Serendipity Hsiehs 大謝小謝都是謝

Year in Review 2011回顧

2011-12-27T15:13:00.000-08:00

Mmm…again, the humor is more suitable for mature audience.
嗯…再次提醒一下內容可能不宜兒童觀看。

Holiday Cheer 2011 佳節快樂

2011-12-17T12:03:00.000-08:00

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A World of Wild Imagination 怪誕幽默的幻想世界

2011-07-08T12:03:00.000-07:00

Director Tim Burton's Exhibition finally came to Los Angeles County Museum of Art (through October 31, 2011). I really enjoyed the exhibit; the collection of Tim Burton's works - from high school projects to sophisticated movie puppets - really showcased the emergence of an unusual contemporary artist. His works often seemed macabre at first, but often done with unique humor. All those alien-like monsters suddenly became adorable in my eyes. I especially enjoyed his drawings done on notebook papers, often accompanied with funny poems, and his hand-written letters. For movie fans, you also get to see costumes from Edward Scissorhands, Batman, Sleepy Hollow, and many puppets from Nightmare Before Christmas. It's quite a welcomed stimulus to my ordinary mind.
電影導演提姆伯頓的特展終於來到洛杉磯美術館(至十月底)。我對伯頓的電影作品並不是很熟悉，但這個特展真的很不錯。展出的東西可說是琳琅滿目，從高中時期的作業到精緻的電影玩偶樣樣俱全，整體敘述著當代鬼才的成長與蛻變。伯頓的作品給人的第一印象是怪誕又黑暗，仔細瞧就能體會伯頓式的幽默，看著看著各種怪物就變得可愛起來。我特別喜歡伯頓在筆記本上的塗鴉，常配有超好笑的短詩，和他學生時期親筆信。若是電影的粉絲，還有剪刀手愛德華、蝙蝠俠、斷頭谷、聖誕夜驚魂 等等的服裝道具及模型。看完展後感覺自己平凡的腦袋受到另類的激盪，真好!

Yoga in Times Square 時代廣場群體瑜伽

2011-06-21T19:03:00.000-07:00

This morning I had a workshop at a hotel on 45th @ Broadway. I walked by the Times Square and it was packed with so many people participating in an all-day yoga event sponsored by a yoga apparel company. It was before 8:00am! What a sight...and only in NYC!
今早我和上司去參加一個座談會，就在時代廣場旁的飯店內。我走近時代廣場時就聽到活動的聲音，一看竟有一大群人在做群體瑜伽，八點不到就塞爆整個廣場。這活動由一家瑜伽服飾公司贊助，從早到晚，真是奇景，不知是否跟金式記錄有關？

Uncle's Book 大伯的書

2011-06-15T13:04:00.000-07:00

Uncle Philip's math textbook (co-authored with Yasutaka Sibuya) is available in the market place. He also started his own site at WordPress. Author Po-Fang Hsieh Bio

替大伯寫的常微分方程基本理論教科書做個廣告，順便連結大伯新的網頁.。

Hummingbird 蜂鳥

2011-03-26T17:01:00.000-07:00

Hummingbirds are quite common around here, and we do have plenty of delicious nectar in our garden. Earlier today I came face to face with one when I was checking out the baby peaches; I must have startled the bird and it flew away. Then I spotted another one perching on top of a Japanese cypress in our front yard, and I finally got to test my long lens.
窗外常看到蜂鳥在飛來飛去，有些鄰居還放糖水引來蜂鳥，但我家就靠純天然的花蜜。今天似乎跟蜂鳥特別有緣，早先在看剛結的小桃子時竟跟一隻停在枝子上的蜂鳥兩眼互看，它大概也嚇到了，嗄的一聲就飛走。我轉回前院，又看到一隻悠閒的停在柏樹頂端。我去拿相機，換長鏡頭後，還原位不動，真的很難得。

Barn Owl Family 倉鴞家族

2011-03-04T00:02:00.000-08:00

“God loved the birds and invented trees. Man loved the birds and invented cages” ~ Jacques Deval (Afin de vivre bel et bien)
「上帝愛鳥，於是造了樹。人愛鳥，於是造了籠子」~ 雅克德瓦爾

There is an Audubon sanctuary in my county. I saw on a TV program that its website has a live broadcast of a barn owl family through two webcams, 24/7. It is simply amazing. The owls reuse this tree hole, so most of the time you'll see animals. Right now there are baby owls, so check it out! Take me there!

奧杜邦學會在我住的郡內有個保護區。不久前在電視上看到相關介紹，得知保護區的網頁有二十四小時轉播樹洞裡的倉鴞家族。這個樹洞大多時候都有倉鴞住著，現在剛好可以看倉鴞爸爸和媽媽如何照顧幾隻小倉鴞，真的很有趣! 去看倉鴞家族

Year In Review 回顧2010

2010-12-31T10:57:00.000-08:00

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New Guava Record 芭樂新紀錄

2010-12-29T12:21:00.000-08:00

We got another record-breaking guava this year, weighing in at 762 grams (1 Lb 10 oz.), which broke the old record of 617 grams. We had to harvest it due to slight damages from recent storms, but it was delicious nonetheless.
雖然正值冬天，芭樂樹上還是果實纍纍。過去兩星期的豪雨讓一些果子受損，只好把它們提前採下來，而體型龐大的這一顆又破了去年617公克的紀錄，重量達到762公克!嗯，而且很好吃。

Christmas in Virginia 維州聖誕街景

2010-12-21T09:40:00.000-08:00

Holiday Cheer 2010 佳節快樂

2010-12-19T20:04:00.000-08:00

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Ping-Tung Night Market (2) 屏東夜市(二)

2010-12-17T01:48:00.000-08:00

During my recent trip to Taiwan, I had a chance to travel down south with my family for a night. We arrived at Ping-Tung before noon by train. We quickly took care of the main business, and headed straight to the Ping-Tung Night Market. Even though it’s called a “Night Market”, the stalls open early in the morning for breakfast and then for lunch. There’s a Ping-Tung meatball stand that has been in business since my mom’s childhood days. The meatballs are made fresh each morning and tend to be sold out by noon, hence our sense of urgency.
這次回去台灣，趁著辦事的機會，下南部過一晚。中午前到達屏東後，匆匆辦完事，我們一家就直衝民族路的夜市。雖然說是夜市，其實早上就營業，是吃早餐和午飯的好地方。有一家歷史悠久的【正老牌屏東肉圓】是我媽小時就有的攤子，它的肉圓可說是當地人的早餐，售完為止，常過了中午就關店。所以，肉圓店是我們第一個目標。

Ping-Tung’s meatballs are steamed and on the small side. Each serving bowl has 3 meatballs, and you have to dress them with the special sauce. The outer semi-translucent skin is soft yet slightly chewy, and the meat inside is lean. I forgot to take a picture until I was ready to dig into the third one, thus the photo only shows one meatball…my bad. This stall has many loyal fans because of its nostalgic flavors; the family who were waiting behind us also came back from overseas. The fish ball soup here is also delicious.
屏東肉圓是蒸的，體型不大，一碗裡有三顆，加上特製的肉圓醬，是又軟又Q的好味道。照片裡只有一顆，是筆者的疏忽，直吃到第三顆才發現忘了照相。在後面等我們桌子的一家人也是從國外回來的，所以這家的肉圓可是很多人想念的味道。魚丸湯也很好喝。

Our next stop is the #27 stall that I wrote about two years ago. Our favorites here are the variety plate and steamed sausages. The rice noodle is also good and the owner offers free soup. The sausages would always spark a debate in my family as to which town has the best sausages: Tainan or Ping-Tung. Of course, my parents predictably root for their own hometown taste. For me, I like the Ping-Tung sausages better. To read my previous post, click here.
下一站當然就是兩年前介紹過的27號攤【上讚肉圓糯米腸】。來這裡不外乎就是吃黑白切、糯米腸和粉腸。這家的米粉也很好吃，又有感情湯，是我們必吃的攤子之一。每次說到糯米腸和粉腸，我家就會上演到底是台南的好吃，還是屏東的好吃的戲碼，真是公說公有理，婆說婆有理。我呢，還是比較喜歡屏東的粉腸地。想要讀上篇屏東夜市食記的話，請按這裡。

Even though it was late fall, Ping-Tung was rather warm. After two stalls, I felt overheated. Near the #27 stall and closer to the night market entrance is a refreshment stall that has been in business for 87 years. The old lady serves up icy treats like almond jelly and “Ai-Yu” (Ficus pumila) jelly in citrusy syrup shown below. Normally “Ai-Yu” jelly is served with lemon juice, but this stall adds kumquat juice and zest to the ice, which takes the freshness to another level. What a conclusion to my lovely lunch.
雖然是深秋，屏東氣溫還是蠻高的，吃完兩個攤子就覺得有點熱，從上讚往復興路路口再走幾步就是郭記桔仔愛玉冰，是87年的老店。我點的是杏仁愛玉冰，這裡的特色就是最後會放點桔仔汁和磨碎的皮，有畫龍點睛的效果，很清爽，是超棒的句點。

Field of Flowers 花海

2010-12-11T00:27:00.000-08:00

Currently one of the big events in Taipei is the 2010 International Flora Exposition. During my recent trip, a friend of mine gave me a ticket. Due to my schedule and maladjustment to warmer humid weather, I was only able to visit one exhibition hall, the EXPO Dome. The day I visited was middle of the week but there were a lot of visitors. Having a lot of visitors is great news for the event organizer, but capacity management is also crucial in ensuring visitors’ overall experience. The long lines reminded me of Disneyland; every which way I turned, I saw people, people, people. With patience and maneuvering of camera angle, I was able to take some photos without people in the background. It’s really nice to see so many colorful flowers covering wide open spaces in a metropolitan city; although the expo is temporary, it calls attention to the importance of green open spaces in long-term city planning and the enhancement of urban lifestyle.
最近台北最大的展覽就是花卉博覽會了。這次回去剛好老朋友給我一張門票，可惜的是，因為時間緊湊加上對氣候的適應不良，我只參觀了爭艷館和附近的設施。我去的那天是週間，但還是人山人海。對主辦單位來說，參觀人數多當然是好事，但景區的容量管理及流線規劃乃與整體體驗息息相關。排隊的經驗讓我想起狄斯耐樂園，似乎等的時間比參觀的時間多，走到哪裡往任何方向望，眼前就是人、人、人。不過，靠一點耐心和相機的角度，還是可以照到沒有以人潮為背景的照片。走在園區裡放眼看去的花海和開放的空間讓人心曠神怡，我想若城市裡有更多如此開放的空間該有多好，只可惜花博園區是暫時的，加上維持種植密度如此高的花圃應該也得花很多錢。綠地空間能提升都市生活的品質，應是長期都市計畫的重要一環。

Vote for Kuo 幫郭泓志催票

2010-11-20T23:55:00.000-08:00

Update: Voting is now closed 投票期已結束

The 2010 This Year in Baseball Awards is still open for fan voting. Hong-Chih Kuo is nominated in the Setup category, and he has the lowest ERA among the nominees. Please cast your precious vote before the deadline. Once you click on Setup, he is on the top row, first one on the right.

本年度大聯盟球迷票選的年度最佳獎項還在投票中，郭泓志入圍年度最佳布局投手，他的防禦率最低，並破球團紀錄，請為他投一票! 點選Setup之後會出現入圍投手，郭泓志是上排最右。

What makes you tick? 你的動力是什麼?

2010-11-04T12:24:00.001-07:00

I came across this entertaining presentation at work.
老闆傳來這個有趣檔案，不是什麼新的概念，但陳述的方式很有創意。

For more RSA animations, click here.

Performance Videos 老店獻詩

2010-10-15T18:47:00.000-07:00

A friend forwarded me several recent YouTube videos of the “Old Shop” Men’s Chorus, of which both Uncle Steven and Uncle David are active members, singing at a Sunday service.
兩週前三、四叔所屬的老店男聲合唱團在台南南門教會獻詩，以下是朋友轉寄的影音檔。

Authentic Japanese Udon 傳統日式烏龍麵

2010-09-27T00:27:00.001-07:00

Last year I noticed an unassuming Japanese udon noodle shop while eating at an Okonomiyaki (a type of Japanese pancake) restaurant in Lomita, CA. I made a mental note to myself to try the udon shop at a later date because I just had a hunch it’s going to be good. So months later when I visited my cousin again, I found out that he also wanted to try the restaurant.
去年跟親戚們在一家壽喜燒餐廳聚餐時，我注意到旁邊有一家門面樸素的日本烏龍麵館，直覺上是有傳統，在麵條上下功夫的專門店，就私下決定改天自己去試試看。幾個月後再與表哥見面時，沒想到他也注意到這家店，一拍即合就決定去那裏吃午餐。

Oumi Sasaya is located at the corner of Lomita Blvd and Pennsylvania Ave, in a small strip mall and parking spaces are limited. The restaurant is small, with a counter and several small tables. The lunch menu pretty much consists of a variety of hot or cold udon plates and udon noodle soup.
近江ささや位於 Lomita大道與 Pennsylvania大道的交叉口，在一個不起眼的小商場內，停車位有限，麵館店面就像日本的小麵館一樣，以幾個兩人小桌和吧檯為主。中餐的菜單以各式烏龍湯麵，和冷或熱的拌麵為主。

There’s a story behind this udon restaurant, and you can read about it in the menu. The owner strives for authentic taste and techniques; she imports main ingredients such as flour, bonito shavings, kelp, etc. directly from Japan. I also noticed that she provides the seven-spice from the original seven-spice shop at Kyoto’s Kiyomizu Temple. The noodles are freshly made and cooked perfectly (nicely chewy). The dishes are lightly seasoned so you can focus on the udon noodles. The soup stock is all natural, with no additives; once you have a sip and you’d realize how artificial those food court udon tasted.
這家烏龍麵館背後有個傳承故事，店主將它簡單記載在菜單首頁，我就不提了。店主對口味及傳統手藝有所堅持，所以主要材料，像麵粉、柴魚、昆布等等都從日本進口。我注意到桌上給客人用的七味粉也是京都清水寺參道上的元祖七味家產品。這裏的烏龍麵新鮮，有嚼勁，但也不會過份的Q。調味比較清淡，所以可以嚐到烏龍麵本身的味道。這種專門店的湯頭也下了很多功夫，很清，完全自然調味，沒有添加物，喝過一口後就知道以前在食品街喝的烏龍麵湯有多「假」。

The décor of the restaurant is stylishly simple with an organic feel to it, from the staff’s natural looking head bandana to the huge earthen bowls and rugged wooden spoons. It is a very pleasant dining environment.
麵館的佈置簡單又純樸，採光很好，從服務人員的頭巾，到陶製大碗及粗曠的木湯勺等，讓人感覺很自然，吃的很舒服。

Here are some of the dishes my friends and family have tried so far in our two visits. Prices are more expensive than the food court udon, but the quality is undoubtedly superior in every way.
以下是幾樣我們點過的餐點，謹供參考。價格當然比食品街賣的烏龍麵貴，但品質及口味相對的也高出許多。

So far my favorite: Shrimp and Mochi Tempura Udon Soup. Three huge shrimps! Mochi (rice cake) tempura adds an interesting texture. You can’t believe the size of the bowl. $9.
蝦與米餅天婦羅烏龍湯麵是我目前的最愛。三隻蠻大的蝦子，加上米餅天婦羅有不同的口感，美金九元，但超大一碗。

Chicken Udon Soup 雞肉烏龍湯麵

Cold Sesame Chicken Udon Noodle 涼拌棒棒雞烏龍麵

Free cold tofu appetizer 附的前菜冷奴豆腐

Oumi Sasaya 近江ささや: 2383 Lomita Blvd. Unit 101, Lomita, CA 90717
(310)530-4661
Lunch Hours 11:30 – 2:00 Dinner Hours 5:30 – 9:00
Close on Mondays

Peters Canyon Trail (2)

2010-09-15T09:22:00.000-07:00

A lot of the wild flowers and plants are now dried up in the Peters Canyon as autumn approaches. Bush sunflowers seem to bloom later in the season. They swayed in the light breeze, as if cheering runners and bikers onward.
秋季漸近，彼得斯山谷整片的野花野草大多已乾枯，只見野向日葵在一片乾黃色中添加色彩及生命。中型的花朵隨著微風搖擺，似乎在幫健跑和騎單車的人們打氣。

Nix Nature Center

2010-08-17T21:18:00.000-07:00

Not long ago I saw a rerun of a PBS show (Huell Howser’s California’s Gold) in which the host paid a visit to the Laguna Coast Wilderness Park. My impression of Laguna was mostly beach and art festivals, with slow traffics on narrow roads, and no parking spots; I didn’t know there’s a wilderness park in the city of Laguna Beach. As it turns out, this park is closer to where I live than the beach front, so Uncle Jin and I decided to check out this place over the weekend. The weather in Southern California has been unseasonably cool, thus perfect for a day hike. This park covers a wide area from the hills to the beach with entrances along the Laguna Canyon, so we focused on the Nix Nature Center in the north section of the park for our first visit. The entrance to the Nix Nature Center is on the Laguna Canyon Road, near where southbound SR-133 ended. It’s very easy to miss the entrance if driving too fast, and you’ll have to go a distance to the El Toro Road in order to turn back.
不久前在公共電視看到一集介紹南加州拉古納區域的旅遊節目，其中一段特別去拉古納海岸荒野公園。平常印象中的拉古納就是沙灘和藝術季，山谷裏窄窄的路常塞車，停車也很困難，我從不知道拉古納後山還有公園。上網查了一下資訊後發現這荒野公園離我住的地方不算遠，比去海灘還要近很多，所以上週末相邀二伯去探探。今年南加州的天氣異常涼快，有夏季遲遲未到的感覺，很適合去山上健行。這公園占地很廣，從山區一直延伸到海岸，沿路有各個入口，所以我們先鎖定去公園北區的尼克斯自然中心了解一下公園的環境和索取一些相關資料。尼克斯自然中心的入口離南向133號州道結束處不遠，車速稍快的話一不小心就會錯過，然後得要再開一段路才能迴轉。

The Nix Nature Center is a small visitor center where the visitors can sign in before accessing the wilderness ($3 parking fee or free if you have an annual OC Parks pass). There are maps and additional information available at the center. I had a nice long chat with a friendly volunteer guide regarding the park history, habitat restoration efforts, the hiking trails, and various plants in the park. The center has a simple exhibit about the Native American artifacts at the park site -- and several robotic bats that respond to sound and movements.
尼克斯自然中心是個小小的遊客中心，要進入山谷健行的遊客們可以在此先跟管理員報備一下(停車每天美金三元，或可以購買橙郡公園年票)。這裏有地圖和其他資訊，我還跟一位很友善的義工先生哈啦好一陣子，聊公園歷史、生態恢復、步徑路線等等。館內有當地史前文化的簡單展示，還有幾隻有趣，附有感應器的機器蝙蝠。

Left: Robotic Bats | 左上: 機器蝙蝠 Right: Mary’s Trail | 右上: 瑪莉小徑

Mary’s Trail is a charming short trail that loops around the center. Benches and chairs are strategically placed around the center where visitors can sit and enjoy the scenery. Informative guides are installed along the trail regarding local fauna and flora. I also bought a Plant Identification Guide ($5) which I found extremely interesting and helpful, especially when some of the plants in my regional parks are poisonous.
遊客可以沿著「瑪莉小徑」繞著自然中心走一圈，這徒步小徑難度不高，在一些景點設有椅子讓遊客坐著享受風景，聽大自然的聲音，還有牌子介紹各種鳥兒和野花。我在自然中心買了一張五元的植物識別指南，我覺得很好用，而且野外總是會有有毒植物，還是知道一些比較好。

The main trail in this part of the park is the Little Sycamore Canyon Trail. The northern end of the trail has some elevation. The guide at the center recommended hikers to bring enough water, a cell phone, sunscreen, and wear a good pair of walking/hiking shoes. The lower part of the trail goes under the Laguna Canyon Road to the other side where it meets with Stagecoach No. Trail and Barbara’s Lake Trail. For this particular outing, we walked around Mary’s Trail and the lower part of the Little Sycamore Canyon Trail. I wanted to go to Barbara’s Lake, but turned back early because we saw an “Area Closed” sign; later I found out that it was OK to proceed on the trail…Oh well.
這一區的主要步徑是「小懸鈴木山谷小徑」，這步徑的北端坡度陡，山頂有些高度，因此義工先生建議遊客要記得帶水、手機、防曬膏，和穿適當的鞋子。步徑的南端比較平坦，從拉古納山谷道的橋下穿越到另一邊，接另外兩條步徑，其中一條可以走到芭芭拉湖畔。這次出遊，我們只走到半山腰，本想去看芭芭拉湖，但走到一半看到區域關閉的標示，就打道回府，後來才知道關閉的是後面的生態區，步徑其實還可以走，只好等下次啦!

