June - October 2018
1. Around the Taitung Train Station 在台東車站附近
What do Bali, Indonesia and Taitung, Taiwan have in common? Well, for one thing they're both tropical. For another thing they're both vacation destinations. And for yet another thing I've been to both of them recently. 印尼的峇里島跟台灣的台東有什麼相同的地方? 它們都屬於熱帶氣候. 也是度假勝地. 並且是我最近去過的地方.
I visited Bali for two weeks between the end of July and the beginning of August. We took the train from Taitung to Taipei, and from Taipei we flew to Hong Kong, where we boarded another flight to Denpasar, Bali. Not counting the train to Taipei, the trip to Bali took about five hours. 我在七月底八月初去峇里二個禮拜. 我們從台東坐火車到台北, 從台北坐飛機到香港, 再從香港轉機到峇里島的丹帕莎. 除了坐火車到台北的時間之外, 到峇里還要五個小時左右.
For those unfamiliar with Bali, it's a province of Indonesia. It takes up 5,780 square kilometers of the Earth's surface, and over four million people live there. Most people in Bali are Hindu, which sets them apart from Indonesia's Muslim majority. Bali is only 8 degrees south of the equator, and is prone, like the rest of Indonesia, to earthquakes. 這是給不了解峇里的讀者, 峇里是印尼的小省. 它的面積是5780平方公里左右, 人口是四百多萬. 大部分的峇里人是印度教徒, 跟印尼的主要信仰伊斯蘭教不一樣. 峇里位於南半球緯度8度, 常常發生地震.
Taitung is a county on Taiwan's east coast. It takes up 3,515 square kilometers, and a little over two hundred thousand people live here. I wasn't able to find statistics on religion, but IF Taitung follows the national average then most people here are Buddhist. Taitung is about 25 degrees north of the equator, and sits right on the boundary between tropical and subtropical climates. Taitung is also prone to earthquakes, as everyone living here knows. 台東是台灣東部的縣. 它的面積是3515平方公里, 人口有20多萬人. 我找不到台東縣的宗教總計, 如果台東和台灣其他的縣市一樣, 大部分的住民應該是佛教徒. 台東位於北半球25度, 也常常發生地震.
Religion is the most obvious difference between Bali and Taitung. In Bali you hear people talk about Vishnu, Brahma, and Shiva as if they were old friends. By contrast Taitung's religious climate is more of a mixed bag, with temples often standing right next to churches. Of course Bali also has its share of mosques, but you'd never mistake Bali for a Muslim country. 宗教的差別是峇里跟台東最明顯的特色. 峇里人都會像談論老朋友一樣的談論他們的毗濕奴, 梵跟濕婆. 台東的宗教環境比較混亂, 到處都有廟跟教堂在一起. 峇里當然也有伊斯蘭教堂, 可是不會有人錯認峇里主要信仰是伊斯蘭教.
This and other cultural differences filter down into interactions between locals and non-locals. People in Bali are, I think, a lot less "shy" than most people in Taitung. Part of this has to do with the fact that Bali's economy is based almost exclusively on tourism, whereas Taitung's is more evenly divided between tourism and agriculture. Balinese who don't learn to interact with non-Balinese face limited job opportunities, while people in Taitung have fewer reasons to initiate conversations with non-locals. 宗教和文化的不同影響了當地人跟觀光客的交流. 我覺得峇里人沒有台東人那麼害羞. 部分的原因是峇里島的經濟主要靠觀光業. 台東的經濟則較平均的分成觀光業和農業. 不會跟觀光客交流的峇里人的工作機會比較少, 可是台東人沒那麼多理由跟觀光客交流.
Both situations can be good, depending on your situation. In Bali you're never at a loss for someone to help you do something, though of course they're expecting money for it. In Taitung people have more of their own thing going on, and are less likely to bother people they don't know. Anyone's who's traveled in Southeast Asia is familiar with the irritating presence of hawkers constantly trying to sell you things, while in parts of Taitung you'd have trouble just finding a decent restaurant. 這二個狀況都有好處. 峇里到處都有人要幫你的忙, 可是最後都要服務費. 台東人比較忙他們自己的事, 不會麻煩不認識的人. 去過東南亞的旅客大概都碰過到處都有小販兜售的麻煩, 而台東是有的地方連餐廳都找不到.
In environmental terms, however, Taitung wins easily. There is so much less traffic in Taitung, and it's so much easier to travel around the county. Most of Bali, especially near the airport, is a continual traffic jam, and going from places like Kuta and Seminyak to less traveled parts can be a real challenge. 對環境保護來說台東一定好很多. 台東沒有那麼多車, 在縣內旅行比較順利. 在峇里越靠機場越塞車. 從人最多的庫塔或水明漾到比較鄉下的地方交通很不方便.
Then there's the issue of plastic. Bali, though strikingly beautiful in parts, is literally awash in plastics, and it's not unusual to see beaches littered with soft drink bottles and other trash. A few years ago Bali even declared a "plastic emergency," just to give you a sense of how serious the problem is. I know I often complain about pollution and littering in Taitung, but Taitung is still much cleaner than Bali. 還有塑膠的問題. 峇里有的地方非常漂亮, 可是到處都有塑膠類的垃圾. 這個問題在很多沙灘很明顯. 幾年前峇里政府發出一個 "塑膠急難" , 因為這個問題非常嚴重. 我知道我常常在這裡討論抱怨台東的環保問題, 可是台東真是比峇里好很多.
And the food? I think that on a daily basis I'd prefer Chinese food to Balinese cuisine. For the most part I liked the food I had there (especially the fish steamed in banana leaves), but I'd take dumplings, beef noodles, and stir-fry over nasi ayam, satay, and babi guling any day of the week. I will say, however, that the food in Bali is definitely more affordable, and finding Western favorites like pizza and burgers is no problem there. 食物呢? 我想日常食物來說, 我比較喜歡中國料理. 我覺得在峇里吃的食物很不錯 (特別喜歡包在香蕉葉裡蒸的魚), 可是餃子, 牛肉麵跟快炒都比nasi ayam, satay跟babi guling好吃. 可是我也想說在峇里去餐廳吃飯比較划算, 吃西式料理也是沒有問題的.
To my mind the only thing Bali really has over Taitung is weather. When weather in Taitung is soaring between scorching hot and almost chilly, the weather in Bali is pretty much the same all year. They don't even need to worry about typhoons. The entire time we were in Bali the temperature was between 25 and 27 degrees Celsius, far more comfortable than the 30+ degrees my friends and coworkers were dealing with in Taitung. 我想峇里比台東好的地方只有天氣. 台東的天氣不是30幾度很熱就是很冷, 峇里的天氣整年都差不多. 他們也不用擔心颱風. 我們在峇里的時候, 溫度都在25到27度之間, 比我台東的同事和朋友們忍耐的30幾度好很多.
Taitung and Bali are also both surfing destinations. Since I'm not a surfer myself I can't comment specifically on surfing conditions in each place, but it seemed to me that Bali had better, more consistent waves. The downside to this is that Bali is already famous for surfing, so the number of surfers visiting Kuta, Double Six, or Nusa Dua on a given morning is RIDICULOUS. You can see dozens of people carrying surfboards at every intersection, all the time. Multiply those dozens of people by the number of intersections and you have a whole lot of of surfers going to the same handful of beaches. 台東跟峇里這兩個地方都是衝浪景點. 我自己不是衝浪者, 所以沒辦法仔細討論峇里的衝浪狀況, 可是我覺得峇里的海浪應該比較適合衝浪活動. 問題是衝浪在峇里已經非常有名, 每天早上庫塔, Double Six或Nusa Dua的衝浪人數已經過多. 每天在每個路口都會看到很多人帶著衝浪板, 想想那麼多路口, 那麼多人, 每個沙灘的衝浪者一定非常多.
Would I go back to Bali? Probably not. I've been to enough islands in Southeast Asia to know there are better ones out there. If I was a tourist, contemplating both places for the first time, would I choose Bali over Taitung? Maybe. If you hadn't been to Southeast Asia before, yeah, you'll probably have a memorable experience in Bali. If, however, you've already been to the region, you'll probably be disappointed with it. And I also have the feeling there are better, less touristy places in Indonesia itself. 我會想回去峇里玩嗎? 大概不會. 我已經去過東南亞幾個小島, 所以我知道有比較好的. 那如果我是沒有去過東南亞的觀光客, 我會選峇里嗎? 有可能. 如果沒有去過東南亞的話, 你應該覺得峇里很好玩. 去過其他東南亞地區的旅客應該會對峇里失望. 我想印尼還有更好的地方.
Besides all of the above there's another plus to Taitung: everything doesn't smell like clove cigarettes. I've been back for over two weeks already, and I can still smell them in the souvenirs I brought back from Indonesia's "Island of the Gods." 除了以上的事情, 台東還有更好的部分: 沒有丁香香菸的味道. 我已經回來兩個禮拜了, 可是我在那裏買的紀念品還有丁香香菸的味道呵!
4. What's Going on in Taitung 台東最近發生的事 7
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.
The Taitung Train Station is being renovated, so some of what you see in these pictures might disappear later on. 台東車站在整修, 所以在照片上看到的東西可能會消失.
This is the station from the south. The roof is new. 車站的南邊. 屋頂是新的.
And this is the station from the north. 車站的北邊.
This was a promotional event for the County Government's "Makapahay Activities." These activities will take place alongside aboriginal harvest festivals. 這是縣政府舉辦的馬卡巴嗨活動. 這些活動跟原住民豐年祭一起舉辦.
Behind the train station are the Beinan Ruins. These ruins date back to Taiwan's Neolithic, about 5,200 to 2,300 years ago. 車站後面有卑南遺址. 這些遺址屬於台灣新石器時期約5200到2300年前.
Behind the ruins is the Beinan Ruins Park, formerly known as the Beinan Culture Park. It's a nice place for a stroll if the weather isn't too hot. The National Museum of Prehistory operates a branch museum/exhibition center inside the park. 遺址後面就是卑南遺址公園, 也就是以前的卑南文化公園. 天氣比較涼快的時候在這裡散步很舒服. 國立史前博物館在公園內有一家分館.
That's Beinan Mountain in the background. The other side of this mountain is farmed intensively, and erosion is a big problem during heavy rains. 最後面是卑南山. 這座山的另外一邊都是農地. 下大雨的時候, 土石流的問題很嚴重.
This hut is the most famous thing in the park. There's another hut like this on Jong Shing Road, near the Beinan Steamed Buns. 這棚屋是公園內最有名的東西. 中興路上靠近卑南包子的附近還有一個.
These traditional straw houses are a lot newer than the hut above. Not sure if they belong to a different culture, or were another development in the same culture. 這二間傳統稻草屋比上面的棚屋還新. 不知道這種房子是屬於同一個文化還是其他文化.*
This is the trail up to the branch museum. 往博物館的步道.
One of the coffins left behind by the Beinan people. They were very small in stature. 卑南文化留下來的棺材. 他們都是小小短短的.
View from halfway up Beinan Mountain, looking toward downtown Taitung. The hill to the left is Cat Mountain, with Naruwan Hotel in the center. 看向台東市區的卑南山上的風景. 左邊是貓山, 娜路彎飯店在中間.
On the other side of Beinan Ruins Park is Taitung City's "Green Tunnel." This stretch of road leads to Lu Ye, Guanshan and Chr Shang. 卑南遺址公園的另外一邊是台東的綠色隧道. 這條路往鹿野, 關山還有池上.**
2. 生活 "Life" 2 第一單元 Unit One 上 First Semester
This is the station from the south. The roof is new. 車站的南邊. 屋頂是新的.
And this is the station from the north. 車站的北邊.
This was a promotional event for the County Government's "Makapahay Activities." These activities will take place alongside aboriginal harvest festivals. 這是縣政府舉辦的馬卡巴嗨活動. 這些活動跟原住民豐年祭一起舉辦.
Behind the train station are the Beinan Ruins. These ruins date back to Taiwan's Neolithic, about 5,200 to 2,300 years ago. 車站後面有卑南遺址. 這些遺址屬於台灣新石器時期約5200到2300年前.
Behind the ruins is the Beinan Ruins Park, formerly known as the Beinan Culture Park. It's a nice place for a stroll if the weather isn't too hot. The National Museum of Prehistory operates a branch museum/exhibition center inside the park. 遺址後面就是卑南遺址公園, 也就是以前的卑南文化公園. 天氣比較涼快的時候在這裡散步很舒服. 國立史前博物館在公園內有一家分館.
That's Beinan Mountain in the background. The other side of this mountain is farmed intensively, and erosion is a big problem during heavy rains. 最後面是卑南山. 這座山的另外一邊都是農地. 下大雨的時候, 土石流的問題很嚴重.
This hut is the most famous thing in the park. There's another hut like this on Jong Shing Road, near the Beinan Steamed Buns. 這棚屋是公園內最有名的東西. 中興路上靠近卑南包子的附近還有一個.
These traditional straw houses are a lot newer than the hut above. Not sure if they belong to a different culture, or were another development in the same culture. 這二間傳統稻草屋比上面的棚屋還新. 不知道這種房子是屬於同一個文化還是其他文化.*
This is the trail up to the branch museum. 往博物館的步道.
One of the coffins left behind by the Beinan people. They were very small in stature. 卑南文化留下來的棺材. 他們都是小小短短的.
View from halfway up Beinan Mountain, looking toward downtown Taitung. The hill to the left is Cat Mountain, with Naruwan Hotel in the center. 看向台東市區的卑南山上的風景. 左邊是貓山, 娜路彎飯店在中間.
On the other side of Beinan Ruins Park is Taitung City's "Green Tunnel." This stretch of road leads to Lu Ye, Guanshan and Chr Shang. 卑南遺址公園的另外一邊是台東的綠色隧道. 這條路往鹿野, 關山還有池上.**
2. 生活 "Life" 2 第一單元 Unit One 上 First Semester
For a general overview of these textbooks and how they're used in Taiwanese elementary schools, refer to Elementary School in Taiwan: Overview of Classes and Textbooks Used.
The "Life" textbook is the precursor to both Social Studies and (Natural) Science, which elementary school students study in grade 3. This textbook is also used (or at least mentioned) in their "Living Arts" class.
