was presented in eight segments in both Chinese and western styles and technique. The sentiments and thoughts were expressed through their bodies, choreography, costumes and stage effect. It was a remarkable achievement especially thinking that they are just students. It truly reflects the quote: In life as in the dance: Grace glides on blistered feet. - Alice Abrams
When the performance was completed and the curtain was down, they received a vigorous applause from the audience. Before leaving, Lydia, her high school classmate and I took some photos to document the night.
On my way home, I kept my head busy pondering how I can make more time to quench my thirst for dancing?
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http://picasaweb.google.com/taipeitmtrini/PerformTheFourSeasons
An Anti-tradition Dragon Boat Festival
Dragon Boat Festival which was later enriched by the legend of the patriot Chu Yuan is one of the three major Chinese holidays. When realizing that I would spend the whole four-day Dragon Boat holiday in Taipei, I asked Virginia if it was possible for her to arrange a hiking activity to stretch our limbs, to breathe the fresh air on the mountain and immerse ourselves in the breathtaking scenery with revived trees and blossomed flowers. It had been almost three months since we hiked last time.It was not a surprise at all Virginia pulled it off as the only thing she needed to do is pulling her finger. What surprised me was she made it right on the day of the Festival, the very early morning on the 1st day of the long holiday. I realized later that by this way we could be ahead of others to enjoy the best, cleanest and non noisy moment. At a time of holidays, there will always be a big crowd.
We have Virginia, her couple friends Tom, Linda and their daughter, Vera, Effie and I seven people, a perfect small group for hiking. Time control was perfect, we set out at 7:30 am sharp. The hiking itself was easy walking the stairs, not climbing. I can do triple the distance or challenge. The beauty of it was having a close look at all the flowers, insects especially butterflies 青斑蝶, 端紫斑蝶, toads and casual chat. 
The biggest discovery I had this time is making the best use of a microscope. It was Virginia’s secret weapon. When she took it out and asked us to look at the tiny flowers with it, we all were awed seeing the exquisite structure of that miniature thing. After then, the microscope was passed none-stop from one hand to another. Virginia kept warning us not to picking any flower or leave even the ground was full of incidentally fallen flowers and leaves. Only she could when necessary as she is a volunteer guide of the mountain. Since it was not possible to observe every tiny flower or insect with only one microscope, also because we didn’t have a whole year there, I secretly took one tiny flower of different kinds that I didn’t know of, holding them in my hand waiting for the best lunch time to observe them. 
Surprisingly, Virginia ran into two of her volunteer friends, beauty and handsome, at the information center. With their hospitality and passion, we enjoyed different kinds of snacks and heavenly-taste coffee. Pity that I couldn’t drink coffee as it has strong effect on me. Though the chatting and snacks were great and delightful, I kept peeking in the tiny flowers in my hand and was anxious seeing they were shrinking and withered.
It took ages for them to finally have had enough coffee and feel hungry. We headed for the same restaurant that Virginia took us to last time 老聃的家,觀園樓, run by her friend. She ordered seven healthy dishes for us. They tasted heavenly especially we were all very hungry. See the pictures! I took the precious moment to study all the miniature flowers using the microscope. Every tiny flower took my breath away. They were amazing! Who would know such tiny flowers look even more beautiful than those we see through our naked eyes. How sad it was that we couldn’t take pictures of them, it’s just technically impossible.
While eating and chatting, Vera was obsessed by the standing eggs made by the children of the shop owner and kept taking photos of them. What could I say? We all become weak when Obsession overpowers us.
I helped finish up all the dishes like I usually do. The after meal dessert and fruit was on the house. They tempted me to add more burden to my stomach. I could hardly walk when it was time to hit the road.While eating and chatting, Vera was obsessed by the standing eggs made by the children of the shop owner and kept taking photos of them. What could I say? We all become weak when Obsession overpowers us.
This is the first time I put other activity before family gathering on a festival like this. I was glad I made it.
2009年5月8日 星期五
Habituation vs. Rhetoric - May Reading
Plato and Aristotle, two of the three greatest Greek philosophers, became somehow the finale to wrap up our one-of-a-kind reading gathering tonight. Associating thoughts/theories from Greek philosophers with T/Ms strategies in public speaking and communication skills is the special feature of T/Ms magazine April Issue. Talking about rhetoric, public speaking and communication, we often hear the famous quote said by Plato, “Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something.” in T/Ms meetings. From this April issue, I learned a new sentence given by Aristotle, “If you force yourself to do something the right way long enough, it becomes second nature.” To say it in one word, it’s “habituation”. I didn’t expect that tonight’s gathering could be so both delightful and intellectual. If we can do more reading gatherings, I believe I can make fast breaks in my English proficiency.No matter how busy goldies are, monthly reading activity must go on regardless how many goldies can’t make it. Lydia chose the restaurant爾雅書馨廣生食品行 IrYah (delicacy) restaurant for us, yet couldn’t join the reading. Irene chose the articles to read for us. The restaurant sits in a quiet alley, a few walks away from the busy streets. They serve cuisine in Shang Hai style, 品嘗老上海 , perfect for my stomach as my parents were from a small city of ChiangSu province, not far away from Shang Hai. The food is light, not greasy yet tasty. We had one new charming member Wendy, invited by Linda, and our VIP, Marian Hsiao, District Governor to join us this time that made seven in total.