Left: Slender Tarweed | 左上: 一種野向日葵 Right: California Buckwheat | 右上: 加利福尼亞蕎麥

Even though the weather has been cool, the vegetation on the hillside is still on the dry side, a constant reminder that we are in the middle of the wildfire season. Some plants are still blooming and the air is fragrant as I walked along the trail. Some areas are covered with Stinking Gourd (Calabazilla) although I didn’t smell anything foul. I think I’ll come back here quite often.
天氣雖然涼爽，山谷兩旁的植物很多處於乾燥的狀態，提醒現值加州野火季節。有些野花還在開花期，所以走在小徑上不時會聞到花草的香味，不少地方會看到整片的野南瓜，聽說葉子聞起來臭臭的，我倒是沒聞到異味。我想我應該會常回來這裡走走。

Left: Bush Monkey Flower | 左上: 灌木龍頭花 Right: Laurel Sumac| 右上: 鹽膚木

Seize the Moment 把握時機

2010-08-05T00:09:00.000-07:00

“Life is short, art long, opportunity fleeting, experience treacherous, judgment difficult.” ~ Hippocrates
「人生苦短，藝術長久，機會即逝，經驗險詐，判斷困難。」~ 古希臘醫師希波克拉底

It’s a wonder how some flowers only bloom for a short time. Some, like epiphyllum, reach full bloom for only a few hours in the dead of the night, and wilt by the morning hour. Others, like the yard long bean flowers here, bloom early in the morning and by noon are closed up to begin their transformation into bean pods.
有些花很奇妙，開花的時間很短，但也不因為花期短就構造簡單。像曇花，花苞慢慢長，而開花只有深夜幾小時，晨曦時就謝了。而像上方的豇豆花，只在清早開花，不到中午時就闔上，慢慢變成豆莢。

Next day, the beginning of the bean pods. 隔日，初結的豇豆。

Welcome Jeff 歡迎「姊夫」

2010-07-28T23:57:00.000-07:00

Agia & Jeff at Taroko Gorge, Taiwan | 宐與全於太魯閣

We have a new big “brother-in-law” in the family. Our extended families met last weekend to celebrate big sis Agia and Jeff’s marriage. Welcome Jeff! Funny that Jeff sounds like “older brother-in-law” in Mandarin.
上週末大謝小謝家族聚會主要是參加大姊宐的婚禮，在此歡迎姊夫「阿全」(台語發音，以姊夫中文名的「全」字為暱稱)。

It was a memorable wedding with beautiful music. However, the hot weather and all the preparations clearly worn out the bride by the time the ceremony was over…and Jeff captured this classic moment.
婚禮的全程很特別，穿插美麗的歌聲與音樂。不過炎熱的天氣及幾天下來忙碌的預備工作可累壞新娘子了，姊夫馬上拍下這個經典照片。

At Last 終於

2010-07-23T19:31:00.000-07:00

Top to bottom: Agia, Viv, Sandy, Syndy, Lynn | 由上往下: 宐玟忞怡怜

How difficult could it be to have five cousins in the same picture? For us, it took us decades to have this Kodak moment today. Our next challenge is to have all the guy cousins, spouses and kids in a picture as well.
這張我們五堂/表姊妹的合照可珍貴，三十年前的那一張缺了年紀還小的怜。下個挑戰是召集堂/表兄弟們及各自的家人們一起拍一張。

So Close Yet So Far 一水之隔

2010-07-22T22:56:00.001-07:00

After a long day, we finally arrived in New Jersey for the family event weekend. We have a jam-packed schedule ahead so an excursion into NYC for my favorite spots is out of the question. I could only admire Manhattan’s cityscape from the Jersey side….well, may be next time and hopefully soon.
花了幾乎一整天的時間，終於抵達紐澤西。接下來的大謝小謝家族聚會把行程排滿滿，沒有時間去紐約市，只在路經的河邊觀望對岸的曼哈頓…希望盡快有出差的機會。

Video Links 影音連結

2010-07-20T10:31:00.000-07:00

Upon Rendy’s impressive showing at the Wimbledon this year, he’s become a media darling in Taiwan. Here are links to some of his recent interviews (all in Mandarin/Taiwanese). Thank you Joseph H. for sharing!
自從在溫布頓打出引人為傲的戰績後，盧彥勳突然成為台灣媒體的寵兒，以下是最近他上過的訪談性節目。謝謝寅提供訊息!

新聞挖挖哇

 沈春華Life Show

康熙來了

Where’s Uncle Jin? 二伯西遊記

2010-06-28T13:57:00.000-07:00

Where’s Uncle Jin? He’d been living it up at the All England Club for the Wimbledon Championships in the past week in London. Here’s Uncle Jin and Coach Lien at the Centre Court (right above 0.01) couple days ago during the Wozniacki vs. Chang match (the day the Queen visited).
二伯在哪裡? 他跑到倫敦去看溫布頓網球賽…現場的喔! 前幾天他和連老師在中心球場幫張凱貞加油，看到了嗎? 就坐在計分板(0.01)上方。

Here’s Uncle Jin cheering for Yen-Hsun Lu earlier today during the Round of 16 match against Andy Roddick.
這是今天稍早在第二球場幫盧彥勳加油，是場很精采的五盤拉鋸戰。

Uncle Jin’s friend Coach Lien was ecstatic after Lu’s win over Roddick to advance to the Quarter-Final. Uncle Jin left early to catch his flight!
最後盧彥勳得勝晉級八強，連老師高興的跳起來，二伯應該是先離開去趕搭飛機了。

p.s. images courtesy of espn360.com

Silk Road Exhibit 絲路展

2010-06-23T17:45:00.001-07:00

Santa Ana’s Bowers Museum currently has a special exhibition Secrets of the Silk Road through July 25, 2010. My friend Sue and I enjoyed this exhibition tremendously; we lingered at each object and the audio guide (included in the ticket price) provided informative tidbits. Most of the artifacts in the show were excavated from the tombs found in Tarim Basin and Turfan in Western China, including foodstuff (yup, they had wontons, fried spring rolls, and cookies thousands of years ago!), coins, statuettes, personal items, clothing, documents, jewelry, and exquisite colorful silk brocades with intricate patterns and rows of tiny Chinese characters. These funerary objects showed influences from the ancient nomadic, Greek, Iranian, and Chinese cultures, a testament to the cultural/technology exchanges and assimilation taken place for millennia. There were two stunning mummies in the show as well-- The Beauty of Hsiaohe and Quiemo Baby -- both incredibly well-preserved, and had Caucasoid features and coloring. I was indeed mesmerized.
聖塔安娜市的包爾博物館至七月二十五日止有絲路的特展。我和朋友疏子非常喜歡這個特展，因為我們對歷史古物特別有興趣，加上票價裏包括語音導覽，所以花了兩小時仔細地看每個展示櫃，不亦樂乎。特展的古物大多出土於新疆的塔里木盆地和吐魯番盆地，有幾千年前乾掉的食物點心(餛吞、春捲、糕餅ㄟ!)、各國錢幣、人偶、私人用品、文件、首飾、服飾等等，還有各式各樣顏色鮮豔，圖樣複雜，有一排又一排漢字的陪葬用織錦。這些物件看得出有古遊牧民族、希臘、波斯、及中國文化的影響，可見幾千年來絲路是各種文化和民族相互交流，影響，然後溶合的地方。除了古物以外，此特展的主角是兩個保存良好，非常吸引人的木乃伊--【小河美女】和【且末寶寶】-- 都有高加索系的輪廓及髮色。

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The next stop for the show is The Houston Museum of Natural Science, and then on to Penn Museum in Philadelphia.
此絲路展的下一站是休士頓，然後明年初到費城。

Mohave Museum 莫哈維博物館

2010-06-19T01:05:00.000-07:00

During my last trip to Kingman, AZ, the admission ticket to the Route 66 Museum also included a separate admission to the Mohave Museum. This is a nice small museum with exhibitions devoted to its local history and people.
上次去亞利桑那州的 Kingman玩時，六十六號公路博物館的入場卷裏包括隔壁莫哈維博物館的門票。莫哈維博物館規模不是很大，主要為介紹當地多元的人文歷史。莫哈維族以前主要生活在科羅拉多河谷的地區，分布在亞歷桑那州西部、內華達州、和加州交界。

The first room upon entering the museum is the Presidential Gallery, where a complete collection of the US presidents and the First Ladies covers the walls; there are only three presidential portrait collections in the US that include First Ladies, so this is an important collection.
一進入博物館，正前方就是館方引以為傲【總統畫廊】，牆上掛著歷代美國總統及第一夫人肖像，聽說全美國也只有三個總統畫像系列有包括第一夫人。

A portion of the exhibits are dedicated to the local Native American culture and artifacts. The atmosphere reminded me of the history museum trips I had when I was a kid.
館中一部分是介紹當地不同原住民部落的文物及工藝品，感覺有點像小時候去參觀的歷史博物館。

A small room in the museum is dedicated to actor Andy Devine, who grew up in Kingman. Another part of the museum is focused on the late 19th century/early 20th century when railroads and mining boom brought people to this area, including Chinese immigrants.
現在的 Kingman 雖然不是很大，也出過名人，館中有個小房間特別紀念好萊塢演員 Andy Devine，他主要在不少西部片中為喜感配角。博物館的另一部分主要介紹十九世紀末和二十世紀初的文物，因鐵路和礦業的發展，外來人口暴增，使城市富裕起來，我也沒想到這個城市很早就有中國移民在此安居立業。

Above Two: Lewis Kingman, after whom the city was named | 上: 市名所紀念的鐵路公程師

An Accidental Discovery 意外的發現

2010-06-10T14:30:00.000-07:00

We’ve been quite envy of a neighbor’s blue hydrangeas. However, our hydrangeas tend to turn pink, so we’ve been trying to lower the pH in the soil by mixing coffee grounds into the soil. The other day my mom found her instant coffee crystals had hardened to a solid clump. She decided to dump the instant coffee clump there as well. And to our surprise, the flowers turned intense dark pink! They are very pretty, but having blue hydrangeas remains an elusive goal.
我的鄰居門前有一大盆很漂亮的藍色繡球花，而我家的繡球花可能是土壤酸鹼度的問題，總會變成粉紅色。聽說藍色繡球花需要酸性的土壤，所以我們就不定期把咖啡渣混入繡球花的土內。日前我媽發現沒用完的即溶咖啡硬成一大塊，怎麼戳也戳不開，乾脆就把它埋到繡球花邊，沒想到開的花竟變成很漂亮的深粉紅色! 然而藍色繡球花還是與我們無緣。

Peters Canyon Trail

2010-05-30T00:24:00.000-07:00

Above: Mika
Two weeks ago I went hiking at the nearby Peters Canyon Regional Park with my friends Sue, Jim, and their adorable, ever curious Mika. It was a nice outing and a good exercise. Couple years ago when Sue and I came here, we were startled by a pretty big kingsnake slithered across our path. This time we didn’t run into any snake, but we did hear other park goers talking about a rattlesnake. I did see a roadrunner (yup, beep beep) stopped right in the middle of the trail and it’s cuter than the cartoon. Too bad it was too far away for me to take a picture.
兩週前跟好友疏子、登子及他們的愛犬Mika (美花)一起去附近的山丘健行，天氣非常好，令人神清氣爽。幾年前跟疏子來這裏時遇到一隻蠻大的王蛇從我們前面爬過，嚇了一跳，不過這次除了耳聞其他遊客看到響尾蛇外，我們沒有碰見任何蛇。我倒是看到一隻很可愛的走鵑停在小道中央，龐克造型加上長長的尾巴，真的比卡通的Road Runner可愛，可惜太遠了沒法拍照。

Thistle | 薊花

There were quite a few wildflowers in bloom other than the wild mustard and wild radish. I hope to see more next time.
這裏除了常見的野芥菜花和野蘿蔔花之外，還有其他的野花在小道旁盛開。希望下次來時還會看到更多不同的植物。

Left: Wild Rose | 左上: 野玫瑰 Right: California Poppy | 右上: 方菱草

Left: Morning Glory | 左上: 牽牛花 Right: Bush Monkey Flower | 右上: 灌木龍頭花

Tidy Tips | 寬舌萊氏菊

Wistful C Minor 嚮往的C小調

2010-05-15T01:27:00.000-07:00

After his successful run as Monsieur Chopin in March, actor-playwright Hershey Felder returns to the Laguna Playhouse in another composer-themed one person play Beethoven, As I Knew Him from May 12 to May 23.
緊跟著三月成功落幕的單人劇【蕭邦先生】之後，演員劇作家赫爾希‧菲爾德再次於拉古納劇場登台，五月十二日起至二十三日演出第三部以音樂家為主題的單人劇【我所認識的貝多芬】。

Unlike the other two plays George Gershwin, Alone and Monsieur Chopin, in which the actor portrayed the composers, this play about Beethoven is told through the voice of Dr. Gerhard von Breuning, who as a boy, spent a lot of time with the maestro during his last two years of life. The story is based on the original Aus dem Schwarzspanierrhaus written by Dr. Breuning.
在前兩齣單人劇【單獨的喬治蓋西文】和【蕭邦先生】中，演員先生都是以音樂家本身登台，而【我所認識的貝多芬】乃是以布羅寧醫生的角色來述說貝多芬的ㄧ生，尤其是晩年情景。布羅寧醫生的父親是貝多芬的摯友，孩童時期的布羅寧醫生除了與住在對街的貝多芬學琴以外，也陪貝多芬度過人生的最後兩年。戲中的內容很多是根據布羅寧醫生寫的回憶錄。當然，戲中的布羅寧醫生也彈得一手好琴。

I felt an overwhelming sadness throughout the entire play, as Beethoven’s last years were filled with silence and loneliness; yet, his beautiful music provided a strong contrast to the bleakness. Beethoven’s musical inspiration transcended his earthly confine, in a way becoming his salvation from the prison of absolute silence…and ours as well in this world of cacophony.
整齣劇感覺灰暗，有揮灑不去的傷感，帶出貝多芬晚年的孤獨與淒涼。但貝多芬的音樂與灰暗的舞台成強大的對比，他音樂的靈感超越肉體、生活的束縛，不但是他在無聲監獄中的心靈釋放，也成為我們從噪音世界的解脫。

p.s. Image courtesy of Laguna Playhouse’s Play Bill

Flower Talk 花談

2010-05-08T01:17:00.000-07:00

Last June I wrote a post about the nigella flowers (or love-in-a-mist) in my front garden (see Garden Cutie). For some unknown reasons, these nigella plants sprouted earlier this year and already in full bloom, even though it’s only early May. This year these plants seemed to have gone a little crazy. They’ve increased much more in numbers and grown taller; some stalks couldn’t hold the weight and collapsed sideway. Also, white flowers appeared for the first time among the blues. I cut a few flowers to put in a small vase. After removing the messy looking feathery leaves, the arrangement did look pretty cute.
去年六月寫了一篇有關前院黑種草的文章(花園異草)，現在才五月，沒想到黑種草已大開，比去年長得旺盛，有一撮還支撐不住橫倒在地上，並且參雜往年沒有的白色花朵。我剪了幾朵，把羽狀葉子拔掉後插在小花瓶裏，感覺還不錯。

Couple days ago, while browsing at The Home Depot, I noticed pots of Orange Star (Ornithogalum dubium) on sale. Its bright, intense orange color is very unusual and hard to miss. Strangely, its fragrance also has a hint of orange. Since I’ve never seen this plant before, I couldn’t resist and brought a pot home. This bulbous plant is endemic of South Africa. I hope with my mom’s magic green thumb, this plant will stay with us for a couple more years.
說到花，前幾天去家得寶買東西時，看到我從來沒看過的金雲花。它的橘色真得很亮眼，遠遠就注意到了。很奇妙的是，我覺得這花的香味也有點橘子味，忍不住就抱了一盆回家。聽說這花原生南非，現在就得靠我媽的養花功力，看能否能養個好幾年囉。

La Brea Tar Pits 拉布雷亞瀝青坑

2010-05-02T02:56:00.001-07:00

Lake Pit, La Brea Tar Pits | 坑湖，拉布雷亞瀝青坑

The Renoir in the 20th Century exhibition at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art is almost over, so I made a trip to the museum on Friday to see the exhibit and to pick up the free exhibition catalogue for members (a thick 400+ pages book, very worth it). There is also another great exhibit on view through the end of May called American Stories: Paintings of Everyday Life, 1765-1915. This show is very well put together; the collection of paintings presents an interesting historical narrative and perspective of American lives from the time of this nation’s formation through early 20th century. If you like art and history, you should check this out.
洛杉磯美術館的雷諾特展就快結束了，所以我趁著星期五有空，特地跑了一趟洛杉磯，順便領取送給會員的特展目錄(四百多頁厚厚的ㄧ本，值得了)。美術館還有另一個至五月底的特展叫【美國記事: 日常生活畫 1765-1915】，策劃的相當不錯，展出的日常生活畫把當代人文風情及社會觀感活生生的展現，喜歡美術和歷史的朋友們不妨找時間去看看。

The art museum is located at the Hancock Park/Miracle Mile district in Los Angeles. The complex is sitting on top of the La Brea Tar Pits. For millions of years, La Brea Tar Pits was a dangerous trap for animals. Countless lost their lives here and eventually became fossil records; the gooey tar down below is now a treasure trove full of bones of long extinct animals that used to roam this part of the land…but no dinosaurs, since the tar pits were formed long after the dinosaur age. The entire park complex is very charming, with paths connecting the art museum and the Page Museum. The only thing that might bring a frown to your face is the asphalt odor that permeates the air. Gooey asphalt continues to seep out of ground along the paths, and here and there on the lawn. Methane gas bubbles up from the pit lake, occasionally with an impressive large burp. Onsite fossil excavation is ongoing, and visitors can observe the excavation pit up close. All fossils found here are sent to the Page Museum for preservation and storage.
洛杉磯美術館位於城中漢考克公園區，園區下方就是拉布雷亞瀝青坑。這瀝青坑可是個寶藏庫，幾百萬年來有無數的動物喪命於瀝青坑，很多成為化石…不過，沒有恐龍，因為瀝青坑是恐龍時代之後形成的，但是還是有很多已絕種的古生物化石。這園區規劃的很漂亮，有徒步小徑連接美術館和佩吉博物館，唯一讓人皺眉頭的是刺鼻的瀝青味，園區的走道和草皮不時會有瀝青和黑黑的原油滲出來，路旁的瀝青湖也不斷有甲烷氣泡從湖底冒上來，有時還會有超大的氣泡出現。這裏一直有古生物學家在挖掘化石，遊客可以去坑旁現場觀察，而所有挖出的化石由園內的佩吉博物館處理及收藏。

Left: California Saber-Tooth | 左: 加州斯劍虎 Right: Columbian Mammoth | 右: 哥倫比亞猛瑪

Page Museum is not very big, but it is well organized. The exhibition space feels spacious, probably to accommodate visiting school groups, and the space does showcase the impressive fossils well. I think the best feature inside the museum is the Paleontology Laboratory. The lab is enclosed in glass panels so the visitors can see researchers handling and sorting materials excavated from the site. I think it’s really cool.
佩吉博物館雖不是很大，但是把動物化石很有次序的展示出來，感覺上空間很大，大概是爲了讓學童們有充分觀察的空間吧? 我覺得最棒的是館中的古生物研究室，這研究室像個魚缸，以透明玻璃為牆壁，讓參觀的人們可以看研究員著手清理分類大大小小的化石，很有趣。

For more photos, you can access the photo album here.
想看更多的照片請點擊這裏。

Butterflies 蝴蝶展

2010-04-19T17:44:00.000-07:00

San Diego Wild Animal Park had a special butterfly exhibit last few weeks. I went this Friday before the exhibit ended. Even though it was not a holiday, the park was packed; apparently a lot of parents and grandparents took the little ones to see butterflies as well.
最近聖地牙哥野生動物園有蝴蝶的特展，就趁星期五有空時跑去散散心。原本想週間應該不會很多人，結果大排長龍，有很多父母帶小朋友去看。

The Butterfly exhibit was inside the Hidden Jungle greenhouse. There was a long line because the park staff controlled the number of people admitted into the greenhouse at a given time. While waiting in line, I saw a park staff wearing safari gear with a pair of butterfly wings on his back, handing out snack near the entrance; my interest was piqued because I saw people making funny faces and shaking their heads. Then I found out that he was handing out baked, bacon-and-cheddar flavored MEALWORMS. After watching so many episodes of Bizarre Foods, I decided to give it a try. It was crunchy and light; some said it tasted like sunflower seeds, but to me it was closer to funyuns. Occasionally this guy would switch to another plastic jar from his bag, which contained baked crickets….and THAT was definitely beyond my personal limit.
蝴蝶展是在熱帶雨林的溫室內，進場有管制人數，門外有一位工作人員，背上還穿著蝴蝶翅膀，從一個塑膠罐裏一直夾東西給排隊的人試吃，我看到不少人做鬼臉，搖頭，真不知在搞什麼。後來等我排到這位老兄附近時，才知道罐子裏是烘烤過，培根起司口味的麵包蟲，吃起來脆脆的，沒什麼分量，有人說像葵花籽，但我覺得比較像洋蔥皮…這位老兄的袋子裏還有另外一個罐子，是烤過的蟋蟀，這我就不敢試了。

Once inside the building, I saw butterflies fluttering everywhere. We were told to step carefully because butterflies sometimes rest on the ground. I had hoped to take a lot of photos but fluttering butterflies were difficult to capture with a compact digital camera.
進館後馬上看到好多蝴蝶翩翩飛舞，我們每步小心翼翼，怕踩到停在地上休息的蝴蝶。本想多照一些相片，只可惜飛舞中的蝴蝶實在是超高難度，加上手上拿的是傻瓜相機。

The main purpose of this trip to the park was to see butterflies, so I didn’t linger to visit other animals. However, I did pass by a few spunky and vocal macaws, and a great white egret flew by and perched on a building next to me.
這次去動物園主要是看蝴蝶，所以就沒去看其他的動物。不過在入口附近有幾隻活潑有力，愛出聲的金剛鸚鵡，還有一隻大白鷺突然飛到旁邊的屋頂停住，高高在上。

This is an African Crown Crane. I think it has a regal bearing, very elegant.
這一隻是非洲黑冕鶴，體態優雅，有非州王子的架勢。

Deer of Nara 親愛的小鹿，我一定會再來

2010-04-13T00:29:00.000-07:00

每一次到京都，就算停留當地的時間不多，總是忍不住想到離京都約50分鐘車程的奈良公園一趟，就因為那些鹿實在是太可愛了，令我著迷不已。
Every time I visited Kyoto, Japan, even if it was only for a short stay, I always wanted to take a 50 minute trip to Nara Park just so I could see the adorable deer.

上次和忞一起去的時候，有一隻鹿以為我身上有仙貝，竟然跑來舔我的袋子，等我發現時，手提包早已濕了一塊。嗯，盡管如此，我仍然樂此不疲，想把握每一次能和牠們見面的機會。
When I visited the park with Sandy last time in 2008, one deer thought I had a cracker on me and started licking my handbag. By the time I noticed what was going on, my bag had a big wet spot…eew. Even so, I still love these beautiful animals and look forward to visit them every chance I get.

這次，我們特地起了個大早，就是為了要先到奈良和鹿玩一玩，才甘心繼續前往下一個行程。奈良公園中，除了包含許多貴重且具有歷史的文化遺產之外，最吸引人的，莫過於就是那些大約1200隻自然放養的鹿群了，牠們在公園內自由自在地活動，也和人親近。公園內會有專門賣鹿仙貝的小販，若有遊客接近鹿群，牠們會很聰明地一直點頭，表示：「謝謝，請給我仙貝。」，模樣真的是可愛極了。
On our most recent trip to Kyoto, my hubby and I woke up extra early so we could squeeze in a detour to Nara before moving on to our next destination. Nara Park is known for its national treasures and historical buildings; however, one of the biggest tourist attractions is the 1200 deer living in the park. These deer roam about freely and are quite friendly. There are stands selling deer crackers in the park. These deer can be quite persistent if they think the tourists have crackers; many of them would keep nodding their heads, as if to say, “Thank you and please give me a cracker.” It’s adorable.

這些鹿，不但已經成為奈良公園的代表，更塑造了一種人和鹿在廣大草地遊玩的風情，令人流連忘返。下次還是想再來看你，小鹿。
The deer has become a symbol for Nara Park; their existence and playful interaction with people in an open natural space create a charming experience for visitors. I shall come back again, my little deer.

