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