Meditation and endurance / 冥想和耐力

這星期去了植物園，托于慈的福，和一位做植物研究的大男生提到植物繪畫，他說精準性是必要的，還有專業知識，這些都是我沒有的，之前在植標館的練習都是玩票性質，現在想想還真是有些慚愧。

I visited the botanical garden this week. Thanks to Carol, I met up a young botany researcher. He told me that accuracy and background knowledge are basic requirements in botanical illustration, which I don't have. I wonder where I got the guts to do the botanical drawings in the herbarium last year. 

        週末台大生命科學院開了植物繪畫的工作坊，請了泰國植物學者和植物學畫家Sasivimon Swangpol教授來開課，老師在概論中提到畫植物的目的是說明，所以要完全照實，畫圖時尺規是必要的，長了幾片葉子等細節都要和實物一樣，聽了我有點頭痛。

   This weekend the Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at NTU offered a workshop on botanical illustrations, inviting the renowned Thai botanist and artist Dr. Sasivimon Swangpol to be the guest speaker. In the general introduction, Dr. Swangpol mentioned the purpose of scientific illustrations is to explain, so it's a must to draw everything true to life. Upon hearing that rulers are needed to measure the dimensions and that all the details have to be paid attention to, my head started to ache. 

        到了第二節工作坊時，我們先拿番茄做練習，我不想用尺，結果老師走過來的第一句話便說：你沒有用尺對不對？我的叛逆如此輕易就被發現，我只好重畫。同桌的教授也畫得很辛苦，常常停下來失落地看看左右，喃喃幾句話，他問老師每張圖是不是要畫很久，老師說：這就是冥想啊！聽到這個回答，當下突然覺得老師對於科學繪畫的看法很佛家。

   In the workshop, we started with the tomato. I somehow refused to use a ruler, and when Dr. Swangpol walked by, the first thing she said to me was, "You didn't use a ruler?" Well, I couldn't even hide any trace of my rebellion. Thus I began to draw another tomato. One professor sitting at the same desk had a hard time too. He often paused, looking quite lost and murmuring something before resuming. He asked Dr. Swangpol if every drawing takes long. She replied, "This is meditation." I found her take on botanical illustrations very Buddhist. 

        其實週末這兩天我去了兩個工作坊，但畫圖的狀況都不是很好，雖然畫得出來，可是我沒有進入享受的境界。和番茄掙扎完後，畫豬籠草漸入佳境，不管別人怎麼說，不管比例對不對，我知道感覺和剛才不一樣，我也不再想時間過得是否快慢，雖然我喜歡畫圖，但完全沉浸在其中並不是天天都有的事啊！

   I'd been to two workshops this weekend, and I knew I wasn't in a very good shape when it came to drawing. I could draw, but I didn't get to totally enjoy the act. After my wrestle with the tomato, things looked up when I drew the pitcher plant. Gradually, I got to feel self-satisfaction without caring about what others think, if the proportion is correct or why time passes by so slowly. I have to admit that much as I love drawing, I do not get carried away all the time. 

        老師走過來時，教授又說：畫圖需要天份。老師回了一句：是耐力。我也不是第一次聽說或體驗這個答案，不過今天對於繪畫這件事得到很佛教的看法呢！

   When Dr. Swangpol walked by, the professor couldn't help announcing: It takes talent. She replied, "Endurance." This was not the first time I heard or experienced the answer, but today Dr. Swangpol really showed me the Buddhist perspective on drawing. 

        不管辛苦或愉快，這都是我要做一輩子的事，臨走之前當然還要上前用泰文和老師謝謝呢！

   Whether hard or easy, this is something I want to do for the rest of my life. And now it has become a ritual for me to say thank-you to Thai people I've run into in Thai! 

Stone Soup study club 3 / 石頭湯讀書會之三

跳過了上週末下雨的大龍峒之旅，我直接來到石頭湯讀書會的第三次聚會，由黃惠綺老師主講日本繪本，今天的主題是春天。看到老師帶來一大皮箱的日本繪本，我便興奮不已。第一個故事是有關於宅急便先生如何把包裹裡的春天送給住在深山的小朋友們，一邊看美麗的圖片，聽老師念很溫柔的日文，真的是視覺和聽覺的享受。

Having skipped the second gathering of Stone Soup study club last weekend, I came directly to the third lesson, which was hosted by Ms. Hui-chi Huang on the topic of spring in Japanese picture books. I felt all worked up upon seeing her come in with a suitcase filled with picture books. The first book is about how a delivery man drives all the way into a small snowy town in the mountains to deliver packages of spring to children. It was a visual and audio feast to look at the fantastic images and hear the teacher recite in soft Japanese. 

