claire is not my mother

[ILOVEBLOGS 7] 15 Epic

2010-11-16T16:10:00.000-08:00

15 Epic

The epic bikini top with lots of love.

November 2010

[ILOVEBLOGS 7] 14 Transformation

2010-11-15T00:48:00.000-08:00

14 Transformation

The sly yellow cat has transformed into a tree luring the innocent pink bird couples. Somebody is getting a feast tonight...

November 2010

[ILOVEBLOGS 7] 13 Temptation

2010-11-14T23:00:00.001-08:00

13 Temptation

Two cold nights ago at the stroke of twelve midnight, we found ourselves sitting down on the upper deck of Guu Garlic trying to satisfy an unfulfilled fried chicken craving. With Church's closed, and A&W's limited menu, we resorted to fried chicken's Japanese cousin 'tori karaage'. It was an attempt to cure this contagious illness on desiring fried foods. That marked the first temptation of the night.

The second temptation soon came with Guu's redesigned drink menu. Legs crossed and seated uncomfortably like a Japanese man, it was the 'cassis with grapefruit' that caught my thirsty tongue. The experience called for a squeezing-of-one-fresh-grapefruit, a stirring of the pulp and a sucking of the straw.

November 2010

[ILOVEBLOGS 7] 12 One and Only

2010-11-14T16:06:00.000-08:00

12 One and Only

The one and only Superman! But which one is the real one?

November 2010

[ILOVEBLOGS 7] 11 Spur of the Moment

2010-11-12T14:04:00.000-08:00

11 Spur of the Moment

On the night I was supposed to upload this entry, I had my fried chicken craving. A spur of the moment decision led me to the drive-thru window of A&W in Coquitlam. Fifteen minutes later, I came home with a bucket of chubby chicken.

Chicken: What are they putting on me? I smell so good. I like being drenched in flour, oils and spices.

November 2010

[ILOVEBLOGS 7] 10 Paradox

2010-11-10T23:52:00.001-08:00

10 Paradox

"Hey you. Yeah you. You are pretty... pretty ugly!"

(I'm really not that mean...)

November 2010

[ILOVEBLOGS 7] 09 Taboo

2010-11-10T01:36:00.000-08:00

09 Taboo

My taboo: stealing online 72dpi images and print them as if they were 300dpi files. Duh! They are going to get pixelated! I will be as mad as the angry monkeys to your left.

"Go to your room!"

November 2010

[ILOVEBLOGS 7] 08 Once upon a time...

2010-11-08T20:33:00.000-08:00

08 Once upon a time...

Once upon a time, a baby was born. And he lived happily ever after. What a great story.

November 2010

[IloVEBLOGS 7] 07 Secret Untold

2010-11-07T22:04:00.001-08:00

07 Secret Untold

Be careful where you spill; the tree might be a gossiping monster with pink leaves...

I dreamt our beloved UBCLE has a few untold secrets. One depicted the origin of the club; really an organization specializing in life journey planning. Another told us a disastrous ski trip which ended in accidental deaths and wandering souls lost in the snowy mountains for many many years. Or the end to the organization during the year 2012 with a red-carpeted gala commemorating our accomplishments and history in Japan, Taiwan and Vancouver. Or maybe even our forgotten abilities to play with magic, light and illusionary arts as creative manipulators of dimensional elements.

Whatever UBCLE was back in the history, it was not ordinary.

November 2010

[ILOVEBLOGS 7] 06 If

2010-11-07T03:11:00.001-08:00

06 If

If I really was a monster according to my dream, then I would've had punched a hole in the sky with my fist, and kicked a hole in the ground with my foot. My actions were motivated by my emotions, upon learning my unfortunate origin.

I was a lifelong test subject for human relationship studies. I was being observed everyday. I felt cheated of my freedom.

November 2010

[ILOVEBLOGS 7] 05 Passion

2010-11-05T01:46:00.001-07:00

05 Passion

Perhaps this is the reason why I am so passionate about the sea. It occurred to me yesterday while sleeping at my Alberni apartment.

I dreamt I was a whale again. Perhaps one of those orcas that used to perform at the aquariums. Once I dove into the ocean, I saw a world from the past. Stadiums now submerged under the surface of the rocking tides in sweet cerulean. Fish and squids and all sorts of sea life swimming in front of my eyes. Seaweed flowed with its soft beauty so poetically. Some people wanted to capture me; some wanted to free my body. I sided with the latter and chased after my freedom, hurting those getting in my way. I would observe their intentions then act accordingly. It felt like chess.

