By Jack Chou
Come Morning, a Grey Sea of different hues Wear your best smile for Mister Nothing New Forget maps, but remember, lock the door Repeat the same adventures as before This ordinary bridge once watched the Stand Between a Balrog and a Grey Old Man These common cars can fly like Birds on Wing Though Muggets run their rides on gasoline And so you wait, wait, for the lights to change And still you hope, hope, that your luck will change Not like a book is this, but do not grieve Life has as much Magic as you believe See listed here Four Fables that might give The Spark of Magic that you need to live ˙The Chronicles of Narnia including: The Magician’s Nephew; The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; The Horse and His Boy; Prince Caspian; The Voyage of the Dawn Treader; The Silver Chair; The Last Battle Author: C. S. Lewis Narnia, and the seven novelettes that revolve around this enchanting kingdom, sprung from the fertile mind of C. S. Lewis, colleague and confidant of Lord of the Rings author J. R. R. Tolkien. Tolkien and Lewis were both English professors in the mid-twentieth century, and together they languished over the apparent triumph of industry over nature, as well as literature’s steady decline into the black night of obscurity. They resolved to fight the tide the only way men of letters know how—by writing. Tolkien went off and wrote, and the rest, like the saying goes, is history. Lewis wrote as well, and though he wasn’t quite as successful as his friend, The Chronicles of Narnia remain a staple in any respectable collection of fantasy literature. Narnia is a fairytale realm of childhood imagination, accessible only through the back of a mysterious wardrobe in the country house of learned old Professor Digory, a man who’s not unfamiliar with Narnia himself, though he never says much on the matter. When four siblings—Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy—set foot into this land of magic and fable, they find themselves caught up in an on-going battle between the White Witch, an evil matriarch accidentally set loose in Narnia a lifetime ago, and Aslan, a gentle, talking lion who defends what good there remains in the land with unwavering faith and strength. But the defeat of the Witch is not to be the end of the story—the four children, as well as many other natives of Narnia, will embark upon many more adventures before the final conclusion that, though meant to be happy, will seem bittersweet to most readers. If fault is to be found in these fairytales, it would be the fact that Lewis obviously had a younger audience in mind when he penned these stories, and the biblical allusions throughout the series, while fascinating to schoolchildren, might grate a bit on more mature and skeptical minds. Nevertheless, the utter abandonment of the mundane life and the sweet return to innocence in the land of Narnia makes it attractive to the young and the weary alike. After all, are we not every one of us shut up in the closet of our responsibilities and obligations, walking a painted road often for no other reason than because it’s expected of us? Wouldn’t it be truly magical if there was a way out at the back of that stuffy closet, a sudden kiss of falling snow upon our grey cheeks as we fall through, and the familiar scent of a Faun’s boiling teapot somewhere in the wintry darkness, not far ahead? ˙Earthsea including: A Wizard of Earthsea; The Tombs of Atuan; The Farthest Shore; Tehanu; The Other Wind; Tales From Earthsea Author: Ursula K. Le Guin What’s in a name? Well, everything if you’re a wizard of Earthsea. Your sorcery, the very essence of your identity and survival, depends entirely upon your knowledge of language and terminology; by calling the true name of something and weaving that name into a web of spells and chants, you can transform stone to diamond, change your form into that of a hawk, or even summon forth the dead. But the blade cuts both ways—let an enemy become privy to your real name, and you’re at his mercy. For once he names you you’re stripped of your magic, and must face him with nothing but whatever wits and luck you possess. This is Earthsea, a land that, as the name implies, is as much land as it is sea—a constellation of archipelagoes where magic exists in abundance. The star of the series is Ged, a young mage who must survive the reckless adventures of youth to become the most powerful Archmage the land has ever known, but the focus shifts easily throughout the narrative. Ged’s story is as much about himself as it is about the people he encounters, including the cloistered young priestess Tenar, the courageous princeling Arren, and the enigmatic child scorched by fire and cruelty, Tehanu. From their respective perspectives we’re afforded an omniscient view that encompasses all of Earthsea, not to mention an in-depth look into the characters themselves. Le Guin also introduces another unforgettable realm beyond the surf and stones of Earthsea: the dry land, the land of unfamiliar stars and silent faces, the land inhabited by the dead that’s separated from the living by a low stone wall. There the deceased live as they did while alive, but they’re reduced to mere shadows of