ㄕㄨㄟˊ ㄍㄜ

話說我家哈你中文越來越蹓，現在講話都會烙個一兩句中文~ (or台語)

當他"又"叫我別的女生的名字(通常是他姊,Jenn或他姪女,Laura)，我用惡狠狠眼神瞪他的時候，他會手一揮 "賣ㄚ內啦~"
'Coca是非常好可愛~'
'怎麼那麼!!'
'讚!'
不然三不五四就來一句，'Let's......., 厚某?'

那天，帶Coca散步，聊到他以前在多倫多的第二份工作，進去才知道不如他想像的好，都怪當時一個朋友跟他說那份工作多好又多好，我說那算什麼朋友啊... 他說'也不真的算朋友，kinda like ㄕㄨㄟˊ 哥'...
我愣一下， 'What's that?'
'You know! Like couple years older than me at school'

............ 阿呆，那是 學 ‧長 啦~~~~

San Miguel de Allende...a small down full of stories 一個充滿故事的小鎮

Because of Muriel & Terry, we went to this small town 4 hrs away from GDL for my long weekend of March. It's in Guanajanto provience, called San Miguel de Allende.
It got touristy because of the beautiful church and the revolution history.

When we first arrived there, we were amazed by the narrow streets and the style of the buildings. You think streets in Taiwan is small? Try driving or parking here. It's kinda European style but since I've never been to Europe, I can't say much about it.



We stayed in a hotel called 'La Mansion Del Bosque'. The owner, Ruth, an 88-year-old American lady, lives in the 2nd floor of the place with 3 cats. Skinny is the youngest and the most curious. He stayed outside of our bedroom watching Coca for a long time.
Other than cats, there are a lot of retired North American staying with us. Every night we gathered in the garden chatting and waiting for the dinner bell at 7pm. Barbara, a nice lady from New York City, over 70 but still can do better Yoga than me. Cindy from Chicago has blond hair. She alway wears a big sunglasses and big earings and talks about her old glories, incl. her Jaguar and the dog bit her nose and ear off so she had to get a nose job. In the hotel restaurant, you have to share the tables with people. So we got to chat with more people, like the tennis couple from Vancouver island who travels around the world to meet their tennis friends and to buy arts everywhere. We even met an dirty old man from Texas asking lots questions about China and finally said 'Does Chinese girl like western man?' Muriel loves the place and already started to plan for her next visit. Kirk and I don't mind to go back someday, either.

Someday when we are older and have more stories to tell :)

'Revolutionary Road' - the Hopeless Emptiness

After seeing once of the preview, I'm sure I will like to movie.

All those questions popped out on the screen, it's the questions I like to know the answers.

Yesterday, we took cab to Plaza galarias for the movie. (and Carl's Jr. whose burger I can only finish half) When the screen turns dark, I was hoping it won't be the ending. In the end, I still haven't found the answers.

I feel part of me is like Frank, but part of me is like April.

When they first met, Frank is the one's been travelling to Paris (maybe other countries also) but he doesn't know what he is really interested in for living in the future. The opppsite, April knows exactly what she wants to do, an actress but never been to anywhere else. They fell in love and she is pregnant. Then they move in to a beautiful house in a small town surrounding by grass, trees and small town people.

Life didn't go exacty like they planned or wanted. Frank is having a job that he didn't want to have for 7 years. Driving to the train statio

n, waiting for the train, wearing the same suites & hat with everyone else, then getting off the train, walking to his office building, finally arrives his little office desk. Dressing like everyone else. Getting scold by the boss for absolute nothing. Doing boring, useless talking with the workmates. All of this is just to make living for his family but that doesn't make him feel happy.

April soon became two kids' mother and an excellent housewife. She makes breakfast, do laundry, clean the house, wash the dishes, water the plants, make dinner, wash dishes like every other housewives around. She does all of this just for her family, but that doesn't make her happy. She once thinks he

rself is special but now she is living like everyone else.

Finally, one day she put herself together to make a big decision by changing their lifes. Maybe an unrealistic one but she makes her move to prove she is different.

'What's stopping us?' she asked.

Then she dressed up and gave a surprise birthday party to her husband.
Day1, they are actually happy. Because she has a plan. She makes a difference for the family but that is not enough for her.
Frank cried because he is happy to see his family happy again. He accepted the unrealistic sounding plan and suddenly became so happy everyday.

They feel alive once again. ....................................Until Frank got stuck again.

When you are younger, you can be a dreamer. You have no fear, you dare to dream and think of one day you'll make a difference. Everybody does but few gets those dreams come true.
What it takes is courage and sacrifice.

