回歸中文

至少，要這樣嘗試。

在wordpress又開了新的部落格，不希望被google制約的太徹底。Wordpress那裡同時開了三個部落格，主要希望可以劃分一些模糊的界線。

Review: The Dark Fields

The Dark Fields by Alan Glynn

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



I picked this book up almost immediately after watching the movie adaptation.

That was like, two, maybe even three months ago.

During the process I've picked up (and finished) Patrick Süskind's Perfume and a so-called "teen novel" Thirteen Reasons Why.

And a couple trashy Romances.

And two Agatha Christies.

I didn't fully warm up to the story itself way past halfway point, about 54% in. If you ask me, any book that doesn't attract you within the first third, you should ditch it aside. Life's too short to waste on something you don't enjoy reading.

I stuck through this one for a peculiar reason. I do self-destructive things when I'm down, but not self-harm. I write articles that pick on issues I know most people would have an issue with, I read novels that depress me further.

The book isn't bad, it's just depressing.

Watch the movie, this book should be the absolute last resort.



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Translator Rant

I just shared an article about obnoxious misconceptions people hold against photographers on G+. http://is.gd/LvTamh

Which got me to rant a bit about misconceptions and/or stereotypes people often play out on translators/interpreters (especially in Taiwan), which is a pain in the... well, it just gets people worked up... at least, it gets me worked up. And someone wanted to hear the full translator version.

I'm not sure I can come up with an itemised list, but I'd be willing to give it a go.

Random rant

So Gaddafi is no more. People in Lybia rejoice.

Although, should we?

Call me a prude if you want. Or you could drop by sarcastically, leaving a comment like "you're one to talk".

Review: Thirteen Reasons Why

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I already said I'm curious about the mind. Whether it's a real mind or a fictional mind doesn't really matter.

Suskind captured me and my attention with Perfume, and now once again I lost myself to another description of the mind.

The mind of a teenage American girl who decided to take her own life.

Thirteen Reasons Why.

It's classified as a fiction for young adults. But I think, aside from the YA stuff going on, it's pretty fit for me. It tells her tale from the point of view of someone that has wronged her somehow, so you get to peek into two minds at once. The sensitive, fragile girl as she's slowly, in a way, bullied to her end, and the person that constantly finds shocks and heartbreaks as she slowly reveals it all, through cassette tapes.

Gosh this probably wouldn't work any more now. Who in the world still uses cassette tapes... more importantly, who in the world still has equipment to play them?

She recorded 7 tapes, 13 tales. Each targeting a person that has pushed her a little further, and each telling a story along that line of losing hope.

And she sent them all, to the first person out of those 13, for them to be passed on by the people on that list, each to the next, so they'd know exactly what they did, and how it was perceived.

It's not deep... but like I said so many times... I'm quite soppy. And I can almost hear her in those tapes. I can almost hear her anger, her frustration, her hurt, her disappointment.

I think the author did a pretty good job describing a teenage girl/ young woman, her anger and hurt, as well as the young man listening to it all. It is probably more suitable for young adults if you consider what kids that age go through...bullying, peer pressure, stuff like that. But it is no less real for me because I've been through that... So it's cool that a grown man can capture stuff like that, that impacts people so deep.



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Review: Perfume: The Story of a Murderer

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Picked up Patrick Süskind's Perfume, because recommended to me by a friend, I liked the movie a lot, the first time I believed wholeheartedly that images can transcend odours.

I believe I have the paperback in the UK, for now I'm stuck with a badly formatted digital version.

But gosh the scents that are described seem to attack my brain directly. I believe I'd be stuck with it for a while still... very strange..., can't seem to put it down, but I worry about my mentality when I try to understand Grenouille's mentality... and I cannot help it, the books seems to draw readers into it...

The words seem to shower me with their description of mentality and scent... making me feel lost and confused but enthralled all at once. I have to constantly stop because I get drawn in too easily... it's a masterpiece indeed.

I get to peek into the mind of a socio-path... or is that the mind of a psychopath? I think it is both, but more inclined to the latter. And I can almost see the reasoning, I can almost understand, and comprehend what is going through the head of Grenouille, how his mind is set.

