Proof of LOVE / 愛的證據

謝謝你們！

Thank you all! 

特別是我素昧平生的Josie!

the longest distance / 最遠的距離

今天去郵局寄生日禮物給卡洛，行員說：是哪個國家啊？巴拿馬？巴拉圭？我說：帛琉，他回答：沒有這個國家，我說：這個地方雖然小，但是真的存在。他堅持沒有在電腦名單上的國家是寄不到的，怎麼會這樣呢？在我的想像裡不就往那個地方送去就好了嗎？

Today I went to the post office to mail Carol's birthday gift. The clerk asked, "Which country? Panama? Paraguay?" I said, "Palau." He replied, "There is no such country." I answered, "Though it is small, it does exist." He insisted that there is no postal service to countries not listed on the computer. I totally didn't get why it was so because in my imagination, you just send the mail there. What's the problem? 

後來我想出了一個法子，先寄回去台灣再請蔡女士幫我寄去帛琉，行員也覺得這是個好方法。

Later I  figured out a solution. I decided to mail the package back to Taiwan for Mom to send it to Palau from there for me. The clerk agreed that this is a great idea. 

在了不起的英國也有寄不到的信件，而世界上最遙遠的距離就是當你把禮物都準備好了，卻沒有寄到目的地的方法‧‧‧

In the invincible UK, there is mail that can't reach the addressees. And the longest distance in the world is that when you have prepared the gift, you don't know how to send it to the friend whom it is meant for...

ordinary yet happy / 平凡的幸福

今天早上去學校的途中遇到了推郵車的阿姨，一身亮紅色很醒目，不禁就給她拍了下來。

On my way to school this morning, I ran into the post-lady. The bright red was so eye-catching that I couldn't help taking a photo of her and her trolley. 

想到前幾天佳璇媽說的，英國人是很壓抑的，沒有錯，其實他們內心也有熱火燒著，看這紅色就知道。

I thought of Jade's comment on the Brits--they are rather repressive. Indeed, there is fire burning in them, and you can tell by that loud red color. 

才走個幾步居然又遇見另一名郵差！這變成一個追逐郵差的遊戲！

I didn't go too far and then I stumbled across another postman! Oh, this had turned into  a postmen-chasing game! 

第三輛郵車被忙著送信的信差留在路邊‧‧‧

The third trolley was left on the roadside by the postman who was busy dispatching mail. 

這是個親子郵筒嗎？

Is this a mother-and-child postbox? 

內嵌式郵筒。

The hole-in-the-wall postbox. 

不玩了，我要進印刷室工作，今天要做網印。

No more game. I was going into the printmaking room for screen-printing. 

在印刷室裡時間過得很快，可是很充實，每次做印刷就覺得很踏實的幸福。

Time passes by past in the printing room, but I feel fulfilled. Every time I am in the printmaking workshop, I feel down-to-earth happiness. 

這是網印印刷室的負責人布萊恩，他是很和善的人，今天我們還聊起布達佩斯，聽他說他還沒去過，我就更覺得自己很幸運。

This is Brian, who is in charge of the screen-printing room. He is a very nice and helpful person. Today we even chatted about Budapest. I felt that I am such a lucky person when he said that he hasn't been there yet. 

這是住在某個小島上的VVIP的生日禮物啦！

This is the birthday gift for a VVIP who lives on a small island now! 

part II / 第二集

這幾個星期從畫室回家之後都得花上一些時間調整心情，過去的週末兩天我休養生息，但今天還是有耗損的感覺，不過小桃和我找到可以努力的方向了。

Over the past two weeks I have felt the strong need to adjust my state of mind after coming home from the studio. During the weekend it took me two days to recuperate, but I still felt worn out after staying for a whole day in the studio today. The good news is that Momo and I have found a direction to work in.

搬到新房間後的第一天就收到三封郵件來裝飾我的牆壁，我盯著這一封沒有附上回郵地址的信件看了很久，想猜出是哪一號不求回報的愛慕者寄來的信。

Right after I moved to the new room, I received three cards to adorn my empty wall. I stared at this letter with no address of the sender for a while to figure out which admirer could live with such unrequited love. 

看起來有點熟悉對吧？

Looks familiar right? 

是昆丁布雷克同學耶！我一直以為上次簽書會之後他把我畫給他的卡片丟了，但是他有讀到卡片的背面，還記下了我附的地址，才有辦法回信給我！虧我還和小桃說，我想他應該連看到最後一面都沒有，插畫家也是人，不用感到太難過之類的，我得收回這些話了。

It is from Quentin Blake! I had thought he must have discarded my handmade card after the autograph session, but he must have read the back of the card where I attached my address so that he could write back to me! I even told Momo that maybe he didn't finish reading the card and that illustrators are like any of us. I shouldn't take it seriously and stuff. I have to take back my words. 

