Mr. Tambourine Man

花見Cherry Blossom In Tamshui, Taipei

2009-03-18T00:12:00.014+08:00

It's been a long time since I posted photos here last time.
I went to Tamshui today to see the Cherry Blossom. I did not expected that we can see such a beautiful scene in Taipei. It's rare in Taipei to see Yoshino Sakura. My Japaese friend told me it's still different from Japanese one though.

Flash Practice

2008-04-20T01:53:00.002+08:00

Sakura Flash

2008-04-20T01:47:00.002+08:00

Illustrator

2007-09-13T01:11:00.000+08:00

I've been learning some softwares of graphic design for a while. Illustrator is really not easy to draw for me. Maybe I am just too old to learn something new.

The Moon In Japan is Rounder and Bigger

2007-03-21T14:27:00.000+08:00

Branches

2007-03-12T16:36:00.000+08:00

Bamboo In Shizuoka

2007-03-12T16:31:00.000+08:00

Mt. Fuji

2006-12-07T18:40:00.000+08:00

Sun Moon Lake Swim

2006-10-02T14:31:00.000+08:00

I swam 3.3 km across the biggest lake, Sun Moon Lake, in Taiwan yesterday. The temperature of the water was very comfortable, although there were 21942 people swimming in it. As my friend asked me what was the most difficult part of it, I told him it should be that there were too many people in the lake that we had to avoid kicking each other and swmming into each other's way.
I was glad that I made it eventually since I've been thinking of doing it for ages.

I did not know that we had to join the swimming activity in group until the last minute last year, and my friend Ronald was so kind that he helpt me to ask Karin if I could join them last year. Karin was very kind as well and she let me be a member of them. This is why I was in a Dutch team. It was great to be a member of the team. Many thanks for our captain Karin that she managed so many things for us.

Karin and Pieter.
This is our captain. She is really a very good swimmer.

The Dutch Team.

This is Ronald and me. It was him that invited me to the great team.

This Lars and me. We trained each other since last year. We swam nearly twice a week in average. We both agreed that it would be fun to do it again next year.

Training for the Sun Moon Lake swimming.

2006-09-29T12:00:00.000+08:00

I had just finished 3.3km training for the swimming across the Sun Moon lake yesterday.I was planning to swimm across it last year but un fortunately it was postponed and cancelled for 2 typhoons. I think I'm ready for it now.

The weather is getting a bit chilly recently. Wish the water in the lake would not be too cold. This is my goal since I learnt swimming when I was 12. Eventually, I am just right about to achieve it.

Fingers

2006-08-28T19:14:00.000+08:00

It's not the most popular finger sign in Taiwan at the moment, but I think it shows my anger toward the news and the events recently.
The middle finger is for the these Chinese who seizing the national flag off the shoulders of two Taiwanese athletes at a children's international sports tournament in Thailand. Shame on them! These barbarian behavior would only make Taiwanese hate Chinese more. We would not accept the violent attitude to us.
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2006/08/28/2003325169

This finger is for the dirty president Chen shui-bian who is involved in many scandals, but shamelessly grabbing the position of power.

Green

2006-07-12T14:10:00.000+08:00

Dog Face

2006-07-11T17:11:00.000+08:00

I took this on my way back from hot spring in Yang-Ming mountain.
He, or she, looks so innocent.

