June - October 2014
1. Fruits and Vegetables 水果跟蔬菜 (中 / 英) (June 2014)
ME: OK class, we'll be talking about fruits and vegetables today. Do you know what fruits and vegetables are?
CLASS: Yes, teacher.
ME: Great! Now I want to remind everyone to speak English in class! Speaking English will help you to learn more English!
CLASS: Yes, teacher.
ME: Repeat after me: "Apple."
CLASS: "Apple."
ME: "Orange."
Class: "Orange."
ME: "Pineapple."
Class: "Pineapple."
A student raises his hand.
ME: Yes?
STUDENT 1: Teacher, how to say 釋迦 in English?
ME: That is "Buddha-head fruit," or "sugar apple," or "custard apple." It has more than one English name.
STUDENT 1: OK teacher. Thanks.
ME: "Banana."
CLASS: "Banana."
Another student raises her hand.
ME: Yes? You have a question?
STUDENT 2: 老師, 火龍果英文怎麼說?
ME: I'm sorry, can you ask that question in English?
STUDENT 2: Yes, teacher. Sorry. How to say 火龍果 in English?
ME: That one is "dragonfruit" or "pitaya." It also has more than one English name.
STUDENT 2: Thanks, teacher.
ME: "Dragon eyes."
CLASS: "Dragon eyes."
STUDENT 3: 老師, dragon eyes 是什麼?
ME: Who knows how to say "dragon eyes" in Chinese?
STUDENT 1: It's 龍眼.
STUDENT 3: Oh, OK. 真是奇怪 .
ME: "Pear."
CLASS: "Pear."
STUDENT 3: 那如果"dragon eyes"就是龍眼, 荔枝怎麼叫leechee呢?
ME: Can you ask me that question again? In English?
STUDENT 3: 我不會.
ME: What you want to say is: "If the English name for 龍眼 is 'dragon eyes,' why is the English name for 荔枝 leechee?"
STUDENT 3: 你看! 老師也會講中文!
ME: Yes, but this is English class. Can you ask me the question again in English?
STUDENT 3: Huh? 你說什麼? 我聽不懂!
ME: I said: can you ask me one more time? In English?
STUDENT 1: 老師叫你用英文問問題.
STUDENT 3: 什麼問題? 他不是已經回答我的問題嗎?
STUDENT 2: 還沒. 他只是叫你上課的時候要講英文.
STUDENT 3: 好. 可是我忘記我問過什麼問題.
ME: Ahhhhh. Forget it. Repeat after me. IN ENGLISH. "Strawberry."
STUDENT 2: 老師, "strawberry" 是什麼? 是草莓嗎?
ME: 是. I mean yes! I mean: can you ask that question in English?
STUDENT 2: 老師為甚麼要再問一次? 你不是已經回答了嗎?
ME: 氣死我了!
2. Meta-analysis 2 (June 2014)
Whether other blogs are insightful or ignorant, I am always trying to learn from them. My goal has always been a blog that is informative, well-written, and not crushingly serious. Reading other blogs has brought me a lot closer to this goal, though I admit I still have some work to do.
I entered the words "blog" and "Taiwan" into Google, but came up with a lot of crap, so I added the word "foreigner" to the search. These were the first five results of that search.
1. 老外愛台灣 Taiwan in the Eyes of a Foreigner
What I Liked: Nothing really. This whole thing is just lame (see below).
What I Didn't Like: This "blog" is not really a blog at all, but rather a publicity website for a book about Taiwan. Everything is written in the third person, and one is forced to the conclusion that this Nick Kembel is less an individual than the creation of a publishing company.
Something Strange:The guy has a blue mohawk. Why? And why is it "Taiwan in the Eyes of a Foreigner" and not through the eyes of a foreigner?
2. Life as a Foreigner in Taiwan
What I Liked: The picture under the heading. That was about it.
What I Didn't Like: This guy is really in love with himself. The subtitle of this blog is "Everything you need to know to start a life in Taiwan," and in the "About" section he goes on to state that the purpose of his blog is "to help the next generation of foreigners in Taiwan." I'm assuming that he means Westerners, and not people from Vietnam, the Philippines, and all the other countries he has failed to recognize.
Something Strange: In his "Another 10 Foods You Ought to Try in Taiwan" entry, he refers to many common foods by their Chinese names. Why call them "digua qiu" (地瓜球) when you could just call them sweet potato balls? Why call it "kao digua" (烤地瓜) when you could just call it roasted sweet potato?
Still pondering the phrase "Over the past few months I have moved back to Texas." Did he move to Texas several months ago? Or has the move taken several months? I hope this guy wasn't teaching English here, though odds are he was.
3. My New Life in Asia
What I Liked: The banner is cool. It is well laid out and easy to use.
What I Didn't Like: Weird English. I'm assuming that this guy is not a native English speaker. He (I'm assuming it's a he) also tends to ramble.
Something Strange: Nothing aside from the odd phrases and sentence structures. It's a relatively balanced picture of what life in Taiwan is like.
4. The Study Chinese in Taiwan Blog
What I Liked: It is professionally written, and quite informative. The author is a Canadian studying Chinese in Taipei, and resident foreigners studying Chinese in Taiwan (especially in Taipei), will find this blog very helpful.
What I Didn't Like: It's not finished. The "Reviews" section is blank.
Something Strange: Couldn't find anything strange, and this might be a mark against it. Often strange = interesting.
5. The Happier Abroaders
What I Liked: A lot of the entries here are more interesting than what I usually come across. I enjoyed the "10 Reasons Why Taiwan Sucks for Social Life, Fun, Happiness, and Romance" entry, even if I didn't agree with most of it. It is, moreover, an entry which belies their blog title. Are they happier abroad?
What I Didn't Like: The racist and judgmental character of almost everything written on this blog. It also seems to be a front for prostitution, the finding of foreign wives, or both.
Something Strange:This thing is written like a tabloid. Probably the strangest part is the heading, which proclaims an agenda that involves "Exposing the Toxicity of American Culture," "Freethought," and "Non-Censorship of Truth."
3. Mixed Message (June 2014)
Sometimes you take the fae ji to the Taoyuan ji chang and then you get there and it should be sunny but it's raining and it's OK while you're in the ji chang but you know that once you get out of the ji cheng che or the gong che it's going to be a wen ti.
So maybe later you take the gong che to Taipei and then you get out in front of your lu guan and the shia yu is very big and you have to drag your shing li into the lu guan and everything gets wet but it's OK too because you're happy to be back in Taiwan.
And at that time you are hun lei so you shui jhao for the wan shang and then you chi chuang in the dzao shang and you leave the lu guan and spend a tian in Taipei which should be more hao wan than it is but after the shia yu it's very rhe and you find yourself gravitating towards places with lung chi.
Which leads you into the nearest Tai Ping Yang where you wander around looking at yi fu, dian dong wan ju, and shu, and after this you start to get e, and you ask a fu wu ren yuan about tsan tings in the di chu.
"你想吃什麼?" says the fu wu ren yuan.
"Japanese, Chinese, 還是 Western 都可以," you say.
After which point the fu wu ren yuan directs you to a rh ben tsan ting outside the Tai Ping Yang, which the fu wu ren yuan really shouldn't do but he's a nice guy and he knows that the rh ben tsan ting inside the bai huo aren't that great.
So you have sou shr and later you go to a Shin Ba Ke for ka fei and later still you ride the jie yun from jong shiao fu shing to the Taipei Che Jhan where your lu guan is waiting and then you enjoy a few pi jiou in your fang jian and watch some dian shr and then shui jiao for the second time in Taiwan.
