The Ark concert photos - DC & NYC '06

YouTube videos

My 2 favorite The Ark songs are
1. It Takes A Fool To Remain Sane
2. Tell Me This Night Is Over

What's yours?

楊乃文新專輯 MV - Faith new MV

楊乃文 MV 集中點

回響 - “白天紐約黑夜巴黎”

巴黎環城電車預想圖

剛完工通車路段

已完工路線

預定2010年完工的完整環城電車系統圖
(中間綠色部份，將可能禁止行車)

工頭堅轉載的王文華“白天紐約黑夜巴黎”

因為跟台北，巴黎，紐約都有關係，所以我又來有感而發。以下是我對文章做的回響。

哇 這文章回響了快一年了。好吧 我來後知後覺一下。

本人大半輩子都在巴黎過，這兩年來到紐約，剛好跟王先生相反，但是完全贊成他的看法。在法國，因為他們是社會主義，所以完全不覺得好，後來自己不知不覺的變得巴黎了起來，所以決定趁老之前換個洲生活生活。

終於來到愛上已久的紐約, 但是卻失望的發現她正開始老得掉牙呢。
因為紐約人的忙碌和自私，已經讓建築景觀變成黃臉婆了。不像規定每十年就得清一次建築，天天在掃地的法國，還非常老當益壯。巴黎的另類市長，正努力的把巴黎變成個大公園，讓車子寸步難行，漸漸的被公車和自行車道佔走地盤。就連消失已久的環城電車都將復活了起來，非常摩登的在特別研製的草坪間駛著。沒錯，在美國，法國人一天到晚被嘲笑，是因為美國人吃味吧。不過紐約現在處處學法國，常常看到有模有樣，古色古香的地方，近焉卻都像狄斯奈樂園，空殼子令人撲鼻。

今年世足的時候，在這個叫“膽小橄欖球“為football的國家，竟然發起了soccer熱。發現膚淺的女人為義大利隊加油，膚淺的男人跟德國球迷勾肩搭背，完全不懂球賽規則，為的就是找個異國情人和討厭，讓他們獨立，送他們自由女神的法國，只想氣走法國球迷。但是他們完全不知道，法國人可是逢場助興的天王呢。看球賽只不過是大家相聚，發發瘋，好好party一下的藉口。管他誰贏誰輸？ 大家一起渡過好時光吧。這一點，其實當時才輸了的英國球迷反而很了解，竟然很英式幽默的在一旁幫法國隊主持公道。畢竟是對立了數百年的敵友，對他們而言，看球常常也只是大家聚聚，喝喝啤酒發發酒瘋罷了，哪裡那麼嚴重。

不過我畢竟是台灣出生，對棒球有著美好的童年回憶，來紐約唯一讓我覺得勝過巴黎的，當然是有王建民的棒球，和樣樣都挺道地的台灣小吃。一次回到巴黎，逢人就被問到紐約和巴黎的不同。是的，紐約多元，巴黎有文化，9.11之後紐約變灰了，巴黎多了色彩。不過人還是要過日子的，回到巴黎我最慶幸的是，可以好好呼吸，享受靜靜傳來的教堂鐘聲，和終於可以不用喊著說話。記得以前回台北的時候，也逢人就被問，你在巴黎到底在做什麼啊？我剛開始不懂， 啊？！什麼意思？ 生活啊！不然做什麼？ 我答。

在紐約，常跟一群歐洲來的朋友們數落美國。義大利朋友嘲笑這裡的假義大利人，愛爾蘭朋友看不起這裡沒經過大風大浪的愛爾蘭後裔，英國朋友每次一開口，美國男人都矮了一節，女人都成了花痴。好笑的是，唯有歷經滄桑的老亞洲移民排擠新來的資本主義移民。 我常常無奈看美國人在那裡，因為賭自己學校的球隊而非常投入美式足球。問他們，如果Super Bowl的冠軍隊跟紐西蘭的All Blacks比賽，誰會贏？ 。。。他們呆了好久，終於忍不住反問，什麼是All Blacks？ 我很想回答，就是真男人（不穿保護肩胛）打的橄欖球的世界最強隊伍啊！
真是可憐，他們的世界只有美國這麼大。

