by An-chih Perng
“It was a dark, stormy night…” Well, how am I supposed to imagine what will happen on a dark stormy night when the sun is shining so bright outside? Besides, why do we have to write a story that starts off with this trite, tedious sentence? I can recall loads of children’s books beginning with “It was a dark, stormy night”! “Hey, wait a minute, young lady!” protested the words (and even the comma!) as they popped out of the computer screen. It must be my imagination, I thought. So I stood up, had a good stretch and yawn, and headed for the fridge in the hope of getting some inspiration, as is my habit. “Don’t you know it is impolite to just walk away like that when someone is talking to you?” There they were again, looking a bit annoyed as they lined up before my eyes. “How come you guys can…can… step out of the computer just like that, and…and…?” Shocked and amazed, my tongue could barely function. “And speak as if we were alive?” the comma kindly finished my sentence for me. “Yeah…” “Well,” acting as the spokesperson of this sentence, ‘It’ gave me a listen-hard-you-young-lady look and proudly began: “Once a word is created, it becomes alive. And all our lives, we take part in millions of stories that start with 'It was a dark, stormy night.’” It suddenly occurred to me that my composition homework could be done rather easily this time. “You mean,” I asked tentatively, trying hard to conceal my excitement, “you know lots of interesting stories that begin with 'It was a dark, stormy night’?” “Of course,” answered 'It’; “so we want you to apologize for accusing us of being 'trite’ and 'tedious.’” “I’m sorry; I take it back,” I was rather embarrassed. “But can you tell me a story beginning with you guys that is, well, little known, yet intriguing?” “Sure, anything to your order,” said 'It’ confidently. “But first we’ll get back in the computer and call our friends together. In ten seconds you’ll have the whole story on your computer screen.” Wow, that’s the shortest time ever for me to finish a composition class assignment! And the most effortless ever! Just as I was overwhelmed with happiness and thinking of celebrating this piece of good luck that seemed to have saved me from staring miserably into the computer and painfully racking my brains, I noticed that ten seconds, perhaps even ten minutes had already passed, and yet there was still only the sentence “It was a dark, stormy night” on the computer screen! “Oh no! So it was my imagination after all,” I sighed to myself. “No, no,” 'It’ reappeared and said, “I forgot to tell you that the story can only be read once, and…” “And you can only see it on a dark, stormy night,” the comma finished the sentence for 'It’, and they all disappeared back into the computer screen, stiff and lifeless as they were before. Though I was still not quite sure if this was all a fantasy, I decided that I would bet on it and print out this “magic story.” So, Mr. Petersen, sorry for the inconvenience caused, but please wait patiently for a dark, stormy night to read it, and hopefully I can get to hear all about the story they put together for you. by Daphne Chiang
Don’t you guys feel bored sometimes? Wandering around the campus with no idea where to go or what to do? Well, maybe you can try some of these: by Shiela Yu
Counseling and testing are not all you’ll find at the NTU Student Counseling Center - the Center also holds a number of special-topic workshops for students. Below follows an overview of some of the more notable ones: The Freshman Workshop is designed to give freshmen a clear introduction to college life. In the Career Planning Workshop , students can explore their interests and get a perspective on their future. The Interpersonal Relationship Group offers techniques on building good interpersonal relations with others. The Intergender Relationships Workshop focuses on differences between men and women and heightens awareness of and respect for the opposite as well as one’s own gender. Another notable resource of the Center is their Transfer Handbook. It includes introductions to each NTU department, and the policies and requirements for transferring from one department to another. Students feeling dissatisfaction with their current major would do well to consult this free resource before attempting any major changes in their course of study. If you’re feeling a bit stressed out or maybe a little confused with your current life situation, a stop at the Students’ Counseling Center might just hold the key to your problems! by Iris Yim