I arrived later than others trying to find a nearby parking place, just in time to join the first group picture. Mouth-watering Dishes were already on the table for me to enjoy right away. After greeting and overarching warm-up conversation, we began our reading sharing with the first article:
The Equation for Persuasion by John Coleman. It’s an article rich in pragmatic tactics. The great Greek philosopher Aristotle is the inspiration to the writer John Coleman. If we want to be great persuasive speakers, bear in mind the premise of gold, real world experience, constructive criticism and practice and internalize the seven basic persuasive speech strategies the writer mastered over a decade of efforts. Ah, yes, we learned three Greek words; Logos, Pathos and Ethos.
Ancient Greeks by Robert Oliver. Another article inspired by Aristotle’s Rhetoric. The writer shared with the readers his insights on three aspects of rhetoric – Appealing (logical, pathetic and ethical), Story arrangement (narrative, linear and dialectic), and patterns of thought (deductive and inductive).
Beware the Logical Fallacy by Dave Zielinske. How debate tactic can improve workplace influence? After exchanging thoughts, Sherry was inspired to apply the tactic at home when reasoning with her better half. In addition to the pragmatic tips given by the writer, I was also attached to the beautifully versed phrases/sentences in this article.
Led by Sherry excerpting the key points for us, the reading was proceeded in an unexpectedly smooth flow. Must say having her taking the initiatives when needed, our reading gatherings keep excelling. After reading, we took some photos merrily. The classic and stylish decoration of the restaurant made a one-of-a-kind background for our photos to record our gathering.
A quote from Plato, People are like dirt. They can either nourish you and help you grow as a person or they can stunt your growth and make you wilt and die. How delightful it is being nourished by the good friends we keep.
A quote from Plato, People are like dirt. They can either nourish you and help you grow as a person or they can stunt your growth and make you wilt and die. How delightful it is being nourished by the good friends we keep.
Pity that Kate, Lydia, Michelle and Pamela had to pass it. Amy, Irene, Linda, Marian, Sherry, Wendy and I certainly enjoyed every min. of it.
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The Dream City
It's been a few weeks that I haven't enriched the blog. Beginning with the school's graduation trip, correcting student's test sheets and work on the biggest project that I assigned, I still tried to squeeze time at midnight to watch some Oscar nominated movies borrowed from Pamela. I put the blog aside. To fill the gap between two goldies gatherings, why not simply put the story I wrote about a girl's dreams.
The Dream City
There’s always a dream city in our hearts, the city that lures us to keep abreast of it, or soak ourselves in it. I believe to most people in Taiwan, Taipei is that city. A dream city that worth paying visits from time to time, even exerting every effort to become a tiny part of it.
This is a story of a young girl. She dreamed a lot and her life was a chapter of dreams that originate from her early trips to Taipei. Her mother liked to travel and always brought the girl with her when visiting their relatives that lived in different towns and cities. All the trips became the girl's fondest memories. When it was time to prepare for the Chinese Lunar New Year, she’d picture her riding on the train anticipating the joy and excitement she would have especially in the biggest city, Taipei! There were so many wonders there for her to explore. Though at that time, Taipei was not an international city of importance, having no skyscrapers, all the other amazing spectacles like the latest fashions worn by people from around the world, novelty shops side by side on ChungSang N. Road, numerous eateries on Chong Hua Road, fancy cars, buses, Museums, memorial halls, science and technology plus the exotic atmosphere brought in by those giants with a tall nose, big blue eyes, golden hair,white skin and big feet, - a total opposite of her folks. What a city! What a sight!
Throughout the years, she saw the gradual change and growth of Taipei. It kept fascinating her. Longer and wider streets, more and more trees, flowers on the road sides, skyscrapers one after another, cars of all brands, concerts, exhibitions especially invited from abroad, and a lot more. Its impact on the girl intoxicated her that she kept dreaming that one day she would become a part of this great city. She studied hard, dreaming only of Taipei. She quietly applied for entrance only to those universities in and around Taipei without telling her parents in order not to set misfortune upon her dream. When her mother worried that she would end up working in a factory, she surprised her by successfully scoring on the Entrance examination and studied in Taipei.
