081217 - Dancing with the WALL-E

I love robots. I've gone as far as using C-3PO as my avatar on-line, and putting up a R4 on my desk. So it's a no-brainer that I immediately fell in love with WALL-E the moment I saw it on the movie teaser.

Six Monthes later, I had watched WALL-E for the sixth times, and still enjoyed every moment of it. I remembered going through AICN.com Holiday Gifts Shopping list, and one of the toys they recommend was the iDance version of WALL-E, which seems to be the most detail one, also the price is just right.

So last sunday, I visited the Toy'r'us and get myself one.
ta-da~(in WALL-E's voice)

By pressing a button on his body, WALL-E will dance and say his name(W-A-L-L---E). It'll reponse to your voice, or any other loud sound. He can dance(by waving his arms randomly.)

As you can see, an iPod(or any other MP3 player) can "plug" in, and WALL-E will become a speaker of some sort. He can also dance to the beat, but even though I chose a slow-beat music, he still moves frantically, so I turn off the feature.

Say hello to R4, my long-time table-toy(which is dress-up like a.....nun?!)

While it cost me a bit fortune, nothing gets you energized in the morning by saying Good Morning to him, and see the reposnd.

081122 - 單身日‧兩廳院‧自由廣場

忘記甚麼時候，大概是收到e-mail，我申請了一張兩廳院之友的卡。天曉得我從來沒有看過任何一場表演。事隔一個多月，今天是現場領卡的日子。剛好是個周六，我就藉機出門走走。
從捷運站出口走上來，要越過中間的廣場才可以到音樂廳的售票處。人很少，除了幾個操著香港口音的觀光客。我拿了卡片按原路要返回捷運站，這才發現大中至正底下似乎多了幾個棚子。
恩，原來是野草莓。現場感覺很沉悶，四周都是些中年男子，有一些看起來像是流浪漢。我往裡頭望去，看似學生的人大概數十個吧。
他們能撐多久不是重點，重點是媒體可以跟著他們多久吧。印象中好幾天沒看到新聞或報紙有他們的消息了。

081103 - Grey Day

禮拜一下午一點的天空，灰濛濛的讓人想睡(找藉口)。在教室一直連不上無線網路，還好來講課的中醫科主任還蠻會講的。

晚上的開會不知道會如何呢。

081031 - 萬聖節扮裝‧聚餐

好久以前，在國小的時候學校有辦過萬聖節的扮裝比賽，我還記得我用紙箱扮成機器人，我暗戀的女生則是扮成巫婆(那時候傻傻的)。從那之後，就是到了大學才有人提議來慶祝萬聖節。去年那次去了lounge bar，遺憾的是並沒有照片。

今年的規模比較小，不過還是一群好朋友聚在一起，扮裝與否已經不是重點，但是還是留下不少照片，就請自己看囉~

TV - Alias and 24, the double try

During the summer, when there were no new episode of a TV shows, I try my hands at two different series, Alias, and 24. Both of them was quite famous at that time in Taiwan, video rental is availible, and I thought why not just give-it-a-try.

I like Alias, with its charming and toughing gal lead, Jennifer Garner. The J.J.Abram produced drama center on a female spy Sydney, and her double lifes.

The series when on a huge twist on the middle of Season 2, which to many fans seems to be a turning point of the show from good to so-so. I myself stop nears the end of Season 2, mainly cause I lost interest.

On the other hand, 24 wasn't my type of dish. The ruthless lead violate my peaceful mind, so I dropped it a couple of episode in the first season.

Next time, I tasted how it's feel when a favourite tv show get cancelled half way into the season: The Inside "damn your FOX s*@#k!!!"

TV - Joey "and the newfound habit"

So far, before 2004, I catch US TV shoes only on TV. That restricted me largely due to my lack of the TV at home. I get to watch once in a while when I was at my folk's house.

However, with newfound ability to download contents over internet, I tried my hands with the BT when I try to watch the Friends spin-off, "Joey."

As the title suggest, it's a show about Joey, one of the six friends from Friends. He moves to L.A. to polish his career. While it's never reach the quality of the original series, and met with little praise, it's nonetheless a entertaining sitcom if only for the reason to have more Friends.

