by Zhuan Lee
Guys, what would be your first reaction upon hearing the word make-up? Twenty years ago, guys would have probably shrugged their shoulders and answered: “That’s women’s business. Real men don’t wear make-up!” Today, however, men are becoming more and more open about their masculine vanity. Some guys are even applying make-up just to look good. Surprised? You really shouldn’t be! Whoever thought that make-up and men never mixed? But if the terms make-up and cosmetics were replaced by “less feminine” vocabulary such as toiletries, facial enhancers, or personal grooming products, would this sound more familiar? Voila! There are thousands of such products on the market today. In fact, with the term “metrosexual” rapidly gaining popularity during the last couple of years, men no longer have to engage in closet vanity. Any appearance-conscious, urban, stylish, heterosexual male can proclaim himself a metrosexual without being sneered at by his macho, scruffy counterparts. After all, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to look good! During our dads’ generation, I believe most men cleansed their faces only with the usual good old bar of soap. The only toiletries they owned were shaving cream, aftershave, and probably a bottle of pungent cologne. At least that was what I remember seeing in my father’s toiletry bag. During most of our recent history, men seem to have shunned make-up as though it were the plague. Of course, if you were a performer or Bozo the clown, it’d be a totally different story. In ancient times, however, men actually spent a lot of time dolling themselves up. Not only did they wear make-up, they wore lots of it! Ancient Egyptian men used perfumed oils to smooth their complexions, coal to darken their eyes and protect them from disease and the sun’s harmful rays. So did Viking men. Besides rimming their eyes black with coal, Roman men also used chalk powder to whiten their faces, colorants from nuts to enhance their eyes, and dyes from berries to stain their lips a healthy pink. In the Wei dynasty of ancient China, men also favored pasty, white complexions. For that, they’d apply a thin layer of arsenic(!) to their faces. Some even believed that occasionally consuming tiny amounts of arsenic could give them porcelain-white skin. So much for the sake of beauty. What may sound more intriguing was that during the Wei dynasty it was fashionable for men to have pale complexions with their lips painted a dark-brown color! So why has the trend for men in make-up died down over the years? Have our modern men have just grown too lazy to make themselves up? Can you accept men wearing make-up? Of the twenty guys and twenty girls I asked, about two-thirds still could not accept it. “It’s just not necessary” was the most common answer I got, as well as “It just isn’t right.” Strangely enough, though, it was the girls who said this. Those who did yes mostly had one condition, which was that men should wear only a minimal amount of make-up, to conceal blemishes or discreetly enhance their looks. What about the guys? The first reply I got was, “Do sunscreen and lip balm count?” 14 out of the 20 guys said that they would limit themselves to sunscreen and lip balm, but nothing more. 3 of the guys said that they do wear make-up to even out their skin tone and even shape their eyebrows. The remaining 3 insisted that they’d be glad to remain a good old scruffy kind of guy, however disheveled they might appear. Personally, I prefer my guy to be scruffy and au naturel. However, when the occasional angry, red pimple pops up or “raccoon eyes” appear after a few sleepless nights, I’d gladly offer him a concealer to cover up all things unsightly. Lip balms, to me, are lifesavers. They do not count as make-up unless they’re sparkly, glossy and tinted red. Sunscreen? Well, it does help to prevent skin cancer, but frankly speaking I prefer my guy to be sporty and toasted. Fashion genius Jean-Paul Gaultier recently became the first fashion designer to launch a special collection of make-up for men. And trust me, in no way does this collection look feminine. Neither in terms of smell nor packaging, just fuss-free products ranging from a complexion-brightening lotion, a bronzer, to a concealing crayon disguised as a pen, practical for even the clumsiest male around. Gaultier says, “Every man has the freedom and the right to acknowledge his own personality. To develop his sensitivity. To be different…to dare to be bold. To end taboos. Every man has the right to look his very best.” Sounds as though our poor men have long been suppressing their innate desire to beautify themselves! Maybe it’s time for all of us to stop judging them from how much paint they put on.
