Mango with sticky rice / 芒果糯米

我的泰國旅行就像芒果糯米那樣甜蜜，覺得自己整個淪陷在泰國的美好裡！

My trip to Thailand was as sweet as mango with sticky rice. I totally fall for the charm of the country and its people!

Lesson in the herbarium / 下雨天的植物課

休息了兩個月，植標館的植物課又開張了，有個六歲的小女孩好喜歡我做的小蜜蜂蜜蜜。

After taking a two-month-long break, we are back with more lessons in the herbarium! A six-year-old girl just loves my bee Beebee. 

        這一次我比較是課程策畫者，所以不用說太多話。

     Now I am more like a lesson planner, so I don't get to talk much. 

        貴美阿姨是我們的講師之一，因應台大的杜鵑花節，我們來拆解美麗的杜鵑花，研究花的構造。

     Auntie Guei-mei is one of our teachers. Because of the azalea festival in NTU, our task today is to study the structure of an azalea flower. 

        拿到放大鏡和花朵後，連鬧彆扭的男孩也開始觀察花的構造。

     The magnifying glass and flower work magics, because even the whiny boy seems interested as well. 

        接著我們又認識南美朱槿，並且學小蜜蜂吃花蜜！

     Then we go on to learn about South American Wax Mallow. We eat the sweet nectar like the bee! 

        今天的二號講師彥秀上場帶我們認識草莓！

     Our second teacher Yen-sho tells us about the lovely strawberry. 

        同時貴美阿姨自製的草莓醬上場！

     Meanwhile, the strawberry jam made by Auntie Guei-mei is ready. 

        上完課來吃草莓土司！

     The menu for today's afternoon tea is toast with strawberry jam. 

        配上來自泰國的蝶豆茶，又過了一個開心的下午！右邊那一杯加了草莓醬！

     As for the tea, it is the blue butterfly pea tea from Thailand. The right cup has strawberry jam in it. What a wonderful rainy afternoon! 

Fern and papaya / 蕨和木瓜

我在植標館放了一些圖書，讓早來的小朋友們可以自行閱讀，有些孩子真真切切地接受了我的心意。

I prepared a bookshelf in the herbarium so that the kids that come early can do some reading on their own. Some of them do get my message. 

        湘芸還折起紙，是第一個這麼做的孩子！

     Yun is the first kid to try origami! 

        看完蕨類展之後，孩子們迫不及待地回展示室畫圖。

     After the guided tour of ferns, the children can't wait to go back to the exhibit room to draw. 

        今天來的小朋友都很有藝術氣息，給我們很大的視覺饗宴。

     The children today are all very artistic. I feel like being in an art museum. 

        畫完圖之後去庭園找木瓜樹！

     Then we go look for the papaya trees in the gardens! 

        木瓜的鄰居是耀眼的楊桃，我無法不注意到它的光芒。

     The papaya tree's neighbor--the star fruits, are so dazzling that I can't but notice them. 

        我好喜歡這個小女孩看影片的姿態！

     I love how the girl concentrates on the clip. 

        我配合今天主題木瓜做的百香果涼拌青木瓜絲。

     I made shredded green papaya seasoned with passion fruit for the afternoon tea. 

        觀察和品嚐青木瓜和熟木瓜。

     We observe a green papaya and taste a ripe papaya.

        左邊的小木瓜是庭園裡的木瓜樹掉下來的。

     The small green papaya on the left is from one papaya tree in the garden. 

        貴美阿姨的木瓜教室開講！

     Time for Auntie Guei-mei's papaya lesson! 

Banana cake & Bananaman / 香蕉蛋糕和香蕉俠

昨天才赫然發現，原來已經有香蕉俠了，他是英國人，是小學生「膽小鬼艾力克」的化身，而且2015年就會推出電影版，我還真喜歡他的造型，看來為了不侵權，我只好為我的英雄改個名字。

I was stunned yesterday when I found that Bananaman has already existed! He is a British hero created in 1980, the double of the schoolboy Eric Wimp. And the movie will come out in 2015. I can't resist his hilarious look. However, not to infringe on the copyright, I'll have to change the name of my banana hero. 

        最近打著要尋找靈感的名號，買了之前不會亂買的東西，例如說昨天信步走進一家日本零食店，看到香蕉蛋糕，眼睛一眨也一眨地就買了，因為我想這應該可以放在故事裡。

   Lately I've bought stuff I wouldn't in the name of looking for inspirations. For example, I accidentally walked into a store selling Japanese snacks yesterday. Upon seeing the banana cake, I immediately checked it out. Maybe I can use the idea in my story. 

        香蕉俠只要吃香蕉就可以恢復體力，我想他應該也不會拒絕香蕉蛋糕吧！

   Bananaman restores energy by eating bananas, but I guess he probably won't say no to the aromatic and yummy banana cakes! 

        最後再來點武器的研究，看看我的香蕉俠要如何打倒壞人。現在只要心情不陽光，來點畫香蕉療法馬上奏效，香蕉真是救人的法寶啊！

   Last but not least, I'd like to study how bananas work as a weapon. Now whenever I do not feel upbeat, the banana-drawing therapy works miracles. The fruit is really my life savior! 

Banana Man / 香蕉俠

我畫香蕉欲罷不能，但同時覺得應該要有一些新的發展，之前男孩們每天找我玩正義聯盟，所以我對這些英雄們久而久之也有些了解，於是便想要惡搞他們的造型，邊畫還不停邊喃喃為何英雄們都得穿緊身衣和靴子，這大概是男孩們的fantasy吧！

I am addicted to drawing bananas, but meanwhile I would like to further develop the idea. A while ago the boys were really into role-play. They especially loved the heroes of Justice League. In the end I came to gain a basic understanding of the roles because of them, and it occurred to me to draw the parodied versions. It's funny that the heroes are all dressed in tights and boots, which is probably most boys' fantasy!

The most terrifying thing / 最可怕的事

這個學期我們讀「八號出口的猩猩」，書中的猩猩艾文喜歡畫畫，有一天畫了十根香蕉，不知爲什麼，我對這個作業相當嚮往，回家之後不停地畫香蕉，已經畫了三天停不下來。

This semester we read The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate. The protagonist Ivan, a silverback kept in a mall, loves to draw. One day he draws ten bananas. For unknown reasons, I am obsessed with this. I've been binge-drawing bananas for three days on end. 

        記憶和想像畫法畫完之後，我又嘗試觀察畫法。果然記憶和事實出入很大！

   After trying remembered drawing and imagined drawing, I can't resist observational drawing. It strikes me that there lies a huge gap between my memory and the reality!

        上週還以為我失去想像和畫畫的能力了，還好我把這個超能力救回來。

   Last week I once thought I had lost the ability to draw and imagine. Luckily, I nurtured it and had it back. 

        對我來說，這世界最可怕的事是過著完全沒有想像力的生活！

   For me, the most terrifying thing in the world is to live a life WITHOUT any imagination! 

第二部 / Part II

我的香蕉怪獸！

My banana monster!