A Quiet Place 安靜的地方

2010-04-01T00:54:00.000-07:00

I found this old video online (unfortunately, it didn’t start from the very beginning). I fell in love with this song A Quiet Place when I bought Take 6’s first album way back when. After all these years, it remains one of my favorite songs because it is inspiring and comforting. Take 6 is still going strong and continues to create incredible harmony after 20+ years.
我在網路上找到男聲六重唱團體Take 6九○年代演唱的影音檔，稍為可惜的是前面有一句半沒錄進去。當年我買Take 6首張專輯時，就愛上這首【安靜的地方】…怎麼說呢…平靜中又給與力量吧? 雖然出道二十多年了，Take 6持續出專輯，巡迴演唱，創作美妙的和聲。

Written by Ralph Carmichael

There is a quiet place, Far from the rapid pace
Where God can soothe my troubled mind
Sheltered by tree and flow’r, There in my quiet hour
With Him my cares are left behind
Whether a garden small, Or on a mountain tall
New strength and courage there I find
Then from this quiet place, I go prepared to face
A new day with love for all mankind.
有個安靜的地方，遠離匆忙的步伐
神能來安撫我焦躁的心靈
在樹木和花朵的庇護下，就在那安靜的時刻
我把一切憂慮交託與祂
無論在小庭園，或在高山上
我找到新的力量與勇氣
從這個安靜的地方，我準備好去面對
充滿愛的新的ㄧ天。

謝謝疏子幫忙修辭!

Break Free 出關

2010-03-26T13:12:00.000-07:00

Sparaxis and Daisies | 三色魔杖和雛菊

I’ve been cooped up in my home office trying to finish a project, preoccupied with numbers and queries for days; during this time, the front garden continues its seasonal transformation. My neighbor’s dog Peppy must be excited about the beautiful weather as well, for she already jumped over the wall to our backyard several times this morning. While chasing her down, I finally stopped and noticed the outside world. The flowers are simply breathtaking.
最近為了趕工作進度，整天關在家裡守著電腦，腦袋裏滿是數據和程式，真的與世隔絕。就當我迷失在工作裏時，屋外的花園繼續它的轉變。這幾天大概是天氣太好了，鄰居的小狗非常好動，在家裏待不住，光今早就跳牆好幾次。也因為這樣，為了攔下小狗不讓牠再跑到別人家，我終於被迫出關。曬曬太陽，呼吸新鮮空氣，看到美麗的花朵，真好!

Political Intrigue 政治密謀片

2010-03-09T17:32:00.000-08:00

My local movie theater is currently showing a new American film called Formosa Betrayed, which delved into the White Terror era in Taiwan’s recent history. This political thriller is inspired by actual events and the plot interweaves historical lessons with conspiracy theories. This film can be controversial depending on the audience’s political inclination; but I like the film very much, because it addressed the political backdrop of my childhood, which was an off-limit topic for many years.
附近的電影院最近上演新的美國片【被出賣的台灣】，是以白色恐怖時代為背景的政治懸疑片，劇本以真實事件為靈感改編而成，穿插歷史片段與政治陰謀論。此片可能會因觀眾的政治立場不同而有所爭議，但我喜歡此片因為它讓我以成人的眼光來重新觀看小時候的政治環境。

Set in early 80s, actor James Van Der Beek played an FBI agent sent to Taiwan to investigate the murder of a Taiwanese American professor. Ever since I saw James Van Der Beek in the TV show Criminal Minds playing a sociopathic killer with split personality, I stopped seeing him as Dawson. He did a good job in this film portraying an earnest, albeit naïve, agent who was thrown into a confusing situation where he could trust no one, and the line between right and wrong, just and unjust seemed to blur during his pursuit of truth.
自從有一次在電視上看到詹姆斯梵德畢克飾演一位有雙重人格的殺人犯之後，我就不再把他看為青春偶像劇「戀愛時代」裏的道森了。此片中梵德畢克的角色是一位八○年代初期被派到台灣觀察與調查美籍台裔教授命案的聯邦調查局探員。他充滿正義感，又有老美的天真，為了案子來到一個人生地不熟，無正式邦交又在戒嚴中的國家。他身旁沒有可信任的夥伴，處處受到監視，在追求事實的過程中，對與錯、正義與不義的界線似乎越來越模糊。

It is difficult to explain the complicated relationships between U.S., Taiwan, and China in less than 2 hours, but the film did give us a glimpse into the unspoken intricacies of foreign policies and economic interests. In addition to lending a voice to the victims of a repressive era, another universal message, in my opinion, is that innocent people always become pawns in the deadly game of political wheeling and dealing. Injustice and truth shall be revealed so that we may learn from it, and it’s never too late to do so.
在不到兩小時的片子中要說明美國、台灣及中國的關係是很困難的，不過此片讓觀眾看到一點幕後複雜又微妙的外交政策及經濟利益。對我來說，此片除了爲當年的受害者發聲以外，另個主要信息就是不管哪個國家，哪個政府，官商勾結的危險遊戲中總會有無辜的人成為犧牲品，為任人擺佈的棋子。不論事隔多少年，我們要有勇氣揭發並面對事實，好做為警惕。

p.s. Movie poster image courtesy of www.msn.com

The Bonelli House 伯涅利屋

2010-03-07T00:07:00.000-08:00

The second stop of our trip to Kingman, AZ was the Bonelli House next to the Kingman City Complex. There was a manager on site who gave us a wonderful tour of the house. The Bonellis were a prominent family in Kingman. The house was the first house with electricity and modern plumbing in town. There were quite a few features in the house that were technologically advanced for its time. The first house George Bonelli built was a wooden house, which was destroyed in a fire. He rebuilt the house with tufa stone in 1916, and redesigned the house so that all rooms have an exit door to outside, except the master bedroom on the first floor. The Bonellis raised nine children in the house; their oldest daughter Clara was a concert pianist and some of her belongings were on display in the house. The last Bonelli resident moved out in 1973. The house manager shared with us quite a few family stories; the one that stuck in my mind most was that George Bonelli used to own a Stradivarius violin, but was lost in the first house fire.
我們在Kingman的第二個景點是位於市政府旁的歷史老屋【伯涅利屋】。我們一走進庭園就有介紹員開門請我們進屋內參觀。原屋主是當地之名紳，經營牧場、珠寶及其它的事業。此屋是當地第一個有電力及衛浴系統的房子，屋內的一些設備與設計在當時可說是非常前衛的。最早的伯涅利屋原是木造，但不久後毀於祝融，於1916年重建，以凝灰石為建材，並且除了一樓的主人臥室外，其它的房間都有通戶外的門。伯涅利夫婦在此屋養育了九個子女，其中大女兒還成為鋼琴演奏家，而她的一些服飾用品也是展示的一部分。最後的一位伯涅利家族成員於1973年搬離，也因為他愛屯積東西，很多充滿家族歷史及個人的用品都有留下來。介紹員很仔細地介紹各個房間，並述說一些有關原屋主的故事，其中我印象最深刻的就是喜好音樂的屋主原擁有一把史特拉底瓦里小提琴，但在火災裏燒毀了，好可惜啊!

There was an interesting restored antique calendar clock on the dining room wall. It was my first time seeing this type of clock.
飯廳的牆上掛著一個有日曆的古董鐘，我還是第一次看到這樣的鐘，介紹員會給它固定上發條。

The old fashioned kitchen is still fully functional. I love the look of the oven.
這老式廚房現在還是可以用，我很中意那個看起來很堅固的老烤箱。

One of the upstairs bedroom. The period trunk at the foot of the bed, though didn’t belong to the Bonellis, was probably similar to the trunk that Clara might have used during her concert tours.
樓上的一個臥房。床前放的衣箱雖是別人捐贈的，但是年代相符，伯涅利的大女兒當時去各地演奏時應該也是用這種箱子放衣服。

The baby stroller was the original one used by the Bonellis. It was one of their belongings that survived the first house fire.
伯涅利家族的娃娃車，因為當時放在屋外，所以沒有被燒到。

Monsieur Chopin 蕭邦先生

2010-02-28T03:17:00.000-08:00

Monsieur Chopin is the one person play currently on stage at the Laguna Playhouse at Laguna Beach, CA through March 7. This is one of the most intimate theatre experiences I’ve ever had. Monsieur Chopin, portrayed by Hershey Felder, transformed the theatre into a 19th century Paris salon, and we the audience were there for our first music lesson with him. It was impressive how the play intertwined Chopin’s life story with his compositions. Monsieur Chopin talked to us about his musical inspirations, his yearning for Poland, his fears, and his love. The teaching session was almost like a mini recital (yes, the actor played the piano live). Toward the end of the play, there was actually a segment where the audience could ask Monsieur Chopin questions. I am truly in awe of Mr. Felder, who wrote the play himself; he seemed to embody Chopin effortlessly and played his music beautifully. Mr. Felder’s repertoires also speak volume of his musical knowledge and skills. In January, he was on stage as George Gershwin in George Gershwin, Alone; come May 11-23, he will be on stage again in Beethoven, As I Knew Him at the Laguna Playhouse.
位於拉古納海灘的拉古納劇場這兩週上演的單人劇【蕭邦先生】(至三月七日止)可說是我看過的舞台劇中感覺最親密，最引起共鳴的一齣戲。男主角蕭邦先生把整個戲院轉變成十九世紀的巴黎沙龍，觀眾乃是第一次去跟蕭邦上課的學生們。上課的過程中，蕭邦先生與我們分享他音樂的靈感、對故鄉波蘭的思念、揮而不去的心痛及刻骨銘心的愛情，把他一生體驗與作品串連，敘述著音樂背後的故事。這一堂課像是蕭邦先生的即興音樂會(演員先生可是邊彈鋼琴邊說話，有時還唱歌)，快結束時還有一段時間讓學生們當場問問題。我真的很佩服這位演員兼劇作家，他不但在舞台上化身為蕭邦，鋼琴的功夫也不是蓋的。除此劇以外，一月時他才演過【單獨的喬治蓋西文】，今年五月十一至二十三日又會在此劇場演出另一齣單人劇【我所認識的貝多芬】，看得出他對古典音樂的在行。

Arizona’s Route 66 亞利桑那六十六號公路

2010-02-26T06:53:00.000-08:00

Ever since my Thanksgiving trip to Laughlin, NV (read post), I kept hoping for another chance to visit the area and see a few historic towns across the state line in Arizona. Luckily at the beginning of the year, I received another free hotel stay offer from Harrah’s Laughlin. With three free nights, I planned a 2-day visit to Arizona with my parents…not too shabby. The only “setback” was the freakish winter rain storms during our weekend trip; but compared to the unbearable desert temperature in the summer, the slightly chilly February weather was much more agreeable.
自從感恩節去內華達州拉福林後(感恩節兜風行)，心裏就常想什麼時候能去附近亞利桑那州的幾個景點遊一遊。很幸運的，年初拉福林的飯店又寄來招待卷，這次總共三夜免費，可以安排兩天帶爸媽去亞利桑那州走走，太棒了! 只可惜天公不做美，我們去的那個週末很不尋常地天天下豪雨，但是比起夏季沙漠的超高溫，二月天還是舒服多了。

Route 66 was, and still is by many, considered as the “main street of America.” It was the main route connecting Chicago and Los Angeles back in the days, passing through Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. In John Steinbeck’s novel “The Grapes of Wrath,” the migrants escaping the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression traveled on this road from Oklahoma to California in search of new life and prosperity. In the 80s, Route 66 was replaced by the new super highway and removed from the Highway System; along with the diminished traffic, the towns along the route died. However, in Arizona, towns banded together to promote the Historic Route 66 concept, hosting events that drew bikers and classic car owners, and revitalized the towns through tourism.
舊六十六號公路當年是美國大街，由東到西路經伊利諾州、密蘇里州、堪薩斯州、奧克拉荷馬州、德克薩斯州、新墨西哥州、亞利桑那州及加州，連接芝加哥與洛杉磯。史坦貝克的小說【憤怒的葡萄】中經歷沙暴及經濟蕭條的主人翁們就是走這六十六號公路從奧克拉荷馬千里迢迢往加州尋求新的生活與機會。在八○年代，這老舊的公路被新的高速公路取代，正式從美國公路系統廢除，沿路的城鎮因車流突然消失而一蹶不起。近年來一些城鎮聯手發起歷史六十六號公路之概念，舉辦活動讓哈雷機車族和古董車愛好者利用六十六號公路聚集，重新發展城鎮觀光事業。

On the second day, we crossed the Nevada-Arizona border to visit Kingman, AZ, about 40 minutes from Laughlin. Kingman is a main town along Route 66; the town is named after Lewis Kingman, the engineer who located the route for the Santa Fe Railway. Today, heavy train traffic still passes through Kingman. Kingman is not big at all, but the historic downtown district has a lot of buildings on the National Registry of Historic Places.
第二天的行程是去亞利桑那州的Kingman。Kingman是舊六十六號公路上的一個主要城鎮，地名為紀念當初規劃聖塔菲鐵道路線的公程師Lewis Kingman，至今運輸火車也繼續行經此地。其實Kingman範圍不大，城中心有不少登記在國家史蹟名錄上的建築物。

Our first stop in Kingman was the Powerhouse Visitor Center located in the old powerhouse. The Route 66 museum is also located inside the visitor center. The adult admission is $4 (senior $3), and the admission price also includes The Mohave Museum of History and Arts, and the Bonelli House. These three attractions are small in size and only a short car ride from each other, so no need to rush.
我們第一站先到遊客服務中心索取一些資料，這遊客中心位於老發電廠建築內，樓上有六十六號公路博物館。大人門票四元美金(敬老票三元)，這入場卷包括六十六號公路博物館、莫哈維郡歷史文物館和博內利家族宅第。這三個地方規模不大，開車距離也不遠，逛起來很輕鬆。

Museum Display: Prairie Wagon| 早期大草原篷車展示

Museum Display: Okie’s Car| 三○年代奧克拉荷馬移民展示

Museum Display: Classic Car | 古董車展示

Signs of Spring 春天的模樣

2010-02-23T14:28:00.001-08:00

Lately I’ve been remiss in my posting, not for lack of material, but due to busy work during the day and watching the Olympics in the evening (plus Uncle Jin was here). I expect to return to “normalcy” after the Olympics; and with Leno back on late night, I probably can put in some quality blog time before I call it a night…I do miss Conan~~
有一陣子沒登新文章，不是因為沒有題材，乃是因為工作有點忙，晚上又黏著電視看冬季奧運(而且不久前老爹也在這裏)。奧運後應該會恢復正常，加上深夜脫口秀又換回原來無趣的主持人，睡覺前應該會空出一些經營格子的時間。

It’s definitely warming up in Southern California. The peach tree outside the dining room window is getting prettier each day. Honey bees and hummingbirds are busy going from flower to flower. If weather cooperates, we shall have an abundance of peaches in couple months.
南加州的天氣開始回暖了。飯廳窗外的桃子樹一天比一天漂亮，時常會有蜜蜂和蜂鳥在花朵中徘徊。希望老天爺繼續配合，讓今年也是果子纍纍。

Lost in Translation 請注意，我的腳

2010-02-01T01:50:00.000-08:00

日本金澤兼六園 | Kenroku-en Garden, Kanazawa, Japan

在金澤旅行時，當然不能錯過最具代表性的景點─兼六園，是個四季都值得去欣賞優美景色的好地方。只是，當下正繞園閒逛時，不期然在階梯落差的地方出現了這個標語，差點沒笑破我們的肚皮丫
Last time when we were at Kanazawa, Japan, we enjoyed a leisurely stroll through the famed Kenroku-en Garden. This garden offers beautiful scenery all year round. We also had a good laugh when we came across this warning sign...the Chinese translation missed the mark, literally saying "please pay attenion, my feet"...

Winter Rain 冬雨

2010-01-28T00:53:00.000-08:00

Last week we had four huge rain storms in California. To Southern Californians, the chilly air and the dampness were uncomfortable, but appreciated nonetheless for some drought relief. Yesterday was another rainy day. As I was staring out of the window, I noticed a speck of color among bare peach tree branches. Lo and behold, the first tiny bud. While I was pondering about the unusually chilly weather, my peach tree is getting ready for spring.
上星期一連下了好幾天的豪雨。對被寵壞的南加州居民來說，稍低的氣溫和濕度不是很好受，但心存感謝，因為這雨雖無法完全紓困幾年來的乾旱，至少山上能積點雪，水庫也能補足一些水量。昨天又是一個下雨天，當我站在窗前看著雨滴時，突然注意到光禿禿的桃樹枝上有一個粉紅色的小點點，仔細一瞧，竟然是顆小花苞。當我還在想這個冬天還要過多久的時候，這桃樹已經準備迎接春天了。

After a long year wait, the tangerines are finally ready to be picked. The tree is a fair sight, with bright orange fruits covering the entire tree. I was worried the heavy rain would cause some fruits to burst open and dilute the flavor, but not too much damage was done. These fruits are tart, as tangerines should be. So far the little kids love them, while the older adults tend to show pucker face…
經過一年的等待，柑桔終於可以吃了。今年的柑桔樹比往年更爭氣，果子也比較大顆，掛滿整樹，很好看。我本擔心連日的豪雨會使一些果實太多水爆開來，或味道變得比較淡，還好影響不太大。這些柑桔甜中帶酸，正港原味，小朋友吃得很開心，倒是年紀大的長輩們怕酸…

Gold Leaf Coffee 金箔咖啡

2010-01-07T18:36:00.000-08:00

This is a new series on the interesting souvenirs we came across during our travels. Omiyage is a Japanese term for souvenir gifts that you bring back to your friends and family. 此新系列是為介紹各地有特色的伴手禮(日語おみやげomiyage)。

I think the first post of the year is a fitting place to launch a new series about unique souvenir gifts from different places and countries. For the inaugural post on this subject, I chose to feature the Gold Leaf Instant Coffee which Viv brought back from Kanazawa, Japan.
想了很久不知新年第一篇文章要寫什麼，最後決定趁這個機會推出介紹特色伴手禮之新系列，而首篇就來介紹玟從日本金澤帶回來的金箔咖啡。

Kanazawa is the capital city of Ishikawa Prefecture (North West coast of Japan’s main island). Kanazawa is a historical city, and one of its traditional crafts is the high quality gold leaf. Gold leaf is mainly used in decorating temples and art objects, but it is also put into food as a luxurious accent.
金澤是日本西北側石川縣縣廳所在地，很有歷史，金箔乃是金澤聞名的傳統工藝之一。金箔通常是用來裝飾寺院和其他工藝品，但也被加入食物中。

Kanazawa is known for its tea with gold flakes, so it is not surprising at all to see specks of gold floating in your cup of coffee. Viv got this special instant coffee from Caravan Serai, a gourmet coffee chain based in Kanazawa (click here for the official site in Japanese). The coffee itself is a very good instant coffee, with no sugar added.
金箔茶是金澤的名產，所以加了金箔的咖啡也不令人意外。玟購買的金箔即溶咖啡是當地咖啡專門店 Caravan Serai的產品，日語官方網站請按這裏。此即溶咖啡沒有加糖，味道不錯。

Final Countdown 2009 最後倒數

2009-12-29T11:45:00.000-08:00

We are truly at the end of 2009. What a year it’s been. As a big fan of Jib Jab, here’s the new satirical video Never a Year Like ‘09. Mmm…again, the humor is more suitable for mature audience.
二○○九就要結束了，真是難忘的一年。大家應該知道我是Jib Jab的粉絲，以下是剛出爐的網路影片，總結今年度美國大事。嗯…再次提醒一下內容可能不宜兒童觀看。

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Ho Ho Ho 2009 年終祝福

2009-12-22T09:01:00.000-08:00

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Elves 松果精靈

2009-12-19T23:02:00.001-08:00

Like most of my neighbors, I had a late start getting the holiday decorations ready this year, and less fancy. I managed to hang a few of my good old made-in-Taiwan lights bought years ago indoor around the windows; I laid out a few ornaments collected over the years from friends’ craft bazaars and after Christmas sales. I wanted to have something new, but didn’t want to spend the money, so I looked online for inspirations. I found the simple to make pinecone elves at Martha Stewart’s website.
今年景氣不佳，附近鄰居們比較晚開始準備年終的節日，佈置也比往年簡單的多。我應景隨便在窗邊掛幾條歷史悠久的台灣製聖誕燈，也把一些這幾年來收集的擺飾拿出來排一排(有的是朋友做的手工擺飾，有的是清倉特價買的)。每年擺的就是這幾樣，所以想找一些不花錢的新點子，結果在瑪莎‧史都華的網站找到松果精靈的做法。

I already had some supplies on hand and improvised for materials that I didn’t have. My pinecones were a lot bigger so my elves couldn’t really stand. I also retouched my old pinecones with gold spray paint; for heads I used lipstick as blush and mini brads as eyes, because Styrofoam is a difficult surface to color. I got lazy and found Jack in the Box antenna ball a good substitute too. I had fun making these elves. I just might make a few more next year.
我剛好手邊有些材料，沒有的就找其它材料代替。我的松果很大顆，所以成品無法站著。我先把舊的松果翻新噴上金色的漆，頭部用保麗龍蛋代替，因為保麗龍難上色，就用口紅當腮紅，用迷你平頭釘當眼睛。我後來也偷懶，用快餐店的天線球代替。做這些松果精靈不用花很多時間，也很好玩，明年我可能會再做幾顆不同造型的。

Thanksgiving Road Trip 感恩節兜風行

2009-12-08T00:13:00.001-08:00

View of Colorado River and Bullhead City, AZ | 科羅拉多河和亞利桑那州牛頭市

I took a road trip to Laughlin, Nevada right before the Thanksgiving holiday to beat the dreadful holiday traffic. I got a free two night offer from a hotel casino at Laughlin, NV, and thought it would be nice to visit a new location and pass through different states, as Laughlin is located near the borders of California, Nevada, and Arizona.
感恩節假期前後都是大塞車的日子，剛好手上有一張內華達州拉福林一家酒店旅館的招待卷，就決定趕在感恩節前去那裏散散心，然後再回家過節。我從來沒去過這個城市，得知它位於科羅拉多河岸旁，又離加州、內華達州、及亞利桑那州的交會點很近，想必有不同的風景，就興致勃勃的出發了。

I liked the stretch of the Interstate 40 between Barstow and Needles, California, which often runs along the historic Route 66. There weren’t any towns, only small rest stops along the way. The desert view was vast and calming. Right before Needles, CA, I left I-40 and took the Needles Highway to go north toward Laughlin, NV. I didn’t like Needles Highway at all; it goes up and down very much like a roller coaster ride. So on the way back home, I took a small detour and took the I-95 on the Arizona side to get to Needles, CA. It’s a nicer ride and more gas efficient.
一路上轉接了好幾條公路，過了巴斯斗後轉接四十號州際公路。這一段高速公路沿著過去66號公路之舊道，兩旁放眼看去是一片又一片的沙漠，沒有城鎮，偶爾才會有小小的休息站，開起來很順，心情也很平靜。快到加州邊境時我轉到Needles公路往北行駛，直到拉福林。我很不喜歡這段路，雖然車子少，路況卻不是很好，有一段路還上上下下如雲霄飛車，所以回程時我稍微繞了點路，過河從亞利桑那州的九十五號公路往南接四十號公路，反而比較好行駛，又比較省油。

