Wood Bench

Do you remember Wood Bench in Taiwan at old days ?
For the 8/28 Mid Summer Concert, Josephine and I hade thought about renting chairs for our guests...and then I decided to bring all the chairs back from our office.  But, these chairs plus those we have at home are such a big mixed and messy...Surely cannot be approved by our concert producer - JP.
What should I do? The Concert is 24 hours away...
Friday afternoon, I went to Home Depot to shop some lumbers and ask my helper to work on this urgent project - to make our own wood benches.  The adventure is unforgetable!
I used to see how our master carpenters in the wood work that our family owned back in Guansi, 50 some years ago... Based on that memory...we discussed on our draft.
We surely not capable to make it with the tradional way - nailess joints... We must use nails and screws, but still try to make it soild and looking good.  We did figure out how finally...and we even rushed to have these benches painted.
Please check these 3 wood benches... they are our proud babies. 

6 foot long, 18 inch high and with 10" width...solid strong!  I believe they are definitely useful for many events, including for my tea workshops and our Hakka Toastmasters Meeting...
Maybe, this is a new hobby!

Mid Summer Concert (116th Hakka Toastmasters Meeting)

(We just got our video sent in by our good friend, Tony Lam
Please click on the following link:
 http://www.tonylamfilms.com/tea_concert.htm
to see the video.)

8/28/2010 -
This is a very special day for many of our friends.
We have 58 of us gathered for a wonderful Mid Summer Concert featured Rhapsody Trio and a series of great programs arranged by Lynn and Josephine.  They both are serving for the MC and Speaker for this month (116th) Hakka Toastmasters Meeting, and in celebration with TEA (Taiwan Elite Alliance) 10th Anniversary, as well. 
Lynn, Jen and Yvonne, the trio, surprises many of us with their great performance.  Master Huang's Trumpet play, Martina's Soprano are truly entertaining.
We do have a strong team behind this event.  Shih-Hung, Ivan, Mr. Lai arrived early to help set up the seats and sign...Karen and Ben offer good tea service for everyone, plus a lot of moving around...
Appreciate brother Shih-Hung's photos for having the above slide show.
We are expecting the video from Tony and some more pictures from Kevin. (*We are lucky to have all the first class volunteers to work with.)
The most important thing, we keep our Toastmasters spirit and make sure every one get chance to share
his/her viewpoints after the intermission and before Part II.  58 of us, all get chance to speak up.

The following lovely message is one particular response we received from Wei-Wei, a friend who's among the audience in this concert ----
============================
Dear Josephine and Thomas,

Thank you for inviting me to your lovely home. Such an intimate concert allowed me to appreciate the beautiful sound of trumpet and clarinet.
There was so much love and grace in this T.E.A. concert which filled my heart with gratitude. It was the first time I fell in love with so many people at the same time.
At Cafe Fusion, I enjoyed all the Taiwanese food, but mostly I enjoyed basking under the warmth radiated from the good people at the table: Jocey's graceful family, remembering Karen patiently making tea for people and her friend's quiet smile, the 90 year old lady's healthy appetite and self-contented expression of her being through the sparkling wrinkle, the self-made royal-red dress and the glittering, colorful jewelry.
While I was driving home with Mr. Lai, listening to him, imagining his journey through Japanese occupation, Chinese rule, immigration to South and North America, my heart ached and rejoiced simultaneously thinking the strength, the history and the future of Taiwan.
Regardless the role we shall play in this life, I will always remember that on August 28, 2010, heaven showed its face to me at 33 Turning Leaf Way.
Wei-Wei 8/29/2010
==========
Hi Josephine,
Thank you for sharing the TEA's Mid-Summer " Night Dream " Concert. Very good indeed, Lynn and I enjoy very much.
Chanchi 9/26/2010
==========

Dear Thomas,

You and Josephine put in a lot of effort in organizing the concert.  The videos are great for nice memories for years to come.

I look forward to your future concerts.

Jean 9/27/2010
==========
我想如此的家庭音樂會　在台的中國人（外高人　高及外省人）就無法表露歧視的心態　　囂張的說那些沒水準沒營養的話語了　　　
我注意到鋼琴上那張招牌照片　開懷大笑 　道盡了知足自信的人生　　　再聊淑啓 9/27/2010

==========
八月二十八日在您府上所舉辦的仲夏家庭音樂會，次日我即在網上收看到您所傳來的影片，欣賞之餘我還寫了一首三行詩，不過今天收到是日音樂會精彩完整版，雖然是小型家庭式的三重奏，與會鄉親還不到六十人，然而鋼琴、小提琴、黑管、喇叭高水準的演奏，莫不令人激賞。特別讓人留下深刻印象的是客家歌爵士化，不泥古守舊，您動人的搖籃曲演唱，以及黃先生悠揚的小喇叭演奏，確實扣人心弦，永難忘懷。  
清雲上 09.27.10
 
仲夏音樂會
有彈有唱天籟聲
繞樑三月永難忘

家庭音樂會
超乎水準介演出
感動享受難得有

父女介合奏
鋼琴喇叭美妙聲
人間難得幾回聽
 

115th Meeting @Graber Olive House

(*Highly appreciate to our brother Shih-Hung for his nice photos.)

July/2010 meeting is our 115th meeting.  Per our brother Peng's suggestion, we set to visit an old Olive Factory - Graber Olive House in City of Ontario, California. 

7/31/2010 3PM, our group members showed up at the gift shop and enjoyed tasting delicous olives they produce.  After the introduction film, we all gathered for the tour conducted by Ms. Betty. What a nice lady and truly a humourous docent for our wonderful experience. (*Thanks JP for her funny translation job for our group.) There are a few local American friends who accompany their visitors from South Dakoda.  We become a happy bunch!

After the tour and shopping...we called our Monthly Hakka Toastmasters Meeting right in the elegant garden there...with very pleasant breeze.  This is truly a great one.

The following article and the beautiful Hakka 3 line Poem from brother James Leu:

座談兼遊覽
南加古城出名產
鄉親集會嚐橄欖

洛縣客語生活座談會，昨天(2101.07.31)舉辦 第一百一十五次聚會，地點選在南加州離華人聚集甚多的哈岡與羅蘭岡不遠，沿60號公路向東車程約三十分鐘的Ontario，Graber Olive House。Ontario 是座古城，歷史悠久，道路寬敞，沿路古木參天，在第四街上的Graber Olive House，創建於1894年，迄今已有115年歷史，我們客家鄉親近二十人，參觀博物館，古老迄今依舊醃製生產可口美味橄欖工廠，感佩他們半手工半機械，以傳統方法生產遠近馳名的橄欖、橄欖油產品，庭園草木扶疏，我們圍坐草坪上野宴板桌，各以母語分別簡短講述心得及近況，黃老太太即興吟唱山歌，讓鄉親大飽耳福，一月一次的座談會，其樂也融融。

清雲 08.01.10
=================
By the way, our next meeting will be on 8/28/2010 - and this time we will have a mini Concert performed by our talented musician Lynn Huang and her trio.  Seats (50 max.) are very limited.  Make your reservation early.