遇見Maya
At the kind invitation of our Japanese Tai Chi friend, Lin Jie（林杰）, I travelled to Keelung（基隆）with my wife and granddaughtersto enjoy a delightful evening of live music at Chujian Café（初見咖啡）.
We had the pleasure of listening to Maya, who studied in the Department of Music at Peking University（北京大學音樂系）, together with her musical companion from Tokyo（東京）, and the Taiwanese singer Cliff（克里夫）. Their performances brought together different musical traditions and cultural backgrounds from China, Japan, and Taiwan.
The singing was warm and expressive, while the sound of the erhu（二胡）added a graceful and deeply emotional quality to the evening. At times the music was gentle and intimate; at other moments, it was lively and uplifting. Although the performers came from different places, music became their common language（共通の言葉）, naturally crossing the boundaries of nationality and culture.
What made the evening especially meaningful was having my wife and granddaughter beside me. Watching my granddaughter listen with curiosity and enjoyment gave me a special sense of happiness. Three generations（三代同堂）were able to share the same music, the same smiles, and the same peaceful moment.
Tai Chi（太極拳）and music（音楽）may appear to be different arts, yet both depend on rhythm（節奏／リズム）, harmony（和諧／調和）, sensitivity（感受性）, and the natural flow of energy（氣的流動）. This beautiful gathering reminded me that friendship, like music and Tai Chi, can quietly connect hearts across borders.
My sincere thanks to Lin Jie for the thoughtful invitation, and to Maya, her companion, and Cliff for giving us such a warm and memorable evening（心温まる、忘れられない夜）in Keelung.