小小班級故事多,
A tiny class with many stories,
你幫我來我幫你,
You help me and I help you,
分工合作好快樂!
To share the chores is joyful!
和樂相處在一班.
We get along with each other in class.
開學了, 見到好久不見的同學, 你想和大家分享那些事情呢? School has started. As you see classmates after a long time apart, what kind of things would you like to share with everyone?
Boy 1: 我會騎腳踏車了. I can ride a bike.
Boy 2: 我去宜蘭童玩藝術節玩, 好好玩呵! I went to the Yilan Children's Arts Festival. It was very fun!
Boy 3: 放假時, 哥哥教我拖地, 我已經學會怎麼把地拖乾淨, 所以這學期的打掃工作, 我可以幫忙拖地呵! During vacation my big brother taught me how to mop the floor. I can now mop the floor, so during cleaning time this semester I can help with the mopping!
Girl 1: 暑假中, 我看了很多書, 認識更多字了, 這學期我要當閱讀小天使, 讀故事給大家聽. During summer vacation I read many books and learned many new words. This semester I want to be the "reading angel" and read many stories to everyone.
仔細觀察班上的同學, 他們做事的能力和一年級有什麼不一樣? Take a careful look at your classmates. How is their ability to do things different from first graders?
Boy 1: 雅利常主動把歪掉的桌子排好, 他會把桌子排得很整齊. Ya-li moves the crooked desks back into their rows. She's able to make the desks very straight.
Boy 1: 芳芳認得好多字, 他最喜歡讀故事書給大家聽. Fang-fang knows many words. She loves to read stories to the class.
Girl 1: 哲明每次看到地板髒了, 他會馬上動手把地板拖乾淨, 他最喜歡拖地了. Je-ming quickly mops the floor clean every time he sees that it's dirty. He loves to mop the floor.
Girl 1: 彥豪常主動幫老師整理作業簿, 他好會整理東西呵! Yan-hao usually helps the teacher organize the workbooks. She is good at organizing things!
大家都長大了, 會做更多的事. 想一想, 班級裡有哪些事需要大家互相幫忙? 你能做什麼呢? Everyone has grown bigger and can do many more things. Think about what class chores require everyone's cooperation. What can you do?
Girl 1: 我不想當清潔長, 因為我不會垃圾分類. I don't want to be the "cleaning captain" because I can't separate the garbage from the recycling.
Boy 1: 每個人都有不同的才能, 可以為大家服務呵! Every person has different abilities that they can use to help everyone else!
Girl 2: 我認得所有同學的名字, 可以幫忙發簿子, 我想做排長. I know all of my classmates' names. I can help hand back the workbooks. I want to be the "row leader."
Girl 3: 我喜歡幫老師收教具, 我可以當什麼長呢? I like to help teacher prepare for her lessons. What can I be captain of?
班級裡, 有沒有大家都不想做的事情? 為什麼? 大家都不想做時, 要怎麼辦? Is there any type of class chore that no one wants to do? Why? What can we do when nobody wants to do a certain chore?
Girl 4: 我也想下課出去玩, 我們可不可以輪流做圖書長? I also want to go outside and play during break, can we take turns being class librarian?
Boy 2: 我也不想做清潔長, 但是每個人都可以學學看怎麼當清潔長, 做好垃圾分類. I also don't want to be the "cleaning captain," but everyone can learn to be the "cleaning captain" and learn how to separate the garbage from the recycling.
Boy 3: 當圖書長, 下課常常要留下來整理圖書, 不能出去玩, 我不想做圖書長. When you're the class librarian you usually need to stay after class to organize the books. You can't go out to play. I don't want to be the class librarian.
幫大家做事時, 你曾遇到什麼問題? 和同學討論, 這些問題要怎麼解決呢? When you help the class with its chores what kind of problems do you encounter? Talk about it with your classmates. How can we solve these problems?
[Boy 1 is passing back workbooks and rudely throws Girl 2's book on her desk.]
Girl 1: 嚇我一跳! You scared me!
Girl 2: 啊! Ah!
Girl 2: 你丟到我了好痛! You hit me [with the book] and it hurt a lot!
Girl 1: 他不是故意的. He didn't mean to do it.
Boy 1: 對不起! 以後我會把簿子輕輕放在桌上. Sorry! From now on I'll place the workbooks on the desk lightly.
Boy 2: 你丟錯了, 要重丟! You threw it away in the wrong place. You need to throw it away again!
Girl 3: 真的嗎? Really?
Girl 3: 我不知道要丟哪裡? I don't know where to throw it?
Boy 3: 我來教你, 這是紙, 要丟在紙類回收箱. I can teach you. This is paper. You need to throw it in the box for paper.
Boy 4: 還有哪些情況呢? What other situations arise?
和同學發生誤會時, 把自己的感受和困難說出來. 自己錯了, 要馬上道歉; 同學錯了, 要原諒對方, 大家才能和平相處! When misunderstandings arise between you and your classmates, tell them how you feel and what difficulties you are having. If you have done something wrong, apologize right away. If your classmate has done something wrong, you need to forgive them. [In this way] everyone can coexist peacefully!
同學一起玩遊戲, 可以讓感情更好. 想一想, 大家可以一起玩哪些遊戲呢? Playing games together can improve the feeling between classmates. Think over what games we can play together.
Boy 1: 一二三木頭人, 大家都會玩. Everyone can play freeze tag.
Boy 2: "紅綠燈" 可以讓所有的人都玩在一起. Everyone can play Red Light/Green Light together.
Girl 1: 還有什麼遊戲呢? What other games are there?
一起唱 "兔子舞" 隨著歌曲來跳舞! Sing the "Rabbit Dance" song together. Dance along with the song!
[Words and music to the "Rabbit Dance" song follows]
再玩玩 "過關" 的遊戲, 要怎麼合作才會成功呢? Play the "obstacle course" game. How can you work together to play it?
[Students play a game wherein one of them is blindfolded, and two classmates hold the blindfolded student's hand while he/she attempts to move around a makeshift obstacle course.]
Girl 1: 腳抬高, 慢慢的跨過去. Lift up your foot, slowly move it over.
Boy 1: 哇! 什麼也看不見. Wa! I can't see anything.
Girl 2: 放心, 我會帶你過關. Don't worry. I will help you around the obstacles.
Boy 2: 我們試了很多次, 終於過關了! We tried many times before finally completing the course!
在遊戲的過程中, 有沒有遇到問題呢? 你可以怎麼應用學到的方法來解決? While playing games have you encountered any problems? How can you use what you've learned to solve these problems?
發現問題 A problem is encountered
Girl 1: 為什麼大家都不跟我玩? Why doesn't anyone play with me?
勇敢說出自己的期望 Bravely state your position
Girl 2: 我們不知道你也要玩. We didn't know you wanted to play.
Girl 1: 好! 我要勇敢的跟大家說, 我也要玩. Ok! I will bravely tell everyone that I also want to play.
Boy 1: 你要跟大家說, 你也想玩. You need to tell everyone that you also want to play.
了解和傾聽同學的想法 Hear and think about your classmates' opinions
Boy 1: 我們常常玩鬼抓人, 那你喜歡玩什麼? We usually play tag. What do you like to play?
Girl 1: 玩拍球. Volleyball.
提出大家都能接受的方法 Suggest a solution that everyone can accept
Girl 2: 拍球好玩嗎? Is volleyball fun?
Girl 1: 很好玩, 我可以教你們玩. It's very fun, I can teach you.
Girl 3: 好啊! 我們來玩玩看. Great! Let's try to play it!
和同學相處時, 你還遇到過那些問題? 和同學一起用手偶演出來. When you're working with your classmates in a group what other problems have you encountered? Use puppets to perform [these situations].
Boy 1: 雅婷忘記帶蠟筆, 他沒問我, 就把我的蠟筆拿走了. 我跟他說, 要先問我願不願意借他. Ya-ting forgot to bring crayons. He took my crayons without asking me. I told him he should ask if it's ok before taking them.
Boy 2: 我們要做1個男娃娃和1個女娃娃, 才能演戲. We need to make one boy puppet and one girl puppet and then we can perform.
Girl 1: 只要2個娃娃嗎? 要不要再做1個手偶演老師? We only need two puppets? What about a puppet for the teacher?
Girl 2: 要用什麼材料做手偶呢? What should we use to make the puppets?
你可以試試看 You Can Try It
[Directions for making puppets follows.]
[Students perform their skits.]
Girl 1: 我忘記帶蠟筆, 請問你可以借我嗎? I forgot my crayons, can I please borrow yours?
Girl 2: 你畫畫都很用力, 會不會弄斷我的蠟筆? Every time you draw you push on the crayons very hard, won't you break the crayons?
Boy 1: 你要輕輕的畫, 我的蠟筆借你. You need to press down lightly as you draw. I will loan you my crayons.
Girl 3 [in audience]: 我終於知道為什麼上次我拿亦豪的橡皮擦時, 他很生氣. I finally understand why Yi-hao was angry the last time I borrowed his eraser.
Girl 4: 都沒有人和我一組玩過關遊戲..... Nobody played the obstacle course game with me...
Girl 5: 別難過, 我們陪你再玩一次! Don't be sad, we will play with you!
Boy 2 [in audience]: 這一組表演得好精采! 下次分組玩遊戲時, 我也要主動幫忙沒有分別組的同學. This group delivered a great performance! Next time we separate into groups for games, I also want to help classmates who don't have a group.
同學這麼多要如何和大家變成好朋友呢? With so many classmates how can we all become friends?
Girl 1: 時常面帶笑容. Always wear a smile.
Girl 2: 和大家一起活動. Everybody does things together.
Boy 1: 還要多為別人著想呵! We also need to be considerate to others!
Boy 2: 一邊唱歌, 一邊律動玩遊戲. Sing and play the game.
大家都是好朋友 Everyone is Good Friends
[Words and music follow.]
[Musical exercise, following a tempo with noisemakers]
3. Bali Vs. Taitung 峇里島和台東的比較
The "Life" textbook is the precursor to both Social Studies and (Natural) Science, which elementary school students study in grade 3. This textbook is also used (or at least mentioned) in their "Living Arts" class.
第一單元 Unit One: 和樂在一班 Happy in Class Together
小小班級故事多,
A tiny class with many stories,
你幫我來我幫你,
You help me and I help you,
分工合作好快樂!
To share the chores is joyful!
和樂相處在一班.
We get along with each other in class.
1. 我願為大家服務 I Am Ready to Help Everyone
開學了, 見到好久不見的同學, 你想和大家分享那些事情呢? School has started. As you see classmates after a long time apart, what kind of things would you like to share with everyone?
Boy 1: 我會騎腳踏車了. I can ride a bike.
Boy 2: 我去宜蘭童玩藝術節玩, 好好玩呵! I went to the Yilan Children's Arts Festival. It was very fun!
Boy 3: 放假時, 哥哥教我拖地, 我已經學會怎麼把地拖乾淨, 所以這學期的打掃工作, 我可以幫忙拖地呵! During vacation my big brother taught me how to mop the floor. I can now mop the floor, so during cleaning time this semester I can help with the mopping!
Girl 1: 暑假中, 我看了很多書, 認識更多字了, 這學期我要當閱讀小天使, 讀故事給大家聽. During summer vacation I read many books and learned many new words. This semester I want to be the "reading angel" and read many stories to everyone.
仔細觀察班上的同學, 他們做事的能力和一年級有什麼不一樣? Take a careful look at your classmates. How is their ability to do things different from first graders?
Boy 1: 雅利常主動把歪掉的桌子排好, 他會把桌子排得很整齊. Ya-li moves the crooked desks back into their rows. She's able to make the desks very straight.
Boy 1: 芳芳認得好多字, 他最喜歡讀故事書給大家聽. Fang-fang knows many words. She loves to read stories to the class.
Girl 1: 哲明每次看到地板髒了, 他會馬上動手把地板拖乾淨, 他最喜歡拖地了. Je-ming quickly mops the floor clean every time he sees that it's dirty. He loves to mop the floor.
Girl 1: 彥豪常主動幫老師整理作業簿, 他好會整理東西呵! Yan-hao usually helps the teacher organize the workbooks. She is good at organizing things!
大家都長大了, 會做更多的事. 想一想, 班級裡有哪些事需要大家互相幫忙? 你能做什麼呢? Everyone has grown bigger and can do many more things. Think about what class chores require everyone's cooperation. What can you do?
Girl 1: 我不想當清潔長, 因為我不會垃圾分類. I don't want to be the "cleaning captain" because I can't separate the garbage from the recycling.
Boy 1: 每個人都有不同的才能, 可以為大家服務呵! Every person has different abilities that they can use to help everyone else!
Girl 2: 我認得所有同學的名字, 可以幫忙發簿子, 我想做排長. I know all of my classmates' names. I can help hand back the workbooks. I want to be the "row leader."
Girl 3: 我喜歡幫老師收教具, 我可以當什麼長呢? I like to help teacher prepare for her lessons. What can I be captain of?
班級裡, 有沒有大家都不想做的事情? 為什麼? 大家都不想做時, 要怎麼辦? Is there any type of class chore that no one wants to do? Why? What can we do when nobody wants to do a certain chore?
Girl 4: 我也想下課出去玩, 我們可不可以輪流做圖書長? I also want to go outside and play during break, can we take turns being class librarian?
Boy 2: 我也不想做清潔長, 但是每個人都可以學學看怎麼當清潔長, 做好垃圾分類. I also don't want to be the "cleaning captain," but everyone can learn to be the "cleaning captain" and learn how to separate the garbage from the recycling.
Boy 3: 當圖書長, 下課常常要留下來整理圖書, 不能出去玩, 我不想做圖書長. When you're the class librarian you usually need to stay after class to organize the books. You can't go out to play. I don't want to be the class librarian.
幫大家做事時, 你曾遇到什麼問題? 和同學討論, 這些問題要怎麼解決呢? When you help the class with its chores what kind of problems do you encounter? Talk about it with your classmates. How can we solve these problems?
[Boy 1 is passing back workbooks and rudely throws Girl 2's book on her desk.]
Girl 1: 嚇我一跳! You scared me!
