Another Guinness World Record?!

From Taipei Times - Taiwanese to kiss 100 men in Paris
English interview at the bottom of the page by Dan Bloom
The photos

Before Christina sent me the links above, I didn't notice it was on the news and had already had a storm-tide of viewers visiting her blog. Obviously Christina knew part of my appetite about news. The title did intrigued me and made me immediately gulped the links with my mouse. But after reading the article by Dan Bloom, I am...disappointed and worried.

The thing which disappoints and worries me is in the interview she said, as I quote, "now, a kiss seems like an amazing exchange of very interesting 'energy' for both the people kissing each other. That's what I've learned." If I were her ex-boyfriend, I would probably feel ashamed and then secretly try to find a cram school teaching about kissing or question if she had ever really loved me - is this something we need to spend two years living in Paris or to kiss 54 total strangers to know?!

Don't get me wrong. No matter what people think about her idea, I think the 27-year-old woman, Yang, is completely entitled to say it loud and proud that she did it for no reason but merely just a whim. And also about that's what she has learned. However, if it is going to be published as a book, her lack of purpose and a more creative enlightenment will greatly dilute my interest about the book and make me feel it is just like some of the Guinness World Records - it may mean a lot to the person who achieves a new record, but it brings and means almost nothing to me.

Before her coming book reveals her tips of how to break the ice when asking for a kiss from a stranger or shares with us that the exotic kisses will remove the shy and implicit character of we Chinese and make us be able to express the feelings more directly to the people we really love, I think I will tend to save the money to watch Daniel Craig being topless on the silver screen and walking in slow motion with his six packs and then passionately kiss the sexy Bond girl on the beach while the sun goes down.

The rainbow I miss

Last Saturday evening Gina and I took a casual cruise at Shida night-market before doing dinner together with Ivy. Usually the surroundings would be automatically switched to a muted mode when Gina and I hanged out together. Because our laughter, banter and oral reports of new developments of our recent life often became earplugs to block the rest of the sounds. But that evening, the voice from a radio programme from a small hair & beauty shop carried some powerful wind to blow away Gina's earplugs and thrust both of us into our own memory lane.

The radio programme might be called a Taiwanese version of Jeremy Vine's show on BBC Radio 2, which also talks about some hot topics of recent news . "Oh my God, I haven't listened to this programme since I came back. I think it's around 10 am in the UK right now" said Gina.

I have no idea how much an overseas phone call from the UK to my cell phone might cost, but according to the frequency Gina called me in 2007 during her last four months in the UK, I'll say it's pretty cheap. She was extremely suffering from homesick then. And the Taiwanese radio programme was her antibiotics to keep her temporarily healthy enough to count down her remaining days in the UK.

"Do you still remember the day we met at the coach station in Leeds? You know, your eyes couldn't look any smaller then," teasingly said Gina. "But seriously, even though we only spent three days together in the UK, you have no idea how glad I was to see you then." "I thought my eyes couldn't look any bigger! Since barely got any sleep on the plane and on the coach and met you at 5 am, it should be able to create double eyelids for me." I jokingly defended and repaid her a moved smile.

For the following three hours, my memory lane was clogged when having dinner with Ivy and Gina. But on my way home, it became smooth again. This time I walked into the scene of the opening night of demonstrating my pajamas to the UK. With a unique way to come on the stage, I was grinding my teeth in Gina's bed and sleeping with a letter "K" pose.

Due to my jet lag and lack of enough sleep, in the first formal evening in the UK I went to bed very early to review the beauty and hospitality of York that Gina and I discovered earlier that day. The mummy was well fixed in the "K" pose until Gina woke me up at about midnight. And I could tell from her serious face that it couldn't be about me invading her half of the bed or the noise my teeth had made.

"I only got two days left before going back to Taiwan and I found there were still soooooo many things to do before I leave. I even haven't collocated enough materials to bring back to Taiwan to complete my dissertation. Therefore, do you think tomorrow you can go to Manchester without me?" asked Gina. As a thoughtful, considerate and VERY sleepy friend, I told her "sure, of course" and then immediately and unconsciously back to my "K" pose.

