Goodbye, USA

Being an outsider here in Savannah for three years, now it's time for me to leave. With all the bitter and sweet memories, I am gonna start my new life back in Taiwan. To those who helped or taught me, I appreciate it; to those who adored or loved me, I am sorry. I always feel that I don't belong to this place, although I already started to miss it and feel nostalgia about it. The city, the people, the River, the Spanish moss, the squares, the buildings... every scene or every event, whether taken by me or not, will be carefully collected and protected in a place of my mind. I don't know how to describe my feelings about the living and learning experience here in this country, but it definitely changed me. I am now a sponge fully loaded with the water of knowledge and will able to share it with the people of my origin. I am now a cup of well-brewed coffee ready to tease anyone with my taste. I am now a freshly baked bread ready to feed any hungry stomach. All of this, I owe it to the atmosphere that the country has provided and nurtured me. If anyone asks me where to go for study, I would say anywhere if it fits you. Because a person whoever comes will have a totally different learning experience even in the same department of the school. To me, I consider SCAD, the Savannah College of Art and Design, a good art school to attend. Despite its commercial approach, one can still find a lot of fine art direction to follow. I admit that there ain't much resources to utilize, but it's always good to find out what the place can offer you. I've been learning a lot of the facts and legends of this historic city and have been attempting to transfer these to my source of creation. It finally became the topic of my thesis. I researched how and why this tourist city are visually presented to its visitors, and I call them the “Visible Signs,” as they are used to represent the city, like the Statue of Liberty to New York City. By photographing the city all the time, I am able to take along a full baggage of digital images, the visible signs of the place. Thus, I can browse through this image collection and recall all the memories of it. I will add more articles about these signs afterwards. Right now, let me get ready to soar, and as usual, say goodbye to this charming city and the huge and diverse country.

Farewell, my lady Savannah.

委身為外地人三年，我終於要離開這個國家，回到我所屬的台灣展開新生活了。雖然總是感覺格格不入，但我仍感謝那些曾經幫助或教導過我的人，對於那些珍視或愛惜我的人，我感覺別離的惆悵和抱歉。諷刺的是，對於這個生活了三年的地方的一切，我竟已經感覺鄉愁。這個有許多軼聞的歷史古城，我從中汲取許多，轉化成為我學業的結論。如果你問我沙凡納藝術設計學院值不值得來念，我會說看你的需求，畢竟每個人的學習經驗與過程都不一樣。這裡的確沒有太多藝術資源，但是校外有許多歷史，有許多傳說，都有可能轉化為創作的源頭。這個喬治亞州第一座城市，有太多墾拓與戰爭的痕跡與軼聞，也有許多獨步全美的特色，應用在視覺傳達上，我叫它城市的視覺符號，用圖像代表某個地方，就像是自由女神之於紐約市一樣。由於這是我一直以來的興趣與攝影主題之一，這些特色，日後我會一一介紹（其實上一篇的沙凡納水岸已經開始了）。現在，且讓我好整以暇，整理好我的翅翼，如候鳥，回歸我的家鄉。

再見，如淑女般自持且優雅的沙凡納，我將於夢裡尋妳。

*I am leaving on 8/20. | 我將於8/20搭機返台，我們台灣見。

*Photo taken December 2003 on Liberty Island, NYC.

Savannah Riverfront | 沙凡納水岸

The Riverfront corridor is now the most popular tourist spot in the city. Originally composed of factor’s wharves and warehouses to serve the port, it is now filled with curious souvenir and antique shops, pubs, restaurants and cozy historic inns. No matter day or night, the Riverfront is always crowded with visitors, venders, artists and local residents. It represents leisure and vitality.

水岸走廊是目前沙凡納城最受歡迎的觀光景點。在十九世紀初，這裡原來是進出口商埠碼頭與倉庫，轉運當時盛極一時的棉花、米、煙草和航海用品等等，如今轉身一變，成為古意盎然的紀念品店、古董店、酒吧、各式餐廳和旅館。無論日夜，沙凡納水岸都擠滿了觀光客、小販、當地居民和街頭藝人，在這裡享受悠閒的時光。它代表的，就是沙凡納市休閒和活力的一面。












Savannah Riverfront viewed from Hutchinson Island | 從對岸看沙凡納水岸風情












Marine cargo is the major business activity of the port located behind the Talmadge Bridge | 海運是Talmadge斜張橋後方現代商港的主要活動












