What a Wonderful Day for Fishing

Guess what! I got eight bass today.
I went to Hawthorn Park at around three this afternoon. I chose the left side as my first spot for today's fishing. It was raining at that time actually, but I did not care at all. Maybe it was because of the bad weather, I was the only one there in the beginning. Just right after my first throw, I got the first bass. Hahahahaha…Wooooooooooo…So cool!
By following the rules from reading the bass tips, I immediately changed into another spot and kept trying. And it was really a miracle: I got my second bass. I could not believe that I caught two bass within thirty minutes. I felt like winning a lottery or something.

Then I changed the lure since the previous one has already worn out. And I guess it was the bigger lure that enabled me to catch bigger bass: the third, fourth, and fifth ones.

The third bass: Isn't it big?!

What?! You want to buy this fish?! Five Hundred bucks...cause this is my fifth bass.
~What's going on here? The bass in the lake has not been fed for a week or what?!~ At around five thirty, if I remember correctly, Sharon, Alyssa, and Mayla came to join me. Wuhoooooooo…I really needed a break…cause I have been catching lots of fish!!! Hahahahahahaha…

To test whether the little shiny bead works, I used Alyssa's rod. The result shown that just remaining the original setting would be good enough. Bass seemed not to enjoy the little fluorescent bead. So I changed the lure and the hook. It was getting dark so I thought it might be a good idea to use jig heads. Hey..hey..hey..hey…It worked. I got my sixth, seventh, and eighth bass by the jig head and the long curly-tail worm.

Look at my happy face…I was a happy fisherman.

湖釣大嘴鱸魚-初學路亞的心得

親愛なる君へ :

嘿嘿！最近迷上路亞湖釣，而且我專釣大嘴鱸魚！看看這大個兒，蠻重的勒，牙齒也很尖，我把它抓起來的時候常會被刺傷！

說到路亞湖釣，其實是一種休閒運動，釣者需要極大的耐性和技巧！初學者往往數小時拉不到一隻魚，若不是擬餌出問題，就是持竿的技巧不對！有人說沒有於不會去咬的擬餌，只有不會用的人！我剛開始去釣的幾次，站在湖邊幾個小時就是拉不到一條魚！現在稍好，有時一兩條釣到手，那種感覺真是興奮！

當大嘴鱸魚去咬餌的時候，它是好像吸水似地把餌吸進嘴裡，這時竿子就會抽動兩下，我再一揚竿，收線，就會看到魚身在水面上翻滾，信心及征服感那真是難以言語！

有幾次揚竿時機抓不好，被魚逃了，雖然懊悔，但也學到一課：耐心！有些玩家說，釣不到魚時也是一種樂趣！因為這就好似一場人與魚的競爭，鬥智、鬥耐心、鬥心理、也鬥體力！
這尾昨天釣到時，真是歡喜：是我目前釣到最大的一尾！唉！好在這種土味重、腥味重，不好吃！要不然，我肯定帶回家煮了祭五臟廟!...哈哈哈哈!

為無辜致死之鱸魚祈禱文

親愛なる君へ :

我發誓我真的不知道鉤子勾得那麼深，而且從眼下深入到腦內！難怪我放入水中時，它已經奄奄一息了！

人為財死，鳥為食亡！唉，鱸魚老弟，你為了一條假餌，斷送了你寶貴的魚命！我為你祈禱，為你祝福！請你不要怨我，其實你在這湖光山色的地方也住夠了！今日蒙主寵召，也算是踏入一條來世的康莊大道了！阿彌陀佛…..阿門阿門…..

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

以前在台灣我其實沒有很喜歡釣魚！因為台灣沒有這麼好的湖區，污染又重！雖然在這裡釣起來的魚我還是不敢吃，但最起碼這裡感覺上比較天然！

我記得有一個人曾經感嘆道：「我懷念寧靜獨自釣魚的時光！」
在美國釣魚好像也有這種感覺，不過差別就在我要不時地動一下釣竿，讓假餌扭動一下，吸引魚的注意！

希望那天可以跟爸媽在這種地方釣釣魚！

Bass Fishing in Indiana

I did not really like to go fishing when I was in Taiwan. But in Indiana, I start to enjoy going bass fishing.