Girl 2: 啊! Ah!
Girl 2: 你丟到我了好痛! You hit me [with the book] and it hurt a lot!
Girl 1: 他不是故意的. He didn't mean to do it.
Boy 1: 對不起! 以後我會把簿子輕輕放在桌上. Sorry! From now on I'll place the workbooks on the desk lightly.
Boy 2: 你丟錯了, 要重丟! You threw it away in the wrong place. You need to throw it away again!
Girl 3: 真的嗎? Really?
Girl 3: 我不知道要丟哪裡? I don't know where to throw it?
Boy 3: 我來教你, 這是紙, 要丟在紙類回收箱. I can teach you. This is paper. You need to throw it in the box for paper.
Boy 4: 還有哪些情況呢? What other situations arise?
和同學發生誤會時, 把自己的感受和困難說出來. 自己錯了, 要馬上道歉; 同學錯了, 要原諒對方, 大家才能和平相處! When misunderstandings arise between you and your classmates, tell them how you feel and what difficulties you are having. If you have done something wrong, apologize right away. If your classmate has done something wrong, you need to forgive them. [In this way] everyone can coexist peacefully!
2. 大家都是好朋友 Everyone is Good Friends
同學一起玩遊戲, 可以讓感情更好. 想一想, 大家可以一起玩哪些遊戲呢? Playing games together can improve the feeling between classmates. Think over what games we can play together.
Boy 1: 一二三木頭人, 大家都會玩. Everyone can play freeze tag.
Boy 2: "紅綠燈" 可以讓所有的人都玩在一起. Everyone can play Red Light/Green Light together.
Girl 1: 還有什麼遊戲呢? What other games are there?
一起唱 "兔子舞" 隨著歌曲來跳舞! Sing the "Rabbit Dance" song together. Dance along with the song!
[Words and music to the "Rabbit Dance" song follows]
再玩玩 "過關" 的遊戲, 要怎麼合作才會成功呢? Play the "obstacle course" game. How can you work together to play it?
[Students play a game wherein one of them is blindfolded, and two classmates hold the blindfolded student's hand while he/she attempts to move around a makeshift obstacle course.]
Girl 1: 腳抬高, 慢慢的跨過去. Lift up your foot, slowly move it over.
Boy 1: 哇! 什麼也看不見. Wa! I can't see anything.
Girl 2: 放心, 我會帶你過關. Don't worry. I will help you around the obstacles.
Boy 2: 我們試了很多次, 終於過關了! We tried many times before finally completing the course!
在遊戲的過程中, 有沒有遇到問題呢? 你可以怎麼應用學到的方法來解決? While playing games have you encountered any problems? How can you use what you've learned to solve these problems?
發現問題 A problem is encountered
Girl 1: 為什麼大家都不跟我玩? Why doesn't anyone play with me?
勇敢說出自己的期望 Bravely state your position
Girl 2: 我們不知道你也要玩. We didn't know you wanted to play.
Girl 1: 好! 我要勇敢的跟大家說, 我也要玩. Ok! I will bravely tell everyone that I also want to play.
Boy 1: 你要跟大家說, 你也想玩. You need to tell everyone that you also want to play.
了解和傾聽同學的想法 Hear and think about your classmates' opinions
Boy 1: 我們常常玩鬼抓人, 那你喜歡玩什麼? We usually play tag. What do you like to play?
Girl 1: 玩拍球. Volleyball.
提出大家都能接受的方法 Suggest a solution that everyone can accept
Girl 2: 拍球好玩嗎? Is volleyball fun?
Girl 1: 很好玩, 我可以教你們玩. It's very fun, I can teach you.
Girl 3: 好啊! 我們來玩玩看. Great! Let's try to play it!
和同學相處時, 你還遇到過那些問題? 和同學一起用手偶演出來. When you're working with your classmates in a group what other problems have you encountered? Use puppets to perform [these situations].
Boy 1: 雅婷忘記帶蠟筆, 他沒問我, 就把我的蠟筆拿走了. 我跟他說, 要先問我願不願意借他. Ya-ting forgot to bring crayons. He took my crayons without asking me. I told him he should ask if it's ok before taking them.
Boy 2: 我們要做1個男娃娃和1個女娃娃, 才能演戲. We need to make one boy puppet and one girl puppet and then we can perform.
Girl 1: 只要2個娃娃嗎? 要不要再做1個手偶演老師? We only need two puppets? What about a puppet for the teacher?
Girl 2: 要用什麼材料做手偶呢? What should we use to make the puppets?
你可以試試看 You Can Try It
[Directions for making puppets follows.]
[Students perform their skits.]
Girl 1: 我忘記帶蠟筆, 請問你可以借我嗎? I forgot my crayons, can I please borrow yours?
Girl 2: 你畫畫都很用力, 會不會弄斷我的蠟筆? Every time you draw you push on the crayons very hard, won't you break the crayons?
Boy 1: 你要輕輕的畫, 我的蠟筆借你. You need to press down lightly as you draw. I will loan you my crayons.
Girl 3 [in audience]: 我終於知道為什麼上次我拿亦豪的橡皮擦時, 他很生氣. I finally understand why Yi-hao was angry the last time I borrowed his eraser.
Girl 4: 都沒有人和我一組玩過關遊戲..... Nobody played the obstacle course game with me...
Girl 5: 別難過, 我們陪你再玩一次! Don't be sad, we will play with you!
Boy 2 [in audience]: 這一組表演得好精采! 下次分組玩遊戲時, 我也要主動幫忙沒有分別組的同學. This group delivered a great performance! Next time we separate into groups for games, I also want to help classmates who don't have a group.
同學這麼多要如何和大家變成好朋友呢? With so many classmates how can we all become friends?
Girl 1: 時常面帶笑容. Always wear a smile.
Girl 2: 和大家一起活動. Everybody does things together.
Boy 1: 還要多為別人著想呵! We also need to be considerate to others!
Boy 2: 一邊唱歌, 一邊律動玩遊戲. Sing and play the game.
大家都是好朋友 Everyone is Good Friends
[Words and music follow.]
[Musical exercise, following a tempo with noisemakers]
3. Bali Vs. Taitung 峇里島和台東的比較
 |
| Lovina, north Bali. |
What do Bali, Indonesia and Taitung, Taiwan have in common? Well, for one thing they're both tropical. For another thing they're both vacation destinations. And for yet another thing I've been to both of them recently. 印尼的峇里島跟台灣的台東有什麼相同的地方? 它們都屬於熱帶氣候. 也是度假勝地. 並且是我最近去過的地方.
I visited Bali for two weeks between the end of July and the beginning of August. We took the train from Taitung to Taipei, and from Taipei we flew to Hong Kong, where we boarded another flight to Denpasar, Bali. Not counting the train to Taipei, the trip to Bali took about five hours. 我在七月底八月初去峇里二個禮拜. 我們從台東坐火車到台北, 從台北坐飛機到香港, 再從香港轉機到峇里島的丹帕莎. 除了坐火車到台北的時間之外, 到峇里還要五個小時左右.
 |
| North of Shanyuan Beach, Taitung. |
For those unfamiliar with Bali, it's a province of Indonesia. It takes up 5,780 square kilometers of the Earth's surface, and over four million people live there. Most people in Bali are Hindu, which sets them apart from Indonesia's Muslim majority. Bali is only 8 degrees south of the equator, and is prone, like the rest of Indonesia, to earthquakes. 這是給不了解峇里的讀者, 峇里是印尼的小省. 它的面積是5780平方公里左右, 人口是四百多萬. 大部分的峇里人是印度教徒, 跟印尼的主要信仰伊斯蘭教不一樣. 峇里位於南半球緯度8度, 常常發生地震.
Taitung is a county on Taiwan's east coast. It takes up 3,515 square kilometers, and a little over two hundred thousand people live here. I wasn't able to find statistics on religion, but IF Taitung follows the national average then most people here are Buddhist. Taitung is about 25 degrees north of the equator, and sits right on the boundary between tropical and subtropical climates. Taitung is also prone to earthquakes, as everyone living here knows. 台東是台灣東部的縣. 它的面積是3515平方公里, 人口有20多萬人. 我找不到台東縣的宗教總計, 如果台東和台灣其他的縣市一樣, 大部分的住民應該是佛教徒. 台東位於北半球25度, 也常常發生地震.
 |
| King's Palace, Ubud, Bali. |
Religion is the most obvious difference between Bali and Taitung. In Bali you hear people talk about Vishnu, Brahma, and Shiva as if they were old friends. By contrast Taitung's religious climate is more of a mixed bag, with temples often standing right next to churches. Of course Bali also has its share of mosques, but you'd never mistake Bali for a Muslim country. 宗教的差別是峇里跟台東最明顯的特色. 峇里人都會像談論老朋友一樣的談論他們的毗濕奴, 梵跟濕婆. 台東的宗教環境比較混亂, 到處都有廟跟教堂在一起. 峇里當然也有伊斯蘭教堂, 可是不會有人錯認峇里主要信仰是伊斯蘭教.
This and other cultural differences filter down into interactions between locals and non-locals. People in Bali are, I think, a lot less "shy" than most people in Taitung. Part of this has to do with the fact that Bali's economy is based almost exclusively on tourism, whereas Taitung's is more evenly divided between tourism and agriculture. Balinese who don't learn to interact with non-Balinese face limited job opportunities, while people in Taitung have fewer reasons to initiate conversations with non-locals. 宗教和文化的不同影響了當地人跟觀光客的交流. 我覺得峇里人沒有台東人那麼害羞. 部分的原因是峇里島的經濟主要靠觀光業. 台東的經濟則較平均的分成觀光業和農業. 不會跟觀光客交流的峇里人的工作機會比較少, 可是台東人沒那麼多理由跟觀光客交流.
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| Temple on Highway 197, Taitung. |
Both situations can be good, depending on your situation. In Bali you're never at a loss for someone to help you do something, though of course they're expecting money for it. In Taitung people have more of their own thing going on, and are less likely to bother people they don't know. Anyone's who's traveled in Southeast Asia is familiar with the irritating presence of hawkers constantly trying to sell you things, while in parts of Taitung you'd have trouble just finding a decent restaurant. 這二個狀況都有好處. 峇里到處都有人要幫你的忙, 可是最後都要服務費. 台東人比較忙他們自己的事, 不會麻煩不認識的人. 去過東南亞的旅客大概都碰過到處都有小販兜售的麻煩, 而台東是有的地方連餐廳都找不到.
In environmental terms, however, Taitung wins easily. There is so much less traffic in Taitung, and it's so much easier to travel around the county. Most of Bali, especially near the airport, is a continual traffic jam, and going from places like Kuta and Seminyak to less traveled parts can be a real challenge. 對環境保護來說台東一定好很多. 台東沒有那麼多車, 在縣內旅行比較順利. 在峇里越靠機場越塞車. 從人最多的庫塔或水明漾到比較鄉下的地方交通很不方便.
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| Roadside garbage, Singaraja, Bali. |
Then there's the issue of plastic. Bali, though strikingly beautiful in parts, is literally awash in plastics, and it's not unusual to see beaches littered with soft drink bottles and other trash. A few years ago Bali even declared a "plastic emergency," just to give you a sense of how serious the problem is. I know I often complain about pollution and littering in Taitung, but Taitung is still much cleaner than Bali. 還有塑膠的問題. 峇里有的地方非常漂亮, 可是到處都有塑膠類的垃圾. 這個問題在很多沙灘很明顯. 幾年前峇里政府發出一個 "塑膠急難" , 因為這個問題非常嚴重. 我知道我常常在這裡討論抱怨台東的環保問題, 可是台東真是比峇里好很多.
And the food? I think that on a daily basis I'd prefer Chinese food to Balinese cuisine. For the most part I liked the food I had there (especially the fish steamed in banana leaves), but I'd take dumplings, beef noodles, and stir-fry over nasi ayam, satay, and babi guling any day of the week. I will say, however, that the food in Bali is definitely more affordable, and finding Western favorites like pizza and burgers is no problem there. 食物呢? 我想日常食物來說, 我比較喜歡中國料理. 我覺得在峇里吃的食物很不錯 (特別喜歡包在香蕉葉裡蒸的魚), 可是餃子, 牛肉麵跟快炒都比nasi ayam, satay跟babi guling好吃. 可是我也想說在峇里去餐廳吃飯比較划算, 吃西式料理也是沒有問題的.
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| Balinese foods. |
To my mind the only thing Bali really has over Taitung is weather. When weather in Taitung is soaring between scorching hot and almost chilly, the weather in Bali is pretty much the same all year. They don't even need to worry about typhoons. The entire time we were in Bali the temperature was between 25 and 27 degrees Celsius, far more comfortable than the 30+ degrees my friends and coworkers were dealing with in Taitung. 我想峇里比台東好的地方只有天氣. 台東的天氣不是30幾度很熱就是很冷, 峇里的天氣整年都差不多. 他們也不用擔心颱風. 我們在峇里的時候, 溫度都在25到27度之間, 比我台東的同事和朋友們忍耐的30幾度好很多.
Taitung and Bali are also both surfing destinations. Since I'm not a surfer myself I can't comment specifically on surfing conditions in each place, but it seemed to me that Bali had better, more consistent waves. The downside to this is that Bali is already famous for surfing, so the number of surfers visiting Kuta, Double Six, or Nusa Dua on a given morning is RIDICULOUS. You can see dozens of people carrying surfboards at every intersection, all the time. Multiply those dozens of people by the number of intersections and you have a whole lot of of surfers going to the same handful of beaches. 台東跟峇里這兩個地方都是衝浪景點. 我自己不是衝浪者, 所以沒辦法仔細討論峇里的衝浪狀況, 可是我覺得峇里的海浪應該比較適合衝浪活動. 問題是衝浪在峇里已經非常有名, 每天早上庫塔, Double Six或Nusa Dua的衝浪人數已經過多. 每天在每個路口都會看到很多人帶著衝浪板, 想想那麼多路口, 那麼多人, 每個沙灘的衝浪者一定非常多.