The city Hall Stands on the bluff overlooking the Savannah River | 右方圓頂建築即是市政府，是當初建城的起點，立於高於水面十幾公尺的懸崖之上

























Weekend hustle-n-bustle on River Street, cars passing old trolley rails. | 週末，曾是電車軌道的River Street上也擠滿了車輛。



















































Scenes from the First Saturday Crafts and Arts Festival, which happens once every month. | 每個月第一個週六，河邊都會舉辦藝品節，有點像附近藝術家的大趕集，甚是有趣。販售的大多是這些藝術家們原創的作品，有許多也已經申請專利，蠻適合週末渡假的人們來悠閒地逛逛。

Shannon's Wedding | Shannon 的婚禮

Shannon Rogers, a close friend in our team at Gufstream, got married last weekend. I am really happy to do photoshoot for her as the wedding gift. The wedding turned out to be very nicely and smoothly, and I was thrilled that both families treated me very kindly. I feel the couple are blessed and will be very happy thereafter. Best wishes to you, Shannon, may my photos bring you good memories.
我在 Gulfstream 同部門的同事 Shannon 在上週末結婚了，我也很榮幸擔任他們的攝影師，也當作我給她的結婚禮物。由於他們居住於 Savannah 北邊一個小時左右車程的小鎮叫做 Guyton ，我也有機會去體驗了一下真正的南方鄉村生活和風光。本來還蠻擔心在這個還是會有點排外的南方小鎮裡，人們對於我這個亞洲人會多少有點排斥，好在我是多慮了。不管是親友還是當地居民還有前一夜晚宴餐廳的人員，都對我非常客氣，可能也是因為我是新娘同事，而且免費幫他們拍照吧。據說一場婚禮攝影，美國這裡的標準收費是 $2,500左右，這也難怪 Shannon 一知道以後就非常開心，還連連道謝哩。另外還認識一位牧師，居然是在台灣出生的，原來他的母親那時隨著任職空軍的父親，到台北空軍基地協防，雖然他四個月大時全家就搬走了，對台灣人還是有種親切感，晚宴上就一直抓著我講話，還一直說要去台灣看看，煞是有趣。總之，在這個沒有太多居民的小鎮，結婚總是件大事，小小的教堂也很適切地容納了所有的來賓。然而，與我從小從大眾傳媒裡所學到的浪漫典型美國婚禮不同的是，這場婚禮既平凡，又不熱鬧，也算是體驗了一下真正的美國文化。







































































































































































































後來我把照片貼在 Flickr 上，還有人問我是不是 Stock photographer，看來我可以考慮改行了，哈。

Someone Stole My Photo 作品被盜用

Thanks to Flickr User madziajk, I found that my photo “Mixing Colors” was stolen by another account called darren.redmond. I also found that another photo being blogged by Flickr Blog is there too. I warned her/him to take off all my photos on 7/14, but this person didn't respond and keep posting that photo. I was upset and angry. Then I notified Yahoo! Copyright Agent (Flickr is now a division of Yahoo!) about this and finally they promised to take appropriate action.
上周我被一位好心的 Flickr User madziajk 通知說我的照片可能被盜用，我連過去一看，果不期然，這個 darren.redmond （小姐吧）從7/11開始就一直重複貼我的 “Mixing Colors” 這張照片，上面還發現另一張照片，同是被選在3月5日的 Flickr Blog 上面。我在7/14告知此人要刪除所有盜用的照片，但是她沒有回應我而且繼續貼這兩張圖，這實在令人生氣。我已經通知 Flickr 的母公司 Yahoo! 的版權顧問，他們也已經回覆我要採取適當的行動。

Here's a screenshot of the person's Flickr Page 這就是那個人的 Flickr 相簿頁面:












darren.redmond's photos

I would never dream of my photo being stolen like this. Hope this will end soon because it is really frustrating. Best wishes to myself.
被人侵犯版權，對我來說是做夢也想不到的，現在既然發生了，也就希望這件惱人的事可以儘快解決吧。

Fireworks on Savannah River 昨夜煙花燦爛

This year, I was right across from the site of fireworks over the river. It was very shocking to feel these huge fireworks this close. Here you see is a composite of some of them.
這次觀賞美國國慶煙火施放，我距離煙火只有一河之隔，所以當巨大的煙花在我面前綻放開來，我也只能和群眾一起讚嘆，實在很震撼。



















