After a whirlwind visit to four sister universities of Tamkang U.: Asia, Komazawa and Chuo Gakuin, the friendship mission consisting of 19 TKU students from 4 student clubs---Tea Ceremony, Calligraphy, Tai Kuan Tao and Water Sports---came back on November 24, each filled with joy and pride and what’s more, they all consider it a happy, learning experience.

According to the officials of Extracurricular Activities Guidance Section, , given the high-caliber quality of the visiting teams, their performance was very well received. As a result, their visit was greeted with welcome parties everywhere they went. Sometimes not just Presidents, but also President of the Board of Trustees, such as Chuo Gakuin University, would give them a party to show appreciation of their visit. Here are some of the feedbacks from the visiting teams.

One student leader from the Tea Ceremony Club, her name is Hung Jui-min, mentioned that since the Japanese pay much attention to tea etiquette in everyday life, they have reserved a Tea-Room in every university, a unique custom very different from Taiwan; and that’s part of the reasons why we have brought a complete set of tools with us, she said. The tea etiquette of Japan is very rigid, and we have to genuflect ourselves when serving tea. It’s fun, to be sure, but also a chore, Hung admitted.

Another student, his name is Tsai Tzu-hao, Chief of the Tai Kuan Tao Club, said that although Tai Kuan Tao is not so popular in Japan, yet they’ve witnessed their demonstration of Ho Kai Tao and Shao-lin-chuan (a Chinese Kung Fu Chuan); it was quite an experience, Tsai commented.

As for the two stunts that our members showed to the Japanese counterparts, Tsai continued to elaborate, we are very proud the effect was stunning. The two feats, by the way, to translate literally, were: “Backward Summersaults” and “Breaking the Wooden Blocks with Two Karate Chops”.

The Calligraphy Club has brought their portfolios with them, of course. But they’ve also demonstrated their art “live” by writing their characters to a “live” audience, including the orthodox “li” type of calligraphy, the cursive “chuan”, a seal type of writing skill and finally, a flowery type of “shin” script mode, etc.

Before the students went back home after their triumphant visit abroad, they took time to tour around Tokyo’s Disneyland. To sum up their exhausting experience in one word, it’s been simply “wonderful”!