by Anne Fu
It is always a strange for me that people seem to have different opinions about artists and poets. They are different, they are supposed to be different. If I say something that does not make sense, people would probably laugh at me and say that I’m mad, but if a poet says exactly the same words, people would think it is absolutely acceptable, and even take pains interpreting every single word, trying to figure what they mean, while there is a chance that they don’t mean anyth ing at all. Therefore I want to be a poet. When I think of this idea, I am extremely excited. What, then, should I do to become a poet? If one is not well educated, people would assume that one is stupid, incapable of any intellectual activity at all, let alone writing poetry. Dickinson, Clifton, and Alexie all had good education, therefore, the first thing I shoul d do is try to get as much education as I can. (This I am already doing: I’m working on a BA in English literature.) Second, if what one has to say is not at all interesting or, as I put it, strange, than people would not care to grant one the privilege to be strange. If we can easily understand what these three poets say, then n o one would bother studying them. It is clear, then, that I must write strange words so that no one can really be sure of what I am saying. What else? All of the poets we read about have a unique background. Dickinson is isolated, Clifton is a black woman– a minority in minority– and of course, Alexie is a Native American. Moreover, he was a brilliant man who used to have seizures. What can I add to my autobiography, then, to interest people who want to study my life, and convince them that it is unique enough to belong to a poet? I guess I can never give myself a seizure; I can isolate myself if I want to, but I don ’t really want to do that. I guess at least I am fortunate enough to be a female, and if I write my poems in English, I can be considered as one of the minorities too since I am Chinese. How can I become a poet??? This is an essay for those who were considered lunatics because they were never established as poets.
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By Lin Hsien-yu
Haiku is known as a Japanese-style verse form. According to dictionary, Haiku consists of three lines of 5. 7. 5 syllables. There is no need to rhyme. Usually seasons and nature are the subjects of a haiku. Haiku leaves great room for imagination. Basho(芭蕉1644-1694), one of the distinguished founding fathers of Haiku, once said that Haiku describes what is hap-pening on the spot, at the moment. There is no room for decora-tive words. All the non-essential words should not appear. It catches an instant experience and resembles a flash of percep-tion. The following Haiku are some well-known examples: 1. The fallen blossomFlies back to its branchA butterfly 2. Oh! Don’t strike the flySee? With knees bent and hands claspedHe prays for his life–Issa(一茶) 3. An old silent pondA frog jumps into the pondSplash! Silence again–Basho(芭蕉) Appreciation:An old pond suggests eternity while the frog’s jump connotes an instant. The splash is the point of intersection between forever and an instant. 4. The morning gloryEntangled the well bucket–I fetched the water from a neighbor —Chiyo-ni(千代尼) Appreciation: In the morning, when a girl was about to fetch some water, she was surprised to find the well bucket entangled with a morning glory. Too kind to remove the flower , she could only go to her neighbor for some water. This Haiku offers a good example of having an insight into the girl’s feelings. by Lin Hsien-yu
Have you ever seen someone different in appearance when you are walking on campus? Have you ever heard someone talking in an unfamiliar language when you are eating in the cafeteria? True, you know they are foreign students and you know they are here to learn Chinese. Well, don’t you think you may learn a lot by listening to them? Don’t you think it might be interesting to take a look into their world? I do. For these reasons, I spent some time loitering about the LTTC, where I met two Canadian exchange students . Let me start the story by introducing them. Thomas Buckland (湯孟石), 21, male, is now studying in the Department of Chinese Language and Literature. Santos Tseng (曾善裕), 20, male, is a Canadian-born Taiwanese, also studying in DCLL. To begin with, they explained why they are here. Thomas studies International Business and Finance in Canada, so it’ll be useful to know some Chinese. As for Santos, with his Chinese appearance, he is often asked, “ Do you speak Chinese Like many other second-generation Taiwanese emigrants, his answer used to be an embarrassed No. For personal dignity, he was determined to learn the language. It seemed that Taiwan was still a wonderland to them even though they had been here for months. Talking about things that shocked them, Santos said when he just arrived, he couldn’t