Love

This is not one of those story that we usually talk about that focuses on children's anxiety, culture or creativity. Read it carefully with your heart, skipping picture spoils the story. 
It's a very simple story of love. Possibly a good gift for the person you love. 

The author Andre Dahan (1935-     ) started writing/illustrating picture story book at the age of 52. 

Dear little fish, I love you so

I'll feed you bread so you will grow

Each day, I'll give you one sweet kiss

And promise you I'll never miss!

But on the day, my dear little fish, 

You grow too big for your small dish

I will take you to the sea 

And in one move, I'll set you free. 

How you'll be so glad to go

But dear little fish, I'll miss you so.

I will wait all through the day,

To see if you turn round this way.

And I will wait all through the night,

To see if you come back in sight.

Oh! I will throw my only hat

To see if you will bring it back.

At the first joy that I will see, 

Is when you bring it home to me.

Your back will be my favourite boat, 

And together we will sail and float,

Over the river and 'cross the sea,

To a small island with a palm tree.

There we will both live and play, 

"Catch the hat by night and day.

And I will know your love for me,

For you came home when I set you free

 

我的最愛

今天見到多棵盛放的白玉蘭，我不其然在公車上滿足地微笑。
之前在中關村圖書大廈搜購了多本好書，今天轉到旁邊的第三極書店，第七層竟全是兒童圖書，太不行了，心中很激動!!就像狼狗見到有人來跟自己玩時暫不定往前往後跳的那種感覺。
買到好書太美妙了，我會希望把書留在自己身邊，帶着上班，去街等！
很期待回香港時跟Bei bei 一起看，見到他都很喜歡那些故事令我最開心。

Retreat

我回來了！周末剛好碰上公司的活動季節，每一組也會自行安排一些活動，如唱k，食飯，溜冰等。我們組則去了五渡會所﹣兩日一夜retreat.
不要以為北京的鄉郊一定荒蕪，沒厠所等，這次我們去的會所是公司自己一班建築師設計，所以能試很多特別而現實生活客人未必接納的節點。(進口處地上物料define了室外內，但水池一直由外延伸入內，atrium成了一個雲石島，由subtle的玻璃小橋連接四周﹣聽說有些人喝醉後墮進水裹）

晚飯時，邪惡豬與吳剛又進入了激烈的討論（他們每一次一起都會的）。爭辯話題總是圍繞「中國人的本質」vs.「中國人做得到」一直以來我都覺得邪惡豬很不可以，什麼都拿出「中國人的本質」來大做文章，但這次經過史工(studio director)重新演譯其中的原因，令我有了重新的體會，亦會以此討論作為四月essay的中心。


在昨晚的討論中，吳剛激動的眼泛激光呢！他是個很敢言的人，希望每一個項目的小節點都做到最好，把中國整體的建築水平提高，要教育那些只想錢的發展商，對自己的設計作出堅持，因為讀了六年建築的，應不止是幫別人畫施工圖的機器吧。而邪惡豬則認為在中國工作重量不重質，凡事要順從甲方要求，要快，作為一個發展中國家，沒有時間去想小節點是否做得好，因為有更多更多人連住好的沒有，豈可以談質素呢。其實吳剛真的是一個對建築設計很有passion的人，他缺少的不是什麼「中國人的本質」而是一點處世的技巧（要達到目的不一定要直接教育對方那類情況吧）。我猜他也是遇到一點identity crisis.

不論那一方是對的，我認為一個公司有機會讓大家這樣爭辯也是一件很有意思事（除了後來為免大家爭着說話，凡說話的也要乾掉自己杯酒這事外）。

除了以上的事令我很glad有參與外，這兩天也過得很開心，從開車離開，開始見到奇怪山石景，到一起煮飯，烤全羊，看星星，跟狗狗玩（有四隻），跟小孩玩，玩WII!!!!，釣魚，snooker....全都很令我玩得很開心，又認識了更多朋友，真幸福。

More photos at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/maoshan SOON

Picture Story Books in an (creative) architecture office

Recently, I've been bringing picture story books to the office everyday, showing them mainly to the people in my team. There are three distinct responses.

One of them have always been interested in picture story books, enjoys and comment on them critically.

