Dadaocheng Wharf / 大稻埕碼頭

來去大稻埕碼頭看夕陽，與其說這裡是觀光景點，不如說是市井小民生活的場域。

Let's go to Dadaocheng Wharf for the sunset. It's more a public space for the locals than a tourist spot. 

        大家用最自在的方式放鬆，畫著畫著我也感覺像在家一樣自由。

     Everyone relaxes in their own ways. I can't help loosening up as I observe and draw how others live. 

        華燈初上，廣場上、榕樹下或廟旁的空地，紛紛成為卡拉ok歌手的舞台，排排站的塑膠椅向路人招手，邀請他們來聽一曲，還有毫不害羞的歐吉桑跳著熟練的舞步，多麼華麗的台北夜晚！

     As the sky darkens, the wharf becomes a performing stage for local singers. They can be seen on the square, next to the temples or under the banyan trees. Rows of empty plastic chairs wave to the passers-by, inviting them to be part of the show. Moreover, the music is accompanied by the sophisticated dance of middle-aged men. What a splendid way to spend an evening in Taipei! 

Good friend / 好朋友

上週的繪本課裡，當老師不斷問大家有否要分享的作品，我遲遲拿不出來，心裡勇敢和懦弱不斷交戰著，最後我安靜若無其事地走回位置上。

In the picture-book class last week, the teacher kept asking if we had any work to share with one another. Even so, my cowardice held me back, finally blowing away the last whiff of courage I had. In the end, I walked back to my seat quietly without saying or showing anything. 

        那天的課堂上，遇見認識好多年的Ada，下課之前她對我說不要害怕，她的鼓勵推了我一把，果然，老師和同學給了我許多回饋，之後我的生活看似相同，但其實一切都不一樣了。

     That day in class I happened to run into Ada, a friend I'd met years ago. Before leaving, she told me not to be afraid. Her words of encouragement made me take a huge leap. As she had predicted, I got so much helpful feedback after showing the work to the teacher and classmates. After that day, though my life appears to be the same on the outside, it has, in fact, become very different. 

Northeast coast in the rain / 下雨的東北角

爸爸生日，我們去東北角兜兜風。沿路雨越下越大，卻感覺很痛快。

On Dad's birthday, we go for a drive along the northeast coast. Though it pours, we are not daunted by the rain at all. Instead, we've never been so determined. 

        我在車子裡寫生，我們一邊沒有目的地喃喃，而車外的釣客則無畏風雨，等著出航。

     I sketch inside the dry and cozy car. Dad and I ramble on casually. Meanwhile, despite the rain, the fishermen on the cruise are ready to sail on the sea. 

        我們駛過一個又一個灣口，來到鼻頭角（上面的筆記有錯），風景美得令人屏息，我拿起筆，車子裡都是畫筆刷在紙上的聲音。畫完了，下車吹吹冷風，撲鼻而來的海洋味是當天最美好的禮物，當然還有超級動人的海浪。

     We race on the winding road along the sea, finally arriving at Pitouchiao. The scenery is so breathtaking that I can't help taking up my pens. The car is filled with the sounds of my brushes stroking on the paper. After finishing the sketch, I get off the car to take a closer look at the seacoast. The salty smell of the sea fills my nostrils, which is the best gift of the day, apart from the fantastic sea waves. 

        之後來到南雅奇岩，石頭、浪花、雨水，絕對詩意的組合。

     Afterwards we visit Nanya rocks. What an absolutely poetic combination of rocks, waves, and rain!

        最後來到很有異國情調的和平島，超級浪漫！

     We top off the outing with a photo shot at the super romantic Hoping Island. 

        不是我的生日，但收了比生日禮物還棒的大禮！

     It's not my birthday, but it's definitely a day much better than a birthday! 

Sketchy sketches / 速速寫

好久沒有速寫，我渴望感受日常生活的魅力，所以一早從坐公車的時候就開始我的速速寫遊戲，可能只是三十秒，或者是二十分，都充滿無限可能。

Since I haven't sketched for a long while, my whole being is packed with longings that scream for an outlet. So I decide to play the sketchy sketch game even when taking the short bus ride. Be it thirty seconds or twenty minutes, I know there are countless possibilities in the game. 

        我的雙眼看到的人事物都如此迷人，速寫當下就算龐大的公車擋住我的視野，也擋不住我的渴望。

     In my eyes, every detail is so charming and nothing, not even a gigantic bus in front of me, can stop me from recording their beauty. 

        生活始終是美麗的，只是我們常常被自己矇蔽了。

     Life is always beautiful, but we are often blind to it. 

