stimulation / 刺激

昨晚洗完澡已經將近十一點，計劃先把草圖畫出來，今天早上再來畫，但是我很擔心，所以睡眠品質很差，邊睡邊作惡夢，早上七點趕快起來畫圖，現在我可以了解為什麼大家要熬夜畫圖了。

Last night when I finished the shower, it was almost 11 pm. I planned to come up with the sketch before hitting the sack so that I could get directly to work this morning. However, I was weighed with anxiety, so I didn't sleep well. I was sleeping and dreaming about not being able to come up with something decent. I woke up at no later than 7 am to draw. Now I understand why art majors have to stay up late for their projects.

其實我要介紹的就是一家獨立的藝術書店，我拍的照片又簡單到不行，如果用我彆腳的水彩畫應該會很無聊，德瑞克昨天丟了一句話：我要你們給我驚喜。還好我昨天想到既然介紹書店就做小書，嘉蕊又教了我一招，可以不用做那麼多頁的小書，她真是我的頭號諸葛亮啊！

My place is an independent bookshop that sell art books and magazines. I took a photo of the facade, but it was so simple that I don't think I'd do a good job with my not-so-good watercolor painting. Besides, Derek said something before we left school yesterday: I want you to come in and surprise me. Fortunately, when I told Jazel that I am going to make a small book as my form to present the bookshop, she taught me another technique to make a book of fewer pages. She is really my lifesaver!

因為昨天在書店看到的是有關插畫、花紋和紙雕的書，我就利用這三樣技巧寫了一個我自己的故事。

Because the books I read yesterday in the bookshop are about illustration, patterns and paper-cutting, I made use of these three techniques to tell a story about myself. 

這是初到倫敦的心情，在有落葉的秋天裡旅行。

This is how I felt when I first arrived in London. I traveled in autumn with many fallen leaves. 

在倫敦學交新朋友，在倫敦過中秋節的生日。

I learned to make new friends in London and celebrated my Mid-Autumn Festival birthday. 

學當地人生活，在生活中旅行。

 I learned to live like the locals and travel in everyday lives. 

上學去遇到好多有天份有才能的人。

I met so many talented people when I went to school. 

也是因為來坎貝爾做了這份作業，才有機會去到這家書店。

It was right because I came to Camberwell that I had the opportunity to visit ARTWORDSBOOKSHOP for the project. 

做完作業已經中午了，大家昨天約下午一點要討論，我隨便吃吃三明治就出門去。到達學校時，別組都在熱烈討論，我居然找不到我的組員！和台灣同學莉雯討論才恍然大悟，要是外國人特多的組比較積極，我那組是一堆倫敦人，從昨天下午喝啤酒時就感覺這群人挺放鬆的，可是自己承諾一點要到的傑米也不見人影。後來小貓兩三隻出現了，可是大家都很依賴傑米，等了一陣子他傳簡訊來說還在火車上，叫我們先自己想辦法，小喬也傳簡訊說什麼提款卡不見了，可能來不了，這也太放鬆了。別組設計大富翁版子、立體的地鐵站等等非常精美，我們除了各自的圖之外連個地圖都沒有，我和貝絲深呼吸自我安慰說一定想得出方法，我跑去圖書館查電腦，回到教室之後孩子們已經把各個畫廊拿的明信片和介紹貼在教室後面的牆上，遲到的人也都紛紛出現。

By the time I finished the assignment, it was already noon. We had made the verbal promise to be at school at one, so I took a quick bite before leaving home. When I got to school, other groups were in the middle of discussing, but I couldn't find my team members! After a quick discussion with Liwen, who's also from Taiwan, I realized that if there are more foreigners on the team, then they tend to be more active. I am with a lot of Londoners, and they appeared to be rather relaxed judging from our beer chat yesterday afternoon. Even the idea boy Jamie, who promised to show up at one, was nowhere to be seen. Later they did arrive in twos and threes, but everyone was dependent upon Jamie, who sent a text message saying that he was still on the train and that we had to get a map. Joe also texted to say that he lost his debit card and that he might not make it this afternoon. Well, this was way too relaxing. Seeing other groups designing the Monopoly board and pop-up map, we had nothing apart from every individual's image. Beth and I took a deep breath comforting ourselves that we'd figure out something. I went to the library for a quick map, but by the time I went back to the studio, kids had come up with something with the postcards and leaflets we took from the galleries and posted it on the wall in the back of the studio. 