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By Jack Chou
On a typical Tuesday morning, I can manage to roll my lazy butt out of bed as early as 10 a.m. After sleeping on the couch another thirty minutes, I’d stagger my way up and out, and maybe make it to school in time for the last period of my macroeconomics class. Lunchtime is spent bleary-eyed and hungry, contemplating whether anyone would notice if I crawled under the table to continue my interrupted repose, while my fellow writers jabber enthusiastically about the Foreign Exchange. But for my darn dignity, I might actually do it. The last three periods of the day are endured just conscious enough to respond to the teacher’s questions, but never awake enough to know the answers. By the end of the day I’m spent. To hell with whatever classes I was supposed to be taking at night, I’m too exhausted. I’m going home to sleep. Now, before you give me an earful about my sleeping habits, midnight pizzas, and the rock music I put on to help me sleep, let me say I’m done with that rhetoric. In my opinion, there is nothing a good cup of coffee cannot cure. But where to find this black elixir? Determined to start behaving like a proper college student, I skipped class one day to prowl the proximity of our campus. This is my journal: I fortified my resolve the night before by not sleeping and reading Shakespeare, driving myself to the brink of sheer exhaustion the best way I know how. I also bought some antacid tablets. I started my quest with the Gino Café, located above Burger King and next to the campus Eslite branch. I found my way through the crowd (sorry, did I say crowd? There hasn’t been a crowd here since the new prices) to the café. Italian food is the staple of this place, but it still offers a respectable selection of coffee, and after a careful survey I chose a hot latte to kickstart the day. The coffee was nothing to write about, but the atmosphere, an alluring montage of literature and jazz, somehow made it taste better. I could almost imagine I was in a European café. Apparently others felt the same way, because I wasn’t there two minutes before I heard people speaking in English and Japanese. I sipped my coffee, leaned back, closed my eyes in contentment. This is life for a scholar of language and literature! But then into my reverie came the sound of a Spanish conversation. Exactly the class I was skipping, so I quickly left the place. My next stop was the Corridor Café, located in the dome-shaped new gymnasium. My timing was good, if not exactly smart: a little less groggy and I would have been frightened away by the prices. I blundered right in, and found myself a seat by its curved, glass wall overlooking the swimming pool. Coffee by the water, lovely. I wonder whether I should commend the designer’s vision or grotesque sense of humor. While it certainly is a view few competitors could hope (or want) to emulate, it is debatable whether observing flabby, seminude bodies goes well with a cup of joe. Especially with the largely male swimming population. Such shortcomings aside, the Corridor Café is a very classy establishment, where you might even catch an occasional mini concert. I would recommend it for anyone with cash to burn. Or who simply has a thing for middle-aged bathers; I’m not here to judge. Crunching an antacid pill, I rambled all the way to the Hsin-hai Gate, where I found what remained of the once glorious Mos Burger joint. Deposed by Burger King, it now occupies only a stall, but may pass for a coffee shop for the three varieties it offers. Its iced coffee is divine—cheap and plenty, I’ve been glugging it for years. It doesn’t have enough caffeine to keep a sinner awake before execution and perdition, much less sustain a student during finals, so today I decided to experiment with the cappuccino. Before I hurried on, I bought a cup of my favorite iced coffee to wash away the aftertaste, and popped another antacid tablet. In the student activity center near the library is the Renaissance Café, an establishment that hung on even as its neighbors came and went. True to its name it sports a classic Renaissance look, and the prices are surprisingly acceptable. Curiosity ruined the first impression, however. The second floor was downright banal in contrast, with its absurd addition of ceiling fans and blaring rap music. I picked the afternoon tea combo: coffee with unlimited refills, plus all the pizza you can eat. By now I was awake enough to be suspicious. Further inquiry revealed that the free refills came from a poor little coffee machine, containing what appeared to me to be asphalt. As for all the pizza you can eat, well, let’s just say the first piece looked like all the pizza I’d want to eat. And then I was introduced to their trademark Renaissance Iced Coffee, ostensibly renowned for the ice cube made of coffee blobbing in the center of the gooey, brown brew. It was great fun trying to make the ice melt so that the coffee will not be wasted (or recycled—who knows?) but ultimately I remembered I only have some fifty years left to live, and not a minute more of it should be spent in that place than absolutely necessary. By this time I was wondering if I should go on much further. It was not only that my wallet was taking the worst blow since the last woeful time I wooed, but I felt I was discovering a darker side to business on campus than I’d like to know. My visit to the recently opened NTU Farm (really, that’s what the plaque proclaims) confirmed my fears. Competition with the nearby Mozart Café (Stall) is stiff, as both