Struggling! Aughhhhh!!!

Struggling! Aughhhhh!!!


I am writing to help myself figure something out.

Recently I have been struggling with myself. I am finding myself incredibly boring and driving myself (and probably others) a little crazy. The situation is a bit alarmingly sad. Less than ten minutes ago, I just googled “how to be more interesting.” My goodness.

I’ve enjoyed photography for a while, but I don’t feel much like taking pictures these days. Sometimes it’s because I can hardly keep my eyes open and my mind on what I am supposed to be doing. Other times it’s because I feel so frustrated that my pictures are starting to look so boring. I don’t even want to print and frame them for my walls anymore. Gasp.

For my very incredible job, I get to travel all over Taiwan (and sometimes to other countries), and I appreciate very much that part about my life, but other than work, I have nothing else to think or to talk about. So I guess my life is not boring. Rather, *I* am boring.

Perhaps with the travel features somewhat under control and the basics of photography more or less in my grasp, I could use some new goals.

So if that’s the problem, what’s the solution?

Well, I don’t think I should do anything with the travel features since I just got the hang of them. But for photography, perhaps I can look for different ways of expression. Also, I would really like to read and get together with friends more and go back to studying sketching and woodblock printing. Yes, my new goals. Well, old goals that I am once again revisiting maybe.

Ah, now I can sleep. Good night!


(below are sketches from...a long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...)

To my family and friends

Dear Family and Friends,

Thank you for being so beautiful, both inside and out.

Love,
Michella (and her camera)

Here are some pictures from the last few weeks.

Canon Kiss X3
EF 35mm f1.4L USM
Aperture

New resolutions - I am determined!

New resolutions:
1. when on regular shift: in bed by 2359
2. when on night shift: in bed by 0159
3. finish 3 sketches
4. finish 2 new woodblock prints
5. frame 2 photos
6. run away and find myself again (yes, I'm in travel-features-on-hold limbo again...)


I am determined! And unless my current situation changes, I am going to do all of those things! Raaaaaaaaaaaar!!!!

Tea for one 一個人喝茶，不寂寞嗎？

一個人喝茶，不寂寞嗎？

其實與自己對話，就不寂寞。

如果繼續這樣想，永遠嫁不出去。
完蛋了。




Is it not lonely to have tea by oneself?
If one has a dialog with oneself, it's not.


And if I really keep thinking this way, I'm never getting married.
Oh boy, I think I'm finished.






Location:
無為草堂
Wuwei
http://www.wuwei.com.tw/








Canon Kiss X3
EF 35mm f1.4L USM
Aperture

Vegetarian pizza 好吃素披薩

I never thought vegetarian pizza could be so good.

We brought back to the office the three that they made for us for filming and despite them being cold and vegetarian, our coworkers LOVED it!

Last week when I was there with some colleagues, one of them being vegetarian for the time being, we ordered a few different vegetarian pizzas. One of them was the Vegetariana, and I and was pleasantly surprised by the variety of delicious vegetables on it, especially the big chunks of potato. However when we were there for the filming, Ling (the chef's wife) said that the Romeo was a good one to tell everyone about - it had cinnamon in it. The cinnamon combined with chili peppers, marscapone and dried tomatoes was really something to remember! It was quite interesting and something I might order once in a while. By the way, Zocatelli (the chef) is from Verona, where Romeo and Juliet took place.

道地素披薩 餅皮脆餡柔軟－民視新聞

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5pthHRcRBs

Siciliana (vegan version, no anchovies)

grilled eggplant, olives, capers, oregano and of course no cheese

Romeo

olives, marscapone, dried tomatoes, chili pepper, cinnamon powder

a very nice surprise for me!

Vegetariana

grilled eggplant, bell peppers, zucchini, spinach, potato

台北市大安區臨江街149號

+886 2 2707 2212

149 Linjiang Street, Da-an District, Taipei
http://facebook.com/zoca.pizza
http://www.zocapizza.com/

道地素披薩 節瓜+馬鈴薯+甜椒+菠菜

台北有一家由義大利人開的披薩店，呈現著原汁原味、道地的披薩。40多種口味當中，還有不少[素]的披薩，即使上面沒有肉，客人覺得口味和口感都相當豐富。這裡受歡迎的素披薩上面有甜椒、茄子、菠菜、節瓜，和馬鈴薯等新鮮食材。

##

[[音樂]]

一口接著一口，吃得津津有味，光看這位媽媽大快朵頤的模樣，就令人直吞口水，忍不住想問，您這是什麼口味?

