A Chipper and Chirpy Birthday Gathering

Life is too short and friends are too few! How lucky we ten goldies found each other. Over the years we have been keeping each other company and cheering each other up. Work and family are our responsibilities. They bring us joy and a sense of accomplishment. Yet without friends, life is not complete and can at times be exhausting. Friends help cheer and lift us up, and give us strength and motivation to start a new. Just like my nine lady friends who have the power to cheer me up and rid me of my stress and worries.

Irene, Linda and Pamela were born in December. Pamela talked about a joint birthday celebration a month ahead of time. She officially announced it after her trip to Russia. She was going to open her sweet home to hold the joint party. We couldn’t love more the idea, despite the fact that it would bring her and her better half Moses a hard time with the preparation. Details were settled after a few communications. Since the date was announced, I had been looking forward to it in anticipation of a wonderful celebration. Maybe I was the one who needed the gathering most, to release my tension.

It’s amazing that the three birthday stars happen to be good cooks too. They should have relaxed and waited for the most memorable day in their lives but instead, the three birthday girls spent the most time and energy cooking and preparing food for us. Pamela prepared fish, spaghetti, pickled apples, fruit and desserts and the most expensive crunch cookies - “Marco”. Irene braised beef and brought a big carton of snacks. Linda prepared two big pots of chicken and fish/meat ball soup. The rest of us who bought our share of ready-made food were truly touched. As always, I enjoyed all the food contributed by the other ladies too; the salad and brownie brought by Michelle, spicy chicken and garlic ham by Gina, the delicious and eye-pleasing chocolate cake by Lydia, sapid and flavored wine by Kate, and photo dish by Virginia, etc.

The party was set to begin at 2:00 P.M.
Michelle arrived first. Kate, Gina, Irene and I were the second. Linda the third and Lydia the fourth carrying the must-have delicious and eye-pleasing chocolate cake. Virginia having a shooting activity in the afternoon arrived after seven. Sherry was the only one who couldn’t make it this time because she had to receive her international friends coming from New Zealand. It was very disappointing to all of us because she is always the one who brings unexpected excitement to our gathering, and it would have been a perfect group of ten goldies. But this time due to Pamela’s hospitality and thoughtful arrangement, every moment of the celebration was so exciting and entertaining that we didn’t notice at all how quickly time passed. When someone realized it was time to bring peace and quiet back to Pamela and her family, it was already almost ten.

So, what did we do? There wasn’t any quiet moment even when we were eating, strolling in the big garden, dancing in their community dancing room, singing karaoke, or during the photo sessions. We kept talking, sometimes all at the same time. So hard to believe that we credit ourselves with being ladies, but throughout the whole day we were practically nine quacking women.

I must express my gratefulness to Moses here for his total support to Pamela offering every possible help and putting up with these nine over excited women.

This was the first time that three goldies celebrated their birthdays together. I wanted to do something for this special day to help excite the atmosphere. I prepared some props and gifts for my lady friends, something I bought a while ago for myself without using my head. I couldn’t help but feel guilty whenever I saw them. I hope they are practical to my ladies.

When we called it a night, we all thanked Pamela wholeheartedly for the truly lovely and memorable Birthday party! She was a sensational host offering irresistible food, garden strolling, dance, karaoke, all in a cozy, classic and roomy home to all the goldies.

I’m so addicted to goldies’ gatherings. I hope it won’t be long before our next gathering. Again Happy Birthday to Irene, Linda and Pamela! May joy, health and love be with them throughout the year and all the years to come!

Trini
http://picasaweb.google.com/taipeitmtrini/AChipperAndChirpyBirthdayGathering#

With gratitude to Virginia Lee for all the photos from her album:
http://picasaweb.google.com/vlee1009/101211GoldBirthdayIn3#

The Dynamic and Energetic FJU T/Ms Club

From time to time I receive invitations from other T/Ms clubs to share my experiences with them. FJU T/Ms is one of the clubs that I've visited regularly either once a semester, or twice when there were very special occassions. Over the past years, I've witnessed their progress and it has become a very energenic, dynamic and strong T/Ms club.

For a T/Ms to be strong and successful, club officers are the keys. Dedicated and passionate officers attract members to attend the meetings regularly to ensure a satisfactory attendance rate, and motivate them to get themselves involved in T/Ms meetings roles, activities and challenge themselves.

On Dec. 3rd, I attended their meeting #142 again. I was truly happy to make the long trip this time because Pamela happened to come back to Taipei a few days ago and accepted the club's invitation to take an assignment as Individual Evaluator.
A year ago, in the end of the year, Pamela went with me to their meeting for the first time. This time, we two make it together again. It was almost like a miracle as Pamela spends most of her time abroad either on business trips or in China office. What a pleasant conincidence and joy!

The driving with her sitting beside was very enjoyable and relaxing. Though we missed the interchange because of being busy in chatting, it didn't spoil the fun at all and we made it in time.

Below is the meeting minutes I wrote to show how the meeing went.

Quote
The meeting #142 was fun, energetic and enjoyable.

Let me use three R’s to express how I enjoyed the meeting.

1. Responsibility: Every speaker prepared fully taking their assignments seriously and applied creativity to bring something new to the audience.
2. Rich Program: There was a Variety Session and a Workshop. The master of the Variety Session involved every T/M in the activity, and the speaker of the Workshop convinced the audience that joining contests is the most effective and fastest way to improve.
3. Relaxing atmosphere: All the speakers especially session maters and the TME Janet Huang showcased their energy and humor to excite the audience.

In other words, the three keys to the success of the meeting are:

1. Preparation: TME confirmed with all the assignees before the meeting to make sure every detail was completed. Every speaker was fluent and confident.
2. Positive: Encouragement and support was offered throughout the meeting.
3. Passion: Every speaker received a big hand and loud cheer before speaking and a big round of applause after speaking.

Some guests that were invited from other clubs further uplifted the spirit and enriched the program. The workshop conducted by Sean Yang from IMTC, Language Evaluator Ping Wang from NCCU, Individual evaluator Pamela from Galaxy TMC all shared their experience and insights with the club members.

There’s always room for improvement no matter how successful a meeting can be. I have three suggestions for future improvement.

1. For the workshop, it would have been more encouraging if Judy Lee who has won numerous contests could have been invited to interact with the workshop master Sean Yang.
2. Control the time so that the meeting adjourns on time and we may have a longer intermission.
3. When introducing speakers, it’s better to offer the attributes of the speaker then the speaker’s name to arouse kind of curiosity and anticipation.

Congratulations to FJU T/Ms Club on keeping booming with more and more students from departments joining the club and ensuring quality and successful meetings every week.

Trini Ding, DTM
Unquote

2010 District 67 Fall Convention

A Halloween Seasoned Reading Gathering and Birthday Party

Wishing to be friends is quick work, but friendship is a slow-ripening fruit.
~ Aristotle.

We had an extra- ordinarily sensational reading gathering this time. It became a five-in-one activity. How did it happen? It was a long story. Why not get a cup of coffee first before lending me your ears?


1. Magazine reading
2. Birthday celebration for two scorpions
3. District Governors T/Ms sharing
4. Husbands' company
5. Halloween party

Magazing Reading Sherry, our mindmaster, invited Jorie Wu, our former District Governor, to join our Oct. T/Ms magazine reading and to talk about her strategy of helping her better half George Yen, also former District Governor, to be elected as the 2nd Vice President of TI. It was a breaking news to all TMs in Taiwan when it was first released. Jorie not only accepted our invitation, but also brought some cute strawberry bags, same as the souvenirs they brought to the International Convention, for everyone.

Birthday Celebration
Somehow Sherry learned Jorie's birthday was just three days away, and Lydia's birthday was also near. What a good opportunity to celebrate two scorpions' birthday in the gathering! We could have a double joy! Sherry ordered two cakes so that both Jorie and Lydia could enjoy their own happy moment and joyful feelings.

District Governors T/Ms sharingSince Lydia's better half Harry Fong is also our former District Governor, Sherry proposed it would be awesome if he could give us the honor to come, too. No wonder she's our mastermind.