圖左至右為艾登和喬/ from left to right: Aiden and Joe 

本來我還以為我們應該是最沒有準備的一組，開始報告之後我發現報告技巧會逆轉情勢，好幾組其實不是沒有準備，可是報告起來不怎麼樣。我們這一組有兩個很會哈啦的男孩─艾登和傑米，用一邊聊天的形式很討德瑞克歡心，我們居然得了第二名！不過第一名的組真的是很專業，不是來混的，報告的負責人應該已經有業界的經驗，做事又認真，我最欣賞她明明講英文有很濃的俄國腔，但說起話來還是很有架勢，那組的同學也都很合作，下次我們應該要好好做才是！

I thought we were the least prepared group, but the presentation skills reversed the situation! Some groups were not unprepared, but they didn't impress many people during presentation. We happen to have two very social boys, Aiden and Jamie, in our group. Their conversational talk really pleased Derek, and we got the second highest vote in the end! However, the winner group is very professional. I could tell that they did work hard. The team leader must have had much industry experience. She is also a very committed person. I particularly like her poise when speaking in front of everyone. She speaks with a heavy Russian accent, but it doesn't stop her from delivering her speech. The team members were also very cooperative. We should do our best like this next time! 

下課後我忍不住走過去和俄國同學說他們做得很棒，好幾個人也和我說他們很喜歡我的小書，在這樣的環境裡稱讚人很自然，看到別人做得好，我也會和自己說，我要加油了！例如說今天捷克美女特雷莎一直說自己話繪畫技巧不行，我說我也是，回到家之後和嘉蕊約周末得出門去練素描。

After class I couldn't help going to the Russian classmate and told her that they did an excellent job. Some people also told me that they like my handmade book. In this kind of environment, it's natural to compliment others. When seeing great works, I will tell myself, "You have to work harder!" For example, Teresa from Czech told me that she is not good at drawing, and I told her it's the same with me. After coming home, I told Jazel that we should go out for sketch exercise during the weekend. 

做完報告一定是要去酒吧喝酒的啊！這些藝術主修的小朋友真的很可愛，到了酒吧還是把速寫本拿出來給別人看作品，決不是聊生活裡有的沒有的，今天遇到一個真的很會畫畫的日本同學愛里，不過這個女生內在的情緒應該非常強烈，不像我和嘉蕊這種生來就沒啥憂愁的樂天派。我做完報告之後，愛里很羨慕地和我說他很喜歡我上台說話的方式，看完她的速寫本，我偷偷覺得自己的速寫本程度超級低下，回家的路上我和她說不要羨慕我，因為我應該不可能畫得像她一樣。

After the presentation, it's a must to go to a bar! These art majors are really cute because what we do in bars is still going over each other's sketchbooks. It's by no means about complaining life or anything like that. I met a very talented Japanese girl Eli. But when we were going over her drawings, I could tell she has very strong emotional struggles inside her, unlike me and Jazel who are sunny optimists. After I finished the presentation, Eli told me that she envies the way I talk in front of people. And when I looked at her drawings, I secretly feel that my sketchbook is really crap. On our way home I told her not to envy me because I will not draw as well as her. 

來之前我很擔心要和別人合作，現在反而覺得這樣可以得到無限刺激，明天又要花一整天看同學們的暑假作品，好期待啊！

Before I came, I was really worried about having to work in a team with others, but now I have fallen in love with it because I'll receive a lot of stimulation. Tomorrow we are going to spend a whole day looking at my peers' summer project. I am so looking forward to it! 

後記：艾登是個很可愛的傢伙，昨天他在美術行時突然很嚴肅地對我說：我可以問你一件事嗎？我說什麼，他說，為什麼你講話有美國口音？我回答：因為我二十初頭去美國讀書，他說：當時過得好嗎？我答：當時又年輕又寂寞，他問：那現在呢？我說：現在很老了又有經驗。

他昨天喝啤酒時說，唉，最近離家生活了有一點失落，我轉過頭和他說：你現在是大男孩了耶！他說：是啦！這很像我和小方說話的口氣。

今天他又和我說：我要叫你為還是淳，我一時愣住，心想，是很熟的人才能叫我單名耶！不過他一副很天真的樣子，我只好答：通常是叫最後一個字啦，他便說：那以後我就叫你淳好了！對了，這傢伙會一直出現因為他是插畫組的。

為了回饋台灣同胞，後記不翻譯了。其實是因為特雷莎問我部落格網址，可是我上面都寫了這麼多花癡的小故事，還是不要張揚，不然大姐以後在班上就混不下去了。