believe it gets dark so early. He would be getting ready for bed at about 7:00 p.m. since he thought it was already midnight. In Canada, it doesn’t get dark until 10:00 in the evening. And there is another thing that’s really shocking. One day while I was walking on the street, I saw a father beat his small child,he recalled in disbelief. In Canada, a parent would be arrested on the spot if he abused his child like that in public. That kind of violence doesn’t exist in Canada he asserted. And teachers don’t hit students. If he did and you complained, the news would travel across campus and the teacher would get into big trouble. We don’t use violence,” he repeated. When both of them had calmed down a little bit, Thomas began his story. He told us he was shocked by old houses in disrepair. In Canada, people are not allowed to live in such houses and it is illegal to rent them. Besides, there are buildings under construction everywhere, and it’s amazing that people just walk by them. In Canada there will be a fence surrounding the construction site and people won’t be allowed to approach unless they are wearing a helmet. In an attempt to avert their attention, I threw them an easier question. If you had to make a choice between being a Taiwanese girl and a Taiwanese boy, what would you choose to be? I asked. To begin with, both of them chose not to be either. It took them quite a long time to make a decision. Finally, Thomas reluctantly chose to be a Taiwanese boy. Not because I have preference for Taiwanese boys but because I don’t want to be an Asian female. Generally, Asian women are unequally treated. After refusing to make a decision repeatedly, Santos finally chose to be a pretty Taiwanese girl. And intelligent, Thomas reminded him. Then I asked if they find it easy to make friends with girls, and they both shook their heads. I never find it easy to make friends with girls here. There is no occasion at all as we are living in the Eighth Boys’ dormitor (男八). It’s really dull to eat with all guys. I mean sometimes I want to talk to girls, Santos said with regret. I don’t understand. What are the walls surrounding the girls’ dorms for? In Canada, you can walk into a girl’s dorm whenever you like. In most schools, boys and girls even live in the same building,“ Thomas remarked. Now it was my turn to be stunned. And in a co-ed bathroom, you might find a girl in the next shower stall, he continued. But this is too much. I think one floor for boys and one floor for girls is reasonable,” added Santos. I like Taiwan much more than I thought I would. People here are nice and strange to say, stray dogs are nice too. It’s another amazing experience. I am shocked to see so many stray dogs in Taipei and they are all friendly. In Canada, stray dogs act outrageously, and it’s not common to see a street dog. At least I don’t remember when I last saw a street dog, Santos recalled. This reveals a fact: Taiwan is every inch a friendly place, whether you’re facing a person or a dog. It is really interesting to talk to people from a different world. You will find the wonders of globe by exchanging experiences with them. As the old saying goes, “When friends come from far away, it is really a blessing (有朋自遠方來不亦樂乎)。As hosts, I think we have the duty to offer help and make them feel at home! What do you say? by Angela Tsai
“My class schedule is in chaos this semester!” one sophomore complained. “It’s driving me mad!” Both the course listings in general and the placement test for Oral training II had caused a lot of complaints among the sophomores. There are some courses in the department in which students are not at liberty to choose teachers for themselves, but are assigned to a particular teacher according to their student number, such as linguistics and sophomore compositi on. Such a restriction not only takes the fun and freedom out of selecting teachers for themselves, but as many students found, the classes that they were assigned to overlapped with other courses that they wanted to take, such as second foreign language classes. It was because the department would not easily permit students to transfer out of their assigned classes. And some students were angry that they were asked to transfer back to their assigned classes even though their choices had been acknowledge d by the computer before the beginning of the school year. Another problem with the course listing is that it does not make clear all the restrictions written up. For example, quite a few courses, such as oral interpretation, have a limit on the size of the class or require passing an exami nation. So imagine a student’s surprise upon arriving in a classroom with some 60 people to discover that he must pass a test to become one of the fifteen lucky students to take the course, and imagine his anguish when he failed after he had initially ta ken excruciating care to arrange his schedule just to fit this course