Sunday, April 26, 2015

Encounter with the insect boy / 遇見昆蟲男孩


過去的一周裡,去看了螢火蟲,去新店山上吹吹風,反正沒辦法畫圖,就出去玩。不過最神奇的是週六下午在植標館遇見昆蟲男孩,崇羽是昆蟲系大二生,一來就秀出他那一盒養著鳳蝶幼蟲的寶物,弄得小朋友心癢癢的,而且昆蟲男孩有說不完的知識,立馬成為我的偶像。

In the past week, I have traveled to different places to relax and broaden my horizons. Since I can't draw, I might as well have some fun. However, the most amazing experience is the encounter with the insect boy on Saturday afternoon in the herbarium. Chong-yu is a sophomore majoring in insects. He comes with a magical box with the lush green caterpillars crawling inside, which tickles the children pink. He has so much to say about the insects that he immediately becomes my idol.



        在人潮來來去去之間,崇羽做好了昆蟲寶盒,我說他可以拿這個盒子遊走天下,一定會虜獲許多小朋友的心。而且他對於植物也有說不完的介紹,害我稱讚他個不停,知道他還會吹薩克斯風,我不禁驚呼:怎麼那麼帥氣啊!還得用力壓住不說出想幫他介紹女朋友的蠢話。

     Apart from guide-touring the visitors, Chong-yu finishes the preparation of his insect treasure box in the meanwhile. I believe he can travel around the world with this box and he will definitely capture every kid's heart. He also knows A LOT about plants. Moreover, he plays the saxophone too. I can't help uttering: Wow, how handsome you must look when playing the instrument! In the end, I have to stop myself from introducing lovely girls to him. 



        我們熱情加映多服務一個小時,回家的路上我說想要找一個角落想事情,他帶我到私房景點:麵包果樹下的秋千座。

     We prolong the service hour to five p.m. On our way home, I say that I'd like to look for a quiet corner to think. He takes me to a super lovely courtyard with a swing under the breadfruit tree. 







        偌大的庭園裡只有我一個人坐在秋千上搖晃到天黑,想著今年上半年失去的東西都好重大,可是失去背後的意義更重大,都是有好多課題要學的吧!昆蟲男孩也是上帝派來給我的小天使之一。

     I swing alone in the vast courtyard all alone until the sun sets. Meanwhile, I can't help thinking that I've lost much in the first half of 2015, but behind the loss, there are so many huge lessons to learn. The insect boy is probably one of my guardian angels to guide me the way! 

Saturday, April 25, 2015

In school / 學校裡


四月七日第一週展覽:

孩子們要畢業了,越是接近結束的關頭,越想要說些什麼,我把寫給薛吉一年三個月的明信片帶到學校,開始明信片計畫的初衷是希望自己能看見小日子的美好,我想要把對生活的熱情和孩子們分享,我請子栩和茗筑幫我策劃四周的展覽,外加一週的驚喜展,教室外的走廊因此看起來熱熱鬧鬧。回教室的奕婷擔任我的模特兒,上圖是子栩的作品。

First exhibition opened on April, 7: 

My girls are about to graduate in one month. Feeling we don't have much time left, I want to do as much as I can to create beautiful memories for them. After Shaggy sent back the 450 postcards I had sent to her in the past 15 months, I have Sophy and Sophia design four postcard exhibitions plus one bonus exhibition for me and the girls. 

     When I first started the postcard project back in 2013, I simply wanted to remind myself of the beauty of my everyday life. Now I would like to share that passion with the girls, hoping that they'll seize the remaining days they have in high school. The postcards add colors to our corridor. I invite Eating to be my model in the picture above while the poster above is drawn by Sophy. 



        這是茗筑的作品。

     The poster is drawn by Sophia. 









        四百五十張左右的明信片有各種主題,我請子栩和茗筑依主題分類,第一週的明信片主題很多元,大多是每日的雜想。

     The postcards were about plants in the beginning, but later I doodled my everyday discovery. I ask Sophy and Sophia to decide the topics for each week. The postcards of the first week have diverse themes. 


        四月十五日第二週:

     Second exhibition opening on April 15:


        第二週的主題清楚多了,是香蕉男孩的研究、男孩們的塗鴉和阿嬤的離開。上圖是茗筑的作品。

     The themes for the second week are much clearer. They are about the research for my book The Banana Boy, my boys' doodles and my granny's death. The poster above is drawn by Sophia. 



