Nostalgia

It has been ten years since I came back to visit my birthplace Taipei.  I was immediately dazzled when I arrived at city center where my hotel is located. I cannot remember how many times I have hung out in the area when I still lived here, but now I feel so lost after all the dramatic changes. Happy to be home but I feel like a stranger.

The entire city is connected through MRT (a clean and efficient subway without single graffiti) and bus system. I have route chart in my purse and can travel painlessly from one place to the other. I have walked miles after miles in the streets looking for MRT signs, tasted almost everything that I missed and sneaked out whenever I can to take pictures.

It is very difficult to refuse long time friends’ hospitality and reception. Easy 3-5 hours can be spent in a coffee shop to play catch-up, still unfinished. Since I got here, I have only one free day to hang out in the bookstore and visit my undergraduate school. I also made it to my grade school watching little school boys and girls playing. All the classroom building are new, but my old feeling and emotion won’t never go away. It almost drew me to tears walking on the playground. I was the 2^nd tallest in the class and the president of the class for 6 years. But, when school play needed a tall girl to be the groom of the key role, Rat Bride, I was not chosen because the bride was even taller than I. I was heart-broken for a while.

In my childhood, I loved to watch puppet show. The guy who held the puppets not only did a great job manipulating the characters, he was an awesome story-teller. He made the puppets come alive and entertained the big and small audience. He worked behind the scene, the no-name hero.  There are so many heroes in our lives that we have never seen but they left imprints in our heart that last forever.

At age 6, I wanted to help my mom to pump water from the well in our living complex. I was too ambitious and had too much water in the bucket.

On the way back, I dropped the bucket of water and my left big toe nail was split into half by the sharp edge of iron bucket. I only remember that it was bleeding hard and I was taken to a nurse. My old brother later said, I did not cry at all. Really? I must be tough. The scar is forever although old style well is no longer existing.

Like these little ones, I ever surrounded the man who was skilled in making wood molds himself with various shapes of animals and fruits.  I am not sure how he made the candy dough that can be blown and shaped into little rabbit, turtle, pineapple or bird, but it was fun to play with candy animal before melt them in the mouth and eventually swallowed them down the throat.

This food art is no longer available in the marketplace. It was touching for me to watch the wrinkled hands to keep innocent faces smile in folk art culture center. Our children do not have a traditional childhood any more. Their leisure time are spent on Iphone and Ipad. Young parent's expectations have created for them a busy life early on, learning piano or violin, play soccer or basketball, run or swim, or anything else that will make them distinguished in any way, and be competitive.  

Banana is my favorite fruit, but I have not tasted this kind for ten years. The size of this banana is less than two inches long, but it has an outstanding flavor and texture. The taste is far superior than what we can find in regular supermarket.  Guess what? I even discovered its flower that I have never seen.  Plant, Flower and Fruit are three natural progression of a growth, but I often ignore one or the other. 

I certainly appreciate the time I have in hand now. If there is one thing I like about retirement, it is time. 

Except in classic Chinese movies, I almost forgot about this old-fashioned wooden door. It is constructed with very simple idea and mechanism, but it worked well.

Before I went to grade school, I actually lived in a house with this kind of door. It is welcoming when you open the door with two hands spread out.

When you get mad, you cannot slam the door easily like we do in modern days. You have to close the first panel, then the second and latch them together. Your 'flame' might have been reduced and diminished by the time when the door is being latched. We want everything efficient and speedy, but slow motion gives us time to re-think and not rush into decisions.

It has been almost 30 years since I left my root ground and went to a foreign land afar. Now I am reversing my route back to where I was originated from.

Every day, I either meet a friend, a group of classmates, a group of our relatives or play solo with my camera.  Whatever I do and wherever I go, my mind is filled with old memories. It is not just this ten year lapse, it is decades length that I have not been so close to my root and thought about it every day. I miss home back in Oregon and meanwhile, I feel like to stay here longer.  Where do I really belong? I am not sure if I can ever answer this question.

Almost a Paradise

Back home here in Taiwan, I just visited an amazing place, ‘The One’. If there is really a place like paradise, this place can be one.

