View from ICE

View from ICE. I love the red roofs and the forest. It looks exactly like the view in movies or fairy tales.

 

ICE

After landing at Frankfurt, we took the fastest train in Germany, Inter City Express (ICE), to Nurmberg and began our fascinating trip in Europe. Like our tourist guide said, the train trip was so smooth and cosy that we didn't feel the train was that fast at all. Not that I like to compare things in Taiwan with those abroad, but ICE did seem pretty high class with those wooden interior decoration and glass doors.

 

First Stop: The Airport

The first stop of our ten days trip to Czech and Austria was the airport (of course.) Our flight was eleven pm, so we slowly took our time to pack and make sure we got everything. Since it had been quite a long time since I last took a plane, the thirteen-hour flight was exciting. Besides taking a little nap, I finished watching almost every movie on the plane ( they have these little television on every seat now.) Those photos I took from inside the plane came out much better than I expected.

 

Crime Testing Rock

We found this "Crime Testing Rock" on our way down Sunlinksee. I know it sounds ridiculous, but the sign said a guiltless man can stand on the rock with one leg and eyes closed for ten seconds without trembling. We all gave it a try, trying to prove ourselves innocent, but none of us could last more than three seconds. Oh well, everyone do commit crimes more or less, right? 

Days in Shito

The second day after our big college entrance exam, the whole class, including our home room teacher, went to Shito as our last trip together. Fresh air, singing birds, acres of trees, everything you ask for to relax is here. We spent most of our the first day walking and climbing for hours until we were exhausted, then we stopped to take pictures and waited for our teacher to catch his breath. I spotted this old trunk in the middle of the mountain. Though it was not old enough to make it on the brochure, still it was beautiful that it kept me a little left behind from the main crowd and had to trot to catch up afterward. 

The Worst Day For Teachers

Another photo from my graduation ceremony. I guessed we had been acting like teachers' pets for so long that graduation is always the best time to ask teachers to do whatever we want them to do, like making "the prettiest teacher in school" to make a face, or having a serious teacher to sing a popular song for us. I know that having teaching for years, not many students will remain in one teacher's mind. Surprisingly, those students that do are often those that caused much trouble, not those who didn't ( like me). 

Graduation Ceremony

Finally, my first photo for at least six months. This was my high school graduation ceremony on June 10, with my classmates and our home teacher on the left. The ceremony wasn't as great as I expected, for it was raining and the show was pretty boring, but after all it was the people that matter.
My aunt from the US came to visit us aroud then, and so did my cousin George, who had just graduated from the university in Austin. He showed us the photo of him wearing a robe, looking just like a graduate. I hope we can wear the robes too instead of our normal school uniform. Although the robes always seem way too large, they somehow still make the graduation ceremony seem special.

 

Chinese New Year in Pintung

Well, it has definitely been a long time since I posted my last photo. Why? Because I'd been preparing for the college entrance test on January 22and23, and now I can only sit and wait for the result coming out on next Wednesday.
We didn't go any where special this winter vacation except visiting my grandparents in Pintung. Unfortunately my grandfather had a stroke last year and couldn't join us to take the family photo as usual. To our relief, now his condition have improve a little and had moved fom the hospital to home, but still he can only lie in bed and can not speak. We all hope my grandfather will get well soon and be able to show up in the photo next year. 

2005 Art Exhibition

My art teacher held an art exhibition on Oct 29 to Nov 10 exhibiting his students' art work, and he also made an album of the paintings for every student. The one above and below were my pastel art I chosed for the exhibition. Noticed how they put "Mathematic Superior Intelligence Class" (p.s. I don't really know how to translate it) after the school I study in? Honestly, I was a little bit uncomfortable about it because I hated it when people saw it and expected me to be a math genius that I'm actually not. Well, I guess I'll just keep my art teacher feel proud of having a student studying mathematic before I graduate. 

