by Grace Weng
I sat motionless on the cold green bench in the clinic. The surrounding atmosphere suffocated me–the noisome smell of the place; the complete whiteness of the walls, the floor, the uniform of the nurse sitting at t he reception counter; the unbearable silence and stillness. It was as if time no longer existed, yet the only sound that could be heard was the monotonous ticking of the clock. My mind was as blank as the whiteness of the walls. The wind chimes by the clinic door broke the silence. I turned towards the opening door and what I saw first wasn’t the feet of the person, but the big round stomach of a woman. She looked about thirty, a little plump with a slightly s wollen face. Following her was a tall, well-built man whom I immediately made out to be her husband. One of the woman’s hands clung tightly to her husband’s arm while the other supported her stomach. The couple walked slowly to the bench opposite me and sat down. The nurse by the counter approached them and they exchanged a few words in whispers. The pregnant woman looked especially nervous, as her shoulders jolted spasmodically from time to time. Her husband placed his big hands on her stomach as if gi ving her a sense of assurance, and I could see a kind of serene joy radiating from her swollen cheeks. I couldn’t hold back my tears anymore. If I had observed this couple in a park or anywhere else at any other moment, I wouldn’t have noticed their little movements, and the richness of their expressions. It probably would not have moved me to tears. Yet then and there, on the other side of the wall, my best friend Rachel was having a life sucked out of her womb. Rachel and I had not seen each other for half a year. As she was studying in the States, we only met during Christmas and summer vacations. Thus when I unexpectedly received her call this summer, I could hardly wait to see her and t alk about all the little secrets that we missed sharing. I did not anticipate that the first secret she shared with me was–I am pregnant. Her voice was so shaky that I thought I hadn’t heard right. Yet when I looked into her eyes and saw her helplessness as she sobbed incessantly, I suddenly realized the seriousness of what she was facing. Rachel told me that she often felt like vomiting recently, and her mom was becoming a little suspicious. Thus she had already made an appointment for her to get an overall check-up at one of the well-established hospitals. The appoi ntment was two days later. I couldn’t bear the slightest thought of how her mother might react if she found out about her pregnancy. She was one of the most conservative mothers I have ever known. Ever since high school, Rachel had always had fights with her parents because of her boyfriend, Chris. They did not think girls should experience romance at such a young age. Moreover, they did not approve of Chris. They told Rachel that if she had already graduated from college, they wouldn’t interfere with w hom she was dating, but in high school, she should just concentrate on her studies. Due to continued pressure from her parents, Rachel was forced to end her relationship with Chris. That happened at least three years ago. Rachel and Chris still dated secr etly and held on to their love. But what now? Chris was miles away on the other side of the world and Rachel had to face this all alone. We had looked in the yellow pages, called up hospitals, clinics, and eventually, this was where we ended up. As the doctor did an ultrasound scan of Rachel’s uterus, I could see tiny, fuzzy movements of black and white in what seem ed like a hollow womb. The doctor told us that that was the heartbeat of the offspring. It should have been a fascinating idea that a life which was less than two months old could have a heartbeat, yet how we wished it hadn’t existed! The doctor said that he would be glad if Rachel could keep the baby and get married, but if there weren’t any other choices, an abortion would take less than forty minutes. I knew how much Rachel loved children and how she longed to keep the baby, but when considering all the impossible situations in reality, there was no other way out. Both she and Chris were only twenty; their parents would not agree ; they would not have the financial support; they were still in school; the list could go on endlessly. I looked up at the ticking clock on the wall. Rachel had been in the operating room for more than half an hour. The woman opposite me looked as though she had fallen asleep, with both hands on her stomach. Her face looked so calm and pe aceful. The man looked affectionately at his wife’s face, then at the big round stomach, then back at her face, then her stomach. I looked up at the ticking clock on the wall. Rachel had been in the operating room for more than half an hour. The woman opposite me looked as though she had