I finally saw a stretch of free water. I hopped over ropes and nets from fishermen and cargo ships at the busy harbour. Now I saw people as friendly merchants and tradesman on water. I waved goodbye to them. I didn't want to leave the people I loved, but it was time for me to go. I was no longer human.

A man on my left sat in a boat. I waved at him and turned towards the ocean. He shot out a javelin. He was actually a whale-hunter. He wounded me on my side. Unable to swim any further, men in numbers hauled my bloody body in. Humankind has failed me. They started hacking me away. Cutting away my lower body into multiple pieces. They tossed me these rubber-like organs harvested from my whale body. I had six pairs. Perhaps it was my energy source or homed my transformation ability. I felt like I've lived as a human being despite my origin as a whale.

I had my cellphone in my hand, dialling up my mother's number. I told her of my capture. I asked her to come, any time later I would be gone. All this was said as they carved into my body. It didn't hurt, surprisingly.

My mother was by my side. I was confused how I have became a whale. Was I a whale before? Was I human? Was my father really my father? All these unanswerable questions floated in my cut up brain. There was another woman beside my mother. She also cared for me.

The fisherman now were ready to drag my body into a van. A towing truck backed towards where my mother was kneeling. I could only hurl her away so she wouldn't be ran over. I may have threw her into the sea by accident.

I was lifted into a van with folded-down seats. I felt like I was carpooling with a bunch of Asian fisherman. Familiar faces started popping by. I would recognize them and recall their names. I greeted them. Candy was there in disguise. I saw Mrs. McIntyre from elementary school. I called out to her, but people said that was not her name. Perhaps this was before she became a McIntyre. She was with a man, and she suggested that he was Mr. McIntyre. Perhaps I foreshadowed their marriage. She seemed quite pleased. Another lady I also saw was Auntie Juzi (Juzi A-yi). She was mother's friend from high school. She had frizzy hair and had traveled with us before.

They all tried to deny their identities though. Perhaps I recognized them from a life they were not aware of. A fisherman was happy with the harvest and thanked me. He told me to invite my friends out for a feast. My friends would consume me.

The van kept driving; over the hills as I see the streets of Taiwan.

November 2010

[ILOVEBLOGS 7] 04 Classic

2010-11-04T15:26:00.001-07:00

04 Classic

Mona Lisa is a classic, despite whether she was really a woman or just a beautiful cow.

November 2010

[ILOVEBLOGS 7] 03 Sweet Tooth Fairy

2010-11-03T14:49:00.001-07:00

03 Sweet Tooth Fairy

Sweet Tooth Fairy was actually one of the most active tooth fairies around. She had a sweet tooth for lollipops and her addiction rotted her teeth out. Sadly, dental coverage was not popular back in the days, the Sweet Tooth Fairy decided to rob the children of their teeth in exchange for a few nickels and dimes; quarters if she felt generous that night. She was a smart fairy.

November 2010

[ILOVEBLOGS 7] 03 Sweet Tooth

2010-11-03T02:40:00.001-07:00

03 Sweet Tooth

"What a sweet @$$!"

November 2010

[ILOVEBLOGS 7] 02 Always

2010-11-03T00:59:00.000-07:00

02 Always

I always never use Always.

(Seen too many commercials of Ultra Always when I was young. Plus my mother was an user, too. "What is this mommy?")

November 2010

[ILOVEBLOGS 7] 01 一天的開始

2010-11-03T00:53:00.000-07:00

01 一天的開始

The start of the day consists of a sweet dream followed by annoying character making loud noises.

November 2010

[ILOVEBLOGS 6] 11 Strength

2009-11-11T21:10:00.001-08:00

11 Strength

Nihon no taikou ga strength ni takusan arimasu (please excuse my poor Japanese).

The point is - the drummers are so incredibly fit. Their biceps bulge though they were rather skinny. What awesome physique. If only I taikou-ed...

Shirahama and Tokyo, July 2009

[ILOVEBLOGS 6] 10 圓

2009-11-10T16:11:00.000-08:00

10 圓

九份的圓圓的紅藻肉圓。

Jiufeng, August 2009

[ILOVEBLOGS 6] 09 神秘

2009-11-10T15:37:00.000-08:00

09 神秘

Who's this mysterious person? What is he doing with us in Prague? Why are there so many pictures of him?

