Taitung Style 西方與東方的巧遇

The Surfing Trip 三隻衝浪的貓

2012-02-06T04:39:00.000-08:00

Read the story below, and answer the questions. The answers are at the very end! 先看下面的故事, 再回答問題. 正確的答案在最下面.

The Surfing Trip 三隻衝浪的貓

Jojo, Sammy, and Christmas were in a car, driving towards Dong He. You might think that three cats driving a car by themselves is very strange, and you would be right. Fortunately the cats had had a lot of practice, so that Sammy could work the pedals, Jojo could steer, and Christmas could shift and work the parking break quite readily. Each cat took turns looking out of the windshield, and honking the horn when necessary.

After twenty minutes or so they arrived at Jin Dzuen Harbor, where they intended to go surfing. It was a clear, beautiful day, and even though they were cats they were still looking forward to a few hours in the water.

Sammy was the first to jump out of the car. "Great day for surfing!" he said.

Jojo followed him out to the sand. "Yes," she said, "I can't wait to try out my new board!"

Christmas was the third to jump out of the car, carefully closing the car door with her paws. "I know what you guys mean!" she added, "Let's get to it!"

With the car door closed, the three cats went to the back of the car, where Christmas used the car keys to open the trunk.

It was here that they encountered a problem.

"Oh no!" said all three cats, "Maybe we can drive a car, but we can't lift surfboards!"

And so, saddened by this oversight, they closed the trunk, got back in the car, and drove home.

Questions 問題

1. What were the cats' names?
a. Jojo, Sammy, and Christmas b. Jojo, Sammy, and Jin Dzuen c. Jojo, Taitung, and Sammy

2. Did they go surfing?
a. yes b. no c. maybe

3. Where did they go surfing?
a. Taitung b. Jin Dzuen c. They didn't go surfing!

4. Which cat closed the door?
a. Jojo b. Christmas c. Sammy

5. Do you think this story really happened?
a. yes, I am crazy b. no, I am not crazy c. maybe I am crazy.

Related Entries 相關的文章:

Are American Schools Better? 美國的學校比較好嗎?
Fun Facts About English 英文的有趣的真相
Our Trip to Washington D.C.我們的戶外教學
English at Tung Hai Elementary 東海國小的英語教學

Answers: 1(a), 2(b), 3(c), 4(b), 5(b)

Happy Year of the Dragon!! 新年快樂!!

2012-01-01T06:38:00.000-08:00

I'll be taking a break from this blog until February. Here's wishing you a happy 2012, and a happy Year of the Dragon! I'll be in Taoyuan, Yunlin, or Taitung this vacation, probably wasting money and definitely eating too much. Have a great one! 這個部落格要休息到二月. 祝您2012年快樂, 也祝您龍年快樂. 我寒假的時候會在桃園, 雲林, 或是台東. 很有可能花太多錢也吃太多. 所以下學期見!

Hai Duan Township 海端鄉

2012-01-01T06:34:00.003-08:00

Hai Duan Township occupies Taitung's section of the Southern Cross-Island Highway. This highway is in a perpetual state of repair, and this makes getting to the remoter parts of Hai Duan a challenge. At the time of writing, you cannot take this highway all the way through the mountains. 海端鄉位於台東縣的南橫公路. 這條公路常常在整修, 所以到比較深遠的景點很麻煩. 也因為這樣, 目前沒有辦法從台東通車到台南.

The above picture was taken near Shiang Yang, almost in the center of Taiwan's Central Mountain Range. The road conditions weren't favorable for our Ford Festiva, and we had to turn around not far from here. 上面的照片是在向陽附近拍的. 向陽位於台灣的中央山派. 我們開到這裡就覺得路況太危險. .只能到此為止

Just before I took this picture we saw a monkey cross the road. I have the feeling that wildlife is much easier to see up here. 拍這張之前看到一隻猴子過馬路. 這裡應該比較有機會看到野生動物.

The above picture was taken outside the Tian Loong Hotel. There is a famous suspension bridge behind this hotel, and there are hot springs on the premises. 這是在天龍飯店. 飯店後面有一座有名的吊橋, 也有溫泉.

The trail on the other side of this bridge goes DEEP into the mountains. 吊橋的另一邊有一條山區的步道.

I remember seeing her on TV, she is probably the most famous advocate of aboriginal rights throughout Taiwan. I'm not exactly sure what office she's running for. 我以前在電視上看過這位小姐. 她應該是重視台灣原住民人權的最知名人士. 但是我不知道她要選什麼.

This is much lower down, not far from Chr Shang. The plum trees in this area are beautiful.這裡比較低, 也靠近池上鄉. 這裡的櫻花很美.

And this is a river where we played with water, near Shin Wu. We always have a good time in this part of Taitung, and I am looking forward to going back! 這條河在新武. 我們在這兒玩水. 我們很喜歡海端鄉, 我很想再回去.

Related Entries 相關的文章:

Where is Taitung? 台東在哪裡?
Da Wu 大武鄉
In and around Da Ren Township 達仁鄉
Jin Feng Township 金峰鄉
Tai Ma Li Township 太麻里鄉
Taitung City 台東市
Green Island Township 綠島鄉
Orchid Island Township 蘭嶼鄉
Beinan Township 卑南鄉
Yan Ping Township 延平鄉
Dong He Township 東河鄉
Lu Ye Township 鹿野鄉
Guanshan Municipality 關山鎮
Cheng Gong Municipality 成功鎮
Chang Bin Township 長濱鄉
Chr Shang Township 池上鄉

Principal Wang and the Wedding 王校長的兒子的喜宴

2012-01-01T06:34:00.001-08:00

Today (as I write this), it is January 1, 2012, the first day of a new year. We woke up very late this morning, as the sound of fireworks kept us up well past midnight the night before. 我寫這文章的同時是2012年1月1日, 也就是新年的第一天. 我們今天比平時晚起床. 因為昨晚的鞭炮聲持續到午夜才稍停.

Many of those reading this may know my school's former principal, Wang Ying-Jhou. He moved to San He Elementary from Tung Hai Elementary last year, though I still see him fairly often. He lives in a house right across from my apartment building, so I see him every time I go down to take out the trash. 很多看這篇文章的人應該也認識我學校的前任校長---王校長. 他去年從東海國小調到三合國小, 現在我還是常常碰到他. 因為他住在我住的大樓對面, 我每次丟垃圾都會碰到他.

This evening my wife, my daughters, and I attended his son's wedding banquet at the Yi-Jia (One House) Restaurant on Geng Sheng Road. His son is marrying the daughter of the veterinarian who looks after our four cats. Taitung is a relatively small place, so while this is something of a coincidence, it is not remarkably so. 今晚我和家人一起去更生路的"一家餐廳"參加他兒子的喜宴. 他兒子跟我們家貓咪的醫生的女兒結婚. 台東是個小地方, 所以這樣的巧合並不是一件不可思議的事.

Many other teachers and staff from my school were on hand for the banquet. But as you might expect, I was the only foreigner there. Sitting at our table was Mrs. Tu, who is retiring this year, and her husband, and also Gen Wei, his wife, and their two children. 喜宴上有許多我們學校的老師和員工參加, 同時那裏只有我一個外國人. 我們這桌除了我們一家四口之外,還有塗老師跟她的先生, 和根維老師一家.

At the beginning of the banquet, there were the usual round of speeches by the host, locals trying to get elected to various offices, and some others. By the time the food started arriving, the speeches had given way to karaoke, and several principals took the stage. Many of these singers were quite accomplished. 喜宴一開始, 就有很多人上台祝賀致詞. 有別校的校長, 有選舉候選人, 也有其他重要人士. 開始上菜之後, 就有人開始唱歌. 有的校長很會唱歌.

All of the food was good, but by the time we had worked our way through the fish, the sashimi, the lamb, the pork, the chicken, the crab, and the shrimp we were all feeling too full for words. In between the dishes I drank down a single bottle of Taiwan beer, and I felt very relaxed. I reflected on the fact that I have now been at Tung Hai Elementary longer than any other school I have ever worked at, and this fact felt very right to me, very good. 每道菜都很好吃, 可是當我們從生魚片, 豬肉, 雞肉, 螃蟹, 一路到蝦子之後,飽撐的程度已經無法以言語形容了. 我也喝了一瓶台灣啤酒放鬆. 那時候我想到自己在東海國小已經三年了. 這是我待得最久的工作地方, 我很滿意,也覺得很高興.

On my way out I did my best to congratulate Principal Wang on his son's wedding. He is a shy man, and I didn't want to say too much. I hope he knows how happy I am, for him and his son. I hope he knows that I appreciate his support during two years of teaching at Tung Hai Elementary. 我們離開的時候, 我跟王校長說一聲恭喜. 他很害羞, 所以我沒說很多. 希望他知道我內心充滿了對他及他兒子的祝福. 我也希望他知道我很感謝他那兩年的支持.

And if he didn't know then, perhaps he does now. 如果他當時不知道, 也許他現在知道了.

Related Entries 相關的文章:

Are American Schools Better 美國的學校比較好嗎?
Fun Facts About English 英文的有趣的真相
Our Trip to Washington D.C. 我們的戶外教學
English at Tung Hai Elementary 東海國小的英語教學

Are American Schools Better? 美國的學校比較好嗎?

2012-01-01T00:39:00.001-08:00

Tung Hai Elementary 東海國中

People in Taitung often ask me if American schools are better. My answer is always no. Of course, there are good and bad schools everywhere, and the worst school in America might be better than the worst school in Taitung, but really, on average, I would say that Taiwanese schools have a lot going for them. 台東的朋友常常問我, "美國的學校比較好嗎?" 我的回答是 "不." 到處都有好學校跟壞學校, 美國的學校不一定比較好. 美國最差的學校可能比台灣最差的學校好一點, 但是我覺得台灣的學校很有自己的特色.

For me, one of the major differences between American and Taiwanese schools is the emphasis put on either facts or opinions. In America, teachers tend to reward students with strong opinions about things, even if those students' mastery of underlying facts is a bit shaky. 我認為美國跟台灣的學校的最大差別在於重視書本知識或個人意見. 在美國, 老師傾向於鼓勵學生對事物有自己的想法, 有時可能學生對事實並沒有很深的瞭解, 只是有意見就好.