fallen asleep, with both hands on her stomach. Her face looked so calm an d peaceful. The man looked affectionately at his wife’s face, then at the big round stomach, then back at her face, then her stomach. A nurse had appeared by the corridor and told me I could go in and see Rachel. I followed her along the narrow corridor and entered a room, white like everything else. I saw her lying on bed, looking so fragile like a porcelain doll that could shatter with the slightest disturbance. Her face was as pale as death and her eyes expressionless. The usual spark of hope was nowhere to be found. It was as if she was in a distant world, all alone in the void. She was looking at me but she s howed no signs of recognition. My fingers started to tremble as I stared into her eyes. I was so afraid that she would never return to her usual self, that I would never again see her smile and hear her tinkling laughter. Then I noticed small, subtle movements of her lips. She kept on murmuring, Where is my baby? Where is my baby? Her voice got louder and she was getting out of control, “It belonged to me and Chris… I just killed my baby… I ki lled my baby… I killed a life… It already had a heartbeat… Did you see its heart beating… It was a life we created and I killed it. How could I have done such a deed? I’m so cruel…She started vomiting and the nurse came in to give her a shot. Gradua lly she calmed down, only whispering sorry over and over again, then drifted into sleep. Her intense reaction completely shocked me. I had never thought it would turn out like this. I thought we were only solving a problem, only preventing her parents from finding out, and after t he operation was over, the matter would be over and done with. I had never expected it to have such a strong impact on her. It wasn’t just about solving the problem; it was an issue of morality. It was, after all, depriving a life of its chance to develo p in the womb, to be brought into this world to experience all the intricate emotions of being a human. After two more hours of rest, Rachel seemed more calm and composed. Her body was still feeling rather weak, as the doctor said the wound would take a couple of weeks to heal. But what about the wound she had experienced emotionally, how long would that take to heal? Or would it be forever cast in her memory?
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Lois Lowry, the author of The Giver 記憶受領員 , received the Newbery Medal 美國紐伯瑞金牌獎 on 1994.Her books have been translated into Chinese and publsihed in Taiwan. She is also the author of many other popular books for young readers, including Number the Stars, The One Hundredth Thing , About Caroline , Switcharound , and US and Uncle Fraud etc.
The story takes place in an undetermined future, a utopian world where everything is under control. There is no pain, war, even fear, and everyone does his duty. The main character is a little boy named Jonas. Everyone at the age of twelve will be assigned a role in the community. When Jonas turns twelve, he is singled out to receive special training from the Giver. The Giver serves as a prophet because he alone holds the memories of the true pain and the pleasure of life. He can give people an appropriate answer for almost every question. Now it’s time for Jonas to discover the truth. He learns that there were once not only bright colors, pleasant music, but also terrible warfare. In order to make life better, people in this community ge t rid of many aspects of life only the parts that benefits the humanity remains. Compared to the past, Jonas’ world is rather monotonous, for the diversity of life has disappeared. The memories delivered by The Giver open his eyes and teach him what th e original world was. In fact, the original world in Jonas’ eyes is where we are living now. Anything in our world, whether good or bad, will happen to us. However, there are no choices at all in Jonas’ world. All evil is removed; only good can be k ept. For instance, sexual desire is viewed as evil so that people have an injection in order to constrain it. Some natural phenomena are also changed. The more Jonas understands the past, the less he can accept the present condition. The present life is smooth and steady, but there is no love in life. People act according to the rules without any personal feelings involved. For example, handicapped infants and old people will be eliminated because they do not do any good for society. Jonas wants to change his world and makes it more humane. He is the only one who possesses the entire past memories. The giver told him that only his running away from the community can he transfer those memories to other people. Nevertheless, he will lose the past me mories at the same time. With a view to recovering their memories and to letting the community return to the normal state. Jonas