March 2018 - May 2018

1. An Almost Completely Random Selection of Pictures 一些隨機的照片 (March 2018)

I meant to go to Jer Ben and take pictures last weekend, but the weather was very hazy and it seemed like a wasted effort.  我上周末本來要去知本拍照, 可是天氣那麼差, 去那裏好像是浪費時間.

So instead of pictures of Jer Ben I offer this collection of recent pictures.  It's just stuff that was on my cell phone.  所以這一次呈現給你們一些我手機裡的照片.

This was up near Jin Dzuen.  I rode my bike there and took this picture.  Heard the surfing was good that day.  這在金樽附近.  我騎單車到那裏後拍了這一張.  聽說那一天的天氣很適合衝浪.

Coconut palm in Dulan, not far from the "Dulan Dinner" where I often go to eat pizza.  Something about seeing these trees always makes me happy.  都蘭的椰樹.  它靠近我常去吃披薩的都蘭食堂.  我看到這種樹都會覺得很高興.

Also in Dulan.  Not far from that coconut palm.  也在都蘭.  離那棵樹不遠.

Downtown Taitung City.  I usually refer to the white building as the "movie theater hospital" because I always forget its name.  A long time ago it was a movie theater.  台東市區.  我都叫那間醫院 "電影院醫院" 因為我一直忘記它叫什麼名字.  它以前是戲院.

We ran into this funny talky cat after visiting Sam's Burger.  Maybe it was trying to sell us ghost money?  我們在Sam's Burger吃飯之後碰到了這隻奇怪的貓.  牠不停地"講話"是要賣廟用的紙錢給我們嗎?

Another Friday night in Taitung - woo hoo!  Or maybe it was Saturday night?  Too many beers.  Can't remember.  在台東的禮拜五.  還是禮拜六?  喝太多了.  忘記是哪一天.

I'd rather not say where this is, so I'll just say it was once a local landmark.  Parts of it look very spooky when you flash lights inside of it.  我不想說這棟建築物以前是什麼地方.  它以前很有名.  在裡面讓燈一閃一閃的很有趣.

The lady at the Central Market who sells us chicken.  The Central Market can be interesting (and maze-like) if you don't mind the crowds.  在中央市場賣雞肉給我們的小姐.  除了熱鬧之外, 中央市場也很像迷宮.

One of my students struggling through a word search on clothes.  What a harsh taskmaster I am!  我的學生認真地在寫關於衣服的學習單.  我的課很難的樣子!

A house not far from Mr. Waffle.  I think it has an interesting kind of ugliness.  靠近鬆餅先生的小房子.  我覺得它醜得很有趣.

Hopefully the weather will be better next month, so I can take pictures of Jer Ben.  There's an abandoned building down there I'd like to climb into...  希望下個月的天氣好一點, 讓我可以去知本拍照.  我很想進去那邊一棟沒人使用的舊建築物看看.

2. Social Studies 社會 5, First Semester 上, Unit 1 第一單元 (April 2018)

The Chinese text below was taken from the textbook published by Kang Shuan 康軒文教事業.

一 One: 台灣在哪裡 Where Taiwan Is

臺灣是我們生活的舞臺, 藉由認識臺灣的範圍及地理位置, 可以了解我們生活的地方及鄰近的國家.  透過經度和緯度的標示, 則更能說明臺灣的位置.  Taiwan is the stage on which the events of our lives occur.  From a knowledge of Taiwan's size and geographical position, we can understand the place we live in, and also the countries near us.  After learning about how latitude and longitude are determined we can better explain Taiwan's position.

1: 臺灣我的家 Taiwan, My Home

臺灣的範圍與形狀 Taiwan's Size and Shape

臺灣地區包括臺灣本島, 澎湖群島, 金門, 馬祖, 南沙與東沙群島, 釣魚臺列嶼, 以及綠島, 蘭嶼, 琉球嶼 (小琉球) 等周邊大小島嶼, 總面積約三萬六千平方公里.  Taiwan's land area includes the main island, the Penghu islands, Jinmen, Matsu, the Spratly and Dongsha Islands*, the islands near Diaoyutai, Green Island, Orchid Island (Lanyu), the island of Liou Chiou (Little Liou Chiou)**, and many other island of varying sizes.  It's total area is 36,000 square kilometers.

臺灣本島是一個南北長, 東西窄的島嶼, 直的看, 形狀像一顆甘薯; 橫的看, 形狀像一條鯨魚.  Taiwan's main island is longer from north to south, and shorter from east to west.  Looking at it from top to bottom, it looks like a sweet potato.  Looking at it from left to right, it looks like a whale.

臺灣的鄰國與鄰海 Oceans and Countries Near Taiwan

臺灣四面環海, 東邊是地球最大的海洋 -- 太平洋, 南邊以巴士海峽和菲律賓為鄰; 西邊隔著臺灣海峽和中國大陸相望; 北邊越過東海, 有日本, 南韓 (韓國) 等鄰近國家.  Taiwan is surrounded on all sides by the sea.  To the east there is the world's largest ocean, the Pacific.  To the south there is the Luzon Strait and the Philippines.  To the east Taiwan is separated from Mainland China by the Taiwan Strait.  To the north, beyond the East China Sea, there is Japan, South Korea, and other nearby countries.***

優越的地理位置 An Important Geographical Position

臺灣位居亞洲東部和太平洋的交界, 地處日本和東南亞的中點.  無論是從亞洲大陸進出太平洋, 或在海上南來北往, 都會經過臺灣, 交通位置相當重要.  Taiwan is in East Asia, at the edge of the Pacific Ocean.  It lies between Japan and Southeast Asia.  Regardless of whether you are going from the Asian landmass or the Pacific Ocean, or from the north or south over the sea, you will always pass by Taiwan.  This makes it an important transportation hub.

受地理位置的影響, 自古以來臺灣居民就和各地往來密切.  各種魚類常經過臺灣四周海域, 候鳥南北遷徙時, 也常以臺灣為休息站或過冬的地方.  因此臺灣的文化多元, 種植物種類繁多, 是一座生機盎然的美麗之島.  As befits its geographical position, Taiwan's peoples have come here from many different places.  Many types of fish pass through the seas around Taiwan, and birds migrating from south to north use Taiwan as a rest stop or a wintering ground.  For these reasons Taiwan has a very diverse culture, in which many types of crops are cultivated.  It is an island full of beauty and vitality.****

2: 臺灣的經度與緯度 Taiwan's Longitude and Latitude

經緯線 Lines of Longitude and Latitude

在地球儀上, 可以看見許多縱橫交錯的線, 從北極連接到南極的線稱為經線, 每一條經線都有 一個度數, 稱為經度.  On a globe you can see many lines crossing over each other.  The lines going from the north pole to the south pole are called lines of longitude.  Each line of longitude has a numbers along its length, and these are called longitudes.

將地球從中間橫切的線稱為赤道, 和赤道平行的線稱為緯線, 每一條緯線都有一個度數, 稱為緯度.  The line dividing the globe in half is called the equator.  The lines parallel to the equator are called lines of latitude.  Each line of latitude has numbers along its length, and these are called latitudes.

認識經度 Knowing Longitude

世界各國將通過英國倫敦格林威治天文臺的經線訂為0度經線, 以東稱為東半球, 以西稱為西半球.  東半球的經度稱為東經, 西半球的經度稱為西經.  東經和西經各有180度.  國際上通常以E表示東經, W表示西經.  Every country in the world agrees that the meridian passing through London's Greenwich Observatory is 0 degrees longitude.  To the east [of this line] is the eastern hemisphere, and to the west [of this line] is the western hemisphere.  The lines of longitude within the eastern hemisphere are called "eastern," and the lines of longitude within the western hemisphere are called "western."  Both the eastern and western hemispheres are divided into 180 degrees.  The letter "E" is used internationally to signify eastern lines of longitude, and the letter "W" is used to signify western lines of longitude.*****

認識緯度 Knowing Latitude

赤道為0度緯線.  赤道以北稱為北半球, 赤道以南稱為南半球.  北半球的緯度稱為北緯, 南半球的緯度稱為南緯, 北緯和南緯各有90度.  國際上通常以N表示北緯, S表示南緯.  The equator is at 0 degrees latitude.  North of the equator is the northern hemisphere, and south of the equator is the southern hemisphere.  Lines of latitude north of the equator are called "northern," and lines south of the equator are called "southern."  Both the northern and southern hemispheres are divided into 90 degrees.  The letter "N" is used internationally to signify northern lines of latitude, and the letter "S" is used to signify southern lines of latitude.

臺灣的經緯度 Taiwan's Longitude and Latitude

利用經緯度, 可以明確標示出地球上每一個地點的位置.  臺灣本島大約介於北緯22度至25度, 東經120度至122度之間.  Using lines of longitude and latitude, we can determine the location of any place on Earth.  Taiwan's main island lies approximately between 22 and 25 degrees north latitude, and between 120 and 122 degrees east longitude.

緯度與氣候的關係 Latitude and Weather

地表各地的氣候, 可從緯度的高低來了解.  大致來說, 緯度愈高的地方, 氣候愈寒冷; 緯度愈低的地方, 氣候愈炎熱.  The Earth's climate can be understood using lines of latitude.  Generally speaking, the higher the degree of latitude, the colder the weather is.  The lower the degree of latitude, the hotter the weather is.

臺灣島的氣候, 可以北回歸線為界.  北回歸線以北的地區, 緯度較高, 屬於副熱帶氣候; 以南的地區, 緯度較低, 屬於熱帶氣候.  The weather in Taiwan can be divided along the Tropic of Cancer.  Areas north of the Tropic of Cancer lie at a higher latitude, and are sub-tropical.  Areas south of the Tropic of Cancer lie at a lower latitude, and are tropical.

3. A School for Rice and a Park for Water 米國學校跟親水公園 (April 2018)

Last week I discovered something very important.  I looked down at my leg - towards what I thought was a mosquito - and realized that a completely different kind of bug was biting me.  What kind of bug it was I have no idea.  我上禮拜發現一件很重要的事情.  我以為蚊子在叮我的時候, 往腿部一看發現叮我的昆蟲根本不是蚊子.  我到現在還不知道那是什麼昆蟲.

Strange insects were attacking me in the midst of our fourth grade field trip.  It was the usual "Rice School"/Guanshan Water Park thing - a trip I've taken twice already.  奇奇怪怪的昆蟲在我們學校戶外教學的時候叮我.  這一次戶外教學的目的地是以往的米國學校跟關山的親水公園.  我已經跟學校去過三次.

