Ghostly monster and elixir spring fairy / 鬼怪與長壽湯的仙女

三年半前去韓國玩，買了一堆繪本，雖然看不懂，但是看到圖就很開心。最近因為心醉電視劇「鬼怪」，不禁想起我最愛的繪本，強烈地懷疑這本書應該在講韓國民俗中流傳的鬼怪，我終於有衝動請身邊的韓文老師翻譯，果然是在說一堆饑餓的鬼怪的故事，不過他們有點笨，雖然會變出金子，卻無法得到他們想要的年糕，和帥氣的孔劉差真多。

I went on a picture-book shopping spree when traveling to Korea three and half years ago. Though I hardly understood the text, I did take much delight in merely looking at the images. Lately, the super hit drama "Ghostly monster" has reminded me that maybe one of the books I own is about the folklore character, the ghostly monster. I was finally motivated to ask a Korean teacher to roughly translate the story for me. As I had guessed, the book is about a bunch of starving ghostly monsters. Though they could conjure up gold nuggets, they couldn't get the deuk bog gi (rice cake) they crave for. Well, what a contrast with the handsome lead role in the drama. 

        我真心覺得韓國人很厲害，民間傳說也可入繪本和流行文化，哪天我也要來做個年獸的故事。

     I admire Koreans for their talent and marketing strategies from the bottom of my heart. It's amazing to see folklore used in picture books and pop culture. Some day I am doing to write a story based on Nien, a fierce beast in Chinese folk stories. 

        很巧地，昨天又在dpi雜誌裡讀到當時買的另一本繪本簡介，這本叫「長壽湯的仙女」，作者白熙娜的作品都很吸引我，主題是以韓國人習以為常的澡堂生活為背景，敘述一名和媽媽去泡澡的小女孩，在玩水的時候遇見老阿媽般的仙女，兩人短暫地玩一陣子，卻發展出情誼。

     Coincidentally, I read the summary of another book I had bought back then in dpi illustration magazine yesterday. The book is titled The Elixir Spring Fairy. The books of the author, Bae Hee Na are all my favorites. The story takes place in a public bathhouse. A little girl meets a granny-like fairy as she is playing in the pool. Their short but sweet friendship becomes a wonderful memory for the little girl. 

        很偶然地在三年半後才發現自己買的書究竟在說什麼，這真是最棒的聖誕禮物！

     I hadn't expected to learn anything about the books I  purchased a long time ago, but right because of that, this surprise turned out to be the best Christmas gift!

Physics of love / 愛的物理學

這週感受了好幾個人戀愛的快樂，忍不住也變得輕飄飄的‧‧‧‧‧‧

I have experienced some people's happiness of being in love this week, so I can't help flying like them ...

愛的物理學

金仁旭

質量和體積不成正比

那個紫羅蘭般小巧的丫頭

那個似花瓣輕曳的丫頭

以遠超過地球的質量吸引著我

一瞬間

我就如牛頓的蘋果般

不受控制地流落在她腳下

咚地一聲

咚地一聲

從天空到大地

心臟在持續著令人暈眩的擺動

那是初戀

Physics of Love 

by Kim Inwook 

Her mass not in proportion to her physical volume 

That nymph as delicate as violet 

That nymph as airy as petals 

Attracts me far more than the mass of the earth 

In the blink of an eye 

Like Newton's apple 

I fall at her feet involuntarily 

"Bang!" 

"Bang!" 

From the sky to the earth 

My heart continues fluttering at a dazzling speed 

That is first love 

Norway and me / 挪威與我

我太喜歡挪威了，情不自禁地想為這個國家畫很多圖！

I so love Norway, to such a degree that I feel like drawing lots of pictures for it! 

        昨天收到了一件超棒的禮物，左手邊是去年去韓國玩買的繪本，放在書櫃裡一年，雖然常常拿出來翻，我卻完全不懂故事在說什麼，結果事隔一年，小蕙在眾書裡挑了中文版送我，而且是本挪威來的書，作者歐希莉‧楊森住在我很愛的卑爾根，還順便讓我比較台韓兩國的印刷，這世界整個連在一起的啊！

        更棒的是，這個禮物給了我下個月植標館的活動靈感！

     Yesterday I received a superb gift. On the left is a picture book I bought in Busan last summer. Though I often thumb through it, I never get what the story is about. A year later, Huei gave me the Chinese version without knowing anything about the background story. I found it's a book written by the Norwegian author Åshild Kanstad Johnsen, who lives in my favorite city, Bergen. I've also got to compare the printing differences in Taiwan and Korea. What can I say? Everything in this world is all connected! 

     Better yet, I've gained inspiration for the Saturday activities in the herbarium next month! 