        而這本叫做「野狼飛起來了」的繪本則是作者在某個暴風夜的體驗，故事有關小朋友在風雨交加的夜裡感到不安，作者設計很多動物角色，讓情節充滿想像力，是很迷人的一本書。

   This book titled The Flying Wolf derived from the author's personal experience on a stormy night. It talks about children's anxiety on such a night. She designed many animal roles to make the plot really interesting. Because the style of illustrations really speak to me, I find it to be irresistible.  

        這本以蘋果爲主題的繪本非常天馬行空，一小男孩看到桌上的蘋果之後開始發想，也許蘋果並不是蘋果，可能是內部是葡萄的蘋果，這世界上可能是由蘋果外星人組成的，讀這本書可以完全解放我們的想像力。

   This book based on the theme of an apple is super imaginative. The story starts with a little boy wondering if the apple on the table is really an apple. He wonders it might be an apple with something else inside. Or this world might be full of appliens. It is said the book sold extremely well in Japan. 

        至於這本以免洗筷爲主角的故事，是說一雙叫瓦利的筷子很希望自己被顧客拿來使用，但始終沒有人注意到他，於是他開始一連串的逃亡去不同的餐廳和住家，繪者很厲害地賦予一雙筷子諸多表情和性格，非常可愛的一本書。

   The story in this picture book features a pair of disposable chopsticks named Wally. He wants to be used by customers badly, but no one notices him. He is so desperate that he decides to seek a new chance in other restaurants. The illustrator gave so much life to Wally that it's just impossible for the reader not to love the book. 

        每次去上課都會遇到很有元氣的阿姑，我突然發現她也有順手塗鴉的習慣。

   Every time I run into the energetic lady, and it wasn't until this weekend that I discovered that she has the habit of drawing sketches. 

        後來和阿姑聊才發現，原來她覺得自己忘得很快，但如果有記錄下當時的畫面，就可以保存一點記憶。阿姑還毫不吝嗇地把很多作品和我分享，是非常開朗的人喔！

   In my later conversations with her, she explained that now she forgets easily, but if she makes an effort to sketch, she will get to keep something in her memory. She even shared her works with me. Her optimism is contagious. 

        櫻花是日本繪本中的一大主題，老師也分享好幾本關於季節更迭、生命循環的好書，後面的幾本書都是走畫功路線。

   Cherry flowers are a major theme in Japanese picture books. The teacher also introduced several good books about seasonal change and life cycle. These books impressed me not only with their stories but also with the sophisticated drawing skills of the illustrators. 

        而這本關於死亡的書讀起來令人很有感覺，作者以真誠寫實的口吻討論很重大的議題，繪者的功力也很驚人，聽完故事之後讓我久久不能自已。

   This book about death made a lot of think. The author discusses death in a genuine and realistic tone. The illustrator also did a wonderful job. A lot of us still wanted to talk more about it afterwards. 

        雖然我離出書的夢想還有一大段距離，不過在這過程中的追尋是很幸福的，慢慢地，我好像開始找到之前某些疑問的答案了。下午同孩子和家人去看「如果」劇團的「真假王子」，深深覺得這世界真是充滿太多好玩的事了，要是我不畫繪本，也可以考慮去當舞台劇演員，但我要專注一件事，認真把它做好！

   Though I am still very far away from my dream of having my picture book published, the way to my goal is filled with happiness in that I've got to see so much. Gradually, I have found answers to some of my questions. In the afternoon, my big family and I went to the children's play The Real Prince by the Taiwanese troupe IF. I have to say this world is full of a lot of fun things. If I didn't draw picture books, I would think seriously about being an actress. Having said that, I still prefer to focus on one thing only and give it all my attention! 