Lotus in Botanical Garden

2006-07-04T16:40:00.000+08:00

Tamshui

2006-06-29T14:59:00.000+08:00

Weird Building

2006-06-20T14:42:00.000+08:00

A Wedding of My Old Roommate

2006-06-12T17:57:00.000+08:00

Xinxi and Shuli had their wedding yeaterday. It had been a long time since I joined a wedding of my classmates. I don't like to go to a wedding because there are a lot of people that you would rather bury them deep in memory than seeing them in an embarrassing situation. People who had crush on you but you were not interested at all, people who always said somehting wrong on a round Chinese dinning table, and people who doesn't give a shit about what you are doing but in order to break the silence on the table they tried to be enthusiastic about your work but asked about it over 10 times on the table all gather together in the wedding. No matter how hard you tried to avoid them not to stay with them on the same table, there would be some that you could never avoid.
I knew this situation far before Xinxi, my ex roommate, had told me that he will get married. I'd been living with him over 7 years since I was a freshman in university. It was even longer "roommationship" than the "relationship" with bride who was also my classmate in the university. Don't get it wring that I had never had a crush on Xinxi. He is just a friend who is smart and know where the "line" and "limit" is that I cared a lot. He would not cross the line or break it so it was very nice to live with him except he rarely did any cleaning for the room.
I know that I am not a easy person to live with but I did enjoy the time when we lived together. This is also why it's unavoidable to join the wedding. People who is smart like this of course would have many friends who would join the wedding. In the other hand this is also a big reason that I was so afraid to join his wedding, but he told me that I was the first guy to get the invitation when it was just printed the 2nd day. How could I ever refused to join it as he gave the invitation in person? So I was there.
And yes, it was very embarrassing situation, there were 3 girls who used to like me but I pretended that I was not aware it and we'd never talked since we graduated, and a classmate who sent me the invitation of her wedding but I did not went and send her the red evenlope with the cash gift in because the only time she contacked with me since we graduated from university was the time she sent me the "red bomber."(the wedding invitation)
I know it seems to show that I am a negative person because I don't know how to enjoy the fun in such a great party that I should be happy for my friends.
There are some people I was afraid to meet up with but there are some that I would like to meet as well. I had fun in the end to stay at the same table with them although I did bump into a embarrassing situation with a girl who refused to talk with me. She apologized and we had some talk. I was not sure she meant it or not, but we are adult. To wear a mask to remain the situation not to get worse seems a necessary adult thing to do.
Anyway, I sincerely wish my old roommate and my classmate a great marriage with happiness.

Yunxian, Yueni, Shuli and Xinxi.

Shuangping is a friend who I used to play basketball with in the team of our department. He is also my classmate. He has been teaching in countryside over 10 years. God...time waits for no man.

The Broom and yunxian. Yunxian is a close friend of mine who is kind and sensitive.
The guy who wears strange costume is one of our professors who taught us Chinese Classical Poems. He is always in the so called Tang costume. He is one of the few professors that I respected in the department although he always had some strange behaviors. Well, since he was from National Taiwan University that seems to be natural to be a freak.

A Portrait of My Old Friend.

2006-06-07T16:32:00.000+08:00

I had known Daniel over 10 years. He came for a conference last week and we met for a lunch. It's scary to meet a friend who has changed so much. He now is a 2-kids father, a lecture in university and also a husband of a beautiful wife. The life style, like most of people, he had chosen make him worry about the loan of the apartment and the education of the 2 kids. I really can't imagine to live like this in my whole life that my parents are desperate for me to choose.

The Davinci Code

2006-05-19T23:58:00.000+08:00

Roots of Banyan Tree

2006-05-14T13:53:00.000+08:00

Queen of the Night

2006-05-01T16:43:00.000+08:00

These flowers are from Dan's garden in Oxford.
They are called "Queen of the Night."

Mykonos Cafe

2006-04-26T19:10:00.000+08:00

I miss Mykonos.

It's been 4 years passed since I went to Greece in 2002. I still remembered how the whole Europe was crazy for the world cup and how the ocean on Super paradise smell like.

After I came back from Greece, there was someone who uploaded the photos he took in Greece on internet and it really turned Greece into a popular destination for holidays in Taiwan. A producer even decided to film a romace which was set in Greece.

This is Mykonos Cafe in Taipei. This is not the only one cafe which is decorated in Greek style, or precisely Greek Isles style, in Taipei. Believe it or not, just near Shi-Da area, there are 5 restaurants whcih were built in this way. Of course these so called Greek food has been changed to fit the Taiwanese's appetites.