Husbands companyLibby, our very dear friend though not a member of ours yet, was thoughtfully invited by Irene to join us. She was recovering from her memory loss and this gathering could be very helpful to her. Libby needs her husband to come along. Under such circumstance, husbands were welcome to celebrate with their wives.

Halloween PartyHelpful and generous Irene not only bought two large lovely birthday cards, but also purchased a wide variety of cute Halloween props. All the participants had fun modeling the masks for photo shoot.

All goldies except Pamela who had to miss it because of her business trip showed up. What a pity that she had to miss two birthday celebrations!

Michelle, Sherry and Virginia arrived before me. The afternoon tea time was limited to two and half hours, We must start our reading first. It was short and kind of a rush. But who cares? The important thing was that we did our homework and the purpose was achieved.

Though Harry couldn't come as he was also on business trip, Libby and Linda's husbands plus George made total 15 for the gathering. Our loud voices almost broke the roof.

When most of us arrived, chatting and laughing took place. The cute Strawberry bags created the 1st highlight. When Jorie took them out, every one was excited to choose the color they like as if we were winning an award. Then Irene took out the king size birthday cards for us to write our best wishes. Which should go to Jorie, and which should go to Lydia? We had to finish writing our wishes on in a hurry. We had the 2nd highlight.

Halloween Celebration was the 3rd highlight. Everybody were excited to try on the props one after another and pose before the camera just like kids. It was the most joyful and hilarious moment. Must thank Irene for the excitement she created.

Virginia made an exception this time that she not only helped us take a lot of good and interesting photos, she tried as best as she could to include herself in the photos as many times as possible.

Cake cutting was touching. When the cakes were taken out, the two birthday stars couldn't keep their eyes away from the cakes and took a long while before deciding to blow out the candles. Well, cakes are my favorite. I feel embarrassed to say how many pieces of cake I had.

When it was half past four, goldies left one after another for their next engagements. Irene, Linda, Libby, Gina, and Kate took the road respectively. Before the rest of us left the Cafe, we took a few final group photos in front of the Café then called it a day.

Time flies especially you are having a good time. When waving goodbye, I was already thinking of the next gathering Kate proposed to welcome Pamela home, and the party for Pamela, Irene and Linda's birthday.

Trini
http://picasaweb.google.com/taipeitmtrini/AHalloweenSeasonedReadingGatheringAndBirthdayParty#

Special thanks to Virginia Lee for all the wonderful photos she took for us:
http://picasaweb.google.com/vlee1009/101031GoldenHalloween#

A City Bike Tour at the End of the Fall

Two weeks ago I received a mail that promoted a bike tour in the Taipei City. My attention was captured. It said, “Come to have a city bike tour to enjoy the beauty of Fall before winter comes. The activity includes a lot of programs in addition to biking.

It was just what I needed; riding a bike probably for the very last time of the year, breathing in fresh air, appreciating beautiful scenery, exploring some beautiful parks and many more. I missed the excitement and joy I had while biking in Seattle with my sister. So, I made a quick decision and registered. I don’t have a bike, but I can borrow one. From whom? I thought of Pamela and Moses immediately. They both joined a T/Ms biking group and they have good bikes. It was pity that Pamela was still in China, or she would definitely join me.
I didn’t forward the information to other goldies as I was 100% sure that none of them could or would join it. We had to get up very early before 6:00 a.m. Unlike me, they are not crazy about biking enough to sacrifice their beauty sleep. And they don’t have a bike. The first and foremost reason was that though the program looked interesting, what if it turned out the opposite?

At Kate’s Birthday party, I asked Moses to lend me the bike. To assure him that I borrowed the bike for a good course, I e-mailed him the flyer of the activity. Hey, why not invite him to join? He was experienced enough to tell if the activity was worth attending or not. If he joined, it’d further encouraged me and I would not be alone. Whenever it comes a time like this, I’d feel sorry for myself that no one in my family could join me for the activity that I like.

Hooray! Moses wanted to join the biking. What a spirit! I didn’t bother to think whether he did find the activity interesting or he was actually worried about my biking skill. I planned to meet him at 7:20 a.m. to get the bike. Moses proposed 6:20 a.m. to play safe. We settled it finally at 6:40 a.m. I had to get up at 5:30 the latest. I just hoped it would not kill me by getting up so early as there was no way for me to go to bed early.

Things went swell. I had no problem to get up, arrived at Moses’ in time and followed Moses to the gathering spot way before others. I didn’t know there was a biking trail right starting from Moses community. We made a little detour, yet the unexpected forty minutes ride in the early morning was extremely uplifting. I just loved biking.

The only disappointment I had for the activity was that we waited for almost an hour for others to come. The weather that caused others to hesitate to come didn’t bother me at all. On the contrary I liked it cloudy and drizzling on and off. We should have felt lucky it was not hot at all
The rest was just easy and relaxing. We were divided into three groups. We rode in a slow pace keeping waiting for others. I was OK with it, but I was afraid that it was too slow for Moses. Comparing with us, he was a true biker.
Except all the benefits I mentioned above, I also learned some tips of riding a bike properly, history of the areas we toured, some good hiking trails introduced by the leader. I will definitely try these hiking trails as hiking is also my cup of tea, too.

The whole trip was easy. The real challenge was the long biking before and after the activity. It took Moses and I another 40 minutes to ride back to his home. That back and forth ride gave me the sweat I need.

Well, actually there was one minor thing that made the whole activity not so perfect. Right in front of Moses home, just when we were only about 20 meters away to get off the bike, both us had a small accident. When I saw Moses fall of his bike suddenly, I couldn’t believe it and panicked. Then it came my turn when I tried to clutch the brake. Who would know that the sidewalk was so slippery with rain? I fell really hard and it took me probably five minutes to get back on my feet completely. I think it taught us a lesson, always keep an eye on the road you take. You can never be too careful.

Trini

Kate’s Joyful and Sensuous Birthday Party

I’m not a party animal, but goldies’ parties are the ones that I won’t miss for anything else. When Kate’s Birthday Party was announced, my first reaction was“VIVA Kate!” We had another good reason to revive our youth.
Quick minded Sherry stood out and proposed, “We need to prepare a different dance to cheer up Kate and her guests, and add excitement to her birthday - the most important day of her life. Irene happened to have learned a new dance “Mambo No. 5” and suggested that we do this dance. After watching the movie clip Irene sent, and seeing Irene do the demo at Sherry’s birthday party, we all agreed unanimous that it’s the very one, not difficult yet full of passion. http://picasaweb.google.com/taipeitmtrini/KateSJoyfulAndSensuousParty#

For the last two weeks Irene spent her precious time hunting props – golden and red hats - to go with the red and gold bing bling tops, and coaching goldies separately. Everyone was busy with their work or engagements. It was hard to work out a time that was good for all of us. Nevertheless we still managed to get together on Saturday afternoon, the day before Kate’s party, to do the dress rehearsal. After two hours sweating, we finally got it all set. Of course we needed to do our homework in advance at home practicing on our own.

Kate remained silent most of the time. Being the Birthday Star, she couldn’t join us. But we knew she was busy, too, organizing her party and preparing herself for a big surprise.

When I and greeting every guest. After exchanging a few words excitedly, she waltzed away to attend other guests. Having no time to do the stage rehearsal, Irene briefly explained the line position to me. Being Kate’s dear pals, we were given the honor and privilege to do the opening dance. Soon after Linda arrived, the program began. Our efforts were rewarded, and our purpose was achieved. All the guests were cheerewalked in the Artco De Cafe (典藏咖啡館）shortly before 1:00 p.m., most of the guests were already there. The room was fully packed with loud cheerful chatting voices. Kate, the elegant birthday star, was dressed in red and gold ChiPao and busy in receiving d up by our exotic dance.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPBfiuJrYvY
The guests were basically divided into two groups. Kate’s Chinese opera group, and T/Ms group. Opera group did operas, and T/Ms group did talent shows. The climaxes were when Kate gave personal shows - Chinese Opera, Ballroom Dance and a duet with William. Kate received a standing ovation for her gifted talents. We could tell that Kate dedicated herself and devoted a lot of time to make her Birthday party an unforgettable and joyful one.

