Department of French held a “Beaujolais Festival” on November 24 at the classroom T505. All of the participating teachers and students enjoyed a glass of the Beaujolais nouveau, a widely popular red wine made from Gamay grapes produced in the Beaujolais region of France. During the event, the French Department also invited Sophie Su, a French Department graduate and now a lecturer in the Department of Food and Beverage Management Tajen University, to give an introduction about the famous wine. Herself a qualified sommelier, Su gave a presentation on the history of Beaujolais during the event. However, most of the listeners were even more eager to enjoy a glass of the red wine. So when Su said one could start to enjoy the wine everyone just rushed to pick up the glass of wine and drank it.

Tseng Jan-feng, a junior in the Department of French, said that the taste of the wine is very soft in the mouth, and not too strong and easy to drink. Tsai Nien-chen, a freshman in the same department, said she heard the name Beaujolais for many years and this is her first time to have a taste of it.

Meanwhile, the Graduate Institute of the Americas held a Thanksgiving luncheon at the 11th floor of the Ching-sheng Memorial Hall on November 26, featuring traditional American Thanksgiving feast such as turkey, snacks and cocktail. Dr. David Kleykamp of the Graduate Institute of the Americas, was given the task to carve the turkey. All the participating students were really amazed on how Dr. Kleykamp slicing the turkey with ease. Dr. Chen Hsiao-chuan, Chair of the Graduate Institute of the Americas said that Thanksgiving is one of the most representative holidays for the Americas. The event can allow students to actually experience the American culture. Some of the American students in the College of International Studies were also invited to join the event for a homecoming experience. Dr. Tai Wan-chin, Vice President for International Affairs, said that Thanksgiving is a heartwarming holiday for all. The event can also serve as a great opportunity for students of two divisions to better know each other after the merge of the two graduate institutes, Graduate Institute of American studies and Graduate Institute of Latin American Studies into one. ( ~Yeh Yun-kai )