Friday 29 April 2011

the Royal Wedding

Queen Elisabeth II and Prince Philip 


To a non-European foreigner like myself, Royal family is mysterious and fascinating. 

Chinese royal family was overthrown and beheaded with the dynasty a century ago. Republic of China was built and then was then replaced by Mao's People's Republic of China. For decades, the exiled royal family of Manchu people had been a forbidden issue and power balance among various ethnicity was one of the chief reason for the modern turbulence. 

Taiwan is still having a hard time establish its international status as a nation-state. To the Chinese people, royal family has somehow became a western fantasy or fairy tale, especially for European countries.

What does the British Royal family mean to the British? The answer definitely changes over time. But the meaning of wedding, royal or civilian, symbolise beauty, love and hope for new generation. That's eternal.

Thursday 28 April 2011

The stunning works of Alex Gross

Alex Gross's official site: http://www.alexgross.com/index.html





Alex Gross is a New York based visual artist working in LA and California. His works are beyond description at the first sight. I picked three, trying to summarize the elements of his works: communication, technology (of communication), commercial advertising, branding, religion and secularisation, the incongruity of East meet West, along with the brilliant application of symbols.

Overall, conflict and incompatibility is the theme and what makes his works so emotional and expressional and informational. And these delicately the uncertainty and insecurity and absurdity modern world.

Wednesday 27 April 2011

Those beautiful photos- Jamie Beck




These are the photos by a New York based photographer Jamie Beck, whose features are 'animate photos' (I'm not sure if it's the proper name, I love them whatsoever), created with just like those on the newspaper in Harry Pottery's magic world.

He does fashion, street naps, travel, lifestyle as well as several other type of photography, most known for the series of

His blog: http://fromme-toyou.tumblr.com/ (I can't help but stare every singe photo, expecting any tiny move within.)

I love his dreamy, romantic, bubble like and a bit of retro classy aura in particular. Brilliant!

Are we there yet?


amazing pictures by Jamie Beck,
it reminds me of every birthday wish, and how we become

I just got a phone call from a dear college friend Megan who is deeply troubled after the blind date last weekend.

How is that disturbing? Everything starts from comparison. Your world and others' world, which are often much more fantastic and splashy.

A couple of friends arranged a so-called blind date for their friends, three single guys and three single ladies. I've never really had a blind date or anything like that before (yeah I had 5 years dull college life), so I required a full report on that, oh, I simply care if there would be a Mr. Right for Megan. So I heard her talking about it last Sat, when she started to feel the difference of lifestyle and careers of others.  It looks like she had a great time meeting new friends around our age. And she found her new friends' backgrounds are surprisingly impressive. She was quite alright when she talked about it with me at first, 'It's just a matter of choice. That's their lives, not necessary mine.' Two days later, she called me, officially acknowledged how unsettling she felt after the gathering.

According to her, 5 out of 6 works as engineers in high-tech companies in Taipei city, which means they're labeled as 'new high-tech nobles'*. Megan, however, works in a bicycle company in a remote county ZhangHua, where is remote from the capital and thus far away from a colourful life. This, in the first place, made her 'not in the loop' to share their life and work experience. Also, she surprised that all the guys had studied overseas (which means they grew up in financially sufficient families. They seem to be nice, friendly, funny and sociable, unlike other stereotyped geeky engineers. All in all, it looks like it's favourable for any young lady to find a husband.

Megan felt panic after two days, along with her prevailing  unconfidance of her job and life and, eventually, everything.

Why does everyone seems to be know what they should go after? Am I still warming up while others are already in the game? Is this what I really want? Should I settle down with it? Am I eligible for a better life?

Are we there yet, by Ingrid Michaelson
lovely

Many friends of mine sometime or another, feel the same way. So do I. I am a petty assistant working in a university. I got the constant feeling of being stuck in the stage, unchanged and tiring life, doing pointless chores to fit in the uni bureaucracy. And it would probably last for a year or two.

That's terrifying.

But the dread would be much more overwhelming when I am aware that I might gradually be content with it and feel comfortably numb to things that I used to despise. If I stay where I am, it'd be giving up on a possible future. If I chose not to continue to the next stage, I might have to take the risk of loosing what I've adjusted so well and face the challenge that I might not be able to survive. Either way, it's a gamble, for success. So we keep asking the same question: are we there yet?

Unnerving mid-twenties.

I love the quote from the CBS TV series Good Wife, when the lawyer Alicia's client asked her with anxiety, 'Are we gonna win?' She simply replied,
'We're gonna fight.'
It is a simple and universal truth that human beings never know what lies ahead, nevertheless, we try everything we could to live up to our dream, to make ends meet, to lead the life we wish for, and, to do the right things. That's the value of life, isn't it?