Leading me (and you) to your third tian in Taiwan, in which you begin to lu shing around the dao. You go to Shiao Wu Lai in 桃園, Nan Liao in 新竹, a few famous places in 苗栗, and Shr Dze Shan on the way to Shuei Ba Guo Jia Gong Yuan. It's a really fun lu shing.
台中, 嘉義, and 台南. Drinking more pi jiou and wandering through the Mei Shu Guan. 高雄, 屏東, and 台東. Lost around yu gangs and finding clear kong chi on the other side. 花蓮, 宜蘭, 基隆, and then back to 台北, but not to 南投 because of the inconvenience of getting there and back.
"你回來了!" says the yuan gong at your lu guan, remembering your lian.
"沒錯" you say, smiling. "我明天要回國. 這個禮拜過得好快!"
So you pack your shing li the wan shang before and get a good shiou shi in your lu guan, waking up early the next tian so that you can take a ji cheng che back to the ji chang and catch your fae ji back home.
And while you are waiting in the ji chang a mo sheng de ren sitting next to you strikes up a dui hua.
"請問," says the mo sheng de ren very politely, "你在台灣很久了嗎?"
"I'm sorry," you answer, "I don't speak Jhong Wen. Could you say that again in English?"
4. A Meeting 開會 (September 2014)
It's Sunday. It's the last day of August. Our work starts tomorrow. I am sitting in the meeting room. I am in a meeting. 星期日. 八月的最後一天. 我們明天開始正式上班. 這時候的我正坐在會議室裡, 開會.
Papers. There are many papers. Do I have all of the papers? Am I looking at the right paper? One of my coworkers is talking. I am only listening to half of the words. None of it has anything to do with me. Yes, I am looking at the wrong paper. Better find the right one. 開會的文件. 那麼多的文件. 我都拿到了? 我看著的這張對嗎? 其中的一位同事正在報告, 我只聽到一部分, 內容也跟我無關, 喔! 我看錯張紙了, 最好趕快找到他正在講的那一張 .
Someone hands me a cup of tea. The cup is very cold. The perspiration from the cup is dripping down onto the table. I think the tea is very bitter. I am drinking it anyway. 一位同事給我一杯茶. 茶很冰. 杯子上的水流到桌上了. 我覺得這杯茶很苦. 但我還是把它喝了.
I am looking down at the table. My cap is on the table. My cap is stained with sweat. I am holding hand high as I write this. There is a desk calendar under my hand. The calendar is next to the papers. 我看著桌子. 我的帽子在桌上. 它被我自己的汗弄髒了. 我把手騰空地寫著 . 桌曆在我的手下, 在會議文件旁邊.
The big boss is talking about how to do something better. The coworker next to me is staring at a paper, and she is pretending to read the paper. Another coworker is shuffling papers. Another coworker is playing with her smartphone. 老闆正在說如何改善做事方法, 旁邊的同事盯著文件看, 假奘自己用功地讀文件, 另外一邊的同事排列著他手中的文件, 還有一位同事在玩她的智慧手機.
The big boss has hands the meeting over to another administrator. The administrator is saying a phone number that many of my coworkers are writing down. I am not writing the phone number down. I don't need to know the phone number. 老闆將會議交給另外一位行政人員. 行政人員說了一組電話號碼, 同事們將它寫了下來. 我不寫這個電話號碼. 我不需要這個號碼.
Words. Spoken, read, or written down. Words on paper. Papers on the table. Papers to be filed, or else secretly thrown away. 文字. 講的, 讀的, 還是寫下來的. 文件上的文字. 桌上的文件. 需要留下的文件. 要秘密丟掉的文件.
Bodies. People. Restless and trying to concentrate. We hope we have it all in hand. Tomorrow is coming and our work will start. We do our best to be well informed, but sometimes we are looking at the wrong paper, or listening to the wrong words. 身體. 人. 坐立不安和試著專心的人. 我們希望自己都準備完全, 明天將至, 工作將開始. 我們很努力地聽清楚, 但有時還是看錯文件或是聽錯字.
We know that tomorrow always comes too soon. We know that there will be another meeting tomorrow. We know there will be other papers, with other words, that we must remember. Papers to be handed out. Words to be remembered. Tea to be drunk, though it is too bitter. All of it too soon. 我們知道明天總是來的太快, 我們也知道明天還會有另外一個會議. 也還有別的會議文件, 和別的事情要記起來. 要給同事的會議文件. 要記得的話. 要喝的茶. 就算茶太苦. 這些都太快到了.
5. From East to West and Back Again 從東部到西部再回到東部 (September 2014)
In July we drove from Taitung to Ji Loong (Keelung) City. Here are some of the pictures I took. 七月的時候我們從台東開車到基隆. 這些是我那時候拍的照片.
Most of north Taipei/Ji Loong City looks like this. Small communities divided by rivers, with a lot of bridges in between. It's a very hilly area. 大部分台北市的北部跟基隆市都是這樣. 小社區被河流貫穿, 中間有橋連接, 而且社區中間有小山坡.
This is in Taipei's New Life Square, not far from the 101. A lot of good hamburgers in this area! 這是台北101附近的信義商圈. 這地區有很多好吃的漢堡.
The Maokong Gondola, down the street from the Taipei Zoo. It can be a long wait to get on this thing, but the views are worth it. If the weather's not good don't bother. 木柵動物園附近的貓空. 有時候貓空纜車要等很久, 但是那裏的風景真的值得你花時間等待纜車. 只是天氣很差的時候就不用去了.
View from the end of the gondola line. This area is famous for its tea plantations, and is also a popular destination for Taipei cyclists. 到達貓空時的美景. 這個地區的名產是茶葉. 也是很多台北人喜歡騎單車的地方.
Ji Loong (Keelung) City after a rainstorm. It rains a lot here, but I think it's an interesting area to walk around. 剛下完雨的基隆市. 雖然這裡常下雨, 但是我覺得在這附近散步蠻有趣的.
"Your Success Becomes My Illusion." Don't ask me what it means. One of the many quizzical artworks to be found in Taipei's City Art Museum. 我也不懂這個藝術品的意思. 台北的市立美術館有很多這種東西.
Honestly, the National Palace Museum is much better. 說實話, 故宮博物院比這裡好太多了.
Ireland's Potatoes, just down the street from the 101. My daughters love this place. 101大樓附近的愛爾蘭馬鈴薯. 我女兒超愛這個地方.
Exhibit in Taichung's Science Museum. This is without a doubt the best science museum in Taiwan, and I would rank it #3 overall, behind Taipei's National Palace Museum and Taitung's Prehistory Museum. Check it out if you're in the area. 台中科學博物館毫無疑問是台灣最棒的科學博物館. 以台灣所有的博物館來說, 只有台北的故宮跟台東的史前博物館比得上它. 如果你在台中的話一定要去.
The famous dinosaurs in Taichung's Science Museum. A lot of kids just go to this museum for the dinosaurs. 台中科學博物館裡的明星恐龍. 很多小朋友參觀博物館的原因就是為了去看恐龍.
Hot pot restaurant in Kaohsiung. The hot pots look kind of old and dangerous, right? I found a back room FULL of unused gas canisters, just a few steps away from the kitchen! 高雄市的火鍋餐廳. 這些火鍋看起來有點危險對不對? 我發現後面的房間充滿了瓦斯罐. 而且就在他們廚房的旁邊。
Seashore in Pingtung, not far from the start of the Southern Cross-Island Highway. 屏東的海景. 靠近南迴公路的起點.
