Nanmen Market / 南門市場

我和愛雪是雙人旅行團，每天我指出想去的地點，她就背著她的照相機，而我帶著我的畫冊上路去。

Mom and I are a traveling duet. Every day I name a place which I'd like to visit. She brings her camera along, and I have my very important sketchbook and drawing kit. 

今天的目的地是南門市場，前幾年和同事草草逛過一次便念念不忘，除了一般市場有的蔬果生鮮，這個市場主打傳統的大陸乾貨和菜餚。一入場我就把目光放在紅通通的臘腸攤，剛好又有現成的板凳讓我可以坐下來，儘管十點多之後人潮如水，我還是堅持要自在地把圖畫完。

Today our destination was Nanmen Market. I have been greatly impressed by what I saw since I took a quick look at it with my colleagues a few years ago. Apart from fresh produce, this market is known for its variety of traditional goods and dishes from the southeast regions of China. I had my eye set on the red sausages right after we went in. Luckily, an empty stool was placed opposite the stand, beckoning me to sit on it. The crowds surged in after 10 a.m., but I was rather at ease. 

當我轉個角度要畫另外兩家乾貨和甜點的店家時，一位先生對我說：警察在趕人，你是記者嗎？但我手上只有一本速寫本啊！我笑著回答：我是來畫畫的，他答：那你坐在這裡好好畫，警察不會趕你。畫到一半圖中常興雜貨的老闆娘跑來探班，她問我是不是在做學校作業，想不到我的外表還可以騙人！

After finishing the first piece, I turned around to draw another two stores specializing in dried goods and desserts. It was then when a gentleman said to me, "The police are after some people. Are you a journalist?" Looking at the sketchbook in my hand, I replied with a smile, "I am here to draw." He went on to say, "OK, then you can sit here and take your time. The police won't chase you away." In the middle of drawing, the lady owner of the shop on the right side in the picture came for a glimpse. She asked me if I was doing my homework. I didn't imagine that I could still deceive people with my appearance. 

其實在市場裡我最想畫的是那些工作中的職人，可是為了畫他們，幾乎不可能躲在角落裡，我今天很勉強地把相機拿出來，想回家後再好好研究，雖然有圖爲參考，可是心境及線條和在現場的感覺完全不同，當場速寫的線條是流動的，要隨機應變，卻也因此充滿生命感。

In fact, what I wanted to draw the most was people at work in the market. However, it would be impossible to hide in a corner to draw them. I had no other choice but to take out my camera today, thinking that I should at least take some pictures for reference. But it feels totally different to sketch on the spot and at home. I prefer the former because I have to go with the flow and that's why my lines are full of life. 

回家之後把三年多前和一年多前的速寫拿出來翻閱，很明顯地看出自己的不一樣，用線條紀錄人生，是我面對老去的方式。

This afternoon I took out the sketches I did more than three years ago and one year ago. I could tell my own differences. We all have our own ways to deal with aging, and mine is to record life with lines.