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You are viewing the most recent 20 entries January 23rd, 200903:55 am: My olde England
Just came back home for 2 and 1/2 weeks' holiday, big thanks to Chinese New Year, aka winter break in Taiwan. I'm adjusting my jet lag now, just not feeling my brain is functioning normally. The day I left Taipei, the temperature was 8C. and the grey-ish sky is not much different from London except there was no radiator or heater whatsoever in my flat. I had been feeling like frozen body in my tiny little cell so I had to buy a German-made radiator that cost me NT.8,999 (Taiwan-dollar) which was about 400 quids. Expensive, huh? So why a German one instead of others that might be cheaper? Mind you, it's on sale. If I could spend NT.5000 on a local made radiator that looks not-so-durable and might as well be a fire hazard, a German one with 80% discount is a good deal to me. Miss you all. It's curious how the environment affects me. It's like I was a different person at the other side of the planet. Oh, I've been learning Mandarin for a while. I can start a not-so-complicated conversation now.
April 16th, 200811:47 am: A meme
Stolen from Jenn ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) fate_envies_us
1. Grab the book closest to you.
2. Open it on page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Copy the next three sentences into your blog.
5. Tag five people. Or not... Do it if you wish.
I've placed Marie Antoinette--The Journey by Antonia Fraser on my desk for some weeks after I finished reading it. So here it is. "Of course the physical charms of royalty are seldom cried down, the lustre of a crown enhancing the most mediocre appearance in the eyes of the public. Yet in the case of Marie Antoinette there is such an unanimity of report from so many sources, including foreign visitors as well as her intimates, that it is difficult to doubt the truth of the picture. The result was a plethora of comparisons to goddess and nymphs--- much as had been made on her wedding journey, the difference being that Marie Antoinette was now a visible woman, rather than an unknown girl." Current Mood:  tired March 30th, 200805:07 pm:
My Personality | | Neuroticism | | Extraversion | | Openness to Experience | | Agreeableness | | Conscientiousness | |
| You often resist any cravings or urges that you have, but sometimes you give in, however you experience panic, confusion, and helplessness when under pressure or stress. You tend to feel overwhelmed by, and therefore actively avoid, large crowds. You often need privacy and time for yourself. You prefer the security and stability brought by conformity to tradition. You see no need for pretense or manipulation when dealing with others and are therefore candid, frank and sincere. People find it relatively easy to relate to you, however you are not adverse to confrontation and will sometimes even intimidate others to get your own way. You are not an overly cautious person. You will think about alternatives and consequences but make up your mind fairly quickly.
| Take a Personality Test now or view the full Personality Report.
PureAwakening Jewelry. |
Current Mood: exhausted February 7th, 200806:42 am: New Year, Austen, and Obama
Got tagged...
Pick 5 people and give them the "you make my day" award. If you're picked, you are charged with picking 5 of your own.
All my friends are listed under alphabetical order because you guys are equally marvellous and I love you all, truly! jadarene jess_rantsmoonjameskitten penelope78 ![[info]](http://stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) yuying_luo
The school just started their winter break and everyone here is celebrating Lunar New Year aka Chinese New Year. From what I'm perceiving, Taiwanese history and culture are somewhat overlapping with China but it also stands on its own unique way. The relation between Taiwan and China is somewhat like Ireland and Great Britain from my understanding. They speak the same language with different accent and usage of vocabulary is also different. Not to mention Taiwanese also have their own local dialect almost like Gaelic to the Irish. The major difference is Taiwan is a fully democratic state while China is still under communist regime. But they both celebrate the same New Year.
Yesterday was the New Year's Eve and everyone has to be with their family members just like our Christmas Eve. Don't ask me how they define the lunar calendar. Obviously it's another calendar system like Jewish or Greek Orthodox that differentiated from Gregorian calendar we are using. I was invited to join my friend's family and her mum cooked the most delicious Taiwanese cuisine I've ever tasted.
I also got chances to watch the complete Jane Austen series, again, on their local "PBS" (actually they called it PTS , Public Television Station) . I remember the series was on ITV last year in UK. It was quite a treat. My passion for period drama can never die.
