by Sabrina Wu
Do you feel excited when watching bloody scenes going on and on at the movies? Do you feel ecstatic when Jason raises his knife and you see fear in his victim’s eye? If you do, well, welcome to my bloody thrilling world. I am a huge scary movie fan and very bloodthirsty. And it seems to me that bloody scenes have been an essential factor in turning a scary movie into a successful blockbuster. No blood, no tickets! Turning to the pages of scary movie history, we find numerous killers and monsters to choose from. Who is your favorite? Jason (Friday the13th ) Jason appears in the most famous slasher series worldwide and has become a legend. Usually his weapon is a knife and he always shows up suddenly to kill teenagers who hold parties near the lake where he was drowned. In the ten-episode series, Jason seems to be untouchable; he hates everyone and strives to kill us all. Freddy (A Nightmare on Elm Street) If you are chased by Freddy you’ll be ok as long as you don’t fall asleep, since he can only sneak into your dreams to kill you. Freddy turns himself into people’s nightmares. He is featured in his bowler hat and scissor-like fingers. With mushy skin and a sly smile, Freddy is called the king of the dream world. Chucky (Child’s Play) and (Bride of Chucky) Looking like a popular doll, “Good Guy,” Chucky is a spirit trapped within a doll’s body. Actually, Chucky was a young gang member when he was alive, and somehow got stuck in a doll’s body. His can use anything as a weapon, but it has to fit his size. Usually, kids won’t believe him to be a killer until they see their mother stabbed and bleeding. Hannibal (The Silence of the Lambs) Hannibal is the most calm and intelligent killer in history. At the beginning of the movie he had already been arrested, but the police required his intelligence to catch another serial killer. This gave him a chance to escape. He is so calm that even when taking out the jail guard’s eyeball with a pencil his heart wouldn’t beat any faster. His elegance and calmness makes him even more scary. He loves to eat his victims’ brains. Little Girl Regan (The Exorcist) Obsessed by a devil, Regan actually was the victim herself. This movie first appeared in the 1970s and challenged traditional theology, for it shows that the devil’s power can be greater than God’s. Furthermore, this movie was also a breakthrough in terms of its visual and audio effects. Classic scenes include Regan turning her body backwards and walking downstairs on all fours. A devil-like scream is her signature. Leatherface (T he Texas Chainsaw Massacre) In this film the killer collects his victims’ skins and makes them into a mask, thus the name Leatherface. And, of course, his weapon is a chainsaw, so if you like to see flesh scattered and blood splashing, this guy would be your hero. Which one of these is the king (or queen) of scary movies? Suppose you could form a virtual battlefield in which all of them could fight each other. Who would be the last to survive? Well, we’ll have to leave this question in suspense, since it would be impossible to put them all together in real life. But it’s still fun to think about it.
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by Erika Tang
I bet you’ve never even heard of El Salvador or know very little about it. This is the usual reaction when I tell people that I come from El Salvador. I am sure the same goes for you. Now you are probably asking yourself where is El Salvador? what language do they speak there? what is its environment like? Well, let me tell you a little about it. El Salvador is the smallest country in Central America, with a population of 7 million people and two-thirds the size of Taiwan. “El Salvador” means “The Savior” in Spanish, referring to Jesus as savior. When the Spanish arrived in the 16th century, the region was dominated by the Pipil tribe, who had developed a culture influenced by the Maya, including hieroglyphic writing, astronomy, and mathematics. The Spanish developed cotton plantations, balsam, and indigo. Throughout the 18th century agriculture boomed, but a group of 14 elite European families maintained control of most of the land. Affected by Napoleon’s invasion of Spain, El Salvador eventually gained independence from Spain in 1821, but after independence the economic situation didn’t really change. By the 20th century, 95% of El Salvador’s income was controlled by only 2% of the population, so by the 1970s the population continually suffered from poverty, unemployment, and overpopulation. Guerrilla movements increased, and the government responded by sending death squads who murdered thousands of Salvadorans and also promised reforms that were never met. Finally, in 1992, a ceasefire took effect, and the government agreed to reforms like dismantling the death squads and distributing the land to citizens. Civil war had lasted 12 years. But things are very different now. When I was little people hid in their houses and didn’t dare to go out after sunset. Now El Salvador is rebuilding itself, many reforms for the good of the people have been met, and technology is developing quickly. Being a tropical country, the climate in El Salvador is never really cold. The terrain is mostly mountainous with more than 300 kilometers of coastline on the Pacific Ocean. The beautiful beaches attract many tourists and locals all year long. Salvadorans like