the universe / 宇宙

當時奮不顧身伸出我的手

看見了輪廓就當宇宙

蘇打綠之「喜歡寂寞」

Then I fought to reach out

I took the outline as the whole universe

Soda Green's Like Loneliness

反覆聽了娜娜寄來的唱片，對於這兩句歌詞很有感觸。想要擺脫當好學生的枷鎖，但我想這是流在我體內的血液，拿到新作業的第一天我就自發性地把它當作我的宇宙。昨天和組員分配工作時， 真的非常想念我的乖學生們。我們的對話如下：

我：有人要當每次的會議記錄嗎？

組員甲：你啊，你最適合了。

組員乙：這樣好嗎？

我：沒關係。

我：有人要先下載一些音樂，週三我們可以一起聽？

組員甲：我不會。

組員乙：我也不會。

我：那我來弄好了。

我：有人要去查一下老師說的免費的空白唱片嗎？

一片寂靜‧‧‧還有組員丙當時正在回到倫敦的路上。

I've been listening to the CD of Soda Green sent by Nana. I totally relate to the quote above because on the first day I got the new assignment, I couldn't help but view it as my universe. I thought of not being a good student, but it's in my genes. Yesterday when my group had our first meeting, I couldn't miss my wonderful ex-students more. Here was our dialog: 

Me: Who'd like to record our decisions in every meeting? 

Team member A: You. You are the right person to do the job. 

Team member B: Is it ok? 

Me: That's alright. 

Me: Can anyone download some music for us to listen to on Wednesday? 

Team member A: I don't know how to do it. 

Team member B: Me either. 

Me: I'll ask around. 

Me: Can anyone check the websites where we can get free CD and cover samples? 

Silence...Meanwhile, team member C was still managing to come back to London. 

就是這樣，今天一早我聽了三個小時的雷鬼樂，是很不錯啦，而且有種我因為知識而變成小巨人的驕傲，再加上台灣友人的高級效率，很快地告訴我如何下載這些歌曲，我這個歐巴桑居然有一次在電腦方面比小朋友靈光，說真的，我強烈感覺台灣有一天一定會變成世界強國，因為我的這些勤勞上進的美德都是台灣人的特色啊！

Thus I listened to reggae music for three hours this morning. It was rather nice, and I felt my newly-gained knowledge was going to turn me into a giant. Plus the unbelievable efficiency of my Taiwanese fellowman, I got the reply to my question on how to download Youtube songs within a day. I can't believe that I, a pre-middle-age woman, know better than young people when it comes to computer! I have a strong feeling that in the near future that Taiwan will become one of the major world power because doesn't victory belong to those who are diligent and well-motivated? 

不過再美麗的音樂聽三個小時還是會受不了，這又讓我想到昨日和組員的對話：

組員：你喜歡什麼音樂？

我內心的喃喃：我想替陳綺貞和蘇打綠做唱片封面。

我官方的回答：我喜歡爵士樂。

組員：那我們要不要和其他組交換？

我：不用啦！

我內心的喃喃：反正不是這兩組就沒差。

所以我吃午飯時趕緊轉回家鄉的音樂，這就像義大利麵雖然好吃，但不能天天吃。

Well, the thing is, no matter how wonderful the music is, three hours is my limit. That reminded me of another conversation I had with my team member yesterday. 

Team member: What kind of music do you like? 

My secret murmur: I'd like to do CD covers for Chen Chi-jen and Soda Green. 

My official reply: I like jazz. 

Team member: We can exchange our label with another group's. 

Me: That's alright. 

My secret murmur: It doesn't make any difference if it's not one of the above-mentioned. 

I tuned back to my hometown music during lunch. Though pasta is yummy, I don't want to eat it every day because after all, I am Taiwanese. 

今天的速寫的行程也是針對作業設計的，坎貝爾公園的十字路口附近有家二手唱片行，我下午第一次走進去做一些設計方面的研究。

Today my sketching itinerary had much to do with my assignment. There is a secondhand record store near Camberwell Green. I walked in for the first time this afternoon for some visual research. 

剛好前幾天就想畫這些路口的商店，擇日不如撞日吧！小蕙說帶著速寫本站在某個角落畫圖，讓有些人會想要走進我的生活，其實英國人在這方面會留某個距離，大家最多就說畫得真不錯，不像匈牙利人那麼興奮。我住在黑人區，基本上他們好像不是很有興趣。但是，今天有兩個黑人女孩走過來，其中一個還和我說中文，以一個只學一年的人，她和我的對話相當流利。這個女孩中文名叫做草莓（真尷尬，我知道叫草莓的是一條黑色大狼狗），原來她和朋友是來傳教的。我想有一個動機學語言會進展得很快，而上帝是個多麼好的動機啊！

I had wanted to draw the shops at the crossroads. Today seemed perfect. Hui said that standing in a corner with my sketchbook, I make some people come into my life. In fact, the British people keep a certain distance. Most of them will say, "That's nice!" They aren't so excited as Hungarians. Besides, I live in a black area, and my experience tells me that they are not that interested. However, today, two black girls approached me, one of whom conversed with me in Mandarin. For someone who has learned the language only for one year, she is rather good. Her Chinese name is Strawberry, and I remembered that a big black wolfhound of my cousin's friend has the same name. She turned out to preach to strangers on the streets with her friend. I guess that one will learn a language so much faster with a cause, and God is one of the best causes I can think of. 

卡洛說英國的房子用很多磚塊，沒錯，我畫到快昏了。卡片行旁邊的小亭子就坐著很愛和我開玩笑的中東老闆。沒有出太陽時他的笑容挺溫暖的。

Carol said that there are many brick buildings in the UK. Exactly, I spent so much time drawing the bricks. Next to Card Corner in the news booth sits the owner from the Middle East. He loves to joke around with me. When the sun hides itself, his smile is quite heart-warming. 

這就是我每天生活的小宇宙‧‧‧

This is the small universe where I live my day-to-day life...