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| Sunrise over the Beinan River, Taitung. |
Would I go back to Bali? Probably not. I've been to enough islands in Southeast Asia to know there are better ones out there. If I was a tourist, contemplating both places for the first time, would I choose Bali over Taitung? Maybe. If you hadn't been to Southeast Asia before, yeah, you'll probably have a memorable experience in Bali. If, however, you've already been to the region, you'll probably be disappointed with it. And I also have the feeling there are better, less touristy places in Indonesia itself. 我會想回去峇里玩嗎? 大概不會. 我已經去過東南亞幾個小島, 所以我知道有比較好的. 那如果我是沒有去過東南亞的觀光客, 我會選峇里嗎? 有可能. 如果沒有去過東南亞的話, 你應該覺得峇里很好玩. 去過其他東南亞地區的旅客應該會對峇里失望. 我想印尼還有更好的地方.
Besides all of the above there's another plus to Taitung: everything doesn't smell like clove cigarettes. I've been back for over two weeks already, and I can still smell them in the souvenirs I brought back from Indonesia's "Island of the Gods." 除了以上的事情, 台東還有更好的部分: 沒有丁香香菸的味道. 我已經回來兩個禮拜了, 可是我在那裏買的紀念品還有丁香香菸的味道呵!
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| Krishna Water Park, north Bali. |
4. What's Going on in Taitung 台東最近發生的事 7
And how was YOUR summer? Mine was very restful. I went to Bali for a bit. Spent a few days in Taipei. But mostly I just hung around doing things so incredibly fascinating that I can't even remember what they were. 你的暑假過得如何? 我的暑假很悠閒. 我去了峇里島. 也去了台北幾天. 我暑假做的事好玩有趣到我忘記我做了什麼.
1. It's raining a lot. Again. They shut down the ferries because of the rain. The plants need rain, but erosion is an ongoing problem. 又下大雨喔! 這是第幾次? 海上交通也停駛. 植物需要雨水, 只是土石流的問題越來越嚴重了.
2. Several aboriginal villages competed recently to see which one was the "most fun." Sa Bu Yo (Sapulju) Village in Jin Feng Township was the winner. 最近台東縣政府舉辦台東部落觀光文化創意競賽. 金鋒鄉新興村撒不優部落獲得第一.
3. You may have heard about the Formosan black bear that visited the area near Jia Ming Lake recently. There's a great picture here. In the interest of protecting wildlife the Forest Management Bureau will restrict the number of people able to visit this area. 你可能已經聽說了有台灣黑熊在八月時闖入嘉明湖附近. 這裡有照片. 為了保護那附近的野生動物, 林管處決定向陽山跟嘉明湖每天只開放70人申請.
4. Jung He Senior High School in New Taipei City donated desks and chairs to needy schools in Taitung. 新北市中和高中捐贈900桌椅給台東縣社區關懷據點.
5. The office of Taitung County Magistrate will be up for grabs soon, and there's a lot of mudslinging going on already. Some are even talking about "Mainland Chinese business interests" and their pull with the KMT. 台東縣民快要選新縣長. 已經有很多人開始抹黑彼此並說對方的壞話. 有的人談論關於中國的商機和國民黨對中國的未來的政策.*
6. A soap making workshop was held at one of the coffee shops inside the Taitung Art Museum. Oh, the excitement! 台東美術館的咖啡館裡舉辦了手工皂製做課程.
7. Former President Ma Ying-jeou has been touring the island in anticipation of local elections. He showed up in Taitung to voice his support for Rao Ching-ling, who is running for the office of County Magistrate. 前總統在做他的輔選之旅. 他來台東支持台東縣候選人饒慶鈴.
8. The heavy rains damaged part of the Southern Cross-Island Highway south of Tai Ma Li. 大雨阻斷南迴公路太麻里南邊的那一段.
9. The other person running for Taitung County Magistrate, DPP candidate Liou Jao-hao, hasn't been in the news nearly as much as Rao Ching-ling, but it's not for lack of trying. He wants to promote Taitung as a "center of innovation." 民進黨的劉櫂豪也是台東縣長候選人, 可是他沒有那麼多新聞曝光. 他也很努力. 他在推 "台東新創基地."**
10. With sugar apple exports to Japan increasing, local farmers have been learning more about refrigeration (i.e. "cold chain" technology. 隨著台東釋迦外銷到日本增多, 台東地區的農夫正在克服冷鏈技術.
11. The Jung Wei Development Center joined with the Taitung County Government to discuss how to promote hibiscus crops. The meeting was in Taipei 中衛發展中心協助台東縣政府在台北舉辦台東縣木鼈果發表會
12. There was a car accident in Jer Ben. A car waiting at a stoplight was hit by an oncoming truck. 知本發生車禍. 砂石車撞上在等紅綠燈的小客車.
13. Some guy famous on Facebook is running for Taitung City Representative. I don't know why this is news, but there it is. 有一位 "臉書的明星" 投入台東市民代表選舉. 我不太懂這件事怎麼會在新聞出現, 可是就是這樣子.
14. A driver wanting to take pictures of Taitung's "green tunnel" parked their car in the middle of the road and got out to take pictures. 想拍台東綠色隧道的駕駛把車子停在路中間並離開車子拍照.
15. Another typhoon is on the way, and 4.8 meter waves are expected. 強烈颱風來臨, 會出現4.8米海浪.
5. Hello, Taitung Person 台東人妳好 3
2. Several aboriginal villages competed recently to see which one was the "most fun." Sa Bu Yo (Sapulju) Village in Jin Feng Township was the winner. 最近台東縣政府舉辦台東部落觀光文化創意競賽. 金鋒鄉新興村撒不優部落獲得第一.
3. You may have heard about the Formosan black bear that visited the area near Jia Ming Lake recently. There's a great picture here. In the interest of protecting wildlife the Forest Management Bureau will restrict the number of people able to visit this area. 你可能已經聽說了有台灣黑熊在八月時闖入嘉明湖附近. 這裡有照片. 為了保護那附近的野生動物, 林管處決定向陽山跟嘉明湖每天只開放70人申請.
5. The office of Taitung County Magistrate will be up for grabs soon, and there's a lot of mudslinging going on already. Some are even talking about "Mainland Chinese business interests" and their pull with the KMT. 台東縣民快要選新縣長. 已經有很多人開始抹黑彼此並說對方的壞話. 有的人談論關於中國的商機和國民黨對中國的未來的政策.*
6. A soap making workshop was held at one of the coffee shops inside the Taitung Art Museum. Oh, the excitement! 台東美術館的咖啡館裡舉辦了手工皂製做課程.
8. The heavy rains damaged part of the Southern Cross-Island Highway south of Tai Ma Li. 大雨阻斷南迴公路太麻里南邊的那一段.
9. The other person running for Taitung County Magistrate, DPP candidate Liou Jao-hao, hasn't been in the news nearly as much as Rao Ching-ling, but it's not for lack of trying. He wants to promote Taitung as a "center of innovation." 民進黨的劉櫂豪也是台東縣長候選人, 可是他沒有那麼多新聞曝光. 他也很努力. 他在推 "台東新創基地."**
11. The Jung Wei Development Center joined with the Taitung County Government to discuss how to promote hibiscus crops. The meeting was in Taipei 中衛發展中心協助台東縣政府在台北舉辦台東縣木鼈果發表會
12. There was a car accident in Jer Ben. A car waiting at a stoplight was hit by an oncoming truck. 知本發生車禍. 砂石車撞上在等紅綠燈的小客車.
14. A driver wanting to take pictures of Taitung's "green tunnel" parked their car in the middle of the road and got out to take pictures. 想拍台東綠色隧道的駕駛把車子停在路中間並離開車子拍照.
15. Another typhoon is on the way, and 4.8 meter waves are expected. 強烈颱風來臨, 會出現4.8米海浪.
5. Hello, Taitung Person 台東人妳好 3
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: USA
Age 年齡: (It's a secret! 這是秘密!)
Length of Residence in Taiwan 居住在台灣的時間: (It's a secret! 這是秘密!)
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
The following was taken from the book "Chinese Holiday Stories 中國節日故事." This book was published by ACME Cultural Enterprise Co., Ltd. 世一文化事業股份有限公司 in 2000.
孔子名丘, 字仲尼, 是春秋時代魯國人. Confucius' family name was Chiou, and his first name was Jong-ni. He lived in the kingdom of Lu during the Spring and Autumn period.
在孔子還很小的時候, 他的父親便去世了, 由於家境不好, 因此, 孔子小時候過得並不平順. 平日, 除了要幫忙家務外, 還得替人放牧牛, 羊等工作, 賺錢貼補家用. 一直到他十五歲那年, 才有機會入學讀書. Confucius' father died when he was still very small, and his family had a difficult time after. For this reason Confucius' childhood had its share of hardship. On most days, aside from helping with household chores, he had to work as a shepherd with cows and goats to earn money for his family. It wasn't until his fifteenth year that he was able to begin studying.
儘管起步比別人晚, 孔子卻十分好學, 不放過任何學習的機會; 因此, 奠定了他深厚的學問基礎. Although he began [study] later than other people, Confucius devoted himself to learning, and never forsook an opportunity for study. Because of this he built a firm foundation on which to build future learning.
除了學識豐富, 孔子更有崇高的政治理想, 主張以 "仁道" 來治理國家. Aside from his deep knowledge, Confucius also had an impressive philosophy of political administration, within which "humanity" was the key element of state power.
在孔子五十一歲那年, 他當上魯國的司寇, 類似今天的警政署長, 只可惜他的政治理念無法被君王所採納. 最後, 孔子只好辭去官職, 周遊列國, 四處提倡他的仁政思想. At the age of 51, Confucius became an official in the state of Lu, something like a modern police chief. It's only sad that his political philosophy was never adopted by the king there. In the end Confucius had to resign from office, and [afterward] he traveled to many countries where he expounded on his philosophy of humane government.
但是, 在當時的政治情勢下, 孔子的思想卻得不到諸侯的認同; 於是, 孔子又回到自己的國家 -- 魯國. 從此, 便致力於學術教育方面的工作了. However, given the state of governance at the time Confucius' philosophy was never accepted by any rulers. For this reason Confucius returned to his home country, the Kingdom of Lu. From this time on he committed himself to the cause of education.
孔子的學生一共有三千多人, 他所採用的方法是有教無類, 因材施教. Confucius had more than 3000 students, and his method of teaching could be described as "teaching without regard for type [social status], and "teaching in accordance with ability."
什麼是 "有教無類" 呢? 孔子認為不管富或貧, 聰明或愚笨等等, 人人都有受教育的權利; 這便是 "有教無類". What is "teaching without regard for type?" Confucius thought that whether [someone] was rich or poor, smart or stupid was unimportant, and that everyone has the right to an education. This is "teaching without regard for type."
那麼, 什麼又是 "因材施教" 呢? 孔子認為, 每個人的資質不一樣, 同一種方法絕對無法適用於每個學生; 因此, 必須依學生的個別差異, 採用不同的方法, 才能真正讓學生受益. And what is "teaching in accordance with ability?" Confucius thought that everyone's ability level was different, and that there was no single teaching method suitable for all students. Because of this, [a teacher] must use different teaching methods in accordance with the traits of individual students [if one wishes] to teach them correctly.
簡單的說, 孔子是中國歷史上首先實行 "平民教育" 的人. "至聖先師" 的尊號, 對他來說, 真是一點兒也不為過啊! To put it in still simpler terms, Confucius was the first person in Chinese history to use individualized instruction*. There was nothing this revered sage couldn't accomplish!
民國二十一年, 教育界人士覺得教師責任重大, 應該有一個專屬的節日才是, 便呈准教育部訂每年的六月六日為教師節. In 1932, those in the field of education recognized the great responsibilities teachers bear, [and decided that] there should be a special holiday to honor them. The Ministry of Education then declared that June 6 of every year would be Teacher's Day.
後來, 政府覺得孔子的教育精神, 正足以當所有教師的典範, 便明令以孔子的誕辰為教師節; 不過, 當時孔子誕辰是八月二十七日. Later on, the government decided that Confucius's educational efforts and contributions to the field of teaching merited the celebration of Teacher's Day on his birthday, but at the time [it was thought] that Confucius' birthday fell on August 27.
到了民國四十一年, 經過專家學者考據, 認為依孔氏家譜記載, 孔子誕辰為魯襄公二十二年八月二十七日, 換算國曆, 應是九月二十八日; 於是, 便改成用九月二十八日為教師節了. Then, in 1952, an academic studying the Confucian Family Annals discovered that Confucius' birthday occurred on August 27, during the 22nd year of Lu Shiang-gong's reign. Once the date was converted using the national calendar, it then fell on September 28. After this [discovery] Teacher's Day was moved to September 28.
7. Ruei Suei (Rawseed) Ranch 瑞穗牧場
People often ask me if I'm a Taiwanese citizen. They ask if I have a Taiwanese I.D. card, or if I voted in the last election. I guess it's mostly because I've been in Taiwan for so long. They figure that anyone kicking around this country for almost two decades must be fully Taiwanese by now.
I'm always a bit sorry to tell them that no, I'm not a Taiwanese citizen. I've never even looked into the process of "switching over," (though I've heard that it's horrendous*). My wife is a Taiwanese citizen, and both my daughters have dual citizenship, but I remain the resident alien. I'm still unable to vote, still unable to travel with a Taiwanese passport, and still unable to have a more personal opinion about what Taiwan should or should not be.
Part of the reason for this lies with the way most Taiwanese people identify with their own country. By way of explanation, let's pretend for a moment that Taiwan isn't a country, but rather a sports team, and you're thinking about joining this team as a player. You like their uniforms, you admire their skill on the field, and you're wondering if you have what it takes to make the cut.
...but the players on this team can't even agree on what to call themselves. They're not even in agreement that they're a team at all. Some of the players think that their team is only part of another team, in the same division. Other players think that the other team is really part of them. Still other players think that yes, they're definitely a team, and the other team is definitely separate, but they're all ready to switch to the other team if the season takes a turn for the worse.
I ask you, would you join such a team? Would you feel comfortable with teammates who didn't think they were even on a team, or teammates who were really playing for the other side? Would you feel comfortable with teammates ready to leave at the slightest opportunity? Of course you wouldn't, and this is one of the reasons that I remain (exclusively) American.