As you can see in the picture above, the Guanshan Farmer's Association has given up on the Guanshan "Flower Sea" for the time being.  Growing all those flowers exhausts the soil, and the sunflowers are probably their way of letting the soil "rest."  你從上面的照片看的出來, 最近關山農會不再種他們的花海.  種那些花耗費太多的土壤養分了, 目前的太陽花大概是讓土地 "休息" 的意思.

As for the "Rice School," it's not incredibly interesting, but as field trip destinations go it's not bad.  Half the classes sorted rice into different types, while the other half made "glutinous rice balls" with a red bean filling.  After an hour or so the halves switched activities.  米國學校不是很有趣, 可是對戶外教學來說是個不錯的地方.  二個班級探索稻米種類, 另外二個班級去做紅豆麻糬.  差不多在一小時之後交換項目.

Guanshan was very quiet that day.  Just a couple days later, during the five-day weekend that followed, it was CRAZY.  那一天關山很安靜.  但在這之後的五天連假中關山變得好誇張.

After the "Rice School" we visited the Guanshan Water(front) Park.  米國學校結束以後我們去關山親水公園.

The park was practically empty.  During our entire time there I saw maybe five other people.  公園沒什麼人.  我們在那裏的時候我只看到其他五個人.

This stream is behind the park.  I was surprised at how clean it was.  I'm sure it helps that very few people live around here.  公園後面的小溪.  我沒想到這裡的小溪那麼乾淨.  這是人口少的好處.

But it's a sad place for Mr. Train.  The municipality office has abandoned him near the stream, behind a building.  Now he's a home for plants.  可是這台火車先生很可憐.  鎮公所把他丟在小溪附近的角落.  他變成了植物的家.

This is probably the most famous view in that park.  I really wanted to jump into the water.  應該是公園裡最有名的景色.  我很想跳進去水裡.

And this is the Ecological Pond, on the other side of the park.  I'm not big into watching birds, but I've heard it's a great place to do so.  這是另外一邊的生態池.  我不是很喜歡賞鳥, 可是聽說這個地方滿適合這個活動.

Not sure what this thing is supposed to be, but I bet it looks super evil at night.  我不知道這個東西的用途, 可是晚上的時候一定很恐怖.

4. Taitung as a Religious Experience (April 2018)

I. In Which "Bob" Makes a Bad Decision... or Does He?

Bob - let's call him "Bob" - was freshly arrived in town from scenic Kaohsiung.  He was six or seven beers into a pretty good night out, and he was - as people in such situations usually are - looking for something MORE.

He was at at Oklahoma Flo's when a kindly stranger offered him a little white pill.  "This is ketamine," said the kindly stranger, "And if you take this pill, your pretty good night out will soon be a pretty great night out... or even a really great night out."

"I don't know," replied Bob, "I do Special K a lot, and my family physician warned me about brain damage."

"Don't worry," said the kindly stranger, "This is special Special K, and after you take it, only good things will happen.  No brain damage.  No side effects.  Only a pleasant, almost spiritual experience, guaranteed to turn that frown upside down."

Bob thought over the proposition.  He was, after all, in a strange part of Taiwan, and even though his hotel (the Orange Hotel) was only a short distance away, he worried that somehow things might go awry.  Things often did when he partook of ketamine, no matter how safe the circumstances.

But it was indeed a cool and enjoyable evening in Taitung.  And the kindly stranger was offering the pill gratis, without attaching any sort of obligation to the exchange.  Why NOT swallow the "special" pill?  Why not make a pretty good evening pretty great?

"Come on, don't be such a pussy," said the kindly stranger - and with that the matter was decided.  Bob lifted the ketamine from the kindly stranger's hand and washed the pill down with his last gulp of beer.

"Oh God," he said, "This Special K really is special!"

II. The Journey Begins

After a few minutes, Oklahoma Flo's was transformed into a cartoon version of itself.  The lights were brighter, the colors were stronger, and it felt like every person in the bar - nay, in the world - wanted desperately to be Bob's friend and companion.

"Jesus," said Bob, "What was that pill?  That sure isn't like any K I ever had!"

"As I said," the kindly stranger answered, "It's a special kind of Special K.  And don't call me Jesus."

"Then who are you?" asked Bob, "I mean, what's your name, dude?"  

As a floating sensation seized him, he studied the kindly stranger more closely.  Only then did he notice the stranger's flowing red robes.  He was a much older man - much older all of a sudden - and in his long black hair and beard Bob could see streaks of gray.

The kindly stranger took another sip of the whiskey sour he was drinking.  "Why I'm Zoroaster," he said, "Prophet of Ahura Mazda.  And I have given you the key to the first door.  You only need walk a little way further, and after three tests you'll arrive at that which you seek."

But Bob hadn't been listening.  "What's a Zoroaster?" he added, "...and I saw you drive up in a Zace, man.  That ain't no Mazda."

The kindly stranger grinned from ear to ear.  "Zoroaster is my name," he explained patiently.  "I am also known as Zarathustra.  I am a prophet of the one true God, whose name is Ahura Mazda, Lord of Light, the Undiluted One."

"Cool, dude," answered Bob, "But what was that door you were talking about?"

"....it is the pill you just took." continued Zoroaster.  "It opens a door in the mind.  Once you pass through this door, you are in this world, the second world, between the Earth and heaven.  

You have begun to leave your earthly body behind.  After you overcome three trials, you will leave it entirely, and enter into the glory of Ahura Mazda's presence."

"Shit," said Bob, "And where's this guy who drives the Mazda?"

"In Dulan." stated Zoroaster.

"In Dulan?" asked Bob.

"Yes, in Dulan," said Zoroaster, "You know where that is?"

"Yeah," said Bob, "About a half hour north of here."

"...by car," added Zoroaster.

"Yeah, by car." affirmed Bob.

"...but we'll be walking there." said Zoroaster.

"What?" asked Bob.

"I said we'll be walking there." Zoroaster said.

"Isn't it too far to walk?" asked Bob.

"Not too far for those who believe," said Zoroaster.  "No distance is too far, if one were to find paradise after traversing it.  No ordeal is too daunting for those who would discover heaven.  Follow me, place your trust in Ahura Mazda, and soon we'll stand at His right hand."

"Fuck," replied Bob, "Heaven sounds like a cool place.  You said it's near here?  A few minutes north, right?  On Dulan... Road?  Shit, I don't even know where that is.  But anyway let me, like, get another beer for the road.  You lead the way, man!"

III. The Three Trials

Bob and Zoroaster (who rapidly became "Z" in Bob's parlance) walked out of Oklahoma Flo's and down the road beside the Tai Ping River.  After 15 minutes or so they came to Highway 11, where they turned left and headed north up the coast.  

The highway was practically deserted, and between the buzz of passing scooters they could hear the crash of waves on the other side of the Seashore Park.

"There will be three tests," said Zoroaster, "But for the faithful these will be little more than distractions.  The first of these tests will take place in Shan Yuan, an hour's walk from here."

Again, Bob hadn't been listening.  He'd been staring down at his phone the whole time, wondering if there were any girls in Taitung he could hook up with.  Line and Messenger were proving disappointing.  His phone messages offered a small spark of hope, but that girl wouldn't be free for several hours.

"Do you understand?" said Zoroaster, "Have you purified yourself?"

"Yeah, Z," said Bob, "But, like, how much farther is it, man?  Let's get some more beers at that betel nut stand over there.  Shit, you sure you don't want to just go into a KTV?  I got money."

Zoroaster said nothing, and Bob turned his attention back to various forms of social media.  Why were girls always so "busy" when he'd just scored some K?  Was it that obvious?  Or had he earned some kind of reputation?

IV. The First Trial

After a long walk they were far north of Taitung City, and Bob was still tripping hard.  At one point he stopped to have a conversation on German existentialism with some cows that lived next to the road.  But this conversation was cut short by Zoroaster's desire to make haste for the first of his three tests.  It was really too bad, because one of the younger cows made some excellent points with regard to Kant's influence over later existentialists.

Minutes later, they were following a set of sandy steps down to a beach, and they had to raise their voices over the roar of the waves.  "You must be brave," said Zoroaster, and keep the image of Ahura Mazda in your heart.  "Here," he said, stopping, "Fill your pockets with the stones.  They will be your weapons.  As David slew Goliath with a stone, so you too will defeat a still greater aggressor."

"Huh?" said Bob as he placed several stones in his jacket pockets.  "Aggressor?  Are we about to get jumped or something?  Is this private land?  Dude, some of these local guys have guns, you know!"

Zoroaster laughed.  "Local guys?  No, my friend, your adversary is far more formidable than any 'local guy' - armed or not.  Turn, and behold!"

Bob turned, and opposite the ocean he saw a monster made of sand and metal, poised as if to strike them both.  It had hundreds of eyes and large metal arms, and these arms whipped back and forth across the beach.  "Oh shit!" said Bob, "Goddamn extra-special K!  What the hell did you give me, man?"

"Fear not!" shouted Zoroaster above the monster's roaring and clacking, "Use the stones you have collected!  Strike the beast down!"

Zoroaster hurled a stone at their terrifying foe.  It struck the beast with a great crash, and the monster screamed.  "Now!" said Bob's guide, "Strike it down!"

After collecting himself a little, Bob joined in the throwing of stones.  Each stone hit its target with a deafening roar, and after they had exhausted their supply of missiles they scrambled for more, all the while trying to stay out of reach as the many-eyed beast attempted to strike them.  "Keep going!" yelled Zoroaster, "Don't give up!"

They threw stones until their arms ached, and after a long battle the monster was defeated.  Pieces of its skeleton began to fall off, and all but a few of its eyes had been blinded.  Zoroaster and Bob stood before it on the beach, panting with exhaustion.

"A great feat," said Zoroaster, "But we cannot tarry here longer.  "Our next foe is even stronger, and we will need to steel ourselves against him."

"What?" said Bob, "We're going?  But I'm tired man, can't we rest here for a bit?"

Zoroaster shook his head in response, and Bob followed Zoroaster reluctantly down the beach past the monster's corpse.  Part of him wondered at what he'd just taken part in.  Part of him also regretted not following through on a certain argument he'd posed to one of the older cows.  

What a night! he thought.  And what's that wailing sound, somewhere far away?

V. The Second Trial

Bob blacked out or nodded off at some point in their journey.  When he opened his eyes he was lying on grass, on a piece of land high above the road.  They were much further away from the ocean.  Had he walked there?  Or had Zoroaster somehow carried him?

His phone buzzed in his pocket.  As he pulled out the phone the light from the screen sent a beam across the darkness surrounding them.  It was just a girl he had texted earlier, teasing him and telling him to go to bed.

As he placed the phone back in his pocket, he saw Zoroaster sitting on the grass to his right.  There were mosquitoes everywhere, and somewhere in the blackness he heard water running.  It was a river, or maybe just a stream.