Many friends asked me why I choosed Greece to go 4 years ago. The main reason is simple that because my favorite writer Murakami Haruki used to live there to write his most popular work. I believe there should be some magic power in Greece as it was also a root of western culture.

I tried to asked local people about one fishman which was mentioned in Murakami's journal. Unfortunately, I did not get the chance to see him in person, but when the moonlight leaked in the room from the curtains and woke me up. I did find the magic power.

The cakes look better than they were tasted in this cafe in Taipei.

I just simply miss my trip in the other side of the earth.

This Rainy Afternoon

2006-04-25T20:23:00.000+08:00

It was a rainy afternoon when I was waiting a movie in a Cafe, Mysterious Skin, which was directed by Gregg Araki.
The Latte was terrible and the salad sucks.

Mr. 7 (Qi Ye) & Mr. 8 (Ba Ye).

2006-04-20T14:47:00.000+08:00

I took this photo in front of a temple while they happened to have a festival of the main god.
Qi Ye is the guy in back who have very long eyebrow and tongue, and Ba Ye is the guy who is in front of Qi Ye who has balck face and is much shorter than Qi Ye.
Qi Ye in Chinese means Mr. 7 and Ba Ye means Mr. 8. They are responsible for the human life as death messengers.
Most of the gods in Taoist system were human beings or other creatures in the world.
The story of Qi Ye and Ba Ye was interesting one.
Qi Ye and Ba Ye were very good friends when they were alive. They used to meet up for a tea together everyday under a bridge regularly. Qi Ye lived further than Ba Ye from the bridge even though he had longer legs than Ba Ye, it took longer for him to walk to the bridge.
One sunny day, Ba Ye as usual arrived early. When he was waiting for Qi Ye, the weather had changed. It started raining heavily. At the same time, Qi Ye was on the way to the bridge but he thought he's better return to take umbrellas for himself and Ba Ye. The rain had been pouring more and more and the river flowed. Ba Ye would not dare to move in case the Qi Ye could not find him when he arrived. He was drowned.
When Qi Ye finally got the umbrella and went to the bridge where they supposed to meet, the rain has stopped and the Ba Ye was gone. Qi Ye knew Ba Ye very well and knew that he would rather die than fail to keep the appointment. He was so regretful that he jumped into the river immediately, but Qi Ye was too tall that the water was not deep enough to drown him. He hung himself under a tree instead. Because Ba Ye was drowned his face turned into black, and Qi Ye hung himself so his tounge was sticked out from his mouth.
The lord of hell was deeply moved by the way that how Qi Ye and Ba Ye kept promise. He reported the event to the king of the heaven, so the king of the heaven named Qi Ye and Ba Ye the position of death messengers.
Don't you think this story is a bit gay? Well, you'd better not because they are death messengers. You might be in trouble if they are not out.

Who Needs Public Telephone?

2006-04-20T11:34:00.000+08:00

A Fire Hydrant

2006-04-18T11:01:00.000+08:00

I took this photo in my friend's house. I think the square hole on the wall is made for the hydrant, but the shape looks it could not work well if there is really a fire.

Peshawar Cafe

2006-04-16T23:55:00.002+08:00

This was another Cafe I went recently. Actually, I'd been there before and posted the photos when I participated a concert of a French band Ardivelle last March.
It is very quiet in the afternoon there. The music they played were usually unique.

The owner pasted this picture on a wall. It's weird to see it here. This picture was used to tell the meanings of the moles on people's face. Different moles referred to different meanings.

Zabu

2006-04-10T17:38:00.000+08:00

Zabu is a new Cafe where I went to write quite often recently. They have free wireless internet access in an old wood house. It's built in Japanese style, but I'm not sure if it is really built when Japanese took over Taiwan.
People who work in the cafe look like students from Shi-da. Half of the cafe is used as a shop to sell stuff which were made by some artists. They also offer some meals except drinks. I like it there because it's quiet and the old house make me feel calm while I am working.

