This blog used to be quite busy as I updated it once every few days. Now I am focusing on two projects that demand my full attention. One is my comic website chloroville.com and the other is a “mega” project that brings everything together. I am rebuilding magicketchup.com (which is my portfolio site) in WordPress, which makes it a portfolio blog site. Once that is done, I will merge this blog that you are reading (magicketchup.com/blog) with the new portfolio blog site.

A portfolio blog site is exciting to me because it records my portfolio/work chronologically. I have been working as a graphic designer/illustrator for more than 10 years now and my portfolio is quite big and diverse. (And I haven’t updated my current portfolio site for a few years.) Going through my old work could be fun because it can show you what the design trends were like that year, and how I progress artistically and technically.

With the newest works always showing on the top, those who are interested in my current work can always skimp through my front page, those who are curious about my older work (sadly I admit they are crazier) can take a few hours exploring my site (and yes, unsightly school work portfolio will be back!)

P.S. This website was hacked recently and malicious codes were inserted into some posts. Now it’s all cleaned, but I have to remove all subscribers. My apologies.

今晨我和鄰居發生口角，「潑婦罵街」。

事後自我檢討，對自己的失儀，深感歉意。也覺得自己對不公義之事，臨亂一刻不能有效地和平和地反駁和處理，深感失望。

我所住的單位是一列鎮屋的其中一間，左邊房是來自中國大陸的一對年輕情侶，男的做專業攝影，女的我不知大概；右邊房是一些台灣簽證海外留學生。他們都是租客，而且都有飼養狗隻。

問題出自他們放狗後不拾走狗糞而往往狗隻「如廁」時我不在場得以指控，累得我們的前街和草坪四處都是「地雷」。

大陸女子特別不付責任，懶得帶狗走動，沒有扣上狗鏈，打開前門就任牠四跑排糞，如事後狗隻自動回屋，她鎖上門後像什麼事也沒有發生。半年前我目擊牠的狗在我屋門前拉屎，於是我拍門和她對峙。由於當時右屋還沒租出，鎮屋只有她有狗隻，所以她不能自辯地說，「我其實正是去拿膠袋，只是慢了點。」她心心不忿，還說：「我經過你家門前，隔窗見你家有貓隻，你有沒有想過是牠們的糞便？」我說牠們從不准外出，所以沒有可能。

數月後，右房子的台灣留學生搬進，情況每況愈下。直到前天，我親自目撃他的狗在前門草坪拉屎，我的同屋找看更和他理論，他十分不好意思，說他以後不會再犯。可能是有錢人的孩子，對此深覺丟臉，後天牠放狗時我遇上他，他再次道歉。這樣就好了，互相尊重。

可惜，今晨所發生的事，令我搖頭不信是真的。大陸女子的沙皮狗再次「出撃」，我又再次目睹牠的「丰采」，於是再次拍門。她知道是什麼回事，特意不應門，我的同屋終於找看更致電她的家中，她才出來。她說：「你有什麼証據是我的狗做的？你有沒有相片証明？」看更說：「請問你十分鐘前有沒放狗？」她說：「有，但不代表是我的狗所做。」看更說：「這是市的法律，你的狗需要扣上狗鏈，不可任牠四跑。」她說：「怎麼要針對我，很可能是另一所屋的狗所做，他們也有養狗。」我的同屋說他們已承認過錯，開始了拾起狗糞。她說：「他們家中也有養貓三隻，你有沒有想過是他們的所為？」看更說：「請不要轉彎抹角，他們目擊你的狗的所為。而且，不只是他們投訴，其他人家也有。」她說：「你說，那一家？」看更說：「其他鎮屋單位，但我不能說是那一所。」她說：「好，我現在去拾走那狗糞，但是因為是你（看更），而不是為了他們！」

她回屋前駛出中指「F*ck You」(屌你)，我回應了一句「Bitch!」（潑婦），她停下腳步說：「Yeah? You too! But I am prettier than you！」我心想，妳說妳比我漂亮又如何？你死不認錯，扭横折曲，一個這樣心腸的人，路可走得多遠？

回家後我坐下，我想不到我和鄰居的關係會搞得這麼惡劣，以後日字會變得怎樣？

最近，加拿大移民部正努力修改移民法條，要求移民百份百接受和認同加拿大的「基本價值觀」。基本價值觀包括男女平等，言論自由等。原因是曾有定居加拿大的回教徒要求加拿大允准他們使用自己的一套法律去解決他們的家庭事，如男方永遠比女方有更大權力於離婚、子女撫養權和遺產分配。這當然被加拿大立刻駁回，你做得加拿大人，便要學懂加拿大的法律和價值觀，不可把移民國當作酒店來住。

我不知在中國大陸飼養狗隻的怎麼回事，但在加拿大，帶狗出外要用狗鏈和拾走狗糞，這法津和基本公德。我的鄰居這樣厚顏無恥，令我氣忿和失望。

Date of travel: 09/11/2008

It was a beautiful day. The sky was crystal blue and the sun rays made the houses in Athens extra white. The openness of the vast coastal line gave me a very free and leisure feel. Of course, our tour guide was telling us the hardship of modern Greeks and let’s not fool by the beauty of their natural resources. The first landmark we visited in Greece was the Temple of Poseidon.

Date of Travel: August 11, 2008

After a short visit to the Ephesus museum, the tour bus took us to a small restaurant located next to the Çamlık Outdoor Train Museum for lunch. Those who finish the meal early can spend more time seeing the trains and visiting the Turkish pottery shop “Ephesus Ceramic”, which is also located right next to the restaurant.

After touring the Ephesus we arrived at the Ephesus Museum of Selcuk, Turkey. When we toured the museum, there was no one inside. The weather was very nice that day and I really enjoyed the leisurely moment. The size of the museum is relatively small and I would even use “cute” to describe it.