In Taiwan, students are rewarded more for their mastery of facts, and less for their opinions about these facts. Obviously it would be the best thing to have well-informed opinions, based on a thorough knowledge of a given subject, but schools in both countries tend to emphasize one half of the equation over the other. 在台灣, 大部分的老師比較重視書本知識. 個人意見顯得沒有那麼重要. 當然正確的知識觀念跟正確的個人意見都很重要, 可是這兩國家都還沒在這兩項重點上取得平衡.

Beacon Hill Elementary, Seattle

People also ask me if American schools are more "free." They aren't often able to elaborate on what they mean by "free," but I assume they are asking if American schools are less bound by rules and tradition. In this instance, there is a sharp distinction between American public and private schools. American public schools are certainly more free, but often to a disorganized or even dangerous extent. American private schools, on the other hand, are sometimes even more rule-bound than Taiwanese schools. Many American Catholic schools, for example, attract a large number of students not on religious grounds, but on the fact that their discipline is much, much stricter. 還有人問我, "美國的學校比較自由嗎?" 他們通常都無法定義"自由"的意思. 我想他們要問的是學校的規矩是否比較少. 在這方面, 公立學校跟私立學校比較起來就差很多. 美國有的公立學校真的很自由, 自由到超亂的或是有點危險. 有的私立學校的規矩甚至比台灣的學校還嚴格. 特別是美國的天主教學校. 很多美國小孩在那種學校上學不是因為宗教的關係, 而是因為那種學校很嚴格.

Another big difference between American and Taiwanese public schools is money. In Taiwan, public schools are pretty much the same everywhere, and are allotted funds out of the same general purse. In America, many schools are dependent upon local education levies, federal and local government assistance, and money from other sources. This means that schools in affluent areas tend to look (and often be) better. Immigration also plays a role here, since schools in affluent areas tend to educate more native speakers, from more stable households. Schools in poorer areas just can't compete. 另一個美國的學校跟台灣的學校的差別在於"錢". 在台灣, 每所學校的經費由縣市政府決定. 美國的狀況比較複雜, 因為部分的錢由中央政府提供, 部分的錢來自於地方的土地增值稅等...... 所以有錢的社區的學校通常比較好. 那些比較窮的學校通常有比較多的移民學生跟家庭有困難的學生,所以兩者的素質就有所差別.

Tung Hai Junior High School 東海國中

During my time teaching in Seattle (about two years altogether), I taught at both kinds of American school. One school I taught at was so poor that they couldn't even heat the building properly, and some of the interior walls were falling down. Many of the students in that school came from very frightening home environments, where drugs and domestic violence were an everyday occurrence. 我在美國教書的兩年中, 在這兩種學校當過老師. 其中一所學校很老舊, 有的牆壁快倒了, 冬天的時候也沒辦法供應足夠的暖氣. 那裡的學生很多是家庭狀況不好, 他們居住的環境中常常碰到毒品或家庭暴力的問題.

I have also taught at very nice, new schools, in very rich neighborhoods. These were like the schools you see in Hollywood movies, where all the kids are well-dressed and well-behaved. The strange thing is, I tended to like the poorer schools more. Many of the kids in those schools felt more "real" to me, even if some of them were a nightmare. 我也在有錢的社區的學校教過書. 那裡的學校很像美國電影裡的學校. 每個學生穿著流行的衣服,行為也很好. 奇怪的是我比較喜歡沒錢的學校, 因為那種學校的同學對我來說比較"真".

So are American schools better? On average, I would have to say no. Just different, I think, and burdened with their own problems. There's good and bad everywhere, and America is no exception. 美國的學校比較好嗎? 我覺得不是,而是不同而已. 因為環境跟政策的關係, 每個學校都有他們自己的問題. 到處都有好跟壞的學校. 在美國沒有什麼不一樣.

Nathan Eckstein Middle School, Seattle

Related Entries 相關的文章:

Fun Facts About English 英文的有趣的真相
Our Trip to Washington D.C. 我們的戶外教學
English at Tung Hai Elementary 東海國小的英語教學
Elementary School Vs. Junior High 國小Vs.國中

P.S.

If you want to see a funny movie about American schools, I highly recommend "Bad Teacher." You can rent it at Blockbuster! 如果您想看部關於美國學校的喜劇片, 我建議你看"Bad Teacher"[罷凌女教師]. 您可以在百視達租這片DVD.

Beef Noodles in Taitung 台東的牛肉麵

2011-12-25T23:50:00.000-08:00

Every single time I write about food/restaurants in Taitung I get hate mail. Invariably, every time I write about food someone reads it, thinks that I am attacking their or their friend's restaurant, and I have to answer angry comments about how I'm "not being fair," or how I'm "misinformed." 我每次討論食物或餐廳都有人罵我. 很多人看過文章以後, 覺得我在說他們的或他們朋友的餐廳的壞話. 之後, 我更要回應很多"抗議"的或是認為我"不公正"的留言.

With this in mind, I will attempt to discuss the beef noodle offerings within Taitung. I do not claim to have eaten at every single beef noodle place in Taitung, but I have eaten at A LOT. I eat beef noodles several times a month, and I have a thorough knowledge of local restaurants serving this popular dish. 有了這些經驗, 我將試著介紹台東當地的牛肉麵餐廳. 我當然不是每一家在台東的牛肉麵都吃過, 但是我吃過的牛肉麵餐廳也不少. 我每個月總會在餐廳裡吃幾次牛肉麵, 所以累積下來的經驗也讓我對這道受人歡迎的餐點有一定的認識.

Listed below are my most-visited beef noodle restaurants, or else beef noodle restaurants that are well-known in the area. Please feel free to suggest anyplace I have forgotten to mention, or anyplace you think I should try. 在下面介紹的是我常常去的牛肉麵餐廳, 也是台東縣,市民喜愛的. 如果以下的介紹漏了您最喜歡的餐廳, 請跟我說一聲. 我會很高興有機會嘗試不同口味的牛肉麵!!

1. He Nan Wei 河南味

This place is in Shin Sheng Road, across from Shin Sheng Junior High. I eat here frequently. Their beef noodles are inexpensive, and probably the most consistent beef noodles in Taitung. Other places will be good one day, and bad the next, but He Nan Wei is good every time. They're not the best, but I appreciate their consistency.這家餐廳在新生路上, 位於新生國中對面. 他們牛肉麵不貴,而且品質很固定. 不像有的餐廳一天好吃,一天不好吃. 雖然他們不是最好吃的, 可是去那裏不用靠運氣.

2. San Jie Mei 三姐妹

This is the most famous beef noodle restaurant in Taitung. They are located in Tai Ma Li township, about 30 minutes south of Taitung City. What I said about He Nan Wei's consistency does not apply to this restaurant. Some days they are EXCELLENT, and other days they are just OK. For the price, they don't give you very much beef noodles. 這是台東縣最有名的牛肉麵. 他們在太麻里鄉, 從台東市往南, 開車差不多要30分鐘. 他們有時味道很棒, 有時卻也普通. 而且他們的牛肉麵比較貴, 量也不是很多.

3. Shan Dong Delicacies 山東小吃

This place is behind the Christian Hospital, off Kai Feng Road. Their beef noodles are the spiciest, and very inconsistent. I've eaten here a couple times and been amazed at how good the beef noodles were. Other times I've eaten here and wondered what I was so enthused about.這家餐廳靠近開封街, 在基督教醫院後面. 他們的牛肉麵是最辣的, 但是品質不定. 有一兩次我覺得他們的牛肉麵是最棒的, 但有幾次我懷疑為什麼自己一定要來吃口味還好的牛肉麵.

4. Sezchuan Beef Noodles 四川牛肉麵

I've only eaten here a couple of times. It's near Tung Hai Junior High, off Shin Sheng Road as it nears the ocean. I thought their beef noodles were GREAT, but my wife was put off by the run-down look of the place. I'll admit, it doesn't look that clean, but I would like to go back there sometime. 我只在這裡吃過兩次牛肉麵. 他們靠近東海國中, 位於新生路往海邊的那一段. 我覺得他們的牛肉麵超好吃的, 可是我太太不喜歡在那麼破爛的餐廳吃飯. 而且那邊看起來不是很乾淨, 但是我還昰想再回去一次.

5. Shiang Chi 湘綺

This restaurant is in Jer Ben, near where the road to the hot spring leads to Highway 11, up on the hill. The beef used in their beef noodles is the best - bar none, but this place is so popular that eating there involves a wait. It's also not the cleanest or most comfortable restaurant in the world, but definitely worth a visit. 湘綺在知本的外環道上. 他們的牛肉是最好吃的. 但是在那邊吃麵要等很久, 而且也不是很乾淨舒服, 但是它一定昰個值得嘗試的餐廳.

Merry Xmas!! 聖誕節快樂!!

2011-12-14T23:29:00.000-08:00

Next Sunday is Christmas! Merry Christmas everyone! 下個星期日是聖誕節!! 祝你們聖誕節快樂!!

Pictures at My Exhibition 5 我最喜歡的照片 5

2011-12-10T03:34:00.001-08:00

Pictures from around Taitung County. The above picture was taken in Chang Bin Township. 臺東縣的照片. 上面的照片是在長濱鄉拍的.

This is also in Chang Bin. This place is called Wu Shr Bi, and some of the volcanic rock formations around here are very interesting. 這張昰在長濱的烏石鼻. 這附近的火山岩很有意思.

Sunset in Tai Ma Li Township, near Da Shu ("Big Tree"). 太麻里鄉. 靠近大樹.

Coconut trees in "Little" Ye Liou. 小野柳的椰子樹.

Also in "Little" Ye Liou. 也在小野柳.

Cheng Gong City, taken from Cheng Gong Elementary School. 成功市區. 從成功國小拍的.

This is Jin Dzuen Fishing Port. Strange, quiet place. 金樽漁港. 昰個奇怪, 安靜的地方.

And lastly, the visitor's center in the East Coast National Scenic Area. Great view from here! 最後是東海岸風景區的遊客中心. 這裡的風景很美.

