What makes me feel happy? 什麽是讓我快樂的事情？

Outside, the swirling clouds on the top of the Alps were clearing away. Inside the study, I finally finished the design project from hell.

To clear up my tired mind and to release the tension held in my neck and shoulders, I’d try some tips to have my endorphin fix –––

1.Take a long walk in a green park.

2. Enjoy a cup of Taiwanese tea while listening to Bach’s music.

3. Take a lavender relaxing bath.

4. Sniff some citrus (fresh lemons and limes from the kitchen).

5. Have a good laugh from watching my favorite cartoons, i.e, Chibi Maruko-chan (櫻桃小丸子, ちびまる子ちゃん）and The Simpsons.
 
But what works the best for me is to enjoy a creative, full-flavored meal with fresh ingredients.

I like food. When I eat I feel happy.


外頭，阿爾卑斯山山頂打旋的烏雲已漸漸地消失。裡面，在書房的我終於剛好完成那好似被打下地獄，永遠不得超生的設計案子。

為了清理我疲乏腦袋的思絡、解脫我的脖子和肩膀上暫掛的緊張，我會試著用不同的方式來調理我的身心靈 –––

一、在公園裡走上一段長長的路。

二、一邊傾聽巴哈的音樂，一邊喝茶品茗。

三 、泡著有薰衣草味道的鬆弛浴。

四、聞聞柑橘科類的植物 （如廚房裡的新鮮檸檬）

五、看著最喜歡的卡通影集–––辛普森家庭和櫻桃小丸子而開懷大笑。

不過話說回來， 對我最有用的偏方卻是享用一頓帶有創意、風味十足的新鮮膳食。

我就是愛吃。當祭著我的五臟廟時，我覺得快樂似神仙呢。

Would you stop tickling me? 可不可以停止搔癢呢？

The sweet scent of peonies coiled with the fresh breeze coming from the Lake of Geneva, dancing around in and out of the garden. With the full hum life of bees in the background, I was in the garden and observed insects and plants–––one of my favorite things to do in the lazy Saturday afternoons. Again, I was in the mood to compose a Haiku, a Japanese poem...

Would you stop tickling me?

I am thirsty too,

This spring afternoon.


我在蜜蜂嗡嗡作響的花園裡觀察著昆蟲和植物， 這可是我每逢懶散的星期六下午最喜歡做的事情之一。牡丹花甜美的香氣夾帶著來自瑞士日內瓦湖的清新微風在花園裡舞進舞出，這時又想再做上一首日本俳句…

可不可以停止搔癢呢？

我也口渴呀，

在這春天的下午。

A Drinker’s Haiku 飲酒人的俳句

While walking through the vineyards in Burgundy, I spontaneously composed a Haiku for fun:

Even in Burgundy,

how I long for Burgundy

when the Pinot Noir grapes drop.

漫遊法國博根地的葡萄酒園，我突然興致大發地作起一首日本俳句：

即使身在博根地，

仍然心繫博根地，

當那葡萄成熟時。

Lomo Me

by Zone Hou

by Zone Hou

by Zone Hou

The photographs of Henry Cartier Bresson inspired me to take up street photography. I often carry my Canon 5D around the world with only one lens and without flash. I like to observe and click life on the street, and share the beauty of everyday moments.

Although I fall in love with photography that depicts a scene realistically, I appreciate others’ applications of art to photography. I’m here to show you some photos taken by my very charismatic girlfriend Zone Hou during our visit to Xin Tian Di, Shanghai. Judging by the photos with oversaturated colors, fisheye lens and some other special effects, she is definitely a passionate advocate for lomography.

是法國攝影師 Henry Cartier Bresson 的作品讓我開始涉足街頭攝影。不用閃光、只固定用一個鏡頭，我時常帶著我的佳能5D照像機繞著地球跑。只因為我喜歡透過鏡頭觀察街頭人生, 並且與人分享美麗生命的時時刻刻、點點滴滴。

我熱愛純粹的寫實攝影，但我也欣賞運用另類藝術技術的攝影作品。在此和你們分享我知性迷人的女友 Zone Hou 所拍的作品，那時我們正在上海的新天地蕩遊。從照片上過度飽和的色彩、魚眼鏡頭 及其它特殊效果來判斷，她可是不折不扣的 lomography擁護者。

The Most Beautiful Things 最美麗的事物

Traditional shoes I found in the old district in Shanghai

They are for stories
about things of long ago.

They are for giving you
nice memories to keep...

But most importantly of all,
they’re the most beautiful things all on their own.

他們讓你敘古。

他們讓你談舊。

但最重要的, 他們的真誠不做作才是最美麗的事物。

In Cheng Huang Miao, the City God Temple of Shanghai 在上海城皇廟裡

I saw this man in an ancient Chinese costume–––
I was thinking about what he was thinking about.

我的好奇心被這位身著中國古裝的男士挑起–––
我–在–想–他–在–想–什–麽。

Tian Zi Fang, the fragrance to the stage 田子坊，粉墨登場的明星味。

What pulled me into the labyrinth-like Tian Zi Fang at night wasn’t the stylish fashion boutiques or the modern art galleries, but the smell that I can relate to the women who've waxed nostalgic over the fragrance's reference to the stage, having been an actress in my childhood.

