古斯德夫的一天 The Journey Before Halloween

經濟哀鴻遍野到Greenspan 都承認in a state of shocked disbelief, 有尖酸的商業評論消遣金飯碗MBA們是否悔不當初, 應該找份實活幹如卡車司機或木匠… 這話教我兔死狐悲, 我雖不是MBA, 卻是MFA, 一樣是峞急的白領. 想想讀大學和研究所時, 因為所學, 我可是陶土, 鍊金, 木工, 甚至常混工房的’黑手’啊! 也從那時養成束髮素顏, 不配戴手飾的習慣(頭髮項鍊捲入機械就糟糕啦…) 現在工作有一大部分的時間是會議和電郵通訊, 還頗懷念動手的勤勞時光呢!

萬聖節將至, 一向對人擠人的化裝遊行和舞會興趣不大, 我想到瑪麗雪萊的{科學怪人}, 不如情境再造, 體會一下Victor Frankenstein的心路歷程吧!
家中當然沒有實驗室, 本人和平兼熱愛動物, 拒絕血腥活動, 搬出袖珍縫紉機和碎布, 準備製造一位黑暗女神人偶(見圖), 構想是化為月桂樹終被太陽神始亂終棄的達芙妮投奔黑暗, 聚集一眾同樣悲慘的信徒, 如和浣熊打架輸了又被車輾過百次的貓乾, 哈姆雷特前女友的骷髏頭… 哎! 一個懶讀食譜的廚師和不打草稿的設計師最容易受異世界的邪魔入侵, 成為妖精們的’靈媒’, 我捧著一心二用, 邊看物質女孩借我的BBC Pride & Prejudice DVD邊縫好的人偶素體, 咦, 女神怎麼塑成了乾扁小老頭?! 倒也有棱有角有性格… LK大神賜名為’四季豆’吧!(從結構得到的靈感). “My name is Gustav.” 小老頭嘴一噘, 搞起正名運動. “Welcome Gustav! It’s my pleasure meeting you!” 我驚嚇之下冒出英國腔… 就這樣, 古斯德夫在我們的世界展開他的旅程.

古斯德夫愛看書.
Gustav loves books.

古斯德夫幫我洗杯盤好不好?
Will you do the dishes for me, Gustav?

古斯德夫找到他的玫瑰…
Gustav won’t let me toss the blossom tea… “This is my ROSE!” screamed the little man.

古斯德夫祝大家萬聖節快樂!
Happy Halloween to all from Gustav.

ps. 若我及時將古斯德夫的關節系統操控好, 萬聖節晚上古斯德夫就會現身LK的窗臺影子劇場為來trick or treat的小朋友表演哦!

This Friday is my first Halloween since I have my blog. Say NO to marketing and consumerism – has USA learned enough lessons? I thought of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and to recreate the experience would be my very own Halloween celebration. Although the project was inspired by Frankenstein, my creative process would be void of violence, bloodshed, cannibalism, necrophilia… etc.(Rest assured and read on!) The concept started with the whiny goddess of Misfortune Daphne whom Apollo abandoned for another god. She gathered a group of followers like a flat cat that lost the fight with raccoons and had been ran over again and again, the skull of Hamlet’s ex-girlfriend, the bat having identity crisis (is it a bird or a rodent?)…

Thanks to a chronic condition called professionalism, I not only mastered multi-tasking at work but also seized any opportunity to refine such artistry . While watching intensely the 1995 BBC series of Pride and Prejudice starring the handsome Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy, my fingers flew and fluttered between threads, scraps of vintage fabric, needles, and the mini sewing machine. As haughty Darcy proposed to Elizabeth for the first time, the basic form of the ‘goddess’ was done. Voi… what?! The form had no resemblance to a woman… it actually looked more like an old man resurrected from dried peapods with quite a personality beyond my original design. “My name is Gustav...” said the little man. I was astonished but reminded myself not to make the same mistakes like Victor Frankenstein. I withheld judgments and embraced my creation with both hands(he is little): “Welcome, Gustav!” The kitchen was bathed in the morning sunshine where Gustav began his journey in this world right before Halloween.

ps. Gustav will be on stage at the LK Window Theatre on Halloween evening in the 10 minute ‘Escapology’ from 8:00-11:00PM hourly. This ‘experience’ gift for the children in my neighborhood will depend on the weather AND if I am able to master my puppetry in time ☺