Laughlin, NV is a gaming town with hotel casinos along the bank of the Colorado River. Across the river is Bullhead City, Arizona. Not far up the river is the Davis Dam. Basically, the Colorado River flows through the Grand Canyon to Hoover Dam (Lake Mead), then to Davis Dam (Lake Mohave). My hotel has a private beach and a water taxi dock at the river bank. It was windy and slightly chilly during this time of the year, so there weren’t swimmers around. Also, the current was quite swift.
拉福林其實是位於科羅拉多河畔的小賭城，對岸是亞利桑那州牛頭城的舊區，上游不遠處就是戴維斯水壩。科羅拉多河流經大峽谷後到達胡佛水壩(成為米德湖)，往南流到戴維斯水壩(成為莫哈維湖)，然後沿著亞利桑那的邊界一直往墨西哥流去。拉福林的旅館有自己的沙灘和水上計程車的小碼頭，但因為這個季節多風又氣溫偏涼，沒有玩水的遊客，我看水流也蠻快的。

My hotel room had a great view of the river and the old Bullhead City. I spent quite a lot of time looking at the scenery and the water taxis come and go. The water taxi takes visitors along the river to various hotel casinos and across the river. It costs $4 per trip. There weren’t many things to do in Laughlin, and the Preferred Outlet was a disappointment. This is no Vegas and everything is done in a much smaller scale. The Bullhead City across the river offers a variety of restaurants and stores…and cheap gasoline! The gas price in Arizona is $1 cheaper per gallon.
我住宿的房間正好面對河，從窗戶看出去就是牛頭市，風景很不錯，我花了不少時間站在窗前看水流和來來往往的水上計程車。這水上計程車專門載遊客去其它的旅館和對岸，一趟四元美金。其實拉福林蠻無聊的，沒什麼事可以做，所謂的購物商場也很令人失望，跟拉斯維加斯差很多。去到對岸的牛頭城就有各式各樣的餐館和商店，最重要的還有廉價汽油…一加侖比加州便宜至少一元美金。

There were tours available from the hotel to a nearby old gold town Oatman, AZ. Kingman, AZ is also only about one hour away. If I should come back to Laughlin in the future, I will definitely plan a visit to Kingman and checked out some of its interesting museums.
當地有一些旅遊團去大峽谷或附近西部拓荒風味十足的挖金礦 Oatman小鎮。若下次有機會回到拉福林，我大概會計劃去車程約一小時的Kingman, AZ看看，那裏好像很有趣，又有西部歷史的博物館。

Gobble Gobble 火雞咕咕

2009-11-20T12:01:00.000-08:00

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Parents…this may not be suitable for small kids.
請注意，內容可能不宜兒童觀看。

New Calendar Is Here 新月曆

2009-10-31T00:00:00.000-07:00

My 2010 US/Taiwan calendar is now available for download. You will find the album link on the top of the side bar. I saved each month as a picture file and you should be able to print it on letter size or A4 paper. My calendar features some of the photos I took in 2009; it shows both the US and Taiwan holidays, plus the lunar calendar. If you prefer to have the entire calendar in pdf format, feel free to send me a request through email (see contact info at the side bar). I also made an Austria/Taiwan version for a friend of mine, and this special version is also available upon request. I hope you’ll enjoy my calendar next year.
我的2010年月曆做好了!有興趣的朋友們可以點選右欄上方的連結去下載。我把月曆存為獨立的圖畫檔案，可以印在美式規格或A4紙張上。這月曆上的照片是我今年拍的，月曆裏有標出美國和台灣的節日，並有農曆二十四節氣。若你想要完整的pdf檔案，或有興趣用我幫朋友做的奧地利/台灣版的月曆，請寄電郵給我(連絡地址請看右欄)。希望大家會喜歡。

Life Imitates Work 生活模仿工作

2009-10-22T13:09:00.000-07:00

Last couple months I was preoccupied with coordinating with my neighbor to remove 17 cypress trees and get a concrete block wall built along the property line. Now that the wall is completed, I find this home improvement project similar to the processes I go through developing Human Resources Scorecards at work.
過去幾個月忙著與鄰居先生籌劃蓋牆之事宜，需要請工人來把兩家中間的十七株柏樹移除，並築一座水泥磚牆，本想說是件簡單的事，稍為溝通一下就可開工，沒想一拖就好幾個月。現在牆終於完工了，回想起來整個築牆過程與我在公司設計人力資源計分卡的過程還蠻相似的。

The actual building of the wall didn’t take long at all, but the planning stage took a lot longer than I expected. I had to check with the city hall to see if I need to obtain a permit for the size of the wall being built; I also had to submit a plan to my home owner association architectural committee for approval. Since my neighbor is a cautious and meticulous older gentleman, he insisted on obtaining at least three comparable estimates from contractors. As we interviewed contractors, we realized the “simple” wall we envisioned was not so simple at all; on the written estimates, we found each contractor measured the length of the wall differently; we had one at 40 feet, one at 60 feet, and one at 70 feet! This variance in measurement put a question mark on the validity of some quotes. Also, as we met with the contractors and had discussions, the wall details such as wall dimension, building materials, construction methods, etc. began to come together. We narrowed down to the final candidates, and asked the finalists to come by one more time to make sure they were bidding on the same specifications, so their itemized estimates were apple to apple.
實際上挖樹及築牆的過程只要一個禮拜就可以完工，但整個籌備的過程比我預期的還要長。首先我得去市政府詢問這座牆的規格是否需要特別的施工許可，還要把設計圖交由我們社區管理公司的建築小組核准。此外，我的鄰居老先生做事很謹慎，要求至少有三個可靠的估價表來比較。當我們約談各個承包公司後，發現以為蠻簡單的一座牆並不是那麼簡單；幾個估價表上寫的牆的長度都不一樣，有四十呎，有六十呎，也有七十呎的，實在太扯了! 差太多的我們就淘汰掉。並且，與承包公司商談後，一些我們沒想到的細節，像是牆磚厚度、最上層蓋的磚塊、施工方法等等，開始漸漸整合。最後又請兩位覺得最公道的承包商回來談細節，確認他們的估價標準細節是一樣的，我們才好做比較。

So here are some pointers I’ve learned from work and from building this wall:
以下是我從工作及築牆所體會到的幾個要點:

Take time to plan well: Know all the players involved in the project, and work on specifications in detail. The rudimentary wall plan I drawn up for the HOA really helped me get some of the basic details down. When I design any type of scorecards, I also like to draw up sample layout so the clients can see how the information would be presented. These mock-up samples help to get discussion going and in specific terms, not just “I like to see this and that.”
花時間做好準備: 先認識所有參與的部門與人員，並且了解規格細節。當時為了申請社區施工核准，我自己畫了簡易的藍圖，這圖也幫我把基本規格細節定下來。我為客戶設計報表和計分卡時也喜歡先把基本設計畫出來，讓客戶清楚看到資訊如何藉由圖表表達出來，並用此草稿帶出更深一層的討論及需求，而不是一直在「我們想要看這個那個」的籠統話題上繞來繞去。

Have frequent dialogues with clients: The scope and the requirements of the project may change and become clearer with constructive discussions. If most of the requirements can be finalized early on in the project, it will save a lot of time later, avoiding having to revamp the whole process due to changes. Some seemingly small revisions in client’s mind may require a lot of development work in the back-end, as additional analysis options in a scorecard may require a whole new section of programming or new data source. While we discussed the projects with prospective contractors, a lot of details that we didn’t think about surfaced, like the thickness of the blocks we like to use and what type of cap to install on top, which had direct impact on the material costs and the final height of the wall. The more you can find out early on will help smooth the way.
常與客戶溝通討論: 經由頻繁的溝通和討論，客戶之需求以及方案範圍會跟著改變，也會變得更清楚。若能早一點確定方案的必有條件，將來也比較不會因突發的更改而需要做很大的更正，免得從頭做起，可以省下寶貴的時間。有時客戶覺得是很小的更改，背後所要做的工卻很多，像是在報表中加入新的分析項目可能需要寫新的程式，甚至得要併入新的數據。我們與承包商討論築牆的時候也是一樣，必須決定用哪個規格的水泥磚，最上層是要用水泥鋪平還是要蓋上哪一種樣子的磚塊，而這些細節跟材料費用、牆壁最後的高度都有密切關係。越早溝通好，以後工程進展會比較順暢。

Standardize definition: Just because you are using the same word, it doesn’t mean you are talking about the same thing. For example, “Headcount” is an ever-moving target in a large corporation, and it can be defined and calculated in so many ways, just as a 6-foot tall wall can be over or under 6 feet depending on how and where you measure it; if the ground is higher in the backyard and the wall is built to 6 feet using the backyard measurement, by the time you extend the wall height to the front yard, the wall would be over 6 feet, which in our case would be trouble. Therefore, while you are planning the project, you have to agree upon a set of parameters, make sure everyone is talking about the same thing, and apply the rules consistently.
統一規格與定義: 千萬不要以為用的詞彙一樣，東西就是一致的。舉個例子說，所謂的「員工人數」在大規模公司裏像是隨時移動的標靶，除了一天裏改變好幾次外，解釋及計算的方法也因部門而異。就像我那座六呎高的牆，會因測量地點及方法量出不同的高度，若是後院的土地較高又以後面的高度為準，這牆蓋到前院時就超過六呎高啦! 所以，在計劃方案的時候必須先把主要方針定下來，確認大家的認知與採用的定義是一致的，並且一貫地實施。

Anticipate problems: I like to think about worst case scenario and how I would tackle the problems should they arise. If I think something is likely to cause problems later on, I prefer to address it early to help averting disasters. When building HR scorecards, I try to make the design flexible so that the scorecards have room to grow. I also build in processes that would pre-empt data and calculations problems, even when data seems to be clean (here's my salute to Agent Mulder: “Trust No One”). During the wall building process, I kept reminding the foreman of the specifications and if the crew was going to do this and that. When the problem did occur, I was not too surprised, and the problems were not too big to handle. In my wall building project, we had to fix a malfunctioning sprinkler pipe after the concrete pathway had been poured, and a small section of the concrete also had to be removed so the water can drain properly instead of flooding my neighbor’s flower bed---good thing it didn’t cost more money to fix these problems.
隨時預期突發狀況: 我常會去預想最壞的情況並且如何去解決這些狀況。策劃方案時若覺得有地方將來可能會出問題，我會先採用一些預防措施，既使將來問題出現，影響也不會太大。在設計人力資源計分表時，我盡量使背後的設計有伸縮的空間，並在流程中加入一些防止數據及計算上出問題的步驟，有些公司的數據一向都很乾淨，但我還是會如此做，因為我對處理數據的理念就是X檔案中常出現的名句「不要相信任何人」。在築牆的過程中，我一而再，再而三的去提醒工頭這個是不是要這樣做，那個什麼時候要做等等，所以問題發生時，我也不會太吃驚，也不會太難解決。就像鋪好水泥走道後，才發現走道下方的庭園輸水管道出了點問題，還有為了解決雨水一併淹到隔壁的花圃而必需鋸掉一小塊的水泥地來調整雨水流向，好在不用花更多的錢，並且很快的就能修好這些問題。

Left: Old Tree Hedge 左: 施工前 | Right: New Wall 右: 施工後

Fleeting Blooms 曇花一現

2009-10-11T01:08:00.000-07:00

I’ve been eagerly awaiting for the orchid cactus (epiphyllum) plants by the front door to bloom. From the number of flower buds growing from the leaves, I could just imagine the sight and the fragrance when these flowers bloom at the same time. I missed couple early bloomers last two days because I was too lazy to get out the bed in the middle of the night to check on them. Unlike the pink hybrid epiphyllum flowers that stay in bloom for days, the white species blooms at night, only for a few hours, and gone by sunrise. I was determined to catch the flowers because I knew tonight would be my last chance…and I was right. I counted at least ten flowers in full bloom and the fragrance was unbelievable, tickled my nose too.
門前的曇花結了好多花苞，幾天來就在等花開，想必花開時一定很漂亮，香味也會很濃。前兩晩懶得半夜起來查看，結果有幾朵已先開完了。這二株白色曇花不像粉紅色的變種曇花一開就是好幾天，真的是曇花一現，幾小時後天亮就謝了。我想今晚是大開的日子，若沒看到就要等下次花期。果真沒錯，十點半開門去探情況時就聞到曇花濃濃的香味，至少有十朵綻放的花朵，花香得我鼻子癢癢的。

Central Coast Camping (Last Part) 中海岸露營遊 (完結篇)

2009-09-20T20:41:00.000-07:00

San Simeon State Beach | 聖西蒙州立海灘

Saturday, August 16

After lunch, I decided to check out other camp sites in the state park, and visit the beach. The entire campground is well organized, and there’s a small amphitheater under a cluster of majestic Monterrey cypress. Following the general direction, I soon found the trail that goes under Hwy 1 and leads to the beach.
吃完午餐後，我一個人到營區四處走走，想找到去海邊的小道。別區的營地人也相當多，但維持地相當乾淨，營區中央幾株高大的蒙特利柏樹下也設有一個露天舞臺。我抓住大概方位後，不久就找到從一號公路底下鑽過去海邊的小道。

Running along the edge of the state park is the San Simeon Creek. Because the water level was low at the time, the creek stopped short of the shoreline, so it looked more like a pond.
沿著營區邊界有一條聖西蒙溪，因為是旱季，水位低，進入沙灘前就停住了，反而像小池塘。

There were quite a few large pieces of driftwood near the creek and on the beach.
溪旁和沙灘上處處有漂流木。

After my visit to the beach, a couple of us got in the car and drove north again. We stopped at Ragged Point Inn, which is near the border of Monterrey County and San Luis Obispo County. The Inn has an awesome view of the ocean, and there was an outdoor wedding going on.
在海灘晃了一陣子後，就回到營地，與其他人決定再開車往北看看風景。我們在聖路易斯奧比斯保郡和蒙特利郡分界線附近的Ragged Point Inn 【崎嶇角旅社】停下逛逛，這個小旅社有很棒的景觀，那天剛好也有人在舉辦露天婚禮。

Here’s the sign of Ragged Point. There is a cypress tree grove right on the bluff.
這是崎嶇角的標示，在海角邊的懸崖上有一片柏樹林。

Here’s the view of the north coast line from Ragged Point.
崎嶇角有一百八十度的視野，這是海角北邊的大索爾海岸。

Sunday, August 17

We packed up early Sunday morning to go home. We made a stop at Pismo Beach, but soon found ourselves stuck in traffic. It turned out there’s a Portuguese/Azorean Holy Spirit Festival (Festa do Espirito Santo) going on. In the parade, each participating organization selected a “queen” and two attendants. These girls all dressed up in beautiful gowns and finery recalling the 14th Century Queen Isabel. At the end of the parade was the procession of St. Anthony.
星期天一早我們就拔營起程回家。我們在皮斯摩海灘下來稍為停腳，卻發現卡在車隊中，一動也不動，原來當天有葡萄牙裔的聖靈節，正在遊行。隊伍中每個參加的葡裔社團有三位穿著中世紀歐式禮服的少女為領隊，中間那一位為女王，紀念十四世紀熱心公益的女王依莎貝爾，並且當天遊行是以聖安東尼為主。

San Simeon Bay 聖西蒙灣

2009-09-13T00:07:00.001-07:00

Saturday, August 16

After visiting the San Simeon Pier, we spent some time walking along the William Randolph Hearst State Memorial Beach.
逛完聖西蒙灣的突堤之後，我們沿著赫式紀念海灘散步。

Next to the beach is the historical town of San Simeon.
海灘旁就是聖西蒙古鎮。

There are quite a few washed up seaweeds and kelps on the beach. This one has lost all its leaves, but its amazingly long stem lay intact on the sand.
海灘上滿是沖上岸的各式海草，這一株早就光禿禿沒葉子了，可是它的長度還是令人佩服。

I spotted this dead shrimp-like creature on the sand because of its color. It’s no more than an inch long. Vicky thought it might be a plastic fishing lure. After zooming in on the photo, this creature looks more like an amphipod, but I’m no expert, just guessing.
我注意到沙灘上有個顏色不太一樣的東西，蹲下來仔細瞧是一隻大約二公分，有點像小蝦，已死的生物。朋友認為是塑膠的餌，但放大照片看了以後，我猜是端腳類，扁跳蝦之類的生物吧?

On the way back to camp for lunch, we stopped by a beach town called Cambria. We came upon a residential street with some beautiful homes facing the beach. These are custom designed homes, and each of them has whimsical bronze sculptures near the front entrance.
中午回到營區吃午餐前我們先繞到臨近的坎布里亞小鎮看看，無意中開進一條住宅街，每棟望海別墅都是精心設計過的，前院還有可愛的雕塑。

More story to come 待續

Concert Info 老店男聲合唱團美西音樂會

2009-09-02T11:26:00.001-07:00

Uncle Steven and Uncle David are members of the “Old Shop” Men’s Chorus. They will be visiting California and performing at the New Eyes Television’s Festive Chorus & Concert event. The concerts are free, and the choir will be performing a repertoire of hymns, Taiwanese folk songs, and some popular standards.
三叔與四叔是台灣老店男聲合唱團的成員，最近他們團與新眼光電視台將要到美西展開兩場音樂會的行程。音樂會以贈票方式，演出內容包括詩歌，台灣民謠，及流行歌曲等等。

So. Cal南加: Saturday, 9/5, 2:00PM at San Gabriel Mission Playhouse
No. Cal北加: Sunday, 9/13, 2:00PM at Canaan Taiwanese Christian Church迦南台灣基督教會

One Cool Pelican 酷酷鵜鶘

2009-08-26T15:23:00.000-07:00

Do you see the way it looked at the camera? Loved it! 有看到它冷眼看鏡頭嗎? 酷!

Saturday, August 16

After observing elephant seals at Piedras Blancas, we drove south again on Highway 1 and stopped by the San Simeon Bay. San Simeon Bay is part of the Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary. There are information boards installed along the San Simeon Pier introducing the marine environment.
看完白石灘的象海豹後，我們一行再度上一號濱海公路，這次往南行駛，去下個景點聖西蒙。聖西蒙灣屬於蒙特利灣海洋保護區，海灣旁與突堤上都有各種生態環境介紹。

I noticed a strange looking, no-neck duck standing still in the middle of the pier; people walked by it, but it didn’t move at all. As I walked closer, this “duck” turned out to be a pelican, with its neck tucked in. This pelican didn’t give an inch, and was very sure of itself. I was very impressed by its attitude, so this cool pelican deserved its own post.
一走上突堤，就看到遠遠有一隻一動也不動，長得怪怪，沒有脖子的鴨子佇在突堤正中央。走近一看，原來是一隻縮著脖子的鵜鶘。這隻鵜鶘很有個性，旁邊有人經過也不退縮，一付愛理不理，「此路是我開」的樣子，很令我欣賞。所以，這篇就讓這位老兄/老大姐做主角囉!

More story to come 待續

Elephant Seals 北象海豹

2009-08-25T23:30:00.000-07:00

Northern Elephant Seals at Piedras Blancas | 白石灘的北象海豹

Saturday, August 16

After a night of trying to get warm and wrapped myself like a burrito, I woke up to a chilly morning with marine layer covering much of the coast line. I finally got a good look of the surrounding area. The campsite was quite big, and I could see the ocean from our tent. After a delicious breakfast, we set out to explore the beach. Our first stop was Piedras Blanca, about 4.4 miles north of Hearst Castle. This stretch of beach is special because it’s a rest stop for Northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) between their semi-annual migration to Alaska.
經過一夜的折騰，盡量把自己包得像春捲取暖後，一早醒來還是有點寒意…原來，海邊濕濕冷冷的霧氣籠罩著整個營地。晨光中我終於了解周圍的地形，看到鄰居還蠻多的，也發現海就在營地的另一頭。享受一頓豐盛的早餐後，我們出發去探探附近的景點，第一個目的地是赫氏古堡北邊四英里多的白石灘。這白石灘不是遊客玩水的地方，乃是北象海豹一年兩次往返阿拉斯加海域中休息的地方。

A male elephant seal slowly getting back to the group | 一隻雄象海豹慢慢回到海灘

There’s a special viewing area set up along the beach, and a volunteer docent is on site to answer questions. You can find out more information from Friends of the Elephant Seal. The adult male elephant seals have a distinctive nose feature much like an elephant (actually, I would say more like a tapir). These elephant seals return to Piedras Blancas at different times according to their age groups. They come here to rest and to molt in the summer for four to six weeks (they don’t eat during this time), then go back to Alaska to feed, and return again in the winter. The baby seals are born here during winter.
白石灘有特別規劃觀看象海豹的區域，也有象海豹之友的義工在場講解及回答問題。其實未成年象海豹及雌象海豹長得就像普通的海豹，只有成年的雄象海豹會有長長的鼻子(其實比較像馬來貘)。不同年齡的象海豹在不同的月份回到白石灘休息，夏季時會脫皮，在岸上待四至六週，不獵食。脫完皮後各自北上到阿拉斯加海域覓食，冬季時再回到白石灘過冬，小象海豹也是在冬天出生。

A pair of female and a male elephant seal | 一對雌雄象海豹

Elephant seals are quite amazing. They spend most of their lives underwater in search of food and avoid predators. According to the flyer I got, adult males spend 8 months at sea and females 10 months underwater. Their dives average about 2000 feet, and stay down for about 40 minutes; however, researchers have recorded a dive over 5000 feet, and a dive that lasted over 2 hours. Yet, these animals are incredibly awkward on land due to their size. They would shuffle couple feet, then rest for a long while before moving again.
象海豹的生活型態令人佩服，牠們一生大都在海裏度過，不是覓食就是躲避敵人。我拿到的簡介上寫成年雄象海豹一年有八個月在海中，雌象海豹則是十個月在海中。牠們平均潛水深度是六百米，平均每次四十分鐘，不過曾有記錄超過一千五百米的潛水紀錄，也有一次在水底超過兩小時的紀錄。牠們雖是水中好手，在乾地上卻是行動遲鈍，尤其是成年象海豹躺著很少動，若是要移動位置也是蠕動幾下就得休息好久後才繼續。

Subadult males sparring | 玩耍中的少年雄象海豹

A sleeping young seal | 睡得正甜的小象海豹

More story to come 待續

Camping at Central Coast 加州中部海岸露營

2009-08-18T10:15:00.000-07:00

Pacific Coast Highway at Dusk | 黃昏時的加州濱海公路

Friday, August 15

Me and my three other friends planned a camping trip to California’s Central Coast. On Friday afternoon, we packed the rental Grand Marquis and finally got on the road at 2PM heading towards the San Simeon State Park in San Luis Obispo County, just south of the famed Hearst Castle. Of course, we ran into Friday afternoon bumper-to-bumper traffics from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara. We got to our camp site shortly after 8PM, and by the time we set up camp and had dinner, it’s 9PM. Because of the darkness, I had no idea of what my surrounding areas looked like until the following morning.
我與三位朋友相約到加州中部海岸露營，這次選擇的營區位於赫氏古堡西南方，靠海的聖西蒙州立公園。星期五中午，我們租了一輛大房車，塞滿裝備後，終於在下午兩點浩浩蕩蕩地往北出發，當然，沒躲過洛杉磯的大塞車，一路塞到聖塔芭芭拉。接下來的路程必較順暢，但開到營地時也過晚上八點了。摸黑紮營當然不方便，等到坐下吃晚飯時也九點了。因為進入營區時天已黑，隔天一早才知道附近地形位置及營區大小。

The camp sites in San Simeon State Park were kept quite clean -- lots of squirrels (who had no problems getting to a loaf of bread), not too many bugs, and to my surprise, didn’t encounter mosquitoes at all. At night, the stars above were simply gorgeous, and the sound of the waves lulled the campers to sleep (it was loud sometimes)….Unfortunately, I was cold through the night due to my own fault of packing my old defective sleeping bag instead of the new one.
聖西蒙州立公園的營區維持的相當乾淨，不過有不少貪吃的松鼠(一不小心包在塑膠袋裏的麵包就被吃掉了)，但蟲子不多，也沒遇到蚊子。晚上的星星很漂亮，海浪聲引人入睡(其實有時還蠻大聲的)，只可惜因我自己的疏忽，拿錯睡袋(唉! 抓了古舊，拉鍊壞掉的睡袋)，整晩冷得要死。

More story to come 待續

Aftermath 天災之後

2009-08-12T22:14:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Typhoon Morakot wreaked havoc in southern Taiwan. Precious lives were lost and countless homes destroyed. I spoke to Agia and Viv briefly; other than the water shortage in the city, everyone’s fine in our family. However, frantic rescuing efforts are going on in the mountain villages where damages are catastrophic.
莫拉克在南台灣造成嚴重災情，在台的大謝小謝都平安，台南家只遇到斷水幾天。當今之急是救出困在山區的居民。

Click here to see the latest report from BBC News for English readers.