Daily Salad

Selmon Rice with Green Tea
This is Japanese food in Taiwanese way I think. Japanese do like to pour the green tea into the rice, but I've never seen so much vegetable and side dishes on the rice. The ligt green cream is wasabi. My friend ordered it yesterday and she said it's quite nice. Well, it looks nice but I'm not sure the Japanese people like it. In fact, I think the rice they made was a bit too dry, but since it had the green tea to be poured in. It would make it not too hard to swallow.

Spicy Chicken With Rice
It's really hot, if you like spicy food. It would be good to try but the rice again was too dry for me.

Chinese Fringe Tree

2006-04-09T23:08:00.000+08:00

I took them in National Taiwan University. The Chinese Fringe Blossoms look like snow in spring. They have grown a lot of them in the campus now.

Out of Focus

2006-04-09T22:59:00.000+08:00

I have no idea what I took but the color seems great.

Change Purse Flower

2006-04-09T22:34:00.000+08:00

I am not sure the English of this kind of flower. It's called Hebaohua which menas small change purse. The shape of the flower looks very interesting.
I did not focus well on this photo.

Purple Bells & Pink Bells

2006-04-09T22:25:00.000+08:00

Cactus in a Fishbowl

2006-04-09T22:21:00.000+08:00

Silver-net

2006-04-09T22:18:00.000+08:00

Octopus & Whales in The Fish Tank

2006-04-09T10:49:00.000+08:00

They were taken by my new toy--Panasonic LX1.

Sakura In Flower Market

2006-04-08T23:54:00.000+08:00

All the wrinkles.

2006-03-27T23:49:00.000+08:00

Miao~~

2006-03-15T00:14:00.000+08:00

My Arena Towel

2006-03-15T00:12:00.000+08:00

Pepper Hugs Salt

2006-03-14T03:00:00.000+08:00

Once upon a time, the salt bottle had met the pepper bottle eventually. It'd been a long time that they tried to find each other in the world.

They decided to hug and love each other forever. They would make those people's food spicy and salty if they tried to separate them.

My Nephew & Niece

2006-03-06T22:00:00.000+08:00

They are my nephew and Niece. I took their photos outside of the restaurant of my cousin's wedding party.

Stamps of the Sheepman and The Twin Sisters

2006-02-11T15:03:00.000+08:00

Murakami Haruki is the greatest writer of all I've read so far.
He is getting more and more popular in western society in recent years.
If you are familiar with his novels you would know Mr. Sheepman and the twin sisters, 208 and 209, 2 of his characters in the novels.
I got the 2 stamps from the international books exhibition of 2006 in Taipei.

Lion Statue

2006-01-31T23:06:00.000+08:00

He is not my "Sister", but he is my brother.

2006-01-31T23:05:00.000+08:00

This is my brother.
My grandfather used to think he is a foreigner as he has long and brown hair.
He refused me to take his face photo.

WuFeng

2006-01-31T23:02:00.000+08:00

This photo was taken in front of a temple.
We went there in 2nd day of the Chinese New Year.
This is the small town that I grow up in.

Tea Set

2005-12-09T21:58:00.000+08:00

Wisteria Tea House

2005-12-08T22:22:00.000+08:00

This is a tea house in Taipei. I like to take friends there to make them Chinese tea. It's an interesting place because actually the interior design is kind of mixed up with Japanese and Taiwanese style, and the some of the tea are imported from China. It's just like an epitome of Taiwanese situation.

Hinto Temple

2005-12-07T23:19:00.000+08:00

Desire Bar In Singapore

2005-12-07T23:18:00.000+08:00

Pink Dolphins

2005-12-07T23:15:00.000+08:00

Mask

2005-12-07T23:09:00.000+08:00

Singapore is Really Hot!

2005-12-06T21:57:00.000+08:00

Icon on The Ground

2005-12-06T21:55:00.000+08:00

Web From the Outdoor Theatre

2005-12-06T21:53:00.000+08:00

Merlion and Singapore Buildings

2005-12-06T21:50:00.000+08:00

Buildings In Singapore

2005-12-06T21:48:00.000+08:00

Fish in Aquarium

2005-11-20T17:20:00.000+08:00

In An Aquarium

2005-11-20T17:19:00.000+08:00

Puffer

Need A Haircut!

