"你好嗎?"

"你好嗎?"

我現在看到這一個問題覺得很好笑. 為何好笑呢? 因為學任何語言的時候,老師教得第一句都是"你好嗎?" 如果你認識我,你現在應該可以猜得出來我在學中文,也可以猜到笑點,就是我小時候非常討厭學中文. 雖然我長得像東方人,雖然我會講國語,雖然我跟親戚都講中文,雖然我小時候有在台灣上學,我就是不會讀和寫中文. 我還記得我小時候般來加拿大之後,我父母叫我去上中文學校. 首先,我上得中文課是星期六早上. 我那時候看到周圍的朋友在週末的時候都可以睡覺和看星期六早上的卡通,讓我很羨慕他們. 第二是我那時候還小,不知道多學一個語言的重要性. 我想說反正我會講,反正北美很好,大家都要搬出來,也打算住在北美,我幹嘛要讓費時間學中文.

現在我長大了(一點:))我就後悔之前沒好好學中文. 我大學畢業後本來要在加拿大找工作,但我也是日本迷,所以我那時候也有少少得在日本找工作. 其實我畢業之前就去日本旅遊,覺得那邊很好玩,很有趣. 但我不想為了去日本去那邊教英文-尤其我已經念完碩士,所以不能在混了. 剛好那一年我親戚回台灣,我也很久沒見到我的外公外婆和爺爺奶奶,我媽就叫我去台灣和香港玩. 我還記得我那時候對香港比較有趣,在網路上找到很多地方去玩. 我找台灣的時候沒找到多少,因為我是用英文找. 但我到現在都還記得我小時候住在台玩得日子. 我還記得家具的位子,還記得門口有很多蟑螂,還記得家附近有個小吃店,和天黑的時候他的亮亮的白招牌. 我也記得下雨時走路回家,養熱多,學ㄅㄆㄇㄈ,計程車裡gear的裝飾(通常手把是透明,裡面是一個花,也會亮起來.) 我想到那些就覺得說去台灣玩也不錯.

我去的時候只預計先在台灣玩一個月,再去香港玩一個月,但沒想到我去了台灣就越來越喜歡他. 我發現台灣就很像日本,但我可以在那溝通! 有好吃得,好喝得,也有好看得(女生:))所以我那時候立刻決定在台灣找工作. 我的父母沒想到我會那麼做,但他們有支持我. 雖然我的中文不是很好,但我在那有面試幾家公司,也竟然找到工作了. 我作了一年半後就剛好認識我的前女友. 她那時候要出國去讀MBA. 她原本要去澳洲去讀,但跟我交往之後她就選著來加拿大讀. 她來練也會有三年的工作簽證. 我那時候也想換工作,我原本是想在本公司做,但在另一個部門. 我讀的是硬體,但我想換成軟體. 其實我從小就在學寫軟體. 溫哥華也有很多軟體公司,所以,就這樣我就決定回來加拿大了.

所以,我想到學中文的事就會想到我從東邊就著樣繞一圈到西邊來. 就像我媽一直講,人算不如天算.

The Phantom of the Opera (POO)

So I finally saw a musical for the first time in my life. I've always wanted to see the Phantom of the Opera when I was a kid, but things just didn't work out at that time. Oh man, now that I'm thinking about that period of time, I can still remember someone whose name starts with an "E" (I think) that was a huge fan of POO.

I think this interest was revived recently after I heard and saw the 10th anniversary Les Miserables (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Mis%C3%A9rables:_The_Dream_Cast_in_Concert). Listening to a recording was already enough to give me goosebumps, so I knew I had to attend a live musical.

The one I went to today, http://www.phantomtaiwan.com.tw/index_en.htm, was performed in a sports arena converted to musical hall venue. While I admit the venue didn't help the atmosphere, the props used for the play was still cool. Eventually your attention was only directed at the stage. They also had some props that I wanted to know how they were operated. Remote controlled boat? ^_^ They also had some interesting use of angles for the few scenes with mirrors. I guess given limited area and props, they had to maximize everything to get the most out of it. I'm not too sure how this would have sounded in a proper opera house or theatre, but I thought the sound was fine. I still got me goosebumps from their hit songs. The orchestra used was kinda small, but they were hidden from view, so I could be wrong.

All in all, I enjoyed the show, even though there were times where I couldn't understand what they were singing about. They had 2 large screens on either side of the stage for people who can't see the stage clearly, but the subtitles were in Chinese since this was performed in TW :( Although, the person who I went with said that when she saw it before in London, they didn't have any big screens, so people sitting far away couldn't really tell what was going on. I guess it's a good thing this time was different.

