Where I hate google...

is that it doesn't provide enough support to their side projects, while where I like it is that it provides plenty of interesting projects which have promising potential development.

Well, I played with Google calendar sync for a while to synchronize my Google calendar with the local outlook one. To get rid of some annoying "CANCELED" events that appear everyday in my deleted folder, I tried the advice in the user forum to export my Google calendar, delete those events, and then import it back. And guess what happened? I couldn't import it back!

Finally I got it back, but now all historical events become private and creator information is lost. So I lost the precious birthday event created by someone else for me long long time ago... so sad :(

Like a dream (3)

I think it's gonna rain today.

And it rained.

Like a dream (2)

如果时光可以重来...

If the old times could come back once more...

Riri is leaving

I was drunk tonight, after 2 Kirin beers and a plume wine and a Chimay blue. It felt like that I was doing the homework that should be done years ago. The Newsweek last week presented an article, which claimed that we could change our memories when they came once more into our minds. So if I imagine really hard now that I had done all I wanted to do, maybe they will be carved into my memories as if they did happen?

Riri is leaving by the end of next month. I know his departure is just making the distance growing from 4 hours to 12 hours, that's all. As Hongfei said, I could visit him in France, and he could visit me in Tokyo. We might be able to meet quite often, but I still feel so scared. I want him to be always my little brother, always so close to me. After his departure, I don't know who I can still talk with about my absurd sadness regarding the meaning of life.

Sad but beautiful. Beautiful but sad. It has been so many years that I told Rick I was greater than him because I was brave while knowing the life to be beautiful but sad. I'm so happy that Lee will come to Tokyo next month. Let's drow ourselves with alcohol. Let's forget the past with restless trips.

Please, please fill my life with a meaning, please shine my life with a bit hope, please keep a trace in my life. Darkness granted me dark eyes, but I use them to look for lights. Sad but beautiful. I dreamed that one day you would be here with me. I know you would appreciate that how hard people here try to live a happy life, to make it more beautiful.

The bar tonight named Grafton, where we could never go back according to Dido's new song. 7 years later, once again I feel that I don't want to speak any word with anyone. What is the meaning of speaking if no one want to listen? Riri is so important for me, because he makes me feel that I means something to him. There will be constant rains here in June. I'm so afraid of seeing your mirage through the raindrops. I'm afraid of reaching out my hands in vain. There won't be anyone ever again knows me as well as you did. It all passed, it's all passed away. You will never come back. I can never go back. What we lost is lost.

"Il fait beau comme jamais". Oui, il y a eu un moment, et alors, le moment-là ne revenira jamais. Sorry I didn't try Chimay blue with you in Belgium, however, I'm happy that I tasted it at last and do like it a lot.

"Fare is not well, but farewell, my friend". Riri my dear brother, wish you a far better life than mine, and may you have all your sweet dreams come true.

Les chansons d'amour观感

Les chansons d'amour，Christophe Honoré执导的歌舞剧，其实只有歌没有舞，叫音乐剧或者更合适一点。中文译名非常之发指的译成了《巴黎小情歌》，真不明白那个“小”字是从哪里来的。2007年上映，不算是一部新片子了。刚上映的时候Xiaodan就去看了，而且还特别向我推荐了一番。不过那时候我只是觉得Alex Beaupain的歌不错，剧情不太看得进去，感觉有点乱，对于男主角的取向问题甚是迷惑。

在和在我的ipod里闲置了半年之后，我忽然重新发现并爱上了这两首歌，于是捎带着把电影也翻出来又复习了一遍，然后就也爱上了这部电影。现在时不时的就找出来复习一下，而且每次看到最后Ismaël说"Aime-moi moins, mais aime-moi longtemps"的时候都非常没有出息地会哭出来。

