the real thing / 真實人生

昨天晚上又興奮到有點睡不著，只好把瑪德蓮的公車圖拿出來著色，深夜十二點，我感受小女孩的溫暖包圍我，終於在畫完之後入睡了。

I was too thrilled to fall asleep last night, so I took out the drawing done with Madeleine and colored it. At midnight, I felt great warmth oozing out of the image and enveloping my whole being. And I was lucky enough to get some sleep after the mind-soothing activity.

今天早上和愛理一同搭車前往大英博物館，到了之後，老師群德瑞克、麥特和麥克已經在大門口等人，我們每人拿了一張任務簡介，上面寫著，我們要在五個小時內觀察一件展覽品，從各個層面下手，包括這件藝術品的外形、色調、輪廓、材質、顏色、細節、地點、敘述、筆記、大小，最後要生出十張圖，這很像在進行非正式版的設計師選秀比賽，我們聽完簡介後就趕緊尋找要畫的作品去了。

This morning I went to the British Museum with Elie. When we got there, the teachers Derek, Matt and Mike were already there waiting. We each took a handout that describes our mission. We were asked to observe an artwork and come up with ten drawings based on form, tone, silhouette, texture, color, detail, location, narrative, written notes and measurements within five hours. This was rather like the unofficial, illustration version of Project Runway. After the brief, we rushed into the museum to look for the object we'd like to do.

因為畫畫老師麥特極力推薦希臘區，我看到一組有七個雕像的作品，還有長椅可坐，就傻傻地開始畫了。開始不久，艾登弟弟頂著理光的頭出現，我把書法紙給他時，他感動得抱了我一下，和我說昨天是他的生日，但和女朋友要去看展覽，展覽沒開，做什麼都不如意，他說這包禮物真的讓他一天變得很美好，最後要走之前又抱了我一次，真的很可愛。

Because the tutor Matt highly recommended the Greek area, I decided to sit down when I saw a set of seven sculptures, plus the bench kind of far away from it. I started without thinking twice. Soon Aiden appeared with his newly-shaved head. When I gave him the calligraphy paper, he was so touched that he hugged me. He said yesterday was his birthday, but when he and his girlfriend went to the exhibition they wanted to see, it wasn't open. The same with other plans. The gift really made his day. Before leaving, he couldn't help hugging me again. He is a really adorable boy.

畫這張時，有一群小朋友經過，男老師說可以讓小朋友看看我畫了什麼，我和他們講解了一下，老師說：好了，我們讓女士好好畫。他說女士這個字聽起來很像說媽媽，我不介意啦，有個黑人小男孩離開之前用很清新有勁的臉龐和我說：好棒喔！要是我畫得下來那張臉就好了。

While I was doing this one, a group of school children passed by. The male teacher asked if I could show to them what I had done. I explained to them about my assignment. Then the teacher said, "OK, let's leave ma'am to her work." The way he pronounced "ma'am" sounded so much like "mom." I didn't mind though. A black little boy said to me with his fresh and energetic face before moving on, "It's nice." Only if I could draw that beautiful face... 

畫輪廓圖時，新助教麥克走過來看我有沒有問題，我們稍微討論一下輪廓的定義，他直接拿出鋼筆示範給我看，我說：我也有那隻鋼筆，不過我的筆身是白色的！其實我把它留在台北了，突然有點後悔。

When I was doing the silhouette drawing, the new tutor Mike came by to see if I had any question. We kind of discussed the definition of silhouette. He took out his fountain pen to demonstrate for me. I couldn't help exclaiming: I have that fountain pen too, but mine is white! As a matter of fact, I left it in Taipei, which I regretted at that instant. 

然後麥克說：我想把你的口音和你來自的地方串連起來，我回答：我們家鄉學的是美式英文啦！他問：你們家鄉是？我答：台灣。所以每個人的英文口音是個地圖，告訴別人他們來自的地方，難怪遇到我的人都很錯亂。

Then Mike asked, "I'd like to locate your accent. I replied, "We learn American English at home." He asked, "Where is your home?" I answered, "Taiwan." So everyone's accent is a map indicating where they come from. No wonder people who run into me are perplexed... 

接著奧莉薇和達洛也來畫這組雕像。

Olivia and Darrell came to join me to draw the sculptures. 

第一次在博物館如此密集地速寫，午餐時間也沒空去吃三明治，我想換點媒材，便把衛生紙和宣紙拿出來折一折揉一揉，想要用此表現衣服的皺摺。我玩得很開心，經過的小朋友覺得這個阿姨很怪，手邊放一罐白膠不知在幹什麼。

This was the first time I drew so intensively in the museum. I didn't have time to eat my sandwich during lunchtime. After having drawn for a while, I'd like a change of media, so I took out toilet paper and Chinese mountain and water paper to fold and crease. I wanted to express the folds of the tunics. I had a blast, but the kids passing by found me weird with a bottle of glue next to me and my hands were all sticky. 

除了畫畫，我們也得記錄路人的評論，所以我畫顏色圖畫到一半時，有美術館講解員帶團經過，我趕緊寫下筆記，真的是一刻不得閒啊！

Apart from drawing, we had to record other museum-goers' comments as well. While I was in the middle of drawing, a guide was explaining to a group of people. I did my best to jot down notes. You can tell I was fairly busy! 