It's 2004 through 2005 that I begin my obsession with US TV shows.

081014 - Mid-week break

呼，當一切事情都暫時告一段落的時候，終於拿到一點空閒的時間。把堆積已久的影集／脫口秀拿出來看一看。Late Night with Conan O'brien有個被訪談的13歲小朋友，竟然是要競選總統。美國果然是個很自由的國家。勞勃狄尼洛上The Daily Show宣傳新片《What just happend》，人看起來卻很humble，不知道是不是年紀大，跟電影中硬漢的形象差蠻多的。

Chuck第二季第三集依然精采萬分，而復歸來的Samantha Who?則讓我明白我有多麼想念Sam、Sam媽、Andrea、和Todd。改天應該介紹一下我看的影集。

081011 - 苗栗南庄‧Vacation cont.

第二天，大家在早餐時間一起醒了過來。從床上坐起，望向窗外就可以看見高山白雲的感覺，真的很度假。

例行的梳洗完畢後，我們來到樓上的餐廳用早餐。這是我第一次在五星級飯店以外的地方，吃到這麼豐盛的早餐buffet。除了吐司、各式麵包、荷包蛋、稀飯、還有水果蛋糕。飲料從鮮奶、豆漿到紅茶咖啡，一應俱全。大家都拿了滿滿一盤到桌上。

早餐從八點慢慢的吃到了十點，除了因為東西很多之外，也是因為我們做的圓桌對面是一對年輕的夫妻和小兒子。只有三歲不到的他，擄獲了一群人的眼光，班代禁不住誘惑，還拿了相機來拍。小朋友一開始還很怕生，頭都低著。後來跟媽媽玩起來，活潑的對鏡頭笑，又殺了不少底片。

接下來是看風景的行程，第一站是向天湖，然後再往更遠更深的地方去，到神仙谷。走路讓我有點疲憊，只好拿著班代的單眼亂拍分散注意力。不過這兩個點的景觀都沒那麼動人，反倒是騎車前往神仙谷的路上，兩邊的岩壁非常的壯觀。

最後我們回到民宿拿行李，和老闆說再見，然後回到老街吃完中飯、買完東西之後，就搭車回台北了。

Now more pics...

班代 & 班代的棉被

餐廳。對面是一家三口。

小朋友的笑太可愛了啦>///<

這次待的民宿。很有歐式風格的建築和庭院擺飾。

開心到飛起來的班代(by芷婷)

芷婷 & 敬眉 & 芷婷的車

還想再摘一次柚子的班代

往向天湖的路上，我在班代的後座上拍的。完全是無心之作，不過速度感很酷。可惜後來我對自己的平衡感沒信心，就把單眼給收起來了。

在向天湖拍的湖中倒影

這次出遊的四人組(by班代自拍)

ㄟ，等等我阿～

向天湖中央有一座木橋

往神仙谷的路上

又要走...好累阿="=

不過這樣的風景，前面的辛苦也是值得的

在老街排隊買冰釀桂花湯圓，很好吃

回程，班代向敬眉討教近來經濟衰退的問題。我看The Daily Show和Colbert Report就夠了。

081010 - 苗栗南庄‧Vacation

中午‧老街‧等著吃午餐

跟著芷婷、班代、敬眉一同來到苗栗的南庄。完全是度假型，因為成員中有兩位在上班的OL、以及精實的國軍弟兄。理當是生活正常的大家，卻在去程的聊天中發現原三大家前一天都是三點才睡= ="。我以為只有我這個死大學生才有這樣的權利和義務耶。

到達老街已經十一點多了，午餐的提議不只是班代，連我都眼睛一亮。在很有客家風味的南庄老街吃完客家風味的合菜後，我們終於來到芷婷心中首選的高級民宿：南江樸園。坐在機車上遠遠的就看的到網站首頁那棟超高級的建築。停妥下車後，一進大門就是挑高兩層樓的入口，而我們的房間就在二樓面對河畔的那間。

