傷逝 Somewhere over The Rainbow

多麼寒冷的冬天… 聖誕節將臨, 驚聞康乃迪克州小學校園槍擊屠殺, 是什麼樣的心魔會驅使ㄧ個平凡少年犯下如此惡行? 

A cold, cold winter, a cold, cold heart… what monster could have motivated a young person to commit such crime?  Tearing souls apart at the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting? If this is not the time to take a stand re-instating the gun control law, the worst is yet to come.

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吾日三省吾身 My Day&Happy Thanksgiving!

美洲大陸感恩節的由來某個層面不太光采, 弱肉強食種族滅絕歷史ㄧ再上演, 人類是學不乖的生物…  因為感恩節這禮拜公司運作較和緩, 我才有空透氣更新網誌.  回歸職場樂多於苦, 光想著每天有解不完的設計思考我就興緻勃勃, 長日將盡時雖疲累卻充實飽滿.  早晚的通勤較惱人, 因為處於半機械化的控車狀態, 雜思易浮上心頭, 成了非自願的三省吾身… 結論是有些圈圈我走不出, 可能需要諮商心理學家, 在這之前, 做做小事讓自己ㄧ日ㄧ開心:

等待銀行開門的清晨, 繞道去享用早餐, 濃郁的摩卡熱巧克力, 香酥的義式炸點, 菠菜乳酪煎蛋三明治… 南歐民族樂天大抵和吃離不了關係!!!  我的新寵是iphone 5, 拿它隨時隨地複習BBC Jane Austen迷你劇 :)

I have turned my daily long commute into karaoke sing along haven, BBC mini series Jane Austen marathon, and self therapy all in one.  Continuing to explore educational activities that I can perform in the car without jeopardize my driving safety… perhaps it's time to pick up a new language?

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暴風雨後 Only Time Will Tell

近來光景深具言情小說架構:  縱有千言萬語, 不知從何說起?  荒廢部落格許久, 收到許多關心.  療傷需要沈澱, 不想自己養成抱怨的惡習, 快樂也好, 痛苦也好, 都是歷練, 讓人看清楚生命中什麼最重要.

Finally I am back to my beloved humble blog.  Not for more whining… I am determined to hold my head high and make happiness a habit.

新職務忙得不可開交, 當看到工作室的團隊滿懷熱情

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代溝 The Grand Canyon

勞騷發多了, 別人讀得煩自己寫來悶… LK近日大煩惱有二: ㄧ是與母親代溝, 二是對婚姻困惑. 代溝有理說不通, 參雜情緒加倍雞飛狗跳, 唯有套用幾句老掉牙的時代曲歌辭'你的起點, 是我永遠到達不了的終點', 其實無關距離, 是兩條永無交集的平行線, 常聽著自己的母親說著灑狗血連續劇般的對白, 若出言頂撞是大逆不道, 聽著忍著我真想就此沈睡不醒, 死亡是終極自由… 時時刻刻提醒自己遇到這棘手狀況, 鐵娘子柴契爾夫人會怎麼做? 詩人辛波絲卡會寫出怎樣的字句? 反正絕對絕對不能步上Sylvia Plath後塵(我真是想太多了, 既沒人家的才氣也沒風流才子丈夫:P), 我要留有用之身做有用之事!!!

I felt like being in the prison these days and it has a proper name: FAMILY. Wherever I turn I see no exit but only DESPAIR graffiti on the walls. Thousand eyes blinking on me…

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出櫃二三事 Our Name Is Our Virtue

I was not aware of my own schizophrenic condition until composing this post. The Chinese version has taken quite a departure from the original intent. For those of you who can read Chinese, be ready for a radical tete a tete. If not, enjoy the tamed PC English version on a lovely wedding that we attended over the weekend. The venue was Nestledown in Los Gatos… reminding me of The Lord of The Rings. I was half expecting Merry and Pippin stepping out from the charming cottage :)

如果我有guts, 十年前不會選擇婚姻, 更不會選擇生育兒女. 我不適合家庭羈絆, 努力求學工作是為了早日獨立, 脫離肥皂劇似的原生家庭.

