The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

This afternoon, I went to see a movie named "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button".

The story describes a special life of a man, Benjamin Button. He was born as a old baby; however, he grew up younger and younger. This movie includes lots of significant meaning such as death and reborn life.

The length of this movie is 160 minutes, equals to 2 hours and 40 minutes... Too long to see this movie. I was wondering how long do I have to sit here?  But it's still a great one to pay the ticket for.

After the movie, I was thinking about the life of Benjamin. He is such a poor man that has different background to every body but he faced it positively. Too many people was dead just in front of him, no matter old or young. He experienced tens and thousands careers that made him has a wild view to understand this unusual world.

Various life experience is everyone's dream. In reality, it seems a hard accomplishment . Every parent hopes their child would have a great achievement though there is only one top 1. 

Here I have to say, I have no job now and still in waiting for graduate application reply. An aspiring mind still pushes me to keep going. I am looking for a job to fill of my life and make myself more experienced and mature.

等待

每天都在等待學校申請的結果

現在工作又不好找

心情可真是煎熬阿！

DSLR

Digital Single-Lens Reflex, DSLR. I have planed to buy one(Nikon-D90 is my favorite) for long long time ago. However, the plan did not achieve yet.To have the same quality of photos, I chosen another DC instead of DSLR(most important reason is that I did not have too much money). This DC is LX2 by Panasonic. LX2 has wide angle 28mm lens, high sensitivity 16:9 CCD, 16:9 LCD screen, etc. These could make me produce approximate to DSLR quality pictures.

Until yesterday, when I rode my bike at river park; an insect stopped on my arm. I didn't know when it flied here and was steady standing. With this discover, I took out my cellphone and then took a close shot.

 

Like the picture shows,it focussed by short distance.

First of all, I thought the effect would under the average but it seems great. In fact, I was astonished by SE K770i. 

Maybe one day there will be a super camera-cellphone better than normal DC even DSLR. By the way, I am still eager to have one DSLR.

Midi the cat

Midi is my cat and he is 3 years old.

Since I have adopted him back from the hospital, my parents received a new activity- play with midi. 

Midi was a stray cat and someone picked his brother and him to the vet.

And fortunately, I was thinking to adopt a cat in that moment; when I looked at Midi, his special white hair and black spots(on his neck and back) attracted me. So...I took him home. Then gave him a name "Midi" as a small black dog we had before.

In this years, I always consider that Midi might think himself is a dog. He mew mew all the time and waves his his tail no matter when, also he likes to run after the rolling ball and stone.

Anyway, he is a lovely cat. 

1 triliion.

To reach 1 trillion NTD is a difficult job, not to mention 1 trillion USD!

Here are some interesting statistics from China Post(source: John Hopkins University; Congressional Budget Office; US Department of Labor Statistics; Dallas Morning News research  ):

Time→ A trillion seconds ago- it's 31688 years.

Purchasing Power→ A trillion barrels of oil could- at current consumption levels- fuel the world for about 33 years.

Number→ you had started your business  from 0 to October, 2737 and made 1 billion dollars every day that to make a                      trillion dollars.

1 trillion is really attracted. 

FInding jobs

The weather is still sunny today. So we (dad, mom, grandpa and I) decided to go shopping at Costco with my aunt this noon. Otherwise, we could also met Shuiyue(水園小館) restaurant which offers Kwangtung cuisine.

When we were on the way to Costco, my aunt told us that she went to a clinic for a cold few days ago. After the diagnosis, she just went out the room waiting for the prescription as usual; however, the doctor went out the room to chat with my aunt!( there isn't any other patient...my aunt is the final one on that day) He said: I might the last one who dare to open a clinic here. Here are full of hospitals but the population is the same  .
Yes, I agree with this doctor. Like the economic environment in Taiwan, we have too many similar company but the demand is just the same.

After Costco, we had a wonderful lunch in Shuiyue(水園小館) restaurant. I think the economic in Taiwan now is really bad because the cook came out the kitchen to chat with us, too...( we were the final customer )

The global recession this time seems really powerful than before. When I have done my all MFA applicaitons, I started to find jobs. In half of month, I got one chance for interview. Other requests might be denied I think.

In the optimistic side, there would be a suitable job for me; so, Keep Finding Jobs! (maybe I should find a part-time job)

Cycling at River Park

The weather today is just better than...yesterday.
At least, it didn't rain today.

In the afternoon, mom and I decided to ride the bicycle at the river park.
This park locates around Taipei County, crosses 10 cities; includung Sanchong, Lujhou, Banciao, Junghe, Yungho, Tucheng, Sinjhuang, Wugu, Sindian, Shulin. See the details here: http://info1.tpc.gov.tw/park/index.html. Also there are many free facilities in this park; the tennis court(but I didn't see it), the basketball court, baseball field.

People can rent bikes at the renting store (Cycling-Lifestyle Fundation).
Tens and Hundreds of bicyles can be chosen, most important and best part is these bikes are all from Giant. The price will be difference with the bicycle's class and renting time.
We chosen a normal one and it cost 40NT$ per bicycle/hr.
Fortunately, the sun comes out the cloud after we rode for a while.


I think there are still many Taipei County citizens love outdoor activiteis, such as playing baseketball, playing softball, fishing and so on. By the way, it's my first time to see the remote model boat! But when we rode to the middle way, my mom was fallen down.
She said that she forgot to use the brake because she has been too long to ride the bike!?
Anyway, she got a friction burn on her knee; I holp and believe that she will recover soon.

Schedule

In fact, there are many things to do.

1. Family website (under 1%, photos are done)

2. English study. In this part, I think I should practice my listen and vocabulary.  

3. Finding jobs. (this is really a hard part)

4. keep in sketch and designing.

5. clean my bedroom and every floor.