"You have awoken" said the prophet of Ahura Mazda, "And now it is time for your second test.  We will begin chanting part of the holy book, the Zend Avesta, and as we chant, our faith in The Illuminated One will reverse the waters, sending them backwards toward their source."

The older man began chanting in a language Bob had never heard before.  Bob could only gawk at the seated figure.  He was almost overcome by a desire to vomit.

"Concentrate!" roared Zoroaster.  His hand whipped through the darkness to slap Bob in the back of the head.  "Put the cares of the flesh from your mind!"

"Ow, fuck!" said Bob, rubbing the back of his skull.  The old man was surprisingly fast, and surprisingly strong.  What the hell had he gotten himself into?

"Concentrate!" Zoroaster roared again.  Fearing another blow, Bob joined in the chanting.

And as they chanted, Bob could just make out a sliver of water, ahead of them in the mosquito-filled recesses of the night.  It was some kind of channel cut into the earth.  The gurgling waters within the channel reflected the stars above, with only the sound of their voices to compete with its playful gurgling.

"Concentrate!" Zoroaster said a third time, raising the urgency of his chant.  Bob accommodated the prophet as best he could, attempting to mouth a slew of unfamiliar words.

He looked at the water once more, and as he looked it seemed to reverse direction, just as the older man had promised.  Was it really happening?  Had their chanting done the trick?  It was difficult to make out the motions of the water from where they were sitting in the grass, and part of him protested that it might just be an optical illusion.  Hadn't he seen some other such trick?  In some other part of Taiwan?

"It is done!" said Zoroaster, rising.  "Witness the power of Ahura Mazda!"

"But---" interjected Bob.

"Shut up!" said the prophet, "Our faith has done it!  There remains only the third and final challenge, which is but a short distance away!"

Bob wanted to argue, but Zoroaster was already pulling him toward a path at their left.  His phone buzzed again in his pocket, and he mournfully reflected on the fact that cavorting with young Taiwanese women - however given to teasing they might be - was always better than following old dudes down strange roads in the dark.

Somewhere far away Bob heard that wailing sound again.  It was getting closer.

VI. The Challenge

Along the way Bob had to stop and puke into a canal next to the road.  Zoroaster kept urging him on, but he was so very sick, so very terribly sick.

When the scenery had stopped spinning around him, they continued up the highway.  Before long they arrived in Dulan, a small town north of Taitung City.  To their left they saw the old Dulan sugar factory, and a little bit farther ahead they saw a small bar set into a row of other businesses.  Several tables and chairs were set out in front of the bar, and the place looked very crowded.  Bob had a vague memory of the bar, and thought he might have visited it before.

A few minutes later, Zoroaster was leading Bob into the bar.  "Ready yourself," the older man said into Bob's ear, "For the final test is at hand!"

Bob wobbled onto a nearby stool and sat right in front of the wooden bar, where a young woman was serving beer from a tap.  "Beer," he said to her, "And a shot of-- actually, just the beer."

A second later Zoroaster clapped him on the back and erupted into forced laughter.  Everyone in the place turned to look at the two men.  "What the fuck, man?" said Bob, trying to clear his thoughts.

"HA HA HA," exclaimed Zoroaster, "YOU'RE RIGHT DUDE, THESE GUYS AROUND HERE CAN'T SURF FOR SHIT!!!  I BET YOU CAN SURF BETTER THAN ALL THESE FUCKERS!!"

Bob spit his beer across the bar.  What was Zoroaster talking about?  What was going on now?

"FUCKING HOMOS SURF LIKE TOURISTS DOWN FROM TAIPEI," Zoroaster continued, "MAYBE IF THEY WEREN'T SO BUSY BEING HOMOS THEY COULD SURF BETTER."

Bob barely had time to collect himself before three patrons sitting at a nearby table began arguing among themselves.  "Sit down, Clark!  He's not worth it!" said one of the patrons.  "No, Antonio," said Clark, "You and Jim better back me up!"

The next thing Bob knew, Clark and his two friends were standing in front of him and Zoroaster, pointing directly at Bob.  "What did you say?" said Clark, "You think you're such hot shit?"

"No -- I," started Bob.

"Yeah," interrupted Zoroaster, "He does.  And if you homos aren't too scared, I say we go down to Rob's Reef and see who the better surfer really is.  Longest ride wins.  I've got 1000 NT that says my bro here can make all you guys look weak!"

"Wait--" said Bob, "But I don't know how to--"

...but by then it was already decided.  Zoroaster was discussing terms with the three men, and they were already on their way to a set of cars parked on the other side of the street.

"This will be a sure victory for you," said Zoroaster.  "To the beach, and the final test!"

VII. The Final Test

"Hey, wake up," said one of the surfers from the bar, lightly slapping Bob's face.  The four other men were standing above where Bob was lying in the sand.  Two of the surfers were holding surfboards.

"You're a wild man!" said one of the surfers, "Didn't you say you wanted to come out here?  It's almost sunup, man.  Time to get it on!"

Bob did his best to stand up, unsure of what was happening.  Images of the night's exploits flashed in and out of his consciousness, filling him with both confusion and a sense of dread.  He inwardly vowed never to take strange pills from strangers in bars ever again.  Unless, perhaps, there was really nothing else going on that night.

One of the surfers handed Bob a surfboard, apparently an extra from the bar they'd been in.  They were at the ocean, though Bob couldn't remember them driving there.  There was sand all through his clothes.  This sand poured out of his pockets as he stood up and then followed them, half delirious, to the water.  Zoroaster followed just behind Bob, patting him on the shoulder.

"You have done well," said the older man.  "There only remains this, the final test, wherein you challenge the champions of this realm.  If you prove your worth here, you will be worthy to see the face of Ahura Mazda soon after.  The Lord of Light be praised!  All things fall within His plan!  He purifies the faithful!"

"Yeah whatever," replied Bob.  "What... what was all that in the bar, man?  I can't surf to save my life.  Are we really doing this?"

"Indeed we are!" laughed Zoroaster, "And your level of skill is not important.  Place yourself upon the right wave, and Ahura Mazda will guide you."

Bob would have questioned the prophet further, but he saw by the other man's expression that it wouldn't be any use.  The sun was just then coming up over the rim of the ocean, and it was a tranquil scene, if nothing else.  "Just hold my phone," said Bob.  "Shit."

"LET THE CONTEST BEGIN!" yelled Zoroaster as Bob paddled meekly out to sea.  "TWO WAVES EACH, AND HE WHO RIDES LONGEST, WINS!!!"

As Bob continued paddling, he saw the first of the three surfers catch a wave and slide past him toward shore.  A minute, perhaps.  Then the second surfer caught another wave, and lost his balance.  The third surfer caught the largest wave yet, and lasted longer than the other two.  Then all three went out a second time, and Bob was left floating alone beyond the shore, watching them from a point behind where the waves were breaking.

"Fuck me," he said, watching the three surfers assemble on the shore, near Zoroaster.  "What have I gotten myself into?"

Fear mounting within him, he looked back, and it was as if the whole ocean was rising into a single wave, converging at a point just behind where he was floating.  He panicked, but then quickly regained his composure, and stood up on the board.  The wave rose and rose, and almost before he knew it he found himself surfing through a barrel that went on and on, to emerge on the other side, just up the beach from where the four men where cheering.  He managed to surf all the way back to the shore, right to where two police officers were waiting to greet him.

The cheers from down the beach died out, and as Bob looked into the faces of the policemen he knew that something had gone terribly, terribly wrong.

VII. A Quest Interrupted

Hours later, Bob found himself in a police station.  He was exhausted and had a powerful thirst, but unlike Zoroaster he hadn't been handcuffed to the bench where they were sitting.  He was free to make trips to the water dispenser across the room.  After the two officers had escorted both himself and Zoroaster to the squad car, he had nodded off in the back of the vehicle, only struggling back to consciousness after he was led into the station lobby.

His phone buzzed on the bench next to him.  It was a local girl he kind of sort of knew, asking him if he wanted to have lunch.  He almost texted her his location, but then thought better of it.

Besides himself and Zoroaster, there were three police officers milling around the room.  The officers were all speaking Chinese, and Bob had no idea what they were talking about.  They looked back to Zoroaster often, but seemed not to notice Bob during his trips to the water dispenser.  Had he wished to, Bob could have run straight through the front door and out into the parking lot.

"Be of good courage," said Zoroaster.  "You have completed all three tasks, and proven your faith in Ahura Mazda.  You will be standing before Him soon, and He will reveal the truth of your quest."

"Great," sighed Bob, at once realizing that he was, after so many hours of deliriously following this other man around, finally sober.  The "extra-special K" was out of his system at last.

After another hour of waiting, one of the police officers, a pretty young woman in her 20s, brought over a form for him to sign in several places.  Bob had no idea what purpose the form served, but the policewoman smiled ingratiatingly, and it seemed that whatever trouble he'd gotten himself into would soon be over.  She spoke to him in a halting sort of English, and he understood little of what she said.

After he signed the last of the forms, another officer said, "OK, you go now," and gestured toward the front door.  Bob was thoroughly confused by the command, especially since he didn't know why he'd been arrested in the first place.  He stood up hesitantly, and walked in the direction indicated.

"But, wait," he said slowly as he opened the door and stepped into the blinding sunlight, "Why did you bring me here?  What about my friend?"

The officer, an man in his 40s, had a much better understanding of English.

"You don't know?" said the police officer, "Wa!  I think you have very many beer last night.  We catch you at beach.  You and you friend cause much trouble."

"Much trouble?" Bob asked, "What kind of trouble?  I don't remember so well..."

The police officer chuckled.  "You break windows at Shan Yuan Hotel last night.  Then you break inside Water Running Up.  Then we need pull you out of ocean when we find you.  I think you don't go surfing again.  Not safe for you.  Our clothes still wet."

Bob thought this over.  The monster with many eyes.  The stream that had reversed course.  The surfing challenge.  What had really happened the night before?  Could he trust his memory?

"You go now," the officer affirmed, "We keep your friend."

"Uh, he's not really my..." Bob stuttered, "But... why keep him?  What did he do?"

The police officer chuckled again.  "He's not like you.  He live around here.  We know him.  Mr. Joe Astor - he's very tricky.  We know he sells drug around here.  He's in BIG trouble.  You don't have friends like him, OK?"

"OK," Bob said, turning to look at Zoroaster (Joe Astor?).  The prophet failed to return his gaze.  All of the majesty had gone from his presence, and he looked defeated.  He looked very old and very worn out.  His robes were also gone, replaced by a red tie-dyed shirt and a pair of loose-fitting red pants. 

"Bye bye," said the police officer, urging Bob outside, "You have a good day."