in! Speaking of class size, many students were also indignant that they were denied admittance to a certain teacher’s class not because the teacher would not take them but on the grounds that the department wished to average out the num ber of students in every class for that course, so the students must go to another teacher who has a smaller class. Students were not only bothered by restrictions and overlapping time slots in the course listing, but they also complained about reasons for a placement test for oral training II “Not again!” was the sophomores’ fi rst reaction. “Our department seems to be run on tests,” someone commented. “Being labeled at a certain level isn’t pleasant, and it does not guarantee improvement,” another remarked. Sophomores were divided into two groups of odds and evens according to their student number to take the test. Once it was over, they were even more mystified. For starters, why use listening comprehension in a placement test for Ora l Training? Because most students are not native speakers, it’s possible that a student may speak English fluently but not perform very well in listening comprehension. Why not just hold an oral test for Oral Training II? And since there were two sets of tests, mightn’t a student do better on one than the other? Because the result is crucial to which section students go to, isn’t it unfair that one does not get a chance to try his luck with the other group? In response to these problems, the sophomores ha ve signed a petition to give to the department. It is hoped that the department. will come up with some solutions before the beginning of next semester to avoid further inconvenience to all. Perhaps they can start on the questions below: Must the studen ts be denied their rights to choose their teachers? Are the placement tests justified? What would be the best way to conduct the test? What restrictions should be added to the class listing? What restrictions should be put on the course listing? Should t he department set a limit to class size? Or should teachers make their own decision? Twilight, The Sun Kissing The Sea
– For D.H. Twilight, the sun kissing the sea. Waves breaking at our feet, Sighing, “Waileree”. This eve I am thine, And thou, for one moment, mine. But when the night the dawn doth meet – Where, where wilt thou be? Twilight, the sun kissing the sea. Gulls o’er crimson clouds Winging high and free. At myriad dusks I’ll pace the docks, And haunt the promontory rocks, Ere the silver-winged craft Cometh skimming across the sea Bringing thee home to me. By Michelle Pan
If you want to find some stylish furniture, IKEA is not your only choice. Would you like to taste some coffee? There is somewhere else you can go besides coffee shops. It’s Eslite bookstore. Next time you walk by a branch of it, drop in! It is different from other stores because it is more than a bookstore. For many people, it has become a symbolic mixture, a mixture of enjoyment, culture, and modernity. As you step into Eslite, the first thing which meets your eyes will be a lot of wooden things. The floor and the shelves are wooden and it seems that you can feel the scent of wood. This kind of material is characteristic of the store; you can seldom see it in other stores. And the scent of wood reminds you of nature. Next, you may find numerous books from different fields including many imported books concerning gardening, architecture, art, etc. However, maybe you can only browse through these luxurious books because ordinary people can’t afford them. Besides, you will hear beautiful melodies when you walk in. Light music and jazz will make you feel relaxed. Combined together, the decoration and the atmosphere make you feel comfortable. And that’s why more and more people like to go to Eslite. At the present time , there are fourteen branches in Taiwan and nine of them are in Taipei. And the most special one is in the science museum in Taichung. The Taipei Station store and Shi-Men store are newly opened at the end of 1997. Forther more, Eslite bookstore is not merely a bookstore; it has become a mini art gallery. There are many exhibitions in the Tun-Nan store, including paintings sculpture, photography and other kinds of art. Sometimes there are also concerts: rock ‘n roll and Chinese traditional music are included . It can satisfy different people’s needs. You can have a relaxing afternoon appreciating the performances with a cup of coffee. Moreover, the store holds many lectures and the content is various and attractive; for example, “the fun of climbing,” “ poetry zone ,” “analysis of your character,” “the literature of Taiwan in the 1970s,” etc. Beside the se, Eslite also holds special lecture series about a specific project called “ The Eslite Forum.” They contain deeper discussions on som topic and you can hear different opinions. Well, maybe you think you can buy books at a “real” bookstore, but Eslite