剧情既简单又复杂：男主角Ismaël和8年的恋人Julie之间激情逐渐消磨殆尽，不得不靠3P来维持新鲜感，正当两人间终于生出一点可执手偕老的温情的时候，Julie死了，Ismaël在最消沉的时候遇到了朋友的朋友的弟弟Erwann，而且年轻的Erwann对他一见钟情，可他是否还能够、还敢于再去爱呢？如果刨除其中复杂的感情关系，这个片子讲得其实就是在勇敢去爱和担心失去之间的徘徊犹疑。我不喜欢男女主角Ismaël和Julie，但是非常非常喜欢Erwann。他爱得如此单纯勇敢执着，让人不禁为他担心，而同时又很羡慕他。

不是个很容易看懂的电影，因为其中有很多暗示和隐喻，比如Ismaël从公墓（据说是Cimetière de Montmartre）出来看到街边的霓虹灯招牌写着Bretagne于是就想起了Erwann（因为Erwann是个breton，布列塔尼人）。我看的版本中文字幕翻译得不太合我的口味，好在学外语就是有这么点好处，可以直接看原文的，呵呵。

这里有一个别人写的观感，比我写得好多了，hehe，还有很多Erwann的图，嘿嘿:)

下面是Erwann的同学在嘲笑他大早上起来感叹"Il fait beau comme jamais"的时候朗诵的那首诗，感觉相当符合当时的情绪啊。

Le cri du butor
Louis Aragon

Maintenant que la jeunesse
S'éteint au carreau bleui
Maintenant que la jeunesse
Machinale m'a trahi
Maintenant que la jeunesse
Tu t'en souviens souviens-t-en
Maintenant que la jeunesse
Chante à d'autres le printemps
Maintenant que la jeunesse
Détourne ses yeux lilas
Maintenant que la jeunesse
N'est plus ici n'est plus là
Maintenant que la jeunesse
Sur d'autres chemins légers
Maintenant que la jeunesse
Suit un nuage étranger
Maintenant que la jeunesse
A fui voleur généreux
Me laissant mon droit d'aînesse
Et l'argent de mes cheveux
Il fait beau à n'y pas croire
Il fait beau comme jamais
Quel temps quel temps sans mémoire
On ne sait plus comment voir
Ni se lever ni s'asseoir
Il fait beau comme jamais
C'est un temps contre nature
Comme le ciel des peintures
Comme l'oubli des tortures
Il fait beau comme jamais
Frais comme l'eau sous la rame
Un temps fort comme une femme
Un temps à damner son âme
Il fait beau comme jamais un temps à rire et courir
Un temps à ne pas mourir
Un temps à craindre le pire
Il fait beau comme jamais
Tant pis pour l'homme au sang sombre
Le soleil prouvé par l'ombre
Enjambera les décombres

Btw，不知道为什么，一看这个片子就让我想起我弟，大概是因为Erwann读的是Lycée Colbert？不过我弟念的是Louis-le-Grand，还要更有名一些，hoho。

说说我记得的凡尔赛宫花园(2) - Le Parterre d'Eau

Le parterre d'Eau是城堡之前的两个池塘，周围的雕像由三组组成：法国的河神（les fleuves de France），水仙（les Nymphes）和三人一组的儿童群像（les groupes d'enfants）。先逐个介绍一下，最后放几张我自己拍的照片。本文中的图片除特别说明之外均引自BlueTravelGuide。

先是法国的河神们。
4男4女8位河神代表了法国的8条河流。la打头的好像也不一定是女神，比如La Seine，le打头的也不一定是男神，比如Le Loiret。至于原因我就不太清楚了，知道的人来扫个盲吧:)
北池的4位。

La Seine et La Marne par Étienne Le Hongre.

La Garonne et La Dordogne par Antoine Coysevox.

南池的4位。

La Loire et Le Loiret par Thomas Regnaudin.

Le Rhône et La Saône par Jean-Baptiste Tuby.

然后是水仙们。宁芙身边的孩童形象其实每4个一组，分别是儿童，爱神，海神之子和小精灵。
北池的。

Nymphes à la carte et aux coraux par Philippe Magnier.