shops catered to students struggling to stay awake in the nearby classroom buildings, and the workers were hardly polite or deferential. It took a flash of cash for them to loosen up. They suggested I try something besides coffee, like their menu of special teas, supposedly cultivated by our very own Department of Agriculture. They recommended the tea inexplicably named something like Birds, Souls, and Sesame as a favorable substitute for coffee, pulling a bag of the stuff out of a suspiciously commercial looking package. And once they got my money, they left me to fend for myself from the most tasteless liquid I’ve ever had. Thank god for Mozart. Mozart not only offers better beverages, it offers them at better prices and with brighter smiles. Like its rivals, it is not just a coffee shop, but more of an all-purpose goodies store catering to all your munchies needs. My interest in it was purely caffeinated: and again, in the interest of the article, I experimented with something I had not dared try yet, the espresso. It certainly looked harmless; in fact it seemed almost like a rip-off, pooling at the bottom two centimeters of the styrofoam cup. I downed it in a gulp. I still had money left, and plenty of energy, but suddenly my supply of antacid seemed inadequate. In any case, I had completed my quest. I had found the best black elixir on campus. It was time to head home, and contemplate what to do for the next forty or fifty sleepless hours. Before I started homeward, I picked up a box of instant cappuccino in a convenience store. Provide your own hot water, and you get eight doses of caffeine for the price of one. Why didn’t I do this first? Still, there’s no way I’d oversleep or miss a class, ever again. By Cathy
One beautiful afternoon, with the wind caressing my face, my friends and I enjoyed the weather and the scenery from the top floor of the Freshman Building. The palm trees were tall, yet beyond palm trees stood the bell tower of the library. The sky framed the tower as the clouds passed by. The tower is very intriguing and it always draws people’s attention, wherever they are. It’s like a tower from a fairy tale transplanted into the real world. I feel the tower beckoning me; there is much to be explored. And I did. After some investigation into the design of the library, I found out that the tower wasn’t even planned from the beginning. Only after several meetings did they add the tower into the plan. The reason was that the bell tower should enforce the university’s intention for the library to become a landmark on campus. Also, the building was huge and it therefore seemed very heavy to the eye, so adding a bell tower could make the structure seem more friendly and lively. By the way, the new library was designed by Haigo Shen, a famous architect. You can also check out his website, www.hsic.com.tw, if you’re interested. Some might doubt, is it really a bell tower? I’ve never heard a bell! You’re right, because the bell was never bought. It is only produced by a company in Holland, and it costs 30,000,000 NT dollars since it is made completely by hand The purchase of the bell depends on alumni donations. Why does it cost such an arm and a leg? Actually, the bell is more than an ordinary bell; it’s a carillon. It is a musical instrument composed of at least 23 bells, arranged in chromatic sequence, and tuned to produce concordant harmony when many bells are sounded together. And the bell would only be used on special occasions, such as the school’s anniversary. According to the librarian I spoke to, there is also a lighting design for the tower. If they turned on the lights on all five stories at once it would look terrific. Yet since they are concerned about electricity costs the lights have not been in use for a long time. After probing into this story, I know how nice it would be if we had such a unique bell on our campus. It could fill the university with a merry atmosphere. Imagine an afternoon with bells ringing, just as the lights of the tower could create a romantic night view. Let’s hope the bell might be bought as soon as possible! There are amazing facts even behind an everyday thing. Sometimes pursuing a story is even more interesting than the story itself. Why not try to find out the story of things around you, too? by Ho Lin
What was your life like and what did you care about the most when you were thirteen years old? Were you like me, enjoying basketball and the first taste of puppy love, worrying only about how many hours you’d be allowed to play video games on the weekend? Can you imagine what the life of a thirteen-year-old little girl who lived during the Second World War was like? Under the persecution of the Nazis, Anne Frank lived in a secret house isolated from the crowd, the sun, and normal life. All that occupied her young mind was whether she would be sent to a concentration camp and be forced to leave this world forever. Anne lived in such a difficult environment that her heart and mind matured at an unusual pace. The only thing we can be grateful for is that she left behind her a precious diary before she was sent to a concentration camp and died there. No matter what the outside world was like, Anne was still only a teenager at the time. She was perplexed about so many things, including love, friendship, and the future. She couldn’t open her mind to communicate what was in her heart to her family, and she couldn’t understand the mysterious and sometimes scary new feelings that were the result of her body changing—she was just hitting puberty at that time. The harsh