Here's the editorial team's introduction on their Encounters <邂逅> magazine:

新家坡 <邂逅> 杂志的概念很有趣, 对于很多人来说, 制做一本生活 / 人生 主題杂志遥不可及. 精美的生活中图片, 优美的文字, 这一切都不是每一个人都能接触甚至完成的事. 也许你看过很多类似杂志, 产生了越来越多的想法, 很想也把它们都实现在一本属于自己生活的杂志里,  随手在文章旁记下点滴心得.

Do you remember playing with LEGO bricks as a child? I love LEGO, my nephew and niece love LEGO and I am sure many of you do too. All of us had come into contact with that one brick at some point in our lives and we too know how creativity and imagination knows no bounds when it comes to LEGO.

I was fortunate to have the chance to see an exhibit that CNN dubbed one of its top “must see exhibitions” - The Art of the Brick (exhibition runs until 14th April 2013). I always loved LEGO as a child, but my creations topped out at small houses and towers. This exhibit takes the use of LEGOs to a whole new level, using them as a new medium of artistic expression, thanks to New York-based artist Nathan Sawaya. 

Nathan Sawaya is a lawyer-turned-artist who uses LEGO bricks as the sole art medium for his works. Nathan's ability to transform LEGO bricks into something new and his devotion to scale and colour perfection, has enabled him to elevate an ordinary toy to the status of fine art. 

One man has taken his passion for LEGO bricks one step further and came up with magnificent art sculptures. Masterpieces like this.

Here goes the exhibition which i had visited during my Taiwan photography trip last December, an exhibition that brought back many happy childhood memories - The 100 years before the birth of Doraemon Exhibition 哆啦A梦诞生前 100 年特展, 忆起了许多童年的怀旧.

A lot of people in Asia including Taiwan grew up with Doraemon. The Taipei exhibit showcases a hundred life-sized Doraemons, each carrying a different fanciful gadget. This robotic cat is a masterpiece by cartoonist Fujiko F. Fujio and, to generations of Taiwanese people, a good-natured friend whose 4-dimensional pocket promises them timely help, wonderful dreams and a bright future. Sent back in time from the 22nd century, Doraemon has an endless supply of futuristic toys in his arsenal. When his friend Nobi is in trouble, he whips out a gadget from his 4D pocket to help them solve their problems. That's the most charming aspect of the cartoon series.

The time-travelling robot cat, every child's best friend, has a huge fan base especially in Asia. He was said to be born in September 3, 2112 - 100 years from now. This year, 2013, marks Doraemon’s 100th pre-birth year. If you are a big fan of Doraemon and has always wanted to meet him, it's time for you to realize your dream.

无论大朋友还是小朋友都很喜欢的卡通人物 – 哆啦A梦於在台北松山文创园区举办@哆啦A梦诞生前100年特展, 从小我就很爱看小叮当 (原名哆啦A梦), 每次只要大雄被欺负或是遭遇困难, 这个来自 21世纪机器猫就会从那百宝袋里拿出各式各样的道具来帮忙解围, 看到了像是如果电话亭, 翻译蒟蒻, 记忆吐司, 等道具如果能出现在真实世界, 肯定会很酷! 哆啦A梦陪伴各世代长大, 像永远的朋友, 不离不弃温暖善良, 而四次元口袋则装满了美好的梦想与未来. 童年必看哆啦 A 梦卡通帮你实现梦想, 哆啦 A 梦展览活动我期待好久, 把握久违的好机会这次台湾之旅顺着去看展览.

哆啦a梦诞生於西元2112年, 为了庆祝他从未来回到过去帮助大雄而产生感人的友谊故事, 因此才有这场 "哆啦A梦, 诞生前100年特展". 这次展示 100 种大型哆啦A梦模型及数个漫画经典场景, 并还原大家熟悉漫画中主角们的家, 还有许多惊喜等大家来发掘, 一起来为哆啦A梦庆生吧!

The Encounters Magazine with the Time Travel themed for this new issue is finally going to be unveiled from next weekend onwards! This is the magazine which i have been anxiously waiting for it to be launched since November last year in which two of my photo essays on Hong Kong and Haikou travelogues were shortlisted to be featured in the upcoming Spring issue.