There are many ways to help. Below are two of the organizations in Taiwan that are assisting victims (websites in Chinese). 很多機構積極參與救災工作，我列出其中兩個:

World Vision, Taiwan 台灣世界展望會
Taiwanese Presbyterian Church 台灣基督長老教會

Green Island 綠島遊

2009-08-06T18:57:00.000-07:00

Sleeping Beauty Rock, Green Island, Taiwan | 綠島睡美人岩

I’ve been busy and haven’t gone anywhere or done anything interesting…so I have to write about other people’s interesting trips *sigh*. My friend Sue and her hubby visited Green Island this past winter when they went to Taiwan. They had a blast even during off season: zooming around the tiny island on rented scooter, private snorkeling session, peace and quiet – a perfect excursion.
唉! 最近事情比較多，沒有機會探訪有趣的地方，或做什麼有趣的事，只好以他人作題材。年初時朋友疏子與她老公登子回台探親，順便去綠島玩，雖然是淡季，他倆玩得很盡興，聽說登子騎車載疏子環繞綠島好幾圈，又出海浮潛，雖然有些店家淡季休息，但也沒什麼不方便的地方，也不需要排隊。

Just two months ago, Uncle Jin and his friends also went to Green Island. This small island off the south east coast of Taiwan, where in the years past many political prisoners wasted away in isolation, has become a popular tourist destination offering unpolluted natural beauty.
六月時二伯也與友人一道去綠島玩。這綠島在台東外海，以前是讓人聽到就害怕的地方，現在變身以美麗無汙染的大自然吸引遊客。

Uncle Jin fresh off the ferry. 富岡漁港，剛下船的二伯

At a bluff overlooking the Sleeping Beauty Rock. 遙望睡美人岩。

Uncle Jin before the General Rock. I was told this is where the prisoners used to get off the boat, and my godfather was one of them. 二伯在將軍岩前，是以前犯人下船的地方，我乾爹也走過這條路。

Uncle Jin getting ready to snorkel. 二伯準備去浮潛。

Getting around the island on scooters. 二伯與友人騎車環島遊。

夏天，就是要吃鰻魚〈一〉Summer , Perfect Time for Unagi (1)

2009-07-27T07:30:00.000-07:00

一到夏天，就想要吃鰻魚。萬葉集裡亦曾歌詠夏季因消瘦而吃鰻魚，可知自古以來，就有鰻魚是夏季補充精力來源的說法。
Hot summer days make me yearn for tasty grilled “unagi,” which is the Japanese word for freshwater eels. Eating eels in summer has been a long-held Japanese custom; it is believed that a tasty meal of eels will help replenish energy to combat hot summer weather. Even in Manyoshu, the oldest collection of Japanese poetry, someone wrote about consuming some eels because of weight loss in summer.

我查了一下資料，得知鰻魚這樣的生物，具有非常特殊的生活史，和鮭魚這些返回淡水產卵的魚類相反；牠們是在淡水河川中長大為成鰻後，在夏季又長途跋涉洄游到海水產卵，孵化後的鰻魚仔，體長約2~3公分，薄而透明像葉子一般〈此時又稱柳葉鰻〉，以如此小的身體從產卵場處隨著潮流，而且長距離的漂送回淡水河川，必須歷經半年之久，可見其體力及韌性都很強。
I did a little research and found freshwater eels have a very interesting life cycle. Unlike salmon, these eels spend the growing years in freshwater rivers and streams. Once they reach adulthood, freshwater eels migrate thousands of miles in summer to spawn in open sea. The eel larvae hatch in open sea, and they have a flat, transparent, and leave-like body, only about an inch long. These larvae spent the next six months traveling with the ocean currents and eventually reach the freshwater rivers where they will live for the next several years; their strength and toughness is evident in this difficult journey.

日本一年的鰻魚消耗量達125000噸，約佔全世界銷量的97%。日本人也有一個特定的節日叫「鰻魚節」，又稱「土用丑日」〈立秋的前十八天〉，那天正值最炎熱的夏日，因為消耗最多的體力，所以一定要吃鰻魚補充精力。光是這一天，幾乎日本全國國民一人吃一條鰻魚，就可以吃掉一億條鰻魚〈約20000噸〉。
Japanese people consume approximately 125000 tons of eels annually, accounting for 97% of eel sales worldwide. There is an annual festival dedicated to Eels in July, called “Doyo Ushinohi,” which is 18 days before the first day of autumn on the lunar calendar. This day is usually around the hottest days in summer, and people wan in the stifling heat. On this day, people eat eels to rebuild stamina, and the serving size is about one eel per person. On this day alone, about 100 million eels, or equivalent to 20000 tons of eels, are consumed.

前幾年有一次北上，想吃鰻魚，舅舅帶我到一家以鰻魚飯專門的日本料理店。都還沒走入巷子，遠遠就先聞到烤鰻魚的香味，在巷口看到了招牌，上面寫了「魚心」二字，旁邊幾個小字寫著「鰻魚飯專門店」，更有趣的是這間店就開在一般公寓住家的一樓。曾經留學日本的舅舅，果然是識途老馬，自從那一次品嘗之後，我就對魚心的鰻魚飯念念不忘，有機會就想去回味一下。現在，又到了酷熱的夏天，上個禮拜特地再去吃了一次，仍然深得我心。
Several years ago when I was visiting Taipei, I had a craving for unagi and Uncle Jin took me to a Japanese restaurant specializes in unagi. Before we reached the restaurant, we could smell the fragrance of grilled eels at the intersection, and I noticed a small restaurant sign for “Yu Hsin” (literally means “Fish Heart,” and I guess the Japanese pronunciation would be “Uoshin”). This restaurant is located in an alley, on the first floor of an apartment building. Uncle Jin certainly knows his Japanese food. Ever since I tasted the grilled eels from Yu Hsin, I got hooked. Whenever I am in town and have the time, I would plan a visit to the restaurant. Last week, in the midst of unbelievable summer heat, I visited the restaurant again.

鰻魚飯，若是裝在漆器的盒子裡，就稱「鰻重」〈うなぎじゅ〉。我所學到的吃法是當「鰻重」端上來後，先打開蓋子灑上一些山椒粉到鰻魚表面，再將蓋子蓋上悶一下，等30秒左右，再次打開時，哇ㄚ！香氣撲鼻而來。魚心的浦燒鰻魚烤得恰到好處，厚實的魚肉表面酥脆，閃爍著咖啡色光澤，下面粒粒分明的白飯上已均勻地淋上鰻魚醬汁，用筷子裁切一口大小的鰻魚與白飯一起放入口中，鰻魚入口即化，而繼續咀嚼著的是充滿著鰻魚香甜的飯，嗯，真是令人覺得幸福的組合呀。
When unagi is served on a bed of steaming white rice in a lacquer box, it is called “unaju.” One way I learned to properly enjoy this dish is when the lacquer box is served, first open the lid and sprinkle some Japanese pepper powder (sansho) on the unagi. Replace the lid and wait for about 30 seconds. When you remove the lid again, you will be rewarded with an unbelievable fragrance. Yu Hsin’s eels are grilled perfectly; the eels are meaty, the surface is slightly crispy with appetizing hue from caramelization. The steaming rice below is cooked just right, with clear separation of each grain, and the special sauce is poured evenly across the rice. Using my chopsticks, I make sure each bite of rice is covered with the same size piece of eel meat. When you eat them together, the grilled eel simply melt away in your mouth, the sweetness of the fish exploded as you chew the rice soaked with sauce, and your nose is filled with fragrance, a perfect combination.

雖然十多年前已經嚐過「肥前屋」的鰻魚飯，很多人也會推薦，但近幾年去試過的幾次，總覺得他們的醬汁似乎用得不太夠，尤其是白飯上的醬汁不足，影響了整體的協調與融合感。我還是比較喜歡魚心，真謝謝舅舅吶，哪天再一起去吧。
Taipei’s Hizenya restaurant is another well-known place for unagi, and there’s always a long line waiting to get in. In the last couple times I visited, I feel Hizenya’s unaju doesn’t have enough sauce on the rice, and thus to me, lacks overall balance of flavors. Yu Hsin is still my favorite, and thank you Uncle Jin! Let’s go there again some other day.

魚心地址：台北市松江路124巷31號1樓(靠吉林路口)
Address: 1F, No. 31, Ln. 124, Songjiang Rd., Taipei (Near Jilin Rd.)
〈02〉2562-1270

Be There 身旁的安慰

2009-07-13T01:59:00.001-07:00

I know, I know, this movie “The Soloist” came out back in April, but with the economy in a slump, I’ve been reluctant to pay full price for movie tickets, not even with discount coupons. However, just as I hoped, “The Soloist” is finally playing at a $2 dollar theater around here. I’m a fan of Robert Downey Jr. I think he brought complexity, vulnerability, and a certain je ne sais quoi quality to every character he portrays…not to mention those expressive eyes of his.
我知道這齣【心靈獨奏】四月時就上映了，但因為荷包縮水，早就把看電影的預算刪掉，有折價卷也還是嫌貴。不過如我期待的，這齣電影終於在附近兩塊美金的二輪戲院上映了。我算是小勞勃道尼的影迷，我覺得他所演過的角色都有獨特的詮釋及風格，複雜中帶有人性的脆弱，加上超會演戲的雙眼，不管是演卓普林或鋼鐵人都很入戲。

“The Soloist” is a film based on a true story, of a Los Angeles Times writer’s encounter with a talented, yet disturbed and homeless cellist who attended Juilliard years before. As the newspaper writer began to write about this homeless musician in a column, the two men began a sort of unconventional friendship. The film gave us a glimpse into the harsh world of homelessness and mental illness.
【心靈獨奏】是根據真人真事拍攝的片子，描述一位洛杉磯時報記者與一位曾就讀茱莉亞音樂學院，卻長年流落街頭，精神狀態不穩定的大提琴手之邂逅。這位記者為了在專欄中寫有關這位流浪音樂家的種種事情，開始與大提琴手有密切的接觸，讓他看到城市中被遺忘的世界。記者與大提琴手的關係也漸漸演變為不尋常的友誼。

When I came out of the theater, I didn’t quite know what to feel about the film, rather was enveloped by a sense of powerlessness and ambivalence. I was expecting a miraculous personal triumph or a gut wrenching tragedy at the end of this type of human interest film, but was rewarded neither. My emotion was left hanging, and maybe as how it should be. The world to which I was exposed in the film was in shades of gray. What we thought of as helpful gestures and the right things to do might not bring any good at all; there are no one-size-fit-all answers to these social problems because every person has his/her own hurts, triggers, and fears. Physical shelters are only useful for those who are not afraid of being surrounded by walls; medical and psychological assistance are only helpful to those who are willing to receive them. And yet, we can’t turn a blind eye to these issues. On a more personal level, when people around us are struggling, sometimes there’s nothing we can do or say that will bring strength or relief; but we can still stand beside them, and maybe our presence will bring about a different path.
當我走出戲院時，心中真是五味雜陳，腦子裏也做不出任何結論。我本想這種片子的結尾不是奇蹟般的個人勝利，就是痛心的悲劇…結果，兩個都不是，我的心情反而吊在半空中，也許，本該就是這樣。影片中大提琴手的世界充滿了灰色，分不出黑與白，難決定對與錯。我們覺得對，有益的援助，反而達到反效果。解決社會中流浪人口及精神病患之問題，是當今之急，但也沒有標準答案，因為每個人有自己的故事，自己的傷痛，不同的觸發點，和說不出的恐懼。收容所只有對那些不怕被牆壁包圍的人有用，而藥物及心理治療也只對願意接受治療的人有幫助。雖然困難重重，我們不能無視於這些問題。這也讓我想到，當我們周遭的朋友或家人遇到挫折困難時，有時我們真不知如何伸出援手，也不知該說什麼，但我們還是可以默默地站在他們身旁，也許就因這樣而有一條新的路可以走下去。

p.s. Movie poster image courtesy of wikipedia

A Date with Sea Creatures 長堤太平洋水族館

2009-06-22T23:12:00.000-07:00

It is more and more difficult for newspapers to retain subscribers nowadays; they often offer super low rates and incentives in order to keep existing customers and attract new ones. Recently, my newspaper sent me a Starbuck gift card for joining their online community, and gave me additional reward points. I cashed in some reward points for a free admission ticket to the Aquarium of the Pacific (Adult admission is $23.95, which is more than my newspaper subscription rate, what a good deal!). I made my trip to the aquarium over two weeks ago before I started my current gig. I picked a weekday, thinking there would be fewer visitors so I could leisurely study sea creatures. Boy! Was I wrong! It seemed all the school kids came out for a field trip that day. The aquarium was packed full of first and second graders. No matter where I turned, I was being taken over by a group of super excited, agile kids who were very good at cutting in front of people and putting their noses up against the glass for a long time…But seeing them oohing and ahhing over every exhibit washed my irritations away. Unfortunately, the glass also got a little blurry after so many tiny hands touched it. I tried to take some photos; some didn’t turn out well due to low light and fast moving fish. The glass panel also reduced the vibrancy of colors. The overcast sky didn’t help either.
傳統報業越來越難經營，想盡辦法提供各種優惠來留住現有的訂戶。最近我訂閱的報社送了一張星巴克的禮卷，還給網路點數換取其它的優待卷，因為有好幾年沒去長堤太平洋水族館了，就用點數換了張入場卷(票值$23.95，比報紙年費還貴，真是賺到了)。一個多星期前趁新工作尚未開始，找了週間時段去水族館，照理說人應該會比較少，可以好好地看魚兒們。結果我計算錯誤，遇到好多各校的小學生戶外教學…還是低年級生…走到哪都是跟一群興奮不已，身手靈敏，插隊一流的小朋友擠，不過看他們在各個水族箱前指指點點驚嘆不已的樣子，還真可愛，不過被那麼多小手摸過的玻璃似乎變得有點模糊。我嘗試照了一些照片，是有點困難，因為魚兒游動速度還蠻快的，加上館內調低的光線與加厚玻璃，色彩鮮度都有減低。陰暗的六月天也使戶外的展示失去了點色彩，有點可惜。

Leafy Sea Dragon is my all time favorite sea creature at the aquarium: mythical, elegant in the water, something out of this world.
這葉形海龍是水族館中我最喜歡的海魚，似乎是神話中的動物，在水中的身型優雅又漂亮，讓我流連忘返。

There are several species of jelly on display. Some seem delicate like the crystal jelly (left) and some deadly like the West Coast Sea Nettle (right), and I couldn’t help but being mesmerized by them.
水族館裏有好幾種水母。有些嬌小可愛像碗水母(左)，有些嚇人像身型巨大的刺水母(右)。看它們隨著水流漂浮，看著看著就忘了時間。

Blue Cavern’s Giant Sea Bass draws a lot of attention. The floor-to-ceiling tank is impressive and the two sea bass stay at the bottom. Their sheer size is impressive.
大廳有個從地板到天花板的水箱，裏面有各式各樣的魚。其中最受注目的是兩條巨堅鱗鱸。這兩支魚在水箱底面游動，遊客看得很清楚，也能體會魚身型之巨大。

There are several exhibits on shark eggs. Some eggs had part of the shell removed and replaced with a clear covering, so that visitors can see the tiny shark moving and growing inside the egg.
有幾個水箱展示各種鯊魚卵，館方在卵上開了小窗，蓋上透明的保護層，所以遊客可以看到小鯊魚在卵內扭動，成長的過程。

AND Nemos!!

For more photos, please click here to launch the photo album. 要看更多照片，請點選這裏。

Garden Cutie 花園異草

2009-06-14T01:47:00.000-07:00

We have a blue love-in-a-mist (Nigella) bush in the front garden. I don’t recall seeing a lot of flowers this year, but the weird thing is, I’m seeing a lot of seed pods now that the flowering season is over. These seed pods are the cutest things; they are like round balls with antennas on top. Some get as big as the size of a jawbreaker candy, and the stripes reminded me of an old school hard candy from my childhood.
前院花園有一小叢的藍色黑種草(英文俗名很美，叫「霧中之愛」)，今年很奇怪，好像沒看到很多花，但現在倒結了好多種果。這些種果很可愛，像顆上面有天線的小球，加上它的條紋，讓我想起小時候在迪化街買得到，長得像西瓜的糖果。

Chili, Chili, and More Chili

2009-06-09T01:11:00.000-07:00

Sunday was the annual Tustin Street Fair & Chili Cook-off at Old Town Tustin. June gloom was much in effect the entire morning, but the sun came out around noon and the weather turned quite warm, perfect for street fair. So many people came out for the event and several blocks of El Camino Real were packed. Lines were long but moved quite quickly. The chili ticket was $1 and the beer ticket was $4 (plus $2 for the wrist band). Even though I’m not a big fan of beans, I got $5 worth of chili tickets, and off I went in search of chili. There were also many other vendors selling different types of merchandise and snacks at the fair.
星期日正值附近塔斯汀市一年一度的街頭園遊會和吉利烹飪大賽。南加州的六月天很奇怪，不像其他月份陽光普照，反而雲層滿佈(但又不下雨)，早上蠻涼的，直到中午太陽出來時氣溫才上升。星期日也是一樣，還好園遊會開始時天氣就轉晴，變得很溫暖。當日塔斯汀市把老區的街道圍住成為徒步區，馬路兩旁都是攤位，除了參賽的吉利攤位外，還有各式各樣的小吃攤，精品攤，和資訊攤，整個街集人山人海，很多地方大排長龍，但移動的速度還算快。試吃吉利的票是一張一元，啤酒票是一杯四元(還要追加兩元的手環)。雖然我不喜歡豆子，但爲了參加盛會，還是買了五元的吉利票，擠進人群裏尋找好吃的吉利。

There were 30+ teams in the chili cook-off, and some stands were already out of chili by the time I got there. I looked for stands with long lines serving up interesting, delicious looking chili. Each chili I tasted had its own distinctive spice blend and ingredients; some were spicy, some were smooth, some were light, and some were chunky. Some had interesting presentation of their chili which made them stand out in a sea of chili, and some teams had funny name like “Morning Thunder.” I also saw a stand offering free antacid, and I totally understood why, for I’m still chewing Tums…
當日參加吉利大賽的有三十多個攤位，我去時有幾攤已經見鍋底了。我觀察其他人手上的吉利，看哪些攤位的料比較好，是不是有很多人排隊。我試吃的吉利每攤味道大不相同，各有各的秘方調味料，材料也不一樣，有的偏辣，有的偏淡，有的花很多時間燉肉，有的採素食路線。有的攤位花心思擺盤，有的攤位取名特殊，像是「早晨的雷聲」(嘿嘿，隔日脹氣的後果)，有個攤位還給胃藥，當時我想會這麼嚴重嗎? 嗯…我今天還在啃Tums腸胃藥…

Tustin Brewing Company served their chili in a small bread roll. The chili was on the salty side, but it would be great with a cold beer.
塔斯汀啤酒公司的攤位生意很好，因為他們把吉利舀到小餐包裏。這個吉利偏鹹，配啤酒剛剛好。

Wienerschnitzel also had a mobile food truck on site. They served out mini chili dogs, quite popular with the crowd.
熱狗店也出了一輛專有餐車，提供迷你吉利熱狗麵包，很有人氣。

The main street stage had a constant stream of performances and contests. When I walked by, a chili eating contest was underway. From the watermelon I saw on the side, it’s safe to say a watermelon eating contest was coming up.
園遊會的主要舞台有一連串的表演及比賽，我經過時正有吃辣椒比賽。看舞台旁有切好的西瓜，想必下一個是吃西瓜比賽。

To read the news coverage, please click here.

