It’s not easy to find hutong without parked cars now.This reminds me of my beijing’s hutong, particularly in such a cold winter afternoon with thin sunshine.

Filed under: Marginalia of Days
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I got a complaint from a reader as a result of a piece of illustration about that you’d better not to be confused with too many bank cards. Look at it, can you tell something wrong? Oh, yes, you might tell the background is similar to this. But I never deny I’m a little lazy and cunning, especially know how to take advantage of namelessness. So, anything else you can see? Do you realize I made a political mistake AGAIN?!

The reader said I shouldn’t put “REPUBLIC OF CHINA� on it only, because that means 中�民国, is it? I don’t want to look up in the dictionary for that. I’m not going to tell him the PEOPLE’S part is covered with a circle shape for the composition of the picture or something like"art is BORDERLESS" and why you focused on the letters of the background only (this picture is not art , but I think I’m able to cheat the laymen sometimes…), I think I should admit I made a serious mistake, just for money’s sake. Well, TAIWAN PROBLEM is really a big problem (particularly for me), they’re right!

Thanks that reader for looking at my illustration so carefully. I’m just curious why people are so sensitive sometimes, such as Taiwan problem or Japan problem, is it the proof of your patriotism or proved you’re a little weak.

Filed under: Holiday of Thoughts
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I allowed myself to get up late today because I figured I got a cold already (or got a sign of cold---sore throat).It’s 11:30 o’clock, I still lay on my bed watching Friends although I’ve got calls from 3 editors since I woke up. The more others urge me, the more slowly I do—I’m not sure if it is my horrible nature.

My sister once suggested that I’d better to take some Chinese medicine to regain(调�) my health in my swelling days or when I stayed up all night. So at that moment, when I didn’t want to work, I was wondering if I should have a medical examination in Chinese medicine hospital .It’s said the doctor I’m gonna see is good and his grandfather’s grandfather was a imperial physician (I would rather believe he is a contemporary imperial physician). And then, my mum came into my room (I was still in bed…),

Mum—Lunchtime!

Me—Hey, mum, I wanna go to the Chinese medicine hospital.

Mum— For what?

Me—Because I am old enough, some friends saw the doctor already, it’s a sign! It’s my turn to take our traditional magical Chinese medicine to regain my health.

Mum—whatever, I’m just asking you if you want to have lunch.

Me—No! I think I should have more sleep then have strength to go to the hospital.

Mum—I believe you should regain your thoughts first.(我看你还是先调�调�你的�想�)

在我写完这个帖���接到一个编辑的电�，最�她问我“你八几的？�，最�的就是这个!!!我能�需�中医调��?!

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下�的�是�生在我和一个外国朋�之间,他的中文说得很好,他自认为蹩脚的中文其实很生动,这比�"大山"一样一�漂亮的中文更加动�.

我累了,趴在桌上,然�,关心的�语传�...

--"你的样�好�怜啊，�“�氓狗�一样"（是�狼狗，如果是�氓狗，那我应该是���水）

他在付�的时候有时分�清硬�的角或分，我从洗手间出�，�现他竟然拿分当角�付钱（天下竟有这么愚蠢�善良的骗�？�），被waiter退了回�，我立刻说：

--“你这个骗��还好我的�时到�制止了一场犯罪!�

�过此刻waiter也走远，而他还糊里糊涂�太知怎么回事儿，�留下我独自回味�自己刚刚的正直形象...

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我��帅�刚�告诉我她买了全套FRIENDS,然� My sister Shuai Lian just told me she'd bought the complete friends, then . . .

宋——第几季？

Me - Which season?

帅——全部�（我第一感觉是怀疑，这有点�太�她的作风...）

Shuai - All of them! (I didn't believe her at first, it's didn't seem her style...)

宋��哇～～，多少钱买的？

Me - Wow . . . How much?

帅��60�

Shuai - 60Y!

（这下我的感觉就对了...）

(That made more sense)

宋——你买的是那�SDVD或是MP4之类的东西�，你看看�（我其实没看过SDVD或是MP4，但那东西浓缩的程度让我觉得有点�怕）

Me - It must be SDVD or MP4 then, have a look (I've never bought them myself, but they're so compressed I feel a bit scared)

帅——嗯...好åƒ?ä¸?太清楚，颗粒粗，å?¯æˆ‘å??远一点ä¸?就行喽？

Shuai - Mmm, doesn't seem too clear, bit grainy. But it'll be ok if I sit further away, won't it？

看，从我�对生活细节的处��看，她是一个多么冰雪�明，积��远的人啊啊～～

See, from the way my sister deals with things, you can see how clever and far-thinking she is . . .