"Uh, sure," Bob said, perplexed by the recent turn of events.  He stumbled down the stairs, blinking at the brightness outside.  He had to find a place to think things through.  He had to find a quiet place to collect himself.  A nearby 7-11, perhaps, or...

VIII. A Revelation

...but then he looked up into the sky, and instead of the sun he saw a regal figure, sitting upon a throne, surrounded by angels made of fire.  The angels circled around the throne as the figure, clad in flame, extended a scepter toward Bob, who stood transfixed in the parking lot.  Bob, overcome with the terrible magnificence of the enthroned figure in the sky, didn't know whether to shout for joy or start crying.

"I am Ahura Mazda," boomed a thunderous voice across the blue skies.  "Do you know me?"

"No, I... yes!" moaned Bob in a kind of ecstasy.  "I mean, you look just like... just like... Zoroaster..."

"Yes," thundered the celestial presence, "You do know me.  Zoroaster, which means 'Undiluted Star.'  That star is Me.  I am He who has led you here, and I am He who you were seeking.  The prophet and the message, the seeker and the one who is sought, all of these I am."

"Yes!" said Bob, "Yes!  Yes!"

"...and now that you have found me, I will be with you always." said the man in the sky.  "Welcome to paradise."

And then the figure vanished.  Bob blinked, and it was only the sun he was staring at, blindingly bright.  He fell to his knees in the parking lot, panting with exertion on the hot bricks.  There were people outside the confines of the police station, all staring at him from the road beyond a short wall.  In between tormented gasps, he tried to blink away the sunspots that danced between him and the passerby who were studying him so intently.  

They had not seen what he had, it was clear.  They were only staring at the crazy foreigner, the man who had been talking to the sun.

IX. A Discovery

After collecting himself Bob wobbled back into the police station.  Tears were running down his face, and his mind reeled with the implications of what he'd just seen.  "God..." he kept repeating, "God..."

All he could think to do was to return to the bench where Zoroaster was handcuffed, and to ask the older man what had happened.  He desperately needed some kind of confirmation.  He desperately needed to have what he'd just seen explained to him.  The regal nature of that enthroned figure had shaken him to his very core, and his heart told him that he had just looked upon the creator and sustainer of the universe, the Lord of Light, Ahura Mazda.

The policeman who escorted him from the station was waiting just inside the doors.  He had apparently been standing there the whole time.

"Why you shouting at the sky?" said the officer, "You crazy?"

"I don't know," sobbed Bob, "But I need to see my friend in there.  Is it OK?"

The policeman thought this over.  "OK," he said, stepping aside as Bob reentered the lobby, "He's not going anywhere."

But as Bob and the policeman reentered the station, they saw that Zoroaster was gone.  There was only a pair of handcuffs left as evidence of his presence, still fastened to the bench where the prophet had been, just moments before.  The two other officers in the station were staring, silently, at the place where Zoroaster had been.

"Where your friend?" said the policeman, "Where he go?"

Bob could not answer the question.  He could only wonder if what he was seeing was what he was really seeing, or if the special special K had yet to wear off.

5. What's Going On In Taitung 台東最近發生的事 6 (April 2018)

Been a while since I covered the news, hasn't it?  But hey it's Taitung, and there's never all that much going on anyway.  Without looking, I can tell you there were a few car accidents, some weather phenomena, some sporting events, the county government gave someone an award, the county magistrate went on a tour of something, and someone, somewhere launched a scheme to grab more tourist dollars.  我很久沒有討論新聞, 對不對?  還好台東那麼小, 不會有那麼多事情發生.  我還沒看新聞, 就可以跟你講大概發生了一些車禍, 奇怪的天氣, 運動活動, 縣政府頒發獎狀, 縣長參觀了些地方, 還有人提出加強觀光業的計畫.

But what really happened?  Let's take a look...  可是那些事情真的有發生過嗎?  我們再看一下...

A. Local News 地區新聞

1. The DPP is eyeing Taitung hopefully.  The office of County Magistrate will be up for grabs soon, and Justin Huang won't be up for reelection.  民進黨希望在台東打敗國民黨.  縣長黃健庭快卸任了.

2. Local lawmaker Liou Jao-hao, who's up for that County Magistrate seat, invited representatives from the Tourism Administration to discuss how to improve tourism in Taitung.  參選台東縣長的立法委員劉櫂豪請觀光局代表到他的辦公室談論台東的觀光業產.

3. The Puyuma Triathlon took place last weekend.  A man from Sweden completed the Ironman in 8 hours, 35 minutes.  Having competed in the much shorter Olympic triathlon the following day, I can't tell you how tired I feel when I think about swimming, bicycling, and running for that long.  上周六舉辦的普悠瑪鐵人三項賽,  從瑞典來的選手把226公里的比賽在8小時35分完成.  我隔天參加了51.5公里的比賽.  我一想到有人游泳, 騎車和跑步那麼久就感覺非常累.

4. The Taitung County Government is leading an effort to put more TV and phone lines underground.  Jung Hua Telecom is assisting in the effort.  中華電信隨著台東縣政府的計畫把很多纜線放到地下.

5. There was a 4.7 magnitude earthquake in Taitung last Monday.  上星期一台東發生了規模4.7的地震.

6. They placed a metal roof over a local historic building.  An official in the Education Bureau explained that this measure was only temporary.  歷史建物加蓋了鐵皮屋.  教育科長表示只是臨時的保護措施.

7. Freaking horrible.  A local one year old was bit on the head by the family dog.  The dog bit fractured the boy's skull, and some of his cerebrospinal fluid was leaking out.  好可怕.  台東一歲的兒童被家裡養的狗咬了.  他的後腦骨骨折, 腦漿溢出.

8. As a way of promoting tourism after Hualien's big earthquake, the airports in both Hualien and Taitung will not be charging landing fees for international flights.  花蓮強震之後為了要找回觀光人潮.  交通部預告花蓮台東機場免收國際航線降落費.

9. Taitung's Hot Air Balloon Festival will start on June 30, and last for 45 days.  台東熱氣球嘉年華六月三十日登場.  活動為期45天.

10. Taitung's team won 3 gold, 4 silver, and 2 bronze medals in the National Junior High School Games.  台東的代表隊在全國國中等學校運動會奪3金, 4銀, 2銅.

11. The Shie Guo Cheng National Little League Championship began in Taipei last Wednesday.  Taitung's team didn't fare so well.  上星期三107年謝國城盃全國少棒錦標賽在台北開幕.  台東縣隊處於落後.

12. Plans to complete Highway 26, which would have connected Nan Tian in Da Ren Township with Shiu Hai in Pingtung County, were scrapped recently.  I think this is great news, and I'd like to thank Pingtung's county government.  連接達仁鄉南田村, 屏東縣旭海的省道台26線將不會完成.  我覺得這是很完美的消息, 也感謝屏東縣政府的環保意識.

13. Nine local men were tested for AIDS after encounters with a Thai prostitute visiting the county.  The woman was present in Taitung from March 13 to 22, and had encounters with dozens of local men.  已經有九個當地男子匿名愛滋檢驗.  他們都跟泰國籍女子有性交易.  這位泰國籍女子三月13至22在台東跟數十名男子從事性交易.

14. Taitung's Environmental Protection Bureau hopes to reduce the amount of garbage shipped to Kaohsiung.  Taitung's garbage is shipped to an incinerator over there, and maintenance of the incinerator over the Tomb-Sweeping vacation caused garbage from Taitung to pile up.  台東環保局希望運到高雄的垃圾可減少.  清明節時高雄的焚化廠進行維修, 造成台東縣垃圾激增.

15. Several students from Wu Lu in Hai Duan Township recently visited Jinmen as part of a cultural exchange.  I'm sure it was a great experience for the kids, but was it worth the money?  海端鄉霧鹿村的幾個國小生最近去金門參加文化交流.  對孩子來說當然是很豐富的經驗, 可是真的值得花那麼多錢?

16. There was another, smaller earthquake out to sea yesterday.  昨天台東外海發生了比較小的地震.

17. Yesterday the KMT held a conference to discuss their sponsorship of Rao Ching-ling for the office of Taitung County Magistrate.  昨天國民黨在台東舉辦台東縣長提名饒慶鈴懇託會.

6. Ruins 遺址 (April 2018)

I'd be happy to tell you where these places are, but I worry it would get me into trouble.  Investigating old abandoned buildings is a tricky business, and I don't always know if it's ok to venture into certain places.  我想跟你說這二個地點在哪裡, 可是我怕惹禍上身.  進去沒有人使用的建築物不是很安全也不一定合法.

I can, however, tell you that both of these places are in Taitung City.  Both of them are also fairly easy to find, though in the case of one place you need to look up to notice it.  我還是可以跟你說這二個地點是在台東市, 也很好找, 可是其中一個地點你需要往上看才會發現它的存在.

Shrimp fishing place.  It was also a KTV.  釣蝦場.  以前也是KTV.

Many trees have crashed through the roof.  Evidence of previous typhoons.  有幾棵樹被颱風吹倒進屋頂.

Whenever it was open, it was long ago.  I've lived in Taitung City 13 years now, so it's been closed for at least that long.  它很久以前營業過.  我住台東市十三年了, 所以它休業的時間最短是十三年.

Very quiet here now.  非常的安靜.

I think maybe part of the reason they left was that this wasn't really their land.  Many of the businesses in this area have that look.  可能他們停止營業是因為這塊土地不是他們的.  這附近的商家都像這樣子.

Maybe they also had aboriginal dancing performances here.  It was very popular with tourists for a while.  可能他們也有原住民舞蹈表演.  這種表演在以前很受觀光客喜愛.

Behind the same place.  Maybe the remains of an old house?  在同一個地方後面.  以前是房子吧.

Different place, not far away.  不同的地方.  離第一個地方不遠.

It has many floors.  I think this place might still belong to the Taitung Couny Government.  它有幾層樓.  可能是台東縣政府的資產.

The VIP room in an old KTV.  Not so popular now!  KTV的VIP房.  現在沒那麼熱鬧了.

It's surprising how much stuff they left here.  Furniture, carpets, even mirrors.  I would show you a picture of the mirrors, but you've probably seen too many horror movies and wish to avoid the appearance of ghosts?  他們把很多東西留在這裡.  家具, 地毯, 鏡子都還在.  我要給你看大鏡子, 可是可能你看過太多恐怖片了, 會擔心在鏡子裡看到鬼!

The main stage.  It was probably a fun place.  他們的大舞台.  這裡營業的時候應該滿好玩的.

Bathroom with a view.  I think this was part of the KTV on the floor below it.  風景很好的洗手間.  這應該是以前樓下KTV的一部分吧.