This was my fourth time going fishing in Hawthorn park near Terre Haute, but this was the first time for me to catch a REAL fish. I would never forget the moment: feeling the lure attacked by the fish…I pulled the fishing rod…reeled back the line…..and then I saw the fish ripping the surface of the lake. Catching the fishing, I felt a sense of achievement and happiness…Well, can I say: I just conquered the nature. Hahahahahaha…
See the sharp teeth of the fish. They hurt my thumb when I held the fish's mouth.

On that day, I actually caught two fishes in Hawthorn park. For the first one, I used down/drop shot and soft worm bait as the lure. But for the second one, I used jighead and still soft worm bait. The worm with a curly tail really worked.

Well, I really wanted to keep them if I had a big fish tank at home! But they were not big enough. I could not help but let them go. Actually, people said that bass of this kind did not taste good!

This was my third fish caught in Chinook Fish and Wildlife Area. I wasn't expect to catch one cause it was getting dark, and Yoshiki and I were preparing to go back. It was just a moment of pulling and I immediately saw the fish flipping over the water. WowwwwwHahahahaha…another cute little sucker coming to my hook!

Covered Bridges

Toyota

Moving Forward

Thank you, Connie! You are the best!

It was a very nice afternoon. Yoshiki and I finished working out in the Leclub and then decided to take a short trip to some covered bridges near Terre Haute. These covered bridges are special relics with long historical background in Indiana. Well, I am not actually that familiar with the history! But when I saw these covered bridges, I could really imagine people were riding horses or walking through them in the past.
It's not a painting. It's a real photograph with blue sky, green field, and a fatty middle-aged man. ^_^
This is not the original Bridgeton covered bridge. I guess the original was destroyed by flood. This one is still under construction. See the year--2006!
It must have rained a lot yesterday. The flow in the river was pretty fast. I should have brought my tripod! Guess where did I put my camera!?
Take a look at the next picture!

This covered bridge is located near the Turkey Run State park! (I have have got paid from Toyota! Hahahahahaha....)

胖子不要穿白色橫條紋的衣服

親愛なる君へ :

好啦，好啦！我知道我已經整整胖了一圈了！戒煙半年多了，別的不長，淨是長肉！！！尤其是腰部那圈，楞是一個勁地蹦出來！

上週去了一趟 Indy 的 White River Park ，聽說那裡的人工運河很漂亮！想起 2005 年去的 Saint Antonio ，那裡運河旁的風光，仍映在腦中久久不去！但是 Indy 這個就好像不那麼美，沒有熱鬧的酒吧及冰淇淋店家，也沒有特意裝飾的餐廳在兩旁！看起來其實不外是一個河濱公園，和台南的運河公園有得比！走了一圈，看到不少一家大小騎著腳踏車遊河！嘿嘿，胖子居多！

那天，吃了一個幸運餅乾，裡面簽語寫著：「好事留給靜靜等待的人」！是在磨我的耐心嗎！？

愛一個人可以無怨無悔地愛下去嗎？真的有那種人，可以不管結果，不求回報，死心塌地地愛另一個人嗎？

我會繼續去走走看看，去開拓自己的眼界，去擴展自己的心域！
我彷彿覺得，我的心越是開闊，我越是不能相信人的心可以這麼執著！
希望美洲大陸之旅，可以踏出我的領悟，踏出屬於我的人生！

這頭牛照得好啊！




好就好在我在牠旁邊顯得不那麼肥了！



哈哈哈哈！

Three-Day Driving Tour

At the end of June, 2008, Connie and I went all the way southwest to St. Louis, Oklahoma, Taxes, New Mexico, and back from Colorado and Kansas. It was a three-day driving: over two thousand miles.