Of course we didn’t waste a minute to chat, eat and taking photos. Thanks to Kate we had a very lovely and enjoyable afternoon. Again I wish Kate evergreen happiness, a truly beautiful future and a life full of smiles cheers. This is just the beginning of another wonderful year in her life!

Trini

Happy Birthday to Sherry and Virginia

Our birthdays are feathers in the broad wing of time. - Jean Paul Richter
All the goldies were born in the 2nd half of year. Since August, we have celebrated each other’s birthday one after another. This month it’s Sherry, Virginia and Kate’s turn. What amazed us is that Sherry and Virginia were born on the same day – Oct. 9th, the day before our Double Tenth Day.

It’s said that girls born in the 2nd half of the year is more beautiful. No matter if it’s true or not, we enjoy thinking that we are beautiful.

Sherry’s dear brother is a good cook. He always shows his generous love for Sherry by offering his home to receive her friends and cook for them. I’ve had the privilege to enjoy Jimmy’s dishes four or five times. I must say every time was a great treat.

Pamela and I arrived around 6:30 p.m. and were the 3rd and 4th to arrive. Irene and Michelle were already there and they were enjoying a great time with Sherry. Others will be arriving around 7:00 p.m. So, we took a short moment to read an article in the T/Ms magazine. Thanks to Sherry’s persistence, our reading can be continued. Surprisingly Sherry announced that Virginia would join us, too.

What a pleasant surprise! We hadn’t seen her for quite a long time. Sherry and Virginia share the same birthday by odd chance. She received a passionate welcome from us when she showed up with a bag of a famous finger-licking snack in her hand. I was mentally prepared to go home with a full stomach. Gina, Kate, Lydia arrived respectfully. Sherry’s husband Azen arrived in time with two bottles of wine in his hands. Apparently it was going to be a big feast!

When dinner began to serve, Jimmy kept receiving compliments from goldies. All the dishes were not only scrumptious but also healthy. Virginia, a photographer, took pictures of every dish whereas I buried my head in all the dishes to enjoy the food. I can’t list all the topics we covered while eating, but I am perfectly sure that Laugher never seized.

Time to blow the candles! Jimmy took out a beautifully decorated chocolate fruit cake. It’s the climax of the whole party. We sang “Happy Birthday Songs” to both Sherry and Virginia while Virginia played the piano. Ignoring my overloaded stomach, I had two pieces of cake. To add a little xxx surprise and fun to the party, I took out some cosmetic kits I prepared for goldies to do the lucky draw. After the game, it was the "must-have" group photo time. It further excited us. Standing in position, changing positions, posing and getting ready, zoop! One after another, we took plenty enough Pictures.Finally time to go and give quietness back to the hosts. I must thank Sherry and Jimmy for such an exciting and enjoyable evening! A JOY SHARED IS A JOY DOUBLED. It's the conclusion given by Sherry for her Birthday party. Let me share a quote with all the goldies - You're not getting older, you're getting better. – Unknown

Two weeks later, it will be Kate’s Birthday Party. Simply can’t wait for it to come!

Trini
http://picasaweb.google.com.tw/taipeitmtrini/SherryVirginiaSBirthday#

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Rocky Coulee – Wisconsin

Danny wrote some beautiful and intriguing stories about his childhood and farm life. The name of the book is “Hollyhocks". I love every one of them very much. Among them “Rocky Coolie” intrigued me the most because it reminds me of my childhood roaming in the field barefooted looking for adventures and searching mysterious places that were hidden deep in the field or behind some hills. Yes, even I was a little girl, I could go wild just like a boy, except not so brave and nimble as Danny.

The “Rocky Coulee” Danny described in his story was just like a secret garden in my dream. I love mountains especially for the valleys, brooks, streams, cliffs and waterfalls. One day after I decided to visit Bemidji, the thought of seeing the Rocky Coulee hit me. I summon up my courage to ask Danny if I could have the chance to it. He said “yes” without hesitation as if it was just right in the neighborhood and anytime would do. When he told me that it would take more than four hours’ drive, I realized how unthoughtful I was. I tried to take my words back. But Danny said it was a good idea and his brothers and cousins might be interested in joining us. That was perfect. Then it came to me that it would take him another four hours to drive back and exhaust him badly to drive so much in one day. Danny said no problem, we all could stay overnight in Minneapolis which will save his trip to drive me back to the Minneapolis airport. We might go to the theater to enjoy a wonderful play and the Art Institute of Minneapolis as well. I was touched and speechless. Am I a trouble maker? Do I deserve such a hospitality? Danny made it sound so easy and granted that I couldn’t resist such a warm invitation and sweet temptation. I secretly made a promise to myself that I would invite Danny and other T/Ms friends to Taipei to show them my warm welcome and return their hospitality, too.

So my venture to Rocky Coulee was decided!
On Thursday morning after breakfast, we began our venture to Rocky Coulee. But before seeing the Coulee, we went to the farm that Danny’s family used to own. His father sold it out long time ago after all the children grew up and moved out. The present owner doesn’t manage it anymore and leaves the farm rusted/abandoned?. Except the rebuilt house, everything else remains the way it was. He showed us around and explained how he worked on the farm and the barn, the outhouse and the fields where the stories took place.

Then we move to Rocky Coulee. After we got off the car, Danny took the chance to visit a couple of house owners there to catch up some good old times a while. Then he signed us to change on comfortable water resistant shoes. I felt extremely excited. But where is it? I looked around. On the road, in the housing area, I see no sign of woods, rocks or streams. We followed Danny walking a small trail through a lawn covered with high weeds, to a small fence gate. We climbed over it, all of a sudden we were in the shade and surrounded by woods. I asked Danny why I see no one coming to such a beautiful place? He said people living here don’t even know this place. I can’t believe what I heard. If it were in Taiwan, it would have been long invaded by everyone. But thinking that I don’t see many houses and people here, it did make sense. Why not leaving it as it is and undisturbed. After all America is a big country and there is a very small population in some remote areas.

After a few minutes I saw the brook originated a few steps away on the other side. We followed Danny walking upstream through water and mud. After a few steps, the mud became so soft that my whole feet were sunk in deep. I almost screamed. Seeing Danny walking coolly ahead, I knew how silly I would look if I showed my lnerability so easily. I held my throat and followed. I thought how lucky I got the right shoes, the Bush shoes I decided to buy when I found them in the shoe store two days before I came. They are water resistant, soft, comfortable and washable.

It was just about 10 Meters’ walk before Danny showed us the site where water surges out from the ground. I was amazed! For the very first time, I saw and realized how a river is originated and formed! It’s not just water, it’s spring right out off the ground. Danny gestured us to scoop the water with our hands to try it. I didn’t get it. Then he did it for us to follow up. Drinking water right from the stream? My first reaction was, “Will I get sick?” Before drinking it I looked at the water in my palms, so clear, clean and cool. It tasted fresh, cool, and sweet, too. Danny said, “It’s the freshest and cleanest spring.” No doubt of it! Then we walked back toward where we started and continued. The coulee was getting wider and wider, deeper and deeper, and cooler and cooler. It was so clean and clear that I could see my feet clearly, and my legs seemed shrunk completely in the water. The water bed was a big flat rock. It was so easy walking on it. All the pebbles and gravels are gathered at the coulee bank. The other side of the coulee is just a long, big, high rock stretching all the way down, steep and full of big and small holes, or caves. I stopped walking further when the water reached my thigh. I dared not to walk further as I can’t swim, and the water was freakily cold. I saw Danny picking some stones, flat, long or round ones. Curiously I asked what for? He bent his knees a little bit, threw the stones into the water. Magic! I saw three, four, even five water ripples rippling one after another continuously on the surface. How did he do it to make it happen? He illustrated and demonstrated again and again. I wanted to try, too. I looked for the flat stones and practiced and practiced. Am I kidding trying to learn the trick in a few minutes? Of course I couldn’t. But what fun it was! At that moment I totally forgot who I was except having fun like a little girl.