夜訪迷宮似地田子坊。吸引我注意的不是流行精品小店也不是現代藝廊， 而是一層抹上懷舊氛圍的氣味，讓我聯想起孩提時代的女演員在粉墨登場時所散發的明星味。

Smell of the Past in Shanghai 老上海的味道

JinXian Road (進賢路）

While strolling around the alleys of Lu Pu district, Puxi, just west of Shanghai, I was confronted by what nostrils register as an odor of the past, for it is a rare thing these days to encounter the hanging clotheslines with a trail of detergent smell in public spaces.

上海浦西盧浦區的巷弄裡處處可見掛滿帶著一絲絲洗衣粉氣味的衣服。這樣在今日城市少見的景象倒讓我的鼻子聞出了一種上海老日子的味道。

My First Impression of Shanghai 與上海的第一次接觸

Shanghai is blanketed with a thin layer of tissue–––
the greyish air, the powdery flavor.

上海像是蓋了一層的薄紗–––
灰灰的空氣, 粉粉的味道。

How to Get to Know Taiwan in Five Days 如何在五天之內認識台灣

traditional market in Jiali, Tainan

traditional market in JiaLi, Tainan

AnXi night market in Jiali, Tainan

AnXi night market in JiaLi, Tainan

In my humble opinion, the best way to understand the vernacular culture of Taiwan is to visit traditional markets and night markets.

Well, the tip actually applies to any places in the world.

依我個人的淺見, 如何在短短的五天內認識台灣本土的風格是–––逛市場和遊夜市。

嗯, 我實際上就是用這個撇步遊走世界的。

The Smell of China 中國的味道

The chrysanthemum, is one of the four symbolic seasonal flowers in China (the others are being the orchid for spring, the bamboo for summer, and the plum blossom for winter.) It’s the symbolic of nobility and was first cultivated in China as a flowering herb as far back as the 15th century BC.

I use a big yellow or white incurved chrysanthemum to bring the fall season home. Either alone or pairing with similarly colored flowers, its result can often be exquisitely visual, and its woodsy fresh scent always reminds me of the English author R H Blyth’s Haiku, "Infinity grasped in the hand, before the eyes, the hammering of a nail, the touch of cold water, the smell of chrysanthemums, the smell of this chrysanthemum."

And the smell of China.

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。

Falling in Love with Marie Galante 戀上瑪麗加蘭

A bakery with colorful interior, Grand-Bourg.

An outdoor painting that depicts Caribbean living.

The local farmers still use oxen to plough a field.

The rhum processing factory ruin in Habitation Murat.

An open fish market where people shop for freshly-caught fish, Grand-Bourg.

The colorful chat (cat in French) has a delicious, delicate flavor. Yum...

Lunch at the fine beach in Folle Anse.

The local fruits always taste better...

Tropical flowers in the medical garden at Habitation Murat.

Falling in love with a place, seems to be largely a question of timing. In this scenario, I was extremely lucky to have the chance to discover the unpretentious simplicity of Marie Galante, during my first sailing trip to the French Caribbeans.

As soon as I set foot in Marie Galante, I was enveloped by the fragrance of coconut and rhum. And its timeless-quality of idyllic scenery made my heart singing Zouk–––the sweet, West-African-influenced, electronicised music of the Antilles (Guadeloupe in French.)

Listen to this.

戀上一個地方, 時間絕對是個主要因素。因此, 第一次出航法屬加勒比海便能及時體驗出瑪麗加蘭小島的純樸簡潔, 讓我覺得幸運無比。

一踏進這個小島, 椰子和萊姆的清香立即撲鼻而來。永永遠遠的田園風光讓我心頭低聲吟唱著容克–––這個受到西非音樂影響的甜美法屬瓜露普電子音樂。

聽聽這個吧。

The Cabin Woven by Hand, with Heart 用心編織的小木屋

The cabin, was woven simply by craftsmen, stick by stick like the rhythm of a heartbeat. As a designer, I understand that it's impossible to replicate the special quality that comes from something made by hand, with heart.

We spent a great deal of time walking around admiring this woven cabin in Habitation Murat, the largest sugar cane plantation in Guadeloupe in 1839 and now an eco-museum of arts and traditions in Marie Galante.

The Blessing 祝福

剛從歐洲抵達大雪茫茫的紐約，便隨即登門造訪位在中國城的推拿師父。師父喜氣洋洋地和我道聲“恭禧發財”，我才恍然大悟原來中國新年也已來訪。

中文的讀者們，在此獻上我的“祝福”。

Right after arriving in the snow-blanked New York city from Europe, I went to see my Chinese Tui Na therapist in Chinatown. Only after she cheerfully opened the door to greet me "Gong Xi Fa Cai", I realized that Chinese Lunar New Year is here TOO ...

A sincere blessing (祝福) from me for the Chinese readers.