Frank lives in the life is given.
April lives in the life is planned.

None of them are wrong.

Maybe there isn't always answer in our life, just like the movie.
There's ending, but not necessary an answer.

But I know when I have choices, I shall have the courage to choose the best one.

Maybe it's not as I planned but it'll be the best one.

Plus... my plan changes all the time anyways ;)

Seven Pounds 七生有幸

衝著Will Smith和好奇心，外加墨西哥看電影超便宜，上映的第一個禮拜跟我家阿豆仔很開心的買了票進去看，結果哭的希哩嘩啦地出來... 散場的燈亮起，前後左右的女生全部都在擦眼淚...

故事一開始，電話聲響起，911的接線警員接起電話，Will Smith難過的告訴警方他要報案，事件是自殺，受害人是他自己。接著畫面跳到幾個月之前，神秘的鋪述這名男子在電腦前找尋人名，登門拜訪並暗自的觀察被選中的人，為了完成一個計畫。故事在三個時間點之間穿梭，零星的畫面，緩緩的透露出他身後隱藏的秘密，讓你將整部片串聯起來，流下無奈卻感動的眼淚。

<想看這部電影但還沒看過的人，以下不要看>

Will Smith飾演一名MIT畢業的工程師，有份多薪有成就的工作、一位美麗且相愛的老婆。
一晚，因他的疏忽，釀成一場車禍，七人因此喪生...他也失去了他老婆。於是，他用他自己的邏輯想出了一個償還的方法：去補救、改變七個人的命運，且割捨自己的生命。
他從此活在罪惡感、痛苦和孤獨之中，直到他遇到了Emily，他將他的交給了她，不論是生前或是身後....

這是一個很簡單卻很特別的故事，很悲慘但充滿希望。淡淡的結尾就如每一段人生的結束，深刻‧感動...

追悼

那天收到爸比的mail，Tony二月中要來台灣，和他的女朋友Nancy....聽到有點shock,嘴裡淡淡的吐出一句 "westerners move on fast..." 我們的文化與西方比起來有太多的道德拘束，太多的rules要遵守，"快樂"並不是最重要的first priority，還有其他的很多很多...
今天跟Kirk討論到他的三個叔叔都是42歲的時候第一次心臟病發，我要他保持健康，如果他走的話我會寂寞，補了一句"我們亞洲人比較難move on..."

"Why?"

就跟很多我人生中出現的問題一樣，我也不知道。

也許，是因為我們從小就避諱談到"死"，連這個字都不能說，要不我阿嬤會不高興，唸"阿彌佗佛"....
也許，是因為我們有社會壓力....eg. 五子哭墓的習俗，哭越大聲越孝順....
也許，堅強並不是我們的強項，我們的文化不強迫個人在其他人面前隱藏情緒....
也許，我們的親人朋友比較會允許我們一哭再哭，把他們當避風港....

也許，只是追悼的方式不同，
但當面對真愛，
亞洲人、西方人都一樣....

Apple, egg, becon

星期天，起床，跟Kirk坐在電腦前用功到1點...恩，該是吃飯的時候了!
懶洋洋走進廚房，翻了一翻冰箱，來做個三明治吧!
沒lunch meat??!! 好吧! 煎個蛋放中間，以前有看過... 靠 沒蕃茄了! 喔 還好，反正蘋果也是紅的.... 喔 冰箱有開包的培根ㄟ! 加個培根吧，有培根的食物就難吃不到哪去...

so... there we go bacon, egg, apple sandwich !!!! (培根蛋蘋果三明治) ~科克小茹自創菜單 !!~ (背景：盤子發出光芒，科克在三明治上打滾)

後記:
我覺得不錯，Kirk覺得蘋果太酸，可以煮or煎過可能會更好 (不負責講座)

La Matera

For Arthur's leaving on Thurs., we went to a nice restaurant called La Matera on Av. Mexico.

We walked past it the other day with Coca and saw a lot of people waiting outside in the afternoon. But we couldn't find the sign for the name of the restaurant. I guess that's sign of a good restaurant, no need for marketing.

Mexicans love meat. After you taste the steak here, you will understand why.

Kirk ordered a 500 gram N. York Cut (Angus beef) Steak for 160pesos & I got a full sized short ribs for 170pesos.

After you sit down, warm breads with 3 different kinds of dipping sauces were served right away. My favorite is olive oil with spinash with a little bit salt.
You can choose mashed potato or salad to go with your main court.

Sitting in the candle lights, Chewing the juicy, well-cooked steak with a glass of wine then enjoy a hot cappucino after the meal. This is La Matera~

the kitchen & the crowd