Strolling down bustling Nathan Road in Kowloon, everything seemed so familiar to me: the double-decker buses lumbered heavily through the busy traffic; crowds of people milled about in the streets, their quick pace beating time for the modern city; while rows of ancient buildings nostalgically told stories of old times. Everything was bathed in the glowing sunset and beamed the charm of a city which mingled modernity and tradition. But I detected something different in the scene, something that didn’t seem to belong in the picture. You could easily spot evening schools offering Mandarin classes. Every now and then you could hear a local bargaining in broken Mandarin with a mainlander. You could not only exchange renminbi in banks now, but also in jewelry stores. Above you, you could see lots of mainlanders around, who distinguished themselves in their behavior and dress. You could sense the approach of 1997. A commercial instructing people to work to protect their freedoms evoked fresh memories of the recent conflict between the mainland and Britain. The furious dispute was provoked by the political reform bill announced by the last British governor of Hong Kong, Christopher Patten, in late 1992. The bill made the Chinese leaders’ blood boil, and they pointed an accusing finger at Patten. Their overreaction caused a stock market crash and a slump in real estate sales. The dispute dragged on for almost three years and culminated in the passing of the bill by the Legislative Council. The mainland, in response, threatened to break up the Hong Kong Parliament once the crown colony reverted to Chinese sovereignty. Everything was doomed. As 1997 drew near, there were discussions on who would be the first chief executive of Hong Kong and the details of the changeover ceremony. Throughout the whole show, the voices of the people of Hong Kong were barely heard. It seemed as though there was nothing to do but to try and plant ideas of democracy in the people’s hearts through commercials. I asked various friends what they thought about 1997. “It has nothing to do with us, as long as we can go on dancing and betting on horses,” most replied. Their indifference astounded me. “We can’t change anything, they won’t listen to us, we are only small citizens,” they murmured. “Do you believe the promises made by the Chinese Communists?” I asked. “No, and neither do we trust the words of the Hong Kong government. They are all liars,” my friends retorted sharply. Obviously, the dispute had shaken their trust in both governments. What was sadder was their great uncertainty over their future and their helplessness to do anything about it. The feelings of the younger generation in Hong Kong are well described in a song entitled The Marriage of Pearl, written by Hong Kong singer Liu Yi-ta. The bride-to-be, Pearl, of course symbolizes Hong Kong, the Pearl of the Orient. One of the verses goes: I don’t want to get married. You cannot resist, they are your parents forever. Can I not get married? You cannot complain, they are your parents forever. I don’t want to get married. You cannot quibble, they are your parents forever. Can I not get married? You cannot act wild, they are your parents forever. Hong Kong is like a girl who has grown up on foreign soil, but now is getting married and is going home. She can’t recognize her home at all, and probably will have problems fitting in. Hong Kong, frightened by the threats of her powerful new master and disappointed by the unreliable old one, seems to have given up the struggle as well as all hope. However, looking on the bright side, there are many political changes in store on the Chinese mainland, and these will exert a big influence on Hong Kong’s future. And China is not about to sacrifice Hong Kong’s splendid economic success on account of political changes. Steeped in tradition, but highly developed; coming from ancient China but reborn in Western culture, Hong Kong is preparing to face her destiny. But who will understand the feelings of a bride waiting for 1997? by Jerry Weng
“How am I to study for all these exams? Heaven help me…” “I have a problem with my boy/girlfriend…” “I don’t like my major… what can I do?” “What am I going to do after I graduate?” Whether you need advice in stress management, intimate relationships, study methods or career planning, or if you would like to find out more about yourself, a helping hand is just around the corner - the Student Counseling Center. Located in the southern section of the psychology department across from the Audio-Visual Building, the counseling center provides two main services for students: psychological testing and counseling. Psychological tests, which survey personality traits, occupational interests and aptitudes in various fields, are designed to provide students with a greater understanding of themselves. Each test takes about fifty minutes to one hour, and students are advised to answer openly and honestly for the tests to be effective. After all the necessary tests have been completed, a counselor will help interpret and explain the test results. While many students take advantage of these tests and find them useful, individual counseling is less popular. Traditionally, people tend to think that seeing a counselor means that you’re “crazy”, but this view is narrow and outdated. The