First of all, the scenery on the road was fascinating: beautiful buildings in urban St. Louis, deserts and mountains in Taxes, New Mexico and Colorado. I did not make it to Arizona since it was really too far. Being driving alone, I did not think I would have the energy to go sightseeing once I got there.

In terms of experience, secondly, this trip really strengthened my will to drive and travel alone. I really don't think I will do this after going back to Taiwan. I am not say that I will not be afraid of anything because of this trip, but it's true that I will be brave enough to encounter any challenge afterwards. As a matter of fact, I realize my limits and potentials since I accomplished this trip alone. Hopefully, I will not travel alone again because it was "FREAKING" boring to drive alone on highways of USA. What accompanied me all the way: Road kills, sky, STRAIGHT roads, horses, cows, and please don't forget, highway patrols.

Yeah! That's right! They are US police officers on highways. I got a speeding ticket on the third day. According to the Kansas highway patrol, I was going 85 mph on the road of speed limit 70 mph. The fine was USD$126. Well, that was my first time to get a speeding ticket! I mean I've never got a speeding ticket before, not even in Taiwan. Hahahaha…The fine was high enough to make me obey speed limit since then. (Once again, I am pretty satisfied with Connie…V6 engine is the best. Hahahahaha...)

See! The road is too straight without many cars on it. It's really difficult not to be speeding. Hahahahaha...

I've never seen this kind of cars before. USA is the great country where people drive strange cars. This car was very high because of the huge tires. When I stopped at the gas station, I saw the owner of the car push his husky dog upwards really hard since the car was too high for the dag to get on. Hahaha…what the heck!

Marengo Cave Park

Locating in southern Indiana, Marengo Cave has splendid stalactite formations underground. The temperature inside the cave is about 10-11 Celsius while it is about 28-29 Celsius outside!

I bought the ticket for two walking trails: Dripstone trail and Crystal Palace. The former one was about 70 minutes with lots of delicate soda straw formations and totem pole stalagmites. I barely felt the coolness since those beautiful stalagmites completely caught my attention. Listening to the guiding interpreter, I couldn’t believe that this cave was originally found by two little boys. While they found this cave, all they could use was just a piece of candle, exploring the "beauty" of this hidden underground paradise.

There were lots of coins (pennies and nickels) "in" the Penny Ceiling. I tried several times and tried to threw the coin, making it stay in the ceiling. It's like a wish pond on the ceiling. The little green or black rocks on the ceiling are magnetic. It's said we may have a good fortune of we can successfully throw a coin on the ceiling. Hahahahahaha…obviously, I got to tried more times before I left there!

These formations are beautiful. Let's hope they keep "growing" so that our generations can also enjoy the beauty of nature.

(Everyone in the walking tour was not allowed to touch anything in the cave. Human fingers have nature oil which will stop the growth of these formations. Think about it!!! Even a tiny stalagmites takes millions of years to grow as we can see there. Wow! Isn’t this amazing!?)

Best Tenderloin Sandwich in Indiana

When thinking about American foods, what do you have in mind? Pizza? Hot dogs? French fries and fried chicken? Steak and mashed potato? Yeah! They are all American foods. Oh! Don't forget …Sandwiches. Sandwiches were invented from a table of gambling, but become so pervasive and popular all over the world.

Since the United States is the homeland of sandwiches, I really want to taste every famous sandwich here. Definitely, those noted sandwiches are not just from fast-food restaurants like McDonald's, Wendy's, and Subway.

Well, according to my "research," one of the most famous sandwich places in Indiana is Mug n' Bun (near Indianapolis). The most popular sandwich is Tenderloin Sandwich, going well with a glass of "HOME-MADE" root beer. I ordered a grilled tenderloin sandwich there and a breaded one to go! In fact, these sandwiches are not really that awesome since I have a "Taiwanese stomach." Somehow, I still miss the chicken-leg sandwich of KFC in Taiwan which is not sold in the US. But compared with other fast-food restaurant, Mug n' Bun drive-in is a must-go when you come to Indiana.