In this moment, I wish I could have a job immediately. 

After the interview

After today's interview...
I think this company is out of my imaginaiton.
First, it locates in a common habitation and without any signboard.
Second, there are only 3 people worked in this company and it's really mess-up around everywhere.
Third, the new colleague has to preserve the website and also do the design jobs at same time and even more.

Although this company's website looks great and I am interested in their products, the truth is, is it a design company?
I was so curious when I was walking into the gate.

New job is coming!

After the resume delivered today, I get an interview tomorrow.
The title is graphic producer?, but I am still interested in it.
Also this company sells t-shirt, stationery, ect.
I am wondering that why this company contacted me so quickly?
Anyway, good luck to me!

How to improve my English proficiency ability

English is still a global language now.

Not only for communicate but also for computer language( programming).

In these days, I went to National Taiwan University to study Dreamweaver for 2 weeks.

Dreamweaver is a software for building and managing websites.

I got a plan to make a family site and a personal website for art works.

Now the site is in processing for about 1 % but the background and any pictures I need are still in searching( I may use some old pictures to compose ).

Every time when I read my friends' blog or some personal portfolio website(most in English); I would think that how do I improve my English proficiency ability?

Although I have been studying in the cram school for TOEFL test to enhanced my language ability, I am still not so good as the native American, ABC or student who studies abroad.

Maybe reading more news, books, watching movies without subtitles will be better.

Dating with a hot girl who speaks English? 

A super trip to Yilan!

My best friends and I have planed a trip to Yilan for a long time and we finally took this trip on this Sunday.
In the beginning, we just wanted to visited Taro, one of our friends who has taught in Yilan for more than 6 months.
After the discussion, the plan was changed to a tour and full of scenery.
Fortunately, the 2009 Taiwan Lantern Festival is held in Yilan, too.
So we changed our plan and also put the Lantern Festival into the schedule.
However, Yilan is such a big county.Every scenic spot we wanted to go was located on different place.
Between the mountains and cities, we rode the rented scooters for almost one hundred kilometers(160 miles ).

This is our schedule:

08:30 am, we took the bus to Lotong (羅東), Yilan (宜蘭).

09:30 am, arrived and met the friend.

10:00 am, after rented the scooters, started the trip.
10:30 am, visited the high school Taro taught in.11:00 am, Lotong Sport Park (羅東運動公園) for hiking12:00 pm, moved to Sansing (三星鄉) tasted the famous shallot pancake (三星蔥餅)

moved to Cingshuei Geothermal ( 清水地熱谷) for viewing boil hot spring and boiled eggs ourselves...

15:00 pm, next to Yilan Liquor Factory (宜蘭酒廠)16:00 pm, moved to The Museum of Yilan Government History (宜蘭設治紀念館).17:00 pm, Luna Plaza for shopping (新月廣場).

17:30 pm, dinner at ShaunChiChen (香雞城) which means delicious baked chicken restaurant.18:30 pm, Yilan Night Market.
19:00 pm, arrived at Yilan Sport Park for 2009 Taiwan Lantern Festival!20:30 pm, Lotong Night Market.21:30 pm, returned the rented scooters and ready back to home.
22:00 pm, got on the bus.
24:00 pm, arrived in Taipei

Totally almost 17 hours...but it's super great and nice trip!

Hiking to Bishan Mt. (碧山巖)

On the end of January, we(grandpa, dad, mom and me) have went hiking to the Bishan Mt. which located in Neihu.

THE KAI CHANG SHENG WANG TEMPLE AT PI SHAN.
THE TEMPLE, LOCATED AT NO. 24 PI-SHAN RD. , IS DEDICATED TO KAI CHANG SHENG WANG, A HISTORICAL PERSON NAMED CHENG YUAN KUNG (657 - 711) HE WAS A HIGH RANKING OFFICIAL IN CHANG CHOU, FUKIEN PROVINCE DURING THE TANG DYNASTY. THE TEMPLE WAS BUILT IN THE QHING DYNASTY BY THE EMPEROR CHIA-CHIN TO REMEMBER THIS PART OF HISTORY.
( the intorduction is from http://163.29.36.51/neihu/index.jsp?categid=775&recordid=566)

I have been a long time to visited Bishan Mt. since childhood but Bishan is still so popular and spectacular. Here are the photos we took on that day.

After graduate application...

距離上次寫網址是一個月多前的事情，
這段時間不停的準備學校申請，
一封封的申請文件跟作品集（修改修改再修改）陸續寄出，
After application, 零零總總total下來我算了算這費用真是不低，包括delivery cost and applicaiton fee（找代辦應該會更貴，
到底申請的結果如何我也難以預測，但是希望能被accepted。
我很想很想去繼續學習這塊design的領域，
再申請學校過程的後半段時間，我去報名了師大Flash跟台大Dreamweaver的課程，
發現若是要展現個人作品的話，一個個人網站是必須的，
這個年頭網路無遠弗屆，使用web可以讓認識你這個人的過程加速，
再激烈密集又充實的課程之下，再加上老師講的很棒上課互動又多，
製作網站跟Flash的功力大為增加，
現在缺少的是一個架設網站的穩定空間以及其他資料庫的技術，
After課程之後，我認為應該架設屬於我們許家自己的網站，
讓家裡的成員都可以上來看看大家的情況，
上傳照片或是瀏覽以前的老照片（這部份我必須要去完成，掃描、建檔）
大致上的架構已經有初步的概念，從昨天開始已進行了1%，
再來就是繪圖以及建立完整的網站內容，
但是資料庫的部份可能要想辦法一下，畢竟這方面我不是懂很多。
明天要去宜蘭一日遊順便參觀芋頭的家，
希望天氣可以跟今天的氣象局預報一樣不準，
再多拍幾張好照片。