Monday, February 28, 2011

again and again / 再一次


帶著一點點的害怕,我在四年之後又開始了國畫課。今天早上風和日麗,我就坐在書桌前心平氣和地磨墨,突然發現沒甚麼好怕的。我把第一次的作品記錄下來,不是因為它特別好,而是希望之後的每一張都可以更好。

With a little bit of fear, I re-take Chinese painting lessons after an interval of four years. This sunny morning, I sat in front of the desk grounding the ink peacefully. Little by little, my fear of not being able to do well evaporated. I took a photo of my first work not because it is good but because I hope each of my future works will be better than this.

New attempt / 新嘗試


我的Etsy小店開張了,但是我對於客戶喜好還不是很清楚,大家請給我意見吧!


請問:哪一種卡片會吸引你的注意力?


My Etsy shop is open. However, I haven’t got a grasp of clients’ tastes. If you have something to share, please leave me a message!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/frommylittleroom?ref=pr_shop

Question: What kind of cards tends to grab your attention?

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Writing to Children / 給小孩寫信


隨著智慧型手機普及,現在除了到處看到大家講電話,還有滑動著手機螢幕上網的人群,我不禁想,當大人真好,可以任意穿梭於真實和虛擬的世界。

With the popularity of smartphones, we are surrounded not only by people talking on the phone but also those hooked on the Internet everywhere. It occurs to me that being adults is a beautiful thing in that we can travel between the real and virtual worlds as we please.

前些日子小方收到一封印刷品信件,寄到外婆家的住址,我和他說這件事時,他狐疑地答道:只有妳會寄信給我,究竟是哪來的信呢?我們因為這封信,對話裡花了好幾分鐘討論它。一個四歲小孩,不看電視不上網,還沒有上學,住在小小的生活圈,只有吃飽撐著的阿姨每周寄信給他,這樣的生活大人想起來應該很害怕,那些不上線的日子怎麼過呢?看書、玩耍、和想像,其實每一個大人也都曾經過著如此單純的生活,只是到了某個年紀,自我娛樂的部份被網路取代。

A few days ago Von received printed mail sent to his grandma’s address. When I informed him of it, he was full of question marks, replying, “You are the only person that sends letters to me. Who else can it be?” We took several minutes to discuss the possibilities in our telephone dialog. This is a four-year-old who doesn’t watch TV nor has any access to the Internet. He does not go to school and lives with a small family. There’s only the single aunt who has nothing better to do than write to him on a weekly basis. Adults would certainly freak out on thinking of such a life. How to kill time without any link to the cyberspace? Von reads, plays, and IMAGINES. As a matter of fact, every adult had once a similar life, but the self-entertaining part was replaced by the online world at a certain age.


快兩歲的楷維凡經過之處,必想出如何搗蛋,在廚房的垃圾桶旁發現草莓的空盒子,放到頭上當帽子戴,玩躲貓貓被其他人遺忘時,也樂得安靜地挖起壁紙,在我看來,除了搞不清楚為甚麼被大人責備,他挺享受這種充滿創意的人生。


Kai, almost two years old, never fails to leave his creative traces wherever he passes by. When he saw the empty bin of strawberries near the trash can on his visit to the kitchen, he put it on as a square hat and looked at me with a hint of mischief in his eyes. When he was forgotten in the game of hide-and-seek, he remained quiet in his corner while deriving fun from scraping off the wallpaper. In my opinion, apart from not understanding why he was reprimanded, he seems to enjoy his life filled with rich creativity.

難怪威廉布雷克說:孩童乃人類之祖,我的解釋為:許多大人已經失去想像的能力,而我只好藉由寫信給小孩,緊緊抓住我殘留的想像力。

No wonder William Blake said, “The child is father of the man.” I explain it as, “Many adults have lost the ability to imagine.” So I can only cling to my remaining portion by writing to children.

