The mooncakes might have been hard and the lanterns dim but this celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival was the most heart-warming one the migrant workers have had in a while.
The Rerum Novarum Centre in Taiwan had invited Vietnamese and Indonesian migrant workers to celebrate the last day of the Mid-Autumn Festival with Taiwanese friends at the Jesuit theologate.
On the afternoon of September 17, six young men with one umbrella braved the typhoon to go to the market and came back with a selection of goods to cook for the next day. No one said a word of reproach about their culinary skills. It was their effort that counted.
To capture the feel of a Vietnamese Mid-Autumn Festival (Tết Trung Thu), the 31 Vietnamese migrants were divided into three groups in a competition to produce the best lanterns and mooncakes. One of them shared that it was the first time she had seen a genuine Vietnamese lantern shaped like a star since she had come to Taiwan and it evoked memories of her childhood.
Although none of them knew how to make mooncakes or lanterns, each group threw all their energy into the task. They came up with unique lanterns. The candles in some died as soon as they were lit; others fell every time they were hung up; some were made out of pomelo skins, whilst a few had a tiny tree inside; some were made of wire, and though very small, they brought light to the darkness.
The mooncakes were also unique. There were delicious pork pies, heart-shaped cakes and croissant-shaped pastries. Unfortunately, once they were cooked, they turned hard as rock because there was too little shortening. Despite being virtually inedible, everybody seemed satisfied with the result.
A barbeque is an essential part of the celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival in Taiwan. The flying sparks did not quench the laughter of the workers as everyone worked hard, blowing on the coals to get the fire going. Children in Vietnam all receive gifts at this time, play with lanterns and eat mooncakes. This year they had a chance to return to the Mid-Autumn Festival of their childhood.
When it was all over, the three groups eagerly awaited the outcome of the competition with each group singing the praises of their lanterns and cakes. Marks were awarded for creativity, quality, appearance and quantity. It was hard to judge but in the end, the second group won the first prize, while the third group was a close second. The first group was quite happy to get the third prize.
Despite the absence of family, this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival helped the migrant workers form new friendships and a new family in a foreign land so that their families back home can know all is well with them in Taiwan.