...last HOORAH for SUMMER 2008....
So THANKFUL for the extra time this last trip in MANILA...was able to check up on my Mom.... do my family obligations.... and even had a a few moments to do a bit of relaxing.... we got to have a one nite get-away and am I ever so THANKFUL for it.... got to celebrate the last rays of summer and bid it adieu once again... and return to the coldness of Taipei - Typhoon and all....
SO LONG SUMMER!!!
"The most wasted of all days
is one without laughter."
-E E Cummings
"If you don't learn to laugh at trouble,
you won't have anything to laugh at
when you're old."
-Edgar Watson Howe
"No man who has once heartily
and wholly laughed
can be altogether irreclaimably bad."
-Thomas Carlyle
Sometimes, we really just have to find something that makes us stop and laugh....
Sunday Brunch @ IKEA.... what more could you ask... great food.... lots of people to see... and beautiful things to peruse through afterwards.....
Blows me away as in the US - I know IKEA as a place to spend hours and hours perusing affordable and somewhat stylish furnitures plus other household goods.... here - IKEA is a whole lot more... it is a Family Outing.... a SHOPPING EXPERIENCE..... and if nothing else, a nice place for a SUNDAY BRUNCH -- if you want to be seen, as well as, see people -- and the people are just as colorful as the goods you can find at IKEA - That's For Sure!!!
Okay, i know am not alone on this one... being frustrated with our JOBs.... the demands... the frustrations... the work load... the hours.... the traveling.... they all get to us now and again... So it got me thinking -- if ever I do decide to leave this job behind... can I take something simple, easy, a NO - BRAINER type of a job....
Well, over the weekend in Kaohsiung, I was watching Todd, a member of the WU family whom I have known since moving here in Taiwan.... we were waiting for him to get off work at PIZZA HUT - he works there while he attending college... I found it fascinating... the whole order taking.... putting together the pizza and baking.... and the easiest part of all, delivering....
So I got to thinking : "WOW!!! I could totally do this JOB!!!!" and even tried getting on their scooter for added measure....
(The "flaming" logo on the RED SCOOTER used for delivering is just wicked cool!!!!
(NOTE: will only do this JOB in Taiwan as I hate the PIZZA HUTS in the US... and even more so, the one at MEGA MALL in Manila... instead I would totally do YELLOW CAB Pizza there... KUDOS to the bright YELLOW SCOOTERS....
gotta try those fro measure next time am in Manila...)
A weekend trip down south for the Mid Autumn Festival holidays... it was Perfect timing as there was heavy storm in Taipei... so we were able to get away from that... alas, the ride back in the midst of the TYPHOON was not pleasant... it was downright scary...
Still it was a great weekend as we got to get away... have fun with Wu Mama & Wu Papa, the kiddies (who are definitely not kiddies anymore!)... and most of all LALA the DOG!!!
More Photos Here!
yep...reunited with LALA once more... Possibly the HI LITE of the weekend trip down to Kaohsiung (South of Taiwan) to spend the Mid Autumn Holidays was being able to see Lala again and see what he is up to.... and he surely does have a new trick -- BIANG BIANG (BANG BANG)... you say Biang Biang and he plays dead... as demonstrated by David:
Alas, in my case, more like - you say Biang Biang and he drops from boredom...LOLs!!!
We can let the circumstances of our lives harden us
so that we become increasingly resentful and afraid,
or we can let them soften us, and make us kinder.
We always have the choice.
-Dalai Lama
...CARS... just like Cel Phones are all FOREIGN to me... meaning I do not understand them... I know nothing about them... and I could not tell a MAZDA ZX from a TOYOTA CELICA... LOLs!!! (The only two cars I can actually recognize are Jaguars (because my DAD had one in the US when I was younger - but it was a two seater so he had to give it up... too bad as it was even a dark green color which I really loved; and the Mini Cooper, which I think are just the cutest little cars... but oh-so-expensive)
...SO PLS DO NOT TALK TO ME ABOUT THEM.... I always say... if one needs to get anywhere, there are buses, tricycles, tuk tuks, bicycles, TAXIs, scooters, etc.... Anything!!! as long as they run and they take you from point A to point B!
AM NOT PICKY!!! Not Picky At All!!!
The HIGHLIGHT of my weekend that just passed was finding the time to see and enjoy the exhibition, Never Ending Story. It is of the works and art of Taiwanese Artist/Illustrator, Jimmy Liao, whose international appeal has grown overwhelmingly and rightfully so. A third of his books have been translated into Japanese and, slowly but surely,into English, French, German, Korean. Also in simplified Chinese characters as used in mainland China where he is very much well known.