民眾

四種不同的乳酪

餅皮是脆的

整個餡非常柔軟

把整個楓糖混在裡面

很享受

莫扎瑞拉、葛根左拉、瑞可達、馬斯卡彭，這是披薩界的經典口味之一，而且是素的。

其實素的披薩五花八門，有的款式還很精彩喔！

[[音樂 老闆丟麵皮烤披薩+三款咚咚咚出來]]

披薩店老闆娘 許郁苓

這款算是我們素食裡面

人氣第一名的披薩

這裡面有日本茄子和節瓜

都是在放上之前會先準備起來

先燒烤過

加上甜椒和馬鈴薯跟菠菜

所以雖然是一個素食披薩

可是他的口味層次非常豐富

吃起來不會像一般素食

覺得好像口味太過平淡

披薩店老闆娘 許郁苓

這一款叫做"羅密歐"

裡面加了風乾番茄

瑞可達乳酪,黑橄欖

還撒了一點辣椒粉和肉桂粉

所以肉桂跟乳酪搭起來的口味

非常的獨特

維羅納有羅密歐與茱麗葉，台北則有肉桂與馬斯卡彭，喔，好浪漫～

不過如果不想那麼刺激，想吃清淡一點的口味，這裡還有全素，連乳酪都沒放的披薩。

披薩店老闆 Zocatelli

西西里亞披薩沒有乳酪

只有番茄醬,橄欖,酸豆

奧勒岡和茄子

這都是地中海的重口味食材

在北義家鄉烤了15年的披薩，一年前老闆把傳統口味帶來台灣，他不但感動不少人的味蕾，也打破不少人對素披薩味道淡、選擇少的刻板印象。

民視新聞 翁郁容 宋弘麟 台北報導

Dr Dad and OKB

Tomorrow I'm doing the super shift, meaning anchoring the morning news then reporting the news from afternoon to late night. 0100-0400! Will be stealing naps and coffee when I can.

This was last weekend when the weather was nice and I didn't have to work.

Dr Dad and Uncle King

Bello Marshmallow and Oreo Shmoreo

both ready for a nap

I was pretty sure that if we played any more, 

Bello's tongue would detach

Watchdog

Looking oiled up and ready for a suntan

(no, it's not oil, it's very expensive dog food)

Bello says to Oreo, 

"C'mon! Let's go play upstairs!"

Uncle King says, 

"Yay! We're going for a ride! Yay! We're going for a ride! Yay!..."

Canon Kiss X3
EF 35mm f1.4L USM
Sensation XL
Aperture

Happy Anniversary!

To my lovely parents. You are the envy and inspiration for many people who still believe in love.

It was Mom and Dad's 34th anniversary yesterday.


Thirty-four years of hugs and kisses, of differences and compromises.
Thirty-four years of communism and tyranny with absolutely no rationality nor democracy.

But it was thirty-four years of joy and laughter, with a growing family looking forward to a happily ever after.

Long live the King and the Queen!


Love, your daughter who will not be seen.




(after publishing this picture, Mom is for sure going to skin me, so no Dad, I'm not coming home this weekend)



HTC Sensation XL
Camera 360

Are you gonna get up or what?

快點起床了啦！

5 more minutes, Bello...

Secret Wall

There's a secret about this wall. What do you think it is?

這道牆有玄機，猜猜看是什麼。

京都祇園、いづ重



Canon Kiss X3
EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM
Aperture

It was THIS good! 就是這～麼好吃！

The o-inari-san was THIS good!

More on this century old sushi restaurant in Kyoto later. Stay tuned!

Thanks, Gloria Huang for taking my picture!

Canon Kiss X3

EF 35mm f1.4L USM

Aperture

Blessed 幸福

京都金閣寺

Golden Pavilion, Kyoto, Japan

我覺得我好幸福喔。有家人疼我，朋友愛我，還有有自由讓我到處走，到處看。真的好幸福，好幸福！


I feel so lucky to be loved by family, cared for by friends and have the freedom to go places and see things. I am so, so, so blessed.


家族に愛されて、友達に可愛がれて、あっちへ行ったりこっちへ行ったり、自由自在に動き回ったりしてる私は本当に幸せです。とてもとても幸せです。






Canon Kiss X3
EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM
Photomatix Pro
Aperture

Hello from 京都 Kyoto! And thank you!

Hello from the bamboo forest of Arashiyama in Kyoto, Japan! Thank you everyone for your warm birthday wishes!!

Thank you, Mom, Dad, Mama, Michael, Daniel and Quyen for having me and being my family.

Yanshui Bottle Rocket Festival Fun 來去鹽水 看蜂炮 嚐意麵

20120225 來去鹽水玩 看鋒炮 嚐意麵

http://youtu.be/HSzpvQ-fhQo

Beehive Rocket Festival.mpg
http://youtu.be/vYZowl_sG_k

武廟 Wu Temple
http://www.wumiao.idv.tw/
台南市鹽水區武廟路87號
+886 6 652 1264
87 Wumiao Road, Yanshui, Tainan

阿桐意麵 Atong noodles

台南市鹽水區中山路鹽水點心城內

+886 6 652 3361

+886 918 278 635

Dianxincheng, Zhongshan Road, Yanshui, Tainan

Canon Kiss X3

EF 35mm f1.4L USM

Aperture

Special thanks to Ms 鄭王永雪 for being our guide.

