I remembered our graduation party thrown by the youngsters. Everyone got a special prize with a special title. The name of my prize was called, "Just being Ü". I've been confused all my life telling people who I am and what I do exactly. To find a specific title is for people who have very limited imagination. I happen to be capable of a few different things, and I so happen to meet many people who trust and hire me for these employments. Who am I, or what am I? If anyone is looking for an answer, I think I finally figure it out. It's as simple as the title my college friends came up with, Just Ü. Right! I am Ü, and I do whatever whoever pays me for.
It's really annoying when I hear the sentence, "Don't you feel bad that you've spent so much time on xxx?"
"Never"
This is how look at things. My value is only valid for "now". A value of an item, an event, or a choice could change at different periods of time just like how stock price varies. The only time I can really tell whether it is a good investment or not is the moment right before I exhale my last breath. For that, it is absolutely pointless to define a success or a failure at this moment. We can all make choices. Some of us choose to differ as little as possible, and some of us choose the other way around.
Before I came back to Taiwan last year, I could never imagine having a job interview as a GM. (Although most likely, the reason they were interested in me was because they wished to pay less for lots of localization work.) I even skipped the first interview and went directly to meet with the boss. He even told me to name my price. However, with the suspicion of extra localization work, I gave him the number over twice of the minimum wage.(Trust me, it's still not high. Thanks to the thoughtful Taiwanese government, especially thoughtful for the co-ops!) According to my contact in the firm, the boss didn't think that we could negotiate at all. After I heard the phrase, I told my contact that I was the person who wouldn't have wasted my time interviewing with him if he had told me that he was only looking for a cheaper translator.
No matter what, the fact is I've got 10 grand out of this company this month and according to the first update, it is still growing. I've signed the contract to protect my continual right to localize this game if there are further updates. I surely hope that this game goes as long as possible!
So, how did this come to the stage? It all started when I came back to Taiwan and had a cup of coffee with a friend I went to MSM, NTNU, and KSHS with. She introduced me to a TV/Film translation company and I began to freelance in localization. After that, I applied an account on a job search engine. I paid 30 or 50 USD to read 25 full ad-posts since Nov 2012. I still have more then 10 reads left. So far, the game comp was the only success from that site. It was indeed, "三年不開張, 開張吃三年"(You have no business for 3 years, but once you have one business, you can survive for three years.)
If I weren't a music major student going through the schooling system, I wouldn't have met this friend who lighted up the path for me today. If I weren't a voice major student, I wouldn't have felt the need to get acquainted with foreign languages. If I had got married, I wouldn't have come back to Taiwan. Let me not forget about the games I've played. They became my conversation topic to impress the interviewer, and how much I've learned from my previous roommate E about dressing like a classy professional. Oh, and thanks to my parents for doubting me every time I wanted to do something else. Because of their questioning, I felt more determined to follow through. Don't get me wrong. They only provide reasonable doubts but never stop me from doing anything.
Why would anyone bother to ask me whether I am a D soprano or a M soprano? From my tax report, I am so not a musician this year. And at the end, do the titles matter at all? The question should be, "can you really do it or not?" Why do I have to draw the boarder when I can have the whole universe?
I'm here sending my deepest appreciation to all the people who have accompanied me until now. If I am ever defined in any form of success, you've all been parts of it.
