by Shih I-ming (Foreign Language, '72)

I attended the 20-year reunion by chance. Had I not been visiting my mother in Cupertino during that time, I would not have gone. A propos to this middle-age thing, I cannot for the life of me remember how I came to know about the event. I remember, however, that it was a heartwarming experience. It is with this feeling that I anticipate the gala of our 30-year reunion in Las Vegas; and see my schoolmates, some for the first time since our graduation.

Those WERE the days…

Those were the days of young minds pursuing knowledge and the meanings of life. Those were the days of youthful hearts experiencing anew tears and laughter. Those were the days of innocence, friendship, adventures, and wild dreams. Da Du Shang gave us the environment to explore our sense of freedom and individual pursuit.

While preparing for the tu feng wu program, I relived the days of "simple focus" (so to speak) and pure enjoyment. As I struggled to remember and practice the steps, I felt like being 18 again. The only difference today is that I won’t care as much to make a fool of myself. Is it possible that I changed?

All of us have changed, I am sure, to a certain degree. Then again, we remain largely the same. I hope that we remember the days at Da Du Shang and the romanticism it instilled in us. "Romanticism," to my understanding, is sensitivity, imagination, and the daring to dream…

See you all in July!