Halloween Dilemma

As once in a year Halloween approaches again, head-banging costume ideas are on the merge. This year, however, the goddess of head-banging ideas is not smiling upon me.

Over the years, as long as there is a party, I'd dress up. The costume ranged from school girl, Vicky Pollard, to construction worker. The point is not to impress, but to make use of what I have already and make a theme that'd inspire reaction.

This year, my options are Sookie, the waitress from True Blood, Lady Gaga, the new pop icon, or Yoko Ono. Yoko Ono would actually take the least amount of effort and no wigs are needed so I can show off my head of new short hair.

Though I'm still contemplating as Yoko is not as entertaining as it was to be Vicky, but if I were to prepare everything of the Gaga with a strap-on, then maybe it would be up to the dramatic standard that I've enjoyed so much.

On the other hand, being Yoko could have its plus side too, as she is known for her avant-garde monologues and 'art'. As the night falls and I get tanked up, Being in Yoko-mode would be like 'swimming in the fish of sea', coming up with something like: 'Millions of nails banged by the hammer with a linking chain'. This idea is actually growing upon me like 'the grapes of vine that spreads the universe.'

Well, I hope that by Saturday, I'd have decided one already. Whether it is to be the avant-garde artist or a hermaphrodite pop singer, this Halloween will be oozing with weirdness and hopefully, some head-turners too.

I'm Strong, like the She-Hulk!

"Wow, you're so tan!" "Ohh, you're so strong!" These are two of the comments that I get a lot in Taiwan. I didn't know how to respond because they don't sound particularly flattering or demeaning. But now all I can say is "Thank you". In the result of that, I've also been thinking about the image of women in Taiwanese people's mind.

For girls in general, in Taiwan, most of them coop up indoors, read comic books, watch TV/DVD, or play computer games. They are pasty and thin fatties. And no matter how old they are, they seem to like the girlie style of huge doe eyes and pink rouge seems to be the trend since it apparently appeals to Taiwanese men more.

One time, at the gym, I was approached by a personal trainer, he said: "Wooo... you are so buff! Buff lady!" My immediate response was: "Well, it's not hard to be buffer than you." Then for the rest of my workout session, he made no more attempt in commenting.

Or I'd get this one: "Oh, you're the kind of girl that westerners like." So, let me get this straight: I'm tanned, strong, doesn't use makeup daily, have a pretty good sense of humor and an appreciation for both eastern and western culture so I'm more appealing to western men. If that is the case, I'm glad that someone, or some race appreciates this 'kind' of girl that I am.

Anyway, even though I may seem like I'm dogging Taiwanese guys and girls too much, I still think it's healthy to do what makes you happy and it is the most important thing, whether it's indoors or outdoors, being pasty thin or tanny buff. Horses for courses, and I'm a black one who can run a mile or ten.

I <3 FB!

The benign ways of life suffocates the well-being of socializing. At the age of the internet, and the booming of network websites such as FB, more and more people starting to take 'friends' seriously, and I'm no exception.

And because I take it seriously, every so often, I find myself deleting people who I don't talk to or don't have any kind of relationship anymore on FB, which i think is quite normal and natural in this day and age when we see virtual reality almost as much as reality itself. So like any organic, even intangible things, like friendship, they'd eventually go off if lack of maintenance.

Some people might take offense on that, thinking that it is a rude act. I find that confusing. I'm taking the time to delete the people whom I no longer see any point in keeping as friends because we have no more connection to each other, so why do I have the right or point to know what's happening in their lives?

I'd wish they would have some sense and take it more seriously. People actually do rekindle their long-lost relationship on FB, but lots also fall out due to time, space, and situation. And frankly, it is a quite intimate area where people put their recent photos and blogs up there, which is a convenient way when you're not in the same city. But when things are not as intimate anymore, I'd rather limit the amount of viewers who are accessible to my profile.

Frankly, I am taking all this too seriously, but I can't help it. It is one of my favorites on my laptop and one of my first stops when I turn on my laptop. Also, I have some of the best chats online there too. It's like, besides talking to someone, you can also be searching for online shopping or watching a sitcom when the conversation gets dull, just like bringing a pocket novel to a date, but can read it whenever you want!

However, this delicate service needs to be maintained carefully and wisely too. Other than refreshing my friend list, no unknown friend requests, or game/gadget application invitations is approved. It is a place to exchange chitty chatties and useless information. Without it, we will still be living in the 1990s with MSN. Therefore, we should treat it with respect.

A Woman of the Age (貳)

Clothed in a printed dress with a head of wavy perm is the trademark of my grandmother. From the uncertain 21-year-old bride dolled up in a white rental gown, to the happily married wife being in the land of hope, then a proud grandma of 7 grandchildren, she is also the representation of women immigrants in the 1910s.

Born in a peasant's family, she bounded her feet at the tender age of 10. Despite the lack of education, her family nourished her with love, gave her a strong backbone, and vigorous integrity. As her older sisters got married, she became the only one that's left in the family.

Her father, who loved her very much, had to give her away when the Communists started to take over China, in hope of a better life for her. Just before the takeover, she was married to a young man that was just a year older in the next village and the freshly-wedded young couples were then being shipped to a nearby coastal island called Taiwan.

Wrapped up in new hope and fear, she jumped onto the bandwagon of married life, and onto the idea of moving to an island that she has no idea about. With absolutely no one she knew, she embraced it with great faith and strength because she knew that going back was never an option. At that time, besides being pregnant with a baby boy, she was also carrying a dream of a different future for her own family.

After moving to Taiwan, she began finding ways to make a living. Her first job was to sew up buttons for army uniforms. Even though she was halfway into her pregnancy, she carried her belly to the factory every day; and afterward, she had to carry water from the bottom of the hill from back to where they lived three times a day since there was no well nearby.

Five months later, my father was born. She still carried my father to work every day, making sure he had someone to look after him when a load of uniforms got heavier. Thankfully, all her co-workers, who were mostly women like her, pitched in to babysit. Life was hand-to-mouth for everyone, and according to my grandma, they weren't even able to afford a pair of pants for my dad till he was 2 years old!

During that time, she and my grandpa thought of nothing but saving money and buying properties whenever they had disposable income. As time passed, they had acquired 4-5 apartments with the help of my dad over the years, which now are all occupied with uncles and aunts, or have become a piece of paper which also known as my dad's master's diploma.

Other than raising her family and making sure they have a good education and health, the two biggest passions of my grandma are: majiang and learning. Having been in school for two years in China, she only recognized a few characters before coming to Taiwan. Ever since I've known her, she has always had a thirst for information and knowledge, and Grandpa would always read the morning paper to her in bed after breakfast every day since he is the more well-educated one.

As the children got older and grandchildren started spawning, she decided to go back to school at the ripe age of 65. Between her majiang meetings, cooking meals, and taking care of me and my oldest cousin, she would go to night classes at the local public school for elders every evening. After 2-3 years, she and her fellow classmates in their 60s proudly graduated. "It was one of the happiest time of my life [being in school]. But of course, nothing beats a good game of majiang."

Miss Chang Kui-yun has shown that not only a woman can be nurturing, loving, smart, and hard-working, she can also be fearless, confident, and happy.