Senor Pedro’s Tacos 派卓先生塔可店

2009-05-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

There’s one more thing I like to share about my recent visit to San Juan Capistrano. There are several cafés-restaurants around the Los Rios Historical District that offer great ambiance and al fresco dining. However, most items on their menu easily start at $10, a little pricy for my budget. There are fast food joints near the Interstate 5 -Ortega Highway exit, but if you want to stay around the Mission/Los Rios District, Senor Pedro’s Tacos is a cheap alternative. Senor Pedro’s is located on Camino Capistrano, next to the Capistrano Trading Post and right across from the Mission. It is more like a food stand with tables outside, with fast service and the food is good.
上次去聖胡安卡皮斯特拉諾鎮還有一件事想與大家分享，就是午餐的選擇。在歷史園區裏和附近的大道上有幾家餐廳，有悠閒的情調和露天座位，當然，價位也相對的提高，籠統來說從十元美金起價，我呢是捨不得花這種錢。在5號公路與74號公路的出口處是有幾家快餐店，但如果想留在園區或傳道所附近，又不排斥墨西哥菜的話，派卓先生塔可店是個不錯的選擇。這家塔可店就在傳道所古蹟的對面，在紀念品店旁邊，有點像路邊攤，把座位設在外面，出菜快，價格也比較便宜。

I ordered a Meat Enchilada Combo ($5.59). Normally I don’t eat beans (and taro…it’s the mushy texture, and I’ve pretty much heard all the attractive adjectives people used to try to make me eat them), but I was very hungry that day, and the refried beans were surprisingly good. I finished every bite.
那天我還蠻餓的，就點了一客紅醬牛肉捲餅套餐 ($5.59) 。通常我是不碰豆類的(還有芋頭…討厭沙沙的口感…不管他人用綿綿，鬆鬆，等等形容詞來說服我，就是不喜歡)，不過因為餓，也嚐了一下豆子，出我意料的好吃，全部解決掉。

My friend ordered a fish taco. She said it was good and it’s only $1.88.
朋友點了魚肉塔可，頻頻說很好吃，又便宜，才$1.88。

The only drawback is no free refills for drinks. 唯一美中不足的是沒有免費續杯。

One Whisper Becomes A Roar 低語成為怒吼

2009-05-19T19:29:00.000-07:00

“One whisper, added to a thousand others, becomes a roar of discontent.” ~ Julie Garwood (The Secret)
「一聲耳語，加上上千句耳語，就會變成無法忽視的吼聲。」~茱莉•嘉伍德於小說<秘密的承諾>

There’s a special election in the state of California today; I voted, but from what I’ve seen at the polls, the turnout was low. Nevertheless, I made my voice heard through my ballot. With the atrocity that’s been going on in the Darfur region of Sudan, the latest injustice brought to Aung San Suu Kyi in Burma, and many other oppressions occurring around the world, I am once again reminded not to be voiceless. Our individual voice might be soft, but together we can be heard, and become the voice of those who are forced to be silent.
今天加州有個蠻重要的特別選舉，我有去投票，但從投票所空空盪盪的樣子看來，選民動員的程度不高，不過至少我的聲音有藉著我的一票出聲。想到蘇丹達爾富爾地區的屠殺，緬甸的翁山蘇姬所受到的迫害，還有各地為人所知及不為人所知的不公不義，我再次被提醒擁有自由的我不可以選擇無聲，反而有義務替無聲的人發聲。個人的聲音雖小，連結別人一起出聲的話會成為怒吼。

Mission San Juan Capistrano 燕子教堂

2009-05-13T03:11:00.000-07:00

When I was little, I loved visiting the old Chihkan Tower in Tainan (formerly Fort Provintia during Dutch occupation). The tower rooms furnished with “old” furniture seemed like a step back in time to me, and my overly active imagination would go into overdrive. Over the years, the tower gets prettier through conservation efforts…but it no longer seemed old to me.
小時候每當去台南祖母家時，總會想去參觀赤崁樓。印象中暗暗的樓房裏擺著老舊的桌椅(現在想應該不是古董)，好似走入時光隧道，最會空想夢想的我，腦子裏開始上演古裝戲。近年來赤崁樓好像越修越新，反而失去了古蹟的感覺。

Left: Soldiers Barracks 左: 士兵營房 | Right: Soldiers Barracks Exhibits 右: 士兵營房展示

Why do I mention Taiwan’s Chihkan Tower when I am writing about Mission San Juan Capistrano (MSJC) in Southern California? Well, memory association is such a fascinating subject; when I first visited Mission San Juan Capistrano years ago, a distinctive olfactory cue (i.e., musty smell of old buildings) somehow triggered my childhood memory of Chihkan Tower. Since then, I’ve always internally referred to MSJC as my Chihkan Tower in Southern California.
這篇是要介紹南加州橙縣的聖胡安卡皮斯特拉諾傳教所(以下簡稱MSJC或燕子教堂)，我怎麼會提到台南的赤崁樓呢? 說到這個，人的記憶聯想真的很有意思，好幾年前我第一次去燕子教堂時，那種古蹟特有的"霉味"和暗暗的房間，就讓我想到赤崁樓，之後哩我心裏就認定MSJC為我南加州的赤崁樓了。

Left: South Garden左: 南邊庭園 | Right: Central Courtyard右: 中庭花園

MSJC is one of my favorite places to visit. It’s an important place in California’s short history. The mission complex is carefully maintained and has a lot of well-planned exhibits about its history. The mission has gone through many conservation projects, but these efforts didn’t drastically change the looks and the feel of the Mission. Of all the California Missions I’ve visited, MSJC has the most beautiful gardens and informative museum rooms. No wonder it is also referred to as the Jewel of the Missions。
燕子教堂可說是我最喜歡的南加州景點之一，它在加州短短的歷史裏有重要的地位。整個園區常年來有精心的去維持修復，並有規劃完整的歷史展示，最可貴的是這些維修並沒有隨便去改變古蹟，主要是把脆弱的地方固定，加以保護，維持整體上的歷史價值。在我參觀過的加州西班牙傳教所裏，MSJC有最漂亮的庭園和最有教育性的展示，不虧被稱為是傳教所中之珍寶。

When I visited MSJC three weeks ago, I was surprised to find the adult admission price had gone up to $9.00; however, the admission price includes a self-guided audio tour. Each visitor is handed an audio player and a guide that lists corresponding numbers for each places, so visitors can stroll through the complex in their own pace and order. By the way, if you have the 2009 Orange County Edition Entertainment Book, there’s a buy-one-get-one-free coupon for the admission.
三星期前去參觀燕子教堂時，沒想到成人票竟然漲到九塊美金，後來看到新的價格包括語音導覽，就感覺稍微好一些。買完票後拿個人證件去借一台語音導覽機，走到哪裡就依簡介或介紹牌上列的數字按入導覽機內，拿到耳旁聽有關景點的介紹，完全沒有時間或流程上的壓力。對了，你若有今年度橙縣版的Entertainment Book，後面有一張買一送一的折價卷。

There are countless flowers and trees in the mission garden, and most are in full blooms already. There are also stunning monarch butterflies fluttering around. I love the Spanish style courtyards and the water fountains. Recently they added koi into the fountains. They are just beautiful swimming among the water lilies.
MSJC的花園很美，四季都有各式各樣美麗的花朵，這次看到帝王蝶在花園內飛舞，非常漂亮。這裏的庭院充滿西班牙風情，庭院中間都有個噴水池，最近水池裏也開始養錦鯉，在睡蓮中游來游去，看著看著不小心就忘了時間。

MSJC was established in 1776 by a Franciscan priest Junipero Serra to administer to local natives. At that time, a mission was a self sufficient community; it was the religious, political, and commerical center for the area. The residents grew crops, raised cattle, and had their own industrial center for metal, leather, and textile works. Archaeological excavations had revealed these areas to the visitors.
MSJC 是一位方濟會的瑟拉神父於1776年設立的，主要是與當地的印第安原住民傳教。當時的傳教所可以說是自取自足的共同體，在當地是為宗教，政治，生產的中心點。傳教所所支持的居民們自己耕種，牧養牛群，生產所需的建材、皮革、蠟燭、布匹等等。遊客們可以看到考古學家在MSJC挖掘出來的生產區遺跡，像是鎔爐、染缸、釀酒池等等。

The most impressive ruin in MSJC is the Great Stone Church. The Great Stone Church took nine years to build, but it collapsed during an earthquake in 1812. However, the remaining apse is still impressive today.
園區內最重要的遺跡就是大教堂。這原有七個圓頂的大教堂花了九年才大功告成，卻在1812年的大地震中倒塌，之後也沒重建。教堂後方的半圓壁龕依然矗立，走近看還是感到非常宏偉。

Left: Spanish Period Exhibits左: 西班牙時代展示 | Right: Rancho Period Room右: 牧場時代展示

After Mexico gained its independence, the mission system fell apart. Soon MSJC was auctioned off to private owner and entered its Rancho Period, and one of the museum rooms was dedicated to this period. After California gained its statehood, President Lincoln restored the ownership of the mission to the Roman Catholic Church.
墨西哥獨立後，傳教所體制漸漸失去功用，不久MSJC就被墨西哥政府拍賣，成為私人牧場，從西班牙時代進入所謂的牧場時代，園區內有個房間專門展示這段時期留下的一些文物。再過許多年後，今天所謂的加州成為聯邦的一州，在林肯總統任內土地所有權又回歸於羅馬天主教教會手中。

Another local legend of the mission is the arrival of the swallows on March 19 each year (Saint Joseph’s day), and build nests here under the mission arcade. The Mission Bells are rung to announce the Swallow Day, and the town holds a week-long celebration.
當地有名的還有燕子的傳說，傳說中每年三月十九日(天主教的聖約瑟日)燕子們會回到傳道所屋簷下築巢。這日一早神父就會敲鐘宣告聖約瑟日的到來，也是一年一度燕子祭的開始。

If you ever visit Southern California, I recommend you plan a visit to Mission San Juan Capistrano. Trust me, it will be less stressful and tiring than a day spent at the Disneyland (Oh, and A LOT cheaper)…only 30 minutes drive south from Disneyland.
若你有機會來南加州玩的話，不妨計劃多加一個景點到MSJC逛逛。我保證比去迪斯奈樂園大排長龍擠一天還要輕鬆，並且便宜很多很多，而且離迪斯奈只有三十分車程而已，離海邊也很近喔!

For more photos, please click on any of the pictures posted here to launch the album. 我還有很多照片沒有登出來，若有興趣的話，點選以上任何照片將會連接到寫真集。

Los Rios Historical District 歷史園區

2009-05-02T16:00:00.001-07:00

Last weekend my friend Sue invited me to go somewhere with her to take a breather. We decided on a nearby small town San Juan Capistrano (Orange County, California) because it’s been a while since I last went there. The town is named after its historic Mission San Juan Capistrano, dedicated to an Italian Saint Giovanni from Capistrano. The town is also known for the return of the swallows celebration on March 19.
上週末朋友疏子約我出去散散心，放鬆一下，我想到好久沒去附近的聖胡安卡皮斯特拉諾鎮 (南加州橙郡)，就決定去那裏逛逛。這個小鎮的名字很長，是以當地為紀念一位卡皮斯特拉諾(義大利)出身，名叫約翰的天主教聖人的西班牙傳道所古蹟來命名，此鎮也因燕子的傳說出名，以下我就以SJC為簡寫。

Left: Souvenirs Store 左上:紀念品店 | Right: Old Barn Antique 右上: 古董店

Ever since my first visit, I have a special fondness towards this quaint little town. History fills the air; Spanish architecture, narrow streets, al fresco cafes, crammed antique shops, and strolling tourists all add to its charm. The main attractions of this town are the Mission and the Los Rios Historic District.
我向來對SJC情有獨鍾，因為它充滿歷史小鎮的風情，有西班牙式的建築，窄窄的路，露天的餐廳，擠得滿滿的古董店，和隨性閒逛的遊客。SJC主要的景點就是傳道所和歷史園區。

SJC’s train station is unassuming and simple. Right across the station is a small historic district along the narrow Los Rios Street, which is paralleled to the train track. Both sides of Los Rios are lined with several historic houses and adobes; some have turned into restaurants and shops, and some remained private residences. The owners of these houses are dedicated to the preservation of these historic homes. You can see their hard work from the carefully maintained exteriors and gardens, which must take a lot of time and efforts…the battles against termites alone must requires a lot of investment.
SJC火車站很簡單，就一條鐵道而已，徒步走過平交道就是以Los Rios街為中心的小小歷史園區。這園區與鐵道平行，主要是看街道兩旁的老木屋和泥磚屋，大多已變成精品店或餐廳，也有幾家還是私人住宅，不過這些房子的主人都以保存屋子歷史價值為主旨，不會隨便亂修改建，從這些房子的外觀及可愛的庭院就可以感受到主人們的用心與決心…在南加州維持木屋可不簡單，光是與白蟻對抗就可能花費不少喔!

Left: Tea House 左上:下午茶館 | Right: Cottage Home & Garden 右上: 小屋居家園藝精品店

Above: Mi Tesoro Garden Store | 上: 『我的珍寶』園藝店

The first house facing the entrance is the Rios Adobe. This adobe is still owned and resided by the Rios family. As the sign indicated, Stephen Rios the attorney lives and works there. Recently I saw him on a PBS show about SJC; he’s quite involved in the historical preservation of this town.
一走進園區看到的就是里歐斯泥磚屋，這有兩百多年歷史的泥磚屋還是由里歐斯家族擁有，現由一位里歐斯律師居住，他在當地歷史協會也很活躍，不久前我在介紹此鎮的公共節目中有看到他。

The oldest building in the district is the Montanez Adobe built in 1794. Currently the adobe and the park upon which the adobe is situated are closed off due to maintenance. In my previous visits, I’d gone into the adobe; I remembered the rooms were very small and dim, with dirt floor. It’s hard to imagine living there, but again we modern people are quite spoiled and accumulate a lot more stuff with us. I also remembered there used to be a display of an old iron cage that was used to lock up people, very western.
園區內最古老房子是1794年建的蒙他涅茲泥磚屋，房子和它位於的公園現在正在整修，沒有開放。我記得以前來時有進去屋子內看過，房間又小又暗，下面是泥土地板，很難想像在裏面生活，不過我們現代人是被寵壞了，身邊東西也很多。還有特別記得公園裏放了一個以前關壞人的鐵籠子，很有西部拓荒的氣氛。

Left: O'Neill Museum 左上: 歐尼爾博物館 | Right: Old Farm House at Zoomars 右上: 兒童動物園的老農舍

On the other end of the Los Rios Street are the O’Neill Museum, Zoomars Petting Zoo, and Ito Nursery. The museum is an old Victorian house with artifacts and documents about this town. The petting zoo used to be a family farm, but now a place for children’s birthday parties and hanging out with animals.
園區另一邊有個歐尼爾博物館，兒童動物園，和伊藤花圃。博物館是一棟維多利亞式的木屋，主要是展示當地幾個家族的歷史文物。兒童動物園前身是個家庭農場，現在提供野餐派對的場地和給小朋友接觸動物的機會。

Left: Llama 左上:大羊駝 | Right: Pot-bellied Pigs 右上: 大肚豬

For more photos, please click on any of the pictures posted here to launch the album. 我還有很多照片沒有登出來，若有興趣的話，點選以上任何照片將會連接到寫真集。

Chicken Curry Tea Sandwich 咖哩雞肉茶點三明治

2009-04-20T01:55:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend, I hosted my first ever afternoon tea time for a couple friends of mine. It was aimed to be a relaxed affair, with miss-matched cups and saucers, and simple refreshments. In addition to catching up with each other, we used this small gathering to exchange and give away skincare samples we’d collected through those enticing “gifts with purchase” sales events that women so loved. I think it turned out pretty well.
週末時我邀請幾位最近比較少見面的朋友來坐坐，喝下午茶，聊個天，輕鬆一下。其實我也是第一次請朋友喝下午茶，所以一切以簡單方便為準，不同花色的杯子、盤子湊在一起，很隨性。加上女人們常趁有贈品活動時去買化妝保養品，櫃子裏各式各樣的樣品及贈品越積越多(其實是我啦!)，姊妹們趁這個茶會各取所需，交換一下不同品牌的樣品試試。

Along with the Earl Grey tea, I prepared a couple chocolate chips cookies, scones, and my version of the chicken curry tea sandwich, which is super simple and quick. All measurements provided are approximate; please make adjustments according to your taste and preference.
這次茶會泡的是伯爵紅茶，有佛手柑油的香氣。茶點主要是餅乾、司康、和點心三明治。我的咖哩雞肉三明治很簡單，很快就可以做好。以下材料份量只是抓個大概，請你照自己口味喜好加以調整。

Ingredients:

1 cooked chicken breast shredded (great if you have left-over rotisserie chicken)
1/3 cup low fat mayonnaise, or just enough to moisten
1 tablespoon sweet pickled relish (the kind for hotdogs)
½ teaspoon dried tarragon
Lettuce, 1-2 leaves, shredded
Dash of curry powder to taste
Dash of black pepper
8 slices of fresh white or buttermilk bread, with edges removed
Dash of salt (if the chicken breast is not seasoned)
Optional: chopped walnut, golden raisins, celery

材料:

1 片鹽水雞胸肉，弄成絲狀 (若用吃剩的現成烤雞也可)
1/3杯低脂美乃滋，只要足夠把材料充分混和即可
1 大匙剁碎的美式酸黃瓜，就是配熱狗的那一種
½小匙龍蒿
1-2片生菜切絲
鹽少許(若雞肉不鹹的話)
咖哩粉少許
胡椒少許
8 片土司把邊邊切掉
還可放切碎的核桃、白葡萄乾、西洋芹等等

In a mixing bowl, mix shredded chicken, mayonnaise, relish, curry powder, tarragon, and black pepper well. If your chicken is bland, you might want to add a little salt. Don’t add the lettuce unless you are serving the sandwich right away. Curry powder can be very strong, so only add a little dash at a time. You want a hint of curry without overpowering the entire sandwich. Tarragon brings a little sweetness and fragrance to the sandwich, and this herb goes very well with chicken dishes. Pickled relish adds tanginess to the chicken salad and crunchiness. If you have time, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the flavors develop while refrigerated.
將材料放在一個大碗裏充分混和，若不是要馬上吃的話，先不要放生菜下去，免得出水。咖哩粉只要放一點味道就會很強，所以不要一次放太多，只要嚐得出一點咖哩味即可，免得壓過其他材料的味道。龍蒿很合適西洋雞肉料理，放一點會帶出特有的甜味及香氣，酸黃瓜則是加入甜酸味及脆脆的口感。有時間的話先把調味好的雞肉沙拉放到冰箱裏讓這些香料味道整合，溶入雞肉絲裏。

When you are ready to assemble the sandwich, add shredded lettuce to the chicken and mix well. Make the sandwich and cut each in half.
最後把生菜絲混入雞肉絲中，然後將雞肉沙拉夾在兩片土司中，再把三明治切半即可。

Show and Tell 現一下

2009-04-14T00:05:00.000-07:00

Two months ago Cousin Tim introduced me to free online sweepstakes. After seeing some of the goodies he had won so far, I started visiting sweepstakes websites almost every day. After two months of hard work, and hours spent on typing and clicking, I recently received an unexpected package. Hee hee…it turned out I won a set of Skullcandy skullcrushers subwoofer headphones through the Mountain Dew Voltage Sweepstakes. This prize came at the most opportune time for I’ve been looking for a new set of headphones, and now I got a free pair. For those of you who clicked on the Mountain Dew banner I put in this blog, I thank you, because your clicks were my precious extra entries. Now I found a renewed resolve to continue my sweepstakes submissions -- I have my eyes on the Wii and Xbox consoles!
兩個月前跟堂哥閒談時聊到免費的網路抽獎活動，看到他贏到各樣好康的獎品，我的心也跟著癢起來。這兩個月來我幾乎天天上幾個固定的網站填表格(拍謝,多半限定美加地區)，經過無數小時的打字和點擊滑鼠後，我終於收到一個包裹。嘿嘿，我竟然在山露汽水的每週網路抽獎活動中贏了一付Skullcandy重低音時尚耳機，這耳機來得真是時候，因為過去幾個月我都在物色耳機，現在用不著花錢了! 我在此也要謝謝點選格子裏山露汽水廣告的朋友們，因為你們每點一次我就多一個抽獎機會。原本快要氣餒的我，現在又找到新的動力繼續參加抽獎，我下個目標是Wii和Xbox!

Update: I also won a flexible keyboard from this sweepstakes, but the promotion has ended. 我後來又抽到一個軟骨鍵盤，不過這個抽獎活動已結束了。

Alice’s Awesome Potstickers 愛麗絲版鍋貼

2009-04-09T01:38:00.000-07:00

First of all, I want to thank my friend Alice C. for sharing the secrets of her awesome potstickers. 首先要謝謝朋友愛麗絲分享這個鍋貼食譜以及她的秘方。

A while ago Alice invited me and several others to her house for a potstickers party. Her potstickers are a little different from the conventional potstickers so I asked her for the recipe. But as with many home recipes, I will not be providing precise measurements of the ingredients…the joy of cooking is for you to experiment and find your own favorite combinations.
幾週前朋友愛麗絲請我與幾位朋友去她家聚聚，順便包鍋貼。愛麗絲版的鍋貼與平常的鍋貼有點不同，所以就向她請教作法，不過就像很多的家常食譜，多半是憑感覺及經驗抓份量，所以以下的食譜只是大概，僅供參考之用，你有興趣的話就自己試試，找出你喜歡的組合，這就是烹飪之樂嘛!

Ingredients 材料:
Approx 1 pound fresh ground pork, half a Napa cabbage finely chopped (more if you like veggies), minced Chinese chive, one egg, store-bought dumpling wrappers (do not use wonton wrappers)
一磅新鮮豬肉絞肉，半顆白菜剁碎(若喜歡菜就多放一點)，韭菜切碎，一顆蛋，現成水餃或鍋貼皮

Basic Prep 基本步驟:
In a large bowl, sprinkle salt to the finely chopped Napa cabbage to release the water, and then drain the cabbage well. In another bowl, season the ground pork with soy sauce, sesame oil, minced garlic, cooking wine, and ginger juice. Mix until the meat gets a little sticky. Mix in the drained Napa cabbage, pork, minced Chinese chive, and one egg until well combined.
先在剁好的白菜放點鹽巴讓它出水，之後瀝乾。肉餡用點醬油、麻油、蒜蓉、酒、及薑汁調味，然後攪拌讓它產生黏性。將瀝乾的白菜、韭菜、及一顆蛋加入絞肉，攪到完全混合。

Put about a spoonful of filling along the center line of each dumpling wrapper. Slightly wet the edge of the wrapper and pinch the two sides together. Alice’s version leaves the two ends open so it’s really easy to do.
將肉餡包入麵皮中，不過愛麗絲的版本只有將中間部分的麵皮黏住，兩端是開的，做起來很容易。

Pour some oil into a hot pan, and line up the potstickers. Make sure they do not stick together.
在熱鍋中放點油，把鍋貼排好，留點空間不要讓皮黏在一起。

Here’s the secret: Instead of cooking the potstickers in water, you make a slurry with a bowl of water, approx 1 teaspoon of corn starch, and 1 teaspoon of vinegar. It will make the bottom skin of the potstickers super crunchy later on, and smell appetizing.
愛麗絲的撇步是: 先將要放入鍋中的水勾點芡，並且放一小匙醋，這樣煎起來的鍋貼皮才會酥脆，而且聞起來，吃起來很開胃。

Pour enough slurry into the pan so the liquid almost covers the potstickers. Cover the lid and cook for 7 minutes.
將勾芡的醋水放入鍋中，幾乎蓋過鍋貼。蓋上鍋蓋煎煮七分鐘。

After 7 minutes, uncover the lid so the remaining liquid can evaporate, and the potstickers form a crunchy layer at the bottom.
七分鐘過後開鍋蓋，把剩下的水分收掉，並使鍋貼底面煎脆。

Voila! To plate the finished potstickers, flip the pan over onto a receiving plate so the potstickers are presented bottoms up. 大工告成! 把煎好的鍋貼翻面放到盤子上。

I like a dipping sauce with red chilli paste, minced garlic, soy sauce and a little vinegar. 我喜歡用辣椒醬、蒜蓉、醋、及醬油來做沾醬。

You can make this with diced shrimp as well. Let us know after you tried this recipe!
你也可以用剁碎的蝦仁來做鍋貼。歡迎你與我們分享試做愛麗絲版鍋貼的心得!