their former selves. Lovers who died in one another’s arms to forever cement their commitment pass each other in the street and do not pause; bitter rivals killed in combat sit side by side and say not a word. It is the ultimate and utmost desolation. Through this terrible place Ged must journey more than once to complete his quests, and in the end, he too shall pay the price for his transgression. The Legend of Earthsea has most recently been made into a TV miniseries, with the blessing of Le Guin. Book sales are expected to pitch in accordance with the show, so grab your copies before it’s too late! ˙The Prydain Chronicles including: The Book of Three; The Black Cauldron; The Castle of Llyr; Taran Wanderer; The High King Author: Lloyd Alexander In a lonely little farmstead in the middle of nowhere there resides a doddering old man by the name of Dallben, who spends his days propping his ancient body before an arcane tome called The Book of Three. He nods off now and then and snores quite loudly, but even if you have the courage to ask, he’ll only answer that he’s meditating. Just outside his cottage is a lovingly built pigpen, within which resides a very special pig. Her name is Hen Wen, and she can tell you the future, but first you’ll need to learn to read her many grunts, oinks, shakes, and shivers. And tasked with the welfare of this extraordinary sow is an Assistant Pig-Keeper named Taran. This comical and oddly endearing setting is the starting point of a series of adventures that will accumulate into the final showdown between the forces of good and evil in the land of Prydain. Hen Wen’s frantic escape from her cozy home when pressed to reveal information about the newest champion of Arawn, lord of darkness, leads Taran onto the path to the adventure and glory he’s always dreamed about. But, as in any coming-of-age tale, our hero’s in for a rude awakening. Throughout his adventures, Taran is wounded and captured, cheated and humiliated; yet he also finds valuable friends, from the stalwart Prince Gwydion to the hairy miscreant Gurgi, from Fflewddur Fflam, a bard whose own enchanted harp reacts violently to his tall tales, to she of the red-gold hair and the fiery temper, Princess Eilonwy. With their aid Taran will not only lead the final charge into the citadel of evil, but also accomplish a far more daunting task: coming to grips with who he is. Alexander based his stories on the Welsh folklore and landscape, and borrowed elements from Lord of the Rings, Narnia, and Earthsea—for example, the Sons of Don who follow Prince Gwydion in the long defense against Arawn are clearly modeled after the elves in Rings, while a person’s true name proved crucial in defeating Arawn’s champion, the Horned King. The plot and characters, however, are entirely original, and every bit as enjoyable as the abovementioned works. In 1985, Disney combined the first and second book of the series to make an animated feature titled The Black Cauldron, but it fell short of expectations. The best and surest way to enjoy the series, then, is to read the books. ˙Dragonlance including: Dragons of Autumn Twilight; Dragons of Winter Night; Dragons of Spring Dawning; and dozens of others. Authors: Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, among others. Of the four fantasy sagas introduced here, the Dragonlance series is by far the most recent and the most expansive; based loosely upon the hugely popular “paper and pencil” game Dungeons and Dragons, the setting can be described as everything you’ve ever heard about fantasy stories combined into one. It’s general fantasy fiction for the general populace. As a result, some of the stories suffer from all the known maladies of modern day pulp fiction: cheap thrills, cheesy plots, and shameless rip-offs, all with a dash of greed on top. It is recommended that readers start with the core stories, the books that propelled the title to fame in the first place. Those are the three books listed here; together they form the Dragonlance Chronicles Trilogy. Of all the characters introduced in these stories, the most memorable and indelible is the antihero sorcerer Raistlin Majere. Sickly as a child and ostracized by his peers, Raistlin learned at a young age to be selfish, ruthless, and cruel. His hourglass-shaped pupils, earned with his mastery of black magic as both prize and punishment, enable him to see time as it passes on all things. Thus to him there’s no beauty, and no truth—it’s all death and corruption just waiting to happen. This further allows him to manipulate and destroy according to his designs without feeling either remorse or shame. Yet for all his wickedness he is not a villain, but a tragic hero doomed at the start to aspire high and fall hard. The story of his rise and fall is recorded in the Dragonlance Legends Trilogy, which immediately follows the Chronicles Trilogy. These two trilogies will be enough for you to decide whether to venture deeper into the forgotten realms of Dragonlance, or turn and seek to be enchanted elsewhere. The Light has changed, and so you speed on through There’s not a whole lot else that you can do But luck, oh, what of Luck? Light do change, but What if your life’s always stuck in a rut? Remember this: when this world overwhelms Just flip a page and enter Other Realms