The next day when I woke up in the early morning, I didn't know how to wake Gina up and told her I had been a somniloquist when I said yes to her last night. It would not be fine with me to go to Manchester by myself since I prepared nothing but relied on her to show me the city as we had discussed.

But, before I plowed a trench with my indecisive steps back and forth in Gina's room, I told myself that things couldn't be more frustrating and boring to wait until Gina wakes up or to find myself doing nothing in the end of my second day in the UK. Hence, "I am going to Manchester now. Let's have dinner together in the evening. E"- the note of me taking an adventure was stuck on Gina's laptop.

Follow the trail of my memory breadcrumbs of how Gina took me to York the day before and with some helps from a police officer, I got myself safely and smoothly to Manchester. That morning, outside of Manchester Piccadilly Station, the sky was painted with my mood - a widely spread of uneasy damp grey and a few gentle brushes of exciting white.

Not like my rest of well-planned days in the UK, Gina's sudden absence made me become duckweed and had no choice but drifted forward with the tide of the crowds. Don't know if it has anything to do with being a Law School student for many years. I was trained and used to put things into order or an organized plan. But at that time I even found the map from the Information Centre at the railway station was useless since three people I had asked all couldn't point out where I was and they included a guard from Primark. Time just couldn't crawl any slower then.

But strangely, the more I breathed in the slightly chilly air of the day, the more relaxed I became. And the air also brought my previous expectations about the whole journey back to me. Wasn't this just a part of what I had hoped for - to take a rest and have a cup of tea whenever and wherever I want and have time to watch how people walk, drink and laugh in this country!

I started to realize how rare the chance might be for me to quietly monopolize the view from a small cabin of the big wheel behind Manchester Arndale. And sometimes maybe being lonely is the beginning of being not lonely. Because as I was alone visiting Manchester Cathedral, a warm old British lady unexpectedly approached me and offered me a free guide about the cathedral. That afternoon I was taught a new point of view of getting lost and how to get along with a sense of feeling disoriented.

Even though I missed the announcement of the platform's changing and took the wrong train, back to Leeds I was still early enough to catch the dinner with Gina. Gina told me we were invited by her friends to have some simple dinner together at their flat.

The pizzas and the roasted chicken were well served with my story happened at the coach station at the airport. Gina's friends were amazed by my experience that the British old man sat next to me on the plane bought me a cookie and a cup of tea and left me with his business card for emergent help and also some coins to make phone calls to make sure I would be picked up in Leeds.

Chewing my pizza at the same time with their jealous exclamations of why they had never had this kind of luckiness during the past year in the UK, my focus and my mind were contentedly zooming out to the rainbow hanging outside of the window. I think the journey was destined to be beautiful and memorable.

Long time no see, beach!

For a few minutes my mind went completely blank when I took Ho and his friend's invitation to be a beach girl this Sunday afternoon. It was because the word "Beach" has disappeared in the dictionary in my mind for one or two years. I had tried, but still couldn't recall a vivid image the last time my feet were seasoned with a lot of finely ground black pepper after walking along the seaside.

The only beckoned memory was Ho was shining and popular when we studied at Law school. He played basketball for the basketball team of our Law school and also formed a band and became a leading singer of it. And apparently after not seeing him for quite a while, these days he has developed a new interest of going surfing during the weekend. And Ho's friend, Lin, was his high school classmate and used to be the drummer of Ho's band.

It was Lin's first time going surfing. I found it amusing when Ho told Lin how to carry a surfing board. Is a surfing board to man like a Hermès handbag to woman that there's a specific way to hold it to make you look posh?!

Today's waves were not suitable for surfing so we spent a lot of time sitting at the shallow part of the seashore and chatting under a foldable shed shared by a group of hospitable guys. Those guys were in their early thirties and were very friendly. They not only prevented us from getting sun burned, but also recharged our battery by providing snacks and beers.


