Brilliant Bry *：歡樂吧！生命

Farewell Grandma
On the Chinese New Year’s Eve in January 2012, Grandma passed away at the age of 94. I got the phone call from my mother on the morning when I was in London. Grandma had been my angel for the past 38 years. Saying goodbye to her is heartbreaking. But I believe that she will never leave me. Somehow she will always be in my heart.
 

Have you seen how fast the clouds are running?
The rain was here, then gone
Have you seen how fast the planes are leaving?
The passengers departed
Blown away by the wind
Pushed away by the time
You stopped by, you left
I stood still, I wonder
I have a shelter to keep me dry
But where's the fuel to keep my warmth?
Passion, all I need is a passionate heart
May passion never fade away
Ration, though it be just a small little part
May passion always light 'p the day

This is another poem from Muren Hsi that I have translated, and Jon has helped on.
〈席慕蓉〉
讓我與你握別
再輕輕抽出我的手
知道思念從此生根
浮雲白日山川莊嚴溫柔
讓我與你握別
再輕輕抽出我的手
華年從此停頓
熱淚在心中匯成河流
是那樣萬般無奈的凝視
渡口旁找不到一朵可以相送的花
就把祝福別在襟上吧
而明日
明日又隔天涯

<By Muren Hsi>
Let me grasp your hand
before we part
Then gently will I pull
mine back to me
Knowing that my longing
starts to grow
The cloud and sun, the
hill and stream now solemn and now tender
Let me grasp your hand
before we part
Then gently will I pull
mine back to me
The prime of life stalls
at this pass
My tears converge within
to birth a river
In that gaze of endless
helplessness
By the ford, I found no boutonnière
Wear instead my
wishes for the best
Come tomorrow
Tomorrow we are worlds
apart

Translation is never an easy task. I was trying to render this beautiful poem, “A Blossomed Tree” by Muren Hsi（席慕蓉）, into English today. I’ve done an almost “literal translation”. Then I turned to my novelist friend, Jon, for proof reading it. He reminds me that English speakers respond to rhythm and rhyme in poetry, while the French respond to the numbers of syllables. Then, he kindly reformed my literally translation to something that does not read like a translation. And I really like his revision.
I think it would be interesting to put all three versions together. It shows how a good version comes out at the end. And I guess it also means that I need to do my English better. Still.
One funny extra remark is that if you google translate the literally translation and the revision back to Chinese, the literally translation also would be more similar to the original text in Chinese. “Duh!” That’s why it is literal translation. However, with the different cultural perspectives, people also perceive differently. Reading originals and translation together is always interesting. However, to be able to do that, one needs to be really good at playing with languages. But that is also something very challenging from time to time.

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I was so bored, I guess. So, I followed someone's footsteps and created two sets of quiz about "Bryan". *grin* You may want to have a look to test how well you have known me.
A1 Level is here. 
A2 Level is here. (This is more difficult... If you really know me that well...) 
By the way, feel free to leave your comments here. And, do leave your identifical name/nick/etc. when you are taking the quiz. 

 

To feed it back to Heather, just for fun…
1. What is your occupation?  A&F but for Accounting and Finance
2. What color are your socks right now?  White with grey
3. What are you listening to right now?  Wait, let me get my iPod… OK, randomly, Mamma Mia
4. What was the last thing that you ate?   An egg-Salad Sandwitch
5. Can you drive a stick shift?  Excuse me, what is that?
6. Last person you spoke to on the phone?  A colleague (her name is so not important…)
7. Do you like the person who sent this to you?  I do
8. How old are you today?  34 years and 2 days 
9. What is your favorite sport to watch? Andy Roddick, Jeremy Wariner, football (the European one…) and Olympics
10. What is your favorite drink? water
11. Have you ever dyed your hair?  Every time when I am back in Taiwan, by my sister
13. Favorite food?  Chinese Dumplings
14. What was the last movie you watched?  The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
15. Favorite day of the year?  9th September
16. How do you vent anger?  Complaining, orally or by writing
17. What was your favorite toy as a child?  Stuffy animals or just small dinosaur models. Ha!
18. What is your favorite season? summer
19. Ocean or pool?  The Pacific Ocean or the Mediterranean Sea
20. Cherries or Blueberries?  Blueberries
21. Do you want your friends to e-mail you back?  That would be nice!
22. Who is the most likely to respond?  I don’t really know…
23. Who is least likely to respond? And moi don’t really care…
24. Living arrangements?  Can you come back to me with this question when my apartment is constructed in about one-year time? *grin*
25. When was the last time you cried?  I forgot. But probably some time ago when I was watching a touching film…
26. What is on the floor of your closet? Pfff… bed linens, duvets…
27. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending to?  Dustin (since I am only replying…)
28. What did you do last night?  Sleeping while watching TV, chatting with friends over internet, and sleeping again properly till morning.
29. Hawaii or Florida?  Florida, of course.
30. What inspires you?  Miss Piggy? Oh, I’d say Kylie, just to be queer.
31. What are you afraid of?  Cockroaches, especially when they fly
32. Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers?  Spicy Chicken-Leg Burger (Yes, they sell that in McDonald’s in Taiwan!)
33. Favorite dog breed?  As if I’d know one…
34. Favorite day of the week?  Friday
35. How many states have you lived in?  None, but I’ve been to 8. (I’m not a US resident… merely a bloody tourist! Hahaha!)