One of them really loves them, spend a long time reading each book I brought back, and often exclaimed "This is a very touching story" or "These books are very meaningful" He said he never read such stories during free time, but has recently declared that he really wants to buy some and decided to go to the bookstore with me during the weekend. (He's now google-ing one of my favourite children's book author/illustrator Shaun Tan)

The third one can't understand most of the books I brought back, often ask "is this the end? what happens next?" But have secretly bought the books I showed him.lol
They also shared with me the books they like, one of them draw CG with his friend,and the other draws comics. But they told me not to show their creative work (website) to others in the office...

What effects can Children literature have on adults?

(picture: From Shaun Tan's - The Arrival, a long wordless story of immigrants. Highly highly recommended, go to the nearest bookshop and have a look. Also look out for The Rabbit - a story about Colonisation written from the perspective of the colonised.)

悅讀.「真」北京

一星期前，我說：買了三本書，很可怕
但今天我只行了1/3的中關村圖書大廈便帶了十半書回家。
用203元就能買到十本我很喜愛的書，這價錢，在Zara一件衫都買不到。
還有別的書想買，下次再慢慢選吧。

一直以來我都認為內地不會有好的兒童故事書，今天發現我又錯了，all my expectations about China are usually wrong. 這裹有很多來自日本，法國，奧地利和德國的兒童故事書，還有些中國風的，以前我都沒碰到過。你能夠想像我又多麼的興奮嗎........現在回想，當時四周是多麼的繁囂，我卻能清靜地活在故事中。

今天早上第一次在北京當義工，到五環路外，仿佛回到那人們想像中的中國﹣未舖好的路，沒有沖水的厠所，充滿垃圾的水道等,回到那穿得正常，四周的人都會望你的中國。

由發展中農村走到中關村﹣中國的矽谷，只是一程車，但那些移民來*的小朋友卻什少，什至從未外出過「真」的北京(perfect for my domination essay, which is real?)

Pictures: www.flickr.com/photos/maoshan

*他們父母從外省來北京工作，但因為房租貴，所以住到五環路外，沒有北京的戶籍令他們不能享受很多福利

Baby Samoyed + Urban China

My new friend is a baby. 2 months old.
I have a few great friends in Edinburgh, esp Marble and Fat Cow, whenever I feel sad or tired, I'd go for a walk to visit them. That's why I have cat food in my flat.

My Friday morning has been really perfect, as I've visited my friend, it's a huge Samoyed-to-be, now still a baby. She spent a lot of time playing and sunbathing on my feet.
Recently I accidentally revealed my love for picture story books to my coworkers here, now they make me bring a new book every morning, so they get something else to read apart from window frames and concrete mix.

I'm happy also because I am reading exciting and great books everyday, not only picture story books. At the moment, I'm reading Urban China 城市中国, a famous magazine, this issue I'm reading is on Chinatown. Something I have explored during my second year Asylum Seeker project. Culture Transplant. I so wish to share all the things I have read these days with you all - I am going to scan some good articles/pic books.

回家

上班,有時坐一輛開往大興長徒站的公車,車上的人拿著一包包-毛毯,電視機,碗碟,什麼都有.回家,不知他們在往那裡的家鄉呢?

Tale of two cities - Paris and Beijing!

I always say that Paris and Beijing are similar in subtle ways, here are some examples....

1. Love of Yoghurt in Ceramic Pots
2. Crepes that are made in the same way
3. Love of Bird Fat - Beijing Roast duck vs. French Foie Gras
4. The Gates vs. Arches
5. Ring Roads
6. The Modern Arches - La Defense - CCTV Beijing
7. The Wide roads that are impossible to cross
8. The Palace in the heart of the city - Louvre and the Forbidden City

三月十四日 睛

(left: PART OF the books i've bought since coming to Beijing) 
今天我又買了三本書，很可怕。但這三本都是我很喜歡的且很便宜，買了之後很開心。
之前買建築書的原因是因為價錢太低了，但之後很少翻。說實在的，我越來越受不了身邊那些對建築充滿(激)熱情的朋友們，be it拿住剛買Zaha Hadid 雜誌興奮地炫耀着的，或仔細研究主窗框與副窗框關係的人，天，你想我給你什麼反應。

今天又去了東邊，Sanlitun, Bookworm Cafe, Caesar Salad, embassy area etc. 碰巧是Bookworm International Literary Festival,今天見到外國人比中國人多，是使館區的原故吧，想起之前雜誌對他們的形容 - 
"Where does she hang out? There's nothing I like more than a bunch of overweight, overpaid expats slagging of the place that allows them to swan around like the lower echelons of the aristocracy."
之後去了西邊的五道口，這裹鄰近北大清華，是中日韓學生的集中地，感覺有點MK 