A retired newspaper tycoon built his ideal paradise to enjoy his retirement life.  This place has 69 secluded acres land surrounded by dense and thriving greens in a valley setting.  The construction is a Jiangnan (meaning south of Yanz River) garden style and an ancient Chinese structure without using nails. A talented architect has been given full authority to build the place. It is definitely one distinguished architecture with sophisticated display of Chinese culture and heritage.

The owner lived here for 25 years before his decease in 1996 and the place was re-opened and brought to the public as 'The One' in 2008 as a resort.  Resort sounds too commercial to describe this unique and exquisite place. It is not too much if we simply call it a paradise.

Looking out from the balcony of the highest building, you would feel like standing in heavenly realm, it is surreal. Blue sky afar and green trees around enhance the terra cotta color buildings and that weaves a beautiful landscape all together.

All the buildings are designed with meaningful themes and functions. Key buildings are named after the owner, his wife and their children. They are connected with ponds, small bridges, gazebos, pavilions, rocks, and refined landscaping. View is stunning and beauty is well balanced with its subtlety.   

From the exterior, you can see how peaceful and tranquil the setting is. Ponds are full of koi and black swans are showing off whenever people are coming close. 

Noticed the design of the door frame and window case. The 'flower vase' is inviting you to go in and view the 'flowers' inside. I believe peaches are on the left side of the entrance. Peach is a symbol of longevity for Chinese.

Urns are popular in Asian, but I am not sure how many people actually thought about using them to decorate the window.  

Window case is like an open book.  It opens to another chapter, the roof of an adjacent lower building.

How about a small peek of bamboo bush and pond through the flower entry?  I just love to peek through window cases to see the garden. Regardless what angle of view you are, there is a different set of scene in front of you. If you have more time, peek through the small bamboo tubes, and image...

See what I got from this door? I can stay here for hours and make you images after images. Can you imagine how much architecture treasure you can find in this place?

My memory cards are full so is my mind. I just grabbed a few to sample. I have been away from my original culture too long and I am glad that I am here to catch up.

What next? after dream come true....

Being the last child of the family, I am certainly not the spoiled nor the dependent. The oldest child in the family, my sister, is old enough to be my mother and most of the time, I lived under the jurisdication of the older siblings who liked to tell me what to do. Generally speaking, I was obedient but it only meant that my rebellious cell had yet matured and I was brought up to show respect to the older.

I have always wanting to be a journalist, but I did not dare to enter that as my first choice for college. I did what would please my parents, became an English major.  It was glamorous in my days (in my hometown) to be an English secretary fresh out of school or a flight stewardess who proudly spoke English in the air.  How things have changed, and my dreams have been crashed many times.

Up to this point, I am barely close to do what I want to do in my life, but gradually I got to do a few things that were just my dreams, big or small. I wonder what’s next when one dream becomes true, dream the next dream? When my life spam is going downhill and I still keep building my dreams uphill? I think the answer is YES! Dreams are timeless.

Among all pets, I only like birds. On my usual walk path, I heard this beautiful and crisp sound many times, but I could not figure out the owner of the voice. How can I miss this bird? I thought I am fully aware of the birds dwelling in our neighborhood. Maybe it is one of the birds I’ve known but I never heard their voice. Who are you, bird (it sounded like from one single bird)? I have heard you for months, show up and introduce yourself. Otherwise, I am going crazy. 

A flock of sparrows flew for lives when one day I suddenly decided to walk a different path  and they were apparently shocked by my unusual presence. Just sparrows, sparrows have been around since I was a child, no big deal. But, this bird landed on the brush by me, just 2 feet away and IT started to sing. OMG, can you believe it? Listen to its voice. This is exactly what I have been hearing for months. A little dream of mine just came true.  It is the golden-crowned sparrow. Go to the link below and click the Voice.

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/GOLDEN-CROWNED_SPARROW/id

Scandinavia was only a geography term to me for more than six decades. It is not a common tourist destination, but I wanted to be there and this desire was getting stronger. My sister Grace has travelled around the world in the last 6-7 years and Scandinavia is one of the very few places she has not been. So, we made the trip and made my dream come true.

I love Norway. Though I could not take quality shots from our tour bus, I have since gone over the images tirelessly. I wish Norway is not so expensive and Oregon has fjords to enhance its beautiful nature. 