Every once in a blue moon, I’d receive something similar from a friend. Or… from two friends. It’s always nice to re-examine how they are doing or what they are thinking. And it’s fun to express a bit how I am doing and what I am thinking or feeling. There you go, my one-word answer to these questions from Heather and Dustin.
1. Where is your cell phone?  bag
2. Your grandparents?  Taipei
3. Your hair? long
4. Your mother?  sweet
5. Your father? funny
6. Your favorite thing? sleep
7. Your dream last night?  wild
8. Your favorite drink?  water
9. Your dream goal?  emperor
10. The room you're in? office
11. Your hobby?  blog
12. Your fear?  waiting
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? here
14. Where were you last night?  home
15. What you're not?  easy
16. Muffins?  chocolate
17. One of your wish list items?  husband
18. Where you grew up?  Taipei
19. The last thing you did? typing
20. What are you wearing?  casual
21. Your TV?  bravo
22. Your pets?  none
23. Your computer?  Macbook
24. Your life?  busy
25. Your mood?  happy
26. Missing someone?  friends
27. Your car?  none
28. Something you're not wearing?  hat
29. Favorite store?  megastore
30. Your summer?  relaxing
31. Do you love someone? yes
32. Your favorite color? blue
33. When is the last time you laughed? today
34. Last time you cried?  forget
35. Who will resend this? whoever

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This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody

And the undies thing continues... Here is the new collection (Spring/Summer 2007) of DIESEL Intimate. As I am a notorious diesel fan (well, arguable!), here are some nice photographs that I would like to share with you all! Enjoy 'em!
Oh, before you go on, do notice the remarkable modern computer technology. (Hint: the change of tatoo on one model's arm...) Isn't it amazing? *grin*

So, Mum called, as she promised, wishing 'Happy Chinese New Year, Kong Hei Fat Choy' and all that. I was kind of anti-social this weekend, as I predicted. Therefore, when colleagues tried to drag me to Cologne or Brugge with them, I turned down their offers. I was just lazy, and wanted to be alone for the weekend.
The weather was kind of nice during this weekend. All sunny and clear blue sky. Kind of the weather you'd appreciate for a winter day. And kind of giving you hope that spring is actually not that far away. It's already the end of February, so the summer daylight saving time is soon coming!
I biked to the town centre for a movie. Before arriving the cinema, I also used some time to tour the DVD shop and bring a copy of the third season of 'the OC' back with me. (Because finally the price of that season has dropped from EUR 59.00 to 29.00! What are you waiting for?) The movie was good. And as you probably have already guessed, the rest of the weekend turned out to be an 'OC marathon'.
Actually, I don't know why I am so into this OC thing. It's just like an Orange-County version of the notorious 'sunflower' series (太陽花) in Taiwan. However, the OC is with a younger setting (yummy!), and more beach and surfing background (eye candies!). Well, maybe that explains my obsession. And the amazing thing is that the dramatic turns in it can always surprise you how complicated life can always be. And thankfully, my personal life has never been that complicated and dramatic. However (yes, again!), sometimes it gives a good hint about how to uncomplicated things. Therefore, I kind of like it.
The good thing about an anti-social weekend is that it can be really economic. Yes, saving money and all that. Well, even saving the energy! Therefore, it's a good recharge for the coming week. Although the headquarter is on vacation, so my phone line should be quiet for at least a week, there are some tough issues going on in the office that needs to be taken care of. Thus, certain amount of energy is required. A good sleep and a quiet weekend can really help a lot!
Of course, I know this is not some typical or traditional Chinese New Year. But it is relaxing. And I kind of enjoy it. After all, it has been a nice Chinese New Year Day.