下次再看煙花，不知是在何處了。

Self-Made Dumplings 自製水餃

Being an international student without too many Chinese food restaurant or supermarket around town, I always cook for myself. I would cook stir-fry vegetables and slow-stew or oven-roasted meat with steamed rice. But my favorite is dumplings. I used to buy some from local asian grocery store, but they are always expensive and not very tasty. So, occasionally, I would make dumplings myself, like today. I bought the flour skins from a local Chinese grocery store, and prepare the filling. The filling is made of ground pork, mushroom, Chinese or Napa cabbage and ground ginger root, from my own secret recipe.
這裡沒有太多道地的亞洲餐廳和超市，所以大部分的時間我都是自己煮。水餃一向是我的最愛，但是店裡買的冷凍水餃多半不好吃又貴，所以三不五時還是得自己包來解饞。麵皮當然還是得在超市買，餡料就隨便自己配了，我這次用的是絞肉、香菇、白菜和薑泥。咬上一口，濃郁的香菇香搭上淡淡的辛辣薑味，實在是解遊子思鄉之苦的好食物啊。













The sea of dumplings. 這片餃子海，夠吃好幾餐了。













Aren't they arty? 包得還算漂亮吧。












Served with green onion and sesame oil. Yummy. 加上蔥花、淋上麻油，就是一份美味的晚餐。

Cumberland Island National Seashore 康泊島海岸國家公園

Cumberland Island National Seashore is a large island-based US national park. It was renamed from Spanish name San Pedro Island by General James Oglethorpe in honor of William Augustus, the then 13 year old Duke of Cumberland in England. Blending saltwater marsh, maritime forest and white sand beach, these three ecosystems play equal important role in contribution to this island's bio-diversity. The richness of lives and environment make it more than just a “national seashore”. Thanks to the upcoming tropical storm which was brewing closely, the sky was very dramatic that made my shots brilliant.
康泊島海岸國家公園 (Cumberland Island National Seashore) 是以一座大型島嶼為主，由鹽沼、海岸叢林和白色沙灘所組成，所以說它是「海岸公園」其實不太正確。也由於多樣化的生態環境，孕育出豐富的生物物種和景觀，讓人深有不虛此行的感覺，而我們在島上逛了大半天，才走了整座島南邊的一小塊，可見要完全探索它的豐富多樣，還是得多待幾天才行，這也難怪大多數的遊客都是在島上露營，在茂密的叢林裡搭帳篷露宿，享受野趣，真是人生一大樂事呢。

















































About 30 minutes ride, the ferry gives you a feeling of escaping from the world. 入島須搭乘約30分鐘渡輪，一開始就覺得有脫離塵世的感覺。

























The maritime forest is consisted of live oak trees as canopy and saw palms on the ground. 海岸叢林是以橡樹和棕梠樹所構成，置身其中真的很有林深不知處的感覺。

























This piece of sand dune is like a horse or horse head. 像一匹馬或馬頭的沙堆。













Rose-pinks flourish on the hot and dry sand dunes. 燥熱的沙丘上居然也有美麗的野花盛開。
























Unknown lizard sunbathing on the ground of the forest. 不知名的蜥蜴在叢林地上就著篩下來的陽光做日光浴。

























The only “Road” on the island. 島上唯一的大路，南北連絡交通。













Built in 1796, Dungeness Mansion was a center of Georgian high society where the elite of the fledgling country held parties and social events of legendary proportion. After Confederate's failure in Civil War, it fell into disrepair and burned to the ground in 1866. Dungeness Mansion 建於1796，是當時喬州菁英暫離塵世聚會飲樂的場所，後來因為南北戰爭的失敗，這幢華麗的建築在1866年也難逃北軍大規模破壞焚燒的命運。

























Wild horses feeding on the grassland between ruins. 目前只有野馬在廢墟裡自在繁衍。























Due to erosion on the shore, some trees were fallen with despair. 因為海岸的侵蝕作用，比較靠岸邊的樹往往根基被掏空而倒下。

















Fiddler Crabs are abundant in salt marshes. 鹽沼裡有大量的招潮蟹。













Armadillos were introduced in 1970s. 犰狳（發音為求於）是七零年代才引進島上的。



































Josh, one of my best friends at SCAD, just got his new toy, an Olympus DSLR. 喬許也晉身DSLR玩家了。












What a nice day! 好風、好水、好日。