to lie in the sun and get tanned or swim in the ocean, and El Salvador’s beaches are also famous for having very good waves for those who love to surf. You can also take a boat and go to El Salvador’s many small islands. Other well-known places are some colonial churches and buildings, and of course, the ruins that the Pipil culture left. Its language is Spanish since it was a Spanish colony. People in El Salvador do not lead a hectic life; they are very friendly, extroverted, and passionate. Even strangers will smile at you when you are walking on the street. Everyone loves to dance and they learn to do it at an early age. I remember my classmates holding dance parties at home even in the 5th grade, or going to discos every weekend! Still, I’m really bad at dancing. However, life isn’t so easy for many people, since 48% of the population is considered below the poverty line. School is mandatory until the 6th grade, but many children don’t go to school at all, because they have to work in order to help their families earn a living. Actually, most public schools lack resources and even teachers, so private schools are the only chance to get an acceptable education! by Erika Tang
Who on earth would choose mathematics as a major at university? You must think that students in the math department are all boring boys, wearing thick glasses and carrying heavy books all the time – nerds. Why would anybody study math anyway? The only thing you can do is become a math teacher, right? Let me tell you though: you have no idea about how wrong you are! In the first place, students in the math department don’t just study all the time. They are also very active in extracurricular activities like sports and music, so who are you calling a nerd anyway? The math department is a small one, with only about 50 students per year, and there are about five times more boys than girls. We don’t have many mandatory courses but do have to take algebra, advanced calculus, differential equations, probability, and geometry. Besides, we have many elective courses to choose from. I know most of you hate math and probably never want to deal with it again, but let me tell you that it is far more interesting than you think it is! As a science of abstract objects, mathematics relies on logic rather than on observation. In the field of mathematics, “right” is not what the majority thinks is right. It requires a proof. And that is why, among all the sciences, mathematics is the most exact, precise, and absolute one. So for those who believe that exactness is beauty, math is beautiful. It becomes interesting and appealing to curious minds. In math there are theorems, and not only do you have to prove that a theorem is right, you also have to prove that the opposite is wrong. Some people also seem to have the idea that people study math because their grades were not good enough to enter another department like electrical engineering or computer science. This is also a misconception. In fact, about half the students in the math department have transferred from other departments. A few decades ago, after World War II, mathematics at NTU was one of the most famous programs. After the space race began between the US and the former Soviet Union, mathematicians were very much in demand. Students from other departments all wanted to transfer into math. Later, the popularity of the math department declined as more an more people wanted to go into engineering, but in the last few years mathematics is again regaining its strength. So why study mathematics? I think the reason is for pure interest and pleasure. Some people just feel captivated by it, even if not everybody can appreciate it. The math department is also excellent preparation for degrees in economics or business, where students frequently have to deal with mathematical problems. Whoever is good at math can master anything. By the way, do you know why there is no Nobel Prize for Mathematics? Some people say that it’s because Alfred Nobel’s lover left him for a mathematician. Did you also know that there are many still unsolved math problems, and that some of them carry a reward of USD 1,000,000? I’ll be you never thought you could make so much money just by being good at math. To conclude, as Georg Simon Ohm once said: “Mathematics is not something you fall in love with at first sight or that produces passion in a short moment. Mathematics is something you can marry for life. It is tasteless in the beginning but gets better with time.” And I’ll leave you now with an interesting math problem: if a barber claims that he will shave the beard of anyone who doesn’t shave his own beard, should he shave his own beard or not? by Nicole Pan