sacrifices himself. He is bound for an unknowing place. What will happen to him after leaving? Will the residents in the co mmunity change afterwards? Lowry does not offer a definite answer, and she leaves room for readers’ imagination. The Giver is originally written for children. Although it begs to the category of science fiction, Lowry does not focus on describing how amazing the advanced technology is, but to tell readers to cherish what they own, and to care more about the things around them. Besides, it raises a question for readers: will it be good for us to live in such a world where everything is under control? Some may say so because longing for stability is part of human nature. The story probes into man’s shortsightedne ss. Familiarity and safety do not necessarily bring happiness; rather, happiness is obtained when one has the opportunity to enjoy fine things in this world, to feel warm love and emotions. by Phoebe Chen
Feeling tense after the pressure of a day’s work But don’t know how to relieve your tension quickly? Having digestion probles? You want to cure it without taking a lot of medicine? Your skin is as rough as sandpaper? You want to have tender smooth skin but you don’t want to spend a fortune on lotion and cream? Well, almighty herbal teas have come to save the day. Herbal teas are made by infusing parts of an herb or plant that provide a curative power as an elixir or tonic. Drinking herbal teas have become a fad and herbal teas can easily be found on the menus of tea shops. However, do you really know what their characteristics are and which kind of herbal tea you need? The list below might help you out! Basil(紫蘇): an Italian herbal tea, the best soothing infusion to help alleviate an upset stomach and ease the feeling of nausea. Chamomile(甘菊): a very suitable bedtime treat. It has an apple-like fragrance but with a light flavor, so it always goes with honey. Also, it is beneficial to eyes and liver. Chrysanthemum(菊花): a kind of tea which is not unfamiliar among Chinese which used to be only for the emperor or upper class society. It serves to stop a headache and to alleviate the pain caused by rheumatism or arthritis. Dandelion(蒲公英): a very popular herbal tea among children which is also an aid to digestion. Ginseng(人蔘): an oriental herbal tea which is a favorite among Chinese. It has an anise-like taste and is said to make people live long and healthy. Hibiscus(芙蓉): an herbal tea with lemon-like fragrance but a slightly bitter taste. It is beneficial to stomach-related problems. It is a wonderful combination with rose tea. Jasmine(茉莉花): another well-known tea among Chinese. It can make people feel calm and peaceful. It is also beneficial to the eyes and it helps to get rid of people’s bad breath. Lavender(薰衣草): an herbal tea which helps to soothe people’s nerves and relieve their tension. It has a strong fragrance so it is often made into perfume. However, it has a light flavor so it is often accompanied by honey. Licorice(甘草): an herbal tea to choose when having coughing problems. It is also beneficial to people’s kidney and bladder. Mixing licorice with other herb teas can create many different combinations. Linden(菩提): an herbal tea best to drink when having a cold. It also stimulates hair growth. Last, it is a remover of freckles and wrinkles. Peppermint(薄荷): an herbal tea that also helps to alleviate an upset stomach and has the name of “the ice cream of herbal beverages.” Rose Hips(玫瑰果): an herbal tea most favored by ladies. It contains a high degree of Vitamin C which will make your skin soft and smooth. By Joanne Wen and Lin Wei-Chun
Having sex before marriage is a debatable issue. This survey is designed with this concept in mind. We want to investigate what young people think about this issue. We put a questionnaire on the BBS, and received 165 replies. Most people who replied to this questionnaire were between 18 and 21 years old. We assumed that those who responded were heterosexuals who might get married. PART I: the questionnaire Please check the best answer for you. Or fill in what you think. 1.age:___________ 2.sex: ___male ___female 3.Can you accept people having sex before marriage? ____yes ___no 4.(If you are female, answer this question) If you are pregnant but not married, what kind of aid would you seek? ___a doctor ___your parents ___your teachers ___your boyfriend ___social workers ___friends ___other_________________________________ 5.