Fishing / 釣魚

貓頭鷹小姐的身體對她說：我們去釣魚吧！ 

Miss Owl's body tells her, "Let's go fishing!" 

Nap / 午覺

睡了一場午覺，感覺自己在涼涼的海水裡輕輕地飄著‧‧‧‧‧‧

In my dream, my body floats lightly in the cool seawater...

The breeze / 微風

Live lightly like the breeze. 

The owl boy Wayne / 貓頭鷹男孩韋恩

I am only eight, 

but I have to wear glasses and braces. 

Well, as long as I can blow bubbles,

nothing can cause troubles. 

My first marathon race / 我的第一場馬拉松

給了Nike辦的Women's Run!雖然事前已經先自己練習過跑十公里，去賽跑的時候心情很不一樣，晏蘋說到現場會很興奮，果然聽到快節奏的音樂和很動感的教練，我等不及要起跑！

Nike's Women's Run was my first marathon race. Though I had practiced running for ten kilometers twice before the run, it felt very different to run in a race. I was kind of skeptical when Irma told me that I would feel the excitement on the spot, but the loud music and hyper coaches really turned me on on the spot. I couldn't wait to begin! 

        剛開始得在人群中鑽來鑽去，漸漸地人潮開始拉長，果然和大家一起跑步比自己在操場上練圈圈有趣多了！沿路不時有工作人員喊加油，這些鼓勵的話語超級有力量，讓我能夠再次加快腳步往前進。我按著一貫的速度，慢慢超過一些跑者時，不覺得是自己變快了，心想也許是別人變慢了，但是馬拉松的精神真的是和自我的競賽。

     In the beginning I had to worm my way out of the crowds, but little by little, the runners began to thin out into long lines. It was indeed much more fun to run with others than practicing alone on the university campus. Along the way, the staff kept rooting for us, and I had to admit, their words were really uplifting. As I progressed at my speed, I gradually ran past some runners. I didn't feel I was running faster. Instead, I couldn't help wondering if they had slowed down. To me, a marathon race is more about competing with myself than with others. 

        我們從仁愛路上高架橋，跑在平常車輛行駛的道路上有種很奇異的感覺。我隨身沒有帶任何手錶或計時器，所以對於跑了多遠沒有什麼感覺，倒是看到沿路的距離牌之際才有恍然大悟的感覺。八公里左右有撞牆期，但是有經驗的跑者知道千萬不要停下來，因為會熊熊發現雙腳不是自己的，再起跑就難了，這時有位跑在我身邊的選手對我說：「你好厲害！」我看著眼前的其他選手，不解地回答：「為什麼呢？」她說：「我從剛才就一直跑在你後面！」被她這麼一說，我的雙腿像裝了推進器，又加速往前衝！

     We ran along Renai Rd. and then went on the Jianguo Expressway. It felt weird, in a good way, to run  on the roads normally for cars. I had neither a watch nor a a timer with me, so I couldn't tell how far I had gone. It was not until I saw the sign that indicates the distance we had covered that I got a clue. When I had run for eight kilometers, I felt I was about to hit the wall, but experienced runners know better than stop to walk because then it will be hard to start again. The legs will feel so heavy that it will require more determination than ever to break into a run again. At this moment a runner next to me said, "You are amazing!" I looked at the runners ahead of me, puzzled by her words. I asked her why. She replied, "I've been running behind you." Upon hearing her words, I couldn't help pushing forward as if my legs were equipped with propellers.  

        結果我以六十三分三十秒完賽，是六千零五十一名選手裡的兩百一十六名喔！以一個跑短跑慢到從來沒有機會跑大隊接力的人來說，我在四十歲的時候找到我的天空！

In the end I finished the race within 63.5 minutes, ranking 216th out of 6,051 runners. I always thought of myself as a super slow runner, so low that I had no chance to run in a relay race in my life, but I found my talent at the age of 40! 

Water warriors / 水戰士

我們和鴿子的對抗持續中，每天每天十三樓居民都想破頭，希望能用和平的方式迫使鴿子家族搬家。

Our fight with the pigeons has continued. The residents on the floor rack their brains to make the pigeons go away peacefully every day. 

        雖然潑水節剛過，對面家的爸爸買了水槍，帶著男孩展開保衛家園大戰。鴿子在黑漆漆的夜裡被水噴，因為感到不安穩，的確去另覓新居了。

     Songkran Water Festival was over, but our neighbor bought a new water gun for another round of battle. Attacked in the midst of dark night, the pigeons did move away for a safer shelter. 

        這次躲在陽台邊的冷氣機縫隙裡。

     This time two pigeons hide in the crack between the wall and the air-conditioner next to the balcony.