Why I'm here in Taiwan.
I've been working on an eleven page comic for the past two days and I'm feeling pretty good about it. ^.^ It's coming along a lot faster than my last comic (which was years ago from now >.<) and the quality of the imagery and illustrations is up notch. I suppose I've gotten better since then! =D Everything was going fast and smoothly until I got to the climax for which I can't figure out what the main character's actions are going to be. -so I decided to doodle (though I SHOULD have been thinking) which I posted in the the lj-cut below. ^^;
My dad and I live in different cities on the weekdays so he told me to go on Skype those nights and wait for his call so we can talk to each other about our day. I don't particularly like doing it because I'm usually tired when I get home and the buzzing from computers really irritate me. >o When we're done talking, I normally turn the computer off right away. -anyhow, >.> The point is that last night, I told him that I was really tired and that I was working on an eleven page comic. Then he starts telling me about how professional comic artist draw on a larger scale than how comics are printed and how there is a standard size of paper that they use when they draw. I couldn't stand it and kind of snapped back at him staying that I know that kind of stuff. Maybe he was building up to get into another topic, but I just couldn't stand him telling me about such basic stuff in my field of interest that I learned years ago. I just can't stand it~ So often he'd try to express how much he knows even if he doesn't know it! I don't know why I didn't really notice years ago, but I'm starting to catch a pattern of how he expresses it. One of the most common things he does is that right after someone says something stating a fact or idea that they just realized or learned, he says something along the lines of "yeah, that's how it is." then repeats in his own words what the other person just said as if he knew already. >.< It's starting to give me a headache when he does that.
There's been a lot of things on my mind over the past few days.
I feel that coming to Taiwan isn't fulfilling my needs and is in fact interfering in my pursuit for my dream career. I originally didn't want to come here becuase of my ambition for my dream and to learn about comicking from friends I know who are much better than me and/or are in the industry. I argued with my dad for a week that I didn't want to come. I had a "burning fire of passion" in my heart but my dad made it sound like it would be a valuable experience.My dad told me a bunch of things to get me to come here and most of what he told me hasn't fallen through.
I originally came to Taiwan for the following reasons:
1) to keep my dad company
2) to see the Chinese doctor about my skin and the "final treatment"
3) work for my Uncle, get a salary, be independant, earn my own rent. (dad's idea)
4) develope contacts, learn about the Taiwan comic industry. (dad's idea)
5) buy figurines and Manga translated into Chinese that would either be hard to get or can't buy in America.
1) I wanted to keep my dad company for a while because I love him very much and I know that he works really hard for my siblings and me and is lonely in Taiwan.
2) I actually haven't seen the doctor yet since I got here, but when I do, he said the treatment should take only two weeks...
3) I worked for my Uncle for the first few weeks, but apparently I won't be PAID, so I will not be independant earning my own salary, nor will I be supporting myself. This was important to me because I've never felt like I really deserve most of the material possessions I own because I've always been supported by my dad. I wanted to feel free and proud that I can stand on my own two feet!
4) From what I learned from one of my uncle's former employees and an artist I met, Taiwan's comic industry is pretty much non-existant. >_>
I kept telling my dad that I know how to get contacts in America because I feel that I know where to look; not only that, but I have a number of really talented friends who draw amazingly and/or are already in the industry! My dad kind of ignored me and said that with his contacts in Taiwan, he can help me get a lot of high level contacts and that he really wanted me to take advantage of his office position before he retires. He also said I can establish some good connections at my uncle's office too. -that would be true if anyone at the office actually cared if I was here and if they actually liked art other than graphic design. >_> My dad was saying that maybe I can talk to a client of my uncle's to establish connections. ...raaaaiiiight~... I'm a grunt worker, I'm not supposed to talk to clients; not only that, but my uncle's client's are all very corporate. I really doubt he'd have a client with an art-related... thing. (he makes "corporate identities.")
I've spent a month and a half in Taiwan and the only "contact" I actually had the chance to meet to was a nice woman who draws illustrations for elementary school song and story books. '_' She was VERY talented and nice though. ^^
5) I barely have enough money from my allowance because of food and transportation. ._. I think I have a plan though. I'll just do what I did in high school. >.> -skip lunch and have a huge dinner of rice or pasta! XD lol
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So! I guess it comes down to that I'm here in Taiwan to:
- keep my dad from being lonely.
- for the skin treatment (which only needs two weeks)
- and buying figurines and manga (someday)
- Being in Taiwan again is nastolgic though and I do like looking around and not driving. '_'
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There's more I want to write, but I should be getting home. ._.
Oh yeah! =O I have NO REASON to come to my uncle's office now too, but I feel like I have to because it's expected of me by my uncle and my dad. ;T He has no work for me so all I do is come here, look up internet stuff, and draw. '_' Drawing's great! =O -it's just that I have to wake up in the morning, it takes about 50 minutes to get here, I have to stay till 7pm, and I have to walk up a really steep hill eeevery day to get home. T_T It's also really hot outside (Taiwan's tropical). ._.
- it's like having to work 8 hours a day in an office 5 days a week.
- 50 minutes commute to work.
- work very hard (for myself >.>)
- paid $33 (American dollars) a week. '_' (my week allowance)
- free apartment, water, and electricity. ^.^
*whine* *whine* *whine* >.< I know I'm lucky because my dad's supporting me, but I feel like I'm stuck and can't pursue my dream while here. ._. I need to learn from and meet people in the US.
I'll write more later. >.>