I will give more coverage on this magazine and its Editorial Team when the launch is out on next weekend, i honestly really can't wait to get my hands on it soon! I hope all of you can also show your big support when the time comes, not just for my photo works and also for the people involved in the production of this magazine! Thank you so much in advance :-)

I must add on to say that it's gonna be a blastful year for my photography work this year because there will be photo trip travelogues (as usual) as well as more photo documentary work to be featured. Oh yes, there will be also a few music concerts that i have more or less decided to attend this year, so i hope all of you can stay close tune to my photography blog for constant updates!

Hello everyone, here's a lot of wishes and greetings for all of you on this happy new Snake Chinese Year, please enjoy the continuous journey of life with full of success! Another New Year has come giving us the opportunity to live another year with zest and zeal and to make the most of our abilities for a year that is gainful in all aspects. May the Year of Snake brings you many moments to treasure and share with your friends and family. 

蛇年到了, 初春雪漫漫, 人间处处新, 新年幸福, 我在此以真挚热诚的祝福, 愿你们大家快乐在心间荡漾, 幸福在心田盛开, 如意在心中徘徊, 喜悦在心坎猛涨, 欢乐在心里发芽, 蛇年愿你心想事成, 幸福安康!  

祝春节快乐, 新年快乐, 开心长有! :-)

The Red House, often also called Red House Theater, is a Western-style red-brick octagonal structure in Taipei's Ximen space built in 1900s, is Taiwan's first public market and one of the most well preserved historical site. The building was designed b a western-styled architect in the prefectural civil engineering office at the time, the market entrance, incorporating both octagonal and cruciform shapes from the east and west. The entrance also took on the ‘eight trigrams' (pronounced as Ba-gua) design considered boldly creative then. 

位于西门町, 为三级古迹, 红楼剧场是一座以红砖所打造成的八角墙楼, 屋顶则以钢管行成的雨伞骨架支撑着, 这与众不同的设计蓝图为日本建筑师近藤十郎所构想的. 到目前为止红楼已有了九十多年之历史, 从原始的市场到现在的公共娱乐文化中心, 红楼从未流失过它那厚厚的文艺气息. 这么独特的建筑, 亦是今天全岛所保存最古老完整的三级古蹟市场建筑物, 当然吸引众人的目光,

西门红楼曾经有过一段辉煌的过往, 却在七十年代以后逐渐衰微而遭人遗忘, 现在已被施加创意, 赋予崭新的使用功能.

出台北捷运西门站出口, 穿过一条不宽的马路, 在一片现代楼房和店铺的环抱中, 一座砖红色八角洋楼显得格外醒目, 这就是西门町极负胜名的 "西门红楼".

Here goes the Part 3 of 3-series blog posts on Quaint and Cozy Bookstores in Taiwan 窝台湾老屋, 寻找全球最美 20 家实体书店之一, 回味美好时光 - VVG Something (short for very, very good) 好样本事.

Even if there’s very little time left from the set itinerary for my trips, I always try to make time out to visit a local bookstore and get myself a copy of a wonderful art / travel book to add on to my collection. Why would anyone leave the comfort of their couch to buy a book when with just a click of a button, they could have it delivered to their door? Well, here’s why: bookstores are so beautiful they are worth getting out of the house (or the country) to visit whether you need a new hardcover or not. We cannot over-estimate the importance of bookstores - they are community centers, places to browse and discover and monuments to literature all at once.

Just last year end, a trip to Taiwan brought me to one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world and so naturally, the books that I got for myself are probably few of the most beautiful additions to my stash.

VVG Something is a little hard to find, located in a small alley, with a red front door that could easily pass as the entrance to someone’s home. Come here to find a fine selection of artsy books and enjoy the atmosphere. The books concentrate heavily on art: picture book about things we love, essay on arts, recipe books with tempting pictures, cute cards with beautiful writings inside. All books are pretty and pristine. The decor is vintage, gorgeous and you can always take a break from the book browsing to sneak around to the back, sit down and sip some coffee.

Now it is probably better known as one of the world's 20 most beautiful bookstores.

In February last year, the bookshop was given that honor by a U.S entertainment website Flavorwire.com which described it as “almost utilitarian but filled with simple old-world grace” that resembles “what we might imagine our ideal ship's main cabin to look like.”

带著探险的雀跃心情, 推开低调却存在感十足的红色大门, 敞开一个足够自己深入的缝隙, 下一秒, 走进虽小却充满中古世纪风情的空间, 气氛是静谧与专注, 每个人是阅读, 是翻找, 是品咖啡, 或者只是存在, 不大的小书店, 藏有众多的可能.