由 smileovni 發表於 November 11, 2006 1:34 AM

補充 :

另外，去看過sidekick的連結文章，這裡來對假期部份做一點數據資料參考。

法國除了國定假期，週末，每週工作時數35小時，年休不包括病假和事假為五週，開除或離職通知必須要有充分理由，期限依工作性質而定，為2個月到四年。產假限女性為十週。

美國除了國定假期，週末，每週工作時數至少50小時，年休包括病假和事假為四週，開除或離職通知無論任何理由，依合約而定，通常為30分鐘到2週。(所以可以在美國影集中看到馬上不幹了或收到memo要求30分鐘內就得離開的劇情) 產假限女性約為三週。

瑞典除了國定假期，週末，每週工作時數40小時，年休不包括病假和事假為五週，開除或離職通知需要有嚴重理由，期限依工作性質而定，為1個月。產假不限男女為一年(留職留薪為近90%薪資)。

不過依我老公的工作經驗，在法國幾乎要拜託職員來上班，在美國職員幾乎永遠都在辦公室。我記得一位女性職員剛剛生產完，打電話來說她過兩天可以來上班，我老公要她至少休息兩週，結果她因為怕工作被別人取代，一週後就出現在辦公室了。

在美國看電視幾乎一定要有tivo類的錄影系統，不然你會不斷的被一些賣藥，減肥，和怎麼賺錢的廣告轟炸。西岸東岸因為飲食習慣和交通工具的不同，身材也明顯有異。演員演出電影通常在合約裡也會有身材的細節，任何需要改變身材的部份都要特別的費用。結婚不是一張結婚證書而已，有時候是一本合約。許多美國人的婚姻真的是由律師來結束的，當然每州有不同的法律，不過網路上也有提供又便宜又快的離婚手續。

意思是，真的。在美國，什麼都要錢，什麼都要小費。大家開口閉口都是錢，坐地鐵時看書看報的少之又少。台灣因為政府的長期無能，大家已經習慣什麼都批評的日子。歐洲許多國家也是標榜言論自由，所以可以大聲說心裡的不滿，至於髒話那只是家教的問題罷了。不過在美國，這個也是標榜自由的國家，卻要在言論上步步為營，說任何重話都有可能被告上法庭，或遭殺身之禍。我家唯一的一扇可以看到布魯克林大橋風景的窗口，一天樓下的餐館莫名奇妙的在窗前豎了一面巨幅美國國旗。全樓的鄰居不論國籍都感到驚愕，正打算請餐館把旗桿搬走的時候，餐館的經理竟然找記者寫了一篇，說我們這棟樓的人不喜歡美國國旗，都是反美國主義的文章。加上，旗桿是豎在行人走道上，要搬走，是市政府的事。我們身為律師的樓房代表說要尋求其它管道，所以這幅大旗仍然在我與布魯克林大橋間飄揚。真搞不懂這是個什麼自由國家？

我之前去了一趟上海和北京。上海都是商人和時尚，相對的北京則有文化和藝術。所以，嚴格看來，台灣其實應該是界於美國跟歐洲國家之間，上海與北京之間吧？ 所以如果人真的只能活一次，或著想好好的過這輩子。你是想要能夠好好享受多采多姿的生活？還是想拼命工作賺錢呢？也許折衷一下，當個有文化的商人，或當個有經營頭腦的生活藝術家吧！


由 smileovni 發表於 November 12, 2006 5:55 AM

The Painted Veil

I was pretty close to work on this film, but it ended up against my just left Paris and moved into NYC timing.