Related Entries 相關的文章:

Chr Shang Township 池上鄉
Li Yu (Carp) Mountain 鯉魚山
The Hotel in Shan Yuan 杉原的大飯店
Chang Bin Township 長濱鄉

Fun Facts About English 英文的有趣的真相

2011-12-01T17:16:00.001-08:00

"Countries with English as an official language" - this map is incorrect, since the USA has no official language!

All of the below is taken from the article about the English language on Wikipedia. Those who want to read further are directed there. What follows are my favorite bits of trivia from that article. There is also an article about the English language in Chinese.以下內容取自維基百科, 昰那篇文章中我覺得有趣的部分, 你可以從以上兩個連結進入文章的中,英文內容.

English is a West Germanic language. This means that English grammar is more like German than the "romance languages" such as French and Spanish, which are based on Latin.英語屬於西日耳曼語.這意味著英語文法比較接近德語,而不是像法語和西班牙語昰由拉丁文演變而來的浪漫語言.

English is the most widely spoken language in the world, but it is NOT the most natively spoken. Both Chinese and Spanish boast more native speakers.英語昰全世界使用最廣泛的語言,但昰以中文和西班牙文為母語者卻比以英語為母語者多.

English grammar is closer to German, but many English words were taken from Latin and French. Many of the Latin words are the legacy of the Catholic Church, which was very influential throughout the Middle Ages. The French words are the result of the Norman conquest of England in the 11th century.英文文法比較貼近德文, 但是很多英文字昰由拉丁文和法文而來. 大多的拉丁文字被中世紀的天主教廣泛運用, 而法文字的使用則昰由十一世紀諾曼人征服英格蘭開始.

The Oxford English Dictionary lists over 250,000 words in English, and many of these words are borrowed from languages as diverse as Hindi and Swahili.牛津英語辭典收了 250,000個英文單字, 其中很多都是從不同的語言借來的,例如: 印地語和斯瓦希里語.

The epic poem Beowulf is one of the oldest things written in the English language, dated between the 8th and 11th centuries. This poem was written in Old English, and is difficult for even native English speakers to understand.史詩"貝奧武夫"昰以古英文在第八到十一世紀之間寫成,昰最早的英文文學作品之一. 就算是現今以英文為母語者都認為它困難難懂.

The United States has more native English speakers than any other country in the world, but...在美國以英語為母語者多於世界上任何一個國家, 但......

India may have more people that speak and understand English than any other country.印度可能比任何國家有更多會說英文的人口.

It is said that written English is about 80% phonetic, meaning that about 20% of the words in the English CANNOT be decoded using phonetic rules.這說明 80%的英文字符合拼音規則,而另外的20%則不適用拼音規則.

The spelling of English words has varied over time, and there are many regional differences with regard to the spelling of English words. The chart below outlines the history of the phrase, "Our father, who is in heaven," from the Bible.英文字的拼法隨著時間的演變而不同, 也有許多區域性的差異,下面的表格標示出聖經中"Our father, who is in heaven,"的拼法演變.

Year 年	Phrase 句子
1000	“Faeder ure bu be eart on heofonum si bin nama,”
1384	“Ovre fadir pat art in heavens halwid bi pi name;”
1611	“Ovr father, who art in heaven,”
2011	“Our father, who is in heaven,”

Hope you are having fun... in whatever language. To study is good, but as the Bible also says, "In much study lies a weariness of flesh." 祝你學任何一種語言都很愉快! 學習昰一件很好的事, 但聖經上也說: 身體上的疲累源於過量的學習.

Related Entries 相關的文章:

Our Trip to Washington D.C. 我們的戶外教學
English at Tung Hai Elementary 東海國小的英語教學
My Summer in Seattle 在西雅圖的署假
English Literature II 英文文學 II

Chr Shang Township 池上鄉

2011-11-26T02:58:00.001-08:00

Chr Shang Township is at the northern end of Taitung County, just south of Hualien. It is, as just about any Taiwanese person knows, most famous for its lunchboxes. The picture above was taken along the 197 Highway. 池上鄉位於台東縣北邊, 靠近花蓮. 大家應該都知道, 它們最有名的名產就是他們的池上便當. 上面的照片是在台197拍的.

This a temple along the same highway. I've been by this place a couple times, and never seen anyone in this place. It is eerily quiet. 這所寺廟也是在197上. 我經過這個地方兩次. 那邊好安靜, 一個人影也沒有.

This a church, also on the 197 Highway. While I was taking this picture from my car, a man came out and yelled at me. Apparently they are very sensitive about picture-taking. 這個教堂也在197上. 我們拍照時有一個人跑出來罵我們. 他們好像不喜歡別人拍他們的教堂.

A little further north from the church. This rice is organic, and they use ducks to remove the pests. 經過教堂再往北走, 這裡所見到的米是採自然工法種植的. 他們利用禾鴨來除蟲.

This teashop is in Wan-An Village (there is a link in the sidebar). The view from the second floor is great, and the "pearls" used in the pearl milk tea are made with local rice. 這家茶館位在萬安村(旁邊有他們的連結). 二樓的風景很棒. 他們利用當地的米做成珍珠奶茶中的珍珠,所以叫米珍珠奶茶.

Trail behind the above teashop. Very peaceful place. 茶館後面的步道. 這裡也很安靜.

This is Da Po Lake, not far from the Chr Shang Train Station. It is a strangely un-scenic lake, though I think it might be a good place to host a triathlon. I have never seen any more than a few people here at a time. 這是大坡池, 靠近池上車站. 那邊的風景還好. 應該適合舉行鐵人三項賽. 大坡池常常看不到什麼人.

This looks like a train, but it is actually a restaurant. You can eat some of the famous lunch boxes here. It is conveniently located along Highway 9. 這輛火車是一家餐廳. 這裡的美食當然就是池上便當. 它在台9線上 ,是個很好找的點.

One of my coworkers asked my why I took a picture of this. I love strange architecture. This is downtown Chr Shang, just down the street from the train station. 我的同事問我為什麼要拍那麼難看的建築物? 我只是喜歡奇怪的建築物. 這個房子在池上市區, 靠近火車站.

Related Entries 相關的文章:

Where is Taitung? 台東在哪裡?
Da Wu 大武鄉
In and around Da Ren Township 達仁鄉
Jin Feng Township 金峰鄉
Tai Ma Li Township 太麻里鄉
Taitung City 台東市
Green Island Township 綠島鄉
Orchid Island Township 蘭嶼鄉
Beinan Township 卑南鄉
Yan Ping Township 延平鄉
Dong He Township 東河鄉
Lu Ye Township 鹿野鄉
Guanshan Municipality 關山鎮
Cheng Gong Municipality 成功鎮
Chang Bin Township 長濱鄉

Li Yu (Carp) Mountain 鯉魚山

2011-11-20T03:39:00.001-08:00

Li Yu (Carp) Mountain is right in the middle of Taitung City. The main entrance is just off Bo Ai Road, on the other side of the Eslite Bookstore. There is a statue of a "carp" (actually it looks more like a whale) near here, and behind this statue there is a temple entrance up the hill. This is the way into Li Yu Mountain. 鯉魚山正好位在台東市區. 它的主入口處在博愛路上, 誠品書店的一邊. 你會看到一座鯉魚的雕像(實際上它看起來像鯨魚). 雕像後面的廟門就是你要找的入口了.

There is a big temple on Li Yu Mountain, but it's kind of dirty and inhabited by feral dogs. A lot of senior citizens like to go there for the sake of KTV and Chinese chess, but most people under 50 or 60 have little to do with the place. Just ask the average person in Taitung City about the last time they walked up Li Yu Mountain. The answer will probably be years, if not decades. 鯉魚山上有一所廟, 可是那裏有點髒. 附近的野狗也很多. 很多爺爺奶奶喜歡在那邊唱卡拉OK和下棋, 年輕一點的族群較少上鯉魚山. 多數的市民可能都不記得上次是什麼時候去鯉魚山的, 通常他們的回答都是幾年前或是幾十年前.

Just inside of the temple entrance, there is a trail that leads up to the top of Li Yu Mountain. This trail can also be accessed from the other side, near Chang Sha Street. There are some great views from this trail on a clear day, and from the top you can enjoy a panorama of Taitung City in its entirety. The view is particularly striking after a good rain. 廟的入口處有一條步道上鯉魚山頂. 這跟鯉魚山後的長沙街附近的入口是同一條步道. 天氣晴朗時, 你可以在山頂上俯瞰整個台東市景. 最棒的景色是剛下完大雨的時候.

Li Yu Mountain is designated a "scenic area" by the Taitung County Government, though I'm not exactly sure what this means. Yes, Li Yu Mountain is scenic, but no one seems to be taking care of it. People still dump their garbage around there, people still farm plots of land around its base, and the houses on Bo Ai Road still dump large amounts of waste water into the canal at the foot of the mountain. I realize that the situation with these "military" houses is a tricky one, but someone should really do something about it. It looks bad. 鯉魚山是台東縣政府名定的一個風景區, 可是我不太了解這是什麼意思. 雖然那邊的風景不錯, 可是感覺不到人們對那個地方的照顧. 很多人在那裏亂丟垃圾, 也有很多人在山腳下掘地種菜, 還有很多舊房子的汙水直接排到鯉魚山下的排水溝. 我知道改善鯉魚山下的居民環境是縣市政府的一大問題, 但還是應該有人來整頓一下.

By the way, if you go to the top of Li Yu Mountain, there are several plaques set out there that offer interesting bits of information about the mountain, its history, and its role in local culture. One of these plaques explains the origin of its name, as well as its relation to "Cat Mountain," on the other side of the city. Just be careful up there. Much of this area has faced serious erosion problems in the wake of torrential rains. 在鯉魚山上還有一些介紹鯉魚山歷史和文化的告示牌. 其中一個介紹"鯉魚山"這個名字的由來, 和介紹鯉魚山跟貓山之間的關係. 只是看簡介的時候要小心. 最近的大雨, 讓那條步道變得較危險.