Why do we need illustration? / 插畫的必要性

腎蕨 / Tuberous Sword Fern

畫眼睛看得到的植物不難，即使剛開始不上手，左看右看左畫右畫，多練習幾次就熟練了。不過貴美出了個大難題給我，她從戶外庭園拿一株腎蕨，解釋完構造之後，領我到蕨類的成長過程插圖前，對我說：今天我希望你可以把腎蕨的演進畫出來，但是這些都是要在顯微鏡下才看得到的。於是我們很認真地把腎蕨放在顯微鏡下研究，但最多只能看到孢子群。

Drawing a plant isn't hard, even for someone like me who's not known for being precise when it comes to drawing. I might not get the hang of it right away, but practice makes perfect. However, Guei-mei gives me a tremendous challenge this time. She comes in with the Tuberous Sword Fern from the garden. After explaining to me every part, she leads me to a huge poster on which the whole development process is illustrated. Then she announces to me: I hope you can draw the same thing for the Tuberous Sword Fern. Because many images can be seen only with the help of the microscope, we struggle hard with the apparatus. Yet we can only see as much as spores.

       此時另一位同事不禁加入我們的對話：為什麼要用畫的呢？現在拍照不是很容易的事嗎？我忍不住點頭搗蒜，因為我每天都上網查植物的圖片。貴美回答：畫的不是很好嗎？以前的人也都是用畫的啊！「因為之前沒有相機啊！」我這麼喜歡插畫，卻說不出像樣的答案來，不過功課既然都出了，我還是很乖巧地坐在小鐵櫃前畫圖。

   Meanwhile another colleague can't help joining our conversation. She asks: Why do you need drawings? Isn't it easier to take photos? I can't agree more since I look for images of plants online on a daily basis. Guei-mei responds: I love drawings. People used to do that too. "That's because cameras were not available!" Much as I love illustration, I can't come up with a decent reason either. Still, the task has been given, and I'll take it. 

       然後當我畫到快要蒸發時，新展覽室的設計師走出來，他問我是不是標本館請來畫圖的，然後突然靈機一動，覺得我可以畫宣傳的海報，走之前說了一句：很有手感。於是我找到了那個下午的答案，攝影和插畫各有價值，照片可以被用在科學上的研究，可是插畫可以用在設計上，而且我相信對有些人來說，插畫可能會吸引他們走進植物的世界，這何嘗不是個好的開始？

   When I draw to such a point that I feel like evaporating, the designer for the new exhibition room walks out, asking me if the herbarium hired me to draw. Then he hits upon a brilliant idea of letting me draw the poster for the promotion. Before he leaves, he gives me the answer I was looking for: It feels idiosyncratic. It is then I realize why we need illustration. Photography can be used in scientific research, but illustration can be applied to design. Besides, for some people, illustration serves as a means to lead them into the world of plants, which I believe, is a rather wonderful beginning point. 

        在植物標本館的每一天都有驚喜。

   In TAI Herbarium, there are surprises in store for me every day. 

I love TAI & THAI

象牙木種子/ the seed of Ivorywood

植物標本館的同事們對我很好，不只是客客氣氣地好，而是幫助我自我發揮。有一天做標本做到一半時，貴美說，不如請我畫黃椰子種子的生長狀況，她搬了一張小板凳，我就靠在面對門口的矮鐵櫃上畫圖。

My colleagues in TAI Herbarium are extremely nice to me. I do not mean the superficial politeness. Rather, they let me be. One day while I am working on making a specimen, Guei-mei suggests that I draw the growth of certain seeds. She thus grabs a stool for me to sit facing the door of the herbarium. It reminds me of my childhood whiling time away in my mom's office. 

        當時我只有一盒無印良品的筆，貴美又抓了幾隻畫重點的蠟筆和A4白紙，我覺得自己好像回到兩年前在坎貝爾的第一堂課，觀察畫法是一切的起點，我必須用有限的用具捕捉種子的觸感，當下忘了自己在標本館裡，而是在倫敦的教室裡和宿舍裡。

   I have only a box of colored ballpoint pens of MUJI. Guei-mei offers some crayon-like markers and blank A4 paper. Suddenly I feel like being in the first class in Camberwell when we learn the observed drawing. I have to capture the essence of the object with a limited choice of art supplies. For the moment I truly forget that I am in the herbarium. Instead, I think I am in the studio in Camberwell and in my dorm. 