In the past, I have often dragged about the thought of getting on a cruise. I thought I would rust my brain staring at water and  feel   bound and restricted in a confined area. Endless food supply and dress-up formal nights are not temptation for me. But I was obsessed with this image I took.

This is exactly what’s missing in major part of my life. I always have a full schedule and I am always looking to do something. Confined in the ship, I was forced to nap and dream a few day dream.

So many photographers shoot Space Needle. I am gaining interest to do night shots, but Seattle is not an easy destination for me, and I had no clue where to find a right spot for the shot.  Thanks to my husband who maintained his ultimate patience while trying to find me this spot in Seattle. Getting around in Seattle and Los Angeles is surely a task. Bottom line is, I got my first night shot of Space Needle. It is nothing spectacular, but I did it. It is the thrill of dream-come-true that makes me excited like a little child.

By the time when you read this article, I am on my way to another journey, a trip that has been overdue and I wanted to do it since long time ago. I expect lots of photography opportunities if time permits, and I will surely share some with you.

 

I captured this airplane in night sky on the way back from Seattle.  I only had my 200mm in hand.  The jet showed up so suddenly, I was caught unprepared. Not a good shot, but it happens to well describe my current status: I am taking a long distance night flight crossing Pacific Ocean. I publish this post from my phone before I board the plane.

I am aiming for more journeys and therefore more discoveries, dream more dream, and make dreams come true.

Fall, Fog, Frost - thoughts in the walk

Sunshine is still beautiful but the temperature is way down. Fall chill is definitely here.  There have been many foggy mornings.  The fog was so dense that I could only see one car ahead of me, not further.  This reminds me of my days living in Sacramento in winter time.  The density of the fog is so intense that I had no clue what’s in front of me driving on freeway.  I wanted to get off the freeway, but I could not find the exit. Traffic signs and exit entrance were completely fogged. Other than that, I love fog, particularly in colorful fall days.

I have tried to catch a right moment to go out and take some foggy shots. Being a computer addict, it is so easy for me to forget time. One moment I think the fog is too dense to shoot anything and the other moment I am too late. Finally I just took off early in the morning and I am so glad that I did.

The smoked and fogged woods bring me to think of traditional Chinese painting, the understated style. Maple leaves are more a burgundy color, but they look orange under morning sun. Maple tree is the focal point, the attraction. If not for the fainted background, the orange won't look so distinctive.

I read a book titled Quiet. It does a thorough analysis on introvert people and how our society functions with both the introvert and extrovert. Introvert tends to think more and more resistant to act while extrovert is inclined to talk more and more daring to adventure. So there are thinkers and there are adventurers. We need the introvert to plan and we also need the extrovert to act. I think it is our Creator's work of art to piece two together.

Asian immigrants are often categorized as introvert, the quiet background. Native speakers are generally the extrovert, the center piece. I think it has definitely something to do with the comfort level of being an ESL (English as second language).

It is hard for me not to brag about Oregon. But if you can look at what I got in a simple and short morning walk in the park, you will be with me.  Everything is supposed to turn yellow, dry, faded and scattered, but I am seeing colors, life and vitality in a subtle way.

I walked by the river path. Steaming fog on the river created a milky background. If it is just a regular sunny day, these trees would never catch my eyes.

Ducks are everywhere here in Eugene. I stopped taking their pictures since last year. But when the fog layered fallen leaves on the pond, I saw this ducky sitting on an embroidered fabric. He was of course lifting his head and wondered why he suddenly became my interest.  He is free and lucky to be here.  If he lives in a China country town, he may sit motionlessly on a gourmet dining table now.

Speaking of embroidery, how that tiny spider weaves this intricate thing is beyond me. The frosted webs look like a superfine crystal necklace. I have learned again and again, not to ignore a small existence around us. There is a reason why they are co-existing with us. Either they are teaching us a lesson to be persistent and industrious or simply provide me a chance for a shot.

If not for the fog and the frost, I would not frame this shot for my simple pleasure. It is the variety of the elements make the image interesting. The vitality and energy of our society come from the combination of our differences and our co-existence. I am no longer thinking that I want to get out of the background. It is just fine to be wherever I am, there is always a purpose for whatever turns out to be. 

I have set myself a goal to dive in Photoshop and be able to share what I learn in my blog. But not until I am there, I don't want to make any promise. I am the Quiet and I would rather speak when I am ready.