The sun was setting, Time to go. Though it is a very safe place according to Danny,
My worry took control. We walked out the water, went back to the entrance, and got on the car with our heart fully satisfied. We didn’t see the big cave Danny described in his story. He wasn’t sure if he could find it and it is too further down the coulee that he worried about my safety. I can picture the cave just the same. I was so thrilled and had the most wonderful time ever in the woods. Thank you, Danny and all the T/Ms friends.

Trini
http://picasaweb.google.com.tw/taipeitmtrini/2010SummerBliss#

Guthrie Theater – Minneapolis

Having visited the States so many times, I hadn’t been to any theater for a play or musical before. Danny thoughtfully put a theater – Guthrie Theater, in my visiting list in Minnesota. I was so excited that my mind was all about it after the T/Ms meeting was over. http://www.guthrietheater.org/whats_happening

After saying goodbye to Mary, Danny’s dear wife, Wednesday late morning; we, Danny, two T/Ms friend Joana and Tim headed for Minneapolis, Minnesota. Danny got the ticked booked already. It didn’t take long to find the Theater. It’s in a new building with a very eye-catching sign. The play on that night was the famous “A Streetcar Named Desire” by Tennessee Williams.

I have seen the movie three times. I have a DVD of it. The last time I saw it was on TV. Two popular movie stars Vivien Leigh and Marlon Brando played Blanche Dubois and Stanley Kowalski respectively. It was a very good movie although I don’t usually fall for sad dramas. Now seeing a real stage play of such a famous movie in a modern theater further thrilled me. The stage actor and actress were from New York.

I put my mind fully focusing on the stage. The stage design, the changing scenes, the actors and actress getting around their positions, the way they projected their voice, etc, all fascinated me. The way a play presents is much more dramatic than the movie for the audience to comprehend fully. I was not experienced to tell if the stage players were doing an excellent job or not. At least I could tell they strove to give their best performance. All the audience was fully attracted by them. Because of my language barrier, I was not able to catch some lines very well. I couldn’t ask Danny, I couldn’t make any noise in the theater while everyone is enjoying the play. Nevertheless I enjoyed every moment of it.

The play presented the story a little bit different than the movie. But there is no way to compare. The only element that I like the movie more is the great interpretation of the role Blanche Dubois given by Vivien Leigh. She was a true beauty and looked exactly vulnerable and helpless for her part in the movie. There was an intermission during the play. Everyone walked out to the salon area to enjoy the artistically designed facility and interactive atmosphere.

It was almost ten when the play was over. We hungered for food. It was late and it took us quite some time to finally find the restaurants that were still open. We chose Indian food. It was really nice and I ate a lot, almost twice as others did. What can I say, my stomach has a will of its own that I often eat much more than I should.

My mind was still on the play and the theater and the impact they had brought me. My trip to the Mid West of the States created one climax after another. Tomorrow, Rocky Coulee and the Art Institute of Minneapolis are waiting for me!

Trini

My 1st T/Ms Meeting Abroad - Bemidji T/Ms Club

The 2nd day of my trip to Bemidji was not just for fun. Danny arranged my 1st T/Ms meeting abroad. Besides meeting Bemidji T/Ms, I was going to deliver a speech. My topic was Taipei T/Ms. I thought it was an excellent opportunity to bring Taipei, Taiwan to their attention by telling them how amazingly T/Ms has flourished in Taiwan in recent years from my prospective.

I woke up long before the sun rose. I tried for hours to go back to sleep in vain. Well, it was not the first time I suffered from insomnia before delivering a speech. Being excited about the trip, I was in a high spirit. Danny was going to escort me to the meeting fifteen minutes before it started.

The drive took only about two minutes. The streets were quiet, the air was fresh, the sky was clear, I thought,” Where are the people?” Then a lady coming out from her car greeted Danny. She was Kim, a T/M. We shook hands, and walked together into the venue while chatting. I felt more relieved and relaxed. The venue was just like a meeting room, perfect for T/Ms meetings.

Bemidji T/Ms came in the venue one after another. Danny introduced me to them one by one. T/Ms of the Day, Jenny, was one of the early comers. She thoughtfully set up the reception area with cakes, fruit and agenda. I was amazed seeing the cakes and agenda were designed like Chinese and American flags. How incredible, thoughtful and creative! It made the cake and fruit look especially yummy. They were all designed and made by Jenny. What a brilliant work Jenny did for the meeting! Then the news man of the public TV station walked in. After setting up the camera, he came to me saying that he’d like to interview me for about ten min. after the meeting. Feeling honored, what else I should say except “with pleasure?” The meeting began!

The meeting proceeded very smoothly yet efficiently, one session after another without stop. Jenny presented every speaker pertinently. Danny introduced me earnestly based on my T/Ms background. Two prepared speakers including me. Table topics were about promoting Bemidji, very timely and resonanced the theme of the meeting. There was quite difference I observed between theirs and our meetings. But the focus and spirit was the same. They hold the meeting at noon for only one hour long that leaves no time for intermission and joke or variety session. My speech was impressive according to Danny. They all gave me positive comments and sincerely invited me for some special activities. I felt very grateful yet sorry that I couldn’t change my schedule to prolong my trip. I was very grateful for the warm welcome I received. Jenny especially prepared a gift for me, a big bath towel with my name stitched on. I was deeply touched and speechless. I couldn’t chat with all of them as I had an interview to do with the TV news man.

After the interview Jenny came to me and invited me to her cabin at the beautiful lake of Bemidji in the evening. Wow, a night program except originally planned ones. Danny was going to take me to a ranch to ride a horse, and make a tour of the town. I knew I would stay up late again. But missing the precious chance of seeing a cabin that I had only seen in the movies and turning down Jenny’s hospitality was absolutely not going to happen.

We had to say goodbye to the rest of T/Ms and headed for the ranch. After we came back from the ranch Danny showed me the small, quiet and beautiful town full of Indian artworks. The Landmark of Bemidji “Paul and Babe” was indeed gigantic, just as huge as Danny described. I was totally relaxed after the T/Ms meeting. I felt so chipper and excited that I took a lot of pictures.

Danny arranged one more program, golfing, after touring the town and before dinner. Golf is Danny’s favorite sport. He can play it whenever his mood fits as there’s a beautiful golf court in the small Bemidji. He proposed to teach me a little bit after he knew that I had never played golf before. To help me enjoy it, he led me to the Driving Range and the Putting Green that are for novelties to have a hand-on practice. I was terrible at first, but with Danny’s instruction and after a few times try and error, I learned quite some tricks. Just when I was having fun, we had to leave. We couldn’t play long as Danny planned to make a special dinner to welcome me.

Cooking takes time and Jenny would come to pick us up at 8:00 p.m. to visit her cabin. The dinner was finger licking good. Must say Danny is truly a wonderful cook!

At Danny's home, I saw what a lovely family he has; beauiful wife Mary, two handsome and brilliant children Zach and Erain, and two lovely twin grandchildren. Both of their children are married and live in other towns.

Jenny showed up at exact 8:00 sharp. We took her car. While driving, Jenny told us how she and her husband got the cabin by chance, and what great time they have had with the cabin.

Jenny’s Cabin was classic, cozy and beautiful, better than I pictured. The duck stretched out the lake; the clean and clear water allured people to bath in; the balcony, the warm and cute bathrooms, and the wooden house were all very comfy. What a perfect place for the owner to get away from pressure, work, and the city. After seeing the cabin, Jenny wanted to drive us to other side of the town that we didn’t have time to see. Then a sudden thunderstorm made it impossible. Besides, it was late.