Babies are born with a pure and simple mind. It's been a debate going on for thousands of years: were they born evil, or were they born good? Süskind seems to believe in the former, since Grenouille was born with a defect in character, as in he saw the world as he saw it, without love and without hope. But would he have changed if he had someone to love him? Would it have been different were someone able to offer him warmth?

I think I'd be stuck with finding out the answer. I wonder what I'd do if I was facing a person with no personal, human scent. I wonder what I'd do if I was such a person.



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Movie #chickflick (maybe)

So, today I saw this wonderful feel good movie called *One Day*, staring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess. And it's kept my mood up all day.

It's an adaptation based on the novel of the same name, by David Nicholls.

I read the novel in June, I think I'm going to call it one of my top 5 for the year 2011.

Review: And Then There Were None

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I know this story inside out for some reason. I don't believe I've read it before, but to be honest I cannot be quite so sure.

And I don't think I've seen any adaptation of this either.

Either way, I picked this up last night and finished it in just under 4 hours.

I think Agatha Christie is not great for writing detective or mystery novels. She's great for capturing the human mindset.

This novel is a perfect demonstration of such ability.

The way each guests thinks, doubts, suspects and is tortured with their own thoughts and fears. The fantastical description of how the dark side of human minds are at work. The endless questioning and cunning of each individual.

They are all so lively. Reading this book was like watching a play, a movie.

Knowing whodunit from the start did not spoil the story for me. It may have, in fact, enhanced it. To see that particular character at work, to comprehend the actions, and the derailed mind.

I shall refrain from picking up another until I finish Alan Glynn's Limitless. But oh the temptation!



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Review: Murder on the Orient Express

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I finished this one two days ago, was just lazy to type it out.

Another reason was I wasn't not sure what I could add to the Agatha Christie glory already out there. I always liked mystery and detective novels, most of the ones I've read however, prior to the 3 years spent in the UK, were in Chinese.

I have the full Arsen Lupin collection, as well as the Sherlock Holmes collection, in Chinese, sitting next to me right this very minute. In Taiwan and Japan, Arsen Lupin is a lot bigger a deal than Sherlock Holmes. At least such was the case of my generation.

I suspect the reason being French are inherently more romantic, and thus their stories presents themselves more romantic as well; while the English are...well, not dull, but oh-so-formal, and stiff. Sherlock can never be the ladies man, the moment he starts speaking that mysterious air of his vaporises, turning stern.

Anyway, Agatha Christie is English, and so...not very romantic. Poirot is set to be Belgian, but still more English than believable.

But I picked this out of my ebooks one night after watching the ITV movie adaptation. So it lives up to the task. She's truly remarkable in story telling, the dear Agatha. The story flows, the characters are, so lively (even though just a touch more stiff than in real life, but consider the time...I can live with that). And my favourite character of them all must be M. Bouc. He's more alive than anyone in the story. But that's just me.

I always dreaded picking up Agatha Christie, for there are so many. I was given a Poirot collection couple Christmases back, by my not-so-much-better-but-one-can't-complain other half, who saw me wasting time on a pc game demo based on her work. I don't think I really read it, I just picked it up to make him feel like he didn't waste the money.

Also I had it in my head that her work would be difficult to read. I am more into modern mysteries and detective novels, like the Jeffrey Deaver type.

But this was surprisingly fluent, for a person that's native tongue isn't English. I've been working on finishing the novel Limitless (or The Dark Fields), which the movie is based upon, but it's narrative left me with a headache so I stop constantly. With Murder on the Orient Express my only stops were when I was attending my Grandmother's funeral, and when I fell asleep while reading.

By the way I tend to read just before bed time, so falling asleep while reading (especially after spending the entire day working on translation or surfing the web), is a common thing. So the above statement was meant to be complimentary.

I think I'll pick another Agatha Christie book, for my next read.



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"What is your name?"

Seems like an innocent enough question, doesn't it?

I needn't think much about it, not prior to the last two months.

This is a rant, ignore.

I hate grammar. And I suck at it.