Flowers in Spring / 春天的花

花博進入最後一階段了,我們很幸運在更新的第一天校外教學,雖然整天雨下個不停,各色各樣的花海真是太令人驚艷,想到不用去荷蘭就看得到滿坑滿谷的鬱金香,和那些徹夜趕工換花的工作人員,不禁深深以當台灣人為傲。

The Flora Expo has entered the final stage. We were lucky enough to take a field trip again for the first day show of the new exhibitions. Despite the incessant rain, floral seas of various colors and species really wowed me. We found fields of tulips right in front of us without having to fly to the Netherlands. On thinking of the staff who had worked all night to arrange the flowers, I couldn’t help but feel SO proud of Taiwanese people.

大概是因為最近勤練寫字,我對於圓山區文化B館的書法展讚譽有加,而這次終於造訪新生園區的林安泰古厝,此景點馬上就空降到我的最愛名單。雖然昨天拖著又濕又累的腳步,但今天把照片整理整理當兒,立刻聯想到書畫展中傅申先生的題字:人若無花人不樂,花若無人花寂寞。

I have been practicing calligraphy for a while, so the calligraphy exhibition in Pavilion B of Culture in Yuanshan Area quite impressed me. And I finally got an opportunity to visit the allegedly beautiful Lin An-Tai Historical Home. Without a doubt, it became one of my favorites right away. Though I was wet and fatigued yesterday, it was nevertheless a very rewarding trip. When I was sorting through the photos this morning, the words of Mr. Fu-shen, one of the artists for the calligraphy exhibition, came to mind: Without flowers, people wouldn’t be happy, while without us, flowers would be lonely.


























Thursday, February 17, 2011

Every step of the way / 每一步


這兩天在紐約時報上讀到一篇文章,大家為了真的實現某個決心,利用各種網路的資源如YouTube或43Things網站,把自己的目標公諸於世,如果做不到就要接受實質的懲罰。想想我好像也採用類似的方法,讓自己沒有退路,所以從要讀書的想法成形之後,便沒有保留的大聲嚷嚷,於是我從一年前便陸續收到有關倫敦的小禮物,再加上他人時不時的問候,這招真的很有用。

I read an article in New York Times two days ago about people trying to stick to their resolutions by resorting to Internet resources such as YouTube or the 43Things.com website. After they make their goals public, they’ll be subject to a certain form of punishment if they do not persist. It occurred to me that I had taken a similar approach in burning off the bridge. Since the idea of going to the UK for further studies formed, I had literally “announced” it to the world. That’s why I have been receiving all kinds of gifts about London since a year ago. Besides, friends also include the question about my application in their greetings. I can guarantee how effective this method is.


但是這個星期收到一份心意和實際價值都很貴重的禮物,是小蕙從幾年前的英倫生活時期留下來的紅包,想到其中時間和空間上飽滿的意義,我只能更敦促自己認真畫畫,到時候虛心學習,因為這是我想到唯一可以回饋這份禮物的方式。

Yet, this week I received a gift that is invaluable in its significance and monetary value. It’s a red envelope left by Huei from her days in London. Given the abundance in its chronological and spatial significance, the only way for me to pay back is to take drawing more seriously and learn with a humble heart.


常感覺自己好像在原地打轉,但其實我的每一步都有外在的推力,我要好好生活才是。

I often have the feeling that I am staying at the same point, but as a matter of fact, every step of the way I take is pushed by an outer force. Thanks to these angels around me, I should seize every day and do my utmost.

flicker / 小火苗





Sunday, February 13, 2011

4.5 years old / 四歲半


因為記不得自己四歲半的樣子或在做甚麼,我擔心以後的你也有同樣的疑問,所以幫你作圖像的記錄。

I don’t remember what I was like or what I did when I was 4.5 years old. Worried that you might have the same question when you get to my age, I’ve made a pictorial record for you.

Goodbye my red glasses / 再見紅眼鏡

寒假期間終於把我的紅眼鏡送修,老闆說,鏡片已經壽終正寢,該是換新眼鏡的時候了,雖然過去的幾個月裡,孩子們紛紛跑來問紅眼鏡的下落,覺得沒戴紅眼鏡的我不像我,我還是決定向前走。

I finally pulled myself together and sent my red glasses to the optician’s during winter break. The glasses were ruined, said the optician, and it was time for a new pair. In fact, in the past few months, students came to me inquiring about the whereabouts of my red glasses, making the comments that I no longer looked like me without them. I decided to get a new pair though it meant parting with my personal trademark.

