The Flat Stanely Project

My cousin sent Stanley to me from Australia. I sent him home long overdue for his nap. I hope the kids that sent Stanley abroad will still be able to find out about his latest adventure. While in Taiwan he had fun at the Dragonboat Festival and watched the boats race from the Bitan suspension bridge (碧潭吊橋).

imitation is the best form of flattery. now i have my own wood carving, styled after Ju Ming’s Taichi series. i’d like to start studying taichi after i settle down in Beijing. i’ve learned a few things while living in Taiwan that’ll help. simple things that are often overlooked when we’re busy, like how to relax (放鬆) my body. that’s what the elderly folks in the park are doing when you see them patting themselves and exercising in funny ways. they’re also getting the energy in their bodies flowing (開穴氣流?). i’ve also learned the simple technique of breathing deeply.

…and the next day (the day after the trip to Miaoli) I was inspired to visit the Juming Museum (朱銘美術館). Juming is a famous Taiwanese sculptor. His mueseum, with most of his work presented outside, is the coolest museum I’ve ever been to. Maybe I haven’t been to that many musuems but I love the way it’s designed. The way you are up close with the pieces and how it is all very down to earth. The bronze pieces are built to last and in time will change to a green color, similar to their surroundings in the mountains.

i walked around barefoot. there is a wading pond to get your feet wet.

“Zipper Tent” i like this one. it’s funny.

“Zipper Lotus Pond” Zipper Series by his son Ju Jun

soldiers with blunt swords in the fight against agression

“Soldier Series” part of the Living World Series

Living World Series

Living World Series

zāng xiǎo hái wán de yú kuài

This is what happens when you play outdoors barefoot. I remember when I was little and having running races in the street. We said we could run faster barefoot. Yesterday, 彥彬 (Yànbīn) and I played 2-on-2 with some high schoolers. I played barefooted because my shoes are already falling apart and I’m trying to make them last. One of the kids was wearing flip-flops. We won two games. Then we were losing the third game until the basketball bounced into the Xindian river.

Jiāxún (佳珣), 宗庭’s girlfriend, called me 髒小孩 (zāng xiǎohái or a dirty little kid) over the weekend in Kending when she saw my feet were all black. I guess it’s a trend. Walking barefooted is good sometimes, like massage. I sometimes ride my bike barefooted. I like Tawainese foot massages but they’re too expensive to get them regularly.