So yeah, I think if I have a chance to see Les Mis or Lion King, I'll definitely go. I'll have to keep my eyes and ears open for this though since it was only by accident that I found out about POO coming to TW.

Status Update

I'm here writing this blog entry, without any clue on what it'll be about. I just figured that it's been a while since my last post, so I should come here and put something down. I guess one thing is that I've met a couple of cool people over the last little while, and they have made me want to change for the better. Ha, sometimes self-motivation just isn't enough, but one has kindly offered to help me learn Chinese....

Anyway, I'm also not saying that I don't appreciate the peeps at home either! You guys have done a lot for me, and the only one I can blame for any lack of progress is myself. Hmmm, right now I really do feel kinda bummed on missing out on gumby's wedding.

Well, I guess that's about it. I know I'm a working stiff when that's the best title I can think of right now XD

1 Year Later

Well, I have now lived overseas for a full year already. To be honest, I never really expected this to happen. In fact, I didn't even want to come here in the first place! The trip was originally supposed to be a couple of weeks vacation to see relatives that I haven't seen in ages. Then we decided that it'd grow into a couple of months as I was unemployed. But when I got there (here), I just decided what the heck, why not stay longer and try my luck at a job here. After all, I figured the time to work abroad is now, when I had no commitments. The work culture is definitely different, but if any, it reminds me of university. I can easily spend >12 hrs a day at the office. Weekends would also be spent with my coworkers because frankly, I don't have time during weekdays to meet new people. So to me, this is just as if I was in school, where I essentially spent the entire week with the same people. Fortunately, my coworkers are pretty cool.

I'm not too sure what to do next, as everyone is asking when I'm moving back. I still don't know. Yes, I do miss my old pals, but like a kid at Disneyland, I don't want to go home yet. Although, I have to admit it's starting to feel like home, even if I have trouble writing the language XD I guess I still feel like there's so much to explore here. Maybe I'll know what I'm doing when I found it. Whatever it may be.

A thought occurred to me a few days ago. For a moment, I felt nothing interested me anymore. It is probably not as profound as the understanding of how being compassionate is to feel pain, but it dawned on me that it was most likely because I had easy access to the things that I once found interesting. I then started wondering if the rich are really as happy as we think they'd be... Please note I'm not saying their life is hard, just that maybe they are not as happy as what we think wealth may bring. Maybe it just depends on how one values short-term and long-term happiness. Are they equal?

Haha, I originally just wanted to share my "wise" words of the day: "We all carry a world on our shoulders. It's called our head." Yet somehow, I wrote a whole bunch of other crap. Welcome to my world.

Rant

I'm sitting here, slowly typing away,
uncaring how this'll read on another day.

What is this? Maybe a thought, or some writing,
or gibberish that simply deserves some smiting.

It's funny how this is like how it's played.
For connections are made, patterns are formed,
and even through randomness I strove for the norm.

But hey! Then why did I bother, then why did I write this?
Would I give it much thought if anyone should slight this?

If I know me well, and I'm fairly certain I do,
I'd smile at your insult while thinking "screw you."

Ever since I've moved, there's something that I've seen -
I don't give as much of a rats ass... Heh, maybe I'm just mean?

Now, don't you worry 'cause I'm not in some rage!
It'd be so unlike me, to go on a rampage. (Like I could)

But even if I could, I highly doubt that I would,
much effort is needed, though maybe less than being good. Hmmmm....

Still, I wonder who I'll be next, I wonder if people will say
sometime in the future "it's about damn time you're this way."

"Well you're hogging up all the UGLY!" - Chris Griffin

I've been recently informed that I wasn't replying to my emails, so it was suggested that perhaps they were sent to my spam folder. So, I took a quick peek and lo and behold, I did have some legit emails in there, although none from that person. Anyway, what struck me as odd is that the titles used by spammers are now surprising to say the least. Instead of telling me that I've won something or advertising different ways I can enlarge my member, they are now using titles such as "What a stupid face you have here" or "You look really stupid." While I may or may not agree with their statement, it does make me wonder. Are we so used to cruelty that we are more likely to be tricked by it than by nice gestures (e.g. cheap ways to enlarge by inches!) ^_^

More links

A couple of interesting things from io9:

CO2-Absorbing Crystals
Project neuroArm