If you read any of my writing you'd realise I tend to rant on and on and on, without stopping, using way too many commas, and end up having an overly long sentence, like this one. It just formed a paragraph! = =

Ranting on

I went to bed at 7am. Fiddled around with my phone... and of course we know where that leads...by the time I closed my eyes and went into lala-land, it was noon.

Review: The Redbreast

The Redbreast by Jo Nesbø

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



This is the third book of the Harry Hole series, yet the first one available in English. I wonder whether it's different for the Chinese versions, but have yet to check out the local bookstore. (Just checked and the Chinese translations start from book 3 as well.)

Yet, maybe I'm stereotyping, but Nordic novels, always seem so cold. They shape the landscape into a field plagued with different shades of grey. They are heavy, even when the subject seems relatively light.

Which doesn't mean they are not enjoyable. Even though I entered a series in the third installment, after its principle characters have been well established and thus very difficult for a new reader to follow, I was drawn to the story nonetheless. The time jump method did pose some problem for my comprehension, however, especially once I got used to the pace the author stopped and stayed in the present.

The culprit wasn't difficult to deduce, not really. Which is a downside. Typically when reading mysteries of thrillers I tend to not try and figure out who-done-it, since most of the time I'd be wrong anyway. This time not only wasn't I wrong, I'd bet most of the readers'd be spot on; which is not a pleasant surprise.

I just can't wrap my head around translating a series from book 3 onwards and ignoring the ones that actually set the tone for the characters still. But maybe that's just me.



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令人心神嚮往的神去村

最近發現原來我換了手機之後找到的，類似好讀的讀書分享網站(但是偏向書籍整理跟心得分享，而不是好讀的電子書下載)，支援把讀書心得直接貼到blogger中。

這個網站名字就叫goodreads，硬要翻譯的話，嚴格說來就是好讀。而且支援各種語言的書，真的找不到還可以自己加上去。也支援中日文顯示。不過，畢竟是老美的網站，英文還是主要。

Review: Hitler's Niece: A Novel

Hitler's Niece: A Novel by Ron Hansen

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


At the start of the book, I couldn't quite get into it. Then I found out this is the same author that wrote The assassination if Jesse James by the coward wotshisname, and I thought, shoot, another book I'd probably never finish...(i never did finish that movie, really not my cup of tea...didn't even touch that book).

The writing is fluent, the words he chose to use in German was not. Maybe it's to contribute exotic feelings, but (and I was born in Germany and lived there for 8 years, so technically it's my mother tongue and homeland) c'mon, what was ever exotic about Germany?

I spoke that language daily for the first 8 years of my life yet I found the ones inserted showy, most of them were unnecessary, and it made an already very history text book like novel even harder to swallow.

It does get better, like 30-40% in. I was constantly distracted by other novels and have finished two in the meantime, so was forcing myself to read on. After I broke that 35% barrier it did get a lot easier, maybe because it started focusing on Geli more.

Geli is, and will remain a mystery. Hitler has always been a subject that the Germans and Austrian allike would never try to mention willingly, that bit of history erased from their memory unless you actually go to historical sites. I heard things have changed in recent years, but you could never expect a person to lift his own scabs and reveal his wounds, that's just too cruel. Hitler mentioned by every other country seems to be less of a human being and more of a monster. As in this book.

Half way through reading, I looked up these people online. I found a photo of Geli, the one mentioned in the book. I also found photos of Eva Braun, Hitler's mistress and wife for less than 24 hrs. They seemed strikingly similar.

I'm a soppy person, so I have to admit that towards the end of Geli I shed some tears. Not because she seemed unhappy, that happens way too often. But because she seemed trapped. Whether it was as the book says or trapped by love though, I have no idea.

It's not a bad read, just not as enthralling as I expected the topic to be.



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Review: Grow Up

Grow Up by Ben Brooks

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


His work isn't deep, granted. But the author is 18.



People (readers and critics alike) seem to forget that, they demand Charles Dickens out of him just because he's published. He is a teenager, and although young, his writing is better than a lot of adults ever will be. Give him time.



The book is not sophisticated, it's a very simple story about a teenage boy and drugs and sex and what's going through their head at that age. But I was often pleasantly surprised by choice of wording and sentences, often being at least once every three pages on my kindle.