        我倒是很好奇挪威原本的書是怎樣的呢！

     I do wonder what the Norwegian version looks like! 

38

昨天舅舅和我說，現在部落格縮水了，如果用好聽的說法是：我學會安靜。其實是因為想要專心做繪本，時間分配的架構有些改變。

In the family gathering yesterday, my uncle said I do not tend to spend so much time as before on my blog. Well, to put it beautifully, I'd say that I've learned to be quiet. But in fact, it's because I want to devote as much time as I can to making picture books. 

        今年國曆和農曆生日重疊，還是放假的中秋節，生日當天不用上班就已經很幸福，而且今天之前已經收到很多動人的祝福和禮物，所以沒有什麼大心願，只希望能夠待在書桌前認真畫圖，晚上邊運動邊賞月。

   This year my birthday on the solar and lunar calendars fall on the same day. I've got a fantastic gift of not having to go to work on my birthday, which is the mid-autumn festival. Besides, I've received a lot of wonderful best wishes and gifts. I'd be really greedy to ask for more. I want nothing more than spending the whole day writing and drawing. The evening will be reserved for a romantic walk under the moonlight. 

        只要可以一直畫圖，無論是什麼挑戰，我都可以找到答案，這就是最好的禮物了。

   As long as I can draw, I can make sense of anything. That is the best gift I can ever get in the world. 

Busan 7 / 釜山 7

釜山是海港，海景挺迷人的。

Busan is a harbor with beautiful seascape. 

Bulguksa / 佛國寺

佛國寺位於慶州，慶州是韓國的古都，和其他城市相比很有歷史感。

Bulguksa is located in Gyeongju, which is the ancient capital of Korea. It is a beautiful place with a long history.

爸爸 / Dad 

Busan 6 / 釜山 6

攝於慶州佛國寺 / photos taken at Bulguksa Temple, Gyeongju City

攝於慶州普門湖公園 / photos taken at Bomun Lake Resort 

Busan 5 / 釜山 5

跟團的有趣之處在於遇見各式各樣的人，這次的導遊先生楊哥是位六十歲的潮男，每天看他的打扮，我不禁深有感觸：世界上只有懶男人，沒有醜男人。

Something fun about traveling with a tour group is that I'll get to meet interesting people. Our tour guide Mr. Young is a sixty-year-old man who is really meticulous about his looks. He gives us different visual surprises every day, which makes me feel that there are no ugly men in the world; there are only lazy men. 

        楊哥身邊還有兩位韓國小幫手，分別是大金和小金，因為都姓金，所以就用年齡區分大小。大金個子不是很高，我一直以為他是大陸人在韓國工作，還不停發出「大金韓文真好啊！」的讚嘆，原來他去過大陸念書，說中文時帶著濃濃的大陸腔，打扮也有韓國時尚的fu，只是有時小細節比較不到位。

   Young is followed by two Korean assistants, whose last name is both Kim, so one is Kim Sr. and the other is Kim Jr. The former isn't very tall, but I had the impression from watching Korean drama that Korean men are generally taller than 180 cm. Thus, I mistake him for a Chinese guy working in Korea because he speaks mandarin with a thick Chinese accent. During the trip, I always wow at his fluent Korean, not knowing that he is actually a Korean who once studied in Mainland China. He sometimes wears shirts or pants of bright colors, but it's a pity that he does not pay attention to every little detail of fashion. 

        拍照小弟小金則是高達201公分的長人，原本是去日本當交換的籃球選手，不過回到韓國當完兵後，對於未來很迷惘，在家喝了兩個月的酒，胖了二十公斤，後來決定出來闖一闖，據說他並不想在韓國發展。

   Kim Jr. is 201 cm tall. He was once a basketball player living in Japan for five years as an exchange student. However, after returning to Korea, he felt quite lost upon being discharged from the army, so he did nothing but drink for two months at home, which made him gain 20 kilograms. Finally, he decided to take a try, and we were his first tour group. 

        我們看到的韓劇主角都很光鮮亮麗，但是我從這兩個年輕人身上看到當地競爭是很激烈的，而且生活費不菲，要生存真得有點本事。

   We saw only super beautiful and rich people in Korean drama, but I learn something drastically different from these two people. The living costs in Korea have soared and competitions are rather keen. Young people have to go all out if they want to get somewhere. 