Nymphes au monstre marin et aux oiseaux par Pierre Legros I.

南池的。

Nymphes à la cruche et à la corne d'abondance par Jean Raon.

Nymphes aux fleurs et aux perles par Étienne Le Hongre.

最后是小朋友们。
北池的。

Groupes au cygne par Jacques Buirette et François Lespingola.

Groupe au flambeau par Pierre Granier.

Groupe à la figure assise et à l'oiseau par Jean Dugoulon.

Groupes à la figure debout tenant un oiseau par Simon Mazière.

南池的。

Groupe aux dauphins par François Lespingola.

Groupe à la figure assise tenant un miroir par Pierre Laviron et terminé à sa mort par Pierre Legros I.

Groupe à la figure debout tenant un miroir par Jean Poultier.

Groupe à la figure soufflant dans une conque par Cornelius Van Cleve.

最后是我自己拍的。

La Garonne.

La Marne.

Nymphe au monstre marin.

Nymphe aux oiseaux.

東京国立博物館

东京国立博物馆大概应当算是日本最“官方”的博物馆了。创设于1872年（明治5年），是日本历史最悠久的博物馆。历经多次沿革，现在的展馆由本馆，东洋馆，表庆馆，法隆寺宝物馆，平成馆，五部分组成。 本馆展示的是常设展中的精华，国宝级的近代古代绘画及各类工艺作品琳琅满目。东洋馆主要展示中国和朝鲜相关的藏品。表庆馆一般用于特别展和一些讲座活动。法隆寺宝物馆专藏1878年奈良法隆寺向皇室进献的300件宝物。平成馆是最新的一座，1999年（平成11年）才建成，主要用于企画展。

我去过东京国立博物馆两次，都是在2009年，分别参观天皇即位20周年纪念展（御即位20年記念　特別展「皇室の名宝－日本美の華」）的前期和后期。展览的主题是皇室的名宝——日本的美之花，展品涵盖了日本传统艺术的各个方面，宫内厅的三之丸尚藏馆和京都事务所都送来了不少平时藏在皇宫中难得一见的珍品。（以下作品图片除特别说明外均引自宫内厅网站。）

狩野永德的《唐狮子》古朴凝炼而又不失灵气，是桃山派豪壮风的代表作之一。

横山大观的作品以前看过若干，但是像《朝阳云峰》这样的大幅作品还是第一次看到。不愧为御用定制，确实大气。

上村松园的《雪月花》精细雅致，缠绵悱恻之意溢于纸上：

酒井抱一的花鸟十二月图按一年十二月的节气画了十二幅不同的花鸟条幅，很是精致有趣，买了一套明信片收藏。还有几把知名的太刀也深得我心，不过这个就不收藏了...全部展品的单子在这里。

惭愧得很，博物馆的后花园没去过。本馆的庭院只在春秋两季有限的几天中对外公开，通常是赏樱和红叶的那几天。园中有不少从别处挪过来的江户时代的旧物，据说情调不错，很值得一看，希望什么时候能有机会补上这个遗憾。

附上我自己拍的照片若干：

表庆馆秋色

本馆夜景

附： 东京国立博物馆主页。

Pray (1) - Rainbow

愿主怜世人
在末日前指给我们救赎的方向

May God have mercy
Showing us the way
Before that day

Advertising...

