Mid-Autumn
Festival Dinner Party
On 9/17/05
Over 150 people crowded the DFW Technology Activity Center in Richardson. Attendees ranged from young children to elderly, including a large contingent of about 45 students from area colleges. Plenty of food was on hand, catered from a local restaurant, August Moon, appropriately named for the occasion. In anticipation of the turnout, 180 moon cakes were ordered along with seasonal fruits, watermelons, cantaloupes and grapes. It was meant to be an annual celebration of the harvest season, a tradition that began long ago. This night, it was a little different.
It was about money…
About raising $3,943 for the Katrina hurricane victims.
About donating over $800 to the UTA Taiwanese students for their activities.
It was about sex…
About telling graphic jokes that young children should not hear (fortunately they did not understand).
About performing rowdy skits in the Saturday Night Live tradition.
It was about politics…
About selling green wrist bands engraved with the words “Taiwan Nation”.
About promoting “Team Taiwan” at the upcoming Komen Race for the Cure walk-a-thon.
About equating big blue, green and orange fruits, that happen to rhyme with big *** politicians.
It was about people…
About listening to a talented 10th grader, who played the violin like a pro.
About talking to a young couple, who were beaming with joy about expecting their first babies (twins).
About being mesmerized by a flute player and her guitar picking partner.
About cheering “Uncle” to a young lady who sang beautiful Hakka songs.
About being introduced to a 6 (or 7) year old girl, who yearns to be the next Olympic gymnast.
About meeting new members who just moved here, a pastor from Connecticut and a dentist from New York.
About being entertained by a group of very creative students, who can go on to be Broadway performers
About watching eight graying men dance to the tunes of their adopted country and make their audience smile.
By most standards, it was a fun party, but it was more.
It was also about caring and generosity, being young at heart, love and conviction, life and goals, creativity, diversity and what it means to be Taiwanese and Taiwanese American. It was all there and you just had to look.
And, you thought it was just a party!
(In case you missed this one, look for our next party announcement here, at www.taadfw.org.)