�——我打算�一件大的工程�

Snowball- I'm going to do somthing HUGE!

宋——哇，什么呀？

Me- Wow,what are you gonna do?

�——我打算写一篇关于你的文章，一万字�

Snowball- I will write an article about you, 10,000 words!

宋——肯定跟歌颂毛主席似的...

Me- It must be like something to praise Chairman Mao...

�——对�

Snowball- Exactly!

宋——巧的是我昨天也想写一篇关于你的，题目是“��我之�，有关�雯�长的辛酸血泪��，从入学第一天开始写起(我昨天确是这么想的)。

Me- By a coincidence I planned to write something about you yesterday,the title is "Wuwen's life is full of tears and blood since she met me"(I'm not kidding,I really thought about it yesterday)

Filed under: Marginalia of Days, Out of Words
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It's snowball (if you once read my posts, I think you would know who she is) to remind me why I don’t make a new category about CONVERSATION. She always likes to ask me questions to wake up my lazy nature. I really love to talk with her because I can find many things in a different view or how to be true.

The following conversation is between her and I, I’m not able to repeat them in English.

我和�雯谈到我今天�的帖�，我说�些地方读起�也许让人感觉�弄�藻，好�自己了�起似的…接�，

宋――我就是自我感觉良好，怎么了？��行�？�

�――就是��是还有我这样的人崇拜你�？�我��是下岗女工，我也是�过教育的�

宋——你这样把所有下岗女工都骂了…

�――哦…

(爆笑)

宋――我们俩这样说�充分显示了我们的浅薄，怎么了？��行�？�

我们为什么�时时�智？为什么�能�悦(这�是我的朋�啊)？�智的沉积难��会�为感情�些时候�怕宣泄的一个起点�？月满则�，我想我们的任性�是让它�这么满。

下�的对�是和我爸爸之间的，我想�过他的人看到�会觉得他更加�爱。

女—�爸，我请你看《功夫》�!

父——�看，那�电影太�作。

女—�什么��作呀？你喜欢看什么？

父——我喜欢看悲剧!�《泰�尼克》! …

女——爸，快过�“分享�我写的作文.

然�我爸专心看我写��的帖�

父——写得好，真有想象力�（想象力？�他夸我的画时说我的画有立体感，立体感？�），我早说过你�以写东西，���个记者什么的，学个破美术干嘛 ...

P.S. I know you will be here hours later, check the blog pic, it's you to take it!So please don't say I look stupid again …

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刚刚看完《功夫》回�，想到最近看的一些电影，觉得�以写个帖�。旋�几个问�跳出�―“有的说�？�“值得说�？�最�一个问题是：“你丫到底说�说？��因为正在等�看王朔�的“我是你爸爸�，难�冒出粗�。

1.《å??é?¢åŸ‹ä¼?》

一个剧本没有出彩儿的故事就åƒ?一部å°?说没有出彩儿的人物一样虚弱。虽然张艺谋从“摇啊摇，摇到外婆桥â€?开始就å†?也没有æ‹?过让人眼å‰?一亮的东西（但我é?žå¸¸å–œæ¬¢ä»–在“有è¯?好好说â€?里的样å­?），å?¯æ˜¯ä»–有自身胜于他人的素质和基础，å?ªè¦?ä¸?过分è¦?求，他的片å­?会永远å?Šæ ¼ï¼Œç”šè‡³å?‡è®¾å?·æ¢?æ?¢æŸ±åœ°åœ¨å¯¼æ¼”æ ?上写上别人的å??字，也许就能拿80分。但我们一å?‘善于将“高标准，严è¦?求â€?ä¸?å??啬地èµ?予他人，将那ç§?因批评而æ?¢æ?¥çš„满足感大大释放，所以这部电影会招æ?¥éª‚声一片，好在骂声是虚的。