Just read a great article about Clinton vs. Obama from The Times. Though I'm not a US citizen, I've got a special sentiment toward the country. I thought I'd like to share the article with you because I completely agree with the writer.
One person can lift America's gloomBarack Obama, not the divisive, manipulative Hillary Clinton, can make the US powerful againhttp://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/camilla_cavendish/article3321481.ece
And I'm not a female misogyny!Current Mood:  geeky January 1st, 200806:33 am: 2008 Taipei 101 fireworks
I heard they have fireworks in every New Year's Eve at Taipei 101 so I wanted to see it. I was 2 minutes and some seconds late so I only got to see the last few sparks. *cries* Before that, I was in National Concert Hall watching my students performing "Die Fledermause", a comic opera by Johann Strauss. The opera was finished around 11:40pm and the orchestra was going to play a series of waltz by Strauss until midnight with final countdown. My friend and I decided to leave, heading for Taipei 101 instead. I was worried if there's any cab on the street to catch up, and yes, just like New York, yellow cabs are still everywhere even in such an hour. I found some links from YouTube so you can see the awesome fireworks. The first one you can see a beautiful skyline of Taipei in the evening with the fireworks. The second one is a closer shot of the fireworks and the building where you can see "2008 *heart* TAIWAN" . http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKiJ6m2r4no&feature=relatedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cykn0V6hUiU&feature=relatedCurrent Mood:  giddy December 31st, 200704:32 pm: It's 2008 now
Hello Everyone! It's 12:32 am on the 1st of January, 2008 in Taipei. Happy New Year!!! Current Mood: cheerful December 26th, 200701:46 pm: Good God I'm insane....
If you are not a Draco/Hermione fan, don't read this. All of a sudden, I realised why am I so extremely haunted by "Lust, Caution". It's been almost 2 weeks and I'm still thinking about it like hell. The movie is so closely resemble any angsty Draco/Hermione fic! And now I actually believe Ang Lee has made one brilliant Draco/Hermione movie. Of course you have to exclude the whole Deathly Hallow stuff to make a Hermione being a femme-fatale spy with Stockholm syndrome. It's so plausible!! Her college sweet heart with whom she had a platonic love could be Harry--so full of bravery and a passion to kill the enemy. The pretended husband as a camouflage could be Neville. Then the classmate to whom she lost her virginity could be Ron. Now I can imagine the final scene where they all got death penalty on the fatal night (Dementor's Kiss)--Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom, Ron Weasley, Dean Thomas, Harry Potter, and Hermione Granger, all kneeling in front of a horrifying cliff waiting to be executed. Hermione looked at Harry with her sadly beautiful expression which could make your heart bleeds. Yes, dear Dramione fans, "Lust, Caution" is a must-see! Current Mood: crazy December 23rd, 200702:49 pm: Pics spamming
It's curious that Christmas isn't a national holiday in Taiwan, yet Taiwanese use it as a huge advertisement to urge people to shop. Decorations and Christmas trees can be seen everywhere you go. Nevertheless, my students are envious about how we celebrate Christmas in the West because here, everyone still get to work or go to school.  It's a house made by real ginger bread!  A staff with a snowman-pin in a shopping centre.  Hey, it's Shaun the Sheep from BBC!  I've always loved a nutcracker.  Now I have to get back to grade my students' reports. Current Mood:  curious December 18th, 200702:36 pm: December in Taipei
At first you would feel a bit awkward that Christmas isn't a national holiday here. Of course no Boxing Day whatsoever. But you can still sense Christmas everywhere you go. Today I caught a sight of a bus with the cutest advertisement a bus could ever had but failed to take a shot of it....  Later I saw the famous SOGO department store has the exact ad on the top of the building. My friend explained that was an insurance company from France:  Notice the yellow cab? There are yellow cabs everywhere just like New York. Oh yes! I had a wonderful birthday on the 16th. A dear friend of mine flew all the way from Germany to spent a few days with me. And I'm truly, truly grateful for her company. Current Mood: full December 15th, 200702:31 pm: I've finally wacthed Lust, Caution