I also ordered onion rings on that day. Oh, BOY!!! The onion ring there is the best one I have ever hand.

By the way, the service in Mug n' Bun is better than other restaurant. There are some service lots where you can park your car, have your order, and eat in the car. Waitresses will come to you and help you with a special designed rack, hanging over your car door. You will not mess your car interior with food because of the rack, which is a very considerate service. I guess this may be the precursor of drive-through in many fast-food restaurants today.

博士候選人

親愛なる君へ :

今天是博士檢定考的最後一天 ; 中午12點考完，我在Technology Hall 旁的空中，看看這個校園！我還是頭一次，從這個角度去看ISU的校園，也是頭一次，以一個准博士候選人的身份去看看這個待了三年的地方！

我的腦子很清醒、身體很疲憊、心裡很空蕩！前幾分鐘寫的文章，還在腦子底打轉。累累的，但有放鬆的感覺，心底卻是不勝空虛！離我的目標越接近，我越是懷疑：在我身邊現在的一切一切，究竟值不值得我努力，值不值得我拼了命地去要！？

前天，和由樹去了一趟Chicago!他終於買下他心中想要的車，耗資不斐，但是樁好買賣：車況、里程樹、年份都好！回來的路上我想起心中的一個疑問：什麼時候該「堅持」？什麼時候該「妥協」？

「堅持」，很可能頭破血流，也很可能功成名就，但就一往無前的精神，對得起自己-男子漢當如是，無怨無悔！「妥協」，可以明哲保身、可以相容於順逆，但卻不一定合心意，不一定能獲得隨危機而來的成長機會！古人說：「厚積而薄發」、「不是不張，乃待其勢而蓄其力也」！

我一直以來都很保守，以為這樣，便能等待時機，化逆為順，轉危為安！久了，好像覺得自己青壯之年，空有氣力，心氣卻是垂垂老矣，不敢放手一搏！由樹給了我一課：雖然他的堅持，需要耗費很多的成本，但是和日後所能爆發的潜力及作為比較起來，這點投資便是九牛一毛，也可說是一本萬利！（當然啦，要有著極大的風險！）我的妥協在短期看來，也許穩當而不失大，卻無豪氣干雲的大度及灑脫！想要有朝一日龍升宏圖大志，那我現在這點心胸氣量，就得好好改一改！再說了，就是一敗塗地，我光溜溜地來到這世上，再光溜溜地走，也沒什麼好損失的！

是時候了，我蓄積的力量漸漸有了！只是，我也得看準了：天時、地利、人和！

Fancy Static Removal & Suntory Whisky

Terre Haute is located in the mid-west of the United States. The air is usually very dry, especially in winter. Therefore, people get static very often when they open car doors or even touch anything. Sometimes, a slight finger touch with each other also gives us a shock and it hurts. Well, I seldom have this situation in Taiwan since the weather there is usually very humid.

This Saturday, Yoshiki came back from Japan and brought me two gifts! One was a fancy static removal; the other was Suntory whisky. I like the static removal very much because it looks very fancy to me and I may not get one anywhere in Taiwan... not even in the US. I wonder why I couldn't find this kind of things in the US. It could be very dangerous if the static electric happened when I want to pump the gas. What the heck! But anyway, from now on, I don't have to be afraid of the static shock whenever I open my car door or pump the gas.

(Connie may not be able to "remind" me of her love to me any more.) Hahahaha…

The static removal has a funny word on it: FATE! Well, is it my "FATE" not to get shock again because of this cute little sucker!? Or…if I get shock again, it may be my "FATE" to suffer even with the help of this static removal!!!

I swear…I really decide to control the amount of alcohol I can have. I was not expecting to get whisky from Yoshiki as a gift! I am not saying that I don't like the whisky or something. But, does my face reflect the word "ALCOHOL" to everyone? Well, then, I shall become a famous commercial star, playing an influential character and selling alcohols. And the best part is: I may not need a PhD to become a celebrity and make a lot of money. Hahahaha…

ありがとう ………