今年的人生主題似乎繞著說再見打轉,下個月要搬家,再三個月就要和女孩們道別,再四個月就要暫時告別十年的工作,再七個月要去英國,和紅眼鏡的分離只是小小的彩排。

My theme of this year seems to center around saying goodbye. We’re moving away temporarily next month. In three months I’ll bid farewell to students who’ve spent three years with me. In four months, I’ll take a Sabbatical from work, which I’ve done for ten years. In seven months, I’ll fly to the UK. Leaving my red glasses behind is just a light-hearted rehearsal.


昨天參加完一場喪禮,雖然不認識過世的老太太,唱詩歌時居然哭了起來,家屬談起那些美麗的曾經,但貼上過去的標籤多少令人傷感。儘管我有可以期待的未來,我最要珍惜的是當下。


I went to a funeral yesterday. Though I didn’t know the old madam personally, I couldn’t help shedding tears when singing the hymns. The relatives mentioned the-once-beautiful moments, but no matter how beautiful they were, I felt heart-broken upon thinking of their being labeled as THE PAST.

I have an exciting future to look forward to, but I want nothing more than to cherish each present moment…

Drawing / 畫畫






Thursday, February 10, 2011

Couple / 伴侶


25歲的Will要結婚了,那是甚麼樣的感覺呢?

Will, 25 years old, is about to make a lifelong commitment to his beloved. What does that feel like?

Monday, February 07, 2011

Second / 老二


過年前我把前幾年替小方畫的成長記錄裝在鼓鼓的福袋裡,等著要送給他當新年禮物。準備楷維的福袋時,才發現甚麼也沒有,結果我們幾人集思廣益,買了一包他最愛的餅乾,包起來之後在封面畫了他最愛的水泥車,想要敷衍了事,二少收到禮物當然是開心得大叫:彌彌!(他專屬的水泥車說法),但身為日漸懶散的表阿姨,我因為這件事感到甚是愧疚。

During the annual clean-up before Chinese New Year, I collected the drawings done for Von years earlier and put them in the fat red envelope, which would be his New Year gift. I didn’t realize that I had made nothing at all for Kai until I was about to prepare his. It took several heads to come up with a solution—I bought a pack of his favorite cookies, wrapped it in an envelope decorated with a drawing of his favorite cement truck. I was looking for an easier way out, but when he got it, he screamed in joy, “Ment-ment!” (His personal way of saying the name of the vehicle) However, I can’t help feeling a sense of guilt as I am confronted with my slack attitude toward Kai in introspection.

因為不是老大,楷維從小有自己的生存之道,喜歡哥哥,但有時也會偷打他討回公道;看著家裡的大人抱哥哥,他會直接要求擁抱,用他那不害臊的落落大方;沒有小方驚人的語言發展力,楷維從比劃、一個字、加上生動的表演,以及對人群的喜愛,創造出自我的風格;我最愛的還是他每天歡欣生活的態度。

As a second child, Kai knows how to survive under a mixture of admiration and envy for his big brother. He adores Von, but he will get even by hitting Von when the latter is off guard. Watching the adults hug Von, Kai will go up to them, asking for love with his unabashed openness. Without Von’s amazing language ability, Kai creates a very lovable style combining body gestures, single-word expression along with theatrical acting, and his congeniality. Yet, what rivets me is his merriness toward the everyday life.

最近楷維突然從一字族開始造兩個字以上的句子,楷媽抱他在懷裡說:你長大了,孩子帶給父母的滿足說大可以很大,卻也可以因為一小步的成長令人感動萬分。

Lately Kai has progressed from one-word expression to short sentences comprised of more than two words. His mom rocks him in her arms, saying gladly, “You have grown up…” Children might have to achieve a lot to bring satisfaction to their parents, but meanwhile, a small step may be rewarding beyond words…