2006-12-27

Don't End up Living in the Ivory Tower with Only Imaginary Friends

Tonight, I heard a story from the instructor in school. She told us that, one day, a worker in our school restaurant asked her about a man in white shirt. When our instructor asked her why she asked. She replied, "The man seems a bit quarky and always talks to himself!"

Continually, our instructor told us about his story that ----this man is a math professor. When he first came to our school to teach, he was only a Master degree teacher. After a few years, he decided to go to Germany for the Ph.D and broke up with his GF at that time. Because his GF thought it would be too difficult to get the Ph.D in Germany. It took him many years to get his degree and finally he was back again in campus to teach, but he was never as normal as before. Sometimes, according to our instructor, he would sit alone in the restaurant having his lunch or dinner, laughs or talks happily to himself.

Our instructor explained that, perhaps, he was too involved in his mathematic world that he forgot how to get along with people. If he could have paused a little bit more and looked around, he wouldn't have disconnected to the world around him and ended up alone all by himself in his middle age.

This is not just a sad story, but also a very retrospective one! Maybe I've mentioned before on my blog, how I am scared of the academic world with all fascinating things but might have forced people to sacrifice the youth and time and might end up alone without a family!

The academic paths for us here are quite different from the ones people have in Western countries! At least, from the part I've observed.

There are many people nowadays in Taiwan having Master degrees. Some of them got theirs abroad, some studied in Taiwan. But the qualities vary greatly from the reputation of schools and majors!

However, getting a Ph.D isn't an option for everyone who has a Master. Because it is difficult and many who get them will wait until they are older with a better finance! This only shows how poorly our government is to support the academic study! They would spend tons of money on the high speed train that isn't safe at all or the corrupted national health insurance, but wouldn't willing to help out those who are academic talented. Those who want to get Ph.D need, either to have rich parents or have to wait later on thier lean saving!

Their goals, then, will consume their energy on busing making money and when they finally able to realize their dreams, they would be too old to settle down.

You might wonder why they can't get married first, have families and then continue their studies?

It has something to do with our traditional conventions! Taiwanese conventional values are all about having better lives and making money!

Until now, many parents or either young people themselves would think that it is irresponsible to not making money, leaving your family aside and pursuing your dream in study. They don't find that realistic! They don't see the values of the academic studies, especially on Humanism and Art subjects. The ones that don't make profits.

Therefore, if someone is a Ph.D in Science, Bi0-Tech or Electronics. People would give off the admiration. But if you mentioned, you study in art history or history or like me, literature.

They wouldn't even have a clue about what your major is and how that could help you make more money!

So, the whole cultural background we're facing in Taiwan leave many who are pursuing their higher educations alone facing themselves with their studies and ended up either single forever or psychological mal-funcitoned!

Of course, they are fortunate ones that they have their partners by their sides to understand them and support them spiritually! But I would say, those are fewer and far between!

I, sometimes, asked myself, why I always fancy a life surrounded by books and academic study?

There was one story to this question!
When I was in high school, I had a classmate ( I studed in Catholic Girl's school.) Her parents were both professors in the same Univeristy teaching Geography! When she told me how her parents would do research together or how they've devoted in their studies. I was like, "Wow, that is the life I want!"

I really do, seriously! My parents were like many other else. Mom is a housewife, and Dad is a hard-working worker who works all his life in a rountine way!
I told myself, I ain't going to live myself like myself working on something that never gonna change. It is like a brain-dead functioning on something!

But, seeing a case like the math teacher in our school. I wonder how I would have the courage to continue my dream without a spiritual one around?

2006-12-25

Merry Chrismas Everyone, and to ME TOO~~~

Viola~Viola~ I got myself a X'mas gift---A digital Camera!
Well....that is just an excuse to shop around! It isn't even our custom to shop at the Christmas time!!
Anyway, I took a few photos of "this-silly-me!"
It is fun to play on different functions.





Seeing myself with my DAD in it~
(I always do! More like Dad than Mom)













Close up with my chubby face~~~
The lighting is nice though












Oops! Showing the ghost-like eyes.