Don't get me wrong, I love Taiwan. I love the life this island has given me. I love the good times I've had here, and even the bad times have been a learning experience. In some ways I might even be more "Taiwanese" than American. In some other ways I don't just love Taiwan; I am Taiwan, in that I - along with many other foreign residents - am part of what makes this place what it is.
But again I have to wonder, what IS this place? Is it Taiwan? Is it Chinese Taipei? Is it... China? When even Taiwanese people are afraid to answer this question there's a serious problem. And I've found that as the years have gone by this problem has only gotten worse.
If you think it's bad in Taiwan, you should see interactions between Taiwanese people and Mainlanders outside the country. Every so often you'll see a Taiwanese person (meekly) pulling out the R.O.C. flag, or whispering that they're (ahem) "Taiwanese." And what does the nearest person from Mainland China do? Pardon my French here, but more often that not they completely lose their shit. Arguments ensue. Explanations are offered. And in the end - I'm sad to say - the Taiwanese person thus interrogated usually backs down, puts the flag away, and lapses into silence. It's a sad thing, and I've seen it happen many times.
Aside from this there's the fact that I can't really blame other countries for wavering in their support for Taiwan. The government here is doing a really bad job of explaining the situation to the rest of the world, and even if they did a better job I'm not sure how much good it would do. China's position is obvious: "Taiwan is ours," but the Taiwanese point of view involves a lot more equivocation. You just can't expect other nations to understand the "one China principle" or "one country, two systems." Such bureaucratic explanations are too far beyond their day-to-day concerns.
So yeah, I can't see myself applying for that Taiwanese passport any time soon. I won't be voting in any elections. I also won't be using a new I.D. card. Of course I would like to do these things, but for me it's a matter of identity. Why would I give up my old identity for one that's so uncertain? Why would I give up my citizenship for one that even Taiwanese people can't agree on? I'm sorry to say it, but it seems like a losing bet to me, especially when I think of the continuing pressure Mainland China is putting on the island.
I'm not saying that I've written the idea off completely. Maybe one day I'll be applying for citizenship in a country that didn't produce the likes of Donald Trump. But if that day comes it's still a long way away, and it will await a time when people in Taiwan (or people in China, or both) can reach more of a consensus. Right now it's a waiting game, even if I remain optimistic about how things will turn out.
And who knows? Maybe a consensus on what Taiwan really is will emerge sooner than we think. Maybe people on this island will come to agree more on what their country stands for, and from such an agreement international recognition will follow. Reaching this kind of agreement is of course not without certain perils, but I think people in Taiwan can get there. Maybe, once they do, I'll have a better idea of who I am, and of what country I belong to.
9. What's Going On In My Apartment 我的公寓現在發生的事
10. Hello, Taitung Person 台東人你好 4
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 52 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.
1. Q: What do you like to eat? And what do you not like to eat? 妳喜歡吃什麼? 妳不喜歡吃什麼?
A: I'll eat anything except liver. 除了肝之外我都願意吃.
Q: Ok, so we're going to say you don't like liver and everything else is OK? 好. 所以其他的食物都沒問題嗎?
A: Exactly. 沒錯.
2. Q: Could you see yourself growing old and/or retiring in Taiwan? Why or why not? 妳想不想在台灣養老, 退休? 為什麼?
A: No. I'm interested in exploring more of the world, and uh... I've spent some time in Asia, and I don't think I don't think this is my place. 不. 我還想去其他國家探索... 我已經在亞洲一陣子了, 而且我也不覺得台灣是我的地方.
3. Q: What has been your greatest moment in Taiwan so far? Your greatest moment, something that makes you happy... 目前為止, 什麼情形是妳在台灣最棒的時刻? 讓妳很高興的事情...
A: I have many great moments. Um, I can't choose one. 我有那麼多美好的時刻. 我沒辦法只選出一個.
4. Q: How could Taiwan be better? 台灣哪一部分可以更好?
A: I think it could be better if it declared independence and it's its own country. 我想它宣布獨立, 成為自己的國家就好.
Q: Uh, OK. Final answer? 好吧. 這是妳最後一個答案嗎?
A: --I would like that. I'm rootin' for ya, Taiwan! ...我會喜歡這樣子. 台灣加油!
5. Q: Are Taiwanese parents overprotective? Why or why not? 台灣的父母親管孩子的事情管太多了嗎? 為什麼?
A: I have no frame of reference to answer this. 我完全不知道怎麼回答這個問題.
6. Q: What are your thoughts on local night markets? 妳對當地的夜市有什麼意見?
A: [Laughing] I really don't care for them. I think the one down by the... the tourist market is... just that: touristy. Um, the main one, for the locals is OK but, you know, it's all the same stuff. I don't really go for that anymore. [在笑] 我不是很喜歡. 我覺得靠近那個... 觀光市場的就是....... 只是觀光氣息太濃. 最大的夜市對當地人來說還好, 可是那邊的東西都一樣. 我很久沒去過了.
7. Q: When you were a kid, what was your favorite subject in school? 妳上小學的時候最喜歡哪一個課目?
A: Gym! I loved it because I'm an old jock, and I just like sports. And I was good at it, so... 體育課! 我非常喜歡那門課, 因為我就是喜歡運動. 我也有能力, 所以...
8. Q: What are some problems specific to the area you live in? 妳住的地區有什麼特定的問題?
A: The drivers? [Laughing] It would be nice if people uh, used their blinkers. It would be nice if you could be in the proper lane to turn instead of getting on your scooter and having to be... over in the right lane, and trying to make a left hand turn, or if you're a car and you're in the fast lane and you want to make a right hand turn you have to cut across one or two lanes of traffic... it just seems silly I guess. 駕駛吧. [在笑] 如果人們轉彎前利用方向燈就好了. 騎摩托車的時候, 如果可以在適當的車道轉彎, 不用... 在右車道需要左轉時, 或是開車的時候開在快車道上要右轉時需要過兩個車道. 只是感覺沒有意義吧.
9. Q: How could Taiwan's relationship with your home country be better? 台灣跟妳的國家中間的關係哪裡可以更好?
A: We could recognize Taiwan as a sovereign nation. And have a real embassy here, and not be A.I.E. or whatever it is. A.I.T. I guess. 我們可以承認台灣是主權獨立的國家. 並在這裡設立正確的大使館. 不是A.I.E. 應該是A.I.T.吧.
Q: Is there anything Taiwan could do? 那台灣應該做什麼?
A: I think Taiwan could be... could be bolder, I think, in asking for requests and help. And... you know, helping, standing up to China. 我想台灣應該要... 勇敢一點, 要求幫助. 還有, 你大概知道, 抗議中國大陸.
10. Q: Are Taiwanese women sexy/attractive? Why or why not? 台灣的女人性感 /很吸引人嗎? 為什麼?*
A: Yeah, you know I think they're the same as women around the world. Do you know? You have some very attractive people, you have some unattractive people. And "sexy" is a matter of opinion, so sure, some are sexy, some are not so. People are people everywhere. 是啊. 跟全世界的女人一樣. 你知道嗎? 有的人是吸引的, 有的人不是. 每個人對 "性感" 都有不同的看法. 當然有的人很性感, 有的人不是. 每個地方的人都一樣.
6. 教師節 Teacher's Day
6. 教師節 Teacher's Day
教師節
Teacher's Day
九月二十八日
September 28
孔子名丘, 字仲尼, 是春秋時代魯國人. Confucius' family name was Chiou, and his first name was Jong-ni. He lived in the kingdom of Lu during the Spring and Autumn period.
在孔子還很小的時候, 他的父親便去世了, 由於家境不好, 因此, 孔子小時候過得並不平順. 平日, 除了要幫忙家務外, 還得替人放牧牛, 羊等工作, 賺錢貼補家用. 一直到他十五歲那年, 才有機會入學讀書. Confucius' father died when he was still very small, and his family had a difficult time after. For this reason Confucius' childhood had its share of hardship. On most days, aside from helping with household chores, he had to work as a shepherd with cows and goats to earn money for his family. It wasn't until his fifteenth year that he was able to begin studying.
儘管起步比別人晚, 孔子卻十分好學, 不放過任何學習的機會; 因此, 奠定了他深厚的學問基礎. Although he began [study] later than other people, Confucius devoted himself to learning, and never forsook an opportunity for study. Because of this he built a firm foundation on which to build future learning.
除了學識豐富, 孔子更有崇高的政治理想, 主張以 "仁道" 來治理國家. Aside from his deep knowledge, Confucius also had an impressive philosophy of political administration, within which "humanity" was the key element of state power.
在孔子五十一歲那年, 他當上魯國的司寇, 類似今天的警政署長, 只可惜他的政治理念無法被君王所採納. 最後, 孔子只好辭去官職, 周遊列國, 四處提倡他的仁政思想. At the age of 51, Confucius became an official in the state of Lu, something like a modern police chief. It's only sad that his political philosophy was never adopted by the king there. In the end Confucius had to resign from office, and [afterward] he traveled to many countries where he expounded on his philosophy of humane government.
但是, 在當時的政治情勢下, 孔子的思想卻得不到諸侯的認同; 於是, 孔子又回到自己的國家 -- 魯國. 從此, 便致力於學術教育方面的工作了. However, given the state of governance at the time Confucius' philosophy was never accepted by any rulers. For this reason Confucius returned to his home country, the Kingdom of Lu. From this time on he committed himself to the cause of education.
孔子的學生一共有三千多人, 他所採用的方法是有教無類, 因材施教. Confucius had more than 3000 students, and his method of teaching could be described as "teaching without regard for type [social status], and "teaching in accordance with ability."
那麼, 什麼又是 "因材施教" 呢? 孔子認為, 每個人的資質不一樣, 同一種方法絕對無法適用於每個學生; 因此, 必須依學生的個別差異, 採用不同的方法, 才能真正讓學生受益. And what is "teaching in accordance with ability?" Confucius thought that everyone's ability level was different, and that there was no single teaching method suitable for all students. Because of this, [a teacher] must use different teaching methods in accordance with the traits of individual students [if one wishes] to teach them correctly.
簡單的說, 孔子是中國歷史上首先實行 "平民教育" 的人. "至聖先師" 的尊號, 對他來說, 真是一點兒也不為過啊! To put it in still simpler terms, Confucius was the first person in Chinese history to use individualized instruction*. There was nothing this revered sage couldn't accomplish!
民國二十一年, 教育界人士覺得教師責任重大, 應該有一個專屬的節日才是, 便呈准教育部訂每年的六月六日為教師節. In 1932, those in the field of education recognized the great responsibilities teachers bear, [and decided that] there should be a special holiday to honor them. The Ministry of Education then declared that June 6 of every year would be Teacher's Day.
後來, 政府覺得孔子的教育精神, 正足以當所有教師的典範, 便明令以孔子的誕辰為教師節; 不過, 當時孔子誕辰是八月二十七日. Later on, the government decided that Confucius's educational efforts and contributions to the field of teaching merited the celebration of Teacher's Day on his birthday, but at the time [it was thought] that Confucius' birthday fell on August 27.
到了民國四十一年, 經過專家學者考據, 認為依孔氏家譜記載, 孔子誕辰為魯襄公二十二年八月二十七日, 換算國曆, 應是九月二十八日; 於是, 便改成用九月二十八日為教師節了. Then, in 1952, an academic studying the Confucian Family Annals discovered that Confucius' birthday occurred on August 27, during the 22nd year of Lu Shiang-gong's reign. Once the date was converted using the national calendar, it then fell on September 28. After this [discovery] Teacher's Day was moved to September 28.
7. Ruei Suei (Rawseed) Ranch 瑞穗牧場
Ruei Suei (Rawseed) Ranch is famous for the milk it produces. You can find this milk in any Taiwanese supermarket. 瑞穗牧場的牛奶很有名. 台灣所有的超級市場都可以買的到他們的牛奶.
The ranch is located in Ruei Suei Township, Hualien County. It's almost exactly two hours north of our apartment in Taitung. 牧場位於花蓮縣瑞穗鄉. 從我們台東的家開車到那邊剛好二個小時.
These are all views from the entrance. This is looking toward the Central Mountain Range. 這些照片都是牧場入口的風景. 往上是看往中央山脈.
Unlike Taitung's Chu Lu Ranch, Ruei Suei Ranch doesn't charge an entrance fee. 瑞穗牧場跟台東初鹿牧場不一樣, 不收門票.
This is looking in the other direction, toward the Coastal Mountain Range. 往上是看往另外一邊的海岸山脈.
This ostrich was hanging out near the parking lot. No idea where the other ostriches went. There used to be a lot of them. 這隻鴕鳥在停車場附近. 不知道其他的鴕鳥跑到哪裡去了. 以前有很多.
If you have kids they'll probably love this place. If you're passing through the East Rift Valley it can also be a nice place to stop. 如果你有孩子, 他們大概會很喜歡這個地方. 如果開車經過花東縱谷, 這裡是不錯的停留地點.
This is the coffee shop. It's a short walk from the parking lot. 這是他們賣咖啡的商店. 離停車場很近.
It's not usually so hot here, so sitting outside isn't often a problem. 這裡通常比較涼快, 所以坐在外面比較沒有問題.
The menu for the coffee shop. Gotta warn you, the coffee's NOT awesome. 這是他們賣的產品. 警告你一下, 店裡賣的咖啡不是很好喝.
In the back is where they keep the cows. 他們在最後面養牛.
Even further back. Visitors aren't allowed inside this building. Behind the ranch there's a private campground where we camped once, years ago. It's also worth visiting. 這是牧場裡遊客最遠可到的地方. 這個建築物遊客禁止進入. 牧場後面還有一個私人的露營區, 那邊也值得去.
8. "Taiwanese," or Something Like It
The ranch is located in Ruei Suei Township, Hualien County. It's almost exactly two hours north of our apartment in Taitung. 牧場位於花蓮縣瑞穗鄉. 從我們台東的家開車到那邊剛好二個小時.
These are all views from the entrance. This is looking toward the Central Mountain Range. 這些照片都是牧場入口的風景. 往上是看往中央山脈.