VVG Something 好样本事, 隐身於安静的小巷内, 附近即是诚品敦南店和热闹的服饰店, 餐厅, 这样个性的小店, 从外观来看也许还不知道是家什麽样的店, 复古又时尚, 摆饰许多老物件精品, 实际上却也是一家不折不扣的书店. 好样本事曾入围全球最美的二十家书店, 让原本十分低调的 '本事' 经营者们也非常惊喜. 虽大隐隐於市, 但内涵却非常丰富的好样本事, 究竟有哪些书使人惊艳著迷呢?

Here goes the Part 2 of 3-series blog posts on Quaint and Cozy Bookstores in Taiwan 窝台湾老屋, 寻找淡淡书香, 回味美好时光 - JXJ Books 旧香居.

Founded more than 30 years ago, JXJ Books in Taiwan specializes in rare and collectible tomes, as well as secondhand books on art, culture and history. The well-lit space looks like a homey but well-appointed library, with cushioned seats, vintage furniture and baskets of English-language novels and nonfiction books to dig through.

Rather than a second-hand bookstore, JXJ Books is better known as an “antique bookstore.” It gives old books a new life as well as a good display space and stage. This antique bookstore thoroughly overturns the feeling of narrowness and clutter that most of Taiwan’s second-hand bookstores have. It represents that the new era of Taiwan’s second-hand bookstore is coming.

旧香居在台北闹市里的龙泉街内, 靠近台湾师范大学, 是一块读书人的琅環福地. 专营旧书, 其为三代经营, 另有一处书店, 並二座仓库, 藏量 25 万冊以上, 是台湾规模最大的旧书店. 除售卖旧书, 还时常举办展览, 开研讨会. 旧香居以动辄拥有 30, 40 年历史以上的旧书店而言, 旧香居资历算新, 看似旧书店新手, 但却在成立之初打破不少旧书店传统. 

台大店设定的客层是收藏书的人, 并希望书店能提供顾客更私密, 更贴心的服务, 让每本书都有很好的展示空间. 这里的书可以开阔人的视野, 不只是买卖, 还可以增加客人对旧书历史, 价值的了解.

记忆里总有一本无法忘怀的书, 当你长大了, 有能力去拥有它时, 这本书却不在了, 更悲惨的是它绝版. 但某天, 你走进一间毫不起眼的书店, 深色的书柜, 上头的书一本有着时光留下的泛黄痕迹, 或许还有空白处的几句留言, 每一本书名你都似曾相识, 其中一本却狠狠的吸引你的目光, 当你弯下腰拿起来, 再缓缓的翻开, 心中的雀耀就像是刚刚得到糖果的孩子般满足喜悦.

Here goes the Part 1 of 3-series blog posts on Quaint and Cozy Bookstores in Taiwan 窝台湾老屋, 寻找旅人书店, 回味美好时光 - Zeelandia Travel & Books 旅人书店.

Zeelandia is a travel-themed independent bookstore in Taiwan where you can collect information before you depart for a journey or recall fond memories of the best you have ever had. Visit, read, and explore! Never stop traveling! Zeelandia marked the history of Taiwan in the 17th century, during the Age of Discovery. It reminds us: “No adventure, no gain”.

记得以前跟朋友们说过, 如果我要创业, 会想要开一家以"旅行" 为中心, 卖书, 卖 CD, 卖咖啡和兼营旅行社业务的复合式店铺. 店里的装潢是我旅行所收集的纪念品, 图书以旅游为主题, CD 则是缤纷的世界音乐, cafe 提供的饮食, 也来自世界各地, 依主题每月更换. 客人来到这间小店, 可以买书买 CD 和喝咖啡外, 还可以收集到世界各国旅游资讯. 最重要的, 是店员全是经验丰富的旅游达人. 在台北有一家以旅游为主题的书店 Zeelandia Travel & Books, 身为爱旅行也爱书的我来说, 这样的梦想书店怎能不去探探? 

爱上旅行, 所以爱上书. 我是这类人, 带上一本喜爱的书踏上旅途. 少有的主题式独立书店, 书籍类别多元, 环境, 攻略, 方式, 游记, 童书等, 但全部被选购的书籍类别都交织在旅行之中.

一间旅人书店, 从挑书开始, 带你去旅行！