畫面	OS/NS/SB
主播稿	今天的旅遊專題，我們要帶您到鹽水，體驗蜂炮的洗禮，和品嚐鹽水又薄又Q又香的肉燥意麵。
music 準備蜂炮 （緊湊，high一點的片頭）
NS 蜂炮
武廟管理人 林益仁	鹽水這間武廟主要的神明是關聖帝君，這間廟創建於清朝，明末清初的時候，到現在有343年，第二次世界大戰美軍來轟炸鹽水的時候，唯一沒被轟炸的只有這一間，所以才能保存得這麼好。針對蜂炮，一年一次，到現在已經辦203年了，就是清朝的時候，那個時候有一個流行病，鼠疫，每天死很多人。那個時候關帝爺說他要出去遶境，希望家家戶戶都放蜂炮。就好像蜜蜂的巢穴，射出來的聲音嗡嗡嗡嗡，後來瘟疫就消失了。
	沒想到瘟疫就此被控制住了。
NS 蜂炮
	鞭炮聲那麼大，真不知道怎麼在說什麼，再來聽一次吧。
	嗯，還是聽不大懂，我說， 「我們現在來到台南鹽水體驗用蜂炮驅邪祈福，希望越炸越旺，啊啊啊啊啊！鹽水蜂炮，我們來了，啊啊啊啊啊啊啊！」
NS 蜂炮
主持人 翁郁容	昨天真的好刺激，好瘋狂，今天聲音還有一點沙啞，因為昨天一直在叫*%^$%($#@好痛，我們來這邊幹什麼，喔喔喔喔。結果回去發現口袋裡面也被燒了幾個洞，發現因為蜂炮真的鑽了進去，不是開玩笑的。今天我們兩隻手，兩隻腳，十跟手指頭都還在，所以我們決定要去吃東西，去逛老街。
	而這裡是月津港，您知道嗎，一府二港三艋舺後面還有個四月津。鹽水因為月津港，曾經很繁榮喔！
鹽水旅遊達人 王鄭永雪	以前這裡是一個商港，一直在載貨出貨，把貨載到泉州跟漳州。鹽水以前叫做「大龜肉」，烏龜的「龜」。後來因為每一個角落，彎的地方都很像月亮，我們這邊的人就把它改叫「月津」。
	而這裡就是月津港旁邊的老街，這邊有家百年打鐵老店。
	老闆你說你在這裡第幾代了？ 一，二十代了，兩百多年。這間店有兩百多年歷史，菜刀，鋤頭，什麼都有。
	逛完老街，可以來點心城品嚐當地特產小吃，鹽水意麵，還有肉燕酥。
NS 炸
意麵店老闆娘 吳惠燕	以前的人，魚漿就叫「燕」，所以這就叫肉燕蘇。裡面有洋蔥，還有蔥，還有魚漿，還有豬絞肉。另外就是加香料，香料是綜合魚漿的腥味。皮是麵粉皮，然後加雞蛋，它可以做乾的也可以做湯的。湯的話，我們可以加一些肉燥的滷汁，還有加一些蒜末，吃起來香香酥酥的。湯的話，我們就高湯直接沖下去，就是有一點軟，等它要軟不軟的時候吃最好吃。這是我們鹽水的特產。
	而這裡的意麵，搭配著肉燥，香又彈牙。
意麵店老闆娘 吳惠燕	放肉片，然後還有肉燥。 這肉燥看起來好好吃。 對。肉都是特選的。
	不知不覺一口接著一口，這一碗好滋味，令人念念不忘。想不想看看鹽水意麵是怎麼做的呀？工廠就在旁邊。
	你看，他們是加鴨蛋喔！這是增加麵的彈性。
music 製作
	從工廠出來的意麵有兩種，一種是濕的，一種是乾的。濕的煮起來口感比較好，不過乾的能夠保存比較久，但就是得先晒過。
music
	來到台南鹽水，感覺走入時光隧道。古早的過節方式，古早的建築和美食，令人懷舊。
	民視新聞 翁郁容 謝政霖 台南報導