Regeneration 春風吹又生

2009-04-01T18:44:00.000-07:00

View of San Gabriel Mountains from Chino Hills State Park 從奇諾崗遠望聖蓋博山脈

A big wild fire devastated much of the Chino Hills State Park in Southern California last November. Recently I saw a feature article in the newspaper about the wildflowers in Chino Hills State Park, so I planned a Saturday visit there with my friend Sue. Chino Hills State Park is only about 40 minutes drive from where we live, and the park is surrounded by urban development and residential areas.
去年十一月南加州好幾處都被森林大火蹂躪，其中奇諾崗州立公園受害不淺。最近在報紙上看到介紹野花季節的文章，特別提到奇諾崗州立公園的種種花朵，就與朋友疏子相約去踏春。奇諾崗州立公園離我們住的地方車程只有四十分鐘，並被市區圍繞，附近包括華人眾多的鑽石吧，羅蘭崗等城市，所以不算是很偏僻的地方。

Because it was our first visit, we didn’t know much about the condition of the 3 mile dirt road between the Sapphire Road entrance and the parking area at Rolling M Ranch, so we decided to park at the residential area and hiked in. We walked along the Bane Canyon Road and met quite a few hikers, joggers, cyclists, and cars. Each time a car passed by, a dirt cloud completely covered us. Some stretch of the road was quite steep and narrow, and we had to get out the way for incoming cars.
因為這是我們第一次來這個公園，對進入公園內部老牧場停車區的三英哩泥土路情況不熟，決定把車子停在入口附近住宅區路上，徒步進入公園。我們走的Bane Canyon Road前面部分蠻陡，又窄，有時得閃到一旁讓車子通過，不過使用這條路的人還蠻多的，有散步的、慢跑的、騎單車的、還有開車進去營區的。每當車子經過時，隨後揚起一片塵土，躲也躲不掉，揮也揮不散。

Left: wild mustard flowers 左:野芥末花 Right: filaree 右:芹葉牻牛兒苗

Left: wild radish flowers 左:野芥菜花 Right: fiddleneck 右:琴頸草

Both sides of Bane Canyon Road were covered with tall grass and wildflowers. Occasionally a lizard scrambled by, and birds chirped loudly overhead. We saw a huge ant at least an inch long struggling along the road with two missing legs (a queen ant perhaps?). We got spooked twice by the plastic water bottles in our backpacks; the slushing sound from the water bottles sounded like low growls and we thought maybe a bobcat was hidden in the tall grass…
路旁兩側的山坡上滿遍的野草野花，有時小蜥蜴突然從腳前穿過，樹上也傳來陣陣鳥叫聲，我們也看到一隻超大，至少有三公分，缺了兩支腳的螞蟻在路上困難的走著(應該是蟻后吧?)。有兩次我們被自己背包裏的塑膠水瓶嚇到，因為水的聲音乍聽之下像動物低嚎的聲音，我們以為有山貓躲在路旁的野草裏警告我們…

It got quite warm toward noon time, and we decided to turn back before reaching the Rolling M Ranch. Along the trail we saw fields dominated by yellow wild mustard flowers and white wild radish flowers. A lot of the trees were burnt during the November fire, but showed signs of new life here and there. I was expecting to see lots of California poppies, blue bells, etc. but didn’t see them at all along Bane Canyon Road. I will have to come back for another visit and hiked other trails through the park. There are more photos in the photo album.
中午時的氣溫蠻熱的，所以我們在抵達老牧場前決定往回走。步道兩旁幾乎都是黃色的野芥末花及白色的野芥菜花，
大部分的樹看起來都是燒焦的，但有幾棵長出新葉，有復甦的跡象。我本想說會看到滿片的加州方菱草或藍鈴花等等，但都沒看到，也許要走老牧場附近的其他徒步小路吧? 打算另找一天再回來探險。要看其它照片請點選寫真集。

Since we were parched and hungry by the time we got back to our car, we decided to go to the popular Earthen restaurant for lunch at the nearby Hacienda Heights, but that’s another story.
當我們回到車子時，又熱又渴又餓，所以決定去附近哈崗的口品小館吃中飯，不過這是另一個故事了。

Peach or no peach (2)

2009-03-20T17:26:00.000-07:00

The uncharacteristic rain storms in February got me worried because the storms knocked down quite a few peach blossoms (see last post). Good news! I see the beginning of baby peaches on the tree! In two more months they will ripen to delicious peaches.
二月的大雨打落了許多剛開不久的桃花，讓我很擔心會影響今年桃子的收成(請看上篇文章)。好消息! 樹上已看得到初結的桃子，兩個多月後應該就會有成熟的桃子可以享受。

In another related fruit tree update from the Yucca Garden, after taking a one-year break, the mandarin orange tree in the front yard is again covered with flower buds and some have begun to bloom. The sweet aroma fills the air near the front door. I was so happy to see a few precious bees buzzing around the flowers; after the mysterious and almost catastrophic disappearance of bee colonies in the last two years, these buzzing friends have become a welcoming sight. If the busy bees keep up their good work and the weather continues to cooperate, I shall expect to see bright orange fruits at the end of the year, and get to enjoy eating them early 2010…yes, it takes a whole year for the oranges to mature. These sweetly sour fruits are doubly precious to me because our tree only flowers every other year.
另一個與庭院果樹相關的消息是，經過一年的休息，柑橙樹終於又開花了，整樹滿滿的白花使大門口充滿甜甜的花香，也看到幾隻蜜蜂飛來飛去採蜜。過去兩年蜂群神秘的消失使各地農民拉警報，現在每當看到蜜蜂在花園裏採蜜，都會很高興。若蜜蜂們繼續努力做工，加上氣候適當配合，今年年底就可以看到滿樹鮮橘色的柑橙，明年初就有甜中帶酸的柑橙可以吃了…橘類是需要一年才會成熟的，像我家這一棵還是兩年才開一次花，更加珍惜喏。

Happy St. Paddy’s Day 聖派屈克節

2009-03-15T21:37:00.000-07:00

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I don’t really celebrate St. Patrick’s Day (plus I’m such a lightweight when it comes to consuming alcoholic drinks), but I think we should respect other culture’s important holidays. I remembered clearly my first St. Patrick’s Day in the U.S. because I got pinched at school for not wearing green that day. I then noticed my ESL teacher Susan wasn’t wearing green either, and dutifully pointed that out to her…and her reply somehow still irks me to this day…she said, “well, my eyes are green.”
我平常不過聖派屈克節(三月十七日)，因為是台灣人嘛，不是愛爾蘭裔，但對其他族裔的重要節日也是要尊重。聖派屈克節最近在美國非愛爾蘭裔族群中越來越有人氣，主要是變型為喝啤酒*爛醉*的節日，不過我酒量不好，也不喜歡啤酒。我清楚記得在美國過的第一個聖派屈克節，因為不知道傳統上那天要穿有綠色的衣服，一到學校莫名其妙就被同學捏，然後我注意到英文老師蘇珊身上也沒有綠色，就提出我的疑問，她回答說: 「有啊! 我眼睛是綠色的。」…不知為什麼，到現在我還是對她的回答很不爽…若是這樣，那我錢包裏的美金算不算哩?

Anyway, Agia informed me that she’ll be wearing green for the next three days because one of her colleagues she is working with is from Scotland.
話說回來，宐告訴我她接下來三天都得穿有綠色的衣服，因為與她合作的一位教授是蘇格蘭來的，很重視這節。

Well, for those who are celebrating St. Paddy’s day, have a nice time, but don’t drink and drive!
你若參與聖派屈克節的派對，祝你玩的愉快，但千萬不要酒後駕駛喔!

Oh…for those who don’t know, the male dancer in our troupe is my cousin Ted.
噢，我們<舞團>的男主角是堂弟悊，謝謝他特別客串!

A New Home for Spotty 小花搬新家

2009-03-14T00:22:00.000-07:00

Generally I’m quite squeamish about bugs and things that crawl, but I must admit I’ve developed a fondness for Spotty (even though I would never touch it). Spotty had been hiding, or should I say “tangled up,” among the daisies most days of this week; several days I had to lie on my belly to peer into daisies in search of Spotty’s long tail to pinpoint its location (I wish I had the “Gyo” Nen technique from manga Hunter X Hunter). Last two days, Spotty moved toward the driveway again and lingered along the concrete edge. This behavior worried me because Spotty might get on the sidewalk or onto the street.
平時我對昆蟲和其它會爬的東西都很討厭，不過這三星期下來，我對蜥蜴小花從罪惡感引發的關心漸漸變成好感(雖然我還是絕對不會用手去摸它)。過去這個星期，小花幾乎隱身在--或該說是「卡在」--雛菊叢裏，有好幾天我得趴在地上仔細觀察雛菊叢，找小花長長的尾巴(我若有漫畫<獵人>中「凝」的功力該有多好!)。過去兩天小花又跑出來，在花圃與車道邊緣徘徊，我真擔心它會爬到走道或馬路上。

And that’s exactly what happened yesterday afternoon. I found Spotty curled up ON THE STREET after I pulled into the driveway. Its long tail was bent in a weird angle…I hope I didn’t run over the tail? I took out a dustpan and was about to scoop Spotty up when Nigel, my neighbor’s kid, came by. Nigel was interested in what was going on, and asked if he could show Spotty to his dad. So I scooped Spotty into Nigel’s bicycle helmet, and off he went.
結果，小花昨天下午真的爬到馬路上! 通常我把車停好後，都會順道去花圃看看小花，昨天下午也是一樣，明明出門前小花還與花為伍，短短幾小時後卻不見身影，轉頭一看發現它在馬路上捲著，尾巴尾端彎的很奇怪，該不會被車子壓到吧? 我拿了畚箕要把小花重新移到花圃時，鄰居小男孩跑過來看我在做什麼，他問我可不可以把小花拿去給他”把拔”看。我就把小花放在小男孩的單車安全帽裏，告訴他看完了要把小花放回花圃。

After I parked my car and unloaded the groceries, I strolled over to Nigel’s house and see what was up with Nigel and his friends. I told them about Spotty’s injuries and how it had been recovering. Nigel’s dad told me there’s another lizard happily living in his backyard, which is full of crickets and other bugs to eat. Hmm…a backyard certainly offers more protection than a flower bed next to a driveway…so I made the decision to let Nigel keep Spotty. I will miss checking up on Spotty everyday and blogging about our misadventure, but I believe Spotty is in a safer place, with curious and kind kids looking after its wellbeing.
我把車箱裏的菜處理好後，就走去鄰居家看小男孩和他的朋友們在做什麼。我敘述小花受傷經過時，鄰居先生告訴我他家後院也有一隻蠻大的蜥蜴快樂地活著，因為他家後院有很多蟋蟀可以吃。嗯…後院聽起來是比路旁花圃安全多了…所以我當下答應小男孩的要求讓小花搬去他家後院住。雖然以後沒法天天去探小花並繼續寫小花歷險記，一想今後小花可以在安全的環境裏繼續療傷，並有一群好奇又溫柔的小朋友照顧它，我想這還是最好的決定。

Where is Spotty 小花在哪裡

2009-03-06T20:34:00.000-08:00

I didn't post any updates on Spotty this past week because I have been under the weather myself. Good news, Spotty is still hanging around. I figured if Spotty can make it for two weeks, the prognosis is good. I’m still concerned though, because I think Spotty’s equilibrium is off, severely affecting its motor functions; I probably did cause some brain damage...*sniff*. For several days, Spotty took cover under daisies, and I couldn’t find it no matter how hard I looked. Unless Spotty was moving around while I was looking, it’s almost impossible to spot it, as you can see from the pictures. The last two nights Spotty moved out in the open again. I guess if the birds/animals haven’t gotten to Spotty by now, it is probably “safe” out in the open.
這幾天因為感冒，沒有天天報告小花的近況…好消息，小花還健在。我想小花已撐了二星期，應該脫離險境了吧? 我還是有點擔心，因為仔細觀察小花的動作，它的平衡感有問題，影響到運動功能，應該是傷到腦部…唉。有幾天小花躲到雛菊下面，我看來看去都找不到，除非剛巧遇到小花在移動，幾乎注意不到它，因為它的花紋與花草融為一體，根本分不清楚，有圖為證。過去兩天小花又從花堆跑出來，在空曠的地方休息。我想既然兩個星期來沒有鳥兒或動物來碰小花的話，它在空曠的地方過夜應該是安全吧?

惱人的氣候，迷人的雪景 Irritating Weather, Beautiful Snow

2009-03-01T03:03:00.000-08:00

最近台灣忽然變得好熱，一點也不像冬天，有些懊惱冬天就這麼快結束了嗎？雖說還會變天變冷，但不禁讓我想要翻看去年二月多在北海道的札幌〈Sapporo〉、小樽〈Otaru〉、洞爺湖〈とうやこ〉及支芴湖〈しこつこ，當時剛好遇到支芴湖冰濤祭〉所拍攝的雪景來涼快一下。
Recently the tempeture shot up to way hot in southern Taiwan; could this be the end of winter? Even though there's a good chance the temperature will cool down again, I can't help but flip through my photo album from last February, when we visited Sapporo, Otaru, Lake Toya and Lake Shikotsu in Japan's Hokkaido. Our visit coincided with Lake Shikotsu's Annual Ice Festival, and the photos certainly helped me to cool down.

左下:小樽運河 Left Below: Otaru's Canal

右上: 從The Windsor Hotel大型落地窗向外望的洞爺湖美景 Above Right: View of Toya Lake from The Windsor Hotel

洞爺湖景色 More photos of Toya Lake

洞爺湖畔，好鬆軟的雪啊 soft snow on the lake shore

洞爺湖中的小火山群 Small volcanoes inside Lake Toya

去年台灣的過年期間較晚，到日本時恰好可觀賞到Sapporo的雪祭〈雪まつり，固定每年的二月初舉辦一週，今年是第60回〉，可見對於北海道來說，二月時節仍然還是在雪片紛飛的時候。
Last year the lunar new year holidays fell later on the calendar, so that we were able to check out Sapporo's Snow Festival. This annual festival (this year is the 60th) takes place in the beginning of February and lasts for a whole week. In Hokkaido, February is very much a snowy month.

札幌雪季的主題每年不同，去年以「愛護地球」為主題，強調要為未來的孩子們保護地球環境，其他也有許多團體、甚至各國代表所製作的雪雕作品來參與這一年一度的盛事，藉由作品展現出名景、意象、特色、趣味或可紀念的事件。雪季會場有三處，以市區的大通公園為主要會場，而在這些會場內所有大中小型的雪像作品所需要的雪量，則是從北海道各地收集後運送到會場來提供使用，工程浩大。所以，我一直有個疑問：如此大費周章的雪祭，怎麼只舉辦這些天而已勒？
Sapporo's Snow Festival has a different theme each year; last year's theme was "caring for the earth," with the message of protecting the environment for our future generations. Many local and international organizations participated in the festival with their own snow sculptures, capturing well-known landmarks, concepts, characters, humors, and historical events in hardened snow. The festival took place in three venues, with downtown's Oodori Park as the main venue. That's no small feat to gather the volume of snow needed for all the sculptures, and the snow came from all over Hokkaido. I have been wondering, if the preparation required so much effort, how come the festival only lasted for a week?

左下:2008雪祭主題雪雕 below left: 2008 Festival Theme Sculpture

左: 連塔摩利也出現了〈一看就認出是他〉
left: Tamori, a Japanese comedian

以下是去年支芴湖冰濤季的照片 Belows are photos from last year's Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival.

支芴湖畔 Lake Shikotsu | 誕生在支芴湖的小雪兔？Snow bunny?

冰濤祭會場入口 Snow Festival Entrance and Venue

左:支芴湖冰濤祭入夜後打燈，呈現出不同的氣氛
left: Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival at night

左上:巨型冰瀑，大約4層樓高 above left: huge ice fall, about 4-story high

左上: 冰濤祭中的松樹，整個被冰包圍 Above Left: pine tree covered in ice

Be Careful, Spotty 小花，小心點

2009-02-28T01:14:00.000-08:00

Day 7. Spotty moved faster and farther today. It took me awhile to find Spotty at the edge of the driveway; before long, Spotty’s front half was on the driveway and the lower half on the flower bed. Now I have to double check before I back out my car. When Spotty moves, it tends to tilt toward left and sometimes flips sideway; I think Spotty has a long way to go yet, if it can manage to stay away from more troubles.
事件發生後第七日，小花今天蠻會走動的，我找了好久才發現它已走到花圃的邊邊，就要走上車道了。沒多久，它真的就前身趴在車道上，後半身在花圃裏，我現在進出車庫時得要特別小心了。今天也看到小花把舌頭伸出來，不過小花走動時好像都會傾向左邊，有時還會翻過去，可能離完全恢復還有一段路要走吧? 它得要小心一點，遠離危險啊。

So, how big exactly is Spotty? I took a measurement when Spotty was almost fully straightened, about 10 inches; Spotty has a long tail, which didn’t fall off during the whole ordeal…another puzzle.
小花到底有多大隻? 今天趁它全身幾乎伸直時量了一下，有二十多公分長ㄟ，尾巴細細長長的…對了，事件發生時它怎麼沒斷尾啊?

Hang in There Spotty(2) 小花加油(二)

2009-02-27T17:31:00.000-08:00

Day 6. I prepared a photo to better illustrate the general location of where Spotty has been hanging around in the last couple days. I saw Spotty moved around a little faster today. At times I think he/she was also looking back at me.
我準備了一張照片好讓大家對小花活動的範圍有點概念。今天小花活動力似乎比過去幾天更強，動作也快了些，它把頭轉過來時我感覺它也在看我。

Hang in There Spotty 小花加油

2009-02-26T22:46:00.001-08:00

Day 5. This morning Spotty had moved slightly further away from the usual spot. Its skin pattern is such a good camouflage that I had to carefully scan the surrounding area to spot it. Spotty stayed up on its legs all day today; it didn’t move much, only made a 180 degree turn in the afternoon.
事件發生後第五日，小花移位到附近另一顆花旁，我是上下左右看了好幾回才發現到它，在花叢裏它的斑紋真的是很好的保護色。整天小花都用四腳站著，沒什麼動，只是在下午時180度轉身換個方位而已。

At dusk, when I was checking on Spotty, yet again, I started a conversation with an older gentleman walking his dog. The gentleman thought it was strange that I was looking at flowers in fading light. I told him about my encounter with Spotty, and he told me he’s also fond of these cute little lizards; he’s got three hanging around his house! He proceeded to tell me that his dogs love to chase after them, but never succeeded in catching one….see, that’s why I can’t understand why and how did I land on Spotty Sunday morning? The gentleman said to me that Spotty is going to be all right before he continued on to catch up with his dog. I certainly hope he’s right. At least tonight Spotty is resting in a more comfortable position than the night before.
黃昏時去探小花時跟一位遛狗的老公公聊了起來，他問我怎麼會在天快暗時看花，看得出顏色嗎? 我告訴他小花與我的際遇，老公公說他也喜歡這些小蜥蜴們，他家就有三隻在那邊逛來逛去，狗狗們常去追它們，但從沒抓住過一隻…所以哩，我還是想不通為什麼我會踩到小花? 老公公繼續散步前(哈!他的狗早就走好遠去啦!)，給我一句鼓勵的話，他相信小花會沒事，我也希望如此。至少，小花今晚休息的姿勢比較秀氣一點。

Spotty in Jeopardy(3) 小花歷險記(三)

2009-02-25T23:20:00.000-08:00

Day 4. I had a morning meeting today. I checked on Spotty while warming up the car. It looked asleep with its tail all curled up. When I returned, Spotty was half hanging off the rose plant and I took the above photo; it remained in this pose for most of the day.
事件發生後第四日，早上我有個會議，在暖車的時候順便先去花圃看看小花的情況。小花看似還在睡，長長的尾巴捲成一圈。快中午時我回到家，小花換了個姿勢，半掛在玫瑰花的枝子上，我就照了以上照片。整個下午小花就維持著這個姿勢，一動也不動。

I checked on Spotty one last time before I headed off to my Wednesday night bowling practice with friends ($1.50 per game after 9pm). Spotty was resting in a new pose, which looked uncomfortable and totally vulnerable to me, but Spotty didn’t seem to mind.
晚上要去和朋友打保齡球前(九點後一局美金一塊半)，我最後一次去探小花。小花換了個誇張的姿勢休息，看起來超彆扭，門戶大開，怎麼會用這麼不安全的姿勢哩? 我真替它緊張，但小花似乎一點也不在意。

Spotty in Jeopardy(2) 小花歷險記(二)

2009-02-24T21:11:00.000-08:00

Day 3 after the unfortunate incident. I went looking for Spotty in the morning. The sun was up and the air was warmer. I didn’t see Spotty in the usual spot. I wondered if it had gone away. I looked up and down the flower bed, didn’t see anything, and then I found Spotty under a freesia plant, only couple inches away from the “usual” spot. So Spotty began to move around a little more today. I checked on Spotty throughout the day; it seemed to change positions more often, and moved in a bigger radius today. Before sun down, I actually observed Spotty moved its head left and right, and took couple slow steps, probably getting into position for the night. I just wondered why Spotty didn’t hide in the ice plant bushes nearby for more protection, since it’s just as far as the freesia plant. I worried about animals like raccoons or opossums attacking Spotty. But again, Spotty is probably more aware of the environment than we could ever be, except couldn’t escape my foot.
事件發生後第三日，天氣晴朗，溫度也回升了些。我去花圃看小花，可是沒看到它的身影，心裏希望它傷勢恢復，回自己的地盤去了。我在花圃來回走著，後來發現小花走到離原來地方約十五公分的小蒼蘭下面曬太陽，可見它傷勢還沒恢復，但是好像活動力強了一點。每次回去看小花時，它的姿勢都會稍為不同，行動範圍也比昨天大了些。太陽下山前我親眼看到小花的頭彎來彎去，又慢慢地走了幾歩回到原來的地方，好像準備找個舒服的姿勢睡覺一般。我想不通的是，小花為什麼不躲進就在身邊的軟葉麟菊叢裏保護自己呢? 我好怕有動物攻擊它。話說回來，小花應該比我們更懂得保護自己吧? 但又為什麼偏偏被我採到哩?

