Basil & Mint

Term Break 的時候回去了一趟，這次回來的第一天，就在 TESCO 跟 Sainsbury's 各買了一盆香草植物。前面的是薄荷，後面的是羅勒(九層塔)，就放在窗台前面，讓他們可以做日光浴。多了這兩盆植物還滿有用處的，首先當然還是著重在實用面。薄荷拿來泡茶，或是放幾片在水壺中都不錯，下次還準備來做檸檬薄荷雞柳，羅勒拿來炒蛋跟茄子都很下飯。除此之外，沒事給他們看看摸摸，也是滿有趣的。

---

I went back to Taiwan during term break. When the first day I returned to LONDON, I bought two spice plants in TESCO & Sainsbury's. In the foreground of picture is mint and background is basil, they are in front of my window and can take sun bath there. They are some use of them and fisrt is functionally. Mint can make mint tea or put some leaves in water. Next time I want use mint to cook chicken with mint and lemon flavor. Basil is good taste for cooking with egg or eggplant. In addition, It's interesting for looking and touching them in my leisure time.

Horses Brawl + Porico Quartet @ SOAS Concert Series

昨天晚上在 SOAS 的 Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre 聽了一場很棒的音樂會，其實之前就有看過 SOAS Concert Series 的傳單，可是一直沒有去聽過。這次會去聽是在定期看的 Timeout LONDON 上看到這場音樂會的消息，而且有標示 FREE & Recommend，確定一下地點發現就在 SOAS，那當然不可以錯過囉。

音樂會分成上下半場，上半場是 Horses Brawl Duo，下半場是 Porico Quartet，會將這兩個團體排在一起，是因為都有傳統音樂的調調。雖然是無意中發現的音樂會，不過卻是個美麗的意外，而且聽眾滿場，很多人在外面進不來。

Horses Brawl Duo 是演奏傳統歐洲民俗音樂的二重奏，Laura Cannell 演奏小提琴跟各式的笛子而 Adrian Lever 是演奏吉他。演奏的音樂內容是歐洲各國的民俗音樂，擷取其中的元素改編而成的，在介紹音樂的時候，Laura 也說不大出來到底每首曲子是混合了哪些國家的民謠。演奏了八首曲目，就看 Laura 一下用小提琴一下用各式各樣的直笛在演奏，雖然是傳統的曲調，可是卻很有新意，很吸引人。PART FOLK - PART EARLY - PART TRAINED PRECISION - PART WILD ABANDON。這是他們網站上的介紹，很貼切。

Porico Quartet，在中間換場的時候，當 Hang 搬上台的時候，發現這是我之前曾在 South Bank 街頭表演聽過的團體。當初就覺得這個團體很有意思，沒想到在無意中又遇見了，真巧。PQ 看起來是爵士的編制，可是音樂的感覺卻有濃濃的民謠味，尤其是用 soprano sax 跟 hang。soprano sax 的聲音本身就很有特色，介於黑管跟單簧管，反而不大像 SAX，感覺就很悠遠深長。而 Hang 是很少見的樂器，之前曾經看過一次，有點像鋼鼓，但是更稀奇。Hang 的聲音也很有趣，有點像鐵琴，敲擊出的聲音會帶著回音，很好聽。再介紹 PQ 的音樂時，有提到用了Celt 的元素，我也不大了解歐洲民俗音樂，不過很好聽就是了。

這次聽 SOAS Series 的經驗不錯，接下來的音樂會有空應該都會去聽吧，免費的耶。而且SOAS的音樂系是主攻世界音樂，所以音樂會的內容很多變，有各國的民俗音樂，多聽聽應該會發現不少好東西。

---

I enjoyed an amazing concert at Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre in SOAS yesterday evening. I has seen the leaflet of SOAS Concert Series before, but I never attended that. Yesterday I attended because I saw the concert information on Timeout LONDON there I always got information form and it show the concert is FREE & Recommend. Furthermore, the venue was just in SOAS that why I can't miss that.

The first half of concert was Horses Brawl Duo and another was Porico Quartet. They all have the folk tone so put them together. The show was very hot and many people can't attend because the theatre was full of audience. Although I found the concert unexpectedly, but that was a beautiful accident.