Hi guys, I know most of you will laugh at me for inserting an advertisement banner to my blog. Well, let's just consider it as sharing... for I'm indeed using the pod101 for learning languages. They have a fabulous podcast series including French, German, Japanese, etc. All levels! From beginners to advanced! Euh, enough blabla, I begin to feel more and more ashamed... :s

Anyway, learning a foreign language is really a nice thing to do at leisure. Do have a try :)

Following is my recommendation:

说说我记得的凡尔赛宫花园(1)

凡尔赛花园作为凡尔赛城堡的一部分，由太阳王路易十四下令建设，到他死的时候也并没有最终完成，不过城堡和花园都已经基本成形。游客常去的景点基本集中于城堡正门至大运河起点处之间的一小段，其实整个花园含大小特里阿农(Trianon)在内共占地815公顷，在一天之内逛遍整个花园绝对是个mission impossible。

（引自http://www.lonelyplanet.com）

附上1789年的凡尔赛地图一张进行对比：

(引自wikipedia)

事实上，城堡一带的布局至今没有什么大的变化，按照这张1789年的地图仍可以在实地找到其中的大部分建筑或相应的“更新”，例如著名的阿波罗喷水池等。以下会依次说说几个我去过的地方。

Statistics on number of pictures taken

(Click the image to enlarge.)

This chart is drawn based on the number of pictures I took per month in the recent 5 years, say, after I had my own digi-camera. It's just a rough statistic, however, I can still distinguish quite easily when I made a trip, when I was extremely depressed, etc. For example, from October 2005 to March 2006, I took almost no pictures at all, which was coincidentally the period I was considering to quit my phd. June 2006 to January 2007 appears to be a solid peak in the chart, during which I had a close friend who was really in love with photography.

So generally speaking, my happiest time is summer holidays, and most down time is winter holidays. Well, both are holidays, but seems quite different for me. Maybe during the spring festival, I am always too busy with food... That's reasonable... By the way, the overall number leads to somewhat around 13000, somehow a bit less than I thought. According to my memories, there are indeed part of pictures missing. Hmm, pity. I can probably never find them back, though I probably wouldn't mind to lose some of them... That's life.

Anyway, useful and interesting data, aren't they? Then how about yours? Show them! :D

2 years and 10 months

Sometimes, there is blank in my life.

June 26th, almost 3 years since our first sight. And also almost 1 year and a half after the last. Tell me if it's true that there is nothing unforgettable. I wrote about you yesterday, but I almost forgot what I made as present for your 28-year-old birthday. And I wonder what will be my 28-year-old birthday present. Yes, I'm also getting 28 years old, approaching the point you were at when we met and apart. At that time, I was 25, young and stupid.

Coincidentally, I met someone who is also 25, similarly young and stupid. I like him partly because he is so much like the me 3 years ago: wanting others to act in the way as I wish, doubting the sincerity of others, hurting others without realizing my cruelty. Bless me he won't be another me, and I won't be another you.

And I have to learn to live with it, as if it were meant to be this way.

Susan Boyle: I dreamed a dream.

Britain's Got Talent 2009的最新发现。上次他们发现了Paul，但我要说这次的Susan Boyle更为感人。从12岁起梦想成为一名职业歌手，现在47岁，无业，从未恋爱过，初吻一直保存至今还没送出。而且她选了一首非常适合她的歌：《悲惨世界》中的I dreamed a dream。如果不是因为这首歌，我会感动但是不会哭。

向所有人推荐：http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PPlkOyaqaQ

附歌词：
I Dreamed A Dream (from Les Miserables)

I dreamed a dream in times gone by
When hope was high
And life worth living
I dreamed that love would never die
I dreamed that God would be forgiving

Then I was young and unafraid
And dreams were made and used and wasted
There was no ransom to be paid
No song unsung
No wine untasted

But the tigers come at night
With their voices soft as thunder
As they tear your hope apart
And they turn your dream to shame

He slept a summer by my side
He filled my days with endless wonder
He took my childhood in his stride
But he was gone when autumn came

And still I dream he'll come to me
That we will live the years together
But there are dreams that cannot be
And there are storms we cannot weather

I had a dream my life would be
So different from this hell I'm living
So different now from what it seemed
Now life has killed
The dream I dreamed.

科研副产品

左边的是副产品，右边的是原图。

Like a dream (1)

回忆借夜色顺流而至
梦想在水上沉浮

Memories come with the night by river,
Lost dreams drifting on the water.