This was also a KTV, but not the same KTV as the one above.  I'm guessing this outline was where a stage used to be.  這裡以前也是KTV, 可是跟上面的不同.  我猜想這個輪廊是以前的舞台.

The stairs on one side of the building look very evil.  一邊的樓梯看起來很恐怖.

I'm curious, does anyone reading this recognize these places from when they were open?  If so, I'd love to hear about what they were like 15, 20, or more years ago.  我很好奇, 有沒有讀者以前在它們營業時去過這二個地方?  如果你去過的話, 我很想知道他們15或20多年前的故事.

7. Social Studies 社會 6, First Semester 上, Unit 1 第一單元 (May 2018)

The Chinese text below was taken from the textbook published by Kang Shuan 康軒文教事業

一 One: 東瀛來的統治者 The Rulers From Tokyo

甲午戰爭後, 臺灣成為日本的殖民地.  總督府基於日本本國的需要, 在臺灣進行各項經濟建設及開發; 為了有效統治, 進行風俗習慣的改善, 推展新式教育.  這些措施不但加速了臺灣現代化的腳步, 也奠定日後發展的基礎.  After the Sino-Japanese War, Taiwan became a Japanese colony.  In accordance with Japan's needs, the Japanese Colonial Administration enacted a series of reforms intended to improve the island's economy.  In order to improve the effectiveness of their administration, they also tried to improve certain customs, and introduce a new method of education.  These measures not only accelerated the modernization of Taiwan, but also created a foundation for future development.

1: 日治時代的殖民統治 Colonial Administration Under the Japanese

歷經清朝兩百多年的統治, 臺灣成為漢人移民的新天地.  在清朝統治時期, 為了防止臺灣成為反清的基地, 最初採取的是消極統治.  直到清末受到外國侵優後, 才被迫開港通商, 並積極進行各項建設, 為臺灣開啟了現代化的大門.  During more than 200 years of administration under the Ching Dynasty, Taiwan became a preferred destination for Chinese immigrants.  While under Ching rule, the government adopted a very lenient role in order to prevent Taiwan from becoming a refuge for anti-Ching agitators.¹ After the Ching Dynasty was forced to open its ports to trade by foreign countries, it began a series of building projects intended to modernize Taiwan.

西元1894年, 清廷與日本爆發甲午戰爭, 清廷戰敗.  隔年被迫簽訂馬關條約, 將臺灣, 澎湖割讓給日本.  從此, 臺灣成為日本的殖民地, 長達五十年之久.  In 1894 the Ching court and Japan began the Sino-Japanese War.  The Ching court was defeated, and during the following year it was forced to sign the Treaty of Shimonoseki, ceding Tawan and Penghu to Japan.  After this, Taiwan entered into a 50 year period of Japanese colonial rule.

當割讓的消息傳來, 臺灣人民十分悲憤, 部分官民擁立唐景崧為總統, 成立臺灣民主國, 企圖阻止日本占領.  但日軍登陸後不久, 唐景崧即逃亡回中國, 各地抗日義軍則繼續抵抗, 由於雙方武器, 兵力相差懸殊, 最後以失敗收場.  After the news of Taiwan's partition arrived, the people were furious.  Some people in the government promoted Tang Jing-song to the office of President, and established the Republic of Taiwan as a way of averting Japanese occupation.  But not long after the Japanese army landed, and Tang Jing-song fled to China.  Anti-Japanese forces remained all over the island, but after a few battles these forces were quickly outmaneuvered and defeated.

日本占領臺灣後, 設立臺灣總督府為最高統治機關, 實施專制的殖民統治, 對臺灣造成深遠的影響.  After the Japanese took control of Taiwan, they established the Japanese Colonial Government as the highest authority on the island.  The assumption of colonial power over Taiwan had a lasting effect.

日治時代初期, 臺灣不斷發生武裝抗日活動, 總督府為了維持治安, 鎮壓抗日活動, 在全臺建立嚴密的警察制度.  警察的權力非常大, 監視和控制著臺灣人民的生活與言行.  當時的保正 (村, 里長) 和甲長 (鄰長), 也配合警察執行相關任務.  In the early days of the Japanese colonial administration, armed rebellion was a constant feature of life on the island.  In order to ensure order and suppress rebellion, the Japanese introduced a strong police force.  The police force's powers were wide-ranging, involved a close monitoring of Taiwanese citizens, and placed many restrictions upon them.  At that time village and neighborhood chiefs had to fulfill their duties as instructed by the police.

面對日本的殖民統治, 民間發動了許多武裝抗日的行動, 其中較為著名的有羅福星等人領導的苗栗事件, 余清芳等人領導的西來庵事件 (又稱噍吧哖事件), 以及莫那魯道等人領導的霧社事件.  這些事件最後都在日本的強力鎮壓下失敗了.  Under Japanese colonial administration, many armed rebellions occurred.  The most famous of these incidents was led by Luo Fu-shing and several others in Miaoli.  [There was also] the Shi Lai Incident (also called the Jiao Ba Nian Incident) led by Shu Ching-fang and several others, and the Wushe Incident led by Mona Ludao and others.  All of these incidents [movements] were suppressed and defeated by Japanese military superiority.²

日治時代著名的抗日事件 Famous Anti-Japanese Incidents During the Colonial Administration

苗栗事件領導人之一羅福星, 原籍廣東, 早年隨祖父移居到苗栗.  西元1912年, 他在臺灣各地籌畫抗日行動.  西元1913年9月, 由於大湖支廳 (今苗栗縣大湖鄉) 的槍械失竊, 日本警察搜補全臺抗日人士.  羅福星於年底在淡水被捕, 隔年被處死.  The instigator of the Miaoli Incident was Luo Fu-shing.  He was originally from Guangdong, and in his youth migrated to Miaoli with his grandfather.  In 1912 he organized anti-Japanese activities throughout Taiwan.  In 1913 the Japanese police force located the hideout of several anti-Japanese agitators in the Dahu Office (in what is now Dahu Township, Miaoli County).  Luo Fu-shing was arrested in Danshui later the same year, and during the following year he was executed.

除羅福星案外, 總督府將當時其他的抗日案件合併審理, 合稱為 "苗栗事件".  In addition to Luo Fu-shing's case, the Japanese Colonial Government combined several other cases of anti-Japanese subversion around the same time, and these were collectively referred to as the "Miaoli Incident."

西元1915年, 在今臺南市玉井區爆發了規模相當大的西來庵事件.  當時余清芳等人藉著民間信仰的力量, 密謨驅逐日本人, 結果因事機洩露而失敗.  被此事件後, 漢人的抗日運動由武裝抗暴方式轉為理性和平的抗爭.  In 1915 the Shi Lai Incident erupted in Yu Jing District, Tainan City.  Back then Shu Ching-fang and several other leaders invoked folk beliefs to exorcise the Japanese.  Their plan failed, and after this incident [the method of] anti-Japanese movements within the Chinese population changed from armed struggle to peaceful demonstration.³

霧社地區 (今南投縣仁愛鄉) 的原住民不滿日本官吏長期殘暴的統治, 於是在西元1930年, 由賽德克族的莫那魯道率領族人襲擊日本警民.  日本軍警馬上以大炮, 飛機及毒瓦斯等武力, 向霧社各部落展開攻擊, 造成霧社地區的原住民傷亡慘重.  事件發生後, 總督府重新檢討對原住民族的統治政策, 從此不再發生大規模的武力鎮壓事件.  In Wushe District (now Ren Ai Township in Nantou County), the aboriginal people were unhappy with the long and brutal rule of the Japanese.  In 1930 Mona Ludao, a member of the Seediq Tribe, led his tribesmen in an attack on Japanese police forces.  The Japanese military police responded with canons, aircraft, and even poison gas, attacking all of the villages in Wushe.  This exacted a heavy toll on the aboriginals.  After this incident occurred, the Japanese Colonial Administration changed many of their administrative policies toward the aboriginals, and this type of violent, oppressive incident did not occur again.

在日本殖民統治下, 臺灣人始終沒有獲得平等的待遇.  例如: 在工作上, 臺灣人的薪水比同樣職位的日本人低; 在參政的權利上, 臺灣人也遠不如日本人.  Under Japanese colonial rule, Taiwanese people never received fair treatment.  For example, in the workplace the salaries of Taiwanese people were always lower than those of Japanese people doing the same job, and Taiwanese people never had the same political rights as Japanese people.

為了爭取應有的基本權利, 林獻堂, 蔣渭水等人挺身而出, 成立臺灣文化協會, 利用報紙, 雜誌, 演講, 請願等方式, 不斷的向總督府抗爭, 要求平等的待遇.  In order to secure their fundamental rights, Lin Shian-tang, Jiang Wei-shui and and others established the Taiwanese Cultural Association.  They used newspapers, magazines, speeches, and other methods to protest the Japanese Colonial Administration's policies, and to ask for fair treatment.

這些抗爭雖然遭到打壓, 卻喚醒了臺灣人的民族自覺, 迫使殖民政府在日治後期, 開放部分地方民意代表名額, 提供人民選舉擔任, 讓部分臺灣人獲得選舉民意代表的機會.  Although these [types of] protest activities were suppressed, they awoke in Taiwanese people a sense of cultural affinity, and during the later years of the Japanese Colonial Government they caused the authorities to allow the election of local representatives in some places.

日治時代後期, 中日戰爭爆發, 總督府為了消除臺灣人的民族意識, 真正為日本效忠, 開始進行 "皇民化運動", 鼓勵臺灣人說日語, 改成日本姓名, 穿著和服, 參拜日本神社等.  但皇民化運動的結果, 並未能消除臺灣人的民族自覺, 也無法阻止臺灣人堅持傳統文化的決心.  In the later years of the Japanese Colonial Administration, the Sino-Japanese War erupted.  [During this time] the Japanese Colonial Administration tried to extinguish the sense of cultural solidarity within the Taiwanese [population], and to encourage loyalty to Japan through "Loyal Subject Activities."  They encouraged Taiwanese people to speak Japanese, to switch to Japanese names, to wear kimonos, and to worship at the Shinto temple.  Yet the "Loyal Subject Activities" did not extinguish the cultural solidarity between Taiwanese people, and did not cause Taiwanese people to abandon their cultural traditions.