Spotty in Jeopardy 小花歷險記

2009-02-23T23:58:00.000-08:00

Ugh…I did something awful yesterday…not intentionally though. After opening the garage door, I hurried to load something in the trunk, and felt I stepped on something soft under my flip-flop just a moment earlier. I looked down, horrified to see a familiar looking skink/lizard writhing belly up. Oh no! Could this be the same baby skink that’s been hanging around the house, only now grown bigger? Aren’t skinks supposed to be quick on their feet? How in the world did I land right on top of it, especially after the commotion of opening the garage door? Was the cold weather making it sluggish, like the frozen lizards in Florida? (click here to read the post from Improbable Research website)
嗯…昨天早上急著出門時無意中發生了一件讓我痛心的事。我開了車庫的捲門，穿著拖鞋急急忙忙要把兩袋東西放到後車廂裏，突然覺得前一步腳下好像踩到什麼軟軟的東西，往下一瞧，看到一隻蠻眼熟的小蜥蜴肚子朝上慢慢地扭著。天啊! 這隻該不會是去年常在前院、車庫出沒的小蜥蜴吧? 什麼時候長這麼大了? 蜥蜴不是動作很靈活的嗎? 車庫門那麼大聲的打開，我怎麼還會一腳踩在它上面? 難道天冷讓它變遲鈍了，就像佛羅里達州被凍到從樹上掉下來的蜥蜴一樣嗎? (看英文報導請點這裏)

Since I was really in a hurry, I made sure the skink was out of more harm’s way (well, I wouldn’t want to run over it again or have the garage door come down on it, right?). I drove off, and hoped it wasn’t hurt too badly. Its head was bent in a slightly funny angle, but everything else looked intact and I didn’t see anything oozing out.
因為趕時間，我心裏希望小蜥蜴沒有傷的太重。它的頭彎的角度有點不自然，但身體看來完整，也沒有什麼噁心的東西跑出來，我只能確認小蜥蜴不會被車輪或車庫門壓到，就開車走了。

After I returned two hours later, the skink was lying belly up on the drive way. Did I really deliver a fatal stomp? It was totally an accident! I got out a dustpan, gently scooped up the skink, and it moved! It was clearly hurt, but I didn’t know how badly, so I put it down in the flower bed, hoping it would be warmer there and offer more protection (and possibly food). Its movement was slow and at times I just thought it’s about to die. I also noticed a little blood in one of the eyes and along left side of its mouth. I checked on it throughout the day. Sometimes it stayed in the same position; sometimes its head moved to a different angle.
兩個鐘頭後，我回到家，看到小蜥蜴肚子朝上躺在車庫前的車道上。完了，難道我真的給它致命一腳嗎? 我真的不是故意的! 我拿了個畚箕，輕輕地把小蜥蜴舀起來，結果它動了! 我不知它的傷勢有多嚴重，也不知該怎麼處理，只好把它移到花圃裏，想說那裏會比較溫暖，也有保護(可能還有食物)。小蜥蜴的動作很慢，我想它的情況真的不太好，我也發現它一邊眼睛好像有出血，嘴巴一邊也有血跡。我三不五時就跑去花圃看看它，有時它幾個小時一動也不動，有時又發現它移動頭的角度。

The weather’s not cooperating. It was cold and raining. I started referring to it as Spotty the Lizard in my mind. I thought about Spotty the entire night. I hoped Spotty would be strong enough to move to a safer place. I hoped Spotty wouldn’t die.
天氣一直不太好，陰陰的，偶爾又下一點雨。我開始叫它小花，我整晩惦著小花，希望它有力氣跑到它認為安全的地方，希望它撐得過寒冷的晚上。

Morning came, and the weather was still grey and wet. I went to the flower bed, just to see if Spotty was still there. It was…it looked still and dead lying on its side. However, I didn’t see ants crawling all over it, and maybe, just maybe, that Spotty was still alive and was conserving energy.
一早，天空依舊飄著細雨。我又跑去花圃，看看小花是不是還在那裏。它還在…靜靜側躺著，像死了一般。可是我沒看到螞蟻在它身上爬著，也許，真的也許它還活著，只是不動保持體力。

I checked on Spotty again after the drizzle had stopped. It now was on all four, and hope burns a little brighter. A little later, Spotty was lying on its side and under a mini rose plant. Last I checked with my flashlight, Spotty curled up under the same rose plant. Another cool night awaits; Spotty is not out of the woods yet.
雨停後我又再跑去看小花，它這次用四腳站著不動，希望又再次燃起。過了一會兒，小花稍為移動到旁邊的玫瑰花下側躺著。今晚最後一次拿著手電筒去看時，小花在玫瑰花下捲著。今晩還是蠻涼的，小花還沒度過危險。

Bakery Café 咖啡烘培專賣店

2009-02-20T14:53:00.000-08:00

I finally got a chance to visit the new 85°C Bakery Café in Irvine; this Taiwanese chain opened its first US branch location in Irvine at the end of last year, but I haven’t had a chance to check it out until recently. I went there on a Saturday afternoon, and the line for the small bakery was insanely long! The café side was packed full as well, but the ordering process was fast. The display case was full of beautifully crafted cakes and desserts, all reasonably priced. I tried the Coffee Crème Brûlée Cake ($2.80); it’s fluffy, light, and not too sweet…much to my liking. I also ordered the 85°C Coffee, which I didn’t realized at the time came sweetened and with cream. I will definitely go there again for the sweet treats, but take them to go, and brew my own coffee at home. I don’t think I can ever enjoy a quiet cup of coffee ther because of its popularity.

我終於去試了去年年底在南加州爾灣市開幕的85°C咖啡蛋糕烘培專賣店，這是台灣的85°C在美國設立的第一家店，位於新開的亞裔商場內。我挑了星期六下午的空檔繞去看看，真是超多人! 咖啡店的一角是小小的烘培坊，排隊排到門外，我原想擠進去看看麵包的價錢，最後還是打退堂鼓。咖啡店那邊也是坐滿人，不過點飲料的隊伍較短，也進得很快。櫥櫃裏的蛋糕很吸引人，比起美式蛋糕在賣相及味道上都遙遙領先，價錢又公道。這種甜點對住在台灣或其他亞洲國家的讀者們來說一點也不稀奇，因為滿街都是，沒什麼好提的(你們很幸福喔~)，可是對長久住在美國的人來說，能吃到這種比較不甜，又漂亮的點心真的很難得。我點了咖啡布蕾蛋糕($2.80) - - 不是很甜，鬆鬆的口感，很和我的口味，倒是對招牌咖啡稍為失望，因為不知是加糖加奶的，所以喝了以後吃了一驚，配上甜點就有點過甜了。看此店超夯人氣，我想安靜地在店裏享受下午茶大概不太可能，以後還是把蛋糕外帶，回家自己泡咖啡吧?

Location: Diamond Jamboree Shopping Center, 2700 Alton Parkway, Suite #123, Irvine, CA 92606 http://www.85cafe.us

冬天的問候 Winter's Greeting

2009-02-14T00:00:00.000-08:00

寒冷的季節裡，大家是否安好？
How's everyone in this cold winter season?

在台灣，除非鋒面或寒流來襲時所能感受到一丁點寒冬的氣息，否則一向都是溫暖如春。特別在這個時候，總是會很期待到下雪的地方渡假，體驗真正的冬天，而距離台灣最近的雪國，就是日本的北海道了。雖然已經不是第一次造訪北海道的函館〈Hakodate，道南的海港城市〉，但是一想到又能看到雪景，就覺得好高興。
In Taiwan, unless visited by a cold front from Siberia, the winter weather is moderate, more like spring time. Therefore, I always yearn to visit a snowy place for a short vacation during this time of the year so that I can experience a real winter...and the closest snow country to Taiwan is Japan's north island Hokkaido. Even though this was not my first visit to Hokkaido's port city Hakodate, I was as excited as ever to see some real snow.

當天一早到函館就去朝市附近及金森倉庫晃晃，沒多久，天空即飄下大量的片片雪花。
First thing in the morning I visited the Hakodate Morning Market, and strolled along Kanemori Red Brick Warehouses. Before long, fat snow flakes started to fall from the sky.

市區道路的雪當然不夠淨白，甚至還會因為變成冰而滑倒摔跤，但卻時而能享受到正飄落下來的瑞雪所帶來的浪漫氣氛，到了晚上還能欣賞市區及教堂〈因為此地是海港城市，早期有許多洋人在此建造好幾間不同型態教派的教堂〉所營造出來的燈光，與雪景相互映照下，真是迷人。
The accumulated snow on the city streets was not "snowy white," but icy and slippery. However, I thought it was quite romantic to walk around while the snow was falling, and enjoyed the night view of downtown and the churches (early foreign visitors to this historic port city brought along their faith and built different styles of churches here). The night light and the snow created a charming atmosphere and scenery.

當然，我對於雪的期待何止如此而已，更何況北海道的雪質是全日本數一數二的，若不能躺在鬆軟綿密的雪上，怎能甘心呢？
Of course, these scenery only made me want to see more snow, espeically when Hokkaido claims to have the best snow in Japan. I HAD to lie down on the fluffy, cushiony snow.

因此，我們特地坐火車到離函館約30Km的大沼公園，公園內所有的湖面都已結冰又覆蓋一呎厚以上的雪，勉強循著之前已開過路的路徑〈也僅能容一人的寬度〉走進公園深處，周圍盡是美景，而路兩旁就是隨時可躺下的那種淨白鬆軟的雪，我忍不住往雪堆裡躺下，身體呈現最舒服的「大」字型，仰望著天空，哇呼！呈現眼前的是另一種角度的美景呢。
We (hubby came along too) took the train to Onuma National Park, about 30Km from Hakodate. The lake in the park had been frozen solid and covered with more than a foot of snow. We followed the narrow trail into the deeper part of the park, surrounded by beautiful scenery. Pure, fluffy, untouched snow coverd both sides of the trail; I couldn't resist to lie down and make a snow angel. Lying flat on the ground and looking straight up gave me another angle of the paradise.
此為我躺在雪地後的身印. This is the snow angel I made.

仰望天空的美景. Looking up at the sky.

大沼公園內靜謐優美的雪景. Scenery of Onuma Park.

左下:小動物的可愛足跡 Below left: Footprints of a small animal.

後記: 大沼公園昰最近日本很紅的歌曲"千の風になって"(千風之歌)的誕生地. 歌詞原為一首英文詩"請不要在我墳前哭泣."
Postscript: Onuma Park is the birthplace of a popular Japanese song called "A Thousand Winds." The lyrics was translated from the English poem "Do not stand at my grave and weep," written by Mary Elizabeth Frye.

若想讀中文歌詞,請點選迴響. Click on comments for the original poem.

Peach or no peach, that is a question

2009-02-11T01:36:00.000-08:00

February--time for the bare peach trees to greet the world with brilliant pink flowers, a tantalizing promise that in a few months the branches would be heavy with fruits. Yet an uncharacteristic strong storm blew through So Cal, knocking the fragile pedals to the soggy ground. Will I see peaches in April? (To be continued)
二月，是桃樹甦醒，以粉紅燦爛的桃花宣布冬天已將過去，並允諾幾個月後就會有芳香磊磊的桃子。可是南加幾天少見的滂沱大雨將脆弱的花瓣打散在地，不禁讓我懷疑，四月時看得到初結的桃子嗎? (待續)

Snow Scenes: Photo Essay 美東雪景

2009-02-08T19:38:00.000-08:00

I went to Grand Rapids , Michigan for a conference last week at the Calvin Theological Seminary, and you can see for yourselves what me meant by "bloody cold." Look at the impressive icicles.
上週我去密西根州大湍城的加爾文神學院開會，這才叫「冷死人」，看看那些冰柱！

When I got back to New Jersey, I was greeted by more snow. These were scenes from my neighborhood.
當我回到紐澤西，也是一片雪白，這些昰我家附近沿路的雪景。

Jeremy turned one-month old 哲銘滿月

2009-02-03T14:09:00.000-08:00

Jeremy turned one-month-old over the weekend, and Uncle Philip hosted a small family gathering. One of the highlights of the evening was playing Wii Bowling with little Amanda, who amazingly threw strikes and spares with her trademark high kick move; then she would earnestly give you her version of the play-by-play (if you listen hard you can pick up the important words here and there).
上週末小哲銘滿月，所以在大伯家有個小聚會，最精采的是跟小曼怜打Wii保齡球。曼怜年紀雖小，卻球技精湛，加上飛腿絕招，常常全倒，連大人也敗給她，此外她還會很認真的跟你報告剛剛打球的結果(嗯，努力聽的話可抓住重要的字，其它的就要揣測一下了)。

I uploaded recent photos of Jeremy, Syndy’s kids, and Ted’s trip to Taiwan/China to the family photo album.
我把哲銘的照片，怡家的近照，還有悊上個月去台灣及中國的照片一併上載到家族寫真集裏。

SH Anniversary 新春開格週年慶

2009-01-26T00:00:00.000-08:00

top to bottom: Agia, Viv, Sandy, Syndy | 由上而下: 宐、玟、忞、怡

Wow, I can’t believe it’s been a year since we started this blog. Last year I enlisted the cousins to co-author Serendipity Hsiehs, and we officially opened on last Lunar New Year. I wish I can create a funny greeting card to mark this momentous occasion, but hey, I’m no programmer…so I dug out “historical” photos, of four of us in 1979. These photos were taken around Lunar New Year too, since we were sporting festive red and pink, and all of us were gathered at grandma’s place. Lynn was taking her baby nap thus missing from the photos, and I have no idea where the boys were. Anyhow, happy Lunar New Year to you all, and welcome Year of the Ox.

哇! 開格一年了! 記得去年邀堂姊妹們一起分工合作弄個格子，壓力少又多元化，又能熱絡感情，就在大年初一開張了。原本想弄個春節電子賀卡來慶祝開格一週年，但必竟不是程式達人，想想就打消念頭了。不過倒是找到1979年我們四個格主的合照(少了怜)。當時也正過年，穿著棉襖，難得地聚在阿嬤家。怜只是小baby，在房裡睡午覺，所以照片裡沒有她。至於堂弟們在哪裏，我倒是想不起來…總之，在此恭祝大家新春愉快! 台灣牛精神加油!

Guava Show 芭樂秀

2009-01-23T00:00:00.000-08:00

Last winter Yucca Garden’s mandarin tree had a tremendous year with bright orange fruits covering the entire tree; yet as nature follows its own rule, the mandarin tree decided not to flower in the summer so there’s no oranges at all this season. On the other hand, the guava tree steps up in the last few months and bears impressive fruits (with much TLC from Aunt Suzie).
去年冬季花園的桔子樹大豐收，整顆樹掛滿鮮橘色的果實，充滿春節氣氛; 但大自然有自己的法則，桔子樹接下來在夏天反常沒開花，因此這個冬季連一顆桔子也沒有。不過呢，後院的芭樂樹很爭氣，在主人細心的呵護下，今年果實磊磊，個個超大。

After showing the guavas to a good friend via webcam, my friend’s kid Alex asked how big exactly are the guavas. So I took out my food scale and measured one of the fruits harvested. It’s quite hefty and weighed in at 1 lb 5 ¾ oz, height 4.3 inches, circumference 14 inches….and most importantly, absolutely delicious. (The scale is showing Kilogram in the photo.)
昨天跟朋友網上聊天時順便拿出芭樂現一現，朋友的小孩問芭樂到底有多大? 所以我拿了一顆沈沈的芭樂，放在磅秤量一量: 重 617 公克，高11公分，圓周36公分. 更重要的是，今年的芭樂粉好吃。

Classic Arctic Tale 經典北極物語

2009-01-20T22:26:00.000-08:00

I was flipping through channels the other day and came across a dog show on ESPN. A beautiful, beautiful, Siberian husky won the Best in Show. Then I remembered I had yet to watch a 1922 classic film DVD called Nanook of the North. I found the DVD, looked at the back cover, wondered how and if I could stay awake for 79 minutes of black and white SILENT film?

幾天前在亂轉電視台時剛好看到狗狗的選秀賽，總冠軍得主是一隻好漂亮又乖的西伯利亞哈士奇，就”熊熊” 想起一直忘了看之前買的一部叫【北方的納努克】經典影片DVD。找到片子後翻到背面瞄了一下簡介，慘了…片長79分鐘…黑白無聲片…1922年製作…會不會看到睡著啊?

Boy, was I wrong! This turned out to be one of the most interesting films I’ve ever watched…better yet, the re-mastered DVD I got has added soundtrack. Compared to the modern day exploration/documentary films, Nanook of the North has none of the slick editing and panoramic views, and often with staged sequences (thus a film, not a documentary). However, while director Robert J. Flaherty was experimenting for the first time with the motion camera, he captured my attention through his fascinating portrayal of the Inuit way of life. The entire film was shot in Canada’s arctic Hudson Bay, with Nanook, the head of the family and a skilled hunter, and his family showing us the beauty and the harsh struggle for survival in a barren, unforgiving environment. I saw how they hunted, traveled, built shelters, and played; whodathunkit a seemly moderate size kayak could actually carry three adults, two kids, and a puppy? Even though they didn’t have many personal possessions and seemed to be constantly on the edge of starvation, I saw the most brilliant and genuine smiles on their faces. Our way of life and modernization brought us comfort and prosperity, yet we also seemed to have lost our joie de vivre. If you enjoy National Geographic or Discovery Channel programs, I recommend you to find this DVD and enjoy it.
我可大錯特錯囉! 這部片子真好看，而且新版DVD有加上配樂。【北方的納努克】與現今的探險紀錄片比起來，剪接、取景、畫質等等都顯得相當粗糙，並且一些片段是刻意排演過的(所以不算是紀錄片) 。雖然如此，初次嘗試利用攝影技術的導演仍把住在加拿大北極圈的因努伊特人(愛斯基摩人的一支)樸實自然生活之道呈現在我眼前，深深吸引著我。故事的主角是住在加拿大北方哈德遜灣的納努克，靠著他打獵的技術，為了家人的生存每天與美麗卻殘酷的冰天雪地爭戰。我看到他們如何打獵、如何跨越似乎永無止盡的白色世界、如何著手蓋冰屋、如何享天倫之樂; 我哪想得到一艘看是單人坐的皮艇竟然載得下三個大人、兩個小孩、和一支小小哈士奇呢? 雖然納努克一家人除了身上的衣服、雪橇、幾隻拉雪橇的狗、及一些基本用具之外就沒甚麼身外之物，並且常在飢餓的邊緣徘徊，我卻在他們臉上看到燦爛純真的笑容。反之，我們生活優豁舒適，卻似乎失去了安逸之樂。若你喜歡國家地理雜誌或Discovery Channel型態之節目，不仿去找此片DVD來看看!

p.s. Movie poster image courtesy of www.allmovie.com

Fancy Cuppa Joe 品咖啡

2009-01-09T21:04:00.000-08:00

Before I begin, I must put out a disclaimer that I’m by no mean knowledgeable about coffee. I drink coffee but not “passionate” about it. What I’m sharing here is purely my subjective experience.
在此先聲明一下我對咖啡並不在行：我喝咖啡，但對咖啡文化只有很膚淺的了解，也不熱誠。以下分享的僅是我主觀的體驗。

As I said, I’m not a coffee connoisseur. When I’m in a hurry, I go for instant coffee. When I have more time, I make drip coffee using individual size filter and commercially blended/grinded coffee bought from the local supermarkets. I seldom think about types of coffee beans, roasts, or the estates of origin when I’m making my daily cup. I rarely buy overly flavored coffee from coffee shops. I drink my bad coffee mostly black, no cream or sugar. The only changes I’ve made recently, though, is to start looking for Fair-Trade coffee in the supermarkets.
我不是咖啡的行家，也不怎麼挑剔，趕時間時就喝即溶，有時間就用濾紙沖泡一杯，用的是超市廉價鐵罐裝咖啡豆，至於哪種咖啡豆、焙煎程度、產地莊園等等根本想都不想。我很少喝咖啡店過度加工的重口味咖啡。我呢，就這樣天天喝我的劣質咖啡，不加糖也不加牛奶…最近唯一的改變就是開始購買有註明「公平交易」的咖啡豆。

Don’t get me wrong, I am not against properly prepared fresh good coffee; in fact, I love to drink them. I think of tasting good coffee more like a spa experience, an occasional splurge. I had several cups of fine coffee while in Taiwan, mostly at a café called George House. Going to George House is a learning experience. The knowledgeable barista helps you select the coffee bean for your cup, shakes the grinds in different ways to let you smell the subtle variations in the aroma, and shows you how to “taste” the coffee (much like tasting wine). Once the coffee is served, you enjoy the cup over a long period of time as the flavor changes while cooling down. Just as the barista claimed, the cold coffee tastes delicious, and you don’t get the caffeine jitters! Oh, did I mention George House is big on being “green” and that no milk or sugar is provided in the coffee house? No cakes or sweets either…just pure black coffee. There are other premium coffee houses in Taipei, such as Martinez, that provide similar tasting experience. Each cup is on the pricy side ($6+) but I think it’s a good treat if you want to taste, not merely drink, a finely roasted and prepared coffee. I loved the experience so much that I took Viv to Tainan’s George House for a cup.

我並不是不喜歡好咖啡，只是把精品咖啡當偶爾享受的奢侈品而已，若是天天喝荷包會受不了。在台灣時有機會在永康商圈的George House喝了幾次精品咖啡，是一種享受，也是上一堂咖啡課。經驗豐富的咖啡師循著客人口味推薦咖啡豆，並把磨好的咖啡豆用不同方式搖動讓客人聞不同的香氣，又示範如何啜飲來品嚐咖啡原味。這一杯咖啡可以喝很久，與朋友邊聊邊品嚐，漸漸涼的咖啡隨著溫度變化味道也有轉變。正如咖啡師說的，他們的咖啡冷了也很美味，並且不會心悸。喔，忘了提George House提倡環保減碳，不提供牛奶與砂糖，也沒有甜點，只有黑咖啡。在永康商圈內還有其他的精品咖啡屋(例如瑪汀妮芝)也提供類似的咖啡體驗，價位也類似(NT180起) ，若是想嘗試「品」咖啡的話，我是覺得還蠻值得的。我很喜歡George House的體驗，所以後來又邀玟一起去台南門市品咖啡。

p.s. The photos were taken at Tainan’s George House, located in the alley next to Fort Provintia. 以上照片攝於台南赤崁樓旁邊巷子裡的George House.

New Year Baby 元旦寶寶

2009-01-01T15:39:00.000-08:00

Our Hsieh family has a great start for 2009. Elaine and Tim welcomed their second child, Jeremy Ted-Bing, this morning at 8:15AM PST, January 1, 2009. Jeremy weighed 7 lbs 9 oz and was 19 3/4 inches long. Both the mother and the son are doing fine.

二○○九年一開始，大謝小謝就有很快樂的消息。Elaine在今早一月一日美西時間八點十五分生下男孩Jeremy Ted-Bing (哲銘)，體重三點四公斤，身高五十公分。母親與嬰孩都平安。