I am home, Madison! (June 24 – July 05, 2007)

I had very busy and crazy days before my departure, and I didn’t pack anything until the night before. Guess I am not super excited about going out of the country, or psychologically I feel going home as Doug says?

The Chinatrust credit card allows me to enter the priority room at the airports. I found it is very interesting that there is a choice of saloon service besides the regular rest services. I then had a haircut and spent a great time in HK airport. I told to friends in Madison and of course they were surprised and laughed. It is an interesting experience to share with them, anyways. Next time when you stay in HK airport, don’t forget to have a haircut!

June 25
Phoebe picked me up at Memorial Union at midnight and I stay in hers for several days. It is easier for me to go to campus these days. I got a free day on the first day after my arrival from Doug’s kindly consideration of my dizzy head caused by the long flight. I went to West Towne with Yaling after the lunch. I was too tired to go through the mall so I need to come back later to find a complete shopping enjoyment. This is shopping joy section I.

I promised Phoebe to watch the DVD I brought with her. She shouted me up while I was enjoying my sweet dreams around 9pm… I still remember how nervous I was jumping from the bed… really scaring. I was so glad that she enjoyed the show very much, and good to know that she got some inspiration from it.

Jin-Wen invited me to join the reception around 7pm-- right after 5:30pm performance. I drove phoebe’s M3 mobile to watch the show. Well, not really watch, I barely know what happened on the stage because my eyes are too heavy to open them! I guess the guy who sat behind me must curious why this woman come here and sleep! Gosh, I had to hang on there. At least I can talk and walk in the reception!

June 26
Phoebe, HuiFen, and I had brunch together at pancake house. Those gatherings really brought back many memories of student life here. I fought Phoebe is such a creative person who has lots of ideas about not only searching for information but also matching things and “people”! How talented!

It is hard to measure how much coffee you would drink at pancake house because they are very good at refilling the coffee. Good food and nice people always bring more customers in. Several years ago, I added salt into my coffee instead of sugar because I was keep talking and talking and both add-ons are white. Of course my coffee tasted very awkward. The waitress changed a cup of coffee for me and told me that it is alright, and it happens… well, I guess she could tell that I was embarrassed.

Of course I need to take a nap again in the afternoon. I feel so safe with Phoebe because I know she must gives me a holler if I sleep overtime. Nice alarm—for my time keeping and writing energy! Although we joked a lot, I am sincerely appreciate it very much. …good girl.

Tuesday night, the 26th, my piece will be on. I put on new clothes which I bought yesterday. I am glad Phoebe wants to go with me. It is a great friendship support. It is also nice to see YunChen and Jin-Wen on the stage again. Several friends are there at Lathrop Hall as well--

Summer Dance Institution was holding series of events entitled Lakeside Living and Dancing from June 11-29, 2007, including Intensive Dance Workshop, Dance Millennium Residence Camp, and Summer Intercontinental Dance Festival. I was invited to present a cooperated work with Jin-Wen Yu Dance for a festival showcase. Also, co-sponsored by the World Dance Alliance Americas, this festival includes nine concerts and sixty master classes--Ballet, Modern, African Dance, Jazz, Chinese Dance, Hip Hop, Flamenco, Contact Improvisation, and Tai Chi.

June 27
The 2007 Design Education Course meet Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from June 25th – July 12th at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I was invited to give a talk in the first week of the meeting. This course covered the introduction of design and design education, historical and social contexts of design, and the application of design process to information design, object design, environment design, and experience design. I talked about the design education in the United States and in Taiwan, the design works and research that I am developing, and the role of explanation graphics in design education. During the course, participants shared ideas and sparked new thoughts through different types of discussions.

Super me! I go to concert on the square with YC & JC after a hard work night and a long presentation! Of course I take a nap before going, and Phoebe monitors me well enough to avoid missing any appointment! It is the first concert of this season. I am so glad to catch this great event. As usual, many families indulge themselves so much that they bring not only blankets, chairs, crackers, water, wine, flowers, … and even family pictures! A great amount of people enjoy in the beautiful music on the green, under the sky. I am one of the lucky people on Capital Square.

On the last day of my session, a colleague invited me for another meeting to discuss her current research project and the possibilities of international cooperation in the future. We talked about visual information design, information architecture, explanation graphics design for understanding, the needs of rethinking about design, and a brain research with fMRI screening process for visuals. This invitation of research proposal is very interesting to me. Also, this coming cooperation will broaden my views on the research of visual information design.

June 28
Beth and I had lunch at Wasabi, where offers good bento lunch in town—although I felt the rice is not enough, and I complained they charged green tea since couple years ago… >_<” Our conversation widely covers from life to job, from art works to loved ones. Hopefully we will find a good time to see the art exhibition in Overture Center during my stay… What an excited thing to see Sharon in this trip. She drove all the way from Chicago area to see me! She is a really How-Pun-Yo of mine! I received a packs of Bucky souvaniors from her in January. Sharon and Doug went back to Madison to defense her mater thesis. She thought of me so bought the Bucky series: t-shirt, pencil, stickers—regular and for window, and a very beautiful card with terrace photograph on it. It is a very nice gift from a good friend’s greetings. We thought we couldn’t see each other before my departure, but then she made this trip from Chicago to see me. We had a very funny and fantastic talk as what we usually did! Every time we two together, what we do is talking and laughing. I saw Terri another day at campus. She asked me if I have a chance to see Sharon. “we met already!” I said. Then Terri said, “No wonder the world is shaking!” I can tell Terri is very scared when Sharon and I see each other. We once had a very good time in her class….

June 29
Yulien is getting famous in Madison. She is kindly organizing Tzi-Chi services in Madison. I recall that we sat at the deck by Lake Mandota last August the night before my leaving from Madison. It was a pleasure time to chat with an old friend—we heard of each other in junior high, but reunion and get to know each other more in Maidson… right before my leaving! What a special friendship. She told me that she has been to one of my solo exhibition several years ago—although I hardly recognized her. I am so glad to gain this lovely friend.

Since the university I am going to teach at is next to the one she has attended to, she told me that the bread in my university is tasty! I told her that if she come back to Taipei and let me know, I would buy her breads to remembrance her good old time~

Sleepless in Madison_June 30, 2007, 3:10am
Maybe because of the coffee I had with Yu-Lien this evening, I seem full of energy under this dark sky. I launched a new space for writing Chinese web log (O'Sheridan Loft ) and hope I can continue on both versions. I hope to improve bi-lingual and/or tri-lingual (or more…) ability in writing and composition. By taking this baby step, I hope the book writing plan will move smoothly.

With this block of silent night, I seem to be drawn back to the old times when I work on my dissertation. Hard time, but good memory… in this beautiful land, and wonderful community.
I start to work on my Chinese web log in the end of my trip... Ha, my chinese typing is improving...

More about Madison trip—L’e toile, Farmer’s MarketCanoe... etc.
The rest of the documents, please switch to Chinese—see how multi-lingual I am!

新開張
二十四小時戰鬥營