2: 日治時代的經濟發展 The Development of the Economy Under the Japanese Colonial Administration

日治初期, 總督府為了有效統治臺灣, 積極展開各項基礎建設.  在經濟方面, 發行貨幣, 建立商品買賣秩序; 在土地與人口調查方面, 實施土地調查和戶口普查, 確立土地所有權和戶口資料, 不但增加了賦稅收入, 也便於加強社會控制在交通建設方面, 興建鐵路, 港口, 公路, 方便商品流通與物資運送, 還在各地設立郵局; 在能源建設方面, 興建大型發電工程, 提供發展工業所需的動力.  In the early years of the Japanese Colonial Administration, the government improved every aspect of Taiwan's infrastructure, as a way of making its administration more effective.  With regard to the economy, it issued currency and established business practices.  With regard to land and population, [the government] surveyed land and took a census.  Verifying land rights and household information didn't just increase tax revenues, but also consolidated [the government's] authority over citizens.  With regard to transportation infrastructure, [the government] established rail lines, ports, and highways so that goods and information could flow freely.  They also set up post offices in every place.  With regard to power projects, they built power plants to accelerate the development of [local] industries.⁴

總督府推動這些基礎建設, 雖然是基於殖民統治的需要, 但也奠定了臺灣經濟發展的基礎.  Although it was done to meet the needs of the Japanese Colonial Government, these infrastructure projects also provided a base from which Taiwan's economy could grow.

日本統治臺灣以後, 致力發展農業, 目的在獲取經濟利益, 或將農產品輸往日本以滿足需求.  例如: 改善農田水利設施, 擴大灌溉面積; 興建新式糖廠, 增加蔗糖產量; 設立農業改良場, 培育優良品種.  這些措施雖然讓臺灣農業逐步現代化, 稻米與蔗糖的產量都大幅增加, 不過, 當時臺灣農產品的價格, 大多被日本商人操控, 農民往往被剝削, 生活仍然很困苦.  After Japan's administrative control over Taiwan began, [the colonial government] developed agriculture with the aim of establishing the island's economic independence.  Exporting agricultural goods to Japan was another goal.  For example; [the government] improved irrigation, increased the amount of land that could be farmed, built new types of sugar refineries, increased the sugar cane yield, and established experimental farms - all for the sake of improving the quality of agricultural goods.  Although these reforms had a modernizing effect on Taiwan, and the sugar cane and rice yields increased in both quality and size, the quality agricultural goods produced in Taiwan were still controlled by Japanese businessmen.  The farmers were often exploited, and life for them was very difficult.

為了增加收入, 日本也致力於臺灣自然資源的開發.  例如: 在臺灣較低矮的山區, 大規模砍伐樟樹, 熬製樟腦; 在高山地區砍伐珍貴的林木; 同時也在北部地區開採煤礦和金礦.  As a way of increasing revenues, Japan also focused on developing Taiwan's natural resources.  For example, at lower elevations they logged eucalyptus and camphor trees.  At higher elevations they logged exotic woods.  At the same time they opened coal and gold mines in north Taiwan.

總督府為獲取更大的利益, 還實施鴉片, 食鹽, 樟腦, 菸酒等專賣制度, 從生產到銷售都由總督府獨占, 民間不得私下生產或銷售.  As a means of attaining still greater advantages, the Japanese Colonial Administration secured a monopoly over opium, salt, camphor, tobacco, alcohol, and other goods.  The government exercised control over these goods from farm to point of sale, and individual citizens were forbidden from growing or selling them.

日治初期, 總督府已開始發展農產品的加工業.  後來為了準備戰爭的需要, 又推動煉鋁, 化學, 機械等工業建設, 使臺灣社會逐漸轉變成半工半農的型態.  In the early part of the Japanese Colonial Administration, the government had already developed industries for processed agricultural products.  Later, in order to meet the necessities of war, the colonial government promoted aluminum smelting, chemistry, machinery, and other industries, all of which transformed Taiwan's [economy] into a mixture of industrial and agricultural ventures.

日治後期, 由於日本對外發動戰爭, 臺灣主要的基礎建設和工業設施, 都成為美軍轟炸的目標, 工業建設因此遭受嚴重的打擊.  Towards the end of the Japanese Colonial Administration, Japan began fighting the [Second World] War beyond the confines of the island.  The important infrastructure and industrial projects begun by the Japanese in Taiwan then became bombing targets for the Allies.  For this reason, many of the industrial projects from that time sustained heavy damage.⁵

3: 日治時代的社會變遷 Social Changes Under the Japanese Colonial Administration

總督府為了改善環境衛生, 防止傳染病的傳播, 積極倡導衛生習慣, 推動防疫措施; 而在風俗習慣的改革上, 更積極推動婦女不再纏足, 宣導守時守法觀念.  這些措施, 逐漸改變了臺灣傳統社會的風貌.  In order to improve public hygiene and reduce the spread of disease, the Japanese Colonial Administration worked strenuously to encourage cleaner habits and healthy customs among the Taiwanese.  They discouraged women from binding their feet, and encouraged punctuality and the observance of law.  These reforms slowly changed the nature of traditional Taiwanese society.⁶

總督府也引進西方的星期制, 規定星期日為休假日, 另外還設有國定假日.  假日讓民眾有了閒暇的時間, 可以進行各種休閒活動.  政府除了設立公園, 鼓勵民眾從事各種戶外活動外, 也推廣音樂會, 藝術展覽, 電影欣賞等活動.  從此, 休閒生活逐漸成為許多民眾生活中的一部分.  The Japanese Colonial Administration also introduced the Western custom of working set hours, and forbid people from working on Sundays.  They also introduced set national holidays, and these holidays gave people time to rest and engage in every kind of recreational activity.  Aside from establishing parks and encouraging people to take part in leisure activities, the government also promoted concerts, art exhibitions, and the enjoyment of movies.  From this point onward such recreational activities became part of most people's lives.

日治時代, 總督府引進現代化的教育制度, 在臺灣各地設立公學校, 作為初等教育機溝, 供臺灣人子弟就讀.  又設立中學校以及師範學校, 醫學校, 農工商等專門學校, 提供臺灣人更多學習的機會.  During the Japanese Colonial Administration, the government modernized the education system and set up public schools.  This became the primary system of education for all Taiwanese people.  [The government] also set up secondary schools, teacher training colleges, medical schools, and other types of vocational schools.  [These schools] improved Taiwanese people's educational opportunities.

當時, 臺灣人子弟的教育機會, 並未受到公平對持.  例如: 臺灣兒童就讀小學校公學校, 不論在師資, 設備上都不如小學校, 升學管道也受到限制.  但是, 臺灣人仍然努力進取, 爭取各種升學機會, 甚至到海外留學.  因此, 在日治時代, 臺灣也出現許多優秀人才, 成為社會進步的推動者.  At the time, however, Taiwanese people did not receive the same opportunities with regard to education.  For example, Taiwanese children could only attend public elementary schools, where the teachers and equipment were substandard.  Their opportunities for educational advancement were also limited.  Despite this, Taiwanese people worked hard to advance themselves, and competed for every kind of educational opportunity, including study overseas.  For this reason, during the Japanese Colonial Administration many talented people appeared, and they worked for the improvement of society as a whole.

日治時代, 總督府除了大力推展日本文化, 也帶來西方文化.  因此, 西方的飲食, 服飾, 建築等, 大量傳入臺灣, 使臺灣文化更加豐富多元.  Aside from strenuously promoting Japanese culture, the Japanese Colonial Government also introduced Western culture [into Taiwan].  For this reason Western food and drink, clothing, and architecture entered into Taiwan, and made Taiwanese culture much richer.⁷

以服飾為例, 日治時代臺灣民眾的穿著有很大的變化.  男子多已剪去髮辮, 改穿西式服裝; 女子也不再纏足, 並穿著改良式的傳統服裝或洋裝.  社會上的審美觀念也隨之改變.  Taking clothing as an example, the way Taiwanese people dressed changed dramatically during the Japanese Colonial Administration.  Most men cut off their queues [the symbol of their loyalty to the Ching Emperor], and began wearing Western clothes.  Women stopped binding their feet, and started wearing more comfortable traditional clothes or Western dress. 

西方的繪畫, 雕塑和音樂, 也透過學校教育和展演活動, 逐漸傳入臺灣, 並且培育了不少人才.  這些現代藝術家的創作與教學活動, 對臺灣的工藝, 美術和音樂發展, 有很大的貢獻.  Western painting, sculpture, and music were slowly incorporated into
Taiwanese school activities and exhibitions, and many new artistic talents emerged.  These artists' artworks and school activities contributed a lot to the development of Taiwanese crafts, art, and music.

社會FUN輕鬆 Social Studies Easy Fun

奔馳在甘蔗田裡的小火車 -- 臺灣糖業的興衰 The Little Train Speeding Through the Sugar Cane Field - The Rise and Fall of Taiwan's Sugar Industry

自荷西時代開始, 蔗糖就是臺灣重要的輸出商品.  日治時代, 日本企業大規模投入臺灣糖業生產, 便得臺灣躍升為重要的蔗糖產地.  Sugar cane had been an important Taiwanese export since the Dutch and Spanish first colonized the island.  During the Japanese Colonial Administration, Japanese industries invested heavily in Taiwanese sugar cane, causing Taiwan's rise to prominence as an important producer of this crop.

日治初期, 糖業是產業工業化的重點.  西元1900年代初期, 在高雄成立了臺灣第一座新式糖廠, 除了代表臺灣農業機械化的開端外, 其最早興建的糖業鐵路, 更方便原料的運送.  此後, 各地糖廠與糖業鐵路也陸續興建.  當時, 臺灣的糖業鐵道很多, 總長達兩千多公里, 其中以西部平原地區最為密集.  In the early years of the Japanese Colonial Administration, sugar refining was an important industrial goal.  In the beginning of 1900, Taiwan's first modern refinery was built in Kaohsiung.  This didn't just represent the start of industrial agriculture in Taiwan, but also the construction of a railway to service the refinery, which made it more convenient to transport raw materials there.  After this, sugar refineries and associated railways were built all over Taiwan.  At the time Taiwan's sugar railways were quite numerous, with over 2000 kilometers of track.  Most of these were located on flat terrain on the western side of the island.

臺灣糖業火車, 俗稱 "五分車", "五分仔車", 通常以運送甘蔗為主, 也能載運旅客, 曾經是臺灣重要的交通工具之一.  糖業火車之所以有 "五分車" 的名稱, 其中一種說法是, 五分車鐵軌之間的距離, 是國際標準軌距的一半; 另一種說法則是, 糖業火車的推力及車速, 只有普通火車的一半.  Taiwan's sugar refinery trains were called "fifty percent cars," or "five tenths [?] cars."  Their primary function was the transportation of sugar cane, but they also transported passengers.  They were an important mode of transport in Taiwan.  A possible reason sugar refinery trains were referred to as "five part cars" was that the distance between their tracks was only half the international standard.  Another possible reason is that the sugar refinery trains power and speed were only half that of normal trains.