说说我记得的凡尔赛宫花园(0)

在走路一刻钟就能到凡尔赛正门、5分钟就能到凡尔赛后门的地方住过3个月，而且正好是冬天花园免费开放的时期，然而真正去园子里逛的次数却少得可怜，只有临走前补课性质的数回而已。不过那个美丽的园子还是给我留下了相当深刻的印象，因为它大气的树林和运河，精致的雕刻和喷水池，当然，还有城堡本身。

上周从图书馆借了一本关于凡尔赛花园的书，翻了一下感觉自己对这个漂亮的园子知道得实在太少太少：不仅有很多东西没有看到，看到的东西也有很多没有看明白。于是打算写写我记得的部分，再google一下，把有关的知识不上。

计划如下：
(1) Plan des Jardins de Versailles
(2) Parterre d'Eau
(3) Bassin de Latone (La nouvelle Fontaine de Latone)
(4) Bassin d'Apollon
(5) La Fontaine du Dragon
(6) Petit Trianon

争取三周之内写完，因为之后书就得还了...

Like a dream (0)

宛如梦中

I thought I was in a dream,
And I am.

东京赏花之樱花篇——目黑川

日本的樱花前线从三月中旬开始，由南向北推进。虽然说伊豆的河津樱开得比南方还早一些，那毕竟是个异数。东京最常见的染井吉野还是要等到三月底四月初才开的。今年到三月底的时候还下了几场雨夹雪，于是东京樱花满开的日子就推到了上周末。

在网上看了去年上野公园樱花满开时的周末的“盛况”，决定不去那些名所凑那个热闹了，选个人少一点、更有情调的地方，于是选来选去最后选了目黑川。

其实目黑川也算是都内的一处樱之名所了，连公司里对花花草草最不感兴趣的同事也对它多少有所耳闻。目黑川两岸绵延数公里的樱花树，再加上水中倒影和夜晚的粉红樱灯，气氛绝对不输其他地方。

从JR山手线的目黑站下车出西口，顺着行人坂一路下行到了河边，太鼓桥上下游两个方向都是满眼的淡粉色。下游五反田方向有目黑雅叙园，不过更多的美景还是在上游中目黑的方向。

沿着河畔步道溯流而上，依次会经过太鼓桥、目黑新桥、ふれあい桥、田道桥、中里桥、中目公园桥、田乐桥、皂树桥、宝来桥、日之出桥、别所桥、樱桥、宿山桥、朝日桥、天神桥、千岁桥、柳桥、南部桥、中之桥、目黑桥、东山桥、冰山桥、万代桥、常磐桥，直到大桥，之上改为地下暗河，不复有两岸樱花夹碧水的美景。

中目黑以下最出众的大概要数ふれあい桥了。桥面的图案是大幅的世界地图，周围一圈写着各种语言的你好。两岸的建筑如目黑清扫工场和航空自卫队目黑基地也都很有特色。

不过最美的一段还是从中目黑的日之出桥开始的。海报上常看到的地铁桥下开满樱花的照片应该就是在这里拍的。从这里向上到有名的全红色的中之桥大概是目黑川赏樱的精华段落，可惜上周六有雨，加上走得累了，我只走到樱桥就回去了，有点遗憾，等到明年来补全啦:)

在樱桥这一段，樱花密得简直把河面都遮住了。有风吹过的时候就会飘起漫天花雨，日本人极为赞赏的“花吹雪”，当然还会伴着赏花人不由自主的一阵惊叹声。

其实染井吉野基本是白色的，开得极盛的时候一树一树聚在一起才能看出一点淡淡的粉红色。不过晚上在粉红色樱灯的映照下就会显出很漂亮的深深浅浅的粉红色来。

不知道我几年后会不会赏樱赏到审美疲劳，呵呵，东京的樱花树实在是太多了...