能夠真正知道自己喜歡的是什麼，令我感到很快樂。
北京還有很多事情我想做。

Pictures from today on: Mao'er in Beijing

京城中的一天

隨便的寫:莫非我己因為適應新語言而失去思考整理的能力。我是想寫有關北京生活的瑣事，但不知從何說起。

書店. cafe. 工作

星期五下班，感覺特別疲累，到了書局看書，很多書都很吸引，但我實在不能再買書了，來北京後，已買了不下(二)十本的書,北京的書，不但價錢便宜，印刷也很好，不像以前六元一本草紙般的書。
「老爸老媽去旅行」是近來內地很紅的一本書 - 一對上海退休夫妻，不懂英語，不熟悉網絡，不參加旅遊團，自助遊歴歐洲83天。其實主要也是遊記，但書中這兩位老人自己畫的黑白畫很美，而且文筆太令人羡慕了，可能內地人的文筆始終都比我們好很多。我的同事有一次說「她從香港來的，國語都算很好，但我猜只要我們不說太多成語，她會聽得輕鬆一點！」
另一本書，名很catchy - 「建築師不是描圖機器」

上星期去了圓明園旁的MIMA cafe, 那裹除了courtyard cafe,還有一個建築師辦公窒，一間書店。都是又一個著名設計師所設計的，十分寧靜，還有很多貓和古英國牧羊狗，當然跟北京所有其他cafe一樣都有免費wireless. 這cafe最出位的地方應是它的洗手間，鏡面小立方體，映射園林四周，進內後，頂上是魚池，抬頭可看到天空和小魚游動，腳下透明地板則可以看到貓咪在石子路面上行走。
至於今個星期，我要到朝陽區的dog cafe.

工作以外的生活﹣很悠閒，而工作時也是十分新奇的。近日參與在一大型住宅項目中，要與邪惡豬合作，但他究竟有多邪惡，還要給我多點時間觀察。工作雖然新奇，每天試着，學着，和經歴着新旳事情，但也不是所有體會都是正面的。除了邪惡豬之外，近日常要跟發展商開會。過了三個星期，還未選好戶型，這麼多research其實也是希望architect自己結論一個最賺到錢的方法。
昨天我們一班年輕人去吃午飯，boss也說要來，他比邪惡豬好得多，不會盲目在辦公室在亂叫，很會關心我們，又叫我們每人推介京城好吃的家鄉菜（我們很多都從不同地方來）下次午餐開車去。我歸納到一個不幸的結論，同樣的年齡，這是一個爸爸(boss)和未婚男(邪惡豬)的分別。
雖然我說得邪惡豬很懷，但我猜他只是yet to be enlightened,希望日後我會發現他好的一面。

今天午餐吃東北菜，量不可思議的大，我是說真的，beyond imagination, at least 21:18, I am still full to the throat now.. from lunch.

Overheard in the city
「看來京城的春天不遠了」﹣Beijing News
「從鄧麗君到李宇春，中國的確走了很遠」

饞貓

I'm sure you all know how much I adore Japanese food!! I am so craving for good, authentic, high quality jap food again!!! Not those horrible one, and the desire is so immense that I'll satisfy it very soon!!! Didn't thought that I would start missing Japanese food so much so soon! And no matter where I am, I would have this same crave! (Oh, recent example include, leaving my classmates while we were in Paris, to go get some reli hip jap food; and all the expensive Jap food take away in edinburgh -_-" no good Jap food in Edin; oh and also the 7 pounds sea urchin sushi in Regent Street London)



So I have did thorough researches during working hours, I am gonna explore it for you guys, so next time you come, you can go get it too!
Wow I filled two Moleskin pages so quickly this week, what have been stimulating me?
"Talking about food, I had really local Beijing food today, it's not something that we would usually eat when we travel, I guess cuz some of them tastes reli weird, so no good to promote, there's this white sour soup thingy! they say 「你吃慣了便是地道北京人了」apart from that, there's this brown sticky soup thing with pig organs or stuff like that, plus other normal stuff like - 驢打滾，焦圈(donut ?? ) ，碗豆糕，窩窩頭和一些有很多醬料的「冷麵」，真是千奇百怪！好得意。"
P.S. went sing k yesterday, was soooooo fun!!!