Prague, summer 2009

[ILOVEBLOGS 6] 08 青春

2009-11-08T00:30:00.000-08:00

08 青春

My mother has always told us to go travel before we become old and mobiless.
Germany and Japan, Summer 2009

[ILOVEBLOGS 6] 07 Smile

2009-11-07T23:42:00.000-08:00

07 Smile
Some political campaign poster featuring some political figure somewhere in Munich. Oink!
Munich, Summer 2009

[ILOVEBLOGS 6] 06 回眸一笑百媚生

2009-11-07T23:33:00.000-08:00

06 回眸一笑百媚生
這題實在是太難了吧... 問了幾個人還是不太懂...
Yeliu, August 2009

[ILOVEBLOGS 6] 05 Hunger

2009-11-05T12:43:00.000-08:00

05 Hunger

What are you hungry for?

Munich, 2009 and Jiufeng 2009

[ILOVEBLOGS 6] 04 兒時照片大公開

2009-11-05T11:25:00.001-08:00

04 兒時照片大公開

Okay, it's not my childhood, but it is a childhood.

Shirahama, 2009

[ILOVEBLOGS 6] 03 Shopaholic

2009-11-03T19:42:00.001-08:00

03 Shopaholic

I would be a shopaholic for fish if the term 'shopaholic' can be applied to fish shopping.

Yilan 宜蘭 and Nanfangao 南方澳, August 2009

[ILOVEBLOGS 6] 02 灑了一地的金黃

2009-11-02T21:28:00.001-08:00

02 灑了一地的金黃

灑了一地金黃色的沙。

This magnificent beach was only discovered after a long conversation with the Japanese tourist information center in broken English, broken Japanese and broken Chinese characters.

"Is there a place to stay for tonight?"

"Two naitsu?"

"No no, just tonight. Today."

"Two daisu?"

"Yes, I mean no. One day. Today, that's one day."

"One day."

"Yes one day, today."

"Two daisu?"

"No, today, one day... for tonight."

"Two naitsu?"

"Tonight yes, not two nights."

"No two naitsu?"

"Okay... two nights is fine too."

Shirahama, Summer 2009

[ILOVEBLOGS 6] 01 Pumpkin

2009-11-02T21:13:00.000-08:00

01 Pumpkin

At least one of these desserts ought to include some pumpkin in it.
Prague, Summer 2009

[ILOVEBLOGS 5] 13 窗外

2008-11-14T00:39:00.000-08:00

13 窗外

The inside of outside, is outside. The outside of outside, is inside. The outside of inside, is outside. The inside of inside, is inside.

Bangor, Wales

[ILOVEBLOGS 5] 12 酸甜苦辣

2008-11-14T00:28:00.000-08:00

12 酸甜苦辣

Hong Kong has a shit load of 酸甜苦辣.

Hong Kong, China

[ILOVEBLOGS 5] 11 最困難的選擇

2008-11-11T20:13:00.001-08:00

11 最困難的選擇
To move onto the next world or to dwell in the current? To follow my guide and discard everything, or to stay behind and at least grasp onto certain things? I am a dreamer, do I follow my dreams or follow the reality?
The Lighthouse, Glasgow, Scotland

[ILOVEBLOGS 5] 10 浪漫&爛漫的Alice

2008-11-11T19:32:00.000-08:00

10 浪漫&爛漫的Alice
她天真的跟太陽娃娃跳著舞卻有自己拉鬆身上的 kimono 來顯示她的女人味。浪漫又爛漫的 Alice。
UBCLE Mini-studio "Catch Me If You Can", Vancouver, BC

[ILOVEBLOGS 5] 09 獨具一格的臭

2008-11-11T19:12:00.000-08:00

09 獨具一格的臭
Sheena 當 model 的臭臉真的是獨具一格的臭。臭的讓我很開心，吸引著我不但的 taking photographs of this 很有味道的表情。This is a good thing. Thank you Sheena.
UBCLE Mini-studio "Catch Me If You Can", Vancouver, BC

[ILOVEBLOGS 5] 08

2008-11-09T14:48:00.000-08:00

08 自由
Freedom is robbed by our unwillingess to let go of our wealth.
UBCLE Mini-studio "Catch Me If You Can", Vancouver, BC

[ILOVEBLOGS 5] 07

2008-11-09T14:40:00.000-08:00

07 眼睛
This reminds me of my highschool days where we dissected an eye of a lamb. And to my surprise, it was not oval, but rectangular.
Penticton, BC

