TKU campus was full of warmly human touch for the Mid-Autumn Festival! To let foreign students experience the Mid-Autumn Festival as a part of the Chinese culture, the Office of International Exchanges and International Education hosted a luncheon party at the basement of FL Building on Sept. 30. International Affairs Vice President Wan-chin Tai expressed that people would usually experience homesickness during festivals. Hopefully the party would ease foreign students’ homesickness.
The luncheon party started with music. The Chinese freshman Felix Bohlen from Germany performed a group of exquisite European medieval melodies with his bagpipe, which all enjoyed as if deluded. The atmosphere was warm and lively. Except the rich snacks, there were moon cakes, shaddocks and other festival foods. Several foreign students naughtily put shaddock peels on their heads as hats. Banking and Finance master freshman Etzer S. Emile from Haiti said, “We understood the meaning of the party because Vice President Tai had explained the historical background of the festival at the beginning, so we were happy to be at the party.” International Exchanges and International Education Director Pei-wha Lee expressed that the party this time was different from anyone in the past. Except for the Mid-Autumn Festival, we also welcomed foreign freshmen and encouraged them to take part in our activities more actively.
In addition, both of the Male and Female Domitory Self-Management Club as well as Student Secretary Group at Lanyang Campus jointly held a Mid-Autumn Festival BBQ in front of the library corridor in the evening of Sept. 30. More than 500 faculty and students participated in it. It also invited performing artist, Jiong-bin Fang to sing, and his singing greatly helped to warm up the lively atmosphere.
All participants enjoyed the American beef, French style roasted chicken and Italian spiced pork. Political and Economic sophomore Shi-yuan Chen remarked, “Although I couldn’t go home for the Festival family reunion, the BBQ party made me feel like home. I was very happy to have taken part in the rich party.” When the secret quest singer Jiong-bin Fang appeared and started singing, all students turned crazily hilarious and the party atmosphere reached its peak. Everybody was humming his signature song “The Unprincipled Man” with him, and the scene was as if a lively large KTV.
Besides, the Center of the Resources for the Blind hosted an open movie show and also provided moon cakes and soft drinks on Oct 1st night, inviting physically challenged students to enjoy the movie in the Mid-Autumn Festival night. Participant History senior Zhe-jun Liao said, “I really happily experienced a unique Mid-Autumn Festival with some schoolmates. While watching the movie, we were also enjoying some delicious moon cakes.” ( ~Dean X. Wang )