糖業鐵路通常以糖廠為中心, 成放射狀分布, 為便利運輸, 也與當時官方的鐵路在車站接軌, 以便轉運.  日治時代, 由於糖廠多為私人企業, 糖廠的鐵路並不相連.  直到二次大戰結束, 中華民國政府接收後, 把所有糖廠整併為國營的臺灣糖業公司, 才將鐵路線加以連結.  戰後, 由於甘蔗品種的改良, 蔗糖產量一度恢復戰前的水準, 為國家賺取大筆收入.  但是, 民國六十年代以後, 國際糖價持續下跌, 臺灣糖業逐漸沒落, 而糖業鐵路也不斷縮短, 停駛.  Sugar refinery trains were usually located around the sugar refinery, to facilitate the transportation of goods.  But they were also connected to government railways for transit purposes.  During the Japanese Colonial Administration, most sugar refineries were managed privately, and the individual railways were not connected.  This [state of affairs] persisted until the end of World War II, when the Republic of China government combined all of the sugar refineries into the state-owned Taiwan Sugar Corporation⁸, and also joined the railways together.  After the war the quality of sugar cane was improved, and this important source of revenue returned to pre-war levels.  After 1971, however, the price of sugar declined steadily, and Taiwan's sugar industry slowly faded from the scene.  The sugar refinery railways were likewise shortened or decommissioned.

近年來, 糖業鐵路不斷的嘗試轉型, 朝向觀光方面發展, 橋頭, 新營, 溪湖等糖廠的小火車重新啟動, 搭載旅客奔馳在原野, 重返惜日的榮景.  In recent years, the sugar railways have undergone continuous changes, and have also been developed for tourism.  Little refinery trains like the Chiao Tou, Shin Ying, and Shi Hu have been renovated, and are now carrying tourists back into the remote glory of days past. 

8. Stuff That I Hate 我很討厭的一些東西 (May 2018)

You know what I hate?  I hate the garbage truck.  I hate hearing it on the other side of my apartment building, I hate getting the garbage ready to take downstairs, and I hate going downstairs to dump the garbage.  I even hate the boring, painfully polite conversations my neighbors have while they're waiting for the garbage truck.  "You are dumping the garbage!  Wa!  It's time to dump the garbage!  So much garbage!"  你知道我討厭什麼嗎?  我討厭垃圾車.  我討厭聽到它在我們大樓另外一邊時的聲音, 討厭準備要丟的垃圾, 討厭去樓下丟垃圾.  我等垃圾車的時候很討厭聽到鄰居客氣又很無聊的對話:  "你要丟垃圾喔!  哇!  時間到了!  那麼多垃圾!"

You know what other thing I hate?  I hate blue trucks that almost kill people on their way down the road.  I hate riding my bike to work every morning, and seeing these trucks come within centimeters of crushing people to death.  I hate the way their drivers spit mouthfuls of betel nut juice all over the road, I hate the way they feel the need to shout "Hello" at me in that retarded tone of voice, and I hate the fact that life is often cheap on the roads of Taiwan.  I even hate that certain shade of blue, just because it reminds me of traffic accidents and people trapped under trucks.  你知道我還討厭什麼東西嗎?  我討厭差點在路上撞死人的那種藍色卡車.  我早上騎單車上班的時候都會看到這種差點就撞上人的卡車.  我討厭看到卡車司機到處亂吐檳榔汁, 我討厭他們白癡地對我大叫"Hello!"的聲音, 我討厭人命在台灣路上顯得廉價.  我甚至討厭與那種藍色有關的東西, 因為這讓我想起之前看過的車禍, 也讓我想起人卡在卡車下面的情況.

Another thing I hate?  I hate food poisoning.  I'll give any restaurant two chances, but after they've made me sick the second time I don't go there anymore.  I hate having a meal, and urgently needing a bathroom twenty minutes later.  And while we're talking about restaurants, I also hate it when they (secretly) reduce the amount of food they serve without lowering the price.  The other day I was trying to enjoy a hamburger, and then I noticed how much smaller it had become.  我還討厭什麼?  我討厭食物中毒.  我給每家餐廳二個機會, 可是第二次發生問題之後我就不再去了.我很討厭吃完飯二十分鐘之後要積極地找廁所大號.  在我們談到餐廳的事時, 我也很討厭餐廳在價格不變的情況下祕密地把食物的分量減少,  前幾天我吃漢堡時發現漢堡變小了.

I also hate people who waste time during meetings because they have no life.  In every meeting there's that one guy (or girl) who has nothing better to do than attend meetings, and instead of just being quiet when they have nothing to say they just talk and talk and talk about things that have nothing to do with the topic of the meeting, just so that they can avoid going home and staring at a wall for an extra fifteen minutes.  People like that drive me CRAZY.  我很討厭開會的時候有些無聊人士浪費時間.  每次開會都有某先生或某小姐很喜歡開會, 會講跟主題無關的廢話, 它們只為了延長那十五分鐘的會議時間避免回家.  那種人很糟糕.

Don't even get me started on mosquitoes.  I hate mosquitoes more than anything.  I hate how they hide under desks in the daytime, and while you're sitting at a computer (as I am now), they come and feast on your legs.  Mosquitoes are not cool, and I hate them!  蚊子也很可惡.  蚊子是我最討厭的事物.  我很討厭蚊子白天躲在桌子下面, 打電腦的時候牠們飛出來叮我的腳.  蚊子很煩!  我恨牠們!

I hate it when people litter.  I hate it when people get unnecessarily "weird" around foreigners.  I hate it when people try to turn public school activities into religious activities.  I hate it when governments build unnecessary buildings.  I hate having to avoid stray (?) dogs when I go running.  I hate rice cooked with yams and/or sweet potatoes.  And I really hate shrimp because they make me ill.  我很討厭人亂丟垃圾.  我很討厭台灣人碰到外國人的時候變得怪怪的.  我很討厭人把公立學校的活動轉變成宗教活動.  我很討厭政府蓋不必要的建築物.  我討厭跑步的時候有狗追我.  我討厭地瓜跟白米煮在一起.  我也討厭蝦子, 因為牠們讓我吐.

Wherever we are, and whatever we're doing, there are always so many things to hate.  ...or maybe "dislike" is a better word?  There are, after all, some people would tell you that hating anything is bad, and that an attitude of acceptance is better.  But I often think that if you hate something you should just be honest about it.  No use trying to make lemonade out of lemons.  No use trying to say the sun's shining when it's pouring down rain.  Sometimes the best way to get rid of that feeling is to name that feeling, to see it for what it is, and then move on.  到處都有討厭的東西... 還是說 "不喜歡" 比說 "討厭" 比較好?  有的人說討厭東西是不好的, 用接受的態度來看待更好, 可是我覺得我們討厭什麼東西的時候要誠實地說出來.  不要假裝討厭的東西不討厭.  有時候擺脫那種心情的最好作法就是面對它, 說出正確的感覺.  以後討厭的心情就慢慢消失了.

Yes, hating too much can be bad.  But we all hate sometimes, don't we?  負面的態度會害自己沒錯, 可是我們都有討厭的東西對不對?

9. Hello, Taitung Person 台東人你好 2 (May 2018)

In the Hello, Taitung Person entries I'll be interviewing local residents.  They decide what kind of biographical information to include.  Some people are more private individuals, and I respect that.  Others are happy to make their presence known, and I respect that too.  在 "台東人你好" 這些文章中我會介紹當地的居民.  這些資訊是他們同意分享的.  有的人比較重視隱私,  有的人則開心地讓他人更認識自己.  我尊重這二者不同的做法.

All numbered questions were chosen randomly from a list of 50 questions.  下列編號的問題是隨機由五十個問題中選出來的. 

The thoughts and opinions expressed below belong to the person offering them, and may not be shared by the person writing this blog.  下列是被訪問者的想法與意見, 與寫這個blog的我不一定一樣

First Name 名字: (It's a secret!  這是秘密!)

Last Name 姓: (It's a secret!  這是秘密!)

Chinese Name 中文名字: (It's a secret!  這是秘密!)

Employment 工作地點: (It's a secret!  這是秘密!)

Country of Origin 國家: (It's a secret!  這是秘密!)

Age 年齡: (It's a secret!  這是秘密!)

Length of Residence in Taiwan 居住在台灣的時間: over 10 years 已經超過十年的時間

Place of Residence in Taitung 住在台東地區: Taitung City 台東市

Favorite Color 最喜歡的顏色: blue 藍色

1. Q: What do you like to do?  你喜歡做什麼?

A: Well, I'd say, ah, some of my favorite hobbies are swimming and playing sports.  Uh, specifically basketball.  Ah, other than that, I mean, I'm a family man so I like to spend time with my family.  Ah, and then I also like to not spend time with my family as well.  I like my free time [laughing], cherish it when I get it, but also cherish the time I have with my family, 'cause my kids are young right now, and uh, it's an important time for them, so... it's kind of an important and fun time for me and my wife, too.  我最喜歡的休閒活動是游泳跟體育活動.  我特別喜歡籃球.  除了運動之外, 我喜歡跟家人在一起.  我也喜歡我自己的自由時間.  [在笑] 我珍惜自己一個人時的機會, 可是我也很珍惜跟家人在一起的時間, 因為我的孩子還很小, 所以對他們來說這個時候很重要.  這個時刻對我和我太太來說是好玩又重要的時候.

2. Q: Do you miss your home country?  Why or why not?  你會想念你的國家嗎?  為什麼?

A: Uh... yeah, sure I do.  Um... I mean not as much as I did when I first came to Taiwan.  I've been here now for more than ten years, so... Uh, I've definitely become a lot more used to living in Taiwan, but uh, uh there's usually not a month that doesn't go by where something comes along and kind of makes me miss home for a bit, or think of home.  Um, usually it's family that I think of, or friends, you know, um, but yeah, I'm pretty used to living in Taiwan, and comfortable here.  So, no deep longings for home or anything like that.  當然會想念啊.  可是這種想念的心情不像我剛到台灣時那麼深了.  我住這裡已經超過十年了, 所以我現在比較習慣台灣的生活方式了.  可是每個月都會發生某些讓我想念家鄉的事情, 通常想到的是我家鄉的家人或朋友.  但是我很習慣台灣的生活, 也覺得這個環境適合我.  所以我的想念也就不是那麼的濃烈.

3. Q: Does Taiwan's history interest you?  Why or why not?  你對台灣的歷史有興趣嗎?  為什麼?

A: Uh yeah it interests me, I mean I'm living here now for more than ten years - again - and uh, I'm part of... society here, and I married into a Taiwanese family.  So I like to know about the country and the people and their history.  我對它有興趣.  我住這裡的時間已經超過十年.  我也是這個社會的一部分了, 我跟台灣女人結婚.  所以我想多了解這個國家, 人, 還有這裡的歷史.