With such easy confidence she called out to a foreigner, “Davie, I’m here! Do you want to drink a juice? Today I come here late!” Despite her sometimes odd English this is the famous Juice Lady, crouching on a stool just outside the LTTC entrance to campus every afternoon. She used to sell food in a market but business there declined, so one of her customers suggested she sell juice at NTU. And here she is! Although she has only been selling here for nineteen months, she is now on familiar terms with nearly all of her customers, often lavishing them with more juice than they actually paid for. My first encounter with the Juice Lady was somewhat dramatic. Trying to get an interview with her I said hello and asked her how she was. But packing up her things, she glanced hurriedly at me and shoved a large cup of tomato juice into my hands and cried, “I must get going now, my father’s in the hospital and I told them I’d be there at three.” Open-mouthed, I stuttered, “But I don’t have any money on me!” “Don’t worry,” she said, “next time you see me will be fine!” With that she sailed away on her motorcycle, leaving me in shock. But it turns out that the Juice Lady’s whole life is dramatic. Her family name is Chen, and being a very talkative person she made no secret of how difficult it was to support single-handedly a wasteful, irresponsible father and at the same time send an eighteen-year-old son to college. She had to buy fruit wholesale and stay up until three or four in the morning to wash, cut, and press the fruit. It was tough going for a single mother, but, as she says without hesitation, “I love my job.” Why sell juice? When she was around fourteen years old, her father contracted an illness. “His stomach bloated to the size of a rubber tire,” said Ms. Chen. According to traditional medicine, he was supposed to drink sugarcane juice. So she started gathering discarded sugarcane heads and began to beat the juice out of them with her bare fists. It worked. Gradually her father regained his health. It then occurred to Ms. Chen that if her father needed fruit juice, other people would too. She wanted to share such healing drinks with everybody. “It’s healthy for you, you know,” she told me. “Look at me! I drink fruit juice for my meals and see how healthy I am!” Another legendary thing about Ms. Chen is her wonderful English. Where she used to sell juice she met a lot of foreigners. “They say, ‘One more, one more,’ but I don’t understand what they’re talking about.” Therefore, Ms. Chen started memorizing the English dictionary. Some of her customers assisted her by teaching her English pronunciation. Though she’s only an elementary school graduate, Ms. Chen’s English soon became so good that she even got herself an American boyfriend. Now, Ms. Chen can speak Mandarin, Taiwanese, English, Japanese, and Cantonese (she’s Cantonese in origin), not to mention a little bit of Spanish, French, German, and Korean. An amazing thing that is not widely known about Ms. Chen is that she writes very good Chinese calligraphy. She told me proudly that her Chinese has always been good, and her calligraphy is even better. Rubbing her left eye with the back of her hand, she recalled, “Before typewriters were so common, students had to write out their own thesis papers, and because my handwriting was so good, students would come ask me to copy out their thesis papers in calligraphy for them.” “I made some money off of it too,” she added as an afterthought. The Juice Lady welcomes you to buy her juice. “I’m a Buddhist, and I believe that what brings us here together is Fate,” she said as she stuffed three cups of juice—mango, star fruit, and passion fruit juice—into my hands as a parting gift. As I left I thought, “They’re just like Ms. Chen—just as surprising and just as one-of-a-kind!” by Joey Chung
What would you do if you couldn’t get any sleep because you were going to be expelled from school tomorrow? Party until you dehydrate? Drink until you vomit into a bystander’s face? Or dance and scream in front of city hall like there’s no tomorrow? Me too! That’s why a few friends and I recently decided to spend a WHOLE NIGHT out in Taipei, from sunset to sunrise, looking for trouble and seeing exactly what Taipei has to offer! We started our adventure at 6:00 p.m., after we’d changed into less student-looking clothes and gotten rid of our “Hi-I’m-a-student!” backpacks. No point in looking like a nerd when trying to be cool in some of Taipei’s hottest joints. Our battle plan: to start from the western/older side of town and move our way up east to the newer and posher establishments. Our trip of sin started at Café Lounge 808. Their hours are 5 to 2 in the morning. This is a simpler, more conservative joint that only asks a 250 NT entrance fee that includes a free drink. Underground bands start after 8:30, and now, since we arrived so early, we actually look old, with a dozen high school guys in the corner smoking and swearing, and a few schoolgirls eyeing us like we were horny middle-aged men. Clean, crisp and simple, this is a right place to come if you want a drink, coffee, or just to listen to some live music. Feeling bored, we each gobbled a beer and left. Next up we walked a few blocks to the Wooden Boat, an underground place next to the old Lai Lai Department Store. But it was so pristine and normal that we nearly wept in disappointment. What happened to the great Ximen Ding, with its crazy bars, wild pubs, and exciting fights? This place was playing traditional folk songs! How many college students would want to listen to that when they’re out on the town? Where’s the blood? Where’s the action? And as one of our eager team members put it, where’s the chicks? We each had a vodka with lime and left. Around 8 p.m. we arrived at the riverside basketball courts near the Taipei Main Station. For no charge at all you can play basketball with disgruntled teenagers or high school runaways while admiring the river and smelling the exhaust fumes from the neighboring highway bridges. We played for a while, losing all 3 games. Next we