6. Summertime 夏天 (September 2014)
Pictures taken in and around Taitung City this summer. It was HOT. 這些照片都是暑假時在台東拍的. 今年暑假非常的熱.
The river near Tai Yuan, Dong He Township. A lot of people come here to see monkeys. 東河鄉泰源村的小溪. 很多人來這邊看猴子.
"Little Yellow Mountain" near the Taitung Train Station. Also known as the Li Ji Badlands. The Beinan River passes through here. 台東火車站附近的小黃山. 那裡也稱利吉惡地. 卑南溪從其中流過.
Bike trail near the Li Ji Badlands. I go running here often. 利吉惡地的自行車道. 我常常在這裡跑步.
"Rock Mountain" on the Beinan River. 卑南溪上的石頭山.
Same bike trail pictured above. This is the section near the Forest Park. Beinan Mountain is in the foreground. 森林公園附近的自行車道. 最靠近的山坡是卑南山.
Taitung City, from the roof of the building where I live. 從我們大樓屋頂上看到的台東市.
Shan Yuan Beach, looking north. 從杉原海灘往北看.
The mouth of the Beinan River, from the Jung Hua Bridge. The line of trees to the left is where the bike trail is. 卑南溪的溪口. 這是我在中華橋拍的. 左邊的那排樹就是自行車道的位置.
7. Introduction 自我介紹: September 23, 2014 九月23日2014年 (September 2014)
I am an American, though I don't usually self-identify as such. I usually just tell people I'm from Seattle, and let them work out my nationality for themselves. Believe it or not, I've met more than a few Taiwanese people who think Seattle is in Canada. 我是美國人, 可是我不常這麼介紹自己. 我通常跟新朋友說我是從西雅圖來的, 讓他們猜想我來自哪個國家. 你可能無法相信, 因為我碰過不少台灣人覺得西雅圖是在加拿大.
I arrived in Taiwan September 1999, which is now 15 years ago. Yes, 15 years is a long time to be in Taiwan, but not so long as you might think. I was 25 when I first got here, and now I'm 39. 我在十五年前的1999年9月來到台灣. 十五年真是一段蠻長的時間, 這幾年過得好快. 我25歲來台灣. 現在已經39歲了.
I have green eyes, but many people tell me they are blue. I don't know why this is. Maybe people just want to believe that all foreigners have blue eyes. Under "eye color" it says "green" on my US driver's license. 我的眼睛是綠色的, 可是我不知道為什麼, 很多人覺得它們是藍色的 . 有可能很多台灣人認為白人應該有藍色的眼睛. 我的美國駕駛照上"眼睛的顏色"這一項寫的是"綠色".
A lot of Taiwanese friends are curious to know what my favorite Chinese food is. It is fried onion cake, or tsong yo bing. I like to eat them with a lot of hot sauce. Yes, there are foreigners who like spicy food. 很多台灣朋友問我最喜歡的中國菜是什麼. 我最喜歡的是蔥油餅. 我最喜歡加辣的蔥油餅. 沒錯! 有許多外國人喜歡吃很辣的東西.
I also like snakes. Really. I am fascinated by snakes. I become very excited when we catch them in our school, and I like to see them when I am out riding my bike. I think that snakes are very interesting animals. 我也很喜歡蛇. 真的. 我對蛇很有興趣. 我們在學校裡抓到蛇的時候我很高興. 我也很喜歡在騎單車的時候看到牠們. 我覺得蛇是一種很有意思的動物.
Today is September 23, 2014 and I am a little tired. I am tired because I am trying to drink less coffee. I am also tired because I didn't sleep so well last night. I had one class this morning, and three classes this afternoon, but today's lesson is easy and I don't expect any trouble. My only trouble is sitting here, trying to think of things about myself that I haven't said before. 我在9月23日2014年的今天有點累. 這是因為我試著少喝一點咖啡. 也是因為我昨天晚上沒睡好. 我今天早上有一節課, 下午有三節, 今天的課都很順利. 唯一的困擾是我坐在這個地方努力想我還沒有寫過的事.
8. My Thinking Places 我的"思考地點" (October 2014)
Do you have a "thinking place"? A thinking place is a place where you go to think. It's somewhere quiet enough for thinking, or maybe noisy enough for thinking. It's somewhere that other people don't know about, or else somewhere that's always crowded, always busy, or always popular. Different kinds of people will prefer different kinds of thinking places. Your thinking place is always going to be a reflection of your personality, and also the kind of thinking you like to do. 你有沒有一個"思考地方"? 也就是你可以靜下心來思考的地方.也許是個很吵雜的地方, 或是沒什麼人知道的地方, 也可能是擁擠吵鬧或是個熱門的地點.不同個性的人需要的"思考地方"不同, 你所選擇的地方也反映了你的人格特質, 也說明了你想進行的思考類型.
When I lived in Seattle, my thinking place was Discovery Park. Discovery Park is one Seattle's biggest parks, and you can spend hours walking around inside of it. Aside from the most popular trails, there are many less-visited parts of Discovery Park, and it is to those places, within sight of the Olympic Mountains, that I went when I wanted to be alone with my thoughts. 我住在西雅圖的時候, 我的"思考地點"是Discovery市立公園. 它是西雅圖其中之一個最大的公園, 大到你可以在公園裡散步幾個小時. 公園裡除了最熱門步道之外, 還有許多少為人知的地方可以去. 在那裏可以看到Olympic山脈, 我喜歡自己一個人去那裏思考事情.
When I lived in Taichung, my thinking place was a big cemetery overlooking the city, on a piece of land that is now part of the Taichung Science Park. I know that a lot of people are creeped out by cemeteries, but I always went there in the daytime, and it was always the quietest place to be. It was up this little dirt road behind an old house, and no one ever bothered me there. 我住在台中的時候, 我的"思考地點"是大肚山上的墓地. 現在那塊墳地已經變成中科的一部分了. 我知道很多人覺得去墳地是件很恐怖的事情, 可是我每次都是白天去, 而且那裡真的是最安靜的地方. 我都是從一間老房子後的小石頭路進去, 從來沒看過其他人.
When I lived in Hsinchu, my thinking place was 18 Points Mountain, not far from the Hsinchu Train Station. There were usually a lot of people hiking in that place, but only on one side of the mountain. On the other side there was nothing except trees and another old cemetery, and that was where I liked to do my thinking. I can remember bringing a few friends up there, but I never told them that it was my thinking place. 我住在新竹的時候, 我的"思考地點"就是火車站附近的十八尖山. 平常有很多人在那邊爬山, 可是大部分的人只是去固定的一邊而已. 因為另外一邊只有些樹跟墳墓. 安靜的這一邊適合思考. 我曾帶些朋友去那裏, 只是我沒有跟他們說那是我的"思考地點".
In Taitung, where I now live, I have a couple of thinking places. One of them is not far from the Jung Hua Bridge, near the Beinan River and the Forest Park. It is a very quiet place, and aside from a few guys gathering firewood, no one goes there. I have another thinking place on the way to the Li Ji Badlands, not far from the baseball stadium. There is a farm in front of it, and the mountains are very pretty when the sun goes down. 我在現在住的台東有兩個"思考地點". 一個在中華橋, 卑南溪, 和森林公園附近. 那邊很安靜. 除了檢木頭的人之外, 沒有人想去那裏. 另外一個在利吉惡地, 它在棒球場附近. 它的前面是農田. 那裡的夕陽很漂亮.