Horses Brawl Duo play traditional folk. There are Laura Cannell who play violin and many kinds of recorders and Adrian Lever play guitar. There music compose the elements of early European folk from many country. Even Laura couldn't identify which country are their music from when she introduced their music yesterday. They played 8 songs totally. Laura changed violin and recorder each song and attracted audiences' eyes. Although their music is early folk but there are some modern feeling in there and very charming. "PART FOLK - PART EARLY - PART TRAINED PRECISION - PART WILD ABANDON" is the slogan on their website and very suitable.

The next role yesterday evening was Porico Quartet. When they set up the hang before their show, I found that was the group I saw in front of National Theatre earlier. I felt they are so interesting when I met them at first time, however I could meet them again unexpectedly. What is a coincidence! PQ has a jazz form but their music has more folk feeling as a result they play soprano sax and hang. The voice of soprano sax is characteristic. Not like other sax's sound, the voice of soprano is more similar to the voice of clarinet or oboe. That is more meaningful. Furthermore, Hang that I saw once before is more unusual than steel drum. It's sound is interesting too and similar to glockenspiel. That voice has little echo and very melodious. When PQ introduced their music, they mentioned that they use some Celt's element. Otherwise I don't understand European traditional music, but their music is great.

The experience I attended SOAS concert series was great. If I am available, I will attend the other concerts of series especially that are free. The content of concerts is about folk music of many country and various. I think I will get some different idea if I enjoy that.

2007

2007年過去了，又是一年。回憶的時候總覺得時間好快，一年一年就這樣過去了。

2007應該是之後回憶中關鍵的一年吧，上半年還是個在職場中打滾的員工，下半年又回到了校園當個學生，還是跟台灣距離了八個時區的英國。

在書店工作將近四年，從92/10到96/6。當初進書店工作是個美麗的意外，不過沒想到竟然待了快四年，並不算短啊。相較於其他的工作，在書店工作的薪水還真不多，不過書店的工作滿有趣，可以接觸到很多的人事物，也不枉走這一遭。

出國念書，其實並不是倉促的決定，早在大學的時候就有這樣的念頭。當初還對未來要走的路搖擺不定，就連國內的研究所都不想考，更不要說出國了。在沒下定決心的時候，繼續唸下去也只是浪費時間，所以就去當兵跟就業。

工作了這幾年，也知道自己的想要走的路，依舊不是大學念的資訊，而是跟在書店這幾年工作比較相關的。文化創意產業，聽起來就是很搞不清楚在幹啥，總而言之，就是將創意及文化轉化為商品或服務，可以產生獲利並可永續經營，同時兼顧營利與提升生活品質的領域。陳義甚高且虛無飄渺，不過我認為這是台灣未來該走的路，也就給他走下去了。

為了充實相關知識，也就包袱款款給他跑到英國來了，在這會待個兩年，等學成歸國也是2009後半年了。

---

As the years went on, time has gone by amazingly fast when you recollect that. 2007 was over and just a year again.

2007 will be a milestone in my life. I was a worker in the bookstore in the first half of 2007. However, I went back to school in UK where is faraway from Taiwan about 8 time zone in the last half of 2007.

I got a job in bookstore was a beautiful accident. From Oct. 2003 to Jun. 2007, I worked in bookstore almost 4 years that was not a shot period. Compared with other job, the wages in bookstore is not satisfied. Otherwise, working in bookstore is fascinating. I contacted with many interesting events and people that is a glorious experience.

Studying abroad was not a hasty decision that was first in my mind when I was a university student. In the reason I didn't make sure what I want to do at that moment. I did not go to the graduate school in Taiwan, much less study abroad. Studying further was waste of time when I did not make a decision. Therefore, I finished my compulsory military service and got a job first.

After the experience in bookstore, I found the way I want to go. That is still not about IT that is my major in university, in other hand, is about the experience in bookstore. Creative industry is a indistinct phrase. In brief, that is about transforming creativity or culture into product or service to make profit and sustainability. That is a sector about not only making profit but also improving the living quality. It seems too fuzzy and empty, but I think that is the next step in Taiwan.

In order to learn about creative industry, I packed my baggage and went to UK. I will spend two years studying in UK, after that will be the time at Sep. 2009.