(If you are male, answer this question) If your girlfriend is pregnant (both of you aren’t married), what would you do? ___“I cannot be the father!!” ___Don’t know what to do, maybe avoid seeing her. ___Go with her to a hospital and have her get an abortion. ___Tell her to keep the baby, give birth, and then raise the baby with her. ___Keep the baby but send it to an orphanage or other institution. ___Respect what my girlfriend decided. ___other__________________________________ 6.If your daughter got pregnant before marriage, what would you do? ___Tell her to get an abortion. ___Ask her boyfriend to marry her. ___Respect what my daughter decided. ___Send her to a place where no one knows her, and let her give birth to the baby. ___Depending on the situation then decide. ___Other___________________________ PART II: the result of the survey The main reason that might make our results less objective or unable to represent young people is that the net (BBS) is our only source for answers. However, people who are on net might have a certain typ e of thinking or different point of view. Also, people who were willing to answer the questionnaire may be more open about sex issues, compared to people who weren’t willing to answer (only about 20% of people we sent questionnaires to answered the survey). 96 guys (58% of this sample) and 69 girls (42% of this sample) replied. 46% of girls accepted having sex before marriage, and 56% of the guys did. The average age is 20. 53% of the girls said if they were pregnant before marriage, they would find a doctor to help them, 38% want their boyfriend to help them, 20% said it would be better to tell their parents. Most girls tried to hide the facts from their parents. It seemed that most girls thought a doctor and their boyfriend were more reliable. And maybe they thought they could deal with the problem by themselves or they were afraid of being punished by their parents. 48% of guys said that if their girlfriend were pregnant before marriage, they would tell her to keep the baby, give birth, and then raise the baby with her. Another 20% said they would go with her to a hospital to have an abortion. 19% would respect what the girl decided. 6% think they might not be the father. About 20% have some other opinion. For example, 6 boys said if their girlfriend was pregnant, they would first try to detect who was the father. And some boys said they would cons ider their economic circumstances before deciding what to do. And if their daughter had the same problem, what would they do? Most people (41%) would ask her boyfriend to marry her, 19% said they would respect what she decided, 12% want her to get an abortion, 11% would consider the situation and then decide, and only one person said he might send her to a place where no one knows her. PART III: analysis Honestly speaking, both of us were pretty surprised at the result of question #5, the question for boys , “If your girlfriend is pregnant, what would you do?” We discovered that most guys chose the answer I would respect what she decided.“ We have no intention to offend or look down on boys, but this is quite different from what we expected. In other words, we thought guys were more irresponsible. So we tried to figure out the possibl e reasons that may contribute to this result: (1) people who answer our survey are mostly about 20 years old and it is possible that the younger generation’s point of view has become more responsible, different from the impression in our minds. The same situation occurs in que stion #6, If your daughter got pregnant before marriage, what would you do?” Most people chose to respect their daughter’s decision, which again indicates that the younger generation may be more willing to pay respect to their children. (2) it is also possible that the guys who answered the questionnaire were not honest enough, or they overestimated their ability to take responsibility. (3) maybe the guys who answered the questionnaire are responsible and the irresponsible guys refused to answer. (4) we might be biased because of watching too much TV or reading too many love novels. Most love novels or soaps on TV present situations in which men avoid seeing their pregnant girlfriend, and sometimes they would push her to hav e an abortion. Or we might be somehow affected by the tragedies which happened between couples close to us. For example, a girl friend of one of us got an abortion because when she learned she was pregnant, her boyfriend disappeared. Looking at the result of question 4: if girls get pregnant before marriage what kind of aid will they seek? We found that most girls chose to go to a doctor when they got pregnant before marriage, which means getting an abortion. We considered the reason is that most girls thought they were too young to have a baby; most young couples have financial difficulties, and it would be quite unfair for the babies to grow up in such bad conditions. Also we found that many girls chose to go to their boyfriend, and we supposed the reason may be because that they wanted their boyfriends to make the decision, or they would be willing to respect their boyfriends’ opinion. Girls who told their boyfriend first might want to avoid the responsibili ty of pregnancy, and they might say, “It’s all your fault! You should take the responsibility!!” Maybe they would discuss the problem with the guys in order to find the best way to solve it. According to our point of view, quite a number of girls would keep their baby if their boyfriend told them to do so. Because, generally speaking, many girls tend to be more conservative when facing such a problem. by Joseph Tsai