[ILOVEBLOGS 5] 06

2008-11-06T14:57:00.000-08:00

06 充滿回憶的...
I was here for nine years of my life. Nine years of childhood chasing games with brother, sister and cousins. Nine years of spitting down to the never-quiet always-honking traffic. Nine years of lighting firecrackers off the 11th floor during festivities. Nine years of watching grandma's potting her exotic plants. Nine years of crossing over to the neighbor's flat. Nine years of flying paper airplanes and homemade kites into wherever it may land. Nine years of confronting my fear of height. Nine years of burning paper money for our ancestors. Nine years of catching bugs and butterflies. Nine years of beloved memory on the rooftop, finally revisted after twelve years.
View from the rooftop of my first home, Taipei, Taiwan

[ILOVEBLOGS 5] 05

2008-11-05T22:14:00.001-08:00

05 當爺爺牽起奶奶的手

You are my grandmother. You are old. You play two rounds of mahjong every night with the same people. You do not go out by yourself. You hope for the weekends to arrive sooner when your husband doesn't need to attend business meetings. You sit at home without anything to do during the day. You have no friends here. You hire a nanny to play board games with you. You have trouble walking by yourself. You do not do art. You are seen as a fragile being. You have trouble reading. You watch the news ocassionally on the television. You sleep most of your time away. You find no meaning in living. You wait for your husband's return from work. You are always alone. You are my grandmother.

Typical view from the apartment, Fuzhou, Fujiang, China

[ILOVEBLOGS 5] 04

2008-11-05T21:18:00.000-08:00

04 情趣

In San Francisco, on the day that Terry and Tim ditched me for Stanford, I toured the Public Market... like a tourist. Fascinated by the urban lifestyle, I bumped into this specialty store that sold... well specialties. I can't even remember the name of the shop, but what I do recall is the donut, and the lack of cream flavoured filling with a fabulous chuckle. The shopkeeper was obviously gay, his gay asian smile appealed to me in some estranged way, as he apoligized for not having enough cream. I settled with the chocolate instead. He danced away like a fairy and gave me a business card and told me to visit their fabulous website. I never did. Why? I don't know. But one day, I dream came to me, and told me that I will find my love in San Francisco.

Public Market, San Francisco

[ILOVEBLOGS 5] 03

2008-11-03T14:09:00.000-08:00

03 犯罪現場

On a day of standard Taipei smogs and predictable boredom, a few cousins and brothers shared a light-hearted and unpunished guilt that remained unforgotten in blue and white. It was here that we first learnt that the fragility of cheap pipes do not support the weight of an eight year old; and that the probability of actually breaking our pipe out of the ten floors of pipe systems of offices and residency was indeed low. In the end, a-day-of no-running-water prize was randomly awarded to the 5th floor.

Rooftop, Taipei, Taiwan

[ILOVEBLOGS 5] 02

2008-11-02T20:05:00.000-08:00

02 快樂
We stepped out of the "curvilicious" drive in the lower peaks of some random hills in Yosemite Park. Greeted by the typical California sunshine, and a typical crapload of tourists, our cameras were ready and the models were on standby. Taking photographs makes Andy happy. And modeling makes Jing happy. Taking photographs also makes Terry happy. And not sure if modeling makes Tim happy, but it sure makes me and Terry happy.
Yosemite National Park, California

[ILOVEBLOGS 5] 01

2008-11-02T19:53:00.000-08:00

01 瀟灑
Too bad I never learnt Chinese history, so I'm not quite sure if this takes the form of the infamously hard-to-define, no-equivalent-English-definition term of xiao-sha.
Badwater Basin, Death Valley, California

[ILOVEBLOGS 4] 24

2007-11-24T14:33:00.000-08:00

24 顏色

a doll's pink...

UBCLE Urban Love Photoshoot 2007

[ILOVEBLOGS 4] 23

2007-11-24T14:30:00.000-08:00

23 喜歡

like...

UBCLE Urban Love Photoshoot 2007

[ILOVEBLOGS 4] 22

2007-11-24T14:26:00.000-08:00

22 禮物

catalogue wives...

woman as gifts...

delivered to a man's doorsteps...

UBCLE Urban Love Photoshoot 2007

[ILOVEBLOGS 4] 21

2007-11-24T14:24:00.001-08:00

21 溫柔

溫柔 in its typical form...

UBCLE Urban Love Photoshoot 2007

[ILOVEBLOGS 4] 20

2007-11-24T14:19:00.000-08:00

20 Bittersweet

the bitterness from being a lifeless doll

brings sweetness to a child's imagination...

UBCLE Urban Love Photoshoot 2007

[ILOVEBLOGS 4] 19

2007-11-24T14:17:00.000-08:00

19 最終話

our last words are usually the most real...