        上圖為子栩的作品。

     The poster is Sophy's work.







        因為小展覽,每週二我自己都很期待。

     I am looking forward to the new exhibitions every Tuesday. 



        孩子們也很好奇,玉璽是第一個觀眾。

     Some girls are curious. Enci is the first viewer. 



        春天的風很大,明信片孩子常常被吹走,我不時看見女孩們上課上到一半衝出教室撿流浪的明信片。沒飛走時就像隨風飄的葉子,發出啪啪的聲音,是很美的景色。

     The spring winds are so strong that the postcards are sometimes flown away. Girls are often seen to run out of the classroom to chase after them in class. When they do not away, they flap to the rhythms of the wind, which is so beautiful in my eyes. 













        我想要做生活裡的展覽、展覽生活,展覽就在生活的環境裡,被注意也好,被忽視也好,我們用生活的腳步和圖畫一起生活。沒有大肆宣傳,也不強迫孩子們看,也許有一天他們想起高三生活的最後一個月,只記得教室窗外有飛揚的圖片伴著他們,這也是一種回憶吧!

     My dream exhibition is part of our everyday living environment. The works might be noticed, or most of the time, they are ignored. But I don't mind. I don't advertise, nor do I force my viewers to look. Maybe one day when my students think back on the last month in high school, they have the faint impression of postcards flying outside the windows keeping them company. 



        同一時間在教室裡,有養眼的模特兒介紹。

     Meanwhile inside the classroom, there is a presentation of eye-catching models to keep the girls awake. 







        教室後面的布告欄有同學的塗鴉作。

     On the bulletin board in the back of the classroom are girls' doodles. 





        同一週子栩、茗筑和玉璽為大家作信封彩繪,裡面附有同學送給彼此鼓勵的話。

     During the same week, Sophy, Sophia and Enci draw on the envelopes with words of encouragement  for everyone. 


        四月二十一日第三週展覽:

     Third exhibition opening on April, 21: 


        這是茗筑的作品。

     This is Sophia's work. 



        這是子栩的作品,本週的主題是鳥類和動物。

     This is Sophy's work. This week's themes are birds and animals. 















        我常趁其他老師還沒出現前突襲檢查,看大家有沒有好好坐在位置上,通常是一片混亂,不過照片裡的孩子們怎麼老是坐在座位上。

     I often spot-check if the girls are seated on their seats before the other teachers come. Usually, it's a mess. However, their buttocks seem to be stuck to the seats in the photo. 



        今天大家看明信片看得這麼開心,於是我也開心。

     Today the girls have fun looking at the postcards, which makes me feel happy. 


第四周展覽:

Fourth exhibition:



第四週的主題是植物剪貼作,這是子栩的作品。

The theme for the fourth week is plant collage. This is Sophy's work. 



這是茗筑的作品。

This is Sophia's poster. 



而這些是我的寶貝!

And these are, my babes! 





        教室裡氣氛嚴肅。

     The atmosphere in the classroom is rather solemn. 



        運動場上,我們的綠色小背心一開始就領先群雄。

     On the field, our green team takes the lead right from the beginning. 



        雖然中間一度被追過去。

     We are overtaken halfway through the game. 



        到了最後又把橘色小背心狠狠甩在後頭。

     But in the end we outrun the orange team. 



        最後靖萍優雅地拿下那一組的冠軍。

     In the end Na grabs the championship for us. 

        每次看大隊接力我總是會很澎湃,比賽當天因為過敏,不禁一直流眼淚,也是因為很感動吧!

     Every time I watch a relay game, I can't help feeling excited and touched. On the day of the game, my allergy makes me shed tears all the way through. I figure it's also because I am emotionally overwhelmed. 

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

My sunshine boys / 我的陽光男孩


雖然很想坦然面對自己,但最近感到一片迷惘。

Much as I want to face myself, I still can’t help feeling lost.



                我的白蘋果也於此時掛了

     My white Macbook decides to crash at the same time.



                可是在男孩的塗鴉裡我看到小小的火焰讓我覺得也許再過幾天我就可以重新再來

     However frustrated I am, I spot sparks of fire in the boys’ doodles, which whisper, “You can do it, you can do it all over again!”