can definitely provide you with more information, knowledge and fun. Also, Eslite has some special traits other stores may not have. First, every Eslite saves a place only for children. There are not only Chinese and English picture books, imagination-provoking toys, but also many activities for children, like ballad-teaching, sand- painting, story-telling, etc. Second, every branch has a different style. For example, the activities and goods in the Tai-Da store are designed for college students. The Museum of Natural Science store tends to sell books concerning science and nature. The stores in Tien-Mu have more luxurious and expensive things. The Shi-Men store, which is especially for teenagers, has more comic books and things about film. To maintain this peculiar style, Eslite bookstore has to make profits in other ways. As a result, the Tun-Nan store is almost like a department store. Clothes, jewelry, perfumes, furniture, and even cars are sold there. And don’t complain about the expensive coffee( 120 NT a cup ), the Dr. Marten’s shoes, the Swatch watches, the imported stationery, etc. Besides, you have to pay for “The Eslite Forum,” 300NT for each class . Whether you think it deserves so much money or not, Eslite really opens a brand new field combining art an leisure. By Jo Huang
Tony is a young and enthusiastic dancer. When his best friend dies of AIDS, he becames very sad and even begins to doubt the meaning of his life, until he meets Jack, a man much older than he, in a pub. They both are HIV-positive, and under the shadow of death, they make love, and argue over trifles like lovers. From Jack, Tony finds his self-confidence again about being gay, but sometimes he is afraid of his future. At the same time, Tony rehearses the dance “Indian Summer” to rescue his dance company from financial crisis. The dance is about homosexuality, and was once performed by Tony’s best friend. He has quite high expectations; he wants to be as good as his friend. Unfortunately, Tony gets apoplexy on the eve of a performance, and his feet become paralyzed. With the help of his lover and colleagues, and his strong will, Tony finally makes a wonderful performance. Then he realizes the meaning of his life, and decides to face the future with Jack. In this film, there is a section satirizing heterosexuals’ so-called “normal” sexual behavior, showing the embarrassment and awkwardness when gays try to think more deeply about their social consciousness of “normal” and “abnormal.” Though the issue of homosexuality has been seriously discussed for some time, “Alive and Kicking” displays it in a more relaxed way, and successfully moves most viewers. From this movie, I could see neither sharp criticism from, nor passive complaints of, homosexuals. The story is warm, and the protagonist’s willpower really wins my respect. As I was watching the movie, I nearly forgot the fact that he is gay, but was moved by his affection and his reflection on his own life. As far as I am concerned, the climax of this film is Tony’s impressive dance performance. During the five-minute dance, the director uses a lot of slow close-up shots to catch the dancers’ body language. With easy and smooth classical music, and the actor’s excellent dancing, I was completely caught in the film’s atmosphere. Dancers always remain silent, but from their body movements we can see and feel a lively will. Whether one is homosexual or heterosexual, life always finds its own way. By Blanca
Before going to Spain, I had been thinking that this trip would be quite a special experience. Indeed, the result did not disappoint me a bit, and even to my surprise, I have learned and benefited from it much more than I expected. Spain, truly deserves visiting. On the twenty-sixth of June of 1997, with a simple gripsack and a sense of solicitude, I alone went to take the airplane toward Madrid. It is quite difficult to express my feelings at that time, but I guess it was just similar to what one might feel when he began a new adventure: he must be very nervous but at the same time excited. And that was exactly what I felt then. I could not help worrying although I did have prepared for the trip. After all, I would have to stay in an unacquainted country all by myself for two months. It was scaring to think of that. However, all these worries disappeared as soon as I stood on the soil of Spain. Fortunately, what gave me a warm welcome was a festival in Madrid. Well, it was not exactly a festival although it seemed to me so. It was a championship of soccer. I did not know soccer was so popular in Spain until I saw the great passion. That city was filled with people. In the Plaza Mayor, those soccer fans played balls altogether, and on the streets, the groups of green scarves and those of red ones crossed each other on the way. Those green ones were from Betis while those red ones Barcelona, which would be the rivals in the champion