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By Zona Hsieh
The world thinks of the Christmas season as a time of peace and joy—a time when all is harmonious, and all join together in eating, drinking, and generally being merry. We give gifts, we donate to charities, we spend time with our friends and loved ones—what could possibly go wrong? Consider this: more suicides, car accidents, family arguments resulting from gift-related traumas, and food and alcohol poisonings take place during the months of November and December than at any other time of year. There’s no such thing as a silent night when it comes to the REAL Christmas. The Christmas season is by no means a time of harmony, at least not in today’s society. Admit it, some things just turn out to be annoying, like Christmas music everywhere. Remember what you just went through? It wasn’t even Thanksgiving yet when the Christmas music began. Every shop in town, every radio station, every television channel, Christmas music is all around. Traditional Christmas music; rock Christmas music; jazz Christmas music. Christmas music played on violins and bells in elevators. The loudspeaker in all MRT stations, restaurants, and department stores began blaring out the supposedly soothing tones of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” in Chinese. Christmas music hummed all day, even by the clerks in 7-11—Taiwan is too westernized. Nobody cares about why we celebrate Christmas since it never was part of our culture. And the music is not the only problem. Walking down the street, the tree is up, the house is decorated, every bush and branch between here and there have all been dressed up with bright baubles and coloured lights. Taipei is a city where Christmas is hard to beat. Needless to say, every child is very excited about Santa’s impending visit, and when it is two days before Christmas the anticipation will certainly reach a fever pitch. So what on earth is the problem with all this? Well, the problem is—discrimination. During the merry Christmas season, the world simply neglects the fact that there are many people trying hard to escape from the atmosphere of Christmas. They might be those who got dumped by their lovers on Christmas eve, and seeing sweet couples hugging each other in the streets (why don’t they just go home since it’s so cold outside?), this kind of Valentinized-Christmas scene really breaks their heart. But Christmas fans will never give a hoot. “Come on! It is Christmas! Let’s go to parties!” For sentimental reasons and a basic sense of justice, we have to end this kind of discrimination. But this mission relies on somebody with more power in hand, so that he or she can shake the world and wake people up from the craziness of Christmas fantasy. However, we have to admit that so far there is no way out. As a result, what we can do now is try to figure out ways to avoid all the potential accidents and arguments which transform the pleasant holiday into a time of suffering. Here are some tips for people who have just suffered from the terrible Christmas agony and wish to be able to survive the coming New Year season, which is a disaster of the same class as Christmas. 1. How to overcome Christmas depression First, remember to avoid excess. Overdoing certain things can promote depression. Such as: increased stress, consumption of alcohol and sugar, spending and financial burdens, and overwhelming social commitment. Second, just focus on the brevity of the Christmas break. Anyway, even the longest day has only 24 hours. Finally, to prevent the onset of depression, it is suggested by experts that one may also try to embrace the pain. Instead of avoiding all the Christmastime activities (cooking, shopping, cleaning, traveling) or wallowing passively in your depression, actively embrace the very things you dread. This could be a positive and effective way to conquer the depression. At least it will also pass the time more quickly. So next time you find yourself sinking into the pre or post-Christmas (New Year, Valentine’s Day, whatever) anxiety, you had better examine yourself if you are doing things excessively. 2. How to evade a stampede of shoppers The best way is to stay at home. Do not go to malls during the Christmas season. And if you do have to buy something, internet shopping is made for you. The big pre-Christmas shopping event, where all the food and drink and related yuletide goodies are bought in one fell swoop, is a total nightmare. Since almost everything related to Christmas is acquired in this one expedition, it has to be planned with military precision. Days in advance of the trip, people’s lists will have to be in precise order, their shoes polished, and every family member has a special mission from their “sergeant major” mother. And if you really want to take part in this bloody shopping war, you have to keep these suggestions in mind. First, stay focused and visualize your goal when you are in the mall. Do not freeze in front of the pack; do not wait for the crowd of shoppers to get close before you make your move. Second, only animals travel in herds because there is safety in numbers. You risk being trampled if you try to thread your way through a stampede. Try your best to avoid the temptation to join the herd—though it seems appealing—you cannot shop if you cannot see the merchandise. By Ellen Cheng