I must thank all the T/Ms in Bemidji, Danny, and Jenny again for the very delightful and fulfilling day.

http://picasaweb.google.com.tw/taipeitmtrini/2010SummerBliss#
Trini

A journey incorporated with a T/Ms mission

It’s been fifteen years since I took my 1st trip to Minnesota. It was a business trip, a short visit to Saint Paul. For this 2nd trip to Minnesota, I visited Minneapolis instead. Actually a small town named Bemidji in Minnesota was my destination. My very best T/Ms friend Danny from Bemidji drove all the way to Minneapolis to meet me at the airport. He said I could enjoy some sightseeing on the way to Bemidji from the airport and see more Minneapolis. I was so lucky being in a good hand and had a ‘Couldn’t Be Better’ five days there.

One of the most important activities of mine during the five days trip there was to attend the Bemidji T/Ms meeting on Tuesday. It may be hard for others to believe that after joining T/Ms for almost fifteen years, this was the first time I visited a T/Ms club abroad. I thought about it and talked about it several times, yet hadn’t been sincere in executing it. I am too passive or lazy often times. Danny was the reason that I finally walked the talk. He talked so much about the town, how friendly the people are, how incredibly beautiful the lake and the woods is, how enchanting life is there in winter. He successfully captured my attention and aroused my curiosity half by his serious introduction with photos and half by his humorous tone with some hilariously exaggerated jokes. He asked me to deliver a speech after I finally decided to visit Bemidji.

Danny and I have been writing each other for sometime. I was deeply impressed by his love and passion toward everything; nature, animals, outer space, writing and people. Actually it was his writings that amazed me most at the beginning. The intriguing stories he wrote have an indescribable appeal to me like a magic that I always hungered for more. And he never hesitated in sharing those wonderful stories with me. When I finally met him at the airport, I was attracted immediately by his big handsome smile. He looked very amicable and approachable. I had to be careful not to fall for his charm.

The first scenic site was Munsinger & Clemens Gardens. After a little bit more than one hour’s drive, we were suddenly surrounded by several breathtaking gardens. It was like entering a wonderland. Munsinger Gardens are situated below Clemens Gardens along the Mississippi River, and six gardens make up Clemens Gardens. The abundance of Color of flowers, incredible variety of flowers, lovely wedding pavilion, wooden gazebo, and the beautiful river opened my eyes. Am I in heaven or on cloud nine?http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munsinger_Gardens_and_Clemens_Gardens

When Danny told me that Mississippi River originates near Bemidji, I was further amazed. How did it make it all the way to the sea down in Louisiana? The power of nature!

We couldn’t stay long in the gardens as we had to arrive Bemidji before sunset. After finishing walking through the gardens, we got in the car and headed for Bemidji. The rest few hours’ drive couldn’t have be more pleasant and chipper. Danny was an excellent driver and best companion. We chatted and laughed. Before I realized, we were in Bemidji. Hunger crept in. It was time for dinner. What a lovely first day. All my nervousness and anxiety before I flew to Minneapolis was long gone probably right after I arrived at the Airport. Next was the T/Ms meeting tomorrow noon. I was assured that it would be alright, too. Danny is a wonderful host and he’s the President of Bemidji T/Ms club. What I needed was a good night sleep, hopefully, and a few rehearsals of my speech tomorrow morning.

Danny told me his club members were anxious to meet me. They even passed the news to the local TV station – Lakeland Public Television who sent a news person (journalist) to video the meeting. Wow! What an honor! I was nervous, still I said to myself. “I can do it.” It’s time to prove to myself that all these years T/Ms training should be effective.

Time for bed, yet I was a little bit restless. It was not because of the T/Ms meeting, but because of the excitement that I was finally here. Everything seemed so impressive and so much better than I expected. Tomorrow is another chapter.

Trini
http://picasaweb.google.com.tw/taipeitmtrini/2010SummerBliss#

A wedding Ceremony and Banquet

Biking and Hiking in Seattle

Between visiting all the different places, we did bike three times and went hiking one time. Seattle is full of biking trails much nicer than here in Taipei. The view is much nicer and air is also so much cleaner. But the biking is very exhausting with constant cycling up and down hills. It was depressing realizing that my sister is twice as strong as me, and more athletic. Blackberry trees are everywhere along most of the biking trails. But my sister didn't allow me to stop to pick those big yummy berries.

So, I did my best to pick blackberries as many blackberries as I could, almost every other day in the morning or late evening before the sun went down in the vicinity of my sister’s home. When I went to Costco, I saw a small box of blackberries cost around $6.-. Of course they are bigger and maybe sweeter, but not free. Every day I ate twice that box size, see how much money I saved! We also planned to pick blueberries at a farm, yet it was closed on Monday when we got there. It was pity that we couldn't find time to go again the next few days.

The mountain we hiked was called Little Tiger Mountain. It was a cloudy day, even drizzling a little bit in the morning when we arrived. It was Thursday, still we saw a lot of hikers before and after us. We hiked for about seven Kilometers back and forth. It was not far, yet the steep road made the hike quite an exercise. We picnicked at the peak, then walk down the mountain. I won’t say the trail or mountain is beautiful, because there were neither flowers nor man made things like gazebos as we have here in Taiwan. Nevertheless, it was same enjoyable.

Except fun, hiking and biking also helped me consume a lot of calories, otherwise I would have gained more than five pounds instead of just the three pounds that I came home with.

Trini
http://picasaweb.google.com.tw/taipeitmtrini/2010SummerBliss#

Seeing Seattle All Over Again

I may say this time I experienced Seattle as if I was visiting it for the first time although I had been to Seattle several times before. I visited some places I had been to before, did the things that I had done every other time in Seattle, yet the experience was so different. Of course I also visited some new scenic places. But it was mainly because my sister invited a very good friend of hers to be our best chevalier. Our conversation made during the whole time of sightseeing brought extra delight and joy to my stay in Seattle.

Boing Company and the Space Needle
On my second day in Seattle, We went to the Boing Company first. It was the 1st time I visited the company. They said it's the biggest building in the world which must be so as they have to build so many airplanes. There were quite a lot of tourists even though it was Thursday. We had some confusion when trying to find the way to the visitor center entrance. Other than that the tour was quite fruitful and enjoyable. I'm not an airplane fan, still it was amazing to see how a big airplane company works.

We chose Mexican food for lunch. It was different from what had I tried before. After lunch, we went to the Seattle Center. It was a little bit late to go up to Space Needle. So we walked in the center to see what people could do or see there and around that area to enjoy the quiet afternoon. Not many people at that time, we toured around the children museum, a skate board rink, and the buildings in the center. We decided to go up to the Space Needle early next morning. After watching the elevator going up the Space Needle for a while, I estimated it took 30 sec. for the elevator to go from the ground to the top.

Unexpectedly the next morning when we arrived, the center was packed with a huge crowd. When we went to the booth to buy the ticket, they gave us the tickets free. We realized a company treated all of us tourists to a free ride up to the Space Needle. What a surprise! Yet, we hesitated a while if we should stick to our plan as the waiting line was so long that we wondered if it would take us two hours to get up there. Since we had come twice, I said, “we should stick with it and I made a bet that we could get our turn in an hour to persuade my sister and Robert to follow through our plan. They said at least 1 and half hours. Well, neither of us won, as it took us one hour and twenty min. to get our chance to enter the elevator and enjoy the view up there finally. According to the guide It takes 41 sec. for the elevator to travel from the bottom to the top, quite fast although not as fast as I estimated. There was also a Tattoo Exhibition on that day, too. No wonder the playground and amusement park were full of young people and children. I noticed that most of Seattle’s young people, both men and women have tattoos on their body. A lot of them had tattoos of Chinese letters, very interesting. I used to be against tattoos, but now think one or two small ones are OK, but please don't put them all over your body. We didn't see the Tattoo Exhibition, see them on all these people's bodies is good enough for us.

It was getting dark and it’s time for dinner. We went to the Public Market, pity that there was a wedding party that most of the place was blocked, so we ate in a restaurant on the street. We were not very hungry, didn’t order heavy. Surprisingly the food was different and quite good. It was about ten when we got home. What a wonderful 1st sightseeing day!