 黃椰子種子/ the seed of Yellow Palm

        倫敦的生活對我來說真的是很遙遠了，有時候也會有一點點羨慕同學可以過著全心畫圖的生活，但是那一個下午我像搭時光機回到當時，讓我看到我的現在也很有價值。連只認識我幾分鐘的新同事居然都情不自禁地說：你很幸福！

   To me, the year in London is more than eons away. Sometimes I do feel a very tiny dose of envy for my ex-classmates, who can spend all their time drawing. However, I take the time machine that afternoon and relive the wonderful moments. Meanwhile, this tells me that my current life is equally meaningful. I beam with so much joy that even a new colleague makes the remark: You are such a blessed person! 

        另外一件令我同樣開心的事是泰文課，因為每天都要看泰劇，這週年輕帥氣的老師不禁問我是不是有泰國友人，我想說我的朋友都是明星來著，不過還是忍住了。我的當下不是英國，但我有TAI 和THAI。

   Something else that pleases me is my Thai lesson. Since I watch Thai lakorns every day, this week my young and cute Thai teacher can't help asking if I have Thai friends for me to practice the language with. I swallow the urge to say, "Yeah, my friends are all big stars." My present is not the UK, but I have my beloved TAI Herbarium and the Thai language. 

What were your colors? /原來是什麼顏色？

現在看到新標本的第一個問題是：它原來是什麼顏色？因為烘乾之後的色調和有生命的色調完全不同，所以我對於植物原來的顏色很好奇。華南薯蕷的果實標本有種紅銅色的亮澤感，也是很迷人的，不過生長時淺綠的豆莢也很可愛。

The first question that comes to mind when I see a new herbarium specimen is: What were its colors? The main color themes after plants are dried are very different from those when they were alive. The dried pea pods have a red copper hue, which I admit look very beautiful. But the light green color of the fresh pod is quite lovely too. 

        要回家的路上撿到掉落的第倫桃，又折回標本館詢問，結果前輩們異口同聲地說出第倫桃，如果我的學生學習時也這麼自動自發就好了。接著貴美告訴我有關果實的資訊，據說可以整個煮，但裡面的果肉很少。在這裡只要我展現高度的學習慾望，大家就不斷地和我分享。

   On my way home, I picked an Elephant Apple that had fallen on the ground. Wanting to find out what it is, I returned to the herbarium. It was an amazing sight to hear everyone tell me the name in unison. What if my students were such highly-motivated learners ... Then Guei-mei went on to share more information about the fruit with me. The fruit can be cooked to make jam, but there isn't much flesh inside. I love being in this place because as long as I show interest and desire to learn, my colleagues are too willing to show me the fantastic world of plants. 

        最後貴美為了帶我看十字菩瓜樹，陪我走了一小段路，像是我的植物家教，耳聞這種植物有一陣子，親眼看到特別的葉片造型還是大呼驚奇，造物者的想像力真是無窮無盡。

   In order to show me the three-leaf calabash, Guei mei took a short walk with me. I felt very lucky to have a botany tutor. Though I had heard about the plant for a while, I was surprised to see it in person. The leaf is shaped like a cross, and what's more, it's hard to find in Taiwan. 

        接下來我要好好學習畫植物，讓沒有看過的人也可以第一眼就精準地抓住它們的特色。

   My next task is to learn how to draw plants so that people who have never seen them before can immediately grasp their features. 

Learning together / 有伴的學習

在寫今天的明信片時突然想到，如果連成年人學習時都需要友朋，那就更別提小孩或少年了，假如我們每天學的新知可以拿來當做寫信或設計問題給某個對話的對象，本來沒有意義或趣味的東西就會有個人的色彩了。想著想著，這個概念又變成上課可以用的練習。

When I am writing the postcard of the day, it occurs to me that if an adult needs company to make learning interesting, companionship will be even more important for children or teenagers. Suppose what we learn every day can be part of the mail in the form of a story or a question to a friend, we will learn it better because we impose personal significance on the knowledge that originally didn't mean a thing to us. I am definitely going to adopt the concept in my classes. 