4. Q: Is it useful for you to know Taiwanese?  Why or why not?  你覺得學會台語有用嗎?  為什麼?

A: Um, I would say it's useful to know like a few phrases and words, um, if only to - ah - break the ice sometimes, and you know, ah, maybe even say something funny.  Uh, you know in a certain situation.  You know, just to make a bridge between you and some Taiwanese who are speaking Taiwanese when I'm around or something like that.  You know?  But other than that I wouldn't really say that it's, you know, really that important or useful for me to like learn the language.  As much as I have taken a bit more effort to learning Chinese.  As I feel that it's much more useful and applicable.  我覺得知道一些短語或單字很有用.  這些短語或單字可以拉近與對方的距離. 也可以當我和他人間的玩笑話, 你知道在某些情形下,  我在的場合中, 那些短語或單字可以在我和我身邊的閩南人中間搭起一座橋梁.   你知道嗎?  除了那件事之外, 我不覺得學台語很重要.  不像學中文那麼重要.  我覺得中文有用又適用.

5. Q: Do you have any opinions about what kids in Taiwan study in school?  你對台灣孩子的教育有意見嗎?

A: Um... yes?  I mean I have children of my own who are studying in Taiwanese schools, so... uh, I have an opinion.  My opinion is I feel like the school system here is, um, a little too much weighted towards the testing and just rote learning/memorization, and that if they want to be competitive and more, like, relevant with the times they need to change that and, you know, introduce a bit more critical thinking and independent learning.  You-- it's easy for me to kind of say that as a foreigner, but it's definitely one of those things that I think needs to change.  You know?  Because I'm a teacher here, too.  I see kids, and there's nothing worse than seeing that young mind turn into, you know, "Oh, I just have to memorize this," as opposed to "I have to ask myself 'Why?' or 'What?'" or...  當然有.  我自己的孩子在公立學校讀書所以當然有意見.  我的意見就是這裡的學校太重視考試跟記憶.  學校如果要加強競爭力, 如果要跟上時代, 最好的方法是改變重視考試和記憶這部分.  他們利用多一點批判性思維跟獨立學習比較好.  從國外來的我說這種話很簡單, 可是我覺得這件事情真是需要改變.  你知道嗎?  因為我也在這裡當老師.  我看過很多孩子, 覺得他們的想法變成: "我把這個記起來就好了."  這種想法好可惜.  問自己: "為什麼?" 或是 "什麼東西?" 這種問題會好很多.

6. Q: What animals do you like?  And what animals do you not like?  你喜歡什麼動物?  你不喜歡什麼動物?

A: What animals... do I like...  Um, well, my favorite animal is the orangutan.  So I really love orangutans.  Uh... is this a 'Why or why not?'  I don't like rats.  Well, yeah, don't leave a rat around me.  我喜歡... 什麼動物...  我最喜歡的動物是猩猩.  所以我真地很喜歡猩猩.  這個問題要說出原因嗎?  我不喜歡老鼠.  不要讓老鼠留在我附近.

7. Q: What are your thoughts on Taitung's environmental situation?  你對台東的環境現況有意見嗎?

A: Well, my thoughts on Taitung's environmental situation are that they're kind of at a bit of a critical time, I feel, because, um, they've had an edge over a lot of the other cities on the island as far as being left alone for so long.  They were kind of allowed to, uh... they weren't overpopulated, and they weren't overrun by tourism, so it was a bit more of a sustainable situation.  But now with the increase in people and the increase in tourism, it seems like there's a potential for a lot of the same mistakes that other big cities made, as far as like going with, like, big industry, and, you know, other things that cause, uh, pollution in a city.  Um, it seems like Taitung is kind of like at a point where they could end up making those same mistakes.  Or they could learn from, uh, other cities mistakes.  我想台東的環境狀態已到了關鍵的時刻.  因為這裡比台灣其他地方有優勢的地方是它很長時間不被重視.  所以以前的人口比較少, 觀光客也不多, 因此對環境的影響不大.  雖然現在人口比較大, 觀光業也發展了.  台東縣市政府犯其他地方的錯誤的可能性很大, 例如大工業那種汙染環境的錯誤.  台東似乎到了避免那種錯誤的時刻了.  他們可以從其他縣市的經驗中學習, 不犯那種錯誤.

8. Q: How would you like to see Taitung develop (or not develop) in the future?  你對台東未來的發展有什麼看法?

A: Well, I'm a bit... I like Taitung the way it is.  I'm not, you know, super keen on a lot of development here in Taitung.  That said, over the past ten years that I've been here there have been, there has been quite a bit of change?  And, you know, stuff like redoing the roads and having a nicer boardwalk...  You know those are all things that I use, and enjoy, and like a lot better now than I did before.  Um, so I like that kind of change, but I'm not, I'm not really keen on that much change.  Taitung's kinda nice just the way it is, you know?  我有點...  我喜歡台東現在的樣子.  我不想看到台東做那麼多的開發.  也就是說, 我在這裡的十年台東有很多的改變.  你應該知道, 馬路的施工, 還有舊鐵道 [人行道] 的施工.  那都是我會使用和喜愛的地方, 我也比較喜歡它們現在的狀態.  所以我喜歡那種改變.  可是我不想台東改變很多.  台東目前的樣子就不錯, 對不對?

9. Q: How do you feel about temple festivals?  你對廟會有什麼意見?

A: Well, Han Dan Ye is one of my, like, favorite festivals.  When I first came here, um, I loved it.  I thought that, like, one of the things about Taitung is that it is a bit of a sleepy quiet town, and definitely that was one of the things that attracted me at the start, and I enjoyed...  But, like anything, you need some excitement in your life every now and then, and then, when that first Han Dan Ye festival came - for me - I was just, uh, you know, amazed at the, like, excitement and, you know, everybody out in the streets, parading around, fireworks going off, you know, it kind of like, flipped Taitung on its head a bit.  You know, it's only for a couple days, you know, and I kind of like that, so...*  炸寒單是我最喜歡的節日之一.  我剛來台東的時候超愛它的.  我那時候想: 台東是個滿安靜無聊的小城鎮.  當初也是這點最先吸引我的.  但就像所有的事一樣, 生活中有時候也需要一些刺激.  我的第一個炸寒單到來的時候, 我覺得這種熱鬧的場面很驚奇.  大家都在路上遊行, 放鞭炮.  好像要把台東翻倒了.  你知道,  只有一, 兩天的時間.  我有點喜歡...  所以...

10. Q: What type of music do you wish Taiwanese people liked more?  你想哪一種音樂在台灣會受大家的歡迎?

A: [laughing] Um... Rage Against the Machine.  [在笑]  Rage Against the Machine吧.

10. Peeling an Onion (May 2018)

We're at the bar (as always) when I pull out my phone.  The usual routine.  Line followed by Messenger, followed by Instagram or Gmail.  I see more of your pictures and I start to remember.

"Who is that?" one of the guys says next to me, "You know her?"

He caught me.  Scrolling down through your bikini pics, thinking of who you were then, and who you are now.  A smiling face at parties in other cities.  Brown skin and arms wrapped around a variety of men.  I'm aroused and embarrassed, nostalgic and afraid.

"Yeah, I know her," I reply.  "She was one of my students, long ago."

He laughs.  "Well she sure has grown up since then.  You be careful who catches you studying those pictures."

I nod, and think about another you, years before.  How many years before, exactly?  Well, I don't exactly like to think about it.  Let's just say that I was a different person then, too - and not only because of the decade or so that's passed us by.

I can still see you there, in that school office.  And I can see your teacher's face, purple with rage.  She was always so angry at you, and there was nothing you or anyone else could do about it.  You had to stand there, impassive in your school uniform, bearing the full brunt of her fury.  We all wanted to help you, of course, but there was nothing we could do, and there was no way to intervene.  Thinking of this now, I can only hope that you've forgiven us.

15 minutes or so later, the storm would pass and the office would return to normal.  You'd walk out of the office with that same defiance, that same untouched demeanor, and it was only when I later passed you in the hall that I'd see the tears in your eyes, and the way your hands trembled.

Three years of that for you.  How many minutes of your life were spent thus, yelled at for imaginary infractions?  And the truth of the matter was that you hadn't done anything at all.  The truth of the matter was that your teacher didn't like your pride.  She hated the fact that she couldn't break you.  She hated your beauty, too.  And your youth.  She knew, as we knew, that you didn't really belong to that school, or to this town.  She knew, as we knew, that all her angry words were wasted.

Here you are again, on my phone.  Some kind of costume party in Taipei.  A sea of sexy smiling women, yet somehow you outshine them all, and make them look ordinary.  My God, those guys in Taipei must fall down like wounded animals before you.  I can just see you walking through restaurants and cafes up there, striking them speechless with your very presence.  And their girlfriends and wives - how they must hate you.  Just like that teacher hated you, so many years before.

A friend jostles me, and I'm dragged from my reverie.  I clumsily switch off the screen.  "Hey man, what you looking at?" shouts another guy over too-loud pop music, "You need to stop staring at your phone, dude!"

Yes, I do.  But I'm also thinking of a time not so long ago, when you asked to meet at a local convenience store.  You tricked me that time.  I thought it was going to be you and several classmates, but later, at the convenience store, it was only you sitting there before me.  How had I left myself so open, I wondered?  How had I become so exposed?  Again my mind reeled, caught between ecstasy and fear.

We sat next to the window and talked about the school we once shared, many years previous.  You said you kept in touch with some of your classmates.  You said I was the only teacher you really liked.  You said you were happy in Taipei - happy and very "free."  And as you said this I knew that you could destroy me if you wanted to, if only I was weak enough to let you do it.  My God, I thought, what had I gotten myself into?

Yet - whether fortunately or unfortunately I'm still unable to say - you left not long after.  You walked out into the summer night, and at that moment I knew you hadn't pursued me as an act of kindness, as a way of thanking me for friendly words given to a very young girl.

In the bar, years later, I think of how strong you are now, and how far you've come.  No teachers to yell at you now.  None of them would dare.  You walk the world in your own way, and I have pity for anyone foolish enough to cross you.  

Some might say that the world has made you hard, but I'd say that the world has made you just hard enough.  One day all of those parents and teachers will understand this too.  Some of them, exercising a kind of selective amnesia, might even congratulate themselves over the person you've become.

"Damn she's fine!" says another person at the bar, a foreigner I've only just been introduced to.  I look down at my phone, and stare at the screen full of pictures.  "You know her?"

"Yes," I say, "But I'm not sure if she's still the person I remember."  Whoever you are now, and whatever you're doing, I worry for those of us who love you.