competition at that night. These people marched and sang with drumbeat, as if the louder they sang, the more possible it was for their team to win the champion cup. And affected by the atmosphere, I also stayed in high spirits. What a great opening of a trip! I had six free days before taking the summer course of the university of Valladolid. I named this week a transitive period, because at the beginning I arrived at that new city, I still could not adjust myself to the local life pace, and even worse, I was not confident of using Spanish as a tool of communication. Nevertheless, soon I found that it was not a big deal, for I did like the slow life pace there and when I could not express myself well I just used a natural and practical language, the body language.In this way, I visited Madrid, Toledo, El Escorial, and other famous places near Madrid. Among them, I was most impressed by the church of Vega in Toledo. Probably the reason was that I had read about the fascinating legend of Christ of Vega, and therefore it seemed to me, a non-Christian, that this Christ meant to me more than an statue. By accident, there was a wedding in the church. Sitting in the pew as other invitees, I was wondering if it was possible that the name of the bride happened to be In'es and the groom Diego. If it had happened to be true, the couple could have changed the tragic end of that legend, because in their eyes, I saw the undoubted happiness. Besides, during the stay in Madrid, I went to see a performance of bull fight, which also gave me a deep impression. Even until now I still remember the shock I felt when the bullfighter made a pounce upon the bull with his sword. I could not even breathe. And I did not release the breath until a while later when the applause arose with Ole! That was a special experience, but I thought that it was really enough to have experienced once. After all, I do not have such a strong heart. Then, I left for Valladolid to begin my summer course. After having got along with the Spanish people for one week in Madrid, I found that most of them were friendly. So I guessed that my host family must be quite kind, too. And it turned out to be even better—they were much more wonderful than I had ever expected. When I discovered that my hostess was nearly an professional cook, my excitement almost spilled out. What a good luck! Everyday during that period Maria offered me abundant and delicious dishes. In addition to going to school and learning to dance sevillanas, I stayed at home. Maria and I always chatted, watched TV, and went to supermarkets together. We were very intimate and I do have a grand gratitude for her. Because of her, I did have a good time in Valladolid. However, time fleeted. Soon the course went to its end, and I had to go. Taking again my gripsack with a sentiment of separation, I set forward to discover the other faces of beauty of Spain. For nearly a month, I traveled around this country alone, and found the South was my favorite. I liked those white houses and mysterious alleys there. In Sevilla, it is easy for one to get lost without awareness in those narrow and complicated alleys. It might happen that one alleyway suddenly comes to its end. Staying within is just like being in a labyrinth. One friendly gentleman told me that the design of these narrow alleys was to avoid the strong sunlight. Because these alleys are narrow, the shadows from the houses at both sides could cool the heat of them. How intelligent those ancients were! Besides, the Alhambra de Granada, the indescribable performance of Flamenco, and some other places which were unknown to me also left me unforgettable memories. Generally speaking, my trip has been quite smooth. But once upon a time, some unexpected episodes increased the amusement. For example, the one happened to me in San Sebastian. It was as following. When I arrived at the station of San Sebastian, it was already ten at night, and I had had no idea about that the week was the local festival in advance. The city was crowded with people and all of those hotels were full. As not having made a reservation, I could not find a bed for that night. Well, so is the life! Soon I decided to spend that night in the station. And luckily, because of the festivals, the station was open and there were guarding police there throughout the night. Therefore, I spent quite a different night there and had a very special memory. To sum up, this trip has been fascinating and absolutely worthwhile. From it, I not only improved my Spanish, but also knew the country better. I was glad to have had this experience, and surely I will go back again as soon as possible. Spanish Version Un viaje inolvidable Antes de ir a Espana, ya pensaba yo que este viaje seria una experiencia muy especial. Efectivamente, no me ha decepcionado nada, y para mi sorpresa, he aprendido y me ha beneficiado mucho mas que yo esperaba. Espana, es