"Booster" year / 「機」年

新年來了，希望自己可以大鳴大放！

Here comes the new year. I hope I can live the new year to the fullest and reach out to the world!

        趁著好天氣，趕緊享受陽光和百花綻放！

     Let's seize the beautiful day and flowers in bloom! 

Coward / 膽小鬼

我在植標館的速寫本很簡單，我放掉我那些很個人化的眼光，用客觀的方式記錄幾棵種子的生長，而現在這個工作暫時告一段落。有一天館裡的工作人員問我有關速寫本的內容，原來她把本子當作一本書在欣賞，讓我很感動。我不禁想，要是收到一張只為她做的卡片呢？

My sketchbook in the herbarium can't be more simple. There are no idiosyncratic drawings at all. Instead, I tried to record the growth of three seeds objectively. And as my job item had changed, this task came to an end. One day, a staff member asked me about the sketches inside. It wasn't until then that I realized that she read it as a real book, which greatly touched me. So I couldn't help wondering, what if she receives a card solely for her? 

        又有一天，我看著貴美用珍惜的心情打開電子信箱裡一封遠從日本寄來的電子問候卡，我不禁想，如果她收到一張真實的卡片呢？

   The other day I observed Guei-mei, another staff member open an email from Japan with an attached electronic card, with so much love. I couldn't help thinking, what if she gets a real card? 

        可是送卡片時我卻是那麼膽小，我不好意思看大家的反應，於是很迂迴地把卡片托給貴美便先行離開，也許很多時候我也害怕面對自己的感情吧！

   But I was such a coward when I gave away the cards. So afraid to know everyone's reaction, I placed them under Guei-mei's care and left before they figured out what I was up to. Maybe there are times when I don't have the guts to face my own feelings....

New Year's Eve / 除夕

除夕打掃完了要做什麼呢？藉由家裡很多小朋友的名義，我買了一堆繪本，每個人會得到不同的故事作為新年禮物，還會附上一張新年新希望的小卡，這就是阿姨除夕的手作課。

What do you do after the yearly clean-up on Chinese New Year's Eve? I went on a shopping spree and bought the picture books in the name of the numerous children at home. Every kid will get a picture book as his/her New Year's gift with a hand-made card attached. Well, that's the art class for me on this special day. 

這個小妹妹還沒出生，不過她會和春天一起來，五味太郎的顏色應該很適合等待誕生的小寶貝吧！

The little girl, whom the card is meant for, is still in her mom's stomach, but she will arrive with spring. Taro Gomi's color schemes should be a fantastic gift for a newborn baby. 

我們家的阿楷前一陣子被我嚇得一愣一愣的，我說要打電話請大野狼來和他算帳，他先故作鎮靜回家問阿公大野狼是否真的存在，阿公告訴他大野狼不會打電話，他理直氣壯跑來和我解釋，等我第二次再拿起電話筒，阿楷整個大哭起來，很傷心地解釋不是故意不乖的。

I freaked Kai out a while ago in the episode of the big bad wolf. When he didn't behave himself, I threatened to call the wolf. He acted really calm at first, running home to his grandpa, who told him that the big bad wolf doesn't exist. He came back to me trying to prove me wrong. When I picked up the receiver one more time, he burst into tears, explaining he hadn't meant to hurt his god grandmother. 

這本書會讓阿楷知道大野狼並不可怕。

This book will show to Kai that the wolf isn't scary at all. 

我非常喜歡劉旭恭先生這本書，要送給雙胞胎裡的哥哥塵塵。

I love this book Orange Horse written by Mr. Liu She-gong. It is a gift for the elder brother in the twins in our family. 

身為獨生子應該有小小一的孤單吧？這是要送給宥宥，我們有大有小陪著他！

The book Little 1 illustrated by Paul Rand reminds me of the only child Wright. We do have tons of young and old people to keep him company! 

這本故事書裡的餓鬼是小方的新年新目標，我們最近在進行「小巨人增重計劃」，吃飯前後都要量體重，並且設定每餐吃完之後要增加的重量，瘦瘦的兩兄弟很當一回事，我也玩得很高興！

The starving ghosts in the story The Funny Little Woman set new goals for Von. We have been carrying out our new year plan--Little Giants Want to Gain Weight! Before and after every meal, Von and Kai fight to measure their weight. I am the coach that decides how much weight they have to gain after eating. Silly as it sounds, the boys take the project seriously, and I am having the time of my life! 

New Looks / 新風景