UBCLE Urban Love Photoshoot 2007

[ILOVEBLOGS 4] 18

2007-11-24T14:15:00.000-08:00

18 Urban Love

love, most of the time, isn't perfect...

UBCLE Urban Love Photoshoot 2007

[ILOVEBLOGS 4] 17

2007-11-24T14:11:00.000-08:00

17 幸福

happiness and simplicity...

can't be happy for long with too many complicated thoughts.

UBCLE Urban Love Photoshoot 2007

[ILOVEBLOGS 4] 16

2007-11-24T14:07:00.000-08:00

16 現實/夢想

sometimes I can't differentiate between the two...

what if reality is supposed to be imagination...

and our imaginaton is actually our reality?

UBCLE Urban Love Photoshoot 2007

[ILOVEBLOGS 4] 15

2007-11-24T14:05:00.000-08:00

15 彩虹

the rainbow itself would be the pot of gold...

UBCLE Urban Love Photoshoot 2007

[ILOVEBLOGS 4] 14

2007-11-14T22:53:00.000-08:00

14 初體驗

I must admit, I was attracted to the different style of housing I found on the trip...

First time experiencing a turquois house like this...

built with the same design as the neighbors,

but painted with an aesthetically-ugly-but-interesting color...

Photo-hunting in Bangor, Wales

[ILOVEBLOGS 4] 13

2007-11-14T22:48:00.000-08:00

13 勇敢

It takes courage to backpack in the unfamiliar...

but once you've done it, you'll get addicted.

Photo-hunting in Manchester, England

[ILOVEBLOGS 4] 12

2007-11-12T21:51:00.000-08:00

12 私角落

my private corner

up on some hill

where I watched my first sunset

with the sheep

photo-hunting in Llanberis, Wales

[ILOVEBLOGS 4] 11

2007-11-12T21:44:00.000-08:00

11 晚餐

sorry mate

you might hate your fate

of being served on a plate

for some special human date

not a second too late

photo-hunting in Llanberis, Wales

[ILOVEBLOGS 4] 10

2007-11-12T21:39:00.001-08:00

10 畢業照

what's after graduation?

traveling around the world seeing the other side of the globe...

photo-hunting in Scotland

[ILOVEBLOGS 4] 09

2007-11-09T01:12:00.000-08:00

09 Utopia

...

tiny man-made utopias of the ancient times...

photo-hunting in Conwy and Caernarfon, Wales

[ILOVEBLOGS 4] 08

2007-11-08T16:42:00.000-08:00

08 媽媽

one of the many inspirations I saw on the trip was motherhood...

how the mamma comes running to protect babies from intruders like me

how the baby goes running when it feels pressured by outsiders' existence

how the baby tugs the mother's breast for milk when it's hungry

how the mamma - almost crippled by the tugging - allow such form of feeding

photo-hunting in Llanfairfechen, Wales

[ILOVEBLOGS 4] 07

2007-11-07T17:42:00.000-08:00

07 方向

... a broken telescope...
giving directions of blur...

Photo-hunting in Bangor, Wales

[ILOVEBLOGS 4] 06

2007-11-06T14:32:00.000-08:00

06 信

...
I believe...
it is because I believed...
that I saw the beauty of Wales...
on the hills of Llanberis...
following the stones.

photo-hunting in Llanberis, Wales

[ILOVEBLOGS 4] 05

2007-11-05T01:58:00.000-08:00

05 Missing

...

boats on land connote stories of shipwrecks...
and shipwrecks connote people missing...

photo-hunting in Conwy, Wales

[ILOVEBLOGS 4] 04

2007-11-03T23:48:00.000-07:00

04 瘋狂

...
a gallery of truth...
ten minutes from selfridge...
in a courtyard of junks...
lies the treasure of the streets...
photo-hunting in Birmingham, England

[ILOVEBLOGS 4] 03

2007-11-03T15:40:00.001-07:00

03 城市的聲音

...
the sounds of footsteps and speeding vehicles...
and occasional teenage laughters...
photo-hunting in Bath, England

[ILOVEBLOGS 4] 02

2007-11-02T00:42:00.001-07:00

02 戀人

1 step...

2 steps...

3 steps...

...

walking together however old, whatever pace, wherever in the world, whenever desired

photo-hunting in Llanfairfechan, Wales

[ILOVEBLOGS 4] 01

2007-11-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

01 期許

early foggy mornings...

cold long days...

nausea rides...

salt-crusted skin...

rope-burnt fingers...

and the possibility of never returning home...

so mark&spencer can sell some shellfish

photo-hunting in St.Ives, England