2005 Art Exhibition

 

Tomorrow Super Pet Star

I guess any pet enthusiast just won't get enough of their pets' "cute" photos. Even you know those honey bee or superman customs won't keep your pets any warmer, you just can't help persuading yourself that they will and in fact make your pets happier. We didn't buy any exquisite clothes for our pets, but we still found ways to make them look good in front of the camera. Don't you just want to hug them? 

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

I rented "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" at Blockbuster yesterday and I loved it! I'd read the book in elementary school and what impressed me most were the elevator with thousands of buttons that could go any direction and the fact that Charlie's two grandparents slept on the same bed. I loved everything in the factory, including the chocolate river and the squirrels. Keep in mind that you should never be serious when watching this film, especially if you're not a very imaginative person, or you'll end up like my mom, saying "He should give them resignation finance." when Mr. Wonka fired all of his workers after his secret recipe of chocolate was stolen. 

MOO!

A catty Liv Tyler helps her little calf, 10-month-old Milo, get a leg up outside their Greenwich Village home in New York city on Halloween.
This reminds me of the Halloween we had when we were in the U.S. It was the most expected holiday beside Christmas, and I was an Indian girl the first year and a witch the second. In our neighborhood, there were always people who enjoyed Halloween as much as children did while there were still a few who didn't. The first year I went trick-or-treating with a Chinese girl who wore the same custom as mine at a mall. Unfortunately, we went a bit too late that it was almost closing and most of the candies were already given out. Too bad Taiwan doesn't have a fun holiday like Halloween.

 

I Love to Draw!

So you see, my art talent doesn't just pop up from no where. I love to draw since I was a kid, and you see how concentrate I was?

 

Albert Does Have A Time When He Was Cute!!

These are the photos of my brother that really make me laught. All right I admitted he was cute, but I sure didn't think so back then. The one on the left upper corner was Albert dressing in a custom for his performance in kindergarten, and the one on the right down corner was at our house in Taipei, where we used to have a toy car you can actually sit in and run about with your feet( like the one in Modern Stone-Age). 

Goofy Little Girl

Thanks to scanner and computer, we can now scan our really old photos into our computer and save them for good.1994, that was when I was 7 years old. And where was I? I was that goofy little girl with a funny pose, the second from the left. The two kids next to me were my cousins, and the girl on the right was my sister, Michelle. 

Are You Aware You're Actually Sleeping On My Bed?

Well, compared to the poor stray cats that suffer from cold winds and rain, Fat Tiger is really enjoying his nap on my blanket. I bet you would never tell he was once a stray cat too unless I tell you. He spends most of his day sleeping or staring at birds outside the window. I'm not sure if he's happier after he becomes a pet, and I sometimes wonder maybe he prefers the freedom on the street. Who knows? But that's what pets are for, to keep human companied and pretend to be happy wearing pink bows on their head, right? 

Two Hungry Cats

I have been feeding two stray cats everyday after I get back from school. At first there was only the limped orange cat that wandered around on the street, and I startd feeding him after I found that he was unabled to jump any higher than the car roof and was thin to his bones. Then I guess he just couldn't help but tell the good news, so here comes another black cat,which seems much younger and healthier, to share the meal. Now they will be waiting for me every afternoon at our front door. Though they'll still get a bit nervous if I come too close to them, but I don't want them to be too relax with humans anyway because that's how they'll survive as long as they're stray cats. 

Another faded photo

Here comes another photo of my grandparents in their thirties. I think they're holding my biggest aunt ( I have five aunts and my father is the only son, by the way.) This one is much clearer than the former one and my grandpa did look similar to my father. Does that mean I'm gonna look like my mom when I get to her age??

 

Everlasting Love

My sister Michelle was digging through the drawer with photo albums and found this old photo of my grandparents' wedding day. I think this was taken at least 50 years ago, yet you can tell they're my grandparents all right. It's quite sad that I've been living with them for so many years, still I don't know them well enough to tell you more about this photo. Sure I can go downstairs right now and ask them, but somehow I just found it a bit awkward, to be suddenly interested in their romance. There is at least one thing I can tell you: photos may fade, still, true love lasts forever.