軒尼詩炫音之樂亞洲巡迴表演 Hennessy Artistry 2009

澳洲創作女聲Lenka ×美國搖滾團體Boys Like Girls ×
英國人氣歌手Paul Freeman × 台灣創作新人蕭閎仁

台灣的豪門人家

曾幾何時，台灣的豪門人家成了社會注目的焦點。「豪門」這兩字到底是怎麼來的，似乎也無可考證。記得小時候就讀私立小學，很多同學的家庭都是有錢人，有些真的是富貴人家，出門有司機接送，有的是權貴人家，父母是民意代表或是政府官員。這年頭，豪門的定義有待研究，不過豪門都是住在豪宅，而最為大家熟悉的豪宅就是帝寶。我的朋友和她的家人住在帝寶，邀請我一同參加帝寶的中秋聯歡晚會。

今晚的活動必須事先購票，取得有編號的名牌﹙好像豪宅狗牌﹚，入場時必須掛在脖子上。聽說去年的中秋晚會豪門人家不但攜家帶眷出席，也邀請親朋好友一起共襄盛舉，造成空前絕後的大爆滿，因此今年改為預售票的形式。也為了預防有媒體記者混進來，今晚門禁特別森嚴，即使外人身掛著活動名牌，也必須由豪門住戶陪同才能進場。

活動的服裝規定是白色，大家也非常配合的穿上全白的裝扮；今晚至少有三百多人到場，在飲食部分，有知名的Qua Pasa準備 buffet、度小月現煮擔仔麵、乾杯大肆烤各式各樣的燒肉和寧夏夜市攤販現做糖葫蘆﹙蕃茄和草莓﹚；飲料有喝到飽的Asahi Beer、法國紅酒、香檳、復古彈珠汽水和非酒精飲品；現場表演非常豐富，一開場有爵士樂團演奏音樂暖場﹙但不知道為什麼，感覺像是那卡西樂團，彷彿來到北投﹚，緊接著有一場非常精彩的國劇變臉表演和魔術表演，同時有兩個小丑滿場飛，幫小朋友折氣球；成人的喝啤酒大賽，用一般吸管和兩百公分長的吸管競爭，蠻有創意的。一旁置有棉花糖機器，小朋友可免費自製不同口味的棉花糖，還有夜市找來的撈魚攤販，小朋友興高采烈的用紙網撈魚﹙但是不能帶回家﹚，節目最後由「四個阿兜仔搖滾樂團」，四個阿兜仔搖滾樂團是他們的團名，由四個四個阿兜仔台灣女婿組成的樂團，把氣氛炒到最高點，唱英文、中文和台語歌曲，還應現場觀眾熱烈要求，連唱兩次伍佰的「你是我的花朵」，全場一起帶動唱歌、跳舞，High到最高點！

其實整晚下來，感覺豪門住戶之間感情還挺融洽的，大家有說有笑的，而且因應環保意識，餐盤都重覆使用，以減少浪費；不知道是主辦單位抓的精準，還是大家都很餓，吃喝的東西所剩不多。活動結束後，大家相邀拍照留念，將近四小時的中秋聯歡晚會圓滿結束。

我曾經和台灣富豪的第二代用餐，地點是壽喜燒吃到飽餐廳，其實也沒啥大不了的，這是非常平民的享受，一個人三四百塊的美食饗宴；但是在大家酒足飯飽、通通放下筷子、大喊吃不消時，只見那富豪的第二代繼續在吃，似乎想把剩下的鍋底吃得一乾二淨，一點都不留。我想，他有節儉的好習慣，有錢也是應該的，因為人家一點都不浪費。不像有些月光族，根本沒有本錢浪費，但是拒絕打包，說難聽一點，打包帶回家又是一餐啊！

有些豪門子弟對自己很節儉，但是對別人很大方。一回與台灣富豪的第二代相約去按摩，身體和腳底加起來做了兩個小時，平均一個人花費台幣2,250元，她不但執意要請我﹙她說難得讓她請客，這是小錢﹚，還塞了台幣五百元的小費給兩個師傅﹙一人五百，兩人一千﹚，她說：「現在景氣不好，人家賺的是辛苦錢，多給一點沒關係。」按摩結束後，我們去夜市吃晚餐，兩個人加起來花不到三百元，吃得飽飽飽。逛著逛著，她看上一款多功能腰包，第一個攤販要價兩百五，她覺得稍貴；第二個喊價兩百，她說再看看；第三個開價一百八，她一次買兩個，一個自用，另一個要送給男友。