made our way to the east side of town and arrived at our third stop, Perfume, near the Zhongxiao-Fuxing Station. We entered and were immediately blown away by its sleek interior design. A very different bar, more like a lounge and not loud, this place is for the more sophisticated, a place that stresses the need for Taipeinese to come in and relax, laugh with friends and have a few drinks. We each had five, including their club special, Perfume, a drink that is supposed to remind you of and taste like real perfume. We were not disappointed. No pressure, no screaming teenagers. Next up was Luxy, just a few blocks away. Luxy meaning “Luxury” and “Sexy” is the posh place to be, boasting the finest and biggest nightlife complex in Asia. It consists of three main halls and two floors that have the best food, pool, music, and bar. The decoration is the most hip, modern, and flashy I’ve ever seen. Tickets don’t come cheap though, and they actually ask you to “dress nice” before entering. On a usual night it’s 800 per person including drinks, and Friday night is Ladies Night where all girls enter for free. Inside we quickly swallowed a Jack Daniel’s, Sex on the Beach, and coke with rum. Good thing I borrowed my roommate’s credit card. We stepped outside to see if we still remembered how to use a cell phone–things were starting to get blurry. We hailed two cabs, one for us and one for another friend who was officially drunk, already half-asleep, and unable to continue. We threw him into a cab. Good luck on your calculus quiz tomorrow! Ah! what are guy friends for? We headed over to Taipei 101, hoping to go up to the observation deck before it closed. Recently opened, the deck is THE place to be if you’re young, drunk, and about to be flunked. What better place than this to see the whole of Taipei and wonder where life will tell me to go? It also provides the best place to jump if that proves the answer. We stumbled down again and within a few minutes entered Room 18, right in Warner Village. We smiled as we walked in, knowing that we were finally in the right place. The main people here are students, and it’s rumored that Taipei American School kids hang out here too. It’s a nice modern building with hip music and a cool DJ. The room basically vibrates youth and energy. The sofas surrounding the main dance floor look clean and comfortable and there’s a row of VIP spots beyond that. Basically, this would be a nice place to go for college nerds or younger credit card wasters. Entrance fee is an average 500 a night, Wednesdays are Ladies Night, and midnight is when things get really hot. Today, however, it was really packed and as we walked in we heard screaming and cheering guys and to our absolute shock, a few bikini-wearing girls. Turned out that tonight was Bikini Night. I walked over to the bar and downed 2 more drinks, an Electric Watermelon and a Flaming Cockroach, and viewed the chaos. I love college life! Now past 2 in the morning, we headed over to our final spot, Plush, located on the 12th floor of the Core Pacific Mall. Weekdays the fee is 350 per person, weekends it’s 800, and of course on Wednesday there is a Ladies Night. The place is designed in a circular fashion with bright red decoration creating a cool atmosphere filled with very posh looking couches. At the far end are long windows that provide a great night view. The bartender will mix whatever drink you ask him and there are often celebrity sightings inside. The crowd seemed slightly older and richer than that of Room 18, and as we crawled in with our tousled hair and bloodshot eyes we felt it was a sign to end our long journey. Well past 4 a.m. we started our long walk back to school, if we could still remember what school we went to. After ten hours of countless drinks everything seemed right and possible. Finally, around 5:30, we were sitting in front of the library, watching the sun rise, pondering our futures and annoyed by the sound of the old men and women exercising nearby. And all in the name of education! 1. Café Lounge 808, (02)2381-5378 http://www.apamusic.com.tw 2. Wooden Boat, 2311-6778 台北市西寧南路36號B1F 3. Perfume, 台北市敦化南路1段190巷2號1F-B1 886-2-2771-3256 4. Luxy, 忠孝東路4段201號5樓 (02) 2772-1000 http://www.luxy-taipei.com 5. Room 18, 松壽路18號B1 (位於華納威秀影城裡) (02) 2345-2778 6. Plush, 八德路四段138號12F (02) 3762-1600 by Christine Chang
Why are you still single? Have you ever been in a relationship and totally messed it up? What’s preventing you from making a magical connection with that special someone? Maybe there’s a hidden reason behind your single status. Take this test and find out! The number following each answer represents the points you receive. Add up the total number of points and find out which type you are. Q1: You’re invited to a party, but nobody tells you what kind of party it will be. What will you wear? A) I’ll dress up anyway. Always being fabulous is my principle. [5] B) I’ll choose funny clothes. People will need someone to entertain them. [4] C) I’ll just wear a t-shirt and jeans. I like to be casual and comfortable. [3] D) Did you say party? Well, count me out. I don’t do that. [2] Q2: You see a program on the Hallmark channel (the one with sentimental drama programs). How do you feel? A) I’m amazed. Do these relationships exist in real life? [5] B) I’ll turn off the TV. I’m not a sentimentalist. [4] C) Well, I feel a little warm and fuzzy. [3] D) I’ll