I say let's go for it. In our bright, promising mid twenties. Bring it on!




*It's a widely used term describing Taiwanese stereotype of people who work in technology companies. They are 'new' because they work in the new industry of high-tech, in stead of the traditional industry. And they have higher salary and benefit such as being company shareholders.Overall it  is a bit different from those in the western world: the engineers might as well be nerdy, geeky, however, they're well-paid, satisfying titles, high standard living style, and most important of all, they afford to invest real estate, good card and houses. Anyway, there would be definitely a WOW look on everyone's face once they know you're a engineer or works for a tech company.

Monday 25 April 2011

Spring!


Sunshine and spring breeze and blossom. This is no doubt a great season for a short break!

Thursday 21 April 2011

Monday 18 April 2011

Let's call it a day. 2011 Gorden Horse Fantastic Film Festival

It was a gloomy raining day when I got off the train from Taichung city to Xinzhu, after less than 24 hours stay in Taichung with my family. Nonetheless I headed to the venue of the Gorden Horse Fantastic Film Fest, watched two good movies, made the perfect end of the Fantastic fest.

A Night in Nude: Salvation,
a way too long pron
裸體救贖 A Night in Nude: Salvation, 2010, Japan

It's nothing but another long made-in-Japan pornography. It's too long and pointless (yes they omitted the love making scene) as a pron, yet it's too erotic as an art.  It's not fantastic and not even close to a thriller. The chopping body scene at the beginning is just bluffing, and the rest of the film satisfies any man's deep-down fantasy.

交響情人夢裡的怪老頭竹中直人在這裡面根本就是個隱藏為好人的變態大叔。I don't like it.


A Lier and a Broken Girl,
奇幻日式重口味純愛片

說謊的男孩與壞掉的女孩 A Lier and a Broken Girl, 2010, Japan

A lier boy and a broken girl together made up this lovely yet dark love story. This is an unusual love story of a girl who suffered from the kidnapping nightmare in her childhood and thus became unable to behave emotionally normal and a boy who was the company when she was kidnapped and afflicted every night and then became to tell white lies in order to comfort her.

It has a lovely and fantastic aura, constantly cheerful music (as if those electronic sound effect in video games) and brightly romantic scenery as the beautiful young couple going out for a date, yet it in fact unveiling a scandalous past.



Strictly Ballroom,
舞蹈電影始祖!
 舞國英雄 Strictly Ballroom, 1992, USA


This one is a surprise to me. I suppose it's the very first typical 'dance movie' of Hollywood! It has every element of a good dance movie: great music with new dance move, beautiful leading actor and actress, melting the traditional ballroom dance with Latino flavour of Paso Doble. And it even has a 'pretty woman' like plot of the handsome guy falling love with the ordinary girl. No wonder it caused a sensation in 1992!


Dabangg,
耍帥動作片的極致
寶萊塢之爆裂警官 Dabangg, 2010, India

繼印度布萊德彼特(惡棍無賴)、印度裘德洛(三個傻瓜)之後,這次是印度小鬍子版傑克葛倫霍!

Bollywood has never let me down, and Babangg certainly is one of the classics. Babangg represent the authentic Indian Boolywood style: MUSICAL- consistent  fancy dance move clips in the movie, ACTION- extremely exaggerating, showy and accordingly hilarious fighting scene along with muscular actors (a lot of sinewy guys), and ROMANCE- the affectionate  leading actor and actress, singing and dancing.

The best of all, its unrealistic plots and hilarious conversation and the ostentatious action move are so natural that it made the audience laugh! These are things that you've never seen either in Taiwanese nor in Hollywood movie.

Monday 11 April 2011

Thank you Beer, Film fest and Rock'n'Roll

2010 was crazy year. I started my first job the very next day after landing in Taiwan. Translated a book from Chinese to English in 20 days. Quited the shitty job and left the maniac boss two months later.

Went to the 2010 Spring Scream and officially started this crazy year.



And the rest of the year was filled with gigs, films, restlessly meeting old friends, getting to know new ones. I spent many of the weekends with my family as well, which was something different from my university life in Taipei. And I fully enjoy it. It's truly relaxing when I'm with my family and old university friends. 

Two nights in night clubs. Several in bars chatting with dear friends. Some weekends with beloved family and some spending on 'getting along with myself'. 

This magnificent year somehow became the best days of my life ever. I feel like I started to live in a different way and think in a whole new light. Everything is worth trying and nothing is impossible. 

And the 2011 spring I made an end with the Spring Scream and Golden Horse Film Fest. I'm thankful to my brilliant research partners and great professors. They remind me of what lies ahead and it's time to move on.


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