        今天的報紙上說，十二年國教是令人最沒有幸福感的事之一，最近聽了太多太多雜音，不如先放下所有官僚性的語言，回到最基本的出發點︰學習本身是件快樂的事，如果沒有找回最原始的喜悅感，其他的目標都是白搭。

   I read from the newspaper that the yet-to-come 12-year obligatory education is one of the new policies that makes Taiwanese least happy. As a teacher, I have to admit that lately I've heard too much said, too much repeated. I think we should discard all the bureaucratic stuff and go back to the starting point: Learning itself is a happy thing. If we don't make children feel the joy of learning, then however much we try to give them, it's totally useless and pointless.

La strada / 天生我材必有用

前兩週去參加台大植物標本館的麵包果節，現場請了好幾位老教授來開場，其中一位教授可能是因為能重回講台的緣故，說著說著就把其他教授的時間用完，主持人忙著進入下一段節目，但李學勇教授激昂的言詞讓他贏得一分鐘的發表，老先生中氣以不足，卻用無比的笑容和力氣說到一件讓我耳朵豎起來的事，他說是他發現桃花心木的花其實是假兩性花，因為他一直強調，於是我回到家趕緊搜尋桃花心木。

   I participated in the bread-fruit tree festival held by TAI Herbarium of NTU two weeks ago. Some retired professors were invited to give introductory talks. One of them was probably so thrilled to be back in the limelight that he rambled on. His speech was so long that the host had no choice but to skip the last professor's talk. However, Dr. Li Xueyong didn't want to let go of the precious chance. Despite his hoarse voice, he mustered all his strength, speaking with so much energy and passion. He kept mentioning his discovery about the flowers of the mahogany tree, which aroused my curiosity. People used to believe that the flowers are bisexual, but according to Dr. Li's discovery, it's one of two flowers that "pretends" to be the female. (About this part of the explanation, I am still doing research about it, so  please bear with my really poor translation.) 

        某天穿過台大回家時，遇見了路邊的大葉桃花心木，又上網讀了和它相關的資訊，它的種子散播媒介是風，從種子爆開到遠行的過程都很有趣，所以我的學習明信片做了好幾天桃花心木花和種子的特輯。

   One day when I was walking through the campus of NTU, I came across the big-leaf mahogany trees, and it prompted me to look for more information online. The seeds are spread by means of the wind dispersal. How the seeds come out of the fruit and how they travel far to start their new lives intrigue me, so these topics become the theme of my learning postcards for days. 

        我最喜歡的部份是：樹媽媽為了讓孩子能成長，不會因為掉落在媽媽的樹冠下得不到陽光而死亡或被吃掉，種子有螺旋槳的構造，等到葉子都掉光，風一吹，孩子會被送到遠方開始自己的新生命。

   My favorite part is about how the mother tree, in order to make the seeds grow into well-developed plants, send them on flights with the help of the wind because if they fall under the canopy of their mother, the seeds will die because of lack of sunlight or they'll be eaten by other creatures. The seeds are structured like helicopter rotors, which makes them spin and fly in the wind. 

        作者在這段介紹中用一段很動人的話語結尾，光看大葉桃花心木的構造，可以發現每個設計都是有目的的。觀察植物再再讓我學到，宇宙有它運行的方式，而每個人都有自己的路，有時候我懂這句話，卻不能真正了然於心，可是大自然不斷地提醒我這個道理，我不需要緊張也不用擔心，我常常以為找不到的答案就在宇宙中。

   The writer of the webpage ends the introduction with really wise words: By studying the structure of the big-leaf mahogany tree, we can learn that every part of the plant serves a specific kind of function. Likewise, there's a purpose behind every design of the world, and I recall the life lesson I have learned again and again: Everyone has his or her life journey. I don't have to worry or play God, and often the answers I can't find are in the universe. 

        開學了，我要修正上學年的態度，我的小種子有一天會離開我，我不需過度保護，相反地，我應該要順著它的翅膀，讓他們飛到自己想去的地方。

   The new semester has started. I have revised my teaching concepts and methods. I know one day my small seeds will leave me. I shouldn't overprotect them. On the contrary, I should focus on how to make them fly better so that they'll go somewhere they dream of in the future.