cierto que merece la visita. El 26 de Junio de 1997, llevando mi maleta simple y teniendo el alma en un hilo, yo fui a coger el avion hacia Madrid sola. Es complicado expresar el sentimento de aquel momento. Imaginaba que el sentimento era el mismo que el que siente la gente cuando empieza una aventura: debe estar nerviosa y emocionada. Efectivamente, yo me sentia asi. No podia evitar preoucuparme a pesar de que me habia preparado para el viaje. De todas formas, tenia que quedarme sola en una tierra desconocida por dos meses. Era terrible pensar en eso. Sin embargo, todas las preocupaciones desaparecieron despues de que yo pisara el suelo espanol. Afortunademente, lo que me ofrecio mejor acogida a mi llegada fue una fiesta en Madrid. Bueno, no era una fiesta exactamente aunque me parecio que si. Era un campeonato de futbol. No sabia que el futbol era tan popular en Espana hasta que vi la gran aficion. La ciudad estaba llena de gente. En la plaza Mayor, los aficionados jugaban al futbol, y en las calles, los grupos con bufandas verdes se cruzaban con los con bufandas rojas. Los verdes eran de la ciudad Betis, y los rojos de Barcelona, que iban a ser rivales en la competition aquella noche. Ellos andaban y cantaban con tambores, como si cantando mas alto, fuera mas posible que su equipo ganara la medalla de oro. De repente, senti que el ambiente tambien me afectaba, y me puse de buen humor. Un comienzo bueno! Al principio, tuve siete dias libres antes de empezar el cursillo de la universidad de Valladolid. Yo llame a esta semana “un periodo de puente.” La razon era que acababa de llegar a una ciudad nueva, tadavia no me acostumbraba a la vida local, y lo peor, no tenia en mi capacidad para comunicarme con otros en espanol. Sin embargo, pronto me di cuenta de que no era un gran problema. Porque me sento muy bien la vida, con el ritmo lento de alli, y cuando no podia expresar mi opinion, yo ultilizaba “la lengua de los gestos” que es un idioma natural y pratico. De esta marena, yo visite Madrid, Toledo, El Escorial, y otros lugares famosos y cercanos a Madrid. Son sitios bonitos, pero me impresiono especialmente la iglesia de la Vega en Toledo. Quizas fue porque yo habia leido la leyenda del Cristo de la Vega, y me parecio que el Cristo alli significaba mas que una imagen para mi. Y por casualidad, habia una boda en la iglesia. Sentada en un banco como otra invitada, yo estaba dudando de si era posible que la novia se llamara Ines y el novio Diego. Si hubiera sido la verdad, ellos habrian cambiado el resultado tragico de la leyenda, porque en sus caras, yo veia felicidad. Ademas, durante la estancia en Madrid, yo fui a ver una corrida de toros, que tambien me impresiono mucho. Aun ahora me acuerdo del susto que senti cuando el torero se lanzo al toro con su espada, yo no podia respirar. Despues, cuando sono el aplauso con Ole!, respire. Fue una experiencia especial, pero creo que para mi una vez es suficiente. No tengo un corazon tan fuerte. Luego, yo parti para Valladolid a comenzar mi cursillo de verano. Despues de estar con los madrilenos por una semana, me di cuenta de que la mayoria de ellos son majos. Entonces, creia que la familia con la que iba a alojarme debia ser simpatica. A lo mejor, ellos serian mas amables de lo que yo habia imaginado. Y mi alegria llego al limite cuando descubri que mi senora era una cocinera muy experta. Que suerte! Todos los dias Maria me servia comidas abundantes y deliciosas. Excepto para ir a la escuela y aprender a bailar “sevillanas”, me quedaba en casa. Maria y yo siempre charlabamos, veiamos la tele, e ibamos al mercado juntas. Eramos amigas intimas y tengo mucha gratitud por ella. A causa de ella, me lo pase muy bien en mi estancia en Valladolid. Sin embargo, el tiempo volo. Pronto acabo el cursillo, y yo debia irme. Llevando mi maleta de nuevo con un sentimento de separacion, yo me prepare a descubrir otras facetas de la belleza de Espana. Por casi un mes, viaje sola por el pais. Y el Sur fue mi favorito. Me gustaron sus casas blancas y sus callejas misteriosas. En Sevilla, se pierde uno facilmente sin darse cuenta las callejas estrechas y complicadas. Es posible que un pasadizo se acabe de repente. Estar dentro es lo mismo que estar en un laberinto. Me dijo un senor simpatico que esas callejas pequenas son para evitar el sol fuerte. Al ser las callejas estrechas, las sombras de las casas de al lado pueden refrescarlas. Que inteligentes eran los antepasados! Ademas, la Alhambra de Granada, la presentacion inefable del Flamenco y algunos sitios anonimos para mi tambien me dejaron memorias inolvidables. En general, mi viaje ha pasado seguro. Pero a veces, algun suceso imprevisto aumentaba el interes. Por ejemplo, lo que me ocurrio en San Sebastian. Lo que paso fue esto. Cuando llegue a la estacion de San Sebastian, ya eran las diez de la noche. No me habia informado que aquella fecha era el primer dia de una semana de fiestas alli. La ciudad estaba llena de turistas y todos los hoteles incluso las pensiones estaban completos. Como no habia hecho reserva, no tenia ningun alojamiento. “Vaya! Asi es la vida!” Rapidamente decidi quedarme en la estacion aquella noche. Afortunadamente, a causa de la fiesta, la estacion estaba abierta toda la noche y habia policias de guardia. Por eso, me pase una noche muy larga en la estacion distinta. Es otra memoria especial. En total, este viaje ha sido divertido y merece la pena absolutamente. En el, no solo mejorado mi espanol sino tambien me ha ayudado a conocer ese pais. Me alegro de haber hecho este viaje y seguro que voy a volver de nuevo lo antes posible. by Blanca Wu Ueng-Fang