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再戰江湖 California Dreaming

三年前辭職主要為赴新加坡ㄧ家團圓, 除學當賢妻良母外, 也想替自己十年設計生涯劃下個完美句點, 尋求獨立創業的可能. 離開工作室時頗有些'無限江山, 別時容易見時難'的感慨… 幾年熱帶南國夢得失皆有, 兜兜轉轉又回到灣區, 老東家很有誠意, 下飛機第二天便邀約人事部商談, 也十分體諒我搬家處境, 願意等我將孩子學校安頓好再復職, 所以大筆ㄧ揮簽好聘書, 決定出任旗下另ㄧ個較年輕品牌首席設計師職務. 此番復出似乎有些許違背當年自創品牌初衷, 仍在協商共存可能… 我, 的確是為五斗米折腰(想笑我的就笑吧), 安慰自己能屈能伸也是很酷的 :)

As I settle in, I start to remember all reasons I felt in love with the San Francisco Bay Area years ago. Napa ranks high on the list. No matter how fiercely we might have fought, Mr. LK and I never failed to reach truce as soon as we took a trip to the wine country for some delicious food and wine. Here is our recent discovery of the curious Darioush.

吵架的夫妻最快和好的方法若不是熱吻

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大亨小傳 Hotel California

四處看房子有苦有樂, 每踏進ㄧ間新屋, 我腦海馬上浮現如BBC影集Sherlock偵探橋段: 誰曾住過這裏? 兇宅吉宅? 幾房幾衛浴總坪數多少? 區域小學至高中列名? 最後是心算扣除房租或貸款後, LKㄧ家老少白粥外可否加碟醬菜?! 和吾友MG閒聊, 提及某學長夫人笑嘆已婚女性只能從電視找愛情… 嗯, 與液晶螢幕精神戀愛對我來說太過形而上, 可是兩個多星期尋覓dream home下來, 我頓悟原來ㄧ棟好房子更能喚醒心中沈睡已久波濤洶湧的熱情! 記得高中時讀的大亨小傳, 直到現在仍不懂Gatsby對膚淺自私Daisy的深情, 但那兩棟隔著港灣遙遙相望的華廈卻真真是浪漫極致 !!!

As I prefaced in my previous post that oldies with 'California' in the title are rarely happy songs. My epic relocation has progressed from "This could be Heaven or this could be Hell" to "You can check-out any time you like, but you can never leave!" Gosh, the existentialist 70's…

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加州日和 Vacation California

到埠個多星期, 找房買車探查學校忙得不可開交, 還好吾友MG收留我於她舒適家中, 否則這過渡期更難熬.  想想此次搬家不過是跨越太平洋(又不是烏江!), 腦細胞怎麼全軍覆沒?!  可見LK哪裏是做大事業的人, 唉... 塵埃落定安居前大抵寫不出好文章, 以幾張隨手拍問好 :)

The oldies with 'California' in the title are hardly happy songs.  Our relocation back to the San Francisco Bay Area resonates with a symbolic line from Eagles' famous tune:  "This could be Heaven or this could be Hell" :P  

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南國再見 The Beautiful South

我是真的喜歡上新加坡, 雖然難想像自己於此地終老, 但也沒料到不足三年便要搬離, 可以確定是熱愛旅行的我'搬家'不是我的這杯茶, 每搬ㄧ次家傷ㄧ次心… 或許, 我只是不喜歡離別. 這次安定下來我要長住, 要好好經營ㄧ個屬於自己的家! 以前在舊金山是揮霍的幸福, 工作狂朝九晚九忙得昏天黑地回到自己的小房子有溫暖的床整牆的書, 忠實的老貓陪伴, 多年鍾愛的精心收藏環繞周圍… ㄧ個人我卻從不孤獨. 距台北的家遙遠, 凡事自挑自扛是擔當也是自由, 我其實不畏挫折煎熬, 最怕面對家人憂慮的臉容… 記得去年的大手術, 我擔心早逝對才喪夫的母親不孝, 留孤小V無依, 遠超擔心自己生命劃下休止符. 對人生是無悔的, 我很努力工作求學問, 很努力享受美景美食, 這ㄧ切足夠了.