ç« å­?怡死了几次ä¸?是问题(她最å?Žä¸€æ¬¡ç??开眼ç?›çš„时候，我在心里说怎么还ä¸?死呀？ï¼?)，å?°è¯?å?šä½œä¹Ÿä¸?是问题(我猜他是想和整个电影那ç§?“形å¼?æ„Ÿâ€?对应起æ?¥)，金城武和刘德å?Žçš„表演更ä¸?是问题（因为刘德å?Žçš„“刻苦â€?，所以我一å?‘支æŒ?他，但我å?šå†³æ‰“倒金城武的“å°?豆眼儿â€?），我就是觉得这个故事逻辑上ä¸?å?ˆç?†ï¼Œè¿™ä½¿å¾—你回头去玩味时而屡屡碰å£?（è°?会喜欢碰å£?的感觉），而å?ªèƒ½é¡ºç?€ä¸€æ?¡çº¿ä¸?å¾—ä¸?往下走。这ç§?逻辑也包括情感上的逻辑，我因此会觉得这个爱情和《英雄》里的大民æ—?主义一样令人ä¸?屑，我并ä¸?想看到一ç§?“å?ˆä¹Žæƒ…ç?†â€?的爱情，武侠å°?说里任性的爱情满目皆是，è§?怪ä¸?怪，我就是被这部电影çª?然在å?Žå?Šéƒ¨åˆ†è¢«å¸¦ä¸Šäº†â€œçˆ±æƒ…“这æ?¡é?“儿而觉得莫å??其妙ï¼?

武打部份还好，�章�怡在任何电影打起�都觉得她气滞（�虎�龙也是），感觉很累；画�很漂亮，绿色很生涩，�如《�木瓜之味》中的绿色。

�过�胜于无，尤其从消费的观点�看，物有所值。中国电影真是太少了，需��的产生�的�归其�，从而少了盯��个点而带�视觉上的错�。这样想，我觉得张艺谋一直�得还是挺好的(我�是电影圈的人，所以我最多�能看到浮出水�的事情 )。

2.《��西里》

ä¸?错，ä¸?长，ä¸?过说实è¯?，我没什么感觉，尽管我自认并é?žæ¬ ç¼ºæ‚²æ‚¯ã€‚这部电影的人文æ„?义远远大于艺术本身，是æŸ?一ç§?电影。这让我想起了《伊万的童年》，那是安德烈·塔å?¯å¤«æ–¯åŸºçš„第一部长片，åƒ?很多片å­?一样，也是写战争，也是通过孩å­?写战争，但他æ‹?得触目惊心，你会觉得那个孩å­?并ä¸?å?¯çˆ±(这是一ç§?冒险)，而因此大大地加大了战争的æ??怖与罪孽。刚刚谈到《å??é?¢åŸ‹ä¼?》里的爱情，《伊万的童年》里也有爱情，ç?€å¢¨ä¸?多，å?¯æ˜¯ä»…仅一个拥å?»çš„镜头就会使你相信他们，顺便说一å?¥ï¼Œæˆ‘觉得中国电影里的接å?»é•œå¤´å®žåœ¨æ˜¯æ‹?得太差，å‰?一秒钟还是人，嘴一碰上就å?˜æˆ?机器了。

3.《天下无贼》

大家需è¦?济济一堂的哄笑，那么就æ?¥å?§ã€‚我觉得最大的败笔是å?·å¾—ä¸?好，几乎全用似有似无的慢镜，这对于我这样一个å??爱å?·çªƒä¸Žéª—术题æ??的观众æ?¥è®²ï¼Œå®žåœ¨å¤ªè¿‡æ•·è¡?。而且最好ä¸?è¦?æ‹?得那么“有æ„?义â€?，有愚弄观众的嫌疑。我喜欢看冯å°?刚演æˆ?，想想《阳光ç?¿çƒ‚çš„æ—¥å­?》里那å?¥â€œè¿™æ˜¯è°?干的？ï¼?â€?，这也是我期待《我是你爸爸》的原因之一，我看过那部å°?说，我觉得他演爸爸很å?ˆé€‚，他有一ç§?似是而é?žçš„表情，就åƒ?葛优长ç?€ä¸€å¼ æ¨¡æ£±ä¸¤å?¯çš„脸一样，全是天赋。

4.《功夫》

因为喜欢周星驰的《少林足ç?ƒ.》，所以期待这部他寂寞几年的《功夫》。如果是张艺谋æ‹?的，大家会批评特技太多，如果是何平æ‹?的，大家会说别拿佛说事儿，但这是大陆人厚爱的周星驰æ‹?的（他的作å“?å·²ç»?上å?‡åˆ°å­¦æœ¯åœ°ä½?上了å?¯æœ¬äººä¾?旧如此地谦虚…），所以ä¸?会苛责，所以ä¸?会说片头åƒ?《座头市》的结尾，贫困区让人想到了《七å??二家房客》，群殴åƒ?《骇客å¸?国》。我觉得还ä¸?错，因为周星驰太å?¯çˆ±è€Œä¸”很用心，虽然没带给我åƒ?《少林足ç?ƒã€‹é‚£æ ·çš„感动。里é?¢çš„肥婆很酷，她和她è€?公的出现让人觉得很爽，“爽â€?，也许这就是《功夫》å?–得好的原因å?§ï¼Œå®ƒè®©äººâ€œçˆ½â€?，这还ä¸?够å?—？

困了，晚安

I've just got back from seeing Kung Fu Hustle and I thought I might write a post about the films I have seen recently. And then the questions appear. 'Is there anything to say?', 'Is it worth saying?' and lastly 'Are you going to write the damned thing or not?'. And because I am still waiting for Wang Shuo's I'm Your Father, I guess I might as well see what I can come up with.