circumstances forced her to make everything clear in an unusual way. Sinking into isolation, she chose to share all her happiness and worries with her one good friend: Caddie, her diary. However, what’s incredible is that we can easily discover from her diary that both her thinking and knowledge surpassed those of other children her age. Let’s briefly enter her depressing life, and then ascend to her innermost spiritual levels. Getting up early in the morning, Anne started each day following a strict routine which allowed no disruption for two years. Because their secret house was hidden behind a big bookcase in an office, Anne and the others living in that house literally had to live on tiptoe and converse in whispers so as to avoid detection by people outside the house. In the morning, Anne tidied the house and finished various chores. At around 12:30 p.m., some Jews would come into the house to give them news of the outside world. At 1:00, everyone with radios gathered to listen to BBC broadcasts so they could learn the latest news concerning the war. Then they would engage in causal chitchat, smiling to conceal their fear inside. Some warm-hearted Jews would bring them food bought with allocation tickets from the black market. However, they all knew better than to expect too much of such rations. Rotten vegetables were often all the family had to eat. Besides all these hardships, taking a shower or using the toilet was difficult as well—you can imagine how difficult it is to keep quiet doing that! The only positive thing for Anne was that she knew a good way to enrich her boring and austere life. She studied and practiced stenography and French whenever she had free time, which was not often. She was a smart girl, and thanks to true interest and diligent studying, Anne learned a lot very quickly. Her attitude is revealed in her diary: “Studying is a good way to forget everything. It’s the right track to be absorbed in my books.” It’s also praiseworthy that Anne had a healthy attitude, even a bright outlook, toward all the misfortune in her life. She was grateful for the secret house, because she knew she was blessed to even have such a shelter. Even though it was a longshot ever to live in peace again, she still held hope for the future. Her gratitude can be seen in her diary: “I imagine this secret house as the only blue sky among dark clouds. I hope the dark clouds will disappear soon. May God open a glorious road for us.” Her wise ideas also surmount the ideas girls her age usually have. Facing such a dangerous position, she believed, “Fortune may lose, the heart may be deceived; however, as long as we still live, look upward without fear, and are conscious of the purity in our minds, we still have a chance to seek happiness. by Christine Chang
Think it might be time for the two of you to go your separate ways? Been wondering if your relationship is going to blossom or bomb? Or maybe you’re simply curious about the present state of you and your honey bear. Answer a few questions, and we’ll let you know if it’s time to say adios! 1. Do you feel like a top priority in his/her life? A/ Oh yeah — I’m #1, definitely. [10] B/ I believe I’m at the top of his list. [8] C/ I think I come between watering the plants and doing the laundry. [3] D/ Who cares? [1] 2. You’re out at dinner with a few other couples. Your partner tells a stupid joke and no one laughs. What would you think? A/ “But it’s such a cute joke!” [10] B/ “Poor thing!“ [10] C/ "How embarrassing!” [5] D/ “What a loser.” [2] 3. When you two go to a party together, what’s your interaction like? A/ We stick together and sneak kisses between conversations. [10] B/ We mainly stay together, but occasionally have independent conversations. [8] C/ We spend most of our time with friends, but periodically check in with each other. [6] D/ We immediately dash to opposite sides of the room. [3] 4. How often do you daydream about other guys/gals? A/ Never! [10] B/ Movie stars and models don’t count, right? [10] C/ Well, maybe once in a while. It’s not a crime, is it? [6] D/ Excuse me. What did you just ask? That cute guy/hottie has just drawn all my attention. [2] 5. In terms of your “intimate life,” how would you describe it? A/ A home-cooked meal—delicious and always satisfying! [10] B/ A Snickers bar—sweet, but can be better. [6] C/ A glass of expired milk—I don’t even want to talk about it! [2] D/ I can’t describe something I don’t have. But I’m sure it will be great. [8] 6. Can you imagine having children with this man/woman? A/ Absolutely — already have their names picked out! [10] B/ I haven’t thought about that, but sure, why not? [10] C/ Uh, not really. [4] D/ Gross! [1] 7. When you’ve got a case of the blues, would you turn to him/her? A/ Without a doubt. Being with my love always makes everything a little brighter. [10] B/ Most of the time. But sometimes my friends can provide me with even better help. [8] C/ Not if he/she asks. I’d rather solve my own emotional problem without him/her around. [4] D/ Speaking of the reason for my blues, he/she is exactly the answer! [1] 8. How much do your friends know about your relationship? A/ They know how comfortable and stable it is and all the gifts my sweetheart gives me. [10] B/ They know about the small issues that even the healthiest relationships endure. [8] C/ They know about all of my partner’s annoying habits. [4] D/ They know nothing about it, and I’m not going to waste my time complaining anyway. [1] 9. How often do you two compliment each other? A/ All the time. We can’t help it! [10] B/ Occasionally. Does