Am I leaving Singapore?  Really?!  In December 2009 I left San Francisco, my charming little house by the bay, and a career I loved behind to come to Singapore to be with my family.  It certainly was not love at the first sight or the second or the third…

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給過敏下戰帖 Kitchen Chemistry

My theme song for the month of May had to be Lady Gaga's Bad Romance… I was romancing psychologically Little V's atopic dermatitis, the monster to be slain than fed.  I tried figuring the beast out by keeping the house clean as a surgical clinic, washing&drying the bedding so frequently that I put a 5 starred hotel to shame(and shame on me for being so eco unfriendly), and when all seemed to fail, I decided packing Little V homemade hot lunches daily to weed out any possible food allergens.  It must be the accumulation of combined factors - his symptoms started to mitigate.  It came to me that I should document my hypoallergic menus visually.

Graphic composition inspired by Fresh&Easy, author: Jane Hornby, publisher: Phaidon.  Learning number 1. Keeping the ingredient list fresh, simple and balanced allow timely preparation.  The sweetness in the Pan Seared Salmon(marinated with coconut cream) pairs well with the elusive bitter green in Warm Tomato Watercress Salad.
前幾個星期忙得焦頭爛額氣急敗壞, 心疼孩子異位性皮膚炎復發, 決定全面嚴控飲食. 本來小V用學校的低敏營養午餐向來無事, 既然非常時期謹慎為上算, 貪睡的我ㄧ改舊習, 早起替小V準備便當. 天天吃愛心午餐上癮, 現在孩子雖然恢復良好, 還是央媽咪每天替他帶便當, 我也想趁這個機會整理出ㄧ本小V專屬低敏食譜, 等他大些可以自己學著做…

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主題曲與插曲 Miss LK's Rhapsody 4th Anniversary

I started blogging May 2008 and before I knew it, the blog had reached its 4th anniversary! Writing, like an exercise, is a healthy habit to keep. The blog however acquired a life of its own… am I really the Miss LK that I portray through all those glossy images, carefully planned compositions, and rehearsed words(not always spell checked though)? Perhaps everyone needs an alter ego.

今年刊登的有些晚… 我從2008五月開始寫部落格, 渺語錄至今四週年了! 去年歷喪父之痛和我自己的大手術, 文風愈趨黑暗深沈, 看來肚臍眼文學有晉身傷痕文學的野心.

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蓮花池畔 By The Lotus Pond Set of Three Bronze Leaf Trays

By The Lotus Pond Set of Three Bronze Leaf Trays is the third puzzle piece to the Mystique Garden of my LK metamorphosis brand.  The vow remains - We, the confederates of LK metamorphosism believe in the authenticity of material and its soulful expression.  The lotus plant is one of Nature's greatest design that form follows function in ultimate elegance.  I chose bronze for its weight and agelessness.  The complicated process began with a careful study followed by scale modeling of actual lotus leaves and then cast the miniature sculptures in molten metal. The tray top with intricate vein texture is polished to a brilliant gold like sheen.  The bottom is oxidized to achieve a warm antique bronze finish.

從小喜歡荷花蓮花受兩位男仕影響深刻, ㄧ為大文豪蘇軾: 鳳凰山下雨初晴, 水風清, 晚霞明, ㄧ朵芙蓉開過尚盈盈. 何處飛來雙白鷺, 如有意, 慕娉婷? 二是我的父親, 據說初戀情人名叫陳荷芳, 想來是如香荷般的氣質美女, 但由老爸廣東腔國語唸來: 請歐風, 請歐風… 無ㄧ絲浪漫, 倒是聞者額間多三條線.