Speaking of death, The Sweet Hereafter by the Canadian director Atom Egoyan is a cold spell challenging the ultimate depth of humanity in a snowy, dead winter. In addition to the jump cuts, a signature of Egoyan, the delicacy of visual aesthetics and the smooth music make the film a masterpiece. In every beautiful painting-like image, Egoyan skillfully presents the fragility of humankind. It is winter 1995. Owing to a school bus accident that kills almost all the children of the town, everyone is bathed in deep despair. A lawyer, Mitchell Stephens, visits one house after another, persuading all the parents to believe that the accident is actually a conspiracy. When he cleverly provokes the mother of Bear, one of the dead, “Let me express your anger! You lost your son, and you’re feverishly angry. Don’t hide it. Leave it to me,” he knows well that how incapable people are of facing death. He tries to find an outlet for their sadness and rage; however, he still falls into the impetuous presumption of an outsider. After all, others’ wrath and sorrow are the last things one may understand. At the same time, behind Stephens’s calm, analytical tone soothing the sad parents, he has serious communication problems with his own daughter. Two years later on a plane, he bumps into Alison, an old friend of his daughter’s, and some heartaching memories emerge in their conversation. As Stephens tells his own story, a father carrying his little daughter with breathing trouble in one hand and a knife in the other ready to cut her throat to help her breathe, what we hear is a kind father’s fearful meditation. Prepared as he is to go for the last, he can never resist the anguish aroused by the approach of death. As his daughter tells him about her getting AIDS, she can no more conceal her fear and need for care. Finally, after parting with Alison at the airport, Stephens can do nothing but cry alone. Such hidden emotions are all released in the film. Egoyan cruelly points to the most vulnerable part of life, which constitutes the theme of The Sweet Hereafter. Such exposure of feelings is truly astonis hing. Bathed in the grief of the bereaved parents, the pure snow-covered land smells bloody, and the whole film is like a journey in every audience’s inhibited zone. As for the only two survivors, Nicole and Dorothy, Nicole’s final line shows her preference for an alternate outlet. “The dead children, Dorothy, and I all live in a different town now. The water gushes … everything is strange and new … people in the town live in the sweet hereafter.” Is it true that life can never be sweet? Short and painful, filled with tortured emotions, especially when we have to face death, life is nothing more than a condemnation! Is afterlife the only way to sweetness as the title indicates? Nevertheless, Egoyan eventually embraces all living people with his unique hug full of unexpected warmth. When Nicole steps to the window at the end of the film, light bursts out of darkness, and a theme song called “Courage” follows. Although Egoyan repeatedly exposes the inability of humankind and looks forward to a sweet hereafter, where everything is strange and new, surprisingly he demands us to have some courage! Ordinary as we are, we are still able to enjoy the lovely sunshine, another sort of sweet hereafter. Such are the sweet notes left for us after pondering the line between life and death. In the end, freezing white is dissolved by Egoyan’s optimistic heat. A little boy in the film once wonders about Robert Browning’s Pied Piper of Hamelin that Nicole reads to him: “Since the piper could drive away all the rats with his magic, why didn’t he use that power to make the adults pay?” The hole in the mountain where all the children fall is just like the crack in the lake that swallows the school bus. All these accidents result from a kind of power, which also leads us to go on with our lives filled with inevitable happiness and sorrow. Every one of us voluntarily follows the guide of desire while our fragile souls keep suffering. We know, however, there must be a sweet hereafter after we yield to death. The sweet hereafter waits for us loyally, like the sounds of a pipe that the children expect and accompany them throughout life, even into death. On this ground, Egoyan offers the living a way out. Concerning the Chinese title意外的春天which means either the accidental spring or the brighter side of the accident, everyone is able to possess his/her own spring of life before a nameless death, not accidentally at all. by George Chou