畫面	OS/NS/SB
music 準備蜂炮 （緊湊，high一點的片頭）
NS 蜂炮
Lin Yi-ren, Wu Temple Caretaker	Emperor Guan is the main deity in Wu Temple. This temple was built in the Ching dynasty, 343 years ago. As for the Beehive Rocket Festival, it is held once a year here and it has been going on for 203 years. During the Ching dynasty, there was a plague  and each day many people died. Emperor Guan said through a medium that he wanted to go around town and for people to set off bottle rockets when he went by. The packs of rockets used to look like honeycombs and the sound they made was kind of like a bee. Then the plague went away. 鹽水這間武廟主要的神明是關聖帝君，這間廟創建於清朝，明末清初的時候，到現在有343年。爭對蜂炮，一年一次，到現在已經辦203年了，就是清朝的時候，那個時候有一個流行病，鼠疫，每天死很多人。那個時候關帝爺說他要出去遶境，希望家家戶戶都放蜂炮。就好像蜜蜂的巢穴，射出來的聲音嗡嗡嗡嗡，後來瘟疫就消失了。
	And that’s how the epidemic was stopped and the Beehive Rocket Festival came to be. 沒想到瘟疫就此被控制住了，而鹽水的蜂炮傳統就如此誕生了。
NS 蜂炮
	Oops, forgot to turn on the microphone, I guess. 啊，看來望了開麥克風。
	I swear, my microphone was on, but the bottle rockets were just too loud, not to mention painful too. This is undoubtedly one of the craziest festivals in the world. 奇怪，麥克風真的有開啊，就是蜂炮太大聲了，而且好痛喔。這真的是世界數一數二瘋狂的傳統活動。
NS 蜂炮
Michella Jade Weng, Presenter	Gosh, last night was exciting! Still a little bit hoarse from all the screaming and a little bit shaky from all the excitement. But I still have all 10 fingers, all 10 toes and all of my limbs. So I think we're going to go explore the rest of the town. Shall we? 昨天真的好刺激，好瘋狂，今天聲音還有一點沙啞，因為昨天一直在叫*%^$%($#@好痛，我們來這邊幹什麼，喔喔喔喔。結果回去發現口袋裡面也被燒了幾個洞，發現因為蜂炮真的鑽了進去，不是開玩笑的。今天我們兩隻手，兩隻腳，十支手指頭都還在，所以我們決定要去吃東西，去逛老街。
	Yanshui was one of the four most prosperous regions in Taiwan because of its harbor, but unfortunately not anymore. These days, it’s mostly known as a historical town and of course, for shooting millions of bottle rockets in one night on the Lantern Festival every year. The other 364 days, it’s pretty quiet, and is a good place to take a walk. 而這裡是月津港，您知道嗎，一府二港三艋舺後面還有個四月津。鹽水因為月津港，曾經很繁榮喔！現在這裡則是一座歷史悠久，每逢元宵節就會放蜂炮的小鎮，而其他時候，來這裡散步，還挺舒服的。
NS 炸
	And when you’re here, you’ll want to try the fried wontons made with not just ground pork, but with some fish paste mixed into the filling as well. Oh, and don’t forget the flat, thin and very al dente duck egg noodles with meat sauce. Mmmm. 逛完老街，可以來點心城品嚐當地特產小吃，有絞肉和魚漿的炸混沌，肉燕酥。而這裡的意麵也美味，搭配著肉燥，香又彈牙。嗯～
	不知不覺一口接著一口，這一碗好滋味，令人念念不忘。
	As the festivities wind down in Yanshui, life returns to normal for the residents here. But even when you’re not here during the Lunar New year, it’s still a nice place to travel through on your way to someplace else. 活動結束後，鹽水的生活步調恢復正常，不過非過年期間，這裡還是很值得停留一下，走一走，看一看。

OKB48

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome....OKB48!!!!!

(that's Oreo, King and Bello in case you didn't know) 

20120303 OKB48
http://youtu.be/KFlgcxtWcFw?hd=1

Yanshui's Atong Noodles 鹽水阿桐意麵

肉燥香，麵條QQ的台南鹽水意麵

incredibly tasty Yanshui noodles with (pork) meat sauce

加了鴨蛋，所以很薄但也很有嚼勁

這是濕麵

duck eggs are used in these thin, flat noodles to make them al dente

sun dried just about ready for packaging at the factory that supplies Atong's noodles

these are for tourists to bring home or sent via home delivery

阿嬤晒麵

Johnny working his magic

眼睛也笑瞇瞇的阿嬤

阿桐意麵 Atong noodles

台南市鹽水區中山路鹽水點心城內

+886 6 652 3361

+886 918 278 635

Dianxincheng, Zhongshan Road, Yanshui, Tainan

They do home delivery! I've placed orders for friends and family several times.

TWD45 一斤 (600g) 濕麵 (raw noodles)

TWD100 一箱 (box of about 20 bunches) 乾麵 (dried noodles)

TWD100 一斤 (600g) 肉燥 (meat sauce)

I always get 600g of meat sauce per 1200g of raw noodles.

I love love love love these noodles and meat sauce!!

Canon Kiss X3

EF 35mm f1.4L USM

Aperture

Special thanks to Ms 鄭王永雪 for being our guide.