Those guys were pretty creative since they made a crocodile (or a bad fish you might call) with sand. And just when I was going to compliment about their artistry, two of the guys started to discuss how about making a huge poo behind the tail of the crocodile - Ohhhhh, grow up, men!

Anyway, I stopped them from making the poo and had a very relaxing afternoon.

The academic dinner

After Jimmy announced he's going to tie the knot in the end of this year, the Saturday dinner was immediately turned into a symposium of "Two People, Or Two Family - The Difficulty When Planning A Wedding." And, of course, Jimmy was the main presenter and the rest of my schoolmates and I became inquisitive commentators.

The sweet news from Jimmy also proofed his heart has become seamless now. More than two years ago, Jimmy was deeply in love with a girl and they had been living with each other for almost two years. One day while everything seemed alright and he was at work, without any notice in advance, the girl called and told him that she had already packed her things and moved out. There was no the other man between them and no clear explanation about the sudden breakup. For the following months, Jimmy was looking like a living zombie.

But, after such a sudden and deep stab into one's heart, now look at Jimmy and the girl he's holding hand with! Obviously the zombie has already reincarnated and lives in the seventh heaven.

Although Jimmy just started to plan the wedding for about four months, it's long enough to make him talk like a prestigious eighty-year-old professor. From the traditional customs of the whole wedding to the reception, there were so many times Jimmy said it's not something I can decide when I told him what I want or what I think about it. I didn't say something like I want to wear a puffy dress and get married in Disneyland. But the reply from Jimmy sometimes made me feel daunting in a certain degree.

I won't call myself a feminist since think men and women can never be equal in so many ways. To me, the key point is always about respect. But feel there are some traditional customs of a wedding that contradict my belief and emotion.

For example,
1. On the wedding day, the mum of the bride has to splash a basin of water to the road after the groom comes to pick up the bride from her place and the daughter officially leaves the house. It symbolizes the daughter is like the splashed water - she belongs to another family from the moment.

I love my family. I just don't like the hidden idea that once you get married, you'll have to cut the connection with your family even it only has a symbolic meaning. Besides, I am confident that my love is big enough for my future and current family members to share.

2. After getting in a limo, the bride has to throw away a hand-held fan from the window which represents she will abandon all her bad temper to start a new family.

I fully agree it should be encouraged if we try to make ourself become a better person. But can my future husband be that perfect that I am the only person who has bad temper to throw away? If I need to throw away a hand-held fan, can I ask him to do the same thing with me?

Jenny said she has never thought about the meanings of all these customs. Jimmy said they are just some customs and I shouldn't take them too far. Besides, as an expert of a wedding planner, he emphasised again that sometimes they are not something I can decide - the parents of the groom might feel offended if I don't do so.

I still admire the culture within a wedding. But just can't stop thinking at the same time if some customs are really that unbreakable or can't be omitted, especially when people don't even think about the meaning of the customs.

Maybe they are really something I can not decide. But Jimmy, at least I can decide how much money I am going to put in the red envelope to give it to you.

Asking A Woman's Phone Number For Dummies : Taiwan Edition

No matter how instant and convenient a man can meet a woman through the internet, the old fashion way to meet a woman in the street is never really forgotten.

But, without a virtual flower, heart or any other emoticons to send, in real world some men's ability to ask a woman's phone number in the street when he wants to know her seems to backtrack to a single-celled organism. Tonight I feel obligated and commissioned to bring those men back to Darwinism. So, guys, here are my advice. Listen up!

1. NO! NO! NO! Never ever just pop up a line like this, "errr...can you give me your phone number?" Are you a policeman or what?! Be patient and polite!

2. Yes, you want her to stop, but suddenly park your motorcycle and block her way, believe me, it's not a glamorous way to come on the stage, especially when she is wearing her earphone listening to her music and walking with very impatient pigeon's steps on her way home.

