New Year 2012

Another year has passed... wow.. how time flies by.

The North to South climate change was especially significant and heartwarming this year. The good mood brought by sunshine is so long missed. I feel fortunate to have Wanluan, PingTung as a hometown to which to return. CNY is the weekend of a long week - without it, I wouldn't know how to start my Mondays without being incredibly suicidal (figuratively speaking).

Visited the Chaozhou 3-day-only night market and Hakka Cultural Park again this year. More crowded than ever, but what is CNY without it?

Especially thanks to the people (non-family included) who brought all the comfort food on the table. Yes, they were rejuvenating (as well as to the belly). Thank you.

I can never say enough, thank you, thank you, thank you.

Maggie早午餐

Maggie早午餐

台北市松山區南京東路五段123巷1弄11號

(02)37655883

Facebook Likepage: http://goo.gl/RabNt

三義, 台灣 / Sanyi, Taiwan

2012.1.10

三義 - 勝興火車站, 龍騰斷橋

Shengxing Train Station, Longteng Broken Bridge site (both of which deserted and turned into tourist attractions now)

Picked up the long forgotten DSLR, out chasing the last grace of sunshine during the bleak winter.

Work-less, companion-less, and all is well and filled with benevolent God's love.

retro

we all have a little bitterness in the past

i choose to embrace it

週一到週五 8:00 a.m.- 10:00 p.m.
週六 9:00 a.m.- 10:00 p.m.
每個月倒數第二週日 11:00 a.m.~ 6:00 p.m.
Tel: (04) 2375-5592
台中市五權西路一段116號

a.k.a mojocoffee

Sesame

作曲：阿超
填詞：阿超

可不可以只是　一個　平凡的人
可不可以只是　隱藏在人群裡面
可不可以只是　擁有一個簡單愛人
一起吃飯　說話　擁抱

我想我們都是
無法停止慾求的人
不能改變的事是我們想改變的事實
所以人們減肥　健身　看不懂的書
穿上流行的衣服　終於被人潮稀釋

我們都不過是
末日前　一段段芝麻小事
流光所有眼淚　也換不回　一段平凡往事
他們發明了酒　煙霧　和情歌連環攻勢
擊敗我　好不容易　自我安慰的理智

我們都不過是
宇宙裡　微不足道的分子
卻還不願承認
還堅持　用力活一輩子
我們懷抱夢想　愛情
和紀念回憶的方式

只希望
另一個人　不小心記住
我的名字

Ueshima Coffee

週一至週六 7:00 ~ 23:00
週日與假日 8:00 ~ 23:00

台北市大安區敦化南路一段199號1樓
TEL: (02)2711-7573

www.ueshima-coffee.com.tw/

Recliner

許久沒有來這裡更新自己的生活..在忙什麼呢? 玩耍,找工作,工作,試著照顧自己的健康,思考,解決困難的問題,陪蝦寶看巧虎. 真的很忙啊.

上班人一定都懂獲得一個放星期一的長假是一件多麼珍貴的事 (即使公司很賤的宣布下一個星期六改成加班). 不過就是這樣多了一點點時間, 上來更新網誌的時間就製造出來了.

上圖是上島咖啡店的新八德店內窗邊很特別的椅子. 雖然在咖啡館, 卻是很佔空間, 很不圖利的一人座斜躺椅. 很有質感的布料, 手把延伸出來的一人用小咖啡桌. 假如能在這裡吃個三明治, 花一個下午看看書上上智慧型手機, 不小心睡著, 那是多麼開心的事啊.

終於在漫長的搜尋生活之後, 雖然不是為了正確的理由, 但總之強迫了自己還是開始一份上班有穩定收入的工作, 也就是為五斗米折腰了. 我想比這句話發明的時代更強烈的是, 現在的世界更強烈的對你說, 折吧, 折吧, 沒有關係, 每個人都要妥協啊, 別當一個不成熟的傻子啊. 所以, 就這樣吧. 對抗世界累了.

不斷的經歷一些波動. 有些是身邊朋友的, 有些是別人推過來的, 也有些是我推給人家了的. 漣漪不斷的牽繫著, 製造出很多複雜的圖案. 很漂亮, 但是已經有點看不出是那裡先開始了的, 要推去那裡, 什麼時候才會恢復平靜. 也許乾脆下一場雨是最好了的. 好好的來亂一場吧, 然後也沒有誰對誰錯.

其實, 沒有別的, 心中充滿了感謝. 謝謝你.

Hope for Japan

Hope for Japan, originally uploaded by Jane Jones.

感謝日本曾經有一位這樣偉大的漫畫/動畫家. 在近代較有名的大師如鳥山明, 宮崎駿等都公開的說過他們深受手塚治虫的影響. 透過展覽可以感受到為何他被譽為「漫畫之神」. 許多我們現在習以為常的漫畫手法, 都是他當時劃時代的發明.