I don't visit my thinking places often, but it's good to know they are there. Life can be confusing sometimes, and there are times when it is best to just get away from everyone and everything, sit down a while, and organize your thoughts. I suppose a thinking place is like a good friend, who just listens and does not judge you. I think everyone should have a thinking place, and if you don't you might think about finding one. 我不常去我的"思考地點", 可是它們的存在是一件令人快樂的事. 有時候人生會讓我們很不安. 也有時候就是單純地想一個人坐一下, 整理一下心緒. 一個"思考地點"就像一個好朋友一樣願意聽你說話不會批判你 . 我覺得每個人都應該有一個"思考地點". 你如果沒有的話, 應該找一個.
9. "Hello Foreigner!" 你好,外國人 (October 2014)
So I'm walking around the Beauty of Taitung Triathlon last weekend, taking pictures. The place is packed, the sun is out, and I'm having a good time. In the midst of my picture taking I walk up to the Jung Hua Bridge, looking for a better vantage point. As I walk up, I have to maneuver around many other people, all of them waiting for the triathlon to start. 我上個禮拜在台東之美鐵人三項的活動中拍照. 天氣非常好, 而且到處都是人. 整個活動的氣氛讓我很開心. 我走上可以拍整個活動景觀的中華橋, 一路上橋的時候經過很多人. 他們都等著鐵人賽的開始.
"Hello!" someone yells behind me. 突然我後面有人大聲叫"Hello!".
...now I don't know about you, but when someone yells "Hello!" to the back of my head I tend not to bother with them. Where I come from, we look people in the eyes when we say hello, or we at least make sure the other person is facing in our direction. 我不知道你會怎麼想, 但是如果有人在我背後說"Hello"! 我不是很想理他們. 在我的家鄉, 人們打招呼時會看著對方的眼睛, 或是等對方面對著我們.
"Hello!" the same voice says again. 後面那位又大聲地叫 "Hello!" .
...and still I have not turned around. Why bother with people who don't understand that this is bad manners? Keep in mind that I've already exchanged hellos with a dozen other strangers, all of them returning my wave or smile. I try very hard to be polite, but even I have my limits. 而我也依然沒有轉過去看他. 我不想理這種沒禮貌的人. 這一路上我已經跟很多人打過招呼了, 他們全部都是揮手打招呼或是對我微笑. 我很努力的保持我的禮貌, 可是對於有些人我有時候也受不了.
...and then I hear footsteps coming up behind me, and a guy shouts into my ear: "WHAT? YOU DON'T SEE ME?!?!" 然後我聽到後面來人的腳步聲, 後面的那位先生在我耳邊大聲地叫: "WHAT? YOU DON'T SEE ME?!?!"
So I turn around, not sure if I want to say hello or administer a beating, and this Taiwanese guy is running down the stairs behind me. Of course it crosses my mind to run after him, but I decide to hold my temper. Why make it worse? Or why give him the satisfaction? Why not just let it pass? 所以我轉過去看誰在大叫. 我那時候不確定我要打招呼還是打人. 結果看到一位先生跑下階梯走了. 我本來想去追他, 後來決定控制脾氣放他一馬. 我不想讓情況變糟, 追他就稱了他的心了, 算了.
Manners are of course different for different people, in different places. Sometimes looking someone in the eye is a sign of respect. Sometimes looking someone in the eye is a sign of disrespect. Your manners are often determined by the culture in which you grew up, and your degree of connection (or disconnection) from that culture. 不同的人,不同的地方會有不同的禮貌表現. 有時候看著對方的眼睛是有禮貌的表現. 有時候反而是很無禮的. 你的禮貌跟你成長的文化背景有關係, 也與你是否尊重本身的文化有關係.
In an international context, where norms of behavior are always shifting, treating others with respect requires a kind of flexibility that is beyond some people, and they are not always to be blamed for this. Good manners for Americans are not always good manners for the Taiwanese. Good manners for a Thai is not always good manners for a Nigerian. In dealing with those from other backgrounds, we have to be aware of where they come from, as much as who they are. 以國際性來說, 禮貌的習慣會改變. 所以每個人都需要保持變通. 但這不一定每個人都做得到. 美國人的禮貌表現不一定是台灣人認為的有禮貌, 泰國人的禮貌行為也不一定是尼日人的禮貌行為. 跟不同文化背景的人溝通的時候, 我們要清楚他們從哪裡來的. 他們的家鄉跟他們的人一樣重要.
In other words, it's not always good manners to say "Hello!" to the foreigner. Sometimes it's just as important how you say something as what you are saying. This is the essence of good manners, in that the means of communication are just as important as the information communicated. 換句話說, 跟外國人說"Hello!"不一定就是有禮貌的. 有時候你的說話語氣跟你說什麼一樣重要. 這就是禮貌的重點, 因為我們溝通的方法會影響我們要對方知道的內容.
It is possible that as a child you were encouraged to say "Hello!" to people from other countries, in their native language, if possible. There's nothing wrong with that. This is a good habit, if it is done well. Yelling "Hello!" at the back of someone's head, however, is never good manners, regardless of who you are, where you are, and where you are from. 有可能你小時候被教著用美語跟外國人說"Hello!" 這是一個好習慣. 可是跟人打招呼時要有禮貌的行為. 這樣在人背後大聲叫"Hello!"是一件很沒禮貌的事情, 這不會因為你是誰, 還是在哪裡, 或是從哪裡來而改變.
10. Around Hualien 在花蓮 (October 2014)
These pictures were taken in August, during a trip around Hualien County. 這些照片是八月時在花蓮拍的.
This is Chr Ke Mountain, one of the two most popular mountains in Hualien. The other most popular mountain is 16 Stone Mountain, not far away. Both mountains are famous for their daylily crops and scenic vistas. 這是赤柯山. 它是花蓮縣最有名的山的其中一座. 另外一座就是附近的六十石山. 它們都因金針花和美麗的風景聞名.
You do NOT want to drive up here on a weekend, in the middle of summer, during the daylily season. This is what we did, and it was a mistake. 不應該在金針花季, 暑假和周末時來這裡. 我們就是在這熱門的時間去那裏, 人車好多.
Also on Chr Ke Mountain. Lots of butterflies everywhere. 這也是在赤柯山. 到處都是蝴蝶.
A closer look at the daylilies. You can also see these flowers on Taitung's Jin Jen Mountain. Many people enjoy eating them. 這是近看的金針花. 台東的金針山也因金針花而出名. 很多人喜歡吃這種花.
This is Shr Ti Ping, on Hualien County's southern coast. The scenery is very famous, as are the whale watching tours which depart from the Shr Ti Fishing Port, just north of here. 花蓮縣南部海岸的石梯坪. 這裡的風景很有名. 你可以從石梯漁港坐船賞鯨.
This is also Shr Ti Ping. If you like taking pictures of coastlines, this is definitely the place to go. The rocks are very beautiful when the sun comes up. 你如果喜歡拍攝海景, 那一定要來這裡. 這邊的石頭在日出時候很美.
Looking south. Chang Bin Township in Taitung County is not far away. 往南邊看. 這裡離台東縣的長濱鄉不遠.
Shr Ti Ping again. To appreciate the beauty of this place you really have to get up early. Like many points of interest on Taiwan's east coast, it looks much better in the morning. 要欣賞石梯坪的美就要很早起床. 台灣東海岸很多的景點都是需要早起才能看到它最美的樣貌.
The town of Feng Bin. This is the beginning of the highway that leads from Feng Bin to Guang Fu, on the other side of the coastal mountain range. To the far right, Highway 11 leads north toward Hualien City. 豐濱鄉市區. 從豐濱到光復的公路從這裡開始. 它也經過東台灣的海岸山脈. 最右邊的是往花蓮市的台11線.