She was like a fish in the water, indulging herself in all the convenience and intellectual delights Taipei provided. She chose to stay and work in Taipei after graduation. She was a grown woman then. She kept dreaming, yet dreamed toward a much wider scope. The diversity and constant evolution of Taipei opened the window for her to see the bigger outside world. It’s Taipei that inspired her to want to know more about the world. She set her foot on many other countries. After visiting many countries, she loved her dream city even more as no other cities can compare with it, the origin or her happiness and dream making.
Yes, now your know I was the young girl whose life wouldn’t have been so colorful and diverse if not because of the great city. Taipei City kept expanding and evolving in a fast pace. To name a few; well preserved historical sites, restaurants that are only a few steps away from each other, art works seen in every corner of the city, plants and flowers all over the streets and parks, the grand and gallant Theatre Concert Hall reaching out and bringing in more diverse programs from the world made Taiwan better known through culture and arts. The operation of Taipei Mass Rapid Transit kicked off in 1996 boosted the quality of life for its citizens; Following the grand opening of the world tallest building Taipei 101, the land mark and beacon of Taipei, in 2003, Taipei excelled another high and brought itself known to the world. And most importantly, the eco-environment that our government is striving to create.
Today Taipei not only reaches for the stars with the tallest building in the world, but also colors our lives through constant evolvement and rapid development. It showed the world its beauty, diversity, prosperity, and richness in culture, arts and intellectual activities. It was, is and will always be my dream city, the glorious place for people to dream about a brighter future.
Trini
0507
The Dream City
There’s always a dream city in our hearts, the city that lures us to keep abreast of it, or soak ourselves in it. I believe to most people in Taiwan, Taipei is that city. A dream city that worth paying visits from time to time, even exerting every effort to become a tiny part of it.
This is a story of a young girl. She dreamed a lot and her life was a chapter of dreams that originate from her early trips to Taipei. Her mother liked to travel and always brought the girl with her when visiting their relatives that lived in different towns and cities. All the trips became the girl's fondest memories. When it was time to prepare for the Chinese Lunar New Year, she’d picture her riding on the train anticipating the joy and excitement she would have especially in the biggest city, Taipei! There were so many wonders there for her to explore. Though at that time, Taipei was not an international city of importance, having no skyscrapers, all the other amazing spectacles like the latest fashions worn by people from around the world, novelty shops side by side on ChungSang N. Road, numerous eateries on Chong Hua Road, fancy cars, buses, Museums, memorial halls, science and technology plus the exotic atmosphere brought in by those giants with a tall nose, big blue eyes, golden hair,white skin and big feet, - a total opposite of her folks. What a city! What a sight!
Throughout the years, she saw the gradual change and growth of Taipei. It kept fascinating her. Longer and wider streets, more and more trees, flowers on the road sides, skyscrapers one after another, cars of all brands, concerts, exhibitions especially invited from abroad, and a lot more. Its impact on the girl intoxicated her that she kept dreaming that one day she would become a part of this great city. She studied hard, dreaming only of Taipei. She quietly applied for entrance only to those universities in and around Taipei without telling her parents in order not to set misfortune upon her dream. When her mother worried that she would end up working in a factory, she surprised her by successfully scoring on the Entrance examination and studied in Taipei.
She was like a fish in the water, indulging herself in all the convenience and intellectual delights Taipei provided. She chose to stay and work in Taipei after graduation. She was a grown woman then. She kept dreaming, yet dreamed toward a much wider scope. The diversity and constant evolution of Taipei opened the window for her to see the bigger outside world. It’s Taipei that inspired her to want to know more about the world. She set her foot on many other countries. After visiting many countries, she loved her dream city even more as no other cities can compare with it, the origin or her happiness and dream making.
Yes, now your know I was the young girl whose life wouldn’t have been so colorful and diverse if not because of the great city. Taipei City kept expanding and evolving in a fast pace. To name a few; well preserved historical sites, restaurants that are only a few steps away from each other, art works seen in every corner of the city, plants and flowers all over the streets and parks, the grand and gallant Theatre Concert Hall reaching out and bringing in more diverse programs from the world made Taiwan better known through culture and arts. The operation of Taipei Mass Rapid Transit kicked off in 1996 boosted the quality of life for its citizens; Following the grand opening of the world tallest building Taipei 101, the land mark and beacon of Taipei, in 2003, Taipei excelled another high and brought itself known to the world. And most importantly, the eco-environment that our government is striving to create.
Today Taipei not only reaches for the stars with the tallest building in the world, but also colors our lives through constant evolvement and rapid development. It showed the world its beauty, diversity, prosperity, and richness in culture, arts and intellectual activities. It was, is and will always be my dream city, the glorious place for people to dream about a brighter future.
Trini
0507
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