importance of EQ is becoming more and more widely recognized in today’s society, and people are urged to make use of as many resources as possible to improve their mental health. From this point of view, counseling is just another option (besides, for example, discussing problems with your friends or soliciting advice from an elder) to provide support in problem-solving and self-improvement. Counseling is not to be confused with clinical psychiatry or psychotherapy; it is a mild interactive process where the counselor helps to clarify the issues in a problem, locate the sources of the problem, and identify the student’s emotional response. The counselor then provides pertinent information and advice to help the student cope in an optimal way. The number of counseling sessions needed varies according to each student’s situation. In addition to these services, the center also houses a library with a few hundred books, audio tapes, and videotapes relevant to psychological health, which students may borrow. The center is open from 9-12 am, 2-5 pm on weekdays, and 9-12 am on Saturdays. Services are free of charge. by Jerry Weng
To listen to jazz, we can lounge in a jazz cafe, tune into the Taipei Philharmonic Station, or put some Miles Davis in our home CD player. All of these ways allow us to enjoy the sense of lightness, elegance - and sometimes romance - coming through whatever machine it is, but the experience is nothing like attending live jazz sessions. For at the heart of jazz is that mysterious thing called improvisation - the process where musicians just seem to “take off and play” without any carefully thought out composition beforehand. Every weekend at the TU Cafe pub, a band named ‘The Free Spirits’ mesmerises the audience. The band plays a few set songs every week, but each and every performance of the same piece may be entirely different. Performance of a piece usually involves a famous jazz standard as the framework, while musicians take turns soloing and accompanying others within this framework. Usually there is a starting theme or a motif for a piece, and then comes the bulk of the music - saxophone, guitar, piano, and the drums taking the spotlight one at a time, interweaving intricate melodic lines with rhythmic accents, combining technical virtuosity with expressive feeling. It’s hard to believe that all this is somehow magically conjured up on the spur of the moment, and jazz musicians feel completely at ease with the process. According to Rashid Hussain, guitarist for the band, “there is no pressure at all. You just play from the heart. We get together here once a week to jam and have fun.” Sounds deceptively simple, considering the fact that all members in the band are seasoned studio musicians who have been practicing their instruments since elementary school. “Actually, you spend years mastering your instrument,” Rashid elaborates. “You know all your scales and theory, the chord changes, but you put it all behind you when you play; you put the music itself in the foreground and forget about everything else.” Another intriguing aspect of the music is the close interaction between the musicians - they smile and laugh at each other while playing, an exuberant 'yes!’ complimenting another’s solo is shouted from time to time, and sometimes the whole band develops a motif springing from a single musician’s whim. Saxophonist Corbett Wall???comments, “the personalities of the band members are very important. Each person is different, and that eventually shows through in the music. Even every note has an individual character.” The individual colors of the players merge into a group mosaic, a group feeling and sound. “Our music is teamwork, not an individual thing,” Rashid adds. “We listen to each other when we’re playing. If I hear something interesting, I might complement and add to the sound.” However interesting and fulfilling improvisation might be for the musicians, it ultimately seeks also to serve the audience. As Corbett states, “we like to get to the level where the music makes people feel.” Listening to live jam sessions reveals jazz as an incredibly human music, producing strong sense of community between the musicians themselves, between the band and us listeners. Here are a few places where you can find live jazz performances in Taipei: TU B1, 249, Fuhsing S. Road Sec.1; Phone 704-7290 A loud, lively disco with both jazz and dance music (played between breaks). Tursdays, Fridays and Saturdays: featuring mega-drummer Huang Jui-feng ??? (a must see!) Blue Note 4F, 171, Roosevelt Road Sec.3; 362-2333 More along traditional jazz-cafe lines; quaint and light atmosphere. Fridays and Saturdays from 10:00 onwards, NT$150 minimum charge. French Horn 2, Lane 58 Wenchou St. ; 362-6726 Clean and Spacious environment (no smoking allowed!) Fridays and Sundays from 8:30 - 1:00, NT$200 minimum charge. In Between (1, Lane 92 Shida Road 362-2860) Combination of coffee shop upstairs, pub downstairs. Fridays and Saturdays from 10:00 - 1:00, 1 drink minimum charge. Capone’s Dinnerhouse 312, Chunghsiao E. Road Sec.4; 773-3782 Capone’s Chophouse 166, Fuhsing N. Road 545-9365 Performances every night from 9:30 - 12:30, NT$350 minimum charge. By Sue Chen