我蠻慶幸，至少我認識的台灣的豪門人家都是對別人大方，對自己節儉，這樣的人擁有財富並不會讓人紅眼。記得一位熟諳佛法的朋友說：「今生好命是上輩子修來的福報，要懂得珍惜，千萬不要覺得不好意思，人各有命，不要怨天尤人，或是貪得無厭，你的一切行為老天都有在看。今生好命但學術不正的人必有報應。」

Mid-Autumn Festival Celebration

I Can’t Believe I Flew 10,000 Miles For This Shit

My dear friend K has a 20 year old son who’s autistic. Let’s call him L. Even though L has impaired social behaviors and human interactions, he’s extremely talented in art, music, horseback riding and swimming.

It’s been four years since I became friends with K and her family. I’ve had the privilege to engage in many social activities and family gatherings with them. My observation tells me that despite autism this young prodigy has a keen sense of people and things around him. He might not be verbal about his feelings but oftentimes he expresses in his artwork. And recently he surprises us by demonstrating his taste of gourmet food with a great sense of humor.

Thanks to his artistic talent. L is invited by Musée du Louvre to visit Paris and K has to accompany him to France over the summer.

One night when they are having dinner, the French waiter asks L, “How’s your steak, Sir?”

Without making any eye contact he continues to slice that piece of meat on his plate and then replies, “I can’t believe I flew 10,000 miles for this shit!”

Everyone bursts out laughing, leaving the French waiter panicking and rushing back to the kitchen.

Yeah, that steak is a bit overcooked and it does seem like sharper cutlery is needed in order to work on it. That line comes from Hollywood movie “Rush Hour” which is one of his favorite movies and L memorizes every line in the film. He might not be expressive but he certainly knows how to put his photographic memory to a great use.

“I’ve never been invited to anywhere overseas and I’m overwhelmed by his achievements. He’s visited more places on earth and received more recognitions than all of us combined,” says K.

I couldn’t agree more. L is definitely an overachiever! Somehow it’s ironic that many spend their whole lives, striving to reach a certain status of fame. And here he is, indifferent to fame and money but he’s able to draw and paint like a genius since he was three.

Life can be so unfair sometimes and works in a mysterious way!

The Rebound：Sometimes Love Just Ain’t Enough & Timing Is Everything

In real life actress Catherine Zeta-Jones is going to be 40 years old later this month and she’s married to actor Michael Douglas since year 2000. Most people don’t know that they were born on the same day – September 25th despite 25 years of age difference.

“The Rebound” is Zeta-Jones’ latest film in which she falls in love with a 25 year old manny﹙male babysitter﹚after separation from her cheating husband. Hence the title “The Rebound” it’s about the next relationship following a breakup. However, the buzz is about the age difference between the couple, especially when the woman is 15 years older than the man. The tagline, “she’s still got it and he’s just getting it”, sums up what this film is all about.

I like “The Rebound” because it’s more real than most romantic comedy I’ve seen so far this year. Catherine Zeta-Jones plays Sandy, a single mother of two, starts over in New York City and re-enters the workforce. She’s juggling between a new job, kids and born again life. Justin Bartha is Aram﹙interesting choice of name﹚, a recent university graduate who hasn’t found his calling in life, still lives with his parents and makes minimum wages at a coffee shop. They fall in love with each other, struggle for social acceptance and eventually break up. The dilemma is all too real because it’s what ordinary people have to deal with while searching for true love. By the way the two child actors are surprisingly pleasant and they have the quirkiest punch lines throughout the film.

The happy ending will make you feel warm at heart as you leave the theater and that’s probably what most people would like to have in their lives. Even though art imitates life oftentimes it’s rather difficult for life to imitate art. Therefore we turn to cinema for our unfulfilled dreams that become true on the screen. It gives us hopes. In real life Sandy and Aram might not meet again after their sudden breakup. Or they might find new love and meet again randomly. Or they might remain single for the rest of their lives and never find their soulmate. In “The Rebound” Sandy and Aram run into each other again five years later and both are single and pick up from where they left off. Voilà! That’s the kind of happy ending we’d wish to occur in reality.