If you are in Taitung City for a few hours, and lack the time to go anywhere further afield, I encourage you to visit Li Yu Mountain. It's not a world-class tourist destination by any means, but it's a nice place for a quiet walk. 如果你是路過台東而缺乏時間去較遠的地方, 你可以去鯉魚山走走. 它雖然不是什麼世界級的景點, 但是個適合安安靜靜散步的好地方.

Our Trip to Washington D.C. 我們的戶外教學

2011-11-13T21:35:00.001-08:00

Taitung Airport - getting ready to go!

1. What Were We Doing in Washington D.C.? 我們為甚麼要去美國華聖頓D.C.?

Myself and two other teachers from my school attended the Microsoft Partners in Learning Global Education Forum from November 7 to November 11, 2011. One of these teachers wrote a lesson about plants, the other teacher added technological elements, and I translated the lesson from Chinese into English. As a result of his efforts, the teacher who wrote this lesson was invited by Microsoft to attend the Forum. One thing led to another, and all three of us ended up going. 我和兩位同事參加了從11月7日到11月11日由微軟公司所舉辦的全球教育論壇. 其中一位同事負責寫關於校園植物的教案, 另一位同事負責電腦技術, 而我的工作則是把課程翻譯成英文. 因為教案獲得肯定,所以那位同事受微軟公司邀請去參加論壇. 也讓我和另一位同事能跟著成行.

2. What is the Microsoft Partners in Learning Global Education Forum? 微軟全球夥伴教育論壇是什麼?

The MPiLGEF is a big conference about education. It takes place every year in a different country. This year it was in Washington D.C. Last year it was in South Africa. Next year it will be in Greece. 這個MPiLGEF是一個關於教育的大型會議. 每年在不同國家舉辦. 今年的舉辦地點是美國華聖頓D.C. 去年在南非. 而明年將在希臘舉行.

Part of the Forum is the exhibition of each school's winning unit plan or project. Another part is speeches. A third part is educational workshops. There are also opening and closing ceremonies. All in all, it takes about four days. 會議包含各個參展學校的課程展覽會,演講和與教育有關的講習. 另外也有第一天的開幕和最後一天的晚會. 整個會議總共佔了四天的時間.

Teachers throughout the world compete to get selected for this Forum, and those who end up going to the Forum also compete against one another for recognition in one of several educational categories. My school was one of three schools in Taiwan to be selected for the Forum, and only one of these schools (a school in Jia-Yi) was selected for recognition in Washington D.C. 全球的教師先在自己國家參加比賽取得參加論壇的機會, 而參加論壇的教師也在同一時間互相競爭, 角逐各項教育領域的冠軍.全台灣只有三所學校被選出,其中一所學校(在嘉義)獲得獎項.

My coworkers in Narita Airport, Japan.

3. How Long Were We There? 我們在那邊多久?

We left Taitung on November 6. From here we flew to Taipei, where we spent the night. On November 7 we flew to Washington D.C., and on November 12 we began the long, long journey back. Including a three hour layover in Japan, the trip takes about 20 hours. Accounting for time zones and flight times, we were gone for about six days. 我們11月6日從台東機場出發, 在台北過了一夜. 11月7日從桃園機場飛往美國華聖頓D.C., 最後在11月12日開始我們冗長的回家的路. 包括在日本轉機的時間, 差不多要20個小時. 將會議的時間和交通的時間一起算, 我們整個行程差不多花了6天.

4. The Best Parts of the Forum? 論壇中最棒的部分?

The exhibition of our project was fun. I got to meet a lot of teachers from all over the world, and I learned a lot from them. One of the lunches Microsoft provided was excellent, and the Closing Ceremony at the end was quite interesting. I had never been to this kind of conference before, and I found it to be an eye-opening experience. 我覺得那展覽會很好玩. 我有機會跟許多不同國家的教師聊天. 微軟公司提供的午餐中的其中一次很棒, 最後一天的晚會也很有趣. 我以前沒參加過這種會議, 所以我覺得這個經驗讓我大開眼界.

In front of the White House.

5. The Worst Parts of the Forum? 缺點呢?

The speeches and teacher workshops were agonizingly boring. To make things worse, they were geared almost entirely towards teachers in Western (English-speaking) countries, and those from outside the West probably didn't get much out of them. Many people were also unhappy with the judging process as applied to our projects. You might call this "sour grapes," but there was a definite bias in favor of Western teachers. 那些演講跟教育研習超無聊的. 我也覺得這些活動比較適合西方的老師(說英文者). 很多老師也覺得比賽不是很公平. 你可能覺得我有這種想法是因為我們沒有得到獎項, 但是我認為評審比較偏愛西方的老師..

6. Other Stuff We Did... 我們在華盛頓還做了......

We walked. We walked A LOT. I am now thoroughly acquainted with Washington D.C. From Georgetown to Union Station, from the Capitol Building to the Lincoln Memorial, we saw just about all of the famous stuff, and went to a few good restaurants besides. 我們逛街. 我們走了好久. 從Georgetown到Union Station, 從Capitol Building到Lincoln Memorial, 華聖頓有名的景點我們都去過了. 也吃了些好吃的美式料理.

7. Highlights of Washington D.C. 華聖頓最棒的部分.

The coolest looking thing in Washington D.C. (hands down) has got to be the Washington Monument. The Lincoln Monument and the Jefferson Monument are also very cool. My favorite of the Smithsonian Museums had to be the Museum of the American Indian. The hamburgers at Five Guys are great, and there are more than a few great bars in the D.C. area. Speaking as an American, the breadth of history on display in this city is truly amazing.
華聖頓D.C.的Washington Monument是最有看頭的景點. 那邊的Lincoln Monument跟Jefferson Monument也很棒. 我想Smithsonian最好的博物館是它們的Museum of the American Indian. Five Guys這家餐廳的漢堡滿好吃的. D.C.也有一些不錯的酒吧. 對我這個美國人來說, 華聖頓D.C.是一個充滿歷史的城市.

8. Would We Go Again? 再去一次嗎?

To Washington D.C.? Naw, probably not. We've seen almost all of it. 去華聖頓D.C.嗎?應該不要. 我們大部分都去過了.

As for the Forum, scheduled to take place next year in Greece, we are still discussing it. Having been through all this Microsoft business once already, we feel like we have a fighting chance to get picked a second time. The only question is whether or not we want to deal with all the work and pressure required to get there. Six days PAID vacation in Greece sounds like heaven to me, but there is a long road to travel between now and next year's Forum! 有了這次經驗以後, 對於明年在希臘舉辦的微軟教育論壇, 我們三個都認為很有機會再參加,為了去希臘可以再戰一次. 但是否要再一次承受準備和來回奔波的壓力? 在希臘放六天的假聽起來很不錯, 可是這之間還有很長一段路要走.


Between the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial and the Washington Monument

The 2011 Taitung Lohas Marathon 台東樂活馬拉松

2011-10-31T06:28:00.000-07:00

On November 27, Taitung hosts the 2011 Lohas Marathon. This event, like the Taitung Marathon, will be held in Taitung's Forest Park. I am already signed up for the 10K race, and one of my coworkers (also a good friend) is signed up for the 5K. 台東將在十一月二十七日舉辦樂活馬拉松賽. 這次的比賽跟台東國際馬拉松一樣在台東的森林公園舉行. 我已經報名十公里的比賽. 其中一位同事也報名了五公里的比賽.

My only problem with this event is that there are too many other events in the same place. The Flowing Lake Triathlon, The Beautiful Taitung Triathlon, the "Super Ironman" Triathlon, and this marathon are all held in almost exactly the same location. This means that I always end up running down the same road, towards the same finish line, among many of the same people. 我對這個比賽的唯一意見是: 太多比賽都在同一個地方舉行了. 例如: 活水湖鐵人賽, 台東之美鐵人賽, 超級鐵人賽, 和這一次的馬拉松都在同一個地點舉辦. 參賽者很多都是同一群人從同一條路跑到同一個終點.

I really wish they would hold this marathon in another place. There are, after all, many places in Taitung that would be equally suitable. 我真希望除了森林公園之外, 他們可以在別的地點舉辦馬拉松. 畢竟台東還有很多適合的地點!

Guanshan 關山

If I was the head of a local athletic association, I'd probably be looking to hold an athletic event in Guanshan. This would be an easier place to get to, and both the terrain and natural scenery recommend it as the site of a triathlon, bicycling, or running event. Chr Shang would also be a good location. Triathletes could swim across Da Po Lake, and then bicycle north into Hualien. It would be a very beautiful setting. 如果我是運動協會會員的話, 我會在關山舉辦運動比賽. 那裡的交通方便, 風景跟地形也很適合鐵人, 自行車, 還有路跑比賽. 池上也會是個舉行比賽的好地方. 參加鐵人賽者可以在大坡池游泳, 再騎自行車到花蓮. 那會是個很漂亮的路線.

There are really too many events held in Taitung's Forest Park. Yes, it's a convenient location, and yes, it's pretty, but I can't be the only one who's tired of running down the same road, or swimming across the same lake, or bicycling up the same stretch of Highway 11. Many other parts of Taitung County are equally beautiful, and it's a shame people always pick the Forest Park just because it's the easiest place to get to. 在台東森林公園舉辦的運動比賽真的太多. 雖然那是一個方便的地點, 附近的風景也很漂亮, 可是我應該不是唯一不想在同一條路上跑步或是騎車, 或是在同一個湖游泳的人吧? 臺東縣還有很多漂亮的地點, 每一次都選森林公園真是有點可惜.

And here's a final complaint: I hate running down long, straight roads that don't seem to go anywhere. I like a lot of turns in my races, because they are more interesting. That long road next to the Forest Park makes for a boring and frustrating run, and after 5K it almost feels like you're not moving at all. Running up or down Highway 11 would doubtless be more interesting, even though traffic control would present difficulties. 最後一點想說的是: 我最不喜歡在筆直的路上跑步.那讓我感到自己在原地踏步在彎路上跑步就比較有意思. 森林公園旁的那條路就讓我討厭而且感到無聊, 跑五公里過後就不覺得自己在移動. 跑台11線應該比較有意思, 只是交通管制應該是個難點.

Anyway, here's wishing you luck if you are joining this race. And here's hoping it doesn't rain that day! 總之,祝參賽者都有好的成績. 也希望那一天不會下雨!