Pioneer Square
The 2nd day, we went to the Pioneer Square first. There was a flea market that day and many Indian Artworks there and in the vicinity area. It was such an enjoyment sitting among so many artworks. Goods were nothing particularly interesting. I hadn’t plan on buying anything anyway. Another excitement was that we saw two long sand areas with a lot of color stone balls inside. Some people were playing with these stone balls. It looked very interesting. We decided to play, too, and waited for our turn. What fun it was playing stone balls! We played several rounds to enjoy good exercise and laughter.

Pike Place Market
It was a very beautiful area full of colorful flowers and nice streets. We sat on the bench just to relax and enjoy watching tourists from different countries.

Underground tour
My sister didn't tell me before that there was a underground tour site. It was a very interesting and impressive experience. It gave me a clear idea of Seattle's history. When I was walking around the downtown, I noticed a lot of stairs leading underground and wondered why. After the underground tour, I then understood why. What a small world under the ground with narrow twisting tunnels and dusty, derelict rooms!

Harbor Tour
My sister and I took the harbor tour once before. We did it the 2nd time on the third day. It was not in our 3rd day schedule, but when we saw there was a special rate, only half the original price, especially for that day, we must take it. It was refreshing just sitting on the cruise feeling the breeze caressing our faces. The view of Seattle city from the lake was sensational. The introduction made by the tour guide made the tour informative as well.

To be continued.
Trini

My One-of-a-Kind Sister

Seattle Here I come!

My travel plan to Mediterranean countries this summer didn’t come true for various reasons. After my children graduated and got their jobs, it’s getting more and more difficult to arrange family trips.
Expecting friends to travel with me is not easy, either. Nevertheless my trip to the States turned out surprisingly pleasant and fulfilling. Every time I go to America, I take the opportunity to visit my sister either at the beginning of the trip, or before I fly back to Taiwan. This time, visiting my sister was the reason of my trip. She was unable to visit Taiwan this year, whereas I need a trip to make my summer vacation truly relaxing and recreational. In the end I would not only spend quality time with my sister, but also attend two T/Ms meetings and meet some friends there.

When the day was near, I had almost forgotten my depression not being able to travel in Europe. I felt excited again as I kept putting things in the luggage and the day before my flight, I finally finished packing. I had to take out a lot of things that I over packed. I stood there looking at my luggage hoping it would not be over the weight limit allowed by the airline. As always, it was midnight when I went to bed. I could only enjoy four hours’ sleep if only I could calm myself down and fall asleep immediately.

The alarm clock dragged me off the bed even though I desperately wanted more sleep. I left home at the time exactly as I planned. Yet my careless genes took me 40 min. more to get to the Airport. It is a long story, but luckily I arrived at the airport in time for my flight. The rest was just routine and went smoothly. When I was finally sitting in the boarding room, my heart was singing, “Seattle, here I come!”

Trini

If Green Vegetables Smelled as Good as Bacon

Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon. ~Doug Larson

I had my first experience Thursday night eating nothing but vegetables and some whole grain bread. It’s called healthy food – organic diet. The quote given above says exactly how I felt after eating it.

Echo, a senior member of the club – The China T/Ms Club, warmly and kindly invited Wenny who just came back Taiwan from her graduate study in the states, and me for dinner at Mirama (美麗華) in NeiHu. A small favor of mine lending some books to her got me a free meal? I happily accepted her invitation after all we could enjoy a pleasant chat while eating.

I was there on time, and parking was no sweat. How nice! There was a street performer playing the violin by the fountain in front of the plaza. Cool! Echo suggested that we try healthy food, pure organic diet. I’m a meat lover though I can’t live without vegetables, either. Yet thinking that I had had so many big fat meals over the past week, and Echo is an animal lover and a healthy food supporter, I was happy to have healthy food for a change. We headed for the eatery area.

The place was really nice. It looked like a nature-friendly green food shop from outside, no way to tell there was a restaurant area inside. How could people tell there was food service there? I guess by words of mouth.

So we walked into the shop - Chang Gang Biotechnology, Health Center, to the far inside restaurant area. It was quite unexpected to see such a spacious area hiding behind the shop. There were two counters dividing food into:

1. Vegetables and fruit with vegetable soup.
2. Wheat bread, beverages and raisins.

After trying two rounds, I found no more to choose. I realized why it was called healthy food. They were organic food, the choices are limited. We joked about the food that it was like eating grass. So, who could overeat grass?

Well, the most important thing was that we had a good chat. Wenny and I shared our experience of studying abroad. Our chat refreshed a lot of my pleasant and sweet memory of studying in Michigan. Echo was like an ATM – automatic telling machine, throwing questions one after another, and taking our words like a sponge. It didn’t surprise me at all that she would make the decision to study abroad while many others of our age are only thinking of retiring. Life to her is just a beginning.

Because of Echo’s determination of fulfilling her dream, I had a lovely evening and healthy food for the very first time. Thank you, Echo.

Trini

A Slow-ripening Fruit

"Wishing to be friends is quick work, but friendship is a slow-ripening fruit." -- Aristotle (4th century B.C.)

My summer vacation is half gone. Good times always seem to slide away swiftly. Goldies happened to have more gatherings these two months. This time, we gathered to welcome two young friends, Gary and Jim, from southern Taiwan.

We met Gary and Jim in late June last year during our trip to ShangHai. Their professionalism and insights of life made a profound impression on us. This unexpected encounter made the first group trip of five goldies more enthralling and fun.

After one year passed, it would be a thrilling thing to meet these two young men again. Every lady was excited and put other things aside to join the gathering except Pamela. She was on her business trip again to ShangHai. What a pity!

This is the excitement part of traveling. We can never tell what exactly out there for us to see or experience when traveling. A good planning can ensure a safe, delightful and intellectual trip. Yet, it is much more than that. What fascinates me most is the unknown, the unexpected waiting for me to explore.

Linda released the news of their visit to Taipei to us and thoughtfully arranged various programs for the weekend; Karaoke on Saturday afternoon at Lydia’s place; dinner and recreation at a Sports Bar owned by Linda’s friend’s friend; visiting the Chinese Ancient Garden on Sunday morning, then the Art Museum in the afternoon. I’m on my summer vacation, whatever arrangement will be perfect for me, and it turned out that I was the only one who made it from the beginning to the end of the big and long gathering.

After a few communication back and forth, unexpectedly an extra Friday night fever at the “Brown Sugar” was decided. They had a live band starting at 9:30 P.M. till over midnight. Wow! First late night for goldies. Michelle made the reservation for a big cozy booth through her son’s help.

Fright night fever was the very first time for me hanging out until 1:30 A.M. way past midnight. It was great fun! Every goldie dressed up for the special event. The night began at 9:00 P.M. for goldies whereas Gary and Jim had to arrive a little bit late. When they showed up, the atmosphere heated up sky high.

We ate, chatted, danced and took photos. Eeryone did their best to enjoy themselves. The band was great, and the singer, Carton J. Smith, was simply amazing. Totally unleashed Sherry danced and interacted with Carton on the stage. Everyone was screaming and cheering them up. What a sideshow! Surprisingly, Gary invited a handsome friend of his, the very popular actor and speed memory trainer Jonathan to join us. Who can resist the charm of a popular handsome man? Everyone took turns to have a photo with him.

The Saturday afternoon’s karaoke program at Lydia place was warm and cheerful as always. We met with great pleasure a new stunning lady Debby, Lydia’s friend. Besides wine, refreshment, dance, and chat, Lydia bought a beautiful yummy cake to celebrate Michelle’s birthday. Another surprise was the pink sexy “VS” gift everyone received from Michelle who just came back from her trip to Las Vegas. Thank you, Lydia and Michelle!

After the Karaoke, we went to the Sports Bar on BaDe Rd. It was the first time for me and some goldies to patronize a Sports Bar. Must say it was a very refreshing experience being surrounded by the dim and erratic light, erotic settings and many pool tables. We tried different cocktails besides food. Some of us also played pool. I was nervous yet excited.