Unlike Taitung's Chu Lu Ranch, Ruei Suei Ranch doesn't charge an entrance fee. 瑞穗牧場跟台東初鹿牧場不一樣, 不收門票.
This is looking in the other direction, toward the Coastal Mountain Range. 往上是看往另外一邊的海岸山脈.
This ostrich was hanging out near the parking lot. No idea where the other ostriches went. There used to be a lot of them. 這隻鴕鳥在停車場附近. 不知道其他的鴕鳥跑到哪裡去了. 以前有很多.
If you have kids they'll probably love this place. If you're passing through the East Rift Valley it can also be a nice place to stop. 如果你有孩子, 他們大概會很喜歡這個地方. 如果開車經過花東縱谷, 這裡是不錯的停留地點.
This is the coffee shop. It's a short walk from the parking lot. 這是他們賣咖啡的商店. 離停車場很近.
It's not usually so hot here, so sitting outside isn't often a problem. 這裡通常比較涼快, 所以坐在外面比較沒有問題.
The menu for the coffee shop. Gotta warn you, the coffee's NOT awesome. 這是他們賣的產品. 警告你一下, 店裡賣的咖啡不是很好喝.
In the back is where they keep the cows. 他們在最後面養牛.
Even further back. Visitors aren't allowed inside this building. Behind the ranch there's a private campground where we camped once, years ago. It's also worth visiting. 這是牧場裡遊客最遠可到的地方. 這個建築物遊客禁止進入. 牧場後面還有一個私人的露營區, 那邊也值得去.
8. "Taiwanese," or Something Like It
I'm always a bit sorry to tell them that no, I'm not a Taiwanese citizen. I've never even looked into the process of "switching over," (though I've heard that it's horrendous*). My wife is a Taiwanese citizen, and both my daughters have dual citizenship, but I remain the resident alien. I'm still unable to vote, still unable to travel with a Taiwanese passport, and still unable to have a more personal opinion about what Taiwan should or should not be.
Part of the reason for this lies with the way most Taiwanese people identify with their own country. By way of explanation, let's pretend for a moment that Taiwan isn't a country, but rather a sports team, and you're thinking about joining this team as a player. You like their uniforms, you admire their skill on the field, and you're wondering if you have what it takes to make the cut.
I ask you, would you join such a team? Would you feel comfortable with teammates who didn't think they were even on a team, or teammates who were really playing for the other side? Would you feel comfortable with teammates ready to leave at the slightest opportunity? Of course you wouldn't, and this is one of the reasons that I remain (exclusively) American.
Don't get me wrong, I love Taiwan. I love the life this island has given me. I love the good times I've had here, and even the bad times have been a learning experience. In some ways I might even be more "Taiwanese" than American. In some other ways I don't just love Taiwan; I am Taiwan, in that I - along with many other foreign residents - am part of what makes this place what it is.
If you think it's bad in Taiwan, you should see interactions between Taiwanese people and Mainlanders outside the country. Every so often you'll see a Taiwanese person (meekly) pulling out the R.O.C. flag, or whispering that they're (ahem) "Taiwanese." And what does the nearest person from Mainland China do? Pardon my French here, but more often that not they completely lose their shit. Arguments ensue. Explanations are offered. And in the end - I'm sad to say - the Taiwanese person thus interrogated usually backs down, puts the flag away, and lapses into silence. It's a sad thing, and I've seen it happen many times.
Aside from this there's the fact that I can't really blame other countries for wavering in their support for Taiwan. The government here is doing a really bad job of explaining the situation to the rest of the world, and even if they did a better job I'm not sure how much good it would do. China's position is obvious: "Taiwan is ours," but the Taiwanese point of view involves a lot more equivocation. You just can't expect other nations to understand the "one China principle" or "one country, two systems." Such bureaucratic explanations are too far beyond their day-to-day concerns.
I'm not saying that I've written the idea off completely. Maybe one day I'll be applying for citizenship in a country that didn't produce the likes of Donald Trump. But if that day comes it's still a long way away, and it will await a time when people in Taiwan (or people in China, or both) can reach more of a consensus. Right now it's a waiting game, even if I remain optimistic about how things will turn out.
And who knows? Maybe a consensus on what Taiwan really is will emerge sooner than we think. Maybe people on this island will come to agree more on what their country stands for, and from such an agreement international recognition will follow. Reaching this kind of agreement is of course not without certain perils, but I think people in Taiwan can get there. Maybe, once they do, I'll have a better idea of who I am, and of what country I belong to.
Sorry, I can't bring myself to sort through the local news this week. There's not much going on anyway. Much of what little "news" there is has to do with local elections, and these kinds of news reports only serve as advertisements for local candidates. 很抱歉! 我最近不想看台東的新聞. 反正也沒有什麼重要的事發生. 地區新聞大部分都跟選舉有關, 有的反而比較像候選人的廣告.
I'm sitting here typing this. As I'm sitting here I'm thinking about what I should type and what I should not type. I'm also thinking about work, and I'm also thinking about last week's entry in this blog. People on Facebook liked it, though the group of random strangers on Reddit thought it was "stupid" or "wrong" without going on to explain why in any meaningful way. Was what I wrote there really so offensive? So misguided? So ignorant of political realities? Or is this just too sensitive a subject to talk about, given the thin-skinned "experts" on the topic? 我坐在這裡打電腦. 我坐這裡的時候想我要寫什麼和不要寫什麼. 我想著工作, 也想著上禮拜寫的文章. 臉書的讀者都喜歡, 可是在Reddit有一些不認識的讀者回應說那文章很笨, 或是錯的, 但沒有清楚的說出他們不喜歡的原因. 真是因為我寫的文章那麼可惡嗎? 那樣子寫真是錯了嗎? 我根本不知道台灣與大陸的關係嗎? 還是這種事情最好不要講, 因為 "網上的專家" 不會接受我的意見?
I know I shouldn't get too invested in online chatter (especially Reddit), and I'm probably being oversensitive because I haven't gotten enough sleep. I woke up at 4 a.m. today to watch the Seattle Seahawks play the Los Angeles Rams, and to make it even worse I wasn't able to sleep during my lunch break. 我知道不應該放太多心思在網路聊天上(特別是Reddit). 我有點難過的原因大概是沒睡好. 我今天早上四點起床收看西雅圖海鷹隊對洛杉磯公羊隊的美式足球賽. 更煩人的是中午休息的時間沒辦法睡午覺.
My wife just walked in the door. She gets off work in Guanshan at four in the afternoon on Mondays, and after that she rides her bicycle to the Guanshan Train Station. From the Guanshan Train Station she takes the train back into Taitung City. From the Taitung Train Station she rides a scooter back home. 我太太剛剛進來. 星期一的時候她從關山下午四點下班. 下班以後她會騎單車到關山車站. 再從關山車站坐火車到台東市. 最後從台東火車站騎摩托車回到我們家.
Right now she's talking to some of our cats and boiling two packages of dumplings that we bought at Carrefour yesterday. She just asked me what I was doing and I said "Typing." 她正在跟我們家的貓講話, 也在煮我們昨天在家樂福買的兩包水餃. 她剛剛問我在做什麼, 我回答 "打字."
My older daughter has been home almost as long as I have. She rides her bike home from her senior high school, and as I sit here typing she's in her room playing with her phone. We keep asking her if she wants a new phone and she keeps saying "No." 我大女兒到家的時間跟我差不多. 她每天從高中騎她的單車回家. 我在這裡打電腦的時候, 她在自己的房間玩手機. 我們一直問她要不要買新手機, 她每次回答說: "不用."
I often worry about my older daughter. She says she wants to find a full-time job this summer, and not bother with college. She also says she wants to work in Taiwan, and that finding a job in Seattle doesn't appeal to her. I think she's a very responsible girl, and she's worked jobs in Taiwan for a while already, but I worry that she's "settling" for a summer job in Taiwan because it's the easy choice, and because it's what she knows. Time will tell. 我常擔心我的大女兒. 她說暑假要去找一份全職工作, 不要去大學念書. 她也說要在台灣上班, 她不想去西雅圖找工作. 我覺得她是一個很負責任的人, 也在台灣打過工, 可是我擔心她暑假留在台灣工作是因為她覺得這是最安全的選擇. 時候到了就知道了.
My younger daughter is the last to arrive home. The homeroom teacher of her junior high school class has been keeping the class later, so she doesn't get to leave until 5:30 or so. My wife just asked her if she wants a fried onion cake with her dinner, or just dumplings. My younger daughter replied that she only wants dumplings, but she wants twenty of them because she's really hungry. She's just gone into her room, closed the door, and I have no idea what she's doing now. Maybe her homework? 我的小女兒是最後到家的. 她國中導師最近讓他們留在學校越來越久, 所以她5:30左右放學. 我太太剛剛問她晚餐要不要吃蔥油餅, 或是餃子就好了. 女兒回答說餃子, 可是她要吃二十顆餃子, 因為她很餓. 她剛進去她的房間裡, 把門關上, 所以我現在不知道她在做什麼. 有可能她在寫她的功課.
Our cat Jojo is lying in the hallway between the kitchen where my wife is cooking and the laundry basket. She is watching me type this. Her hippo doll is on the floor, in front of her, where she left it last night. 我們貓Jojo趟在走廊, 在廚房跟洗衣籃中間. 她在看著我打電腦. 她的河馬娃娃在她前面, 她昨天晚上就把它留在那裡了.
I can't see our other cat Christmas from where I'm sitting. I think she's in my older daughter's room. My older daughter is by far her favorite person, and she likes my older daughter even more when she smells sweaty from school. Christmas is a funny cat. 從我坐的地方看不到我們的貓Christmas. 我想她在我大女兒的房間. 我的大女兒是那隻貓最喜歡的人. 那隻貓特別喜歡她剛放學有汗臭味的時候. Christmas是一隻滿好笑的貓.
Our cat Muffin is sitting on the floor next to Jojo. Muffin loves nothing more than to eat, and she's probably waiting for my younger daughter to feed her. Feeding the cats is one of my younger daughter's chores. 我們的貓Muffin坐在Jojo的旁邊. Muffin最喜歡吃飯, 她大概在等我的小女兒餵她. 餵貓是我小女兒的工作之一.
Our cat Stripey is sitting behind the living room fan. Stripey is the weirdest of our cats, and he has some kind of mouth infection that makes him drip saliva all over the floor. We've taken Stripey to the vet several times, but the vet says there's nothing we can do about it. 我們的貓Stripey坐在電扇後面. 他是我們家最奇怪的貓. 因為嘴巴感染的問題, 他的口水一直滴到地上. 我們帶他去看過好幾次獸醫, 可是獸醫沒辦法治癒他.
I can't see our cat Smokey either. This is because she hides in one of our bedrooms, away from the other cats. Our four other cats despise Smokey, and were I to leave the bedroom door open either Christmas or Jojo would go in there and torture her unmercifully. Smokey is a sweet cat, but she only gets along with human beings. 我也看不到我們的貓Smokey. 因為她都躲在我們的臥室裡, 不想跟其他的貓在一起. 其他四隻都非常討厭Smokey. 如果我沒把臥室門關上的話, Christmas或是Jojo一定會毫不留情地追咬她. Smokey很可愛黏人, 可是她只適合跟人類在一起.
I'm on the deck watching the sun go down. The construction guys stopped their work on the sidewalks for the night, though they'll be back at it tomorrow. A few scooters drive by downstairs, and I can hear people cooking dinner on the floors below. Our neighbor - the nice lady who works at Chu Lu Ranch - is at home, and through our open front door I can hear the weird taxi driver guy who lives down the hall. 我在陽台看日落. 樓下的人行道施工的工作人員決定天黑休息明天再來. 幾台摩托車經過大樓. 我也可以聽到樓下鄰居在煮飯. 在初鹿牧場上班的那位親切的鄰居小姐也在家. 從打開的前門可以聽到走廊另一頭的那個奇怪的計程車司機的聲音.
I'm on the roof. On my way up the stairs I could hear the sound of the building's two elevators going up and down, the echo of my own footsteps, and cicadas chirping from various trees. From the roof I can see the lights of downtown Taitung, Jer Ben, Beinan, Shr Chuan, Highway 11, and in the middle of downtown there's Li Yu Mountain, where there are no lights at all. 我在大樓屋頂上. 我走上樓梯的時候聽到大樓那兩座電梯往上往下的聲音, 我腳步的迴聲, 還有樹上的蟬聲. 從屋頂可以看到台東市區, 知本, 卑南, 石川, 和台11線的燈, 和城市中間有完全沒有燈的鯉魚山
And now my younger daughter is talking about burning her fingers on a plate of dumplings. My wife is telling her to turn on the fan. They're all sitting behind me, it's time for dinner, and I should go eat. 現在我的小女兒說她的手指頭讓一碗餃子燙傷了. 我太太叫她開電扇. 他們坐在我後面, 晚餐的時間到了. 我要去吃飯了.
晚上 5:21 p.m.
I'm sitting here typing this. As I'm sitting here I'm thinking about what I should type and what I should not type. I'm also thinking about work, and I'm also thinking about last week's entry in this blog. People on Facebook liked it, though the group of random strangers on Reddit thought it was "stupid" or "wrong" without going on to explain why in any meaningful way. Was what I wrote there really so offensive? So misguided? So ignorant of political realities? Or is this just too sensitive a subject to talk about, given the thin-skinned "experts" on the topic? 我坐在這裡打電腦. 我坐這裡的時候想我要寫什麼和不要寫什麼. 我想著工作, 也想著上禮拜寫的文章. 臉書的讀者都喜歡, 可是在Reddit有一些不認識的讀者回應說那文章很笨, 或是錯的, 但沒有清楚的說出他們不喜歡的原因. 真是因為我寫的文章那麼可惡嗎? 那樣子寫真是錯了嗎? 我根本不知道台灣與大陸的關係嗎? 還是這種事情最好不要講, 因為 "網上的專家" 不會接受我的意見?
I know I shouldn't get too invested in online chatter (especially Reddit), and I'm probably being oversensitive because I haven't gotten enough sleep. I woke up at 4 a.m. today to watch the Seattle Seahawks play the Los Angeles Rams, and to make it even worse I wasn't able to sleep during my lunch break. 我知道不應該放太多心思在網路聊天上(特別是Reddit). 我有點難過的原因大概是沒睡好. 我今天早上四點起床收看西雅圖海鷹隊對洛杉磯公羊隊的美式足球賽. 更煩人的是中午休息的時間沒辦法睡午覺.