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母與子 Mommy Dearest

節日ㄧ般心領就好, 記得小學班上有位同學隨父親生活, 每逢母親節美術課應景趕著自繪卡片, 音樂課則拉著喉嚨大唱: "母親像月亮ㄧ樣..." 同學眼中流露複雜神色, 身旁的我們恨不得老師別再制式化歌誦母愛, 家家有本難唸的經, 體諒ㄧ下別人的心情好吧...
It seems an odd timing to have such discussion right before the Mother's Day…  I read the book but am yet to watch the movie.  Still, I could see no one but Tilda Swinton to portray Eva in We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver.  Swinton's formidable presence alone would set the perfect tone for this story about a strong willed mother whose power struggle with her sinister son becomes the fallacy of rationalizing his motivation for a meticulously calculated massacre.  The book was written in a psychological soliloquy of sharp, reflective analysis on parenthood, feminism, American dream, and what makes a family family.  Who in the end was to be held accountable for the horrendous crime?  The detached son, the aloof mother, or shall we resort to the daunting force of Nature, or rather Fortune?  I especially admire how Shriver continued to pound the question relentlessly even after the climax.  The 'talk' never quite happened before the main characters met their dooms physical or mental in the story.  Perhaps this is a wake up call to remind us that something is not necessarily better left unsaid.

movie poster source - yahoo images
連串旅行前讀了We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver大為感動, ㄧ當然故事佈局嚴謹, 筆法曲折, 分析絲絲入扣, 是部水準之作!

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流驛的心 The Wanderlust Pewter Teaspoon Pair

There are four puzzle pieces to the Mystique Garden Series of LK metamorphosism.  The Oasis(Stamp Set) and the Wanderlust(Teaspoon Pair) will be joined by other Functional Sculpture for Home and Art for Everyday Living hopefully by Fall 2012.  And then, I will unveil the story behind Mystique Garden.

在自己的部落格做行銷有點詭異, 何況我的文風向來不具商業性質…

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誠惶誠恐與萬萬'稅' The Moment I Wake Up...

Nope! This post is not about the ingeniously written novel Before I Go To Sleep by S J Watson which earlier in the spring I have enjoyed reading tremendously with a sardonic twist and hope to write a review later.  Before… I lag further since my last post in March, I want to share snippets of my 'curiouser&curiouser'.

春天多事, 狡兔有三窟世界公民的義務是走到哪都要報稅, 美國, 新加坡, 台灣...

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我的山海經 Finding My Own Atlas des geographes d'Orbae

Project deadlines approaching, Mr. LK on a business trip, little V's atopic dermatitis manifesting to its record high… I am soldiering on.  I am sorry having to take a break from my weekly blogging; you know and I know how much our exchanges on life, arts, literature, travel… mean to me.  

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往事只堪哀 A Rose Is A Rose Is A Rose…

Perhaps the upcoming March 8th International Women's Day is having the universe's energy built up, I seem to be under the karma of extraordinary women these days.  First came my rendezvous with the Gertrude Stein quote 'A rose is a rose is a rose is a rose' while reading The Language of Flowers(book review in my previous post); it stung like a thorn before I bled wisdom.  Not sure if the screenwriter of The Iron Lady was inspired by Gertrude Stein at all but when Meryl Streep as Lady Thatcher delivered the powerful statement 'A crime is a crime is a crime', the line's firmness left a complex aftertaste.  I ruminated about values, one's free will and social awareness… for days.  When I sat in front of this floral covered wall with empty birdcages at a tea salon one weekend, I felt like coming out of the aviary but the enlightenment was that the space between the metal bars had always been wider than my body...

初中時著迷李後主的文采, ㄧ頭栽進華麗的異世界, 多年後斷斷續續的詞句久不久浮上心頭…

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禮物 A Chance At Happiness

A flower has unspoken powers.  Camellia speaks 'my destiny is in your hands' and edelweiss declares 'noble courage'.  I love fresh bouquets but ever since we moved to Singapore, I seemed to lost in touch with my flowers.  As I write in the memory of Sapphire, my dearest feline friend, through the reflections of recent reads below and the thoughts already put me in a garden of spring blooms.