Happy Halloween!! 萬聖節快樂!!

2011-10-27T17:17:00.000-07:00

October 31 is Halloween! Hope you have a good one! 十月三十一號就是萬聖節!! 萬聖節快樂!!

Chinese Invasion! 大陸客在台東

2011-10-22T05:21:00.000-07:00

I've heard that from next month, tourists from Mainland China will be able to fly directly from Nanjing to Taitung. This change marks yet another step in the government's program to open up Taiwan to Chinese tourism. And while it remains to be seen how this move will change Taitung, the major reason behind it should be obvious. Chinese tourists have a lot of money, and are eager to spend it in Taiwan. 我聽說下個月開始可以從中國大陸的南京直飛臺灣台東. 這個改變顯示台灣對中國大陸的旅遊市場更開放了. 大家都不知道這政策將會對台東造成什麼影響, 相信大家都知道推行這個政策的主要原因 : 大陸客很有錢.他們也很願意在台灣花錢.

I want to say, at the outset, that I only know one person from Mainland China. This would be an acquaintance from Hsinchu, who married a Taiwanese man in China, and has already lived in Taiwan for many years. She is a great person, and I think Taiwan is better for having her. 我認識的大陸人只有一個. 我們昰在新竹認識的. 她在大陸跟一個台灣人結婚. 目前為止也在台灣生活好多年,是個很好的人. 也為臺灣的經濟成長盡了很多力---努力工作.

I would also like to interview some Chinese tourists, and ask them what they think about Taitung, and Taiwan in general. However, any such interview would take up a lot of space, and will be reserved for a later date. I am extremely interested to know what Mainlanders think about the place where we live, but that is also an extremely complicated subject, and will not be discussed here. 我很想跟一些大陸客聊天, 問他們對台東或是對台灣的看法. 問題是這項討論的文章會太長, 所以改天再來討論這個部分. 我也想了解大陸人對台東的看法, 可是這主題太複雜了. 改天再說吧!

This said, I'm sure a lot of people are wondering how this increase in Chinese tourism is going to affect people in Taitung. My suspicion? Not so much. Aside from a few local businesses that cater to these tourists, most people in Taitung aren't seeing much of that money anyway. Most Chinese tourists visit the same restaurants, the same hotels, the same coral dealerships, and the same parks - all in the same set of buses. Local businesses that serve Chinese tourists are guarding that trade jealously, for perfectly understandable reasons. 我相信很多台東人開始思考這項政策將對台東造成什麼影響. 我的意見? 應該不會改變很多. 除了一部分的商人之外, 大多數的台東居民大概賺不到大陸客什麼錢. 那些旅行團都是去一些固定的餐廳, 固定的旅館, 固定的珊瑚店, 固定的公園, 坐固定的遊覽車. 平常店家應該很難沾到邊.

Still, there are exceptions. Occasionally people from China visit my school, as part of educational exchanges between Taiwan and Mainland China. I haven't yet had the chance to talk with any of these visitors, since I am either busy with work or they are in a tremendous hurry. I have also run into Mainlanders on the train to Taipei. Sometimes I even see them at the Family Mart near my house. They seem nice enough, though they have a tendency to speak VERY LOUDLY. 可是還有些例外. 有幾次大陸的教師來我學校交流參觀. 我沒有機會跟這些大陸教師講話, 因為他們來的時候我在上課,或是他們趕時間要離開. 我也在往台北的火車上碰到大陸客. 偶爾我家附近的全家便利商店也有他們的蹤影. 他們通常都看起來很熱心, 而且說話聲很大.

Time will tell if we see an increase in individual Chinese tourism in Taitung. I kind of hope we do. It is, after all, exchanges between individuals that are most rewarding. Tour groups offer little besides money, and do little to advance one culture's understanding of another. Taiwanese people might think about this themselves, since group tourism is such a popular way to see China. You miss a lot when you travel with a group, and the travel experience tends to be a lot more artificial. 可能以後個人旅遊的大陸客會比較多. 這樣也好, 因為個人旅遊的交流比較有意思.旅行團主要的目的是金錢交流, 而不是增進兩國的文化了解. 很多台灣人應該也注意到了, 因為很多台灣人都是跟旅行團去大陸. 而跟團旅遊所得到的異國文化刺激是有限的.

There are also environmental questions to consider. For example, will an increase in Chinese tourism also increase the demand for local coral? Will more Chinese tourists accelerate the development in Shan Yuan and other areas? And when does saying "no" to certain financial opportunities serve our future interest? 也有環保的問題需要關心. 比方說, 想買珊瑚的大陸客也更多嗎? 更多的大陸客真的會讓台東的發展更好嗎? 台東的居民什麼時候該為了永續的綠色家園跟經濟發展的機會說"不"?

One thing is certain. The Chinese are going to be bringing a lot of money over here, and with that money will come changes. I, for one, hope that the debate about Chinese tourism amounts to more than a discussion of how much money everyone can make. There are bigger issues at stake, and many of them are very critical to our well-being. 只有一件事是確定的. 大陸客會帶他們的錢過來, 隨之而來的也將會有一些環境的改變. 我只希望大家想的不只是賺錢的機會而已. 還有很多更重要的事情需要我們共同深思.

English at Tung Hai Elementary 東海國小的英語教學

2011-10-14T21:09:00.000-07:00

Many kids at Tung Hai love to study English. We encourage that. Many kids and Tung Hai don't love to study English. For these students, we try to make English more accessible and fun.很多東海國小的小朋友喜愛美語,我們鼓勵他們學習,而對於那些不喜歡的小朋友,我們試著讓美語對他們而言是有趣且容易接近的.

There are three English teachers in our school. I am one of them. The two "regular" English teachers teach each class twice a week, and the foreign English teacher (me) teaches each class once a week. This means that every class, from grade 3 to grade 6, has three English classes a week.我們學校有三位英文老師,我是其中一個.其他兩位老師在班級中一個星期有兩堂課,我(外級教師)則有一堂課.所以從三年級到六年級的班級,每個班級一個星期有三堂美語課.

Our school is using the Longman English textbooks for grades 3, 5, and 6, and the Rainbow English textbooks for grade 4. The Rainbow English textbook was introduced last year.我們學校的三五六年級用的是朗文的課本,四年級則是用彩虹版本的課本.

Kids in our school have an English test three times a semester. The "regular" English teachers test them during the two days set aside for testing, and I test them the week before. Their grades on both my test and the "regular" English teachers' tests determine their grade in English for that third of the semester.每學期有三次的美語考試,另外兩位老師的考試是隨著學校的考試舉行,我的考試則在他們考試的前一周.期末時,我的考試和另外的英文老師的考試成績共計於孩子的英文成績.

The "regular" English teachers divide their tests into two parts. They administer their listening text the week before the two days set aside for testing. During one of the two days set aside for testing, they administer a test of reading and writing. 另外的英文老師將考試分為兩部分,他們的聽力考試在段考前的一個禮拜,段考時間則是考閱讀/寫作.

My test comes in one part. The first 5-10 questions on my tests are listening/dictation questions, where students write down the letter, word, or sentence I say. This is usually followed by a reading section, where they answer questions about a story, and a writing section, where they write sentences based on vocabulary used in their textbooks.我的考試方式是5-10分鐘的聽力測驗,這部分學生寫下聽到的字母,單字或句子,接著則是閱讀,根據故事內容回答問題,最後是利用課本中的單字造句.

But the above only applies to the first two tests each semester, because the last test I administer each semester is the "conversation" test. In this test I talk to the students in groups of 4 or 5, and ask them questions from their textbooks. They start from 50 points, or 50%, and based on the number of questions they can answer, move up towards 100.以上的考試方式只在第一及第二次段考,最後一次考試則是以"會話"方式進行,每四至五個學生一組,我問他門課本中的問題,基本分數是50分或是總分的一半,隨著回答問題的多寡往上加分.

That's the basic overview of what we English teachers do at Tung Hai. We work very hard at what we do, and we are always trying to be better! 這是我們學校工作中的大致輪廓,我們很用心地在工作上努力,也一直在改進當中.

The 2011 Beautiful Taitung Triathlon 台東之美鐵人三項

2011-10-01T22:32:00.000-07:00

My bike

The 2011 Beautiful Taitung Triathlon was held in Taitung's Deep Forest Park, on October 1 and 2. October 1 was the olympic distance triathlon, and October 2 was the sprint and relay events. The swim segment of these three events took place in the Flowing Lake, the bike segment stretched from the Flowing Lake north, up Highway 11, and the running was done through the park.2011年十月一日及二日的"台東之美"鐵人賽在台東森林公園舉行.一日舉行的是奧林匹克全程鐵人賽,二日則是鐵人半程賽及接力賽.游泳的部分在活水湖進行,單車則是由活水湖開始,往北上11號公路,最後在公園完成跑步的賽程.

I participated in the sprint event, on the second day. The relay event occurred at the same time. I didn't see any of the olympic distance triathlon, but I heard that the weather was better on that day. For their sake, I certainly hope so. The weather on my day was BAD.我參加的是第二天的半程賽,而接力賽也在同時舉行.我沒去看奧林匹克的鐵人賽,但我聽說那天的天氣好多了.而我參賽的這一天,天氣真是糟透了.

A different athletic organization sponsors this triathlon, and I am not very familiar with them. I will say that this triathlon seemed a bit less organized that the Flowing Lake Triathlon last May, in which I also participated. I have only three complaints about this triathlon. They are:這次舉辦的團體是我所不熟悉的.我認為這次的比賽和我參加的五月那一場(活水湖鐵人賽)比起來,這次感覺起來缺少事前準備,我對這次的活動只有三項不滿意的地方:

1. Only half of the transition area was covered. This was very unfair to many of the competitors, especially considering that transitioning into the bicycle segment was much more difficult in the rain. Yes, they passed out plastic bags, but this wasn't much help.只有一半的準備場地有遮雨棚.這對很多的參賽者不公平,尤其是到腳踏車區取車時更是困難,是!他們提供塑膠袋,但是這對我們並沒有什麼幫助.