晚上 5:35 p.m.
My wife just walked in the door. She gets off work in Guanshan at four in the afternoon on Mondays, and after that she rides her bicycle to the Guanshan Train Station. From the Guanshan Train Station she takes the train back into Taitung City. From the Taitung Train Station she rides a scooter back home. 我太太剛剛進來. 星期一的時候她從關山下午四點下班. 下班以後她會騎單車到關山車站. 再從關山車站坐火車到台東市. 最後從台東火車站騎摩托車回到我們家.
Right now she's talking to some of our cats and boiling two packages of dumplings that we bought at Carrefour yesterday. She just asked me what I was doing and I said "Typing." 她正在跟我們家的貓講話, 也在煮我們昨天在家樂福買的兩包水餃. 她剛剛問我在做什麼, 我回答 "打字."
晚上 5:43 p.m.
My older daughter has been home almost as long as I have. She rides her bike home from her senior high school, and as I sit here typing she's in her room playing with her phone. We keep asking her if she wants a new phone and she keeps saying "No." 我大女兒到家的時間跟我差不多. 她每天從高中騎她的單車回家. 我在這裡打電腦的時候, 她在自己的房間玩手機. 我們一直問她要不要買新手機, 她每次回答說: "不用."
I often worry about my older daughter. She says she wants to find a full-time job this summer, and not bother with college. She also says she wants to work in Taiwan, and that finding a job in Seattle doesn't appeal to her. I think she's a very responsible girl, and she's worked jobs in Taiwan for a while already, but I worry that she's "settling" for a summer job in Taiwan because it's the easy choice, and because it's what she knows. Time will tell. 我常擔心我的大女兒. 她說暑假要去找一份全職工作, 不要去大學念書. 她也說要在台灣上班, 她不想去西雅圖找工作. 我覺得她是一個很負責任的人, 也在台灣打過工, 可是我擔心她暑假留在台灣工作是因為她覺得這是最安全的選擇. 時候到了就知道了.
晚上 5:47 p.m.
My younger daughter is the last to arrive home. The homeroom teacher of her junior high school class has been keeping the class later, so she doesn't get to leave until 5:30 or so. My wife just asked her if she wants a fried onion cake with her dinner, or just dumplings. My younger daughter replied that she only wants dumplings, but she wants twenty of them because she's really hungry. She's just gone into her room, closed the door, and I have no idea what she's doing now. Maybe her homework? 我的小女兒是最後到家的. 她國中導師最近讓他們留在學校越來越久, 所以她5:30左右放學. 我太太剛剛問她晚餐要不要吃蔥油餅, 或是餃子就好了. 女兒回答說餃子, 可是她要吃二十顆餃子, 因為她很餓. 她剛進去她的房間裡, 把門關上, 所以我現在不知道她在做什麼. 有可能她在寫她的功課.
晚上 5:51 p.m.
Our cat Jojo is lying in the hallway between the kitchen where my wife is cooking and the laundry basket. She is watching me type this. Her hippo doll is on the floor, in front of her, where she left it last night. 我們貓Jojo趟在走廊, 在廚房跟洗衣籃中間. 她在看著我打電腦. 她的河馬娃娃在她前面, 她昨天晚上就把它留在那裡了.
晚上 5:55 p.m.
I can't see our other cat Christmas from where I'm sitting. I think she's in my older daughter's room. My older daughter is by far her favorite person, and she likes my older daughter even more when she smells sweaty from school. Christmas is a funny cat. 從我坐的地方看不到我們的貓Christmas. 我想她在我大女兒的房間. 我的大女兒是那隻貓最喜歡的人. 那隻貓特別喜歡她剛放學有汗臭味的時候. Christmas是一隻滿好笑的貓.
晚上 5:57 p.m.
Our cat Muffin is sitting on the floor next to Jojo. Muffin loves nothing more than to eat, and she's probably waiting for my younger daughter to feed her. Feeding the cats is one of my younger daughter's chores. 我們的貓Muffin坐在Jojo的旁邊. Muffin最喜歡吃飯, 她大概在等我的小女兒餵她. 餵貓是我小女兒的工作之一.
晚上 5:58 p.m.
Our cat Stripey is sitting behind the living room fan. Stripey is the weirdest of our cats, and he has some kind of mouth infection that makes him drip saliva all over the floor. We've taken Stripey to the vet several times, but the vet says there's nothing we can do about it. 我們的貓Stripey坐在電扇後面. 他是我們家最奇怪的貓. 因為嘴巴感染的問題, 他的口水一直滴到地上. 我們帶他去看過好幾次獸醫, 可是獸醫沒辦法治癒他.
晚上 6:01 p.m.
I can't see our cat Smokey either. This is because she hides in one of our bedrooms, away from the other cats. Our four other cats despise Smokey, and were I to leave the bedroom door open either Christmas or Jojo would go in there and torture her unmercifully. Smokey is a sweet cat, but she only gets along with human beings. 我也看不到我們的貓Smokey. 因為她都躲在我們的臥室裡, 不想跟其他的貓在一起. 其他四隻都非常討厭Smokey. 如果我沒把臥室門關上的話, Christmas或是Jojo一定會毫不留情地追咬她. Smokey很可愛黏人, 可是她只適合跟人類在一起.
晚上 6:05 p.m.
I'm on the deck watching the sun go down. The construction guys stopped their work on the sidewalks for the night, though they'll be back at it tomorrow. A few scooters drive by downstairs, and I can hear people cooking dinner on the floors below. Our neighbor - the nice lady who works at Chu Lu Ranch - is at home, and through our open front door I can hear the weird taxi driver guy who lives down the hall. 我在陽台看日落. 樓下的人行道施工的工作人員決定天黑休息明天再來. 幾台摩托車經過大樓. 我也可以聽到樓下鄰居在煮飯. 在初鹿牧場上班的那位親切的鄰居小姐也在家. 從打開的前門可以聽到走廊另一頭的那個奇怪的計程車司機的聲音.
I'm on the roof. On my way up the stairs I could hear the sound of the building's two elevators going up and down, the echo of my own footsteps, and cicadas chirping from various trees. From the roof I can see the lights of downtown Taitung, Jer Ben, Beinan, Shr Chuan, Highway 11, and in the middle of downtown there's Li Yu Mountain, where there are no lights at all. 我在大樓屋頂上. 我走上樓梯的時候聽到大樓那兩座電梯往上往下的聲音, 我腳步的迴聲, 還有樹上的蟬聲. 從屋頂可以看到台東市區, 知本, 卑南, 石川, 和台11線的燈, 和城市中間有完全沒有燈的鯉魚山
晚上 6:13 p.m.
And now my younger daughter is talking about burning her fingers on a plate of dumplings. My wife is telling her to turn on the fan. They're all sitting behind me, it's time for dinner, and I should go eat. 現在我的小女兒說她的手指頭讓一碗餃子燙傷了. 我太太叫她開電扇. 他們坐在我後面, 晚餐的時間到了. 我要去吃飯了.
10. Hello, Taitung Person 台東人你好 4
All numbered questions were chosen randomly from a list of 52 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: Cram School Teacher 補習班老師
Country of Origin 國家: Canada 加拿大
Age 年齡: 36 years old 三十六歲
Length of Residence in Taiwan 居住在台灣的時間: 12 years 十二年
Place of Residence in Taitung 住在台東地區: Near the RT Mart 在大潤發附近
Favorite Color 最喜歡的顏色: blue 藍色
1. Q: What are your thoughts on local night markets? 你對地區的夜市有什麼看法?
A: Uh, the Taitung night markets are smaller than other night markets I've been to around Taiwan. They're smaller, cozier, but they still have all the good food and the games. They're just a little bit smaller. Like most things in Taitung. 嗯, 台東的夜市都比我在其他地方去過的夜市還小. 它們比較小, 比較舒服, 也還是有大部分的夜市美食跟遊戲. 只是比較小而已. 跟台東大部分的東西一樣.
Q: Final answer? 這是你最後的答案嗎?
A: Final answer. 最後的答案.
2. Q: What are some problems specific to the area you live in? 你的社區有什麼特別的問題?
A: Well, I've only lived there for two or three months. Um, I'd say... there aren't many problems. Quite a few stray dogs, um, that aren't well taken care of, and... a little more garbage than I'm used to. I live in an area with a lot of fields, empty fields, so they're not very well-kept. 我目前只住了兩, 三個月. 嗯, 我想說... 問題不多. 流浪狗很多, 嗯, 沒有被照顧好的狗, 還有... 路邊的垃圾比我之前住過的地方多. 我住在空地比較多的地方, 所以這個地方比較沒有人管理.
3. Q: Which is better, Kaohsiung or Taipei? Why? 高雄, 台北哪一個城市比較好? 為什麼?
A: I have been to Kaohsiung I think two times in my 12 years in Taiwan. I've stayed the night there twice, once for a party and once just as a stopover next to the train station. I've never actually been to Kaohsiung during the day. Taipei... Taipei is a nice international city, it's quite busy but convenient. I don't like big cities, so I'd like to say Taitung? I know it's not an answer, but... I don't like big cities so... Taipei is cool for a big city, but I'm in Taitung for a reason. I like small cities. 我住台灣的十二年內只有去過高雄兩次. 我在那裏過夜兩次, 一次是參加聚會, 還有一次是在那裏等隔天的火車. 我還沒有實際在白天看過高雄. 台北... 台北是國際性的好城市, 又繁忙又方便. 我不喜歡大城市, 所以我想回答是台東. 我知道這個答案不行, 可是... 我不喜歡大城市, 所以... 對大城市來說台北不錯, 可是我住台東是有理由的. 我喜歡小城市.
4. Q: What do you like to drink? And what do you not like to drink?你喜歡喝什麼? 你不喜歡喝什麼?
A: I like to drink... In the mornings? I like to drink yogurt drinks and coffee. Um, every day - all day long - I drink water. I mean, usually I just mostly drink water. Um... and in the evening, after work, I often have a beer or whiskey. 我喜歡喝... 早上的時候嗎? 我喜歡喝養樂多跟咖啡. 嗯, 每天 - 整天 - 我都在喝開水. 嗯... 晚上下班之後我常常喝一杯啤酒或是威士忌.
5. Q: Describe the most irritating Taiwanese person you've ever known. 把你認為的最煩的台灣人形容一下.
A: Uh, this is... 真是的...
Q: Might want to be careful with this one. 回答這個問題要小心一點.
A: I have to... have some coffee before I answer this. The most irritating Taiwanese person I've ever known... I could speak for maybe, uh, I can't speak of one specific person, but I can speak for a general kind of person. Um, the kind that kind of treats foreigners as if they're zoo animals to be... to be asked questions, and taking pictures of. Some people, just... they don't know... or I'm a Westerner, so I'm speaking from a Western perspective, but they don't have the same boundaries as foreigners, so they'll maybe be a little too forward. Um, they'll want to take pictures and they'll ask what's your salary. The person I'll meet them and I'll say my name, and the second or third question in is "How much money do you make a month?" So that's totally unacceptable in Western society. Um, and often they'll say, "Oh my child speaks English, speak to this teacher," and the child's frozen, they can't speak. They're so nervous. 我需要... 先喝點咖啡再回答這個問題. 我生活中最煩的台灣人... 我可以說, 嗯, 我不會特別指某一個人, 可是我可以說一個大概. 嗯, 看外國人像看動物園裡的動物... 像問問題和拍照片. 有的人只是... 他們不知道... 我是西方人, 所以我有西方的觀念, 可是他們的界線跟外國人不一樣, 所以他們太積極. 嗯, 他們想跟你合照或是問你的薪水多少. 我碰到這種人時說了我的名字後, 通常第二或是第三個問題就是 "你一個月賺多少錢?" 對西方社會來說問這種問題很沒禮貌. 嗯, 通常他們也會說: "我的孩子會講英文, 跟這位老師講." 然後孩子嚇一跳, 不說話, 他們非常緊張.
6. Q: What do you like to eat? And what do you not like to eat? 你喜歡吃什麼? 你不喜歡吃什麼?
A: Uh well, if we go with Taiwanese food I like... stinky tofu's good, I love the sauce, the pickled cabbage. The garlic and the spice just make it awesome. I like, um, da chang bao shiao chang, the Taiwan hot dog I guess? That's pretty good too. I like the sour vegetables on that. Got a good flavor to it. I don't like dou hua. Cold tofu, as a dessert, I just don't understand. So, but I mean, I like to eat I guess similar to a lot of foreigners. A lot of meat and potatoes. Lots of vegetables. Cheese. Nuts. I eat a lot of nuts. Dairy, yogurt... 如果討論的是我喜歡的台灣料理, 我喜歡臭豆腐. 我喜歡上面的醬料和泡菜. 蒜頭跟香料讓它更好吃. 我喜歡大腸包小腸. 可以叫它台灣熱狗吧, 那個東西也很好吃. 我喜歡酸酸的菜在上面. 口味很讚. 我不喜歡豆花, 我就是不懂冷的豆腐當甜點. 我喜歡吃的我猜跟大多數的外國人一樣, 很多的肉和很多的馬鈴薯. 很多的蔬菜, 起司, 堅果. 我吃很多堅果, 乳製品, 酸奶...
7. Q: How could Taiwan's relationship with your home country be better? 如何讓台灣跟你國家間的關係更好?
A: I suppose my home country could recognize Taiwan as a sovereign nation, independent nation. Other than that, I think Canada is... fairly supportive of... Well, again I'm not really well versed in this, but Canada is doing some trade deals with China and they're becoming closer. More and more linked economically with China. So, just if Canada thought more about Taiwan, or if Taiwan had some more representation in Canada, or - I don't know - some high profile member speaking for them? 我想我的國家可以承認台灣是個自由跟獨立的國家. 除了這件事之外, 我想加拿大都... 支持... 可是我對這件事情不熟, 但是加拿大跟中國有貿易協議, 所以這兩個國家越來越緊密. 加拿大經濟越來越靠大陸的市場. 所以, 如果加拿大多考慮台灣的話, 還是台灣在加拿大的代表更多, 還是 - 我不知道 - 一些身分地位較高的人為台灣發聲?