“What? You haven’t tasted them yet? You’re missing out on so much!” “Yeah, it’s the tastiest snack I’ve ever had!” “I would die without those delicious cakes!” “Once I ate ten at a time!” “The kind with cream filling is even better!” When I first asked about the famous red bean cakes sold in front of Lane 86, Hsinsheng South Road, this was the reaction I got from friends. Seeing the greedy expressions that suddenly appeared on their usually serious and serene faces, and hearing the tone of excitement that crept into their voices, I thought, “Some special cakes they must be if they could captivate so many people’s stomachs!” What was the mysterious ingredient hidden inside these little round sandwiches? I must check this out myself! To my frustration and disappointment, my first attempt to buy the treats resulted in failure. There were simply too many people gathered around the cart, like a bunch of pigeons flocking around the bird lady. My mind told me to try again the next day, but the fragrant aroma of the cakes persuaded the rest of my body to succumb to my watering mouth. I tried to get in line, but there was no such thing in existence. Surrounded by people shouting out their orders, I could not imagine how the vendor remembered or even heard them. Under these chaotic circumstances, her face remained absolutely expressionless and her movements were like a machine, neither fast nor slow, and never missing a beat. As more and more hungry people shoved me closer to the front, my face got rosy from lack of oxygen, and my temper flared. Convinced that it wasn’t worth it, I squeezed my way out of the flood of anxious and eager people. The next day, my friends asked, “Are you ready to join the red bean cake fan club now?” “Haven’t tasted them yet,” I curtly replied. I explained last night’s situation to them, hoping for words of sympathy. “You have to be patient!” “I always persist until I get my goodies, even if it means waiting for half an hour!” Well, here I go again! Fortunately there were only a few customers this time, so the precious “gems” were soon in my possession. As I savored the cakes, I immediately knew why people seem so addicted to them. They were positively marvelous! Unlike other red bean cakes, the crust was chewy and thick, browned juste a point, and most unique of all was the extra “life saver shaped” crust that encircled the middle part of the cake. Wrapped inside was the luscious filling, plentiful and just sweet enough to make you want to grab another piece. My taste buds sighed with contentment as I finished licking my fingers. Hooked on these treats, my feet would unconsciously lead me toward the cart each time I passed; and so it became a habit of mine to stop for some on my way home. One day, I saw the gray-haired vendor standing obstinately in front of her usual space which had now been taken by another young vendor. “This is my place,” she shouted with authority. “Get out of the way!” The other woman pretended not to hear. But she stood stubbornly in the middle of the already crowded alley and refused to budge. Soon, the cars were tooting their horns and traffic was in a mess. Oblivious to the sounds of protest, she stared hard and accusingly at the nervous new vendor, who reluctantly pushed her cart across the street. Some days later, my friend and I decided to brave the drizzle and buy some cakes. To our surprise, the price had risen from 2 for NT$10 to 3 for NT$20. We asked for two, and she silently worked on. As the raindrops fell heavier and faster, she started fussing with her cart. We waited patiently for what seemed like ages, but to our consternation, she abruptly announced that she wasn’t selling! What?! There were at least five cakes already baked! After witnessing the red bean cake vendor’s bullying attitude towards new vendors, her inconsiderate behavior, her unreasonable raising of prices, and her refusal to sell, I started thinking about the “vendor culture” in Taiwan. The “sidewalks” in Taipei are practically useless to pedestrians, because most of the available space is occupied by illegal vendors. Potential customers crowd around their “place of interest” and soon the whole sidewalk is clogged with people. Customer rights don’t exist. Drivers can’t find a place to park because vendors take up parking spaces, and the vendors only aggravate the already horrendous traffic situation. My two unpleasant experiences made me determined never to buy the cakes again! But could my taste buds resist the temptation? “To eat, or not to eat-that is the question.” |
Authors
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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