3. Wearing a suit will add about 50 points for you, but, remember, the total points will be 1000. Besides, I know you might still be on your motorcycle, but still wearing your helmet when you are talking to the woman is like talking while still having your food in your mouth - good friends won't mind at all, but to a potential friend, 500 points will be lost even before you speak!

4. Don't chicken out at the crucial moment when the woman stops and looks at you. Be a man!

5. Will you make friend with a person you don't even know his/her name? Mind you, you are no more than a total stranger who makes her stop alone in the middle of a dusky lane. Unless you want to hear "fuck off" - introduce yourself first!

6. Not only be a man, but also be a gentleman - don't forget to say "thank you" even when she turns you down determinately.

Although I hope my advice will be helpful, I'm not confident about it at all. I doubt I'll give my phone number to a stranger even he takes all the advice. Maybe I need a book called "Giving Phone Number To A Man For Dummies."

A could-not-be-more-true nightmare

Taiwan mudslide survivors found
Taiwan rescue effort continues
People crying to President Ma for help
People crying for witnessing their own house being washed away

This is absolutely the last way I want my country to be noticed to the world. And sadly these videos only present small ripples of the lives that people in the south of Taiwan have at the moment.

Compare to the northern capital city, Taipei, the southern part of this small island is really like another country. Besides the consecutive heavy rain in the afternoon during these two days, there's nothing really changed or damaged in Taipei. In fact, the only difference I can directly feel is just fewer choices of vegetables that I can have in a restaurant.

Being a capital city, the safeness is not surprising at all. But after watching the news these days, it will be hard not to wonder and worry if the capital city has become the only city the government cares about.

During my dinner break at cram school this evening, I shared my table at a cheap buffet restaurant with a middle-age woman sitting opposite me. While watching the news as our side dish, I could see clearly that those despairing and helpless faces on TV painted the corners of the woman's eyes red and made her eyes moist.

Although the vivid images on TV these days were plenty enough to swallow me up easily, my mind still went completely blank when I tried to imagine any of my family member is missing or the most valuable property, our apartment, which is almost everything mum and dad have earned for all their lives becomes mounds of mud.

Hope President Ma's government will run as fast as his last name suggests and also hope they can learn a lesson from it that when Taipei is safe and fine, it doesn't mean the whole island is safe and fine!

From Point A to Point C

The remaining effect of leaving a comment on my friend Gary's blog about quitting a job makes my bleached past and uncertain future hovering in my head during these few days.

After my graduation from university, I have only had one full-time job experience which lasted for about eight months in a law firm. How was it? Well, to make it short, what I can tell you is all units in the world for measuring will never be big or heavy enough to describe the pressure I had.

The image is still vivid when the junior lawyer Kevin who had been working in the law firm for ten months showed me the three fingernail-size areas on the back of his head that had no hair. While Kevin paid the price to keep his decent office with losing some hair, I defended my pride and expectations about my first real job with the price of having my period late for more than three months without any explanations after some medical checks. It is definitely the longest eight months in my life.

Even though this segment of my memory is too bitter to swallow and will be buried deeply at the darkest corner in my head, I seldom feel regretful about accepting the job. Because it made me rethink about what a job really means to me and what kind of life I might really want. If to explain it with my philosophy, the eight months were an inevitable and necessary "Point B" that I needed to pass through in my life journey, or I can't become who I am now.

My best friend Gina, who went to the same law school with me has depressingly yelled at her parents to stop expecting her to become a lawyer when we graduated from university. She firmly claimed she really had no interest in it. But after receiving a master degree in Marketing from Leeds University and came back to Taiwan in 2007, she recaptured her passion for becoming a lawyer and decided to go to a cram school to prepare for it. Many people consider it was totally a waste of time and money for Gina doing a master degree in Marketing in the UK. But somehow I can understand it. It's just Gina's "Point B."

After walking on some unexpected and winding roads of my life journey during the past few years, sometimes I really believe before reaching the goal of our life or finding what we really want to find, we need to go somewhere or do something else first, even we don't plan to. And now think the next thing I need to learn is to appreciate the scenery during the journey from Point B to Point C.