I once purchased a book on Amazon written by a certain 'Anonymous' who published several of them, and some readers rating it as 'brilliant'. It wasn't, not for me. It was a jumbled up demon-ish, detective mystery fantasy that seemed to be written by a 13 year old while he was high on hard drugs. Forced and illogical. I ended up not finishing it and leaving it on a train.



At least this one is honest, and actually sensible. And I simply couldn't put it down.



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Review: 那啊那啊神去村

那啊那啊神去村 by Shion Miura

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I bought it since late March, shortly after it was published. I have an issue of buying books quicker than I can read them, so there's always a massive pile of 'to read's in some corner. Paperback or digital.



It's a strange little story, it makes me laugh and cry, and often both at once. Most of the time, it makes me smile unstoppably. It is the story of another teenager, also 17. A Japanese boy left the city and started working deep in the woods, as a lumberjack, living with a strange group of people in a faraway village.



I can totally understand why Miyazaki thought of making it into an animation/movie. I can also understand why he chose not to in the end. Even though I do hope he changes his mind again. This story does fit his style of story telling.



This book is strangely enthralling, I picked it up at 3 this morning thinking "I'll go to bed after 20 pages" then it became 40, 60, and eventually a chapter.



And then I didn't put it down till half past 8, when I actually finished the whole book. I have a course to give in one hour, but strangely I don't mind. I feel good. This is one of them books that makes you feel good about life after reading it.



It's not available in English yet, though I hope it will be soon. :)









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About wars

The first time I realised that war is really tearing people apart, that it is really affecting everyone in the world, was no more than a couple of years ago.

I mean I wasn't naive or anything.

最近的生活

最近這陣子接的課突然多了起來。

於是乎我開始在不同分校間奔波著，每個星期還要思考要給學生怎樣的回家功課。好在接的都是個教，要求的都是會話能力。會話就是啦咧，所以給出的作業也能夠花樣百出。今天是看本書，下次是介紹一部電影；上次聊中東情勢，明天學旅遊問路。

買了枝鋼筆

這其實是有點舊的新聞了。

在德國出生，所以對鋼筆並不陌生。歐陸國家大多還保有使用鋼筆的習慣，入門款便宜的很。

在我那年入小學的時候，要備齊的文具用品清單中，除了各種橫紋方格大大小小的筆記本還有想當然爾的鉛筆和橡皮擦之外，最讓我感到有一點驚奇、有一絲驕傲的，是要準備一枝鋼筆。

New phone try out

So I got this new mobile, which is an android, which means it's one of them smartphones, which means it comes with a range of apps to choose from and download and try and then maybe keep or delete them...which basically means it becomes hard to put down the phone.

同理心

哭點向來低。

連稍微溫情一點的廣告都可以讓我鼻子發酸眼睛發燙、聲音也跟著哽咽。所以最近難得看電視時，看到某銀行今昔對照的廣告CM我都馬上轉台。

趕稿的同時

難免忍不住到處東摸西弄一下。

最近後面鄰居家的裝修震天價響，說實在很難集中精神思考。雖然一邊仍在趕稿，另一方面吵到受不了的時候就給自己藉口休息一下，也不錯。

親愛的

難得妳有機會上線，我講的話好像沒有讓妳好過一點、心裡舒坦一點。

實在是因為，我替你不值。可能口氣就跟著數落了起來。加上想舉例的，卻事後一看，全像是炫燿。

幼稚與孩子氣

今天一則新聞讓我整個瞠目結舌。

堂堂國立大學外語學系教授，在美國唸到博士了，然後接任系主任第一件事情是致信給系上教職員。說前任childish。人家看到當然不會開心，告上了法院，這位語言學博士叫著說這只是說孩子氣。

這種事情很扯。

那麼正式搬家完成

紀念文來一篇。

就事論事，這篇仍是無意義流水文。

Rants

So once again am sitting in an empty classroom...which is quite confusing since no grammar was involved and honestly, I thought I did pretty well last week. But maybe I didn't, really.

政治正確性

    Political correctness，這個詞在台灣很外來。

    說到政治，最近的新聞讓我很想唸。

    乾脆湊合在一塊吧。