It's so sad, makes me cried a lot. I don't think UK has released it yet but I know New York already had. Anyone who loves art films should go see it. The official trailer (The second clip from the NY Times) http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/351200/Lust-Caution/trailershttp://www.focusfeatures.com/home.phpI haven't got a chance to see Atonement. They''ll have it in Taipei on Jan. 11, 2008. I shall go see it. Why am I so easily to get stuck in a drama? It's so hard to wipe it away for a few days even weeks. The heroine in Lust, Caution cried her eyes out when she was seeing a legendary film ( I think it's Casablanca), then I thought I was like her. I know it's silly, yet I can't help it. Watch out! She is far better than any other Chinese actress we've seen so far: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2007/09/21/2003379839I'll do a pic spam tomorrow. *still under the spell of Ang Lee" Current Mood:  contemplative December 10th, 200702:38 pm: My one day trip
It's clean and beautiful. Yilan is a small town in the northeast of Taipei. It takes about 45 minutes drive from Taipei. A long tunnel that connects Taipei and Yilan is truly amazing. It's kind of an underpass that breaks through several mountains between the two cities. It would take 15 to 20 minutes or so to cross this tunnel and the feeling is surreal. We visited a village that was recreated to be the traditional Taiwanese townhouse in the early 20th century. Looks so serene with rain in a gloomy day.  More photos will come. Current Mood: content December 8th, 200702:54 am: I don't believe it...
They have Marks & Spencer here in Taipei!! Current Mood: cheerful December 6th, 200706:43 am: I'm still using GMT for my LJ
....and I'm not intending to change it. However, it's easier for me to think about Eastern Standard Time because it's 12 hours difference between Taiwan and New York for summer, 13 hours during the winter because of daylight saving. For example, if it's 1pm in New York, then it's 1 am in Taipei. During the daylight saving, it's 1pm in New York vs. 2 am in Taipei. It's my coffee break now. Have to get back to another piano lesson in 25 minutes. Just want to post a second photo. It's a tea house in a department store called "SOGO". You guys wouldn't believe how people here are crazy about "SOGO". They just finished an annual big sale and believe me, you wouldn't want to visit the store for those days unless you are really curious about how Taiwanese people shop--you would got stuck in the crowd and moving like a snail. The photo was taken after the big sale. The tea house is name after a famous children story "Little Prince" so we can see the logo on the wall. My Taiwanese friend told me that the French title "La vol du petite prince" is actually translated from the Mandarin title of the tea house. It means "the flying journey of the little prince".  Current Mood:  busy December 5th, 200701:51 pm: I'm an official expatriate
Believe me, my dear friends, you guys are constantly in my mind even though I haven't updated my LJ in a long time. The fact is, I made a huge decision during the summer and it brings me ups and downs. I don't know where to start to tell you all about my journey in the past months. All I can say is, I quit my job in Canterbury and moved to Far East after my trip to New York this summer. Thanks to my dear friend, Sherry, who told me about the recruiting of the English speaking music teacher at a college in Taiwan. My duty is to teach English to a group of music-major freshmen along with piano teaching. Though I've been through lots of hassles for all kinds of paper works, I guess it's all worth it after I arrived here. The city of Taipei is just great. I've taken pictures but I'm still very clumsy about making the LJ cut. So I think I'll post one pic at a time. I won't be going home during the Christmas so I'll send out cards from Taipei. Let me know if you wish to receive my card--with a stamp from Taiwan. Of course, if you want to get a Taiwanese postcard, I can can send it right away. Just let me know. The tallest building in Taiwan, Taipei 101. (I heard it used to be the tallest one in the world but I'm not sure if it still is.) 
August 22nd, 200708:58 am:
CC: ....Mr. Ollivander was captured and tortured by Voldemort in the final book.... Friend who never read the book: So Voldemort forbade him to sell wands? CC: *laughing incredibly* God, do you really think Voldemort is that stupid? No! He wanted to ask Ollivander about a certain Elder Wand's whereabouts. Friend: Oh, I thought he's like those gangsters who enjoy sabotage people's business. *coughing* possible verdict--too much Hollywood movies, maybe? Even a Hollywood movie has some depth nowadays. Of course, unless you're watching one such as 'Wild Hogs'. Yeah, I just did since the friend rented it yesterday.
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