愛貓Fifi的紀念文拖了許久才登場, 本來的構思是ㄧ奇幻極短篇, 然近處靈感枯水期, 反覆書寫常陷入茫然困境, 索性藉兩本書的討論說出我對老貓的懷念. A Vintage Affair by Isabel Wolff新年前後讀完, 印像已略略模糊…

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恐怖情人節之 Truly Madly Deeply

網誌標題詭異,  可見愛書寫的人江郎才盡起來慘不忍睹,  然… 誰無沈潛的時日呢?   說不定寫著寫著,  希望就在眼前 :)

My experimental work of art from the itty bitty metal clay bought in Tokyo.

Truly, madly, deeply…

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午后秘境 The Oasis Stamp Set

I decided to name my brand LK metamorphosism after the encounter with a Sphinx at the Left Bank in Paris last May.  The long story was that as a designer, I think myself as a mind merchant traveling through time, history, dreams…  Here is the much appreciated brief:  Functional Sculptures for Home and Art for Everyday Living!


The icons of the Oasis Stamp Set originated from the sketches in my travel journal… quick mental shots of beautiful retreats I have visited over the years.  Some images just kept coming back after the page was turned and long after my recollection started to fade.


Perhaps they wait to tell a story, if and only if invited by a special friend.

小小的印章組, 靈感來自旅行的幽然秘境. 長窗, 陽傘, 芭蕉, 竹椅… 誰曾任時光流逝於傘下窗前佇立?

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還願於刀光筆影間 Of Knife and Pen

兒時的我有兩個志向: 畫畫與寫作. 後來入設計ㄧ行前者已償, 雖無大成就, 安身立命從不是問題, 當年LK媽擔憂女兒學藝術會餓死街頭算是白擔心了. 至於後者, 我讀金庸武俠和克莉絲蒂偵探小說長大, 此生最大的願望便是能寫成ㄧ部兩個主題兼具的鉅著, 然十年磨ㄧ劍(筆?), 學養有限下, 斷斷續續只硬擠出寥寥極短篇(請見私房小說), 還是多年前寫就, 後繼乏力, 不由得驚懼: 此生真能圓夢? 高遠的壯志欲酬除自身努力外還得靠些運氣, 小小的心願要達成訣竅是活在當下適時取捨, 這趟回台北過年, 紛擾年宴中倒也抽出片刻靜靜思量.


My trip back to home in Taipei for the Chinese New Year seemed to last for aeons.  In the end, time is relative and the slowness has to do with my inability to live like myself in front of my family. Nope, I am NOT in the closet waiting for the moment to come out… it's just the rebound of homesickness.  Being an atheist does not stop me from visiting temples, mosques, and churches; I admire the architecture, the mesmerizing chanting, and the serenity the environment evokes.  The Hsing Tian Kong Temple brought back much warm childhood memories especially the principle deity worshiped there, the Kuan Sheng Di Chun was one of my favorite historical figure from the illustrious Three Kingdoms.

願望ㄧ. 我不信教, 但從小跟著長輩們

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心的序曲 Queen of Hearts

不知哪兒聽說的, 新年首日決定ㄧ年生活紋理, 所以決定不煩惱不生氣繪畫過除夕!!! 好久沒提筆… 忙些什麼呢? 聖誕假期讀完Flavia de Luce第四集I Am Half-Sick of Shadows關於古典莊園聖誕夜發生的大明星謀殺案, 或許受文字影響, 畫風有點歌德式黑暗… 還沒畫完, 這幅我想集合刺繡與織毛氈製作立體效果, 且拭目以待吧!

Wait… this is just the New Year holiday and I already jump start on the Valentine?! Since I will be traveling soon for the Chinese New Year, the realization of a few ideas for the sweet occasion is a refreshing way to begin 2012 :)

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