get out the tissues — I’m a weeper. [2] Q3: You’re interested in someone. What’s the best way to get his/her attention? A) I’ll arrange a “chance” encounter. [5] B) I’ll just strut up to him/her and ask him/her out. [4] C) I’ll send him/her an anonymous love letter or email. [3] D) I’ll wait until he/she approaches me. [2] Q4: You have a blind date tonight at 7 pm, but you are about to get stuck at work. What will you do? A) I’ll blow it off altogether. It’s only a blind date, after all. [5] B) I’ll call and cancel — work is important, and they’ll just have to understand. [4] C) I’ll cut out early anyway to make the date. [3] D) I’ll call to cancel and ask for a rain check. [2] Q6: What do you do with old love letters and memorabilia from past relationships? A) Show them to friends. [5] B) Toss them in a shoebox and forget about them. [4] C) Throw them away. [3] D) Read them again and again. [2] Q5: How neat is your bedroom closet? A) Everything is in its place. [5] B) Very organized, but full of stuff I don’t wear anymore. [4] C) Some things are on hangers, most things are on the floor. [3] D) It’s a disaster area. [2] Q7: You’re a strict vegetarian, but your date orders a steak — rare. What will your reaction be? A) I’ll mentally say, “Next!” [5] B) I’ll shrug it off. It’s a free country, let them eat meat! [4] C) I’ll say nothing. It’s not like we’re getting married or anything. [3] D) I’ll be bummed out — my ex used to be more considerate! [2] Q8: Your relationship has gone from dressing up for a night out to slipping into sweats for a night in front of the TV. How do you feel? A) I’m worried. Is my date not interested in me anymore? [5] B) I’m about to get bored. I don’t want to get into a rut. [4] C) I’m relieved. It’s nice to have a break from the razzle-dazzle phase. [3] D) I’m psyched — I love being cozy at home with the right person. [2] Now your score. If you get 35-40 you’re type A; 29-34 is type B; 23-28 is type C; and 16-22 is type D. TYPE A: Don’t Want To Settle You, more than others, have a fairy tale fantasy of how things should be. Ever since you were a kid, you’ve probably dreamed of the perfect wedding, coming home to a white picket fence, dog, and 2 kids. When someone asks what you’re looking for, you don’t skip a beat: You’re likely to have a handy checklist that details your perfect partner. Hair and eye color, height, religion, education, career, interests, the list goes on. While it’s great to have standards — hey, you shouldn’t have to settle, after all — there’s one slight glitch in your master plan: No one has made the grade in real life — at least not yet. Next time you’re out with someone, keep yourself from mentally checking that list, and give love — and others — a chance. That special someone whom you’ve written off may be perfect for you after all. TYPE B: Don’t Want To Slow Down Whether you’re working all hours, busy with school, or planning a cross-country move, it sounds like you just don’t have time for anyone else in your life…right now, that is. You prefer coming and going as you please, and you don’t like to be controlled or held responsible for someone else’s schedule or needs. Your go-it-alone attitude may be shutting out others from your life without your realizing it. Chances are that you’re often attracted to people who are simply unavailable. And what’s underlying this is that you’re afraid to get involved for some reason or another. Try to open your mind to those who are around you (and available!) right now. Then let up on your schedule to let that someone in. That is, unless you want to fall in love with your goals, not Mr. or Ms. Right. TYPE C: Don’t Want To Commit You probably crave excitement in all realms of your life, and you need a relationship to keep you filled with possibilities. You’re still holding out for the perfect “whatevers” (job, car, home, date) in your life to come a knockin’. When it comes to settling down, you leave without looking back. Maybe you don’t want someone to get to know you fully. Perhaps by saying “yes” to someone, you’re afraid you’ll lose yourself, or the possibility of something better coming along. Just remember that the best relationships are those that never stop growing. So keep that in mind next time you find someone you’re really comfortable with. You never know, it may prove even more exciting once you really get to know each other, teensy flaws and all. TYPE D: Don’t Want To Get Hurt Ever heard the expression, “Once bitten, twice shy?” You can probably relate to this, can’t you? Your last relationship may have left you a little raw in emotions, and the memories are likely still fresh in your mind. With a hurt like that, you’re probably not so eager to enter the drama again. After all, you’ve been hurt before, why can’t it happen again? You also may be guilty of comparing potential mates to your ex who may still constantly loom large in your mind. Maybe it’s time to check your baggage at the door and let a new person into your life with a clean slate. You have a lot to offer someone, but you can’t do it when you have one foot firmly planted in the past. |
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The Taida Student Journal has been active since 1995 with an ever-changing roster of student journalists at NTU. Click the above link to read about the authors Archives
May 2024
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