On a monthly basis I watch an average of 10 to 12 films. Sometimes I don’t get the film at all and have to turn to my film critic friends for their insights. As for “The Rebound” my personal epiphany is that in order to make any relationship work love simply is not enough. You need faith, courage, confidence and most importantly, timing. When timing is wrong a seemingly happy relationship will result in bitter ending.

Just the other day I read it somewhere that 40 is the new 20. Since I’m two months away from turning 36 is it safe to say that 36 is the new 16?! LOL. When I was 18 I dated a 36 year old man – twice of my age. When I asked him why he wanted to date a college freshman his reply will forever be stuck in my head, “because men mature slower than women by about 10 years. Therefore I’m only 26 mentally while you’re in deed far more mature than 18.”

Now I’m closing in on 36 I almost laugh my head off when a 24 year old man tries to hit on me recently. He says proudly, “I just graduated from law school and I have a very promising career ahead of me!” I can’t help it but have to spite him a little, “I already had a very promising career and now I’m waiting for the second wind!”

It seems like the combination of older man younger woman is more socially accepted than the older woman younger man formula. Thanks to the recent rise of Cougars in Hollywood. Now we see more cougars romantically involved with young gorgeous studs.

Hollywood cougars are often pop icons. The list can go on forever. From Sophia Loren, Cher, Bo Derek, Madonna to Demi Moore they are talented powerhouse! And why wouldn’t young men be attracted to classy, fabulous and mature women despite the age difference? Of course true love sees neither color nor age difference. On the other hand not every love is meant to end up with a dream-like “live happily ever after.” Different strokes for different folks, who are we to judge other people’s love life? All in all, whatever makes you happy that’s true love! Don’t let others dictate how your love life should be! What matters the most is as long as you’re happy!

P.S. The other day a friend of mine and I were chatting about the current phenomenon of cougars everywhere. She turned to me and said, “In 3 years my son is going to be 18. You’d better keep your hands off him! This is a forewarning!” I couldn’t stop laughing at her but she was dead serious! Then I remember an equation, “half of your age plus seven = the youngest you can date.” So, that means when I turn 39, the youngest man I can get involved with is 26.5. Okay Nancy, your son is free to go. LOL!

人家好喜歡妳

某夜參加朋友的生日派對，我認識至少一半以上的賓客，聽說另一半的陌生人是壽星的同學和同事。不過，在經過相互介紹、虛偽的打過照面之後，他們就自行圍成小團體，屈居於派對的一個角落，不再與我們有交集。可想而知，想必是被我們這些喜愛大聲喧嘩的朋友給嚇到牆角去了。

其實，和我們鬼混只有一件事要擔心，那就是小心你的下巴，因為你會太開心而笑個不停，導致隔天醒來之後，下巴酸痛。

生日派對即將結束，壽星早已醉到不省人事，大家準備鳥獸散，有人趕緊跑廁所，有人還意猶未盡，有人仍繼續喝酒，有人想要先落跑，就在此時，先前躲到角落、整夜沒講到半句話的一位年輕女性，興奮的向我接近：「妳好可愛，人家好喜歡妳，尤其是妳的笑聲！其實今天我的心情很低落，根本不想來這種歡樂的場合，但是聽妳在那裡哈哈哈的笑整晚，我的心情都開朗了！」

我何時開始走可愛路線的，怎麼都沒有人通知我？至於我的笑聲嘛，反應兩極，喜歡的人真的很愛，不欣賞的人老是給白眼。每次有人稱讚我，我只會笑笑、點個頭示意，因為除了「謝謝」，我真不知道還能說什麼才好。所以，在聽到「人家好喜歡妳」這句話時，我便火速的往門口移動，這真是個尷尬的畫面。我好奇的是，受到同性的仰慕是否也算是一種桃花？

The September Issue：S.O.P. for How to Make A Successful Fashion Magazine

THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE is a documentary about the legendary editor-in-chief Anna Wintour for American Vogue. Since her former personal assistant published THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA a few years ago, all fingers have been pointed at Wintour for being the inspiration for the devil described in the book. I read the book and enjoyed the movie based on the book, starring Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly. I can’t help wondering if Anna Wintour is really a human iceberg. With anticipation I went to the media screening yesterday.