就這麼一張卡片，我的烏雲一掃而空，很多事情在數個月之後就會冒出個驚人的答案，啊‧‧‧

This simple card drove away the dark clouds above my head. With many things, you won't get the amazing answers until months later. Ah... 

附：與昆丁布雷克相遇第一集。

PS: My first encounter with Quentin Blake 

Thank YOU / 謝謝

雖然最近的我不是在最好的狀態，但是我已經消化過自己的問題，請大家不要為我擔心。

Though I am not in the best condition now, I have digested my problems. Please don't worry for me. 

這個星期又是每天一包裹，從台灣寄來的滿滿的愛，謝謝蕙玲、派蒂，還有未找到男朋友的子榕，沒關係，我也沒找到。

This week, again, I receive a packet a day from Taiwan and each is filled with warm love. Millions of thanks to Hui-ling, Patty and Jasmine, who hasn't found a boyfriend. I haven't either. 

送包裹來的社監很強硬地說：我早就想你怎麼能忍受那些年輕人！我們一定要做點什麼！目前我已經在找空房了，但我想搬到A棟的老人之家，明天再和經理談談好了。

The warden that sent me the mail is very tough. She said, "I've long wondered how you can put up with those young people. We have to do something!" I am seeking for a perfect empty room, but I prefer the A block, which is the nursing home here. I'll talk to the manager tomorrow. 

謝謝大家，我會好好生活的。

Thank you all. I'll take care of myself...

My exhibition in Budapest / 布達佩斯的小展覽

在希斯洛機場逛進哈洛斯的免稅商店，看見旅客們毫不在意地往購物籃丟包裝精美的商品，過去三個月的堅強意志瞬間幾乎要被擊潰，我好想念我的工作和優渥的生活，我在這麼寒冷的歐洲每天和體重斤斤計較到底有什麼意義呢？

While waiting for my flight in Heathrow Airport, my steely will over the past three months came near collapsing when I saw other tourists dump beautifully-wrapped gifts into their baskets without a wink at all. I miss my job and comparatively well-to-do life so much. What's the point of being in cold Europe and struggling with my weight every day? 

出發前和嘉蕊回顧部落格的一些記錄，我看到過去的作品，雖然不成熟，但是又自由又開心，我明白獲得的當兒我也失去了些什麼。

Before leaving for Budapest, Jazel and I went through my blog. I had another look at my past works. Though they are mostly crude, they reminded me of the happy and free moments when I drew. It then dawned on me that as I gain, I also lose something. 

今天吃晚飯時，卡洛說用餐完要來看看過去的這四年中我從台北寄到布達佩斯的手繪信件，其中大部份是寫完就直接寄出，沒有留下任何影像的記錄。

During dinner this evening, Carol suggested our reviewing the mail I had sent from Taipei to Budapest over the past four years, most of which was sent out directly without any photo record on my side. 

我知道自己是個很熱血的人，但是每次重讀我寫給別人的信，我總是被那澎湃的熱情嚇到，也會想，現在的我還是那樣嗎？

I know I am very passionate inside, but whenever I reread the letters I wrote to others, I am always amazed by the fire inside. Meanwhile I wonder, am I still like that? 

卡洛小心翼翼收集我的作品，說將來要開展覽時我一定得幫忙彙整籌劃，還要把這些寶貝們從布達佩斯大老遠地帶回台北或去新工作地點帛琉，我對昨天的虛容心感到有些羞愧。也許我只是世界上幾百萬個喜歡畫圖的人，卻有人那麼珍惜我的線條和情感‧‧‧

Carol collected my works with care. She insists that I have to help out in my future exhibition. She is even taking those babes from Budapest back to Taipei or even to her newly-appointed country Palau. I feel kind of ashamed of my vanity for materials. Maybe I am just one of millions of people who love to draw in the world, but there is always someone out there who so cherishes my lines and feelings... 

上帝讓我在這個點來到布達佩斯是有用意的。

I see God's message in making me come to Budapest at this point.

inside the mailbox / 信箱裡的風景

去年寄一封信給頎頎妹妹，媽媽說她看到信箱裡有不尋常的風景，取出信件之前興奮不已，當時她還未滿兩歲，就算是再年輕的眼睛都無法拒絕手繪的線條和顏色。

Last autumn when I mailed my first letter to Chichi, her mom later told me that she had detected something unusual in the mailbox before fetching it. At that time, she was no older than two years old. This tells us that human eyes, no matter how young, can’t resist hand-drawn lines and colors.

今天要出去寄信給頎頎之前，我也想看看，自己的信件躺在信箱裡會不會格外引人注目，不過看來是我的行為比較醒目，我在大廳東弄西弄時，管理員對我的異常之舉感到很可疑。

This evening before going out to send Chichi another letter, I was quite curious about how my mail looked in the mailbox. Well, my suspicious act in the lobby ended up attracting the attention of the concierge…