2. Many of the lifeguards were not paying attention during the swim segment. I actually had to stop halfway through my swim and point out a guy who was having trouble to the lifeguard. The conditions in the lake were very dangerous, and some of the lifeguards (not all) should have been more alert.在游泳的部分,很多的救生員根本就不專心,我還必須在中途停下來為他們指出哪位參賽者需要幫忙.湖中的情況很危險,那些救生員(不是全部)應該更保持警覺.

3. Many of the male competitors were competing without shirts. I don't know what rule book this particular triathlon was following, but in most triathlons guys without shirts get disqualified.很多參賽者都沒有穿上衣,不知道這次的舉辦單位遵守的是什麼規則,因為大部分的鐵人賽是嚴禁不穿上衣參賽的.

And that's it for my complaints. Aside from the above, the Beautiful Taitung Triathlon was virtually identical to the Flowing Lake Triathlon last May. Today it was raining, it was windy, and it was generally miserable, but that's no one's fault. Sometimes you just have to take the good with the bad?除了已上三點,這一次的比賽和五月的差不多,今天起風又下雨,但是這也是沒辦法的事,有時候就是要同時接受好與不好的一面.

Related Entries 相關的文章:

Triathlons: Here and There 鐵人三項: 臺灣跟美國
The 2011 Taitung International Flowing Lake Triathlon台東活水湖國際鐵人三項賽

Taitung: Another Perspective 台東: 不同的聲音

2011-09-30T20:44:00.000-07:00

Christmas

In order to offer a more detailed picture of current events in Taitung, and also to provide a forum for opposing points of view, the author of this blog interviewed his three cats on recent developments in Taitung County. It should be noted that the views and opinions expressed in this blog entry are the sole property of the three cats interviewed, and are in no way representative of Taitung's animal population as whole. Aboriginal cats, dogs that live in alleys behind local restaurants, and cockroaches may hold opinions and engage in political activities that would stand in opposition to the political views espoused by the three felines interviewed here.為了提供更多台東重要事件的細節照片,也讓持不同意見的人發表他們的意見,作者訪問了他的三隻愛貓關於台東發展的近況的想法.這當中的觀點屬於這三隻接受訪問的貓所有,不代表台東其他動物的立場.當地住在餐廳小巷後面的貓狗及蟑螂們可能持著不同的想法,政治立場也可能與三隻家貓不同.

TIMESTHREE: I would like to begin by thanking the three of you for coming to this interview. I'm sure it will be an edifying experience for us all.
首先,我要感謝你們三隻貓接受訪問. 這將是一項受益良多的經驗.

JOJO: No problem, man. I never go outside anyway.
不用客氣. 我從來沒有到外面過.

SAMMY: Yeah, me neither. 我也是.

CHRISTMAS: What? 甚麼?

TIMESTHREE: I would like to ask Jojo about the coming city and county-wide elections. Do you think Huang Jian-Ting will be reelected for a second term? 請問Jojo對台東的縣市長選舉的看法, 黃健庭可以繼續連任嗎?

JOJO: As a long-standing member of the KMT, I have confidence in our Magistrate and wish him a speedy reelection. I have every intention of helping with the campaign as soon as I am asked. I understand that his offices in the Taitung County Government are experiencing a certain rodent problem, and I can certainly help with this. 做為一隻出色的國民黨黨貓. 我覺得黃縣長一定會成功. 只要有人要求,我也願意幫忙輔選. 我聽說他的辦公室有老鼠的問題. 我當然要幫這個小忙.

SAMMY: I'm DPP myself, but I will love him if he feeds me.我是民進黨黨貓, 只要他餵我, 我就愛他.

CHRISTMAS: What? 甚麼?

Jojo

TIMESTHREE: And you, Sammy. What are your opinions on recent development in Taitung County? For example, how do you feel about the resumption of construction on the Shan Yuan Hotel, and what it might mean for local businesses and tourism? 那Sammy你呢? 你對台東縣最近的發展有什麼意見? 比方說, 杉原的飯店啟用之後, 台東的經濟會更好嗎? 觀光客也會更多嗎?

SAMMY: I've actually never been to Shan Yuan. The only time I ever leave this apartment is to go see the vet, and I hate that. I think all vets should be imprisoned and/or executed immediately. 我沒有去過杉原. 我出門只是為了看獸醫. 我非常討厭看獸醫. 我認為應該把台東的獸醫關起來或是處決.

JOJO: I second that emotion.我也這麼想.

CHRISTMAS: What? 甚麼?

TIMESTHREE: OK. And what do the three of you think of my daughter's room? In other words, who peed on her bed? 好. 那你們三隻貓對我女兒的房間有意見嗎? 話說回來, 是誰在他的床上小便?

JOJO: Wasn't me. I think it was Sammy. 不是我. 我以為是Sammy.

SAMMY: Me? Not a chance. Had to be Christmas. 我嗎? 不可能! 應該是Christmas.

CHRISTMAS: I like chicken. Can you feed me again? 我想吃雞肉. 你可以再餵我一次嗎?

Sammy

My Summer in Seattle 在西雅圖的暑假

2011-09-24T04:12:00.000-07:00

My parents' kitchen 父母家的廚房

My daughters and I spent the summer in Seattle. My wife couldn't go, because we didn't have enough money. Going to Seattle is EXPENSIVE. 我跟我兩個女兒在美國西雅圖度過這個暑假. 我太太沒辦法跟我們三個人一起去. 因為往美國的機票太貴了.

The three of us were in Seattle from the end of June to the end of August: roughly two months' time. My mother and father met us at Sea-Tac Airport, and drove us back to their house in North Seattle. I remember it being a very dark and cloudy day in Seattle, and also thinking that Seattle looked very empty compared to Taipei. 我們三人六月底到西雅圖, 八月底回台東, 總共兩個月的時間. 我父母開車到西雅圖機場接我們.我記得那一天的天氣很差. 我同時也覺得西雅圖和台北比起來好空曠.

Penny and her dad

Everybody in Taitung asks me if I had fun on my vacation. I would have to say yes and no. August was a lot more fun than July. In August the weather finally turned sunny, and I had more chance to see both friends and relatives. In July it was very dark, and I spent a lot of time missing my wife. 我在台東的朋友都問我: "你回家鄉玩得很開心嗎?" 我都回答說: "還好." 八月比七月好, 因為天氣終於轉晴. 我比較有跟家人和朋友聊天的機會. 但是七月大多時間都是陰暗雨天. 而且我那時候也很想念我太太.

The highlights of our trip were probably camping on Lake Chelan, the two concerts I went to (Slayer and High On Fire), and taking part in the Federal Way Escape Triathlon. All of these things happened in August. I also got to see my brother, who I haven't seen in years, and extend my congratulations on his wedding. My brother lives in Oakland, California, and I don't see him often. 我們在美國暑假最精彩的活動就是八月時在Chelan湖露營, 參加音樂會, 還有在西雅圖參加Federal Way Escape鐵人比賽. 我弟弟也從加州回去我父母家, 我才有機會為他將要舉行的婚禮恭喜他. 他上個月結婚了. 這之前我已經好幾年沒有跟我弟見面.

Camping - and too many cookies!!! 太多餅乾了!!

The parts of our vacation that I didn't care for were the weather in July, the price of most things in Seattle, and occasional disagreements with my parents. My parents and I see the world in very different ways, and this can be a source of friction. By the time my daughters and I left, my parents and I were getting along just fine, but in the beginning it was hard. 在美國不好的地方就是七月的天氣, 西雅圖的高生活費, 和偶爾跟我父母的意見不合. 我跟我父母的觀念差很多, 這應該是我們那一兩次吵架的原因. 還好我們後來就沒有這種問題了.

On August 21, my daughters and I were in the Sea-Tac Airport yet again, saying our goodbyes to my parents. I was happy for the time we spent together, but a bit sad because I didn't know when we would be back. We all hugged my parents, and looked forward to a day when we'd meet again. I still enjoy Seattle, and I am always thankful for the chance to visit. 八月二十一號, 我們再一次在西雅圖的機場跟我父母說再見. 我很開心有一段與他們相聚的時間, 但是也有點感傷,因為我不知道什麼時候再回去. 我們給彼此一個擁抱,期待再聚的那一天的來臨. 我仍然喜歡西雅圖. 我也覺得能回去看看是件幸福的事情.

Related Entries 相關的文章:

Seattle西雅圖
Nostalgia 思鄉情壞
Going Home 回家
Seattle Style(英文)

The Hotel in Shan Yuan 杉原的大飯店

2011-09-16T23:24:00.000-07:00

They are building a big hotel in Shan Yuan Village, Beinan Township, just north of Taitung City. They have been building this hotel, on and off, since I first moved to Taitung. I think it is safe to say that many people are angry about this hotel, given the environmental impact the construction will have on the coral reef offshore.他們正在台東市北邊的卑南鄉杉原村蓋一間大飯店.從我剛搬到台東的時候蓋到現在.當地很多人對於在這裡蓋飯店很憤怒, 因為它對環境的直接衝擊是傷害沿岸的珊瑚.

I'm not aware of the legal history behind this construction project, but I had heard that local residents had voted it down. From what I've heard, it is illegal to build anything so close to the beach. 我不了解整個工程的法律程序與歷史, 只聽說當地居民投票決定不要再繼續蓋飯店. 也聽說在海攤上蓋這麼大的建築物是違法的.

For years the hotel just sat there, unfinished. Then, last year, they resumed construction on this hotel over many local objections. This resumption of building coincided with a change of Taitung County Magistrates. I don't know what the Taitung County Government's position on this structure really is, though the Taitung County Government Bureau of Tourism is named as the body responsible for this construction project on the metal fence that surrounds the site. 好幾年, 那間未完成的飯店就被廢棄在那裡. 去年才又在眾多的反對聲浪中繼續動工, 這當中也經歷了縣長的更替. 我不知道現任縣長跟前任縣長兩人對此看法的異同, 但是飯店工程圍欄上標明的是它屬於台東縣觀光旅遊局的負責範圍.