2006-12-19

Moving on to 2007

Year has arrived
without the timing comes in sight.
Thus, I decided to pack you up and
place somewhere inside (me).
No regret for the loss of the time and
neither will I feel a stupid act to cite.
I will be carrying you in my heart as
a part in my life.
(Perhaps) one day, the timing will come and
everything will be right or other way around to
continue my life in a monologizing line.
Either way would be fine!
For I've tasted the bitterness with sweet buds
called,
Life~

2006-12-12

Waiting for the Full Moon
and
That is the Beauty of being a Crescent~

2006-12-09

Artistic Kind of Sense

Yesterday afternoon, I enjoyed a brief moment in Taching Wine Factory. They owned many forsaken barns, for which they allowed artists to exibit their artworks. Some barns are for free, some charge for the better facilities.

There, I took a short tour in appreciating a famous interior designer, Verner Panton's exhibition while waiting for Nick to open up their barn. Panton is an amazing designer who is bold and audacious about colors. The way he used color impressed me a lot. I really like vivid and warm colors and that's how he used them in the geometry patterns. I don't know much about him, but I learned that he designed funuture and space. He created this remarkable room with stripes in rainbow colors, like a facility that people would put in the arcade for children to explore and have fun. I didn't really know if the room was designed for the purpose to play in. But, I did enjoy myself jumping around in the space for the curved chairs and slanted curved sofa. That was so much fun!!!

The downside was that I didn't have a camera and the friend who went with me forgot to bring hers. So.........(This made me more determined to save some money to get one camera myself!)

Then.....there he was,



Name: Nick Chong
Age: 36 years old
Star Sign: Scorpio
Chinese Year: Pig

An amateur artist specializes in acrylic paiting and digital software.

(Don't know what acrylic really is, actually! Though I was the one to translate his biography)



Mindy took this photo, Nick tried to play cool in the way he was (which he never was) and I followed along, but failed to pretend to be cool and ended up with that constrained smile in me.

The paiting at the left was Nick's favorite. I couldn't remember how he named it. But I called it "Barbie." It was totally his imagination in the lucid figuration. A blode naked woman hung up in the crucified position. A prey in Nick's almighty altar!! (I've already told him about this!)
At the right, which he had sold out 4 copies was very mysterious and hallucinating. Not my favoite, but I like the warm colors.




Amateur photographer Nick had his own peculiar sense of angle. With my nostrils showing~~??? This one piece was interesting! Two hands are holding close for an eye pupil. It was very delicate, if people could take a closer look.







**There are other artists works showing in the same barn too. However, we were there for Nick, so we only took pictures with his works to show him respect.

One of the artists who is from England, he had this strange, and yet very post-modern idea putting lips on an orb. He cut hundreds or thousands of lips from fashion magazine and stuck them on the orb. Very cool, but I couldn't understand why? Also, another orb he made, he stuck hundreds of hands, also cut from the magazines I guess.
He had this extreme characteristic that his pencil sketch was
in a balanced symmetry, but the thing he put together was with the sharpe edges and pointed tips.
I mean, don't people usually consider something round or smooth to be the element for harmonious hues?
So, anyway, his work left a great impression! I liked the sketch he draw very much!

I think, everybody has her/is own artistic sense in her/is particular way and can express her/is idea uniquely. The only thing, I was wondering was; "How do people define plagiarism in art?"
People with ideas cherish their intelletual property! Words are put down become the best evidence to prevent the plagiarism, but artwork? I've seen some well-known artists in Taiwan share the similiar senses in their artworks. Even in this United Exhibition of Nick's, some other artists' works were so eye-familiar to me.
I don't know! If people could provide their reasons, or interpreted thier works in new senses, then perhaps, no such a problem would exist.

2006-12-04

Alas ! Attraction !!

I am sleeping with him tonight, but he doesn't know it yet!
<Samantha, Sex and the City>

I am so into you, but you don't know it yet! ------Ginger

2006-12-03

One of My Favorite Song

The One that makes me feel like a Bee in the Bubble
Fly Me to the Moon
****************************************************
Fly me to the moon
And let me play among the stars
Let me see what spring is like
On Jupiter and Mars
In other words hold my hand
In other words darling kiss me
Fill my life with song
And let me sing forevermore
You are all I long for
All I worship and adore
In other words please be true
In other words I love you

2006-12-02

Shengri Kuaile, Hui-zhen ~

Happy Birthday to ME~
Stay-ing Yang and Sweet~
Happy Birthday to GINGER
A Woman with all but-------SPI-CY