Confucius Temple Red 孔廟紅

In western cultures, red color symbolizes sexual energy, youth, vivacity and stimulation. Red is power, hence the red power ties for business people and the red carpet for celebrities. 

But red has its more serious side in Chinese culture. Chinese red denotes happiness and prosperity and may be used to attract good luck. Red flag, red lantern, red wedding, red Spring festival couplets... Red is the living color of China!

The Chinese red can be red like vermillion, brick, or the national flag. I personally prefer the red with earth tone highlights, an elegant color like the red wall of Confucius temple in Tainan, Taiwan. The Confucius temple red sumptuously indicates richness, power, and noble and is used to honor the great Chinese thinker and social philosopher Confucius (551- 479BC).

The Art on the Swallow Tail Roof 燕尾脊屋頂上的藝術品

My favorite street in Tamsui, Zhen Li street (淡水真理街)

Green with the drip of dew and rain,

the moss address itself like art on the roof

with curved swallow tail ridge ends.


飽含露水和雨滴的苔蘚,

綠茸茸地將自己襯脫得

像是燕尾脊屋頂上的一件藝術品。

Pray for Japan 替日本祈福

Dear friends, while we're worry about should the Japanese radioactive fallout reach our shores, let's pray for the survivors of the tsunami and the people who are threatened by the ongoing nuclear crisis.

How to help:
American Red Cross
Japanese Red Cross Society
The Red Cross of The Republic of China
Red Cross Society of China
The Salvationarymyusa.org
Care

在擔心日本的輻射塵是否會飄流到我們的國家之餘，讓我們替這些海嘯的倖存者和在核能危機之下生存的人們祈福。

如何幫助：
日本紅十字會
中華民國紅十字總會
中国红十字会
美國紅十字會

Tamsui in Rain 雨中的淡水

Tamsui without rain

is like something without...

something else

沒有雨的淡水

就好像缺了...

什麽的什麽

It Can Be Cold in Taipei. 台北是可以很冷的。

cold in Mandarin

I almost forgot how cold it can be in Taipei...

Regardless of the occasional drizzle and misty wind, I set out to rediscover the city where I used to live. Like a little curious child, my eyes moved from banyan fig to colorful signage to gardenia to roasted sweet potato to temple to Taipei 101 building to incense to coffee shop to osmanthus. I kept walking and searching for the the familiar smell until the sound of school kids' voices filled the late afternoon air on Tun-Wha North Road.

I stepped into Eslite Bookstore and was happy to find my favorite Japanese musician Sakamoto Ryuichi's book "Musik macht frei'. Suddenly I forgot it can be cold in Taipei...

幾乎忘記台北的冬天是可以很冷的...

為了重新認識這個我曾居住的城市, 就暫時不管那才下又停的綿綿細雨和濕答答的寒風。像個好奇的小孩，我的眼睛悠遊在榕樹, 多彩的看板, 栀子花, 烤蕃藷, 寺廟, 台北一零一大樓, 香火，咖啡館, 桂花樹。我行行復行行地尋找那熟悉的味道, 直到孩童放學的嬉鬧聲填滿了敦化北路。

走進誠品書局，居然讓我發現了坂本龍一的書“音樂使人自由”。開懷之下，就這樣忘了台北是可以很冷的...

Lecturing at Xue Xue 在學學開課

I look forward to sharing my story of Taiwan with you once I finish my lectures at Xue Xue Institute, a "Learning Platform" for creativity and culture in Taipei, Taiwan.

Talk with you later, my friends.

朋友們, 我目前正在學學開課, 就等課程結束後再和你們聊聊我的台灣故事了。