8. Q: Have you ever had Tunnel 88? What was your experience like? You know, the rice wine? 你有沒有喝過八八坑道高粱酒? 你的經驗如何? 你知道嗎? 那種米酒...
A: Yes, I have. What was my impression? My experience was... I felt like I had just drank rocket fuel. It was not pleasant. It is no the type of alcohol I prefer. I mean, I haven't drank it to excess. I'll try a little. 我喝過. 我的印象是? 我的印象就是... 剛剛喝火箭燃料的感覺. 很不舒服. 我不會再選那種酒. 我的意思是我沒有一次喝到醉. 我可以喝一點點.
9. Q: Have you studied Chinese? Where and for how long? 你學過中文嗎? 在哪裡? 多久?
A: Um, I did a lot of independent study. I studied the Audio-Visual Chinese books. All five - all six, actually, 'cause three has an upper and lower. Or it did back when I studied. So I studied those independently. Before I came to Taiwan I bought a "Learn Chinese" - with a CD - book so I could study. So I could count before I came to Taiwan... It was a British book. It taught the Beijing accent. But I mean it gave me a base for when I came here. So I studied all those Audio-Visual books for five years, and every week I would have one-on-one classes, so I never went to a school or an institution, but I always studied. I would always have one or two hours of one-on-one class a week. Um, where I'd just go over the homework that I'd done, and I'd read. I'd get them to help me with pronunciation, grammar, listening, any questions I had. And um, I just always made sure I had social groups where people wouldn't speak English to me. So, I'd play basketball, or go to the gym. I tried to immerse myself. So no formal education, but lots of informal. 嗯, 我大部分自己學習. 我學過實用視聽華語的課本. 全五本書 - 其實是六本書, 因為第三冊課本有上跟下冊. 我當時讀這些課本的時候是這樣子. 所以, 我自學那些課本. 我來台灣前買了一本Learn Chinese課本跟光碟. 所以我來台灣前已經會數數. 是英國出版的, 都是用北京人的口音. 我的意思是那本課本給我一個學習基礎. 我讀那些實用視聽華語五年的時間, 每個禮拜上一次一對一的課. 嗯, 我跟老師討論那禮拜的功課, 也跟他閱讀. 他幫我修正我的口音, 文法和聽力, 他也回答我的問題. 我另外會找不想講英文的朋友. 所以我會去打籃球或是去體育場. 我都是找全中文的環境. 沒有正式的上課, 大部分自學.
10. Q: In what ways is Taiwan better than your home country? 台灣哪裡比你的國家更好?
A: Uh... the climate is much warmer. I like the tropical climate. Um, people say, "Yeah, but it's too humid in the summer," well, I'd rather have the Taiwanese summer than a Canadian winter. It's way too cold in Canada in the winter. Um, the lifestyle's quite relaxed in Taiwan. We're in Taitung, so there's always mountains and oceans nearby. In Canada it can be very stressful to make ends meet, the rent's too high, the cost of everything's so high in Canada. And the Taiwanese people are incredibly friendly? Well, Canadian people are as well. Well, they're different countries. I like the lifestyle in Taiwan. You can go outside in shorts and sandals. 嗯... 氣候比較溫暖. 我喜歡熱帶氣候. 嗯, 有人說: "夏季的時候這裡太濕熱," 可是我覺得台灣的夏季比加拿大的冬季更好. 加拿大冬天真是太冷了. 台灣的生活方式很輕鬆. 我們在台東, 附近就有好山好水. 在加拿大生活費很高, 房租也很高, 在加拿大什麼都很貴. 台灣人也很親切. 雖然加拿大人也很親切. 只是兩個國家不一樣. 我喜歡台灣的生活方式. 可以在戶外穿短褲跟涼鞋.
A: Uh, the Taitung night markets are smaller than other night markets I've been to around Taiwan. They're smaller, cozier, but they still have all the good food and the games. They're just a little bit smaller. Like most things in Taitung. 嗯, 台東的夜市都比我在其他地方去過的夜市還小. 它們比較小, 比較舒服, 也還是有大部分的夜市美食跟遊戲. 只是比較小而已. 跟台東大部分的東西一樣.
Q: Final answer? 這是你最後的答案嗎?
A: Final answer. 最後的答案.
2. Q: What are some problems specific to the area you live in? 你的社區有什麼特別的問題?
A: Well, I've only lived there for two or three months. Um, I'd say... there aren't many problems. Quite a few stray dogs, um, that aren't well taken care of, and... a little more garbage than I'm used to. I live in an area with a lot of fields, empty fields, so they're not very well-kept. 我目前只住了兩, 三個月. 嗯, 我想說... 問題不多. 流浪狗很多, 嗯, 沒有被照顧好的狗, 還有... 路邊的垃圾比我之前住過的地方多. 我住在空地比較多的地方, 所以這個地方比較沒有人管理.
3. Q: Which is better, Kaohsiung or Taipei? Why? 高雄, 台北哪一個城市比較好? 為什麼?
A: I have been to Kaohsiung I think two times in my 12 years in Taiwan. I've stayed the night there twice, once for a party and once just as a stopover next to the train station. I've never actually been to Kaohsiung during the day. Taipei... Taipei is a nice international city, it's quite busy but convenient. I don't like big cities, so I'd like to say Taitung? I know it's not an answer, but... I don't like big cities so... Taipei is cool for a big city, but I'm in Taitung for a reason. I like small cities. 我住台灣的十二年內只有去過高雄兩次. 我在那裏過夜兩次, 一次是參加聚會, 還有一次是在那裏等隔天的火車. 我還沒有實際在白天看過高雄. 台北... 台北是國際性的好城市, 又繁忙又方便. 我不喜歡大城市, 所以我想回答是台東. 我知道這個答案不行, 可是... 我不喜歡大城市, 所以... 對大城市來說台北不錯, 可是我住台東是有理由的. 我喜歡小城市.
4. Q: What do you like to drink? And what do you not like to drink?你喜歡喝什麼? 你不喜歡喝什麼?
A: I like to drink... In the mornings? I like to drink yogurt drinks and coffee. Um, every day - all day long - I drink water. I mean, usually I just mostly drink water. Um... and in the evening, after work, I often have a beer or whiskey. 我喜歡喝... 早上的時候嗎? 我喜歡喝養樂多跟咖啡. 嗯, 每天 - 整天 - 我都在喝開水. 嗯... 晚上下班之後我常常喝一杯啤酒或是威士忌.
5. Q: Describe the most irritating Taiwanese person you've ever known. 把你認為的最煩的台灣人形容一下.
A: Uh, this is... 真是的...
Q: Might want to be careful with this one. 回答這個問題要小心一點.
A: I have to... have some coffee before I answer this. The most irritating Taiwanese person I've ever known... I could speak for maybe, uh, I can't speak of one specific person, but I can speak for a general kind of person. Um, the kind that kind of treats foreigners as if they're zoo animals to be... to be asked questions, and taking pictures of. Some people, just... they don't know... or I'm a Westerner, so I'm speaking from a Western perspective, but they don't have the same boundaries as foreigners, so they'll maybe be a little too forward. Um, they'll want to take pictures and they'll ask what's your salary. The person I'll meet them and I'll say my name, and the second or third question in is "How much money do you make a month?" So that's totally unacceptable in Western society. Um, and often they'll say, "Oh my child speaks English, speak to this teacher," and the child's frozen, they can't speak. They're so nervous. 我需要... 先喝點咖啡再回答這個問題. 我生活中最煩的台灣人... 我可以說, 嗯, 我不會特別指某一個人, 可是我可以說一個大概. 嗯, 看外國人像看動物園裡的動物... 像問問題和拍照片. 有的人只是... 他們不知道... 我是西方人, 所以我有西方的觀念, 可是他們的界線跟外國人不一樣, 所以他們太積極. 嗯, 他們想跟你合照或是問你的薪水多少. 我碰到這種人時說了我的名字後, 通常第二或是第三個問題就是 "你一個月賺多少錢?" 對西方社會來說問這種問題很沒禮貌. 嗯, 通常他們也會說: "我的孩子會講英文, 跟這位老師講." 然後孩子嚇一跳, 不說話, 他們非常緊張.
6. Q: What do you like to eat? And what do you not like to eat? 你喜歡吃什麼? 你不喜歡吃什麼?
A: Uh well, if we go with Taiwanese food I like... stinky tofu's good, I love the sauce, the pickled cabbage. The garlic and the spice just make it awesome. I like, um, da chang bao shiao chang, the Taiwan hot dog I guess? That's pretty good too. I like the sour vegetables on that. Got a good flavor to it. I don't like dou hua. Cold tofu, as a dessert, I just don't understand. So, but I mean, I like to eat I guess similar to a lot of foreigners. A lot of meat and potatoes. Lots of vegetables. Cheese. Nuts. I eat a lot of nuts. Dairy, yogurt... 如果討論的是我喜歡的台灣料理, 我喜歡臭豆腐. 我喜歡上面的醬料和泡菜. 蒜頭跟香料讓它更好吃. 我喜歡大腸包小腸. 可以叫它台灣熱狗吧, 那個東西也很好吃. 我喜歡酸酸的菜在上面. 口味很讚. 我不喜歡豆花, 我就是不懂冷的豆腐當甜點. 我喜歡吃的我猜跟大多數的外國人一樣, 很多的肉和很多的馬鈴薯. 很多的蔬菜, 起司, 堅果. 我吃很多堅果, 乳製品, 酸奶...
7. Q: How could Taiwan's relationship with your home country be better? 如何讓台灣跟你國家間的關係更好?
A: I suppose my home country could recognize Taiwan as a sovereign nation, independent nation. Other than that, I think Canada is... fairly supportive of... Well, again I'm not really well versed in this, but Canada is doing some trade deals with China and they're becoming closer. More and more linked economically with China. So, just if Canada thought more about Taiwan, or if Taiwan had some more representation in Canada, or - I don't know - some high profile member speaking for them? 我想我的國家可以承認台灣是個自由跟獨立的國家. 除了這件事之外, 我想加拿大都... 支持... 可是我對這件事情不熟, 但是加拿大跟中國有貿易協議, 所以這兩個國家越來越緊密. 加拿大經濟越來越靠大陸的市場. 所以, 如果加拿大多考慮台灣的話, 還是台灣在加拿大的代表更多, 還是 - 我不知道 - 一些身分地位較高的人為台灣發聲?
8. Q: Have you ever had Tunnel 88? What was your experience like? You know, the rice wine? 你有沒有喝過八八坑道高粱酒? 你的經驗如何? 你知道嗎? 那種米酒...
A: Yes, I have. What was my impression? My experience was... I felt like I had just drank rocket fuel. It was not pleasant. It is no the type of alcohol I prefer. I mean, I haven't drank it to excess. I'll try a little. 我喝過. 我的印象是? 我的印象就是... 剛剛喝火箭燃料的感覺. 很不舒服. 我不會再選那種酒. 我的意思是我沒有一次喝到醉. 我可以喝一點點.
9. Q: Have you studied Chinese? Where and for how long? 你學過中文嗎? 在哪裡? 多久?
A: Um, I did a lot of independent study. I studied the Audio-Visual Chinese books. All five - all six, actually, 'cause three has an upper and lower. Or it did back when I studied. So I studied those independently. Before I came to Taiwan I bought a "Learn Chinese" - with a CD - book so I could study. So I could count before I came to Taiwan... It was a British book. It taught the Beijing accent. But I mean it gave me a base for when I came here. So I studied all those Audio-Visual books for five years, and every week I would have one-on-one classes, so I never went to a school or an institution, but I always studied. I would always have one or two hours of one-on-one class a week. Um, where I'd just go over the homework that I'd done, and I'd read. I'd get them to help me with pronunciation, grammar, listening, any questions I had. And um, I just always made sure I had social groups where people wouldn't speak English to me. So, I'd play basketball, or go to the gym. I tried to immerse myself. So no formal education, but lots of informal. 嗯, 我大部分自己學習. 我學過實用視聽華語的課本. 全五本書 - 其實是六本書, 因為第三冊課本有上跟下冊. 我當時讀這些課本的時候是這樣子. 所以, 我自學那些課本. 我來台灣前買了一本Learn Chinese課本跟光碟. 所以我來台灣前已經會數數. 是英國出版的, 都是用北京人的口音. 我的意思是那本課本給我一個學習基礎. 我讀那些實用視聽華語五年的時間, 每個禮拜上一次一對一的課. 嗯, 我跟老師討論那禮拜的功課, 也跟他閱讀. 他幫我修正我的口音, 文法和聽力, 他也回答我的問題. 我另外會找不想講英文的朋友. 所以我會去打籃球或是去體育場. 我都是找全中文的環境. 沒有正式的上課, 大部分自學.
10. Q: In what ways is Taiwan better than your home country? 台灣哪裡比你的國家更好?
A: Uh... the climate is much warmer. I like the tropical climate. Um, people say, "Yeah, but it's too humid in the summer," well, I'd rather have the Taiwanese summer than a Canadian winter. It's way too cold in Canada in the winter. Um, the lifestyle's quite relaxed in Taiwan. We're in Taitung, so there's always mountains and oceans nearby. In Canada it can be very stressful to make ends meet, the rent's too high, the cost of everything's so high in Canada. And the Taiwanese people are incredibly friendly? Well, Canadian people are as well. Well, they're different countries. I like the lifestyle in Taiwan. You can go outside in shorts and sandals. 嗯... 氣候比較溫暖. 我喜歡熱帶氣候. 嗯, 有人說: "夏季的時候這裡太濕熱," 可是我覺得台灣的夏季比加拿大的冬季更好. 加拿大冬天真是太冷了. 台灣的生活方式很輕鬆. 我們在台東, 附近就有好山好水. 在加拿大生活費很高, 房租也很高, 在加拿大什麼都很貴. 台灣人也很親切. 雖然加拿大人也很親切. 只是兩個國家不一樣. 我喜歡台灣的生活方式. 可以在戶外穿短褲跟涼鞋.
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