2005-10-13T11:45:00.000+08:00

A Dragon In Back, Oct, 2005

2005-10-13T11:33:00.000+08:00

With All My Wrinkles, Oct, 2005

2005-10-13T11:31:00.000+08:00

The sunshine is so bright that make the shadow so obvious.

2005-09-18T14:37:00.000+08:00

On the way to the swimming pool.

2005-09-18T14:35:00.000+08:00

Lion

2005-09-16T15:22:00.000+08:00

God...it's too damn hot to have long hair in Taipei!
I am a new member of Minimal Cafe.

Serious Me

2005-08-23T22:31:00.000+08:00

Criminal Look

2005-08-23T22:21:00.000+08:00

Break Up

2005-07-26T21:03:00.000+08:00

“Let’s Break!”
Since the Health report came back from the hospital.
He always told her to break up before go to bed.
Since no one in the world could be so sure that they would all wake up the next day, in order not to become a burden to the partner, getting used to breaking up before sleep seemed a good idea. “Sleeping is the end of the whole day, and a private area for each other that no one could break into”, he said.
Since then, she had started to dream about the lonely, terrifying nightmare. In the dream, she had to hold an ice cube to bribe the ghost to save her partner from the hell in which he was locked. The cube in her hand would melt easily if she held too tight, but fall off and crash to the floor if she held it too loosely. She always found that the cube melted while she was running on the road alone. She always woke up abruptly in the end.
Every time, when she woke up from the nightmare, she found that what she held in hand is not a cube but his hand. He had cold hands and feet all the time, she knew.
He, who slept next to her, opened his eyes and stared at her before she was terrified enough to wake from the dream, with all her icy perspiration. Before she withdrew her hand, he would hold her hand even more tightly and tell her “Let’s be together again today!”
She would smile and hide herself in his arms. “It’s hot. Would you please give me some ice cubes?’ he asked.

Mediterranean Salsa

2005-07-17T23:51:00.000+08:00

I just learnt this from TV. The cook called it Mediterranean Salsa. It's easy to make for me.
Material: a slice of garlic, 1 tomato, a small slice of onion, a pinch of parsley, olive oil, black pepper, mineral salt, grape vinegar,
Steps:
1. Chop the tomato, garlic, onion and parsley into small pieces.
2. Mix them with 3 spoons of olive oil, 1 spoon of grape vinegar, a bit balck pepper and salt.

I don't like vinegar so I did not put any in it.
They way I have it is to put them on French bread or just put them in my spaghetti.
Yummy!

Sunset Before Typhoon Attacks

2005-07-17T23:50:00.000+08:00

I took this photo yesterday. The weather report says a super typhoon is coming tomorrow. Usually before the typhoon comes the sky would be very dramatic.

Trying to Be Serious

2005-06-29T00:14:00.000+08:00

Smile Without Teeth

2005-06-29T00:13:00.000+08:00

Wearing Contacks

2005-06-29T00:11:00.000+08:00

Waiting for My Food

2005-06-28T23:57:00.000+08:00

Scary Close Up

2005-06-28T23:54:00.000+08:00

My New Toy, Black & White, IBM X40

2005-06-26T01:46:00.000+08:00

My New Toy, IBM X40

2005-06-26T01:44:00.001+08:00

The new toy is 1.2 kg, and with a 12" screen.
It's very handy.

The Yoyo Mouse

2005-06-26T01:44:00.000+08:00

The mouse could collect the wire like a yoyo automatically.
It's quite convenient.

The Soldier in Chang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall

2005-06-01T22:50:00.000+08:00

The soldier has to stand there without moving over 1 hour.
It's hot here in Taipei but it is still funny to see that there is a fan in back of them. Is that for blowing their fart?