Friend of mine a big romantic got this project for his new position in China, and advised me to get a copy of The Painted Veil by early 20th century English novelist W. Somerset Maugham. I read the book while I was in Paris packing alone and was very emotional in reading it. The writing was not perfect but was sure very fashionable at time. The story is not grand but the typical English timeless love is sorrow enough to keep a box of tissue handy.

The book has already been adapted once in 1934, but it was alter from the original story. Which make me very curious about this more faithful version. And even I love Edward Norton and think Naomi Watts is great cast, but since I was picturing Clive Owen as the lover, so it's very ambiguous for me now to get used to Liev Schreiber (he's excellent in Mixed Nuts).

Anyway. The film release date is Dec. 20 2006. And before you get to read the book. Here is the trailer:

Adrienne Shelly's death

News Article
Adrienne Shelly's Wikipedia
Hal Hartley's Wikipedia

Infernal Affairs vs. The Departed

Martin Scorsese is not a quality guarantee director, but he did marked the movie history with style such as Mean Streets(1973), Taxi Driver(1976), Raging Bull(1980) and The Aviator(2004) was a very remarkable film too with DiCaprio's great performance. From Robert De Niro to Leonardo DiCaprio, and for once he wants to union his lucky charms in the same film ... then Robert turned down the role and the unique and epic Jack Nicholson signed in with condition - More Jack in the story. He co-rewroted part of the script and put sex and drug in the film to make it more Hollywood like. Unfortunately. That might be the only big mistake they made, not to mention the shocking fake male genital on the huge wide screen. Which I think it's extremely uncomfortable for the female audiences, since almost all women and girls has pervert experiences of this kind in their unwanted memories.

Also one of the success reason of The Infernal Affairs was because the film was a real manly man story with slight touch of three wonderful actresses. Contrarily to The Departed, smart or not to concentrate the female roles in one and common shrink. And contrarily to Tony Leung, Andy Lau and Eric Tsen's excellent acting is the drama DiCaprio, the always Matt Damon's Matt Damon, and always Jack Nicholson's Jack. Anthony Wong was remarkable, Martin Sheen was o.k. plus some little fun touches with Alec Baldwin as captain and Mark Wahlberg's fast mouth. Which maybe saved the film from the total failure.

The Infernal Affairs has 1/3 of the budget (6,428,966 USD) gone for the talents which is big in HK, and I guess The Departed (90,000,000 USD) has only 1/3 of the budget left for the film with $20M for DiCaprio, $10M each for Damon, Nicholson, Wahlberg, $6M for Scorsese and that's already $56M of the $90M. (don't worry. They've already made 130M in US only since the opening, which Brad Pitt's production Plan B. and the distributor WB got what they need for the next decadent movie maybe The Infernal Affairs II & III remake? or Joli's next adoption.) The art direction in The Departed was poor, the lighting was dry and the picture was disturbing. Also they filmed partly in Boston where the story base and partly in NYC for the 15% tax credit. And maybe that was why the film missed the perspective landscape compare with HK's modern hi-rise buildings, tropical sky and harbor, clean office, fashionable bar and crowdy HK streets contrast, and of course the great photography by Christopher Doyle.

The score is below: Infernal Affairs(2002) - The Departed(2006)

Budget: 6,428,966 USD < 90,000,000 USD
Length: 101 mn. < 150 mn.
Director: Andrew Lau, Alan Mak > Martin Scorsese
Writer: Felix Chong, Alan Mak > Jack Nicholson's re-write
Undercover bad guy: Andy Lau > Matt Damon
Undercover police: Tony Leung > Leonardo DiCaprio
Special unit chef: Anthony Wong > Martin Sheen
Special unit sidekick: xxx < Mark Wahlberg
Captain: xxx < Alec Baldwin
Female role: 3 actresses > 1 shrink
Chief's death: Infernal Affairs > The Departed
Vilain's capture: Infernal Affair < The Departed

so it's 7 > 5 for Infernal Affairs !!

The Infernal Affairs' Wikipedia
The Departed's Wikipedia