        方臉的韓國司機開著遊覽車從首爾到釜山，看起來是不苟一笑的中年男人，逛完彩妝免稅店，我坐在店外閒閒沒事，便速寫起司機的側臉，結果領隊佳玲把速寫本遞到司機面前，他還很有興趣地翻翻前面的作品，請他簽名時根本就像是在家練好等著哪天人家請他簽的那麼專業。

   Our square-face Korean driver is from Seoul. He rarely smiles or greets us. On our shopping day, while waiting for the other travelers, I sit on the doorsteps after finishing shopping. Then it occurs to me to sketch the driver. When I am done, our Taiwanese tour guide Chialeen shows the picture to the driver, who, to my surprise, takes a quick look at my previous sketches. When I ask him to sign his name, it seems that he has practiced it thousands of times at home for the day when he will eventually become a super star. 

        這次旅行最有趣的行程之一就是去泡汗蒸幕，重點是我選擇不泡，但是我還是進到大堂裡，看著韓國人或坐或躺，打手機吃泡麵看電視睡覺，就像在家一樣自在。

   The highlight of our trip is the visit to a local sauna. Though some people choose to wait rather than experience the sauna bath, we are still led into the lobby. I find Koreans really at ease here as if it were their home. They sleep, watch TV, eat and play with their cellphones, and our presence doesn't influence them at all. 

        外頭的天氣像颱風天一樣，可是大家在汗蒸幕裡很舒服。司機看到這一張直說我的韓文寫錯了，還一直說躺在圖中的兩個人是司機和wife。

   It rains like a typhoon day outside, but it feels cozy in the sauna. When the driver sees this sketch, he can't help correcting my Korean handwriting. He also keeps saying that the two people lying in the picture are the driver and his wife. Well, he has tried his best in telling a Korean-style joke! 

        透過速寫看到的韓國人其實很可愛呢！

   Through sketching, I find Koreans to be quite lovely! 

Busan 4 / 釜山 4

機場裡有很多事物在發生，如果能夠在機場速寫個三十天，一定也能出本書。這是桃園機場飛機卸行李和上行李的景象。

Many things are happening in airports. If I could sketch for a month in an airport, I would definitely come up with a book with many stories in it. This is how our luggage is unloaded and loaded into the airplane, which must have a huge stomach!

        我的跟團旅行從我又到處速寫的那一刻變得有趣，沒有行程的最後一天，我在釜山機場裡仍然找到喜樂的理由。

   My trip immediately becomes interesting when I decide to sketch wherever I go. Even on the last day without any itinerary, I can still find my reason for being in Gimhae International Airport in Busan. 

Busan 3 / 釜山 3

吃完油滋滋的烤肉，肚子很撐卻閒不下來的傍晚，在旅館房間速寫。外頭下著雨，街道上排了幾輛遊覽車，但當地人不多，八月末的釜山有點蕭颯。

Trapped on a rainy evening in the hotel room after a huge meal of Korean barbecued meat, I sit down to sketch the cityscape of Busan. The street is again lined with neon signs of various colors. Though there are some coach buses parked on one side of the street, it feels kind of lonely outside.

        街上塞滿了招牌，我得擠著雙眼才稍微能抄下像幾何圖形的韓文，遠方的港口有好幾座巨大的機器，我說不上來是做什麼用的，看起來像巨人的朱紅色座椅。

   I have to squeeze my eyes to copy the geometric shapes of the Korean language on the signs. Far away gigantic machines scatter the harbor. I can't quite name them, but to me they look like vermilion chairs of giants.

        畫著畫著，突然覺得釜山好像基隆，是寬敞先進版的基隆，不過基隆沒有美麗的大教堂就是了。

   As I draw, it occurs to me that Busan is another Keelung (the city on the northern tip of Taiwan). But Busan is much bigger and better developed. Also, there is no magnificent church in Keelung....

        儘管如此，我還是挺喜歡這個城市，於是隔天五點半又爬起來畫一次同樣的街景。

   Still, I like the city. Thus, I get up at 5:30 a.m. the next day to draw the same scene again.

Busan 2 / 釜山 2

八月底的釜山已散發濃濃的秋意，雨又下個不停，感覺像是到了離台灣盛夏很遠的地方。

Fall arrives in late August in Busan. There is also ceaseless rain. I feel like being somewhere very far away from the summery Taiwan. 

        釜山處處都是銀杏樹，不過樹葉還是翠綠的顏色，導遊說到了秋天，樹葉就會轉成黃綠色，非常之浪漫。

   There are gingko trees everywhere in Busan. Though the leaves are still lush green, our tour guide says they will turn mustard green in autumn. I can already imagine that in my mind. 

        楓葉預告秋季的到來。

   Maple leaves are ready to usher in the autumn season. 

        松樹結滿淡綠色的毬果。

   Pine trees are loaded with milk-green cones. 

        下雨時松針的眼淚垂在枝緣，看起來楚楚可憐。

   Raindrops hang on the edges of pine leaves, which possesses appealing beauty for me.