The Frozen Little Green Man

2005-06-01T22:47:00.000+08:00

This is the traffic light in Taiwan. The little green man should start to walk when the green light is on and there is a timing count down while he is walking. The green man would start to run in the last 15 seconds. This traffic light was out of order so the little green stood still there.

My Dinner

2005-06-01T22:42:00.000+08:00

Shy?

2005-05-22T09:05:00.000+08:00

by my friend's Nikon D70

Bad Skin

2005-05-22T09:04:00.000+08:00

by my friend's Nikon D70

Einmal

2005-05-11T23:20:00.000+08:00

This book is written by Wim Wenders. The traditional Chinese version has just been published recently. I spent 2 hours reading over it. Those photos in the book come with some journals. Wim Wenders recorded those events that happened to him or things he saw by some simple words and excellent pictures. Through his lens we could find a brand new angle to see the world and the sensitivity of the photographer. Those photos present not only the moment he ccaught but also the spirit of he expressed unconsciously.

My Review of Tony Parsons

2005-05-09T01:13:00.000+08:00

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/arts/openbook/openbook_20040627.shtml
This is an interview of Tony Parsons. His books have been published in Taiwan.
The main issue he is concerned about in his works is the relationship in the family and marriage.
Basically, I don't think he has achieved any impressive progress in literature, but his work does show the new values, or more precisely new situation of the family in modern society in the UK. People are struggling to remain a family but it is so easily destroyed. Children are forced to face the music that they may no longer live with “the real parents” who gave birth to them. They have to travel between 2 families or sometimes more. There might be 2 or more fathers and mothers that they have to be used to. I am not a big fan of Tony Parsons but it is still interesting to read his works.

Wisteria 6

2005-05-01T03:08:00.000+08:00

Wisteria 5

2005-05-01T03:01:00.000+08:00

Wisteria 4

2005-05-01T02:48:00.000+08:00

Wisteria 3

2005-05-01T02:22:00.000+08:00

Water Lily

2005-05-01T02:12:00.000+08:00

Branch

2005-04-20T16:20:00.000+08:00

Green Water in Middle Cross High Way

2005-04-19T20:58:00.000+08:00

Driving in the most beautiful high way in Taiwan is the most exciting and enjoyable thing. There is always something surprising showes up in the next corner. It could be a ancient tree, an endless mist, and something like this, a steel light with green plants growing on it.

Marguerite

2005-04-19T20:16:00.000+08:00

Bottle

2005-04-19T20:09:00.000+08:00

Fish & Chips

2005-04-11T11:58:00.000+08:00

I miss fish & chips.
I had it quite often when I was in U.K. It is kind of cheap food for me. Except the British Breakfast that the B&B offered me everyday, I only had sandwiches sometimes, but even just a sandwich was so expensive and not very yummy. Although I lost 7kg after the trip, I still enjoyed being there very much.
Since I came back from U.K., I started to look for fish & chips in Taiwan. I did not find any in the past 2 years. Most of my british friends made joke on me because fish & chips was not an amazing meal in Britain and obviously it seemed like a cheap food for poor. Eventually I found 2 restaurants they serve this in Taiwan recently, it is expensive here though.
I tried it. It was nice but not as exciting as I was in U.K. It's life, huh?

The kitten is reading in my arms.

2005-04-11T11:52:00.000+08:00

Its' English must be much better than mine.

Wisteria 1

2005-04-11T02:24:00.000+08:00

Sony Ericsson T630
The weather was weird to day. It was so hot this morning but turned into chilly in the evening. I saw the purple mist on someone's fence. It was really beautiful. My tutor in graduate school likes it a lot. It was a pity that I did not take my Nikon F80 with me so the photos are a bit blur.

Wisteria 2

2005-04-11T02:23:00.000+08:00

Rings

2005-04-01T14:13:00.000+08:00

Sunset in Spiderman's Nest

2005-04-01T01:35:00.000+08:00

Ju-Min Sculpture Museum

2005-04-01T00:52:00.000+08:00