The primary argument against the hotel is that runoff from the construction will damage the surrounding coral. This is a concern for snorklers, fishermen, and other people using the waters around Shan Yuan. It also seems that there are overlapping legal issues in this case. The hotel may or may not encroach on aboriginal land holdings, and members of the A-mei tribe have already spoken out against its construction. 主要的爭議點是建築廢料會影響附近的珊瑚生態. 杉原的浮淺, 漁業, 和其他使用這個海域的人們都對此相當關心. 它也似乎牽涉許多的法律問題,例如飯店跟當地原住民的用地權益爭議. 對此,阿美族人已經說出他們的抗議.

But of course the construction of any such hotel in that area can't be all bad. The hotel would doubtless create jobs in the area, and would also create business opportunities for those living in Shan Yuan Village. There's certainly NOT a lot of economic activity taking place there now. 在杉原蓋飯店並不盡然是壞事. 飯店在未來能提供杉原村民工作機會, 附近居民也能經營小生意. 目前那裡幾乎看不到任何的經濟發展.

Before this hotel began construction, Shan Yuan Beach was administered as a public beach, with entrance fees. This public beach existed for many years prior to my arrival in Taitung, and was advertised in much of the tourist literature. For whatever reason, this beach was abandoned by the local government, and was left to the mercy of tourists and local residents. 開始蓋這個飯店以前, 杉原是個要買門票的公共海灘. 這個公共海灘維持了幾年,也在觀光雜誌上出現過. 不知道甚麼原因, 縣政府不再維持這個海灘. 讓村民跟觀光客自由使用海灘.

Which meant, basically, that the place was full of garbage around public holidays. This is one of the things that surprises me about the vehement reaction from locals regarding the hotel. When the hotel paused in its construction, the place became a garbage dump. You would think that those so concerned about the environment would have tried to keep this place clean, especially since all of those plastic garbage bags and other refuse would have been at least equally detrimental to local coral.那也造成每次節日過後,整個沙灘上充滿了垃圾. 當地居民對於興建飯店表現出憤怒與不滿,讓我驚訝的是當飯店停工了,那裡就成了一個大垃圾堆,你會認為那些關心環境生態的人會想辦法維持清潔,因為那些塑膠袋和其他的廢棄物也會同樣地對珊瑚造成傷害.

When the hotel is finished, which should be sometime next year, Shan Yuan will be a public beach, with entrance fees, yet again. This means that someone will be in charge of cleaning it, though of course the fate of the coral reef remains uncertain. 當飯店蓋好後(可能是明年),杉原將成為收費的海水浴場,那表示有人會維持它的清潔,當然那些珊瑚的命運仍是個未知數.

I cannot say that the opening day of the Shan Yuan Hotel (tentatively named "Beautiful Bay,") will signal some kind of environmental apocalypse in Taitung, but it is certainly something to think about. There are pluses and minuses to any project of this nature, and it remains for local citizens to sort through the data, and to make the choices that will benefit the largest numbers of people. In the end, it is a debate over what kind of future environment we wish to have, and this debate is important to each and every one of us.
我不敢說杉原飯店(美麗灣飯店)是台東一項對於環境的啟示,但卻是一件值得深思的事.每件環境的開發工程都有好與壞的一面,也值得當地市民尋找出適當的解決方案,維護大部分人民的權益,最後就是人們對於未來的爭議,哪一種環境是我們對於未來生存空間的想望?這是每一個人都無法置身事外的.

Related Entries 相關的文章:

Development in Taitung 台東的發展
Beinan Township 卑南鄉
Garbage 垃圾

A Long Drive 回家的路

2011-09-09T20:46:00.000-07:00

My daughters and I came back from Seattle, USA on August 22. It takes about 12 hours to fly from Seattle to the airport in Taoyuan. 我跟我兩個女兒在八月二十二日從美國西雅圖回來台灣. 一路上從西雅圖到桃園機場要十二個小時.

Even after arriving in Taoyuan, our travels were far from over. We still had to get to Taitung, on the other side of the island. From Taoyuan, there are three ways to get to Taitung: 到桃園還不是旅途的終點, 我們必須回到台灣東部的台東. 從桃園機場去台東的方法有三個:

1. Take a bus or taxi to Taipei, and then take a plane to Taitung. 坐公車或是計程車到台北市, 再從台北搭飛機到台東.
2. Take a bus or taxi to Taipei, and then take the train to Taitung. 坐公車或是計程車到台北市, 再從台北搭火車到台東.
3. Drive back. 開車.

But since it was August, and there were no more train or plane tickets to Taitung, we had to go with option #3, which wasn't really an option anymore, since we had no choice. So my wife rented a car in Taitung, drove it up to Taoyuan, and met us in the airport. This left us with a VERY long drive back to Taitung - more than half the distance around the island. 因為是八月的關係, 買不到往台東的火車票和飛機票. 所以沒辦法,我們選的是第三個選擇 . 我太太從台東租車並開車到桃園機場接我們.我們再從桃園開到台東. 這樣子的路程都超過環島的里數了.

We drove south from the airport, intending to take the Southern Highway (南迴) from Ping Tung into Taitung County. It took us about 9 hours to drive from Taoyuan to our apartment in Taitung. Add to this the 12 hours on the plane, largely spent without sleep, and you can imagine how tired the four of us were on that particular day. 我們從機場往南走. 從屏東縣走南迴公路回去台東. 總共花了大概九個小時. 這九個小時和飛機上的十二個小時加起來, 您應該知道我們回到台東時多累了,何況我們在飛機上也沒睡多久.

Still, thanks to all the coffee I drank, I found the drive home interesting. They are building a lot around Taoyuan, especially around the old freeway. I'm not sure what those enormous bridges on either side of the freeway are supposed to be for (the MRT? a train? cars?), but they look like something out of a sci-fi movie. 還好,我那時喝了好幾杯咖啡, 所以一路上開回來還蠻有趣的. 桃園附近正進行著許多工程, 尤其是高速公路附近. 我不知道高速公路旁邊的那兩座大橋是什麼東西, 可是它們真的很像科幻電影裡面的東西.

Besides Taoyuan, the rest of Taiwan's western half looked pretty much the same to me. We stopped in Taichung for an early lunch, and all the places I remembered were still there. I was only sorry I wasn't able to see some of my friends in Taichung. We got there very last moment, and no one had time. 除了桃園之外, 西部跟我印象中的一樣. 我們在台中休息吃午餐, 我記得的一些地點都還在. 只是很可惜沒辦法跟台中的朋友見面. 時間好趕.

After Taichung, a mixture of coffee and gasoline took us the rest of the way. We stopped in Tai Ma Li for beef noodles, but I was too exhausted to enjoy them. By the time we got to Taitung City, I was getting that floaty feeling that comes with bone-tiredness. We had been driving all day, and the four of us felt like the walking (or maybe I should say driving) dead. 台中以後,就只是為了咖啡和汽油的短暫停留了 .我們到台東縣太麻里鄉吃牛肉麵, 只是我累得沒辦法好好享受這頓晚餐. 回到台東市的時候, 我整個人感到虛浮和深入骨髓的疲累. 我們開了整天的車,四個人都累斃了.

It was good to walk into our apartment after all that commuting. More than anything, it was good to be home. It was nice to visit family and friends in the States, but I know that Taitung is the place for me. I can't say when I'll be visiting Seattle again, but when I think of all the driving, and waiting in line, and money that it takes to get there, well... let's just say I'm in no hurry to repeat the procedure. 回到家真的是見最棒的事 ,回家真好! 我當然喜歡跟美國的親戚朋友在一起, 但是我更知道台東比較適合我. 我不知道下次時候回去西雅圖, 只是我想到開車,排隊, 跟要花的錢,我就不想那麼早回去了.

Triathlons: Here and There 鐵人三項: 台灣跟美國

2011-09-03T04:42:00.000-07:00

I recently participated in a triathlon in Seattle. This was the second triathlon I've taken part in, and my first in the USA. My first-ever triathlon was the "Flowing Lake Triathlon" in Taitung. 我最近在美國西雅圖參加一個鐵人三項賽. 這是我第二次參加鐵人賽 , 也是我第一次在美國參加這種比賽. 我第一次是參加台東活水湖的鐵人三項.

Since the Flowing Lake was my first triathlon, I was naturally very nervous. I can remember checking my gear twenty or thirty times before the race, and once it was all over I couldn't believe that I had actually done it. My triathlon in Seattle, by comparison, was a relatively stress-free affair. I didn't bother to check my gear much, and I spent the time before the race warming up, watching the competitors in the longer event, and getting myself mentally ready for the competition. 因為台東活水湖的鐵人賽是我的第一次, 所以我那時候很緊張. 比賽前, 我好幾次檢查裝備. 賽後, 我真不敢相信自己居然完成了.對照台東的經驗, 西雅圖的鐵人賽就輕鬆多了. 我只檢查一次設備, 而且也不像以前那麼緊張.看看其他選手的狀況也同時將自己的心情準備好接受挑戰.

This particular Seattle triathlon was the "Federal Escape Triathlon," which was about an hour south of where my parents live. My time on that one was pretty good, even though my timing chip popped off my leg halfway through the swim segment. The lake where it was held was very small, and I was a lot more confident about my swimming this time out. 這次參加的美國鐵人三項為"Federal Escape Triathlon." 舉辦的地點在西雅圖的南邊. 從我父母家開車到那裏差不多一個小時. 雖然比賽時我的晶片在游泳項目中掉了又補發 ,還好舉行游泳比賽的那個湖很小而且我對自己的游泳能力也比較有自信,所以我完賽的時間不錯.

People generally swim like they drive, and in this respect my Seattle triathlon experience was very good. The competitors gave each other a lot of space, swam in the most efficient manner possible, and kept their own and others' safety foremost in mind. Compare this to this to the Flowing Lake Triathlon, where people swam as if they were fighting traffic in Taipei. 在美國參加游泳比賽很棒,因為大家都像開車一樣很守規矩. 比賽者會給彼此足夠的空間也很注意自身及他人的安全. 相對地,活水湖的鐵人游泳部分,大家都游的像在台北賽車一樣.