From the same spot, looking in the other direction. It was a beautiful morning, and I was very ready for breakfast. 在同一個地點但不同方向. 那時候還蠻早的, 我已經準備好吃早餐了.
ME: OK class, we'll be talking about fruits and vegetables today. Do you know what fruits and vegetables are?
CLASS: Yes, teacher.
ME: Great! Now I want to remind everyone to speak English in class! Speaking English will help you to learn more English!
CLASS: Yes, teacher.
ME: Repeat after me: "Apple."
CLASS: "Apple."
ME: "Orange."
Class: "Orange."
ME: "Pineapple."
Class: "Pineapple."
A student raises his hand.
ME: Yes?
STUDENT 1: Teacher, how to say 釋迦 in English?
ME: That is "Buddha-head fruit," or "sugar apple," or "custard apple." It has more than one English name.
STUDENT 1: OK teacher. Thanks.
ME: "Banana."
CLASS: "Banana."
Another student raises her hand.
ME: Yes? You have a question?
STUDENT 2: 老師, 火龍果英文怎麼說?
ME: I'm sorry, can you ask that question in English?
STUDENT 2: Yes, teacher. Sorry. How to say 火龍果 in English?
ME: That one is "dragonfruit" or "pitaya." It also has more than one English name.
STUDENT 2: Thanks, teacher.
ME: "Dragon eyes."
CLASS: "Dragon eyes."
STUDENT 3: 老師, dragon eyes 是什麼?
ME: Who knows how to say "dragon eyes" in Chinese?
STUDENT 1: It's 龍眼.
STUDENT 3: Oh, OK. 真是奇怪 .
ME: "Pear."
CLASS: "Pear."
STUDENT 3: 那如果"dragon eyes"就是龍眼, 荔枝怎麼叫leechee呢?
ME: Can you ask me that question again? In English?
STUDENT 3: 我不會.
ME: What you want to say is: "If the English name for 龍眼 is 'dragon eyes,' why is the English name for 荔枝 leechee?"
STUDENT 3: 你看! 老師也會講中文!
ME: Yes, but this is English class. Can you ask me the question again in English?
STUDENT 3: Huh? 你說什麼? 我聽不懂!
ME: I said: can you ask me one more time? In English?
STUDENT 1: 老師叫你用英文問問題.
STUDENT 3: 什麼問題? 他不是已經回答我的問題嗎?
STUDENT 2: 還沒. 他只是叫你上課的時候要講英文.
STUDENT 3: 好. 可是我忘記我問過什麼問題.
ME: Ahhhhh. Forget it. Repeat after me. IN ENGLISH. "Strawberry."
STUDENT 2: 老師, "strawberry" 是什麼? 是草莓嗎?
ME: 是. I mean yes! I mean: can you ask that question in English?
STUDENT 2: 老師為甚麼要再問一次? 你不是已經回答了嗎?
ME: 氣死我了!
2. Meta-analysis 2 (June 2014)
Whether other blogs are insightful or ignorant, I am always trying to learn from them. My goal has always been a blog that is informative, well-written, and not crushingly serious. Reading other blogs has brought me a lot closer to this goal, though I admit I still have some work to do.
I entered the words "blog" and "Taiwan" into Google, but came up with a lot of crap, so I added the word "foreigner" to the search. These were the first five results of that search.
1. 老外愛台灣 Taiwan in the Eyes of a Foreigner
What I Liked: Nothing really. This whole thing is just lame (see below).
What I Didn't Like: This "blog" is not really a blog at all, but rather a publicity website for a book about Taiwan. Everything is written in the third person, and one is forced to the conclusion that this Nick Kembel is less an individual than the creation of a publishing company.
Something Strange:The guy has a blue mohawk. Why? And why is it "Taiwan in the Eyes of a Foreigner" and not through the eyes of a foreigner?
2. Life as a Foreigner in Taiwan
What I Liked: The picture under the heading. That was about it.
What I Didn't Like: This guy is really in love with himself. The subtitle of this blog is "Everything you need to know to start a life in Taiwan," and in the "About" section he goes on to state that the purpose of his blog is "to help the next generation of foreigners in Taiwan." I'm assuming that he means Westerners, and not people from Vietnam, the Philippines, and all the other countries he has failed to recognize.
Something Strange: In his "Another 10 Foods You Ought to Try in Taiwan" entry, he refers to many common foods by their Chinese names. Why call them "digua qiu" (地瓜球) when you could just call them sweet potato balls? Why call it "kao digua" (烤地瓜) when you could just call it roasted sweet potato?
Still pondering the phrase "Over the past few months I have moved back to Texas." Did he move to Texas several months ago? Or has the move taken several months? I hope this guy wasn't teaching English here, though odds are he was.
3. My New Life in Asia
What I Liked: The banner is cool. It is well laid out and easy to use.
What I Didn't Like: Weird English. I'm assuming that this guy is not a native English speaker. He (I'm assuming it's a he) also tends to ramble.
Something Strange: Nothing aside from the odd phrases and sentence structures. It's a relatively balanced picture of what life in Taiwan is like.
4. The Study Chinese in Taiwan Blog
What I Liked: It is professionally written, and quite informative. The author is a Canadian studying Chinese in Taipei, and resident foreigners studying Chinese in Taiwan (especially in Taipei), will find this blog very helpful.
What I Didn't Like: It's not finished. The "Reviews" section is blank.
Something Strange: Couldn't find anything strange, and this might be a mark against it. Often strange = interesting.
5. The Happier Abroaders
What I Liked: A lot of the entries here are more interesting than what I usually come across. I enjoyed the "10 Reasons Why Taiwan Sucks for Social Life, Fun, Happiness, and Romance" entry, even if I didn't agree with most of it. It is, moreover, an entry which belies their blog title. Are they happier abroad?
What I Didn't Like: The racist and judgmental character of almost everything written on this blog. It also seems to be a front for prostitution, the finding of foreign wives, or both.
Something Strange:This thing is written like a tabloid. Probably the strangest part is the heading, which proclaims an agenda that involves "Exposing the Toxicity of American Culture," "Freethought," and "Non-Censorship of Truth."
3. Mixed Message (June 2014)
Sometimes you take the fae ji to the Taoyuan ji chang and then you get there and it should be sunny but it's raining and it's OK while you're in the ji chang but you know that once you get out of the ji cheng che or the gong che it's going to be a wen ti.
So maybe later you take the gong che to Taipei and then you get out in front of your lu guan and the shia yu is very big and you have to drag your shing li into the lu guan and everything gets wet but it's OK too because you're happy to be back in Taiwan.
And at that time you are hun lei so you shui jhao for the wan shang and then you chi chuang in the dzao shang and you leave the lu guan and spend a tian in Taipei which should be more hao wan than it is but after the shia yu it's very rhe and you find yourself gravitating towards places with lung chi.
Which leads you into the nearest Tai Ping Yang where you wander around looking at yi fu, dian dong wan ju, and shu, and after this you start to get e, and you ask a fu wu ren yuan about tsan tings in the di chu.
"你想吃什麼?" says the fu wu ren yuan.
"Japanese, Chinese, 還是 Western 都可以," you say.
After which point the fu wu ren yuan directs you to a rh ben tsan ting outside the Tai Ping Yang, which the fu wu ren yuan really shouldn't do but he's a nice guy and he knows that the rh ben tsan ting inside the bai huo aren't that great.
So you have sou shr and later you go to a Shin Ba Ke for ka fei and later still you ride the jie yun from jong shiao fu shing to the Taipei Che Jhan where your lu guan is waiting and then you enjoy a few pi jiou in your fang jian and watch some dian shr and then shui jiao for the second time in Taiwan.
