SF Company Party

Here's a short entry about the company New Year's party. I compare it to 3M company parties because they are the only experience I have with this kind of event. Maybe others can relate to their company parties.


1/9/12
Singform had their Chinese New Year's party last night. It was a big shin-dig! The party was held on the SF grounds in 3 huge multi-colored tents accommodating about 300 people, which included spouses and children. It had a stage set up at one end with a bright neon flashing backdrop...bright and flashy, a very Taiwanese way of celebrating.

Other than the flashy neon background, it was a regular old 3M-type combination Christmas/ Annual Banquet. They had hired a professional emcee, honored years of service to the company and had big door prizes...as well as a lot of "hong boa," the traditional red envelopes of money. Between activities, like after they gave away a prize, they would play a few stanzas of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic"...very loudly! This went on all throughout the evening. (I have mentioned how they like American music!)

We sat at a table with A-tai and his family, wife and two sons (high school and college age). The food was continuous! They filled up the tables, again with lazy Susan centers, three times with platters of food... vegetables, rice, noodles, fruit, lobster, chicken feet, tofu, hot pot (I'll explain another time) and more than I can even remember. I started counting and the table could hold 8 platters or tureens or tiered plates at once...that means at least 24 different kinds of food were served by the end of the night!

The main entertainment was karaoke. Each of the bosses, work groups, etc. went up to sing  throughout the dinner. Yes, Don went up with one of his guys from GA. There were 5 pages of songs in English to choose from. They sang, "Pretty Woman." Oh, the crowd went wild and wanted one more. "Country Roads" was their second choice. They were a hit! The only other entertainment besides karaoke was a belly dancer. What can I say? Facts are facts.

Again, as I had read in the Taiwan book and mentioned in describing our first meal at a restaurant, there was plenty of toasting. We drank apple cider and had several refills throughout the night to keep up with all the toasting! We felt comfortable enough that we were one of the last to leave. The night was definitely a 3M company party, Taiwanese style.