Surprisingly it was unusually crowded for a media screening. Aside from the typical summer blockbusters and star-studded commercial films a midday screening is never a full house. There were unfamiliar faces in the theater and I wonder how much they care about the fashion world. After all it’s an Indie film that premiered at Sundance Film Festival 2009.

In this 90 minute documentary you’re led through a complete behind the scene on how Anna Wintour and various editors and directors put together the most important issue of the year for American Vogue. It turned out to be the biggest September issue ever: 840 pages. It’s probably as heavy as a 5 lbs. dumbbell. Featuring Sienna Miller as the cover girl the photo shooting took place in Paris, London and Rome. It’s amusing to hear Anna Wintour commenting on the result of the cover shoot. Sienna Miller not only was criticized for her lifeless hair but also her teeth. The cover for the September issue was beautifully done – Sienna Miller was photoshopped to perfection! The irony is on the fashion industry as a whole – what you see is not reality and beauty is an illusion. Women who read Vogue literally die trying to be just like the models featured in the magazine are going to be crushed when they learn the ugly truth – it’s not real.

I’m disappointed at the fact that this documentary fails to take a glimpse at Anna Wintour’s personal life. She’s always at work, in the limo, sitting front row of every fashion show and sipping Starbucks while deciding on the layouts. It almost seems like she has no friends and her only family is her daughter who actually finds fashion people weird. I wonder if she ever feels lonely.

Perhaps I’ve glamorized the fashion industry, expecting Anna Wintour, the most powerful and respected woman in the fashion world to be wined and dined everyday and sipping champagne every night.

There’s one scene where a model was eyeing the delicious fruit tart during a photo shoot. When it’s over she couldn’t wait to take a bite of it while she’s still dressed in couture. Let truth be told: even bone skinny models cannot resist the temptations of sweets!

Throughout this documentary several prominent fashion designers make cameo appearances, including Karl Lagerfeld, Jean Paul Gaultier, Vera Wang and Oscar De La Renta.

However, I do have a lot of respect for Anna Wintour for her work ethics. She’s almost too hands-on for an editor-in-chief because she has to approve every photo and arrange the layouts for every issue. She certainly is gifted to have a unique eye for trends.

So, THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE is definitely for you if you’re curious about the standard operating procedures for the magazine business. And if you aim to be a successful magazine editor-in-chief, this documentary has much to offer you. If you fantasize about the fashion industry, THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE might burst your bubbles. What caught my eyes the most is Vogue creative director, Grace Coddington. She’s the only one with a defiant attitude and often argues with Anna Wintour when everyone else just agrees to obey like a bunch of schoolchildren. She’s a tough cookie in deed. In fact Grace Coddington and Anna Wintour are like two peas in a pod. American Vogue is successful because of their collaborative effort!

As for me THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE didn’t curb my curiosity about Anna Wintour. She remains mysterious as she’s always been. This documentary didn’t answer my questions about the devil wears Prada. However, my personal epiphany is that we’re only human. So, let’s embrace the imperfection!

到底怎樣才叫年輕？

在公關公司就職的朋友MSN暱稱寫著：請推薦年輕時尚中英文俱佳的主持人。

我自認時尚，雖然中英文程度都算普通，但是和目前大家常見的雙語主持人比起來，我應該算是機靈聰穎反應快，我願意做雙向翻譯，中翻英和英翻中﹙我認識某些翻譯只做中翻英，而不接英翻中﹚；我的疑問是，到底要幾歲才算年輕呢？

前幾天去參加一個彩妝活動，朋友稱讚我臉上的秋冬煙薰妝有著魔術般的效果，讓我頓時看似18歲。哇，硬生生把實際年齡砍一半，這才叫年輕嘛！

上個月透過朋友牽線，接到一個科技廠牌的新品發表會的活動主持，公關公司說：「我們可是千辛萬苦才找到妳，之前推薦的好幾個主持人都被客戶嫌太年輕，也不夠知性，太活蹦亂跳，客戶看到妳的照片和履歷，覺得只有妳完全符合要求的條件。」

是嗎？我何時成了知性派的主持人，我怎麼都不知道？所以是因為我年紀夠大，與小妹妹相比顯得成熟，才出線的嗎？

這下子，我真是有點搞不清楚到底要怎樣才叫年輕嘛？