Mrs. Claus - A quick bio: Name: Jessica Mary Claus Birthdate: UnknownApparent Age: 60-70 human years Resides: North Pole Marital Status: Happily Married to Santa Behind every great man, there is a great woman. Let’s take a look at the woman behind our man of the month. She is often an overlooked part of the Christmas tradition, but without her Santa and the Elves probably wouldn’t have such a well oiled machine, capable of delivering millions of gifts in one night. Without her all the boys up there at the North Pole would probably starve, Santa wouldn’t have such a nice new suit every year, and all their time-keeping, letter-writing, toy-making and general day-to-day chores leading up to the big day would suffer immensely. Who is she? Ladies and gentlemen, let me present the wife of Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus! Who is Mrs. Claus? Mrs. Claus is often portrayed as a woman who stands by her husband’s side, helping him at home at the North Pole. She is usually wearing eyeglasses, with her white hair up in a bun. She’s as plump as he is, and she’s usually seen wearing red. The modern depictions of Mrs. Claus are quite similar to one another. They all seem to show Santa’s wife as an older woman who loves to cook and who keeps the North Pole in order, from ironing her husband’s red suit to overseeing a lot of the toy-making. If someone asks why Mrs. Claus doesn’t go with Santa on Christmas Eve, that is because she is the brains behind the whole deal! You may have heard it said that, “Behind every great man, is a great woman.” Well, behind Santa Claus, there is Mrs. Claus! When did Mrs. Claus first show up? Historically speaking, Mrs. Claus apparently didn’t make an appearance until the turn of the twentieth century, when she is mentioned in a poem in a small Christmas book titled Goody Santa Claus, A Sleigh Ride by Katherine Lee Bates–better known as the author of “America The Beautiful.” This was apparently the first appearance of Mrs. Santa Claus. Within the poem Mrs. Claus asks “Santa, must I tease in vain, Dear? Let me go and hold the reindeer, while you clamber down the chimneys. Why should you have all the glory of the joyous Christmas story, and poor little Goody Santa Claus have nothing but the work?” “Goody” was a common contraction at the time for “goodwife.” Please welcome our star, Mrs. Claus! In the 1970s, a team led by Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass produced and directed several Christmas television specials featuring characters made of clay. These have become holiday classics, and two of them featured Mrs. Claus quite prominently. The 1970 show “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” tells the story of how Santa Claus and Jessica Claus became the man and woman they are today. In the final minutes of the show, Santa and Jessica are shown aging through the years. Both of them fill up rather quickly, losing every trace of their younger physiques. And both husband and wife move swiftly from redheads to white-haired folks. In 1974, Rankin and Bass gave us “The Year Without a Santa Claus.” In this show, Mrs. Claus is both the star and the narrator. The story is about the year in which Santa decides that (a) he is not feeling well enough to deliver toys, and that (b) he doesn’t think that anyone cares about him anymore. It is then up to Mrs. Claus to restore goodwill and faith in Santa. After holding out a bit longer, Santa Claus finally agrees to deliver gifts on Christmas Eve, and Mrs. Claus is there to smile and wrap up the story. This is the one Santa story throughout which Mrs. Claus is clearly the one in charge, so much that Santa repeatedly refers to her as “Ma,” a sign of obvious deference. In 1990, Penny Ives wrote a children’s book titled “Mrs. Santa Claus,” and it features a plot somewhat similar to “The Year Without a Santa Claus.” In this book, Santa wakes up one December morning covered in spots. He is flat-out sick. The reindeers, it turns out, are also covered in spots. It finally comes to the point where Mrs. Claus realizes that she must save the day. In the 1996 TV Movie “Mrs. Santa Claus” Angela Lansbury stars as Santa’s loving wife who goes on an adventure when she’s feeling neglected by her husband during the pre-Christmas rush. Mrs. Santa Claus takes the reindeer and sleigh out for a drive, only to end up stranded in the multi-cultural neighborhood of Manhattan’s Lower East Side in the early 1900s. So we have given the honor of “December Star” to Mrs. Claus, not because she is a “good wife” but because we believe she is often overlooked despite standing by her man and making sure there are lots of happy children in the world. By the way, you might want to prepare some fruit cakes and milk tea for Mrs. Claus in case she decides to take another drive for Santa this year! |
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May 2024
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