In the fantasy world he has created, a child can stroll with a moon, wings can grow on a man and a blind girl can set off for adventures riding the subway. His tales carries familiar themes such as, love, breaking up, serendipity and urban isolation -- but he does it all through his whimsical characterizations of his illustrations.
The first book he created is also his favorite of all, "Secrets in the Forest". It tells the story of a boy exploring a forest in his dream. Facing all sorts of terrible and scary things. It was a success when it was released in 1998 and dubbed that year's best children's book by major newspapers.
Through interviews, the illustrator has stated that he created this first book at the age of 40 when battling leukemia. He stated that: "At that time I was scared, fragile and in despair, I didn't know what would happen to me. Drawing the book everyday became a power to sustain me and gave me more faith."
Jimmy's style is whimsical and heartwarming and he paints in bright and bold colors -- so rich that they leave deep impressions. Though one would argue that picture books are mostly for children, Mr Liao had built an adult following, myself included. Credit it all to his vivid illustrations and very emotional story telling of stories that tugs at the heart.
His appeal first crossed onto the adult readers in "Separate Ways" about a man and a woman who live in the same building but never run into other for much of the book, until a chance meeting that sees them fall for each other. It was an instant best seller and was also adopted into a movie "Turn Left, Turn Right" with one of my FAVE heart-throb, Taiwanese/Japanese actor Takeshi Kaneshiro and Hong Kong actress Gigi Leung playing Mr Liao's lonely lovers to be.
Another of his books, "Sound of Colors" about a blind girl venturing out in the city on the subway, was realized in film by Internationally acclaimed Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai. He produced the movie based on the book featuring Hong Kong star Tong Leung Chiu-wai and Miriam Yeung.
It is good to note that as his career soared, Mr. Jimmy Liao overcame leukemia to regain full health.
========================================
The site of the EXHIBITION - ESLITE BOOKSTORE (the BEST Bookstore in the World in my opinion!) right next to the Taipei 101 Building.
LINKS of INTERESTS:
-JimmySpa
-Taipei Times Article
I read this in one of the things I was browsing through and it caught my attention - of course.... am not too sure now in what context it is in.... if am reading it correctly.... or is it one of those sentences that has a double meaning... for whatever reason the sentence was running through my head all day long...
=================
"90% of a person's happiness lies in the shoulders of his or her partner..."
=================
My initial take on it is that the blogger is saying that: "90% of their happiness depends on their partner... like their life and happiness revolves mainly around the partner can can go bad or good depending on how things are with their partner.... if am reading it correctly, then I totally disagree to this. -- it puts such pressure on the other person's part....
Or could it mean that: "one is 90% happy when their head is resting on their partner's shoulders.."
HAAYS, EITHER Way - the way I see it, it is so much PRESSURE on one's partner....
Am so glad that this day is just about over.... it was just a loooong roller coaster ride for me today... filled with frustrations, confusions, & plain sadness... Sometimes, I really wish I can just yell at the top of my lungs: "STOP THIS ROLLERCOASTER, I WANT TO GET OFF!!!" But such is life.... my life to be exact.... so, as always, I just go with the flow of things....
Always keeping in mind that it is: "Time to move on. Tomorrow is a new day."
Okay, Okay.... my Computer troubles are nothing new - for those of you who have known me for sooooo long..... and YES, once again I have been having lots of troubles starting it up each and every morning.. Just this morning alone, it took me at least 4 tries to turn it on... we even gave up and went for a swim instead... Before you ask -- Yes, I have had it looked at by someone who knows much about computers... am told, SADLY, it is just a matter of time once again... that this computer is basically on it's few last breath...
In with the New, Out With the Old - once more....
Okay, I should not complain... and I really should change computers already - so many reasons why I should:
1> From the very beginning we have always felt this computer was not as good of a buy as we thought it was...
2> This has got to be the nosiest computer one will ever hear.... somehow the fan motor just does not let up....
3> The heat it emanates is just waaaaay too hot.... especially during the summer months - so you would want to hardly turn it on....
4> Lastly, since we got it about 4 years ago -- it has acted up at least 3 times... and made me lose so much files each and every time....
So, the ANSWER is really a RESOUNDING - GET A NEW ONE ALREADY! and I will... I just hate the thought of having to decide once again which is the BEST to buy - not knowing much about computers.... and the idea of having to get to know another new system -- am quite slow with computers... and of course, having to shell out big bucks again... LOLs.... But it is very much needed.... so no excuse but to just BITE THE BULLET and get a new one.... SOON!!!
"CyberSex Gone Wrong!!!"
-one of the funniest Public Announcements I have ever seen... WICKED TWIST in the end!! Be sure to watch it all the way through...
HAPPY WEEKEND ALL!!!
They bois are back -- and so is.....................................SARA!!!