(以下為spoiler, 打算親自去看展的人可不讀以下個人感想)
如圖中的多角色大場面, 是透過大師非常有系統的建立了各式各樣角色的模組, 供在不同故事或系列中可以適當的重複使用.

另外, 現在漫畫中如電影般分鏡的概念, 鏡頭拉近臉孔的畫法, 用片假名表現音效, 背景用幾何圖形製造出光的樣子以顯示角色心境或注意力的變化手法, 都以大師為開天闢地的始祖.

有趣的是, 手塚大師的志願其實是當動畫家, 在當時是截然不同的行業. 之所以先成為漫畫家, 對他來說只不過是一個攢錢最快的方式. 當時的他不斷的產出一個接著一個膾炙人口的作品, 還曾經被其他眼紅的同事諷刺說「大阪人就是很會撈錢」. 當時他雖然很氣, 但眼睛從來不離開他真正的目標, 直到他終於有一天被動畫界大人物看上, 授權去開始做動畫 (似乎在當時是一個砸錢多於賺錢的一件事情).

在當時的第一部動畫是在1963年, 把1952年開始的原子小金剛作品製成每周半個小時放送的卡通. 在當時答應這個project的時候, 業界的許多人還笑他是個外行人, 肯定他做不到或者一定是個賠錢生意. 在這裡大師做了許多決定性的改革, 透過動畫畫面的嚴選製造出動感需要的最低畫數(12fps->8fps), 建立可重複使用畫面的bank (即database概念), 或是尋找最少需要重畫的部分(如發言的人物只重畫幾個嘴型便可製造動感), 等等概念, 完成了這個奇蹟般收視率4成, 家喻戶曉的作品.

在這當中, 其實原子小金剛對大師本人來說是個帶著諷刺的作品. 手塚原本的用意為透過科技進入人類世界所帶來的不自然, 提醒我們埋頭於科技的發展終將帶來的一些副作用, 但諷刺的是作品卻被人們解讀成代表了對未來世界科技發明的期許.

像許多偉人, 總是孤獨的活在超越他當下時代的小房間裡, 不過在他晚年的訪問裡, 他是快樂的, 總是充滿了笑容看過去的一切. 我想他高興的是他完成了自己做動畫的夢, 而且我想他也意識到了他的作品是不斷地會影響數十年之後的人.

在他1948年的第一部長篇漫畫中, 他是這樣用了一個空白頁開始的:
「這既不是漫畫, 亦不是小說」（原文：「これは漫畫に非ず 小説にも非ず」）

感謝他的作品, 尤其是怪醫黑傑克帶給我的感動以及智慧.

以下為展覽中可拍照部分的照片(主要的原稿等禁止拍攝), 可按進至flickr有詳細介紹.


手塚治虫的世界特展
2011.7.9~10.6
09:00~18:00
中正紀念堂一展廳

Rothenberg Germany

Rothenberg was one of the most beloved little towns during our visit. Entering the castle-like townhood was exciting for us from Asia, as we only read it from novels or see it in motion-pictures.

Walking down the stone paved town, we first stop at Brot & Zeit (Bread & Time, interesting combination of what is good, isn't it?) The bread, sandwiches, cold cuts and eggs were of course delicious.

Later in the afternoon we visited again, another location which specialize in Schneeballen (Snowball), a dessert which is similar to Funnel Cakes in the US or Sachima in Taiwan. It was a very delicate dessert and very satisfying, especially the chocolate glazed ones.

Another one of our favorite restaurants during this trip was called Louvre, a Japanese restaurant, and ironically a best version of one in small town Germany. It was run by a couple - husband being the chef and wife being the only waitress. From food and service it was done with a very, very refined touch of Japanese humility and respect to food and people. As for the food, on top of the truly authentic recipes, the potatoes and duck meat stand out as best utilizing of the better ingredients in Europe.

All the shops were very relaxing to look at too. This is definitely a place to visit again.

Hong Kong

Hong Kong, a set on Flickr.

12 hours only by transit in a city, what can you do?

Well, apparently lots in Hong Kong.

With just a 20 minute train ride we arrived at the mall Elements, had a great Dim Sum lunch and proceeded to shop around TST (Tsim Sha Tsui 尖沙嘴). We enjoyed the Hui Lao San (許留山) fresh fruit dessert, shopped until we drop at relatively-cheaper-than-in-Taiwan UNIQLO, and finally to our often visited ESPRIT outlet. At night we dined at Wu Gong (滬江飯店) which was a culinary explosion. The seasonings were profound, ingredients complex but each cooked perfectly, and the baked noodle soup was a concentrate of UMAMI, and although it is a rare taste for us, you can tell it is one those warm comfort foods local people come back to.

A place that never fails to fill me with satisfaction.