Before we left the place, it was announced that the next morning’s program was cancelled. Apparently after two nights’ wild programs, it would be a torture to drag everybody up early in the morning. Though I was very much interested in visiting the ancient garden again, I must say it might be better not to challenge my limited energy. So we met at the Art Museum in the afternoon.

Only Linda and I made it to the Museum with Gary and Jim. I had been planning to see the Exhibition “Manet to Picasso” and “Jean-Paul Gaultier/Regine Chopinot – Le Défilé-Gallery”, before my American trip, and this was a perfect time to make it. It was a sensational art and intellect afternoon browsing all the art works there.

After immersing ourselves in a sea of art, we hungered for food even though it was early for dinner. Gary and Jim’s original plan was to meet their friends in the evening, yet they decided it was more delightful to have two ladies’ company for dinner. At the last min I suggested that we ate at 水舞饌, a restaurant in NeiHu luxuriously decorated to passion and fashion. I thought it was the perfect atmosphere for a perfect closure of the exciting once-a-year gathering. I’d eaten there twice, loved their food. Without a reservation we were lucky to get a table. We were seated with the stipulation that we had to finish our dinner before their next guests took the table at 6:30 P.M. We had to take it. Having an hour and half to enjoy our dinner there was much better than finding a different place. The conversation was lively and the food was superb. Everything was wonderfully pleasant. We called it a day early. It was time for a rest after three crazy days. I could also spend some time with my children for the rest of the night.

After dropping Gary and Jim off to their next stop, I accelerated to head home. Suddenly my phone rang, it was Linda saying that Jim left his iPhone in my car. I turned back thinking of Murphy’s Law. Jim succeeded in proving it was too early to call it a day by leaving his phone in my car carelessly. I said the 2nd goodbye to them and wished them a safe trip back home.

I believe we will have Gary and Jim’s visit again and look forward very much to it.
Now let me conclude the crazy weekend by quoting a few ladies’ and Jim’s words:

Irene - Thank you, Michelle, Linda and Lydia, for all the arrangements. I had wonderful and crazy time in Brown Sugar, 8 balls and Lydia's place. Unexpectedly the first time the 2nd generation joined our night life activities and got along with us very well.

Kate - What a special experience I had! I came to know 5 "MEN" in a weekend. I found Gary knowledgeable, talented and humorous. I appreciated Jim for his willingness to spend time with golden ladies although he was tired. It's good that our second generation met and mingled together. I didn't have chance to talk to George. He was a little bit shy, but I can tell he is a nice kid. Hank was so friendly and enthusiastic. He gave me the first lesson in my life about how to play billiards. Because of Gary I had chance to do what I have never done in my life - hugging a popular actor! Thank you, girls, for your arrangements. How lucky I am to have you around me.

Sherry - Thanks for sharing! What two wild nights in a row golden ladies unleashed themselves at the end of the sizzling July in 2010!

Jim - Hi, Golden Ladies, Thank you all SO MUCH for the great “ADVENTURE” in Taipei for us form the little town down south. Ha.. Me and Gary had so much fun re-exploring this fun city. Actually, we did have much much more good time than in Shanghai ‘cause of the other golden ladies joining us. Travelling sometimes gives us chance to escape familiarity in our daily life, but interestingly, it also brings back the familiarity of your kindness, and laughter. Now, I really can’t escape you all now! Haha… Here are some photos that I shot with my iPhone, which are also printed in my memory now and ever. Cheers~

Trini
http://picasaweb.google.com/taipeitmtrini/TwoBrilliantYoungFriendsFromKaohsiung#

Kate’s Lovely Housewarming Party

Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one. - Dr. Seuss
For Kate’s housewarming party, I should say, “Tonight was good, tonight was fun. Tomorrow I shall miss it.” Kate’s fun and cool housewarming party not only drove summer night’s heat away, but also threw most of the goldies together.

The refurbishment of Kate’s home took several months, or I should say almost half a year from the day she started packing and moving things away for refurbishment. She missed a few of the ladies’ gatherings and activities because of the tedious work and pressure with the renovations.

I’m a playful person, flexible with my schedule. I thought Kate was too hard on herself and a few hours escape from the housework should do her good to release her tension. Well, Kate is Kate, and Kate is different. She lives a more disciplined life, for everything she does, she gives her full attention and energy. The whole refurbishment cost her several pounds and countless cheerful smiles. Every time we got to see her we found she was getting skinnier and skinnier. We strove to cheer her up, but that didn’t help her to get her weight, or her familiar cheerful smiles back. Now the remodeling is done, we are so happy to see her happy mood and humor back again.

I had clogging class in the afternoon. I asked Pamela to come to the clogging class to meet me so that we could go to Kate’s home together. I kept alert to my cell phone in case she called. She showed up right after the class was over, though I had secretly hoped she would arrive earlier to exercise with us a little bit. Pamela insisted we get some real food for the housewarming party despite the fact that she already had purchased a beautiful variety pack of cakes from a very famous brand store in Taizhong.

With good preparation work Googling the address in advance this time, I knew exactly the way to Kate’s home. Not a sec. was wasted in finding the directions. I was also well prepared for the challenge of finding a place to park. Luckily, I easily found a parking place in a small corner next to Kate’s home thanks to Pamela and her keened eyes. Couldn’t believe my luck as Kate thoughtfully pointed out that there was nowhere to park a car near her home.

When Kate opened the door, I saw a Chinese beauty dressed right for the occasion and with a big welcoming smile. When seeing her neat, warm and cozy home, I believed all her hard work and the time she had invested had paid off. As Pamela and I were the first to arrive and Kate was already prepared for the party she gave us a room by room tour. There were a lot of pictures of Kate and her family taken over the years. Kate looks beautiful in every picture, yet we were also surprised to notice how Kate’s beauty changed over time. What an amazing woman! Then we occupied her completely with a nice chat. We also had the privilege of tasting her daughter’s lovely refreshments.

After the clock struck six, we began to expect other guests to arrive. Well, they seemed to take their time, Victor Chu from Grand T/Ms Club was the first to showed up followed by Lydia who couldn’t find a parking spot without Kate’s help. Michelle was next to arrive, followed finally by Irene. Linda and Sherry had other engagements today and will join Kate for her second housewarming party. With three more T/Ms guests; Maggie, William and Dawn; and another one of Kate’s daughter’s friend, the party formally began to roll. Topics jumped from one to another while we dug into all the delicious dishes. In what seemed like no time at all it was ten o’clock and someone reminded us not to outstay our welcome as it was late and the host needed her rest.

As we reluctantly got up to leave, Dawn announced she prepared a take-home gift, a broad bean snack for everyone. That was another surprise!

Thank you again, Kate, for such a lovely, fun and enjoyable housewarming party. I am happy for you that you now have a newly refurbished, cozy home to enjoy your quiet and relaxing time!
http://picasaweb.google.com/taipeitmtrini/KateSHousewarmingParty#
Trini

Playing the Big Drum

Red drums are a symbol of power.
Drums performances are given when there are ceremonies or festivities. For the love of music, goldies sing, dance, attend concerts and even play musical instruments. Sherry involved herself most in the games. Lately she has been fascinated by drums, especially the big Chinese drums. The group she joined is called新店鳳鼓隊. They will be playing the big drums at Riverside Festival Sunday, July 18th.
http://www.culture.tpc.gov.tw/_file/2963/SG/37656/D.html. She has invited us to join her several times to have a hand-on experience and to feel the excitement of laying our hands on the big drums. She even mailed us the drum notes so that we could do our homework in advance.

I enjoy listening to the drum beats and feel the rhythms that I have spent some time in learning the jazz drums. Getting the coordination of both hands and the right foot is an exciting challenge, hence the achievement is overwhelming. When I drum, my mind is freed and all the cells in my body dance in harmony giving me a great sense of achievement and excitement.

I joined Sherry several times along with Kate, Lydia and Michelle. We had great fun. Yet going to XinDian early on Sunday morning every week is an impossible mission for me. I had to disappoint her as I can’t even be sure if I can make it twice a month. If I can’t play the big Chinese Drum, at least I can still get the satisfaction and comfort from the beat of playing the jazz drum. Either way, I’m happy and contented.

