Our foreign dance teacher always said that you had to make accents in your dance or it would look too plain. I tried to keep his words in my mind not only in dance but also in life. How lovely it would be to make my dance and life interesting.

I had invited a few friends to come to my home for a casual gathering last Sunday night. However, I just found out a few days ago that the International Orchids Exhibition was held in Tainan, and it would end on Sunday. I would like to meet my friends but I would also like to see the exhibition. How could I do it?

I knew I would be regretful if I missed either one so I decided to keep both and see what would happen. In my thoughts, it should like putting many accents all at once in a dance. You might ruin the dance but you also might be able to make the dance unforgettable.

The exhibition was amazing. I was glad that I didn’t miss it. I couldn’t help but shake my head and hold my breath when I saw the magnificent artwork of nature. Its beauty was beyond imagination but it would be gone just like in a snap of your fingers. I was so happy that I caught the beauty in time and it was the first accent I made in my life on that day.

On the way out of the exhibition, the Magistrate of Tainan County invited Shyi-Dong and me for coffee. We had a very interesting talk about how to help local growers internationalize the orchid industry and keep staying on the cutting edge in the world. It was the second accent we made which was quite a surprise.

After talking to the Magistrate, we rushed back home because our friends would arrive soon. Our car was filled with the sweet aroma released from the orchids we purchased. It was another accent on that day because we were able to bring back the best orchids from the exhibition.

On the way home, I thought it would be great if I could invite my friend who was a professional singer to join us. Without wasting anytime, I made a quick phone call and he agreed to come. Even though it was a casual gathering, some of our friends offered to play live music for everyone to dance. One friend volunteered to play the violin, one friend offered to play the sax phone and one would play the flute.

My singer friend showed up after he gave a performance on the other side of the city. Along with him he brought his keyboard and a guitar player. All of a sudden, our living room was converted to a nightclub. My homemade dessert was another highlight for that evening.

The day flew by with accents here and there and it ended at the climax with the singer singing, the dancers dancing, and the instruments playing. It was like the cha cha dance our teacher designed for Shyi-Dong and me. With all the spins and twirls, the dance stopped at the top of its choreography.

Our friends left at midnight and they thanked us repeatedly for organizing a wonderful gathering, but I knew I should thank them for bringing so many lovely accents to our life.

Bih-Hua Chen
March 15, 2010