But what I say about swimming is not true for bicycling. I have found that bicycling in the USA is twice as miserable as bicycling in Taiwan. Why? Because there are lights and stop signs EVERYWHERE, and everyone follows the traffic rules. There were also police all over the course, which made building up speed during the bicycle segment very problematic. In Taitung I would have been flying, whereas the best I could manage in Seattle was the occasional burst of momentum, followed by a grinding halt at the next light. 可是腳踏車部分就不一樣了,在台灣騎腳踏車比在美國好多了. 為甚麼呢? 因為在美國到處都有紅綠燈和"停"的交通號制.每個人都要守交通規則, 到處都有警察開罰單. 因為這個原因, 在那邊沒辦法騎快. 但在台東我都快可以飛起來了.

The running part of either triathlon was about the same. I will say, however, that running in the Seattle summer is much easier than running in Taitung on a hot day. In Taitung dehydration is a very serious matter, whereas during the Seattle triathlon I barely drank any water, and still did OK. 跑步的部分就跟台東鐵人比賽中的差不多. 在西雅圖跑步的好處就是天氣不像台東那麼濕熱. 在台東要注意喝多少水. 但在西雅圖我幾乎可以在賽程中不喝水..

All in all, I think I like doing triathlons in Taitung much better. This is mostly because I enjoy the scenery in Taitung more. There are many beautiful places in the USA, but for me there's something indescribably cool about riding or running my way up the east coast of Taiwan. I'd be eager to do a triathlon in either place, but for me the "real deal" will always be the traithlons in Taitung. 話說回來, 我覺得參加台東的鐵人三項比較好玩. 因為我比較喜歡台東的風景. 美國風景好的地點並不少, 只是在臺灣東海岸跑步或是騎單車是最酷的. 我對任何地方的鐵人三項賽都有興趣, 但是我還是覺得在台東舉辦的鐵人三項是最棒的.

Related Entries 相關的文章:

The 2011 Taitung Flowing Lake International Triathlon 台東活水湖國際鐵人三項賽
Running around Taiwan 慢跑臺灣
Bicycling, Swimming, and Running 騎單車, 游泳和跑步
"Love 197" 戀戀197

Chang Bin Township 長濱鄉

2011-08-27T02:15:00.001-07:00

Chang Bin Township is at the northern edge of Taitung County, just before you reach Hualien. It lies along the coastal highway, and is about two hours from Taitung City. 長濱鄉位於台東縣北部與花蓮縣比鄰. 從台東市走台9線到長濱大概要兩個小時.

Wu Shr Bi 烏石鼻

I have the feeling that most tourists don't spend much time (or money) in Chang Bin. If they are travelling north, they've just been to San Shian Tai (Three Fairies Bridge), and they're in a hurry to get to Hualien. If they're travelling south, they're probably in a hurry to get to more famous places farther on. 我覺得大部分的觀光客不會在長濱停留與消費, 如果他們是往北走,大概已經去過三仙台,並且急著往花蓮出發.如果他們從花蓮過來往南走,應該想去其他比較有名的景點.

The most famous place in Chang Bin is the Eight Fairies Cave, which is located at the northern end of the township. It is a series of eight caves and a trail that leads between them, and the view from the top of the trail is very good. I would suggest visiting this place on a sunny day. It doesn't look like much when it's cloudy. 長濱最有名的景點是長濱鄉北部的八仙洞. 這裡有條步道帶著你從最低處的洞一路往上到最高處的洞. 最上面風景的美在晴天的時候最能體會的了.

There is also a place called Wu Shr Bi at the southern end of Chang Bin. It is a bit like Ye Liou in Taipei, without all the tourists. Some of the rock formations in this place are interesting, and there's a great view up and down the coast from here. You can see San Shian Tai as you look south. 長濱南部的烏石鼻有點像台北的野柳, 只是少了許多觀光客. 這裡的石頭很有意思. 風景也很棒. 從這裡往南看可以看到三仙台.

Yu Chang Highway 玉長公路

Chang Bin is also the beginning of the Yu-Chang Highway, named for Yu Li where it ends, and Chang Bin where it starts. This highway offers a beautiful drive through the mountains, crossing over the coastal mountain range into Hualien County. Halfway to Yu Li you will find the An Tong Hot Springs, which are well worth a visit. 長濱鄉也是玉長公路的起點. 這條公路起名於花蓮縣的玉里和台東縣的長濱, 這條公路沿路提供了山區的美麗景致. 更有知名的安通溫泉等著你去探訪.

Eight Fairies Cave 八仙洞

Besides the above, there's not much in Chang Bin except scenery. There are many aboriginal villages along the coast, a few nice beaches, but nothing spectacular. It is a quiet, sleepy place, and good for relaxing. 除了以上景點, 長濱還有的就是風景和沿著海岸線的部落, 當然也有一些不錯的海灘. 它是一個安靜且令人放鬆的地方.

Related Entries 相關的文章:

Where is Taitung? 台東在哪裡?
Da Wu 大武鄉
In and around Da Ren Township 達仁鄉
Jin Feng Township 金峰鄉
Tai Ma Li Township 太麻里鄉
Taitung City 台東市
Green Island Township 綠島鄉
Orchid Island Township 蘭嶼鄉
Beinan Township 卑南鄉
Yan Ping Township 延平鄉
Dong He Township 東河鄉
Lu Ye Township 鹿野鄉
Guanshan Municipality 關山鎮
Cheng Gong Municipality 成功鎮

List of Topics: 2010-2011

2011-07-19T20:28:00.000-07:00

Warning: names, dates, and locations are subject to change, and the older these entries get, the more errors are likely to be found within them. If you are unsure about the validity of any information presented in the entries below, feel free to ask, and I will do my best to verify and correct where necessary. 注意:名稱,姓名,和地名有可能和目前的狀況不同,隨著時間的改變,你可能發現多處與現實狀況有出入的地方,如果你有任何的疑問請提出來,我會盡我所能地修正.

List of Topics: 2009-2010

2011-07-19T20:18:00.000-07:00

School's Out (Again)!放假了(再一次)

2011-06-06T18:41:00.000-07:00

This will be my last entry here until I come back from Seattle in September. I'll be on vacation in the States, and I can't very well write about Taitung if I'm in Seattle.這會是我最後一篇文章直到我九月自西雅圖度假回來,因為我在西雅圖沒辦法寫關於台東的風情.

Thanks, as always, to those who've read and/or commented upon this blog. You are the reason I keep writing it! My best wishes to you, and here's hoping you have a great summer. I'll be spending the rest of my summer on the other side of the Pacific, and I am looking forward to a nice, long rest.謝謝那些看我的文章和寫評語的朋友,因為你們我才有動力繼續下去,祝你們有個美好的夏天,這個夏天我將在太平洋的另一邊度過,我很期待能夠好好的休息.

I have another blog, Seattle Style, on which I will put photos of our trip.我有另一個部落格Seattle Style,我會將暑假的照片放在那裡.

Again, best wishes to you, your family, and friends. Stay happy, healthy, and safe!再一次祝福你們及你們的親朋好友快樂,健康,平安.

Heat "熱"

2011-06-05T23:43:00.000-07:00

It's Monday, June 6. It's also Dragon Boat Festival. It's also damn hot. I don't know what the calendar says, but for me the first day of summer was yesterday, when the sun started to get HUGE.六月六日星期一端午節,真是熱翻天了,我不確定日曆上是怎麼說的,對我來說,昨天是正式邁入夏天的開始,從這一天起太陽變得很大.

I'm sweating through my clothes as I write this. I'm also sweating all over my keyboard. It's not easy to type when you're so sweaty. It's not easy to do anything when you're sweaty - except maybe take your hundredth shower, and change your clothes for the hundredth time.我汗流浹背地寫這篇文章,把我的鍵盤也弄濕了.滿頭大汗地打字是一件苦差事,應該說除了洗澡和換衣服之外,在這種熱天氣下做任何事都很辛苦.

When it gets hot like this, I am usually thinking of two things. The first thing is swimming, and the second one is cold drinks. If I am swimming, I am thinking about what cold drink I will have after I finish swimming. If I am drinking a cold drink, I am thinking about where I can go swimming afterwards.炎熱的夏天我只想到兩件事:第一件昰游泳,再來則是冰涼的飲料.當我游泳時,我想著待會去哪裡喝飲料,如果我喝著冰冰涼涼的飲料,那我腦海中則是盤算著可以去哪裡游泳.

I can't say how long this heat will last, but I know the summer just started, and we have many days of sunshine ahead of us. This can be a good thing, if you are like me and enjoy being outside. It can also be a bad thing if - like me - you work in a place without air conditioning.不知道這樣的熱度要持續到什麼時候?但是我知道夏天才剛開始.如果你也像我一樣喜歡戶外活動,這樣的天氣就是一件好事,但如果你像我一樣在沒有冷氣的地方上班的話,它就可能是一件壞事.

I know it's not easy sometimes, but we all have to do what we can, and make the best of these hot, hot days. The heat might be a drag, but it's the heat that makes all of the barbeques, swimming expeditions, and camping trips possible. It is, in other words, a great time to be outside, and for that reason I am grateful for the heat.我們都必須盡我們所能地享受夏天,雖然有時候很不容易,但也因為它讓烤肉,游泳和露營等活動成為樂事,想到這些好玩的夏日活動就讓我很感謝夏天的到來.

Happy Dragon Boat Festival! 端午節快樂!

2011-06-02T17:05:00.000-07:00

Going camping up in Bei Yuan this weekend with some coworkers. Looking forward to some rest, relaxation, and recuperation on this three-day weekend. Here's wishing you a happy Dragon Boat Festival. Maybe I'll see you at the Flowing Water Lake for the races! 我們這個周末要跟同事一起去露營. 我也期待能利用這三天的假好好休息. 在這裡先祝你"端午節快樂". 我們也許會在活水湖的划龍舟競賽中見面!

New Restaurants in Taitung City 台東市的新餐廳

2011-05-28T17:36:00.000-07:00

People in Taitung City love to open restaurants. Quite often someone will build a new, shiny one downtown, only to have it close a few months later. It is easy to open a restaurant in Taitung City, but difficult to keep one open for very long. There just aren't that many people here, and their tastes don't vary that much. 台東市民喜歡開餐廳. 常常在市區看到新的餐廳, 可