reunion, in the evening

Then I went to another reunion in the evening. This was again a somewhat impromptu thing: Just about a couple weeks ago, I was invited to a chat group formed by alums of my junior high school (再興) and its senior high division. Right after the chat group was formed, they decided to have a meetup dinner for all who could attend, and I signed up for it.

In contrast to the senior high school I attended, which was a public school, 再興 was a private school with only 3 classes each for its junior high and senior high divisions, and therefore a smaller but closer-knit body.

The dinner was at an up-scale hotel at the heart of the town. We reserved a banquet room just for ourselves, 23 in total. Half of them I didn't know, since they were from the senior high division; half of the junior high people I sort of knew, since they were from different classes; and the remaining half I really knew, since they were literally the mates I sit in the same classroom with day in and day out through my junior high years, including one year living in the same dorm.

One of the main purpose of this reunion group is to promote health awareness and encourage one another to live healthier lives. Many of attendees today were doctors or of medical background. They shared their take on various health issues and real life encounters with them. One of them in particular has been promoting end-of-life care for years and is in charge of all the municipal hospitals in Taipei. He shared with us the sweat and tears, heart break and joy of working and developing relationships with towns folks and the theatrics of dealing with city council... All so endearing and interesting stories from a now avuncular looking buddy who was just a kid like me sitting a row or two behind some 43 years ago.

Besides doctors, the guy sitting to my left is a businessman, my right a lawyer, the chairman of the group himself the chief executive of a multi-national conglomerate, and many other alums who did not attend today are professionals working and living in China, Hong Kong, Japan, Southeast Asia, US, etc. Even the hotel restaurant manager is a 再興 alum.

They shared stories about a fun trip they made recently, a gathering of guys from different parts of the world flying all over to Hong Kong just to attend and celebrate the wedding of one of their own. The camaraderie and enthusiasm shown were enviable.

One incident that triggered the forming of this more formal alum group, I heard, happened last year, when one of the alums, after a late night business meeting in Shanghai, got injured in a serious traffic accident and remained in coma. Though they tried getting the best doctors and treatment through their alumni network to save him, he still didn't make it.

I remember when we were in school, every Monday morning there was a "Mental Rally Talk" (精神講話) session by the principal (who's also the founder of the school), and at the end of her speech, she would always exhort us to "invoke 再興 Spirit" (發揚再興精神) to do great things. It sounded so cliche at that time, and nobody really knew what "再興 Spirit" meant. But looking at what these fifty-somethings are doing, helping each other and the society in general in ways they can, I think I know what that "再興 Spirit" means, and that our long deceased lady principal would be smiling and very proud of her boys now!

Biggest round table I ever saw in Taipei, seating 23

Some of us only attended Junior High (such as I), some Senior High only, some both

These up close and personal classmates of my Junior High years. The big guy at the center in black, nick named "Uncle Jian", is one well known and respected end-of-life care advocate in Taiwan

One serious looking boy at 15

reunion, in the morning

I received an email from the alumni affairs office of my high school in Taiwan a few weeks ago, announcing the coming 40th anniversary of the classes of 1976 and encouraging me to register for the celebration party they were planning. I did not know whether I would be in Taiwan or able to attend the event at that time, but I registered it anyway: 40 years is one big milestone, if I did make it, heck, maybe I'd bump into some old classmates I thought I'd never see again after graduation.

I did make it, last Sunday. I was going to take the subway there, as people mostly do nowadays in Taipei, but then I decided to take the bus instead--that same old bus line (#208) that used to take me to school for my 3 senior high years. It still ran the same route, but with much nicer vehicle, much less crowd, and a stop a few hundred feet off the old spot where I used to get off.

Right after I walked into the school, I met a couple of welcome stands manned by today's high-schoolers, respectfully instructing us elders to where the celebration party was, a 5-story building I didn't recall seeing when I was attending the school.

All seats of about 50 round tables were pre-assigned. One quick glance at the seating plan and Bingo! I knew I was the only person from my class (we had a total of 26 classes graduating in the same year) who came today. 

I was early, so I sat at my table and waited. All of a sudden a guy in red shirt approached me. Surprise! He was an old college friend of mine who also went to the same high school. We had some larky happy catch-up before he had to rush back to his own table.

All the rest of my table mates had arrived by now. I chatted with one sitting next to me. A few exchanges later, I learned he was a doctor and we actually shared a few common friends that were either his classmates in high school and mine in college, or mine in high school and his in college, or some of my classmates who became doctors and he knew them through the medical profession, etc, etc... The intricacy and power of Mark Zuckerberg's "social graph" many times manifested.

The majority of people at our table were a group of 7 who came from the same class (they had been in touch before they decided to come to the event), and once I mentioned the name of the junior high school (再興) I went to, they said one of their close classmates (who didn't come today) was from that school too so we kind of connected right there. 

Sitting across the table from me was one of those larger-than-life "celeb kids" during our high school years, in this case an openly gay boy at a time when homosexuality was a societal no-no and looked down upon by many if not all. Though we had never met before, I initiated a conversation with him asking how he'd been doing since graduation. He said he had been involved with gay rights and HIV/AIDS prevention movements all these years, but not too much into the current legislative fight for same-sex marriage that's been the talk of the town these days in Taiwan. For what reason, I didn't ask... passing the baton to the next generation, perhaps, judging from the soft, mellow tone I heard from him speaking.

It was a celebration not only for us 40-year returnees, but also for those who graduated 30, 35, 45, 50, 55, and 60 years ago. The guests of honor included the former president and a congressman of the country, both alums themselves. There were also musical performances and magic shows, singing and dancing and photo taking... all the fanfare, along side a delicious banquet lunch. 

Not bad for a Sunday morning.

My college friend (on the far right) came not only to attend the party, but also to perform classic Chinese music with his high school club members.

The former president making speech on stage. He seemed a much happier man than when he was president, from what I saw.

Each holding sign showing the class they belonged to. Like many there, I was the sole representative for my class.

On an outing with my high school classmates, when I was 17, going on 18.