Trini

Summer Vacation at Last!

Vacations are seen as an antidote to work. They are medicine, a remedy for counteracting the effects of labor.... Vacations allow us to be away from the job, to change the patterns of our day, to alter our routine, to reconfigure our actions and habits, to rediscover ourselves. - AL GINI
When seeing all the teachers’ happy face before the school was about to close for summer vacation, I could tell how important it is for them to have the long expected vacation.

After more than four and half months’ non-stop teaching, teachers need the time
to get recharged, refreshed and revived for the next term to come. I couldn’t realize before I became a teacher, how stressful and tiresome it could be. While a lot of people envy teachers for their winter and summer holidays, I must say it’s very helpful and constructive for teachers. The break is definitely necessary for them to continue to stay in the job, to keep their passion and not to lose their patience with students.

Teaching gives teachers a sense of achievement while often times troubled students rack their brains for solutions. Another reason that I can’t wait for summer vacation to come is because I can finally travel to the places that I had planned to visit before my legs fail me. The only problem is finding companies. People other than teachers don’t feel like travelling in summer as the cost is high and the weather is hot.

Sad to say that all the goldies have their own travel plans this year. None of them can join me. My children can’t travel with me in summer, either. I was forced to drop my plan travelling to Europe as traveling alone is truly depressing. Still, I will spend two weeks in the States. My sister doesn’t come back to Taiwan this year, so I thought visiting her is not bad as I haven’t been to Seattle for almost four years. A week at my sister’s home in Seattle for a good getting-together, plus a week visiting a friend of mine there to see some small towns that I have never seen sounds quite fulfilling actually.

I guess I will still make my vacation an enjoyable one. I have more time to attending dance classes, practicing the drum and the piano, watching movies, listening to music, doing things with goldies when chances come, attending more T/Ms meetings and finally enjoying the quality time with my sister and friend in the States.

But for next summer, I promised myself no matter what I will make my plan travelling to East and South Europe come true.

Trini

The installation Ceremony and the 25th Anniversary Celebration

The China T/Ms is twenty-five years old. Time flies like an arrow and it’s been 15 years since I joined the club! The club has always been one of the best in town and for many years membership soared with over 60 members.
In the past few years the China T/Ms has lost many members including 15 young
members; some pursued their study abroad, some got married, and had children. At the same time new T/Ms clubs have been established one after another. Since the day it was chartered, the club has maintained its trademarks of warmth, friendliness, passion, enthusiasm, and energy, making it the vital and successful organization it is today. After 25 years the China T/Ms is still among the finest in town.

Speaking of the history of T/Ms International in Taiwan, the 1st T/Ms club, Taipei T/Ms Club, was founded in 1958 by Dr. Bernie Bough. We are the 8th T/Ms club established in 1985 after Taipei, Tainan, Taichung, Touyan, Grand 1975, PECL1982, and CECI 1982

The club President Jamie approached me more than a month ago explaining his idea of celebrating the club’s installation and 25th anniversary ceremony together. It was a big day of the club. He invited me to be the master of the ceremony. Hosting the most important annual event of the club is a great honor of mine. I appreciate our President Jamie for giving me this opportunity. Being a T/M for about fifteen years, conducting a regular club meeting is just like fulfilling a member’s duty by taking turns. The audience is small, the program is formatted and the speakers are familiar. The club’s 25th anniversary is extra especial. We’d invite as many guest T/Ms from other clubs as possible, especially those very popular ones.

I anticipated the challenge. Firstly the program must be attractive which means versatile. My past experience told me that an Installation Ceremony often ends up tedious and boring. Thus, when Jamie asked for my advice, I was more than pleased to offer some ideas. We reached a consensus to make the program both educational and fun. Since the club didn’t ask any member to give a speech to meet the educational purpose, I invited Moses Mo, Pamela’s better half, to do a humorous speech demo. I heard her club members say it was hilarious and enjoyable. Then we must have an evaluation demo to be done by a very experienced and popular T/Ms. Harry Fong, DTM; Lydia’s better half; Council Governor from 1999-2000 was the perfect choice. To our relief, he confirmed without hesitation. The rest sessions except one were assigned to club members to host. I planned to invite goldies to give a show dancing, or leading a dance or an exercise involving all the audience in. To my disappointment, they were either on their trips abroad, had other programs or business to attend to. Only Pamela was able to accept the invitation. Pamela is from Galaxy TMC, I know a lot of its members. When I saw them in the D67 Installation Party, I successfully talked their President elect Viola and EVP elect Jack Chen into gathering at least ten members from their club for support. Wow! How exciting! I thought it was great as Pamela could help me run the session with all the beautiful and handsome Galaxiers. As the ceremony master, I better concentrate on hosting the ceremony and not involve myself in performing. Yet, Pamela couldn’t spare more time to prepare for conducting the session by herself. So, it was decided we together do it and lead the audience to dance. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwLPd94TACc
The program was settled.

The Best Wishes Session to be conducted by Bing Bing Lin: He’s a T/Ms Guru, a magician, the sponsor of the club. He alone sponsored 15 T/Ms clubs, I think he’s eligible to be listed in the T/Ms International record.

The Variety Session to be conducted by Victor Tsui, CC. He’s a newly happily wed member. He’s a person in depth never loosing temper or control. He’s still in his honeymoon though he has married for over a year, always putting EVE, his wife, before the club activity. We must thank his wife for giving him to us for the ceremony.

Humorous Speech Demo to be given by Moses Mo, ACB, CL. He’s a spiritual leader of Galaxy T/Ms club, A hero behind the scene. He is one of the parachute team from Legacy T/Ms club. He looks very clam, or a little bit serious, the truth is? The audience will find it out after hearing his speech.

Discharging Ceremony to be conducted by Larry Lee, ACS, AL. He was the club president from 1993 – 1994, area C2 governor then the immed. Past Division C governor. He speaks in a very composed manner. He teaches in the college.

Installing Ceremony to be conducted by no one else but Mike Yang, DTM, District 67 Governor elect. He was the club president from 2000 to 2001, then area C2 Governor,
Div. C Governor, District LGM, District LGE and soon in a few days he will lead all T/Ms in Taiwan to soar into a new height.

Evaluation Demo to be given by Harry Fong, DTM. He’s a very popular and distinguished T/M. His membership is as old as the China T/Ms club which means he is one of the charter members when the club was split away from Taipei T/Ms club. He was the club’s president in year 1990 and Counsel Governor from1999-2000, the year I took the club’s presidency office.

Cake Cutting Session to be conducted by Choi Chang, ACS, CL. He’s a treasure of the club. He’s observant, logical, and wise. In addition, he has a very good analytical quality to make complicate things easy. That’s why our officers or members count on him very much for advice.

The Sing and Act Session to be conducted by Carl Wang. He’s the immed. Past Pres. He’s a very smart and responsible young man good at cooking and numbers, and specializes in stock market and investment.

The night before the Ceremony, I invited Viola and her club members to Pamela’s home to practice the dance for more than an hour until we were familiar with the dancing steps. Though only Viola and Pamela made it, it was OK as the purpose of the session is to exercise and have fun.

In the evening of Celebration, things went very smoothly even better than I expected. We had more than 50 participants. Twelve past Presidents of the club showed up. Every session was proceeded smoothly and achieved its best effect. The Exercise Session led by Galaxiers was exceptionally satisfactory. Every Galaxier demonstrated youth, vitality and dynamic strength. Can’t thank them enough.

The only room for improvement was time control. Time control has been the biggest challenge for all T/Ms activities. Every speaker and session master wanted to make their points or message across. It really gave our timer a big headache.

At last, I like to give my best wishes to the China T/Ms Club again. May the China T/Ms Club keep booming and prospering, and best wish to the Club for continuous prosperity and success.

Trini
http://picasaweb.google.com.tw/taipeitmtrini/InstallationAndThe25thAnniversaryOfTheChinaTMsClub#