You have probably noticed a new faculty member, with short, gray hair, a big belly, and always neatly dressed, walking around the halls of the A. V. Center and L.T.T.C. with a big briefcase smiling to whomever he encounters . He is Mr. Ted Partington, a new part-time instructor to D.F.L.L. Mr. Partington comes from Canada. He was born in Ottawa. When he was very young he moved near Toronto to an ordinary, middle-class, but very prosperous area of Canada. Mr. Partington went to the University of Toronto and studied classics there, mainly Greek, Latin, Greek and Roman history, and Archeology. Then he attended York University and studied Medieval History and Literature, and some Modern Lit erature. Later he received his MA in Byzantine History and Literature at the University of Manitoba. He also went to law school in Manitoba and got his law degree. Now he has begun his Ph.D. at the University of Wales in 17th-Century History an d Literature. Mr. Partington was actually a lawyer. He spent most of his life practicing law. He practiced law for 13 years before selling his law firm in 1989 when he received a good offer. Since he had nothing to do, he felt there was no sense in s taying where he was. So he decided to come to Taiwan to visit some of his former clients. Mr. Partington was considering Hong Kong for a permanent stay, but he decided to come to Taiwan instead for various reasons. The main reason was that he ended up mar rying the daughter of a former client, and she is a graduate of the N.T.U. Food Science Department. This year Mr. Partington is offering language courses such as Oral Training One, Oral Training Two, Sophomore Composition, and Junior Composition. I try to make conversation as natural as possible, Mr. Partington explained. I try to get the students to listen and respond to presentations rather than just listening. Just sincere conversation, to teach them not merely to speak in a grammatically correct way, but to deal with English usage. I have always been flexible and adaptable, he continued. Maybe because of my legal background. When I first started teaching here, I adapted, I think, quite quickly, and tried to identify with the needs of my students. Just give them wh at they need and gradually adjust your course. I think teachers have to be very adaptable, constantly changing their material to suit the students, not just for the sake of change, but to adapt to the students’ needs. When Mr. Partington first came to N.T.U., what surprised him the most was that students rarely do research papers during their entire four years of study. What I would like to see in our department is that it become more and more resear ch-oriented. He remarked. Because I come from a tradition where the focus towards university is research, it might be an idea to begin doing one or two papers as early as possible. We did our first research paper in high school. I think there will be some disadvantages to our students if they haven’t done any research by the time they graduate from university. Perhaps it is not possible because this is an E.F.L. environment but the students in the department are quite intelligent and excellent, and I thi nk they are capable of doing this. Maybe there will be some language problems but this is one thing that I would like to see. To me, a university without research seems contradictory. We should try to do research even at the undergraduate level. Most of Mr. Partington’s students have often said they could sense that he really cares about them, that he is genuine. And the only suggestion Mr. Partington has for the students of D.F.L.L. is to read more. I think they need to read more in English, to read widely in English, not just what is required in class. Maybe some popular novels like John Grisham’s books. .Just read. Because I think through reading you get a feeling for the language, which you can’t learn from conversation classes. And because you are in an E.F.L. environment, you have to develop an English-speaking environment for yourself. You need to take advantage of every opportunity. I guess books are the main thing you have. by Bill Wu