一個四人房，竟然還有一組沙發，可見空間有多大，此外還有獨立的衛浴設備，外加兩個陽台。

稍作休息之後(一個小時過去了)，我們出發到護漁步道。沿著蓬萊溪的一個步道上，遊客是蠻多的，不過會下到溪面的人倒是不多。

脫掉鞋子泡水，超沁涼

在水邊就這樣過了兩個小時，其他人在旁邊聊天，但是嘩啦的水聲足以蓋過了周圍的聲音，閉上眼有一種獨自沉思的感覺。天空也是藍的令人心靜。這時候看著岸一邊的遊客，再轉頭看另一邊的樹林，動靜對比下，彷彿時間停止了。

時間只是慢了，悄悄的超過了下午茶的時間，所以我們就直接出發尋找鱒魚大餐。靠著敬眉媽媽的好鼻子，我們在「以客為鱒」享受了一頓美食。然後就回到民宿休息。

因為皮膚的關係，所以在其他人去泡溫泉的時候，我就留守，很悠閒的一邊聽著電視機大談經濟，一邊梳洗。然後坐在床上看著雜誌聽著音樂。一整個就是退休的感覺xD。

班代一群人回來後，還順便帶回一顆柚子，於是由芷婷殺柚子，敬眉幫班代上時事解讀，我在旁邊拍照，結束了一天的行程。

Now the pics...

老街旁邊新改建的百年郵局，拍照的人一大堆

很有趣的手工藝品

傳說中的桂花巷。芷婷有講解其中由來，簡單來講就是男人的秘密集會處這樣。不要想歪xD。
(第二天來逛的時候人爆多)

坐在床上很悠哉的芷婷

覺得地板很好躺的班代

優雅坐著的敬眉

穿著一片裙很難在石頭間跳躍的芷婷

很棒的天空

抓魚？是魚會來吻你的手(還有班代的腳)

睡前吃完柚子在看電視中

081006 - Cloudy day

Well, it's becoming RAINY day just as I was typing this. But 'cloudy' was still the closest word that describe the things swirling over my head.

Ya, I'm sure it's pretty much because of the Monday syndrome. Everything you had to do last week but haven't do, plus everything you have to do this week, combined to make a vastly distrubing noise in my head.

Creative quote of today

"Unless you can begin with an interesting problem, it is unlikely you will end up with an interesting solution."
~ Bob Gill, Graphic Design as a Second Language

Reminder of the week

"What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger."

081005 - Multipe screen life

It's every geek's fantasy when they see futuristic cyberist/hacker/slicer typing their way with 3 of more computer screens in front of them.

I brought a new laptop few months back, a new iPod nano last month, and I resurrected my old notebook as a working station. Now usually I have a video or music playing on the Nano, while I design my new DM for student's club on the work station, and messengering on the laptop, which is the only one capable of going online.

080914 - Summer's end

It's somehow fitting to have a weeklong vacation in Taitung at the end of 2008's summer, which began with a weeklong trip to Orchid Island. Only this time it wasn't with old friends from previous school, but new people from other school.

It was a summer camp-style trip for my Ballroom Dance Club of TMU. Led by senior student, we met with BDC of Tatung University, and spend five days with them while learning some basic steps and easy routines.

I quiet enjoyed the quiet and calm atmosphere in Taitung, but not so much with interacting with other people. Plus a pressure-induced skin disorder didn't help too.

So that's it, my second shoot at a freshman summer. Not much change from my previous one, except I did try to make more plan, which ultimately failed.

Let hope the new semester won't be as bad as it seems from now.

080727 - Earn & Spend, Batman GN

Compared to the rest of my summer vacation, this past week had been one of my more productive week so far. I kind of bumped into two days of temp-work. On day one, I spent 8 hours sitting and calling on the phone to various reporters, journelists. And next day on the press conference, I served as receptionist, which mainly focus on taking guests' shoes and helping them to change into slippers.

They didn't pay much, but most of those got handed over when my order of three comic books arrived. That's right. 博客來 offer 25% Discount for every three Batman Graphic Novels purchased.

I got Batman: Year One, the beautifully drawn Hush series. Combined with my first (and thus far only) batman GN The Long Halloween, I can finally proclaimed myself a true fan of the dark crusader.

The Talk - A New Era?

What m'I kidding...anyhoo, hope this place can be a nice home for me