Yes, Yes, Wentworth Miller and company are back... and he gets reunited with SARA, whom we all thought was beheaded in Season 3!!! Can't wait to see how this season (presumably the last - boo hoo) unravels....
For More Info, Episode Recaps, Interviews & Downloads - PB:SEASON 4
and here's a PROMO TRAILER:
Just like Christmas and Thanksgiving in the West, the Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival is one of the most important traditional events for the Chinese. The Chinese Moon Festival falls on the 15th of the 8th month in the Lunar calendar.
Here in Taiwan... it is almost a week long Holiday... everyone goes back home to their families.... rest, hang out, get-together... Barbecuing is pretty common on such nites, as well as, fireworks. So you know what I will be busy doing tonite....
HAPPY MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL to you all!!!
====================================
The Moon Festival is full of legendary stories. Legend says that Chang Er flew to the moon, where she has lived ever since. You might see her dancing on the moon during the Moon Festival. The Moon Festival is also an occasion for family reunions. When the full moon rises, families get together to watch the full moon, eat moon cakes, and sing moon poems. With the full moon, the legend, the family and the poems, you can't help thinking that this is really a perfect world. That is why the Chinese are so fond of the Moon Festival.
The Moon Festival is also a romantic one. A perfect night for the festival is if it is a quiet night without a silk of cloud and with a little mild breeze from the sea. Lovers spend such a romantic night together tasting the delicious moon cake with some wine while watching the full moon. Even for a couple who can't be together, they can still enjoy the night by watching the moon at the same time so it seems that they are together at that hour. A great number of poetry has been devoted to this romantic festival. Hope the Moon Festival will bring you happiness.
You can read more about it here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-Autumn_Festival
The moon cake is the food for the Moon Festival. The Chinese eat the moon cake at night with the full moon in the sky. This has got to be the BEST part of the FESTIVAL for me.... all week long people starts giving each other moon cakes... For the most part, my flatmates are sick of it all... so I end up with them...hehehehehe....
This year, September 14th is the actual day of celebration....
Ever since I can remember, I have had an affinity for Rosaries and Saintly Figures -- maybe it can be attributed to the fact that growing up Catholic, we are always obligated to attend masses at least 2 or three times a week... Sundays without fail, no matter where we may happen to be at the time... so over the years I have gotten to visit, attend masses , at various churches around the world... some are ornately beautiful, while some are plain and simple... bare minimum even - with just a giant wooden CROSS at the altar... But no matter how richly decorated or simple they might be - I always find them a beautiful, peaceful place to be in... to contemplate, meditate and of course, ask for guidance... Through all these visits to churches -- I have come to love and even collect, Rosaries and Figures (Angels and Saints)... I find looking at them and collecting them very comforting and even relaxing....
There are three saints that have always attracted me more - St Christopher as he is the Guardian Saint for Travelers; the Angel Gabriel - nuff said; and St Francis of Asissi - him, because of his love for all creatures - great and small.... he is often depicted with a dove and a deer, sometimes others... this last visit with my MOM, I learned that I have more back story connecting me to this saintly figure.
It seems that when I was born, I had a big bump on my head... my Mom did not knew how I got it... nor could the doctors explain.... then a woman came in and talked with my Mom for a bit... gave her a little prayer book with a little icon in it, and instructed my Mom to pray to him, and rub this on the bump on my head a few times a day, while praying... not sure now, how many times each day.... for a couple of days the woman visited my Mom, and baby Rudi, in the hospital room... checking up on my bump.... and they were both happy that the bump on my head was disappearing... my Mom asked her for her name so that she could find her and return this item to her before leaving... she told my Mom not to worry as she comes by every morning to deliver bread to the hospital... and went on to tell my MOM to keep the prayer book with the icon in it... she told her that she must keep it and pray to it whenever I am sick - and eventually pass it on to me and I can pray to it for what might be ailing me....
The morning I was being released from the hospital, my Mom searched for the woman to thank her and say her goodbye... but she was nowhere to be found... my Mom asked the nurses and her doctor for help locating the woman - and she was told by everyone that there is no such woman in the hospital.... this caused a sudden commotion in the hospital as well , and everyone wanted to be able to see, touch and even have a piece of the prayer book... my Mom did not even question it all... she just took the woman's appearance as heaven sent.... and had kept the prayer book and icon all these years...
Fast forward to the present, my Mom is getting older and getting sick a lot... so this last visit she decided to pass on to me this prayer book... it is now quite tattered and even torn in the middle... the icon inside is a bit broken up now..... but one look and you will see that the figure holds a dove and it is in fact, St. Francis of Asissi. (See photo above of my newly acquired St Francis... below him is the actual prayer book that my Mom passed on to me.)
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