畫大型速描是我的致命傷，下午看到很棒的速描就更羞愧了。

Drawing a large-scale sketch is my Achille's heels. I was even more ashamed when I saw really excellent sketches from my classmates in the afternoon. 

最後還要寫一下展覽品的背景和敘述，我想當時我已經快要脫水了，所以雕像畫得很不精準，不過我有仔細觀察，這組最受歡迎的就是裸身的男像酒神。我訪問了兩個人，問他們如果可以選其中一個放在家裡作為擺飾，有個小妹妹選右手邊的馬頭，有個大肚子的爺爺選酒神。我喜歡酒神，但我覺得在家放馬頭會比較好看。

In the end I had to write down the history and narrative of the artwork. I was almost dehydrated then, so my drawing wasn't accurate at all. I did pay attention and found that the most popular sculpture is the male statue, Dionysos. I even interviewed two people, asking them if they could choose one to place in their homes, which one would they go for. A little girl chose the horse head on the left, and a big-bellied grandpa chose Dionysos. I like him, but I figure it'd look better to place the horse head as a decorative item. 

互評會中，大家把速寫本擺在地上，老師和學生就一本一本翻，之後老師做評論。德瑞克說很多人搞不清楚到底要畫什麼，而且很多人畫得很糟，一邊把好的作品示範給大家看，像愛理的圖就是上上之作，德瑞克要我們去翻閱教繪畫的書重頭開始學，他說自己也是這樣和十歲女兒說的，畫畫要精準，要看場合用不同媒材表現，大小尺寸的紙張都要嘗試，不能只限於小範圍的圖，他很語重心長地說，看到那些有幾千年歷史的石頭都心生無限感動，那些搞暴動的小孩就是不懂這種簡單卻美好的喜悅。他說畫畫是我們和這個世界合宜互動的方式，也是體驗人生的方法，麥特則要我們客觀地表現周遭的事物。麥克也加進來說：要是他是我們，等一下解散後會趕快回去剛才的樓層重畫。德瑞克說第一週大家都很興奮，這一周會開始懷疑是不是選錯主修。

In the critique session, everyone put down their sketchbooks on the floor for others to thumb through, and afterwards the teachers would give comments. Derek said that many people didn't get what we were supposed to do and that many people drew badly. He demonstrated at the same time good works. For example, Elie's drawings are outstanding. Derek wants us to read books that teach the basics of drawing. He told his 10-year-old daughter that you have to be accurate and use different media depending on different occasions. We should try large scales of paper as well instead of being restricted to small pieces of paper. He stressed that a piece of stone with 3000 years of history show him the simple beauty of life. Because the kids nowadays knew only Nintendo and online games, that was why they started the riots. He said that drawing helps us to engage properly with the world and experience life. Matt wanted us to draw with integrity. Mike added that he would go back to the room and redo the drawings after the session. Derek said that everyone was excited during the first week, but this week some of us will wonder if we are in the wrong courses. 

解散之後，我在大廳吃三明治，從地下樓上來和我聊天的人都有些沮喪，法國型男說他抽到印度文化區，實在沒啥靈感，不過我想如果要當設計師，總不能和客戶說他們給的題目很無聊吧！接著小喬很傷心地上來說自己的作品被老師挑出來唸，我鼓勵他這周作業要好好做。接著華人軍團也上來，說其實不是很了解今天的任務內容，連優秀的泰緹安娜今天光環也不見了。

After being dismissed, I ate my sandwich in the lobby. People who came up later than me seemed to be sort of low. The French dude said he wasn't inspired by the Indian culture, which he had picked randomly. But I wonder if he is going to be a designer, he can't tell the clients that their topics are boring right? Then Joe told me he was heartbroken because the teachers met him in private for his drawings. I encouraged him to work hard on this week's assignment. Last the Asian league came to me saying that they didn't quite understand the task today. Even Tatiana's halo was gone today. 

雖然麥克和麥特說我的第二張圖還不錯，我覺得自己沒有被唸已經很不錯，我得加強那種很基本的基本功了。雖然待在博物館超過六個多小時，還蠻想吐的，吃完三明治後繼續逛，我看到畫面都會自動解析為：黑、淺灰、米白、中等灰色等等。

Though Mike and Matt said my second drawing is ok, I was lucky enough not to be criticized. I really have to work on the basics of basics. Though I had had enough after having stayed in the museum for more than six hours, I continued my journey after a quick break. At last I analyzed the images I saw automatically based on the arrangement of their tones and colors. 

等到博物館要關時，我步出大門心想德瑞克的話：你在全世界最棒的博物館裡耶！不管圖畫得再爛，有什麼好抱怨的呢？

When the museum was about to close, I thought of Derek's words as I walked out of the gate, "You are in the best museum in the world!" Indeed, what is there to complain about, especially when it's just a lousy drawing? 

回家的路上拍到了這張圖，如果我早上用這張圖回答麥克的問題，他應該會印象深刻吧！

On my ride home, I took the photo. If I had answered Mike's question with this image, he would have been impressed!