Many tourists are fascinated with Britain because of its scenic nature, long history, friendly people, and even the English accent. However, budget travelling seems to be more challenging now. Not only do we find everything expensive in Britain, but many tourists are complaining about the high cost of living in London and that the pound is growing stronger. Here are some tips for saving your pennies on your journey to Britain: The Tube The oldest underground is also one of the most expensive. But if you get a travel card you can go anywhere you want by bus or tube for one price. Travel cards are available for one day, two days, etc. Sightseeing Concessional discounts normally come with showing your international student card. You may get free entrance to over one thousand castles and sightseeing highlights in all of Great Britain with Great Britain Pass, which is available in some domestic travel agents in Taiwan and the British Information Centre in London. British Rail Tours Most young people like to travel by train. However, the quality of BR does not match its high price. And your Eurorail Pass doesn’t work in Britain. But even if you forget to get a rail pass before you get there. Don’t worry. Here are some pointers. ▋A one-day return rail ticket is normally cheaper. ▋Buy a BR youth card for 18 pounds first; then you get a discount up to 1/3 off the normal price on every ticket you book. ▋A super apex or apex ticket is really a bargain, which means tickets must be bought one or two weeks before departure. By the way, “Eurostar” will take you rapidly across the Channel within three hours, directly from London Waterloo station, to either Paris or Brussels. The trains depart hourly. Poor Man Tour If you are running beyond your budget in London, there are some excellent places which are free of charge. For example, the unparalleled British Museum is free. Walk across Trafalgar Square and visit the National Gallery, where the exhibitions include a dazzling range of works from da Vinci to Seurat. Enjoy the atmosphere of Soho and then do some window shopping along Piccadily’s boutiques or maybe the biggest department store in Europe, Harrod’s. The Natural History Museum and the Science Museum are free after 16.30. Too tired after walking all day ? Take a rest in Hyde Park, listen to the arguments between speakers on a soapbox and the audience. Be sure not to sit on the beautiful lounge chairs in the park though, because a few minutes later, an English gentleman will come asking you to pay a fee-with an elegant accent of course! A young man called his mother and announced excitedly that he had just met the woman of his dreams. Now what should he do? His mother had an idea: Why don’t you send her flowers, and on the card invite her to your apartment for a home- cooked meal? He thought this was a great strategy, a week later, the woman came to dinner. His mother called the next day to see how things had gone.I was totally humiliated, he moaned. She insisted on washing the dishes.What’s wrong with that? asked his mother.We hadn’t started eating yet.
**************************************************** A newly married man asked his wife, Would you have married me if my father hadn’t left me a fortune? Honey,the woman replied sweetly,“I’d marry you no matter who left you a fortune.” Silently revealing its sorrow
To the secluded sycamore. The rustling of the leaves Speaking of its insatiable desire Obsolete in its own existence. An eclipse of serenity fills the night Transcends the darkness to a spark of hope A utopia high in the sky Or A fallen soul in a sarcophagus? by Grace Weng by Jo Huang
From July to October in Taipei the Chueh Se Movie Festival ( 絕色影展 ) and Sheng-Se Movie Festival 聲色影展 were held for those who are not satisfied with Hollywood’s commercial films. Thirteen movies from different countries, including Canada, France, Austria, England, America, and even Iran, were picked for the festivals. For movie-choosy viewers, these charming and controversial films may lead them to an exciting sensory movie world. They can see what they really want to see in the theater. It is believed that in Taipei, the bustling city, there are still numerous people who cannot breathe well without movies in their lives; that is, people who like to see movies need something new beside Hollywood’s bombing and calamity. Sometimes they long for a movie about natural life such as “Microcosmos” 小宇宙 ,sometimes they desire to see something about the alienation and pain of human beings such as in “The Sweet Hereafter” 意外的春天, and sometimes they would like to appreciate a gay film such as “Alive and Kicking” 亞當的肋骨還是亞當. Hollywood productions will never satisfy an audience whose taste is various and multifarious, therefore, special movies have been chosen for them by several film merchants. In Taiwan, the movie market is mainly concerned with money. Without impressive scenes, famous actors, and glorious awards, a film is unlikely to attract more audience. Most consumers still regard going to a movie as just pure relaxation and entertainment, so they don’t want anything except excitement. For this reason, to take care of the minority of movie lovers, the movie merchants often pick five to seven films in a movie festival for them to have more choices. The films in a movie festival always have a common theme. In the Chueh-Se Movie Festival , for instance. |
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May 2024
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