it matter? We praise each other at heart. [8] C/ Hardly ever. I’m afraid we’re starting to take each other for granted. [4] D/ Only to appease each other or do it sarcastically. [1] 10. For your partner’s birthday, what would you do? A/ I’d hold a big party, invite all his/her friends, and get anything he/she wants. [10] B/ I’d plan something intimate for the two of us. [10] C/ I’d just go along with whatever his/her friends plan. [4] D/ Well, first, let me just find out when his/her birthday is. [1] Now let’s get your scores. Add up all the numbers from each answer you chose. If you get 85-100, then you are type A; if 65-84, type B; if 45-64, type C, and if 15-44, type D. Please allow me to remind you one thing before you jump to any conclusion: There are no meant-to-succeed or meant-to-fail relationships. Whatever the result is, it is you and your sweetheart who can truly understand what’s worthy, and it’s you two who have the sole privilege to judge the relationship you’re sharing. So remember, take it easy!! Type A—(85-100) Do other people say your relationship makes them feel sick? Ignore them — they’re not trying to drop a hint, they’re just jealous. And don’t blame them — it looks like your relationship is perfect. So why are you wasting your time taking this test, anyway? You should be with your sweetheart, taking advantage of the passion that’s still in full-force. On a more serious note, the respect and admiration the two of you have for each other makes your relationship a rare find. Not only do you feel a strong romantic connection, but you’re also extremely close friends — a truly wonderful combination. Your couplehood is pretty much as good as it gets, most people would break a federal law or two to be as happy and content as you seem to be, and that’s nothing to sneeze at! (Just wipe that smug smile off your face, okay?) But before you run your victory lap, remember that even the best relationships need work to stay in peak condition. Both you and your partner need to be committed to putting serious time and energy into making your union work. Now go and enjoy the love you’ve found! Type B—(65-84) Good news — it looks like your relationship is on solid ground and you’re pretty darn happy with it. Sure, you might want to change a couple of things — for example, why can’t he/she remember your anniversary just once?! You’ve probably just moved beyond the “honeymoon” phase and into reality. Most of the time, the nervous, excited “heart-beating-faster” feeling matures into a deeper, more stable connection. And that’s okay — really! It’s normal to have doubts about how you and your honey are doing, but it’s the big picture that counts. And your answers say that, overall, you two are on the road to happiness. Try to spend a little extra time nurturing your relationship and focusing on the intense friendship and romance you’ve developed. Make sure you settle conflicts before they get out of hand. If you’re still concerned, take this test again after a month. But chances are you’ll adjust nicely and enjoy yourself immensely! Your odds of making it are better than most, so give yourself a big pat on the back and go give your honey a hug. Type C—(45-64) Uh-oh — looks like you’re swimming in some rocky relationship waters. Whether it’s because the two of you have difficulty communicating or because you don’t quite see eye to eye on your goals and long-term plans, it’s pretty obvious that you’re not entirely satisfied with the dynamic between you and your partner. To figure it out, start by doing some serious thinking. Is there enough good left in your relationship that it’s worth working really hard to salvage it? Is your partner the only guilty party, or do you have areas to work on, too? If you’re committed to trying to make things better, consider breaking out the self-help books or giving couples’ counseling a try. If not, it might be time to find yourself someone who’ll make your heart beat faster! Don’t make any hasty decisions, though — your answers tell us that all is not lost. If the two of you are truly committed to working out your problems, there’s definitely a chance you can save your relationship. Good luck! Type D—(15-44) No matter what season the calendar says it is, you need to do some spring cleaning, honey! Nobody likes to say that, but it looks like you’re a pretty unhappy camper when it comes to your relationship. It’s obvious that your relationship has gone stale, and you’ve already milked it for all it’s worth. The “honeymoon” phase is long gone and has left the two of you with nothing in common, so it’s really high time you stopped swimming upstream. Of course, since you picked the answers you did, there’s a good chance at least some part of you already knew that. Okay, fine, but now what? Good question. Step up to the plate and rid yourself of this guy/gal — s/he’s become nothing more than a burden. If you decide that it’s time to move on — maybe your self-esteem just plummets around him/her, for example, or perhaps things have deteriorated to the point where you can’t be around each other without fighting — take this advice and make a clean break. It’ll be hard, but it’s better than spending more time beating yourself (or him/her!) up over a relationship that’s going nowhere. The relief you’ll feel when you’re finally free will more than compensate for the sadness. Hesitating? Remember — you’ll never find “Mr. /Ms. Right” if you stay with “Mr. /Ms. Wrong”! |
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May 2024
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