Franchement, la television ne m'attire pas. Je ne regarde presque pas la tele. La raison en est simple : ca ne vaut pas la peine de perdre son temps devant la tele alors qu'il n'y a pas grand-chose a voir. A mon vais, presque toutes les emissions de tele sont faites pour que les telespectateurs s'amusent, mais leur contenu est plutot pauvre. Les feuilletons a la television se prolongent arreter et je ne parle pas de la nullite des varietes! Quant aux journaux televises, c'est vrai qu'ils donnent des informations utiles mais leur point de vue est souvent par trop subjectif. Is tentent d'etre neutres… en vain. C'est la nature des media, mais je pense que la television deforme plus que les autres l'information. Au bout du compte, il me reste beaucoup d'autres choses a faire. Quand j'ai besoin de m'informer, j'ecoute la radio ou je surfe sur Internet. Quand j'ai envie de m'amuser, je sors avec des amis. Bien qu'il y ait quand meme parfois de bonnes productions a la television a Taiwan, ca laisse toujours beaucoup a desirer. LOUISA Francais 3 By Laura Jane Wey 小熊森林
Imagine a heavy, homey cup as large as a bowl, filled to the brim with steaming hot milk, a pink rose petal floating on top. Imagine bringing the cup to your lips, and tasting the fragrance of roses - roses dipped in creamy milk. Imagine the sweetness of dried herbs lingering in the air, and little lamps spilling yellow light onto low tables. Too lovely to be true, you say. Well, too lovely or not, this is what you get at “The Bear’s Timberland” (小熊森林), a delightful tea shop tucked in an alley off the intersection of Chung-hsiao East Road and Dun-hua South Road. Quaint and quiet, radiating old-world charm, the place specializes in floral and herbal teas from Provence. The 72 mild, soothing concoctions to choose from, whether hot or iced, boiled in water or steeped in milk, are all made from natural materials of the best quality. The price? A hefty NT$220 per cup. Fineness is never economical. Taking a moment away from the cup of fragrant liquid on your table (it could be a light amber, a dreamy purple or a dark wine colour - whichever it is it’s bound to smell heavenly), the shop is worth wandering about in and of itself. Here the harsh outline of modern architecture has been softened, camouflaged by gracefully hanging vines and lush green ferns. There are brown cupboards with solid plates and fat mugs sitting on the shelves. There are candles in big glass jars, and potpourri in boxes with the souls of yesteryear’s flowers trapped within. Birds’ nests, wicker baskets decorated with bits of dry moss, and other curios hang from the low ceiling. By now the question is probably on the tip of your tongue, “But what about bears? Aren’t there any bears? What gave the place its name then?” To this I say, yes, there are bears. There are bears assuredly. I didn’t want to commit the sacrilege of making them share a paragraph with anything else, that’s all. There are teddy bears. Everywhere. Ranging from smaller than one’s hand in size to larger than one’s person, they overrun the shop. Teddy bears on chairs and on countertops. Teddy bears sitting on shelves, peeking out of baskets, popping out of cans. Teddy bears hanging from branches, clamoring at windows, gazing placidly down from the rafters. They even show their shaggy heads on tableware, bookmarks, and coasters. They don’t let you forget they own the place. If you ever need an afternoon for quiet meditation, pay the teddies a visit at their home. They won’t make a sound, I promise. Most of the time there won’t be many human beings around to disturb you either, for the place has been designed to accommodate few people - only a few tables tucked in snug corners, kept a respectable distance apart. On days when the afternoon sunlight slants in the window at just the right angle, when you see the trailing vines waving in the wind outside - it is possible to imagine oneself miles and miles away from the heart of dusty, bustling Taipei, in the shady green woodland where bears roam. The Bear’s Timberland 小熊森林 北市敦化南路一段177巷25號 Telephone: (02) 772-5550 |
Authors
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May 2024
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