1.House of Flying Daggers

A script without a good story is as weak as a novel without good characters. Although Zhang Yimou hasn't made anything to brighten my eyes since “Shanghai Triad�(though I love his performance in Keep Cool), he has some kind of qualities that throw everyone else into the shade, so his films are always not that bad as long as you don't expect too much, and I reckon if you snuck in and wrote somebody else's name under 'Director', they'd get an A_ or B+. But we're good at holding others to higher standards, and get satisfaction in exchange for our judgement. And so, this film earns itself reams of abuse, even if nobody really cares.

Zhang Ziyi's repetitive dying wasn't a problem (although the last time she opened her eyes I did ask myself why the hell she still wasn't dead); the affected dialogue wasn't a problem (I guess he thought it matched the feel of the entire film—sense of form?); Takeshi Kaneshiro and Andy Lau's acting wasn’t a problem either (I have to support Andy because of his hardworking but take issue with Takeshi Kaneshiro’s bean-like little eyes). I just think the logic of the story was a problem, so that whenever you think over it you just get knocked back (and who likes to be knocked back?) and you just have to follow the line as it’s given to you. This also includes the emotional logic, and that’s why I believe the love here is as unconvincing as the nationalism of Hero, I don’t want to see some kind of ‘reasonable’ love, and kung fu novels are full of the willful irrational kind, so it seems natural. I was just confused by the way the second part of the film turned into a love story.

The fight scenes were ok, but I find Zhang Ziyi looks a bit tired when she fights in any film (including Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) and I yawn in sympathy; the filming was "pretty" (just pretty) except the green, which wasn’t as good as the green in ‘The Scent of Green Papayas’.

It’s better than nothing anyway, especially from the consumer’s point of view. Chinese films are too few, and perhaps when we have the quantity we need we’ll take a more overall view and stop focusing on a single point. When I think of it like that, I feel Zhang Yimou is still doing pretty well (I don't move in those circles, so I just see what pokes out above the surface).

2.Kekexili

Not bad, not long, but to be honest I didn’t think much of it, although I don’t think I lack compassion and responsibility. This films human significance is much greater than it’s artistic merit, it belongs some kind of film. This film reminded me of Andrei Tarkovsky’s Ivan's Childhood –a war film, seen through a child’s eyes like many others, but shockingly done. You don’t feel the child is lovable (which is a risk), and that greatly adds to the horror and sin of the war. I just mentioned the love in House of Flying Daggers, and there was love in this film too, not much of it but one single kiss makes you believe in them, and I might add, I think the kissing scenes in Chinese films suck – one second they’re people, then they kiss and turn into robots.

3.A World Without Thieves

If you want to laugh in a roomful of people, come and see it. I think the biggest flaw was the slow motion makes their stealing skill less unprofessional--It’s too perfunctory for me who love films about heists and con artists. And it would have been better if they hadn’t made it so ‘meaningful’, it just makes the audience suspect they’re too naïve or stupid. I like to see Feng Xiaogang act, like in In the Heat of the Sun when he says ‘Who did this!?’, and that’s why I’m looking forward to I Am Your Father and I think he’ll be good as the dad, he’s got a kind of specious expression, just like Ge You’s ambiguous face – they’re both gifted.

4.Kung Fu Hustle

I like Stephen Chow’s Shaolin Soccer, so I’d been looking forward to this film he’s been making for years. If Zhang Yimou had made it everyone would say there were too many special effects, if it had been He Ping we’d have criticized his use of Buddhism, but we love Stephen Chow (His works have already been elevated to the status of art, but he still remains modest…) and so we love this film and we won’t criticize and point out that the start is like the ending of Zatoichi, or that the slum reminds us of The House of 72 Tenants, or that the mass fights are like The Matrix. I think it was great, because Stephen Chow is cute and really works hard, although it didn’t make me feel as moved as Shaolin Soccer. The fat woman was cool, and appearance of her and her husband makes us feel WOW, perhaps that’s the reason this film is so popular, it makes us feel WOW –isn’t that enough?

I’m sleepy, goodnight.

Filed under: Marginalia of Days, Sense of Seeing
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