Leading me (and you) to your third tian in Taiwan, in which you begin to lu shing around the dao. You go to Shiao Wu Lai in 桃園, Nan Liao in 新竹, a few famous places in 苗栗, and Shr Dze Shan on the way to Shuei Ba Guo Jia Gong Yuan. It's a really fun lu shing.
台中, 嘉義, and 台南. Drinking more pi jiou and wandering through the Mei Shu Guan. 高雄, 屏東, and 台東. Lost around yu gangs and finding clear kong chi on the other side. 花蓮, 宜蘭, 基隆, and then back to 台北, but not to 南投 because of the inconvenience of getting there and back.
"你回來了!" says the yuan gong at your lu guan, remembering your lian.
"沒錯" you say, smiling. "我明天要回國. 這個禮拜過得好快!"
So you pack your shing li the wan shang before and get a good shiou shi in your lu guan, waking up early the next tian so that you can take a ji cheng che back to the ji chang and catch your fae ji back home.
And while you are waiting in the ji chang a mo sheng de ren sitting next to you strikes up a dui hua.
"請問," says the mo sheng de ren very politely, "你在台灣很久了嗎?"
"I'm sorry," you answer, "I don't speak Jhong Wen. Could you say that again in English?"
4. A Meeting 開會 (September 2014)
It's Sunday. It's the last day of August. Our work starts tomorrow. I am sitting in the meeting room. I am in a meeting. 星期日. 八月的最後一天. 我們明天開始正式上班. 這時候的我正坐在會議室裡, 開會.
Papers. There are many papers. Do I have all of the papers? Am I looking at the right paper? One of my coworkers is talking. I am only listening to half of the words. None of it has anything to do with me. Yes, I am looking at the wrong paper. Better find the right one. 開會的文件. 那麼多的文件. 我都拿到了? 我看著的這張對嗎? 其中的一位同事正在報告, 我只聽到一部分, 內容也跟我無關, 喔! 我看錯張紙了, 最好趕快找到他正在講的那一張 .
Someone hands me a cup of tea. The cup is very cold. The perspiration from the cup is dripping down onto the table. I think the tea is very bitter. I am drinking it anyway. 一位同事給我一杯茶. 茶很冰. 杯子上的水流到桌上了. 我覺得這杯茶很苦. 但我還是把它喝了.
I am looking down at the table. My cap is on the table. My cap is stained with sweat. I am holding hand high as I write this. There is a desk calendar under my hand. The calendar is next to the papers. 我看著桌子. 我的帽子在桌上. 它被我自己的汗弄髒了. 我把手騰空地寫著 . 桌曆在我的手下, 在會議文件旁邊.
The big boss is talking about how to do something better. The coworker next to me is staring at a paper, and she is pretending to read the paper. Another coworker is shuffling papers. Another coworker is playing with her smartphone. 老闆正在說如何改善做事方法, 旁邊的同事盯著文件看, 假奘自己用功地讀文件, 另外一邊的同事排列著他手中的文件, 還有一位同事在玩她的智慧手機.
The big boss has hands the meeting over to another administrator. The administrator is saying a phone number that many of my coworkers are writing down. I am not writing the phone number down. I don't need to know the phone number. 老闆將會議交給另外一位行政人員. 行政人員說了一組電話號碼, 同事們將它寫了下來. 我不寫這個電話號碼. 我不需要這個號碼.
Words. Spoken, read, or written down. Words on paper. Papers on the table. Papers to be filed, or else secretly thrown away. 文字. 講的, 讀的, 還是寫下來的. 文件上的文字. 桌上的文件. 需要留下的文件. 要秘密丟掉的文件.
Bodies. People. Restless and trying to concentrate. We hope we have it all in hand. Tomorrow is coming and our work will start. We do our best to be well informed, but sometimes we are looking at the wrong paper, or listening to the wrong words. 身體. 人. 坐立不安和試著專心的人. 我們希望自己都準備完全, 明天將至, 工作將開始. 我們很努力地聽清楚, 但有時還是看錯文件或是聽錯字.
We know that tomorrow always comes too soon. We know that there will be another meeting tomorrow. We know there will be other papers, with other words, that we must remember. Papers to be handed out. Words to be remembered. Tea to be drunk, though it is too bitter. All of it too soon. 我們知道明天總是來的太快, 我們也知道明天還會有另外一個會議. 也還有別的會議文件, 和別的事情要記起來. 要給同事的會議文件. 要記得的話. 要喝的茶. 就算茶太苦. 這些都太快到了.
5. From East to West and Back Again 從東部到西部再回到東部 (September 2014)
In July we drove from Taitung to Ji Loong (Keelung) City. Here are some of the pictures I took. 七月的時候我們從台東開車到基隆. 這些是我那時候拍的照片.
Most of north Taipei/Ji Loong City looks like this. Small communities divided by rivers, with a lot of bridges in between. It's a very hilly area. 大部分台北市的北部跟基隆市都是這樣. 小社區被河流貫穿, 中間有橋連接, 而且社區中間有小山坡.
This is in Taipei's New Life Square, not far from the 101. A lot of good hamburgers in this area! 這是台北101附近的信義商圈. 這地區有很多好吃的漢堡.
The Maokong Gondola, down the street from the Taipei Zoo. It can be a long wait to get on this thing, but the views are worth it. If the weather's not good don't bother. 木柵動物園附近的貓空. 有時候貓空纜車要等很久, 但是那裏的風景真的值得你花時間等待纜車. 只是天氣很差的時候就不用去了.
View from the end of the gondola line. This area is famous for its tea plantations, and is also a popular destination for Taipei cyclists. 到達貓空時的美景. 這個地區的名產是茶葉. 也是很多台北人喜歡騎單車的地方.
Ji Loong (Keelung) City after a rainstorm. It rains a lot here, but I think it's an interesting area to walk around. 剛下完雨的基隆市. 雖然這裡常下雨, 但是我覺得在這附近散步蠻有趣的.
"Your Success Becomes My Illusion." Don't ask me what it means. One of the many quizzical artworks to be found in Taipei's City Art Museum. 我也不懂這個藝術品的意思. 台北的市立美術館有很多這種東西.
Honestly, the National Palace Museum is much better. 說實話, 故宮博物院比這裡好太多了.
Exhibit in Taichung's Science Museum. This is without a doubt the best science museum in Taiwan, and I would rank it #3 overall, behind Taipei's National Palace Museum and Taitung's Prehistory Museum. Check it out if you're in the area. 台中科學博物館毫無疑問是台灣最棒的科學博物館. 以台灣所有的博物館來說, 只有台北的故宮跟台東的史前博物館比得上它. 如果你在台中的話一定要去.
The famous dinosaurs in Taichung's Science Museum. A lot of kids just go to this museum for the dinosaurs. 台中科學博物館裡的明星恐龍. 很多小朋友參觀博物館的原因就是為了去看恐龍.
Hot pot restaurant in Kaohsiung. The hot pots look kind of old and dangerous, right? I found a back room FULL of unused gas canisters, just a few steps away from the kitchen! 高雄市的火鍋餐廳. 這些火鍋看起來有點危險對不對? 我發現後面的房間充滿了瓦斯罐. 而且就在他們廚房的旁邊。
Seashore in Pingtung, not far from the start of the Southern Cross-Island Highway. 屏東的海景. 靠近南迴公路的起點.
6. Summertime 夏天 (September 2014)
Pictures taken in and around Taitung City this summer. It was HOT. 這些照片都是暑假時在台東拍的. 今年暑假非常的熱.
The river near Tai Yuan, Dong He Township. A lot of people come here to see monkeys. 東河鄉泰源村的小溪. 很多人來這邊看猴子.
"Little Yellow Mountain" near the Taitung Train Station. Also known as the Li Ji Badlands. The Beinan River passes through here. 台東火車站附近的小黃山. 那裡也稱利吉惡地. 卑南溪從其中流過.
Bike trail near the Li Ji Badlands. I go running here often. 利吉惡地的自行車道. 我常常在這裡跑步.
"Rock Mountain" on the Beinan River. 卑南溪上的石頭山.
Same bike trail pictured above. This is the section near the Forest Park. Beinan Mountain is in the foreground. 森林公園附近的自行車道. 最靠近的山坡是卑南山.
Taitung City, from the roof of the building where I live. 從我們大樓屋頂上看到的台東市.
Shan Yuan Beach, looking north. 從杉原海灘往北看.
The mouth of the Beinan River, from the Jung Hua Bridge. The line of trees to the left is where the bike trail is. 卑南溪的溪口. 這是我在中華橋拍的. 左邊的那排樹就是自行車道的位置.
7. Introduction 自我介紹: September 23, 2014 九月23日2014年 (September 2014)
I am an American, though I don't usually self-identify as such. I usually just tell people I'm from Seattle, and let them work out my nationality for themselves. Believe it or not, I've met more than a few Taiwanese people who think Seattle is in Canada. 我是美國人, 可是我不常這麼介紹自己. 我通常跟新朋友說我是從西雅圖來的, 讓他們猜想我來自哪個國家. 你可能無法相信, 因為我碰過不少台灣人覺得西雅圖是在加拿大.
I arrived in Taiwan September 1999, which is now 15 years ago. Yes, 15 years is a long time to be in Taiwan, but not so long as you might think. I was 25 when I first got here, and now I'm 39. 我在十五年前的1999年9月來到台灣. 十五年真是一段蠻長的時間, 這幾年過得好快. 我25歲來台灣. 現在已經39歲了.
I have green eyes, but many people tell me they are blue. I don't know why this is. Maybe people just want to believe that all foreigners have blue eyes. Under "eye color" it says "green" on my US driver's license. 我的眼睛是綠色的, 可是我不知道為什麼, 很多人覺得它們是藍色的 . 有可能很多台灣人認為白人應該有藍色的眼睛. 我的美國駕駛照上"眼睛的顏色"這一項寫的是"綠色".
A lot of Taiwanese friends are curious to know what my favorite Chinese food is. It is fried onion cake, or tsong yo bing. I like to eat them with a lot of hot sauce. Yes, there are foreigners who like spicy food. 很多台灣朋友問我最喜歡的中國菜是什麼. 我最喜歡的是蔥油餅. 我最喜歡加辣的蔥油餅. 沒錯! 有許多外國人喜歡吃很辣的東西.
I also like snakes. Really. I am fascinated by snakes. I become very excited when we catch them in our school, and I like to see them when I am out riding my bike. I think that snakes are very interesting animals. 我也很喜歡蛇. 真的. 我對蛇很有興趣. 我們在學校裡抓到蛇的時候我很高興. 我也很喜歡在騎單車的時候看到牠們. 我覺得蛇是一種很有意思的動物.
Today is September 23, 2014 and I am a little tired. I am tired because I am trying to drink less coffee. I am also tired because I didn't sleep so well last night. I had one class this morning, and three classes this afternoon, but today's lesson is easy and I don't expect any trouble. My only trouble is sitting here, trying to think of things about myself that I haven't said before. 我在9月23日2014年的今天有點累. 這是因為我試著少喝一點咖啡. 也是因為我昨天晚上沒睡好. 我今天早上有一節課, 下午有三節, 今天的課都很順利. 唯一的困擾是我坐在這個地方努力想我還沒有寫過的事.
8. My Thinking Places 我的"思考地點" (October 2014)
Do you have a "thinking place"? A thinking place is a place where you go to think. It's somewhere quiet enough for thinking, or maybe noisy enough for thinking. It's somewhere that other people don't know about, or else somewhere that's always crowded, always busy, or always popular. Different kinds of people will prefer different kinds of thinking places. Your thinking place is always going to be a reflection of your personality, and also the kind of thinking you like to do. 你有沒有一個"思考地方"? 也就是你可以靜下心來思考的地方.也許是個很吵雜的地方, 或是沒什麼人知道的地方, 也可能是擁擠吵鬧或是個熱門的地點.不同個性的人需要的"思考地方"不同, 你所選擇的地方也反映了你的人格特質, 也說明了你想進行的思考類型.
When I lived in Seattle, my thinking place was Discovery Park. Discovery Park is one Seattle's biggest parks, and you can spend hours walking around inside of it. Aside from the most popular trails, there are many less-visited parts of Discovery Park, and it is to those places, within sight of the Olympic Mountains, that I went when I wanted to be alone with my thoughts. 我住在西雅圖的時候, 我的"思考地點"是Discovery市立公園. 它是西雅圖其中之一個最大的公園, 大到你可以在公園裡散步幾個小時. 公園裡除了最熱門步道之外, 還有許多少為人知的地方可以去. 在那裏可以看到Olympic山脈, 我喜歡自己一個人去那裏思考事情.
When I lived in Taichung, my thinking place was a big cemetery overlooking the city, on a piece of land that is now part of the Taichung Science Park. I know that a lot of people are creeped out by cemeteries, but I always went there in the daytime, and it was always the quietest place to be. It was up this little dirt road behind an old house, and no one ever bothered me there. 我住在台中的時候, 我的"思考地點"是大肚山上的墓地. 現在那塊墳地已經變成中科的一部分了. 我知道很多人覺得去墳地是件很恐怖的事情, 可是我每次都是白天去, 而且那裡真的是最安靜的地方. 我都是從一間老房子後的小石頭路進去, 從來沒看過其他人.
When I lived in Hsinchu, my thinking place was 18 Points Mountain, not far from the Hsinchu Train Station. There were usually a lot of people hiking in that place, but only on one side of the mountain. On the other side there was nothing except trees and another old cemetery, and that was where I liked to do my thinking. I can remember bringing a few friends up there, but I never told them that it was my thinking place. 我住在新竹的時候, 我的"思考地點"就是火車站附近的十八尖山. 平常有很多人在那邊爬山, 可是大部分的人只是去固定的一邊而已. 因為另外一邊只有些樹跟墳墓. 安靜的這一邊適合思考. 我曾帶些朋友去那裏, 只是我沒有跟他們說那是我的"思考地點".
In Taitung, where I now live, I have a couple of thinking places. One of them is not far from the Jung Hua Bridge, near the Beinan River and the Forest Park. It is a very quiet place, and aside from a few guys gathering firewood, no one goes there. I have another thinking place on the way to the Li Ji Badlands, not far from the baseball stadium. There is a farm in front of it, and the mountains are very pretty when the sun goes down. 我在現在住的台東有兩個"思考地點". 一個在中華橋, 卑南溪, 和森林公園附近. 那邊很安靜. 除了檢木頭的人之外, 沒有人想去那裏. 另外一個在利吉惡地, 它在棒球場附近. 它的前面是農田. 那裡的夕陽很漂亮.
I don't visit my thinking places often, but it's good to know they are there. Life can be confusing sometimes, and there are times when it is best to just get away from everyone and everything, sit down a while, and organize your thoughts. I suppose a thinking place is like a good friend, who just listens and does not judge you. I think everyone should have a thinking place, and if you don't you might think about finding one. 我不常去我的"思考地點", 可是它們的存在是一件令人快樂的事. 有時候人生會讓我們很不安. 也有時候就是單純地想一個人坐一下, 整理一下心緒. 一個"思考地點"就像一個好朋友一樣願意聽你說話不會批判你 . 我覺得每個人都應該有一個"思考地點". 你如果沒有的話, 應該找一個.
9. "Hello Foreigner!" 你好,外國人 (October 2014)
So I'm walking around the Beauty of Taitung Triathlon last weekend, taking pictures. The place is packed, the sun is out, and I'm having a good time. In the midst of my picture taking I walk up to the Jung Hua Bridge, looking for a better vantage point. As I walk up, I have to maneuver around many other people, all of them waiting for the triathlon to start. 我上個禮拜在台東之美鐵人三項的活動中拍照. 天氣非常好, 而且到處都是人. 整個活動的氣氛讓我很開心. 我走上可以拍整個活動景觀的中華橋, 一路上橋的時候經過很多人. 他們都等著鐵人賽的開始.
"Hello!" someone yells behind me. 突然我後面有人大聲叫"Hello!".
...now I don't know about you, but when someone yells "Hello!" to the back of my head I tend not to bother with them. Where I come from, we look people in the eyes when we say hello, or we at least make sure the other person is facing in our direction. 我不知道你會怎麼想, 但是如果有人在我背後說"Hello"! 我不是很想理他們. 在我的家鄉, 人們打招呼時會看著對方的眼睛, 或是等對方面對著我們.
"Hello!" the same voice says again. 後面那位又大聲地叫 "Hello!" .
...and still I have not turned around. Why bother with people who don't understand that this is bad manners? Keep in mind that I've already exchanged hellos with a dozen other strangers, all of them returning my wave or smile. I try very hard to be polite, but even I have my limits. 而我也依然沒有轉過去看他. 我不想理這種沒禮貌的人. 這一路上我已經跟很多人打過招呼了, 他們全部都是揮手打招呼或是對我微笑. 我很努力的保持我的禮貌, 可是對於有些人我有時候也受不了.
...and then I hear footsteps coming up behind me, and a guy shouts into my ear: "WHAT? YOU DON'T SEE ME?!?!" 然後我聽到後面來人的腳步聲, 後面的那位先生在我耳邊大聲地叫: "WHAT? YOU DON'T SEE ME?!?!"
So I turn around, not sure if I want to say hello or administer a beating, and this Taiwanese guy is running down the stairs behind me. Of course it crosses my mind to run after him, but I decide to hold my temper. Why make it worse? Or why give him the satisfaction? Why not just let it pass? 所以我轉過去看誰在大叫. 我那時候不確定我要打招呼還是打人. 結果看到一位先生跑下階梯走了. 我本來想去追他, 後來決定控制脾氣放他一馬. 我不想讓情況變糟, 追他就稱了他的心了, 算了.
Manners are of course different for different people, in different places. Sometimes looking someone in the eye is a sign of respect. Sometimes looking someone in the eye is a sign of disrespect. Your manners are often determined by the culture in which you grew up, and your degree of connection (or disconnection) from that culture. 不同的人,不同的地方會有不同的禮貌表現. 有時候看著對方的眼睛是有禮貌的表現. 有時候反而是很無禮的. 你的禮貌跟你成長的文化背景有關係, 也與你是否尊重本身的文化有關係.
In an international context, where norms of behavior are always shifting, treating others with respect requires a kind of flexibility that is beyond some people, and they are not always to be blamed for this. Good manners for Americans are not always good manners for the Taiwanese. Good manners for a Thai is not always good manners for a Nigerian. In dealing with those from other backgrounds, we have to be aware of where they come from, as much as who they are. 以國際性來說, 禮貌的習慣會改變. 所以每個人都需要保持變通. 但這不一定每個人都做得到. 美國人的禮貌表現不一定是台灣人認為的有禮貌, 泰國人的禮貌行為也不一定是尼日人的禮貌行為. 跟不同文化背景的人溝通的時候, 我們要清楚他們從哪裡來的. 他們的家鄉跟他們的人一樣重要.
In other words, it's not always good manners to say "Hello!" to the foreigner. Sometimes it's just as important how you say something as what you are saying. This is the essence of good manners, in that the means of communication are just as important as the information communicated. 換句話說, 跟外國人說"Hello!"不一定就是有禮貌的. 有時候你的說話語氣跟你說什麼一樣重要. 這就是禮貌的重點, 因為我們溝通的方法會影響我們要對方知道的內容.
It is possible that as a child you were encouraged to say "Hello!" to people from other countries, in their native language, if possible. There's nothing wrong with that. This is a good habit, if it is done well. Yelling "Hello!" at the back of someone's head, however, is never good manners, regardless of who you are, where you are, and where you are from. 有可能你小時候被教著用美語跟外國人說"Hello!" 這是一個好習慣. 可是跟人打招呼時要有禮貌的行為. 這樣在人背後大聲叫"Hello!"是一件很沒禮貌的事情, 這不會因為你是誰, 還是在哪裡, 或是從哪裡來而改變.
10. Around Hualien 在花蓮 (October 2014)
These pictures were taken in August, during a trip around Hualien County. 這些照片是八月時在花蓮拍的.
This is Chr Ke Mountain, one of the two most popular mountains in Hualien. The other most popular mountain is 16 Stone Mountain, not far away. Both mountains are famous for their daylily crops and scenic vistas. 這是赤柯山. 它是花蓮縣最有名的山的其中一座. 另外一座就是附近的六十石山. 它們都因金針花和美麗的風景聞名.
You do NOT want to drive up here on a weekend, in the middle of summer, during the daylily season. This is what we did, and it was a mistake. 不應該在金針花季, 暑假和周末時來這裡. 我們就是在這熱門的時間去那裏, 人車好多.
Also on Chr Ke Mountain. Lots of butterflies everywhere. 這也是在赤柯山. 到處都是蝴蝶.
A closer look at the daylilies. You can also see these flowers on Taitung's Jin Jen Mountain. Many people enjoy eating them. 這是近看的金針花. 台東的金針山也因金針花而出名. 很多人喜歡吃這種花.
This is Shr Ti Ping, on Hualien County's southern coast. The scenery is very famous, as are the whale watching tours which depart from the Shr Ti Fishing Port, just north of here. 花蓮縣南部海岸的石梯坪. 這裡的風景很有名. 你可以從石梯漁港坐船賞鯨.
This is also Shr Ti Ping. If you like taking pictures of coastlines, this is definitely the place to go. The rocks are very beautiful when the sun comes up. 你如果喜歡拍攝海景, 那一定要來這裡. 這邊的石頭在日出時候很美.
Looking south. Chang Bin Township in Taitung County is not far away. 往南邊看. 這裡離台東縣的長濱鄉不遠.
Shr Ti Ping again. To appreciate the beauty of this place you really have to get up early. Like many points of interest on Taiwan's east coast, it looks much better in the morning. 要欣賞石梯坪的美就要很早起床. 台灣東海岸很多的景點都是需要早起才能看到它最美的樣貌.
The town of Feng Bin. This is the beginning of the highway that leads from Feng Bin to Guang Fu, on the other side of the coastal mountain range. To the far right, Highway 11 leads north toward Hualien City. 豐濱鄉市區. 從豐濱到光復的公路從這裡開始. 它也經過東台灣的海岸山脈. 最右邊的是往花蓮市的台11線.
From the same spot, looking in the other direction. It was a beautiful morning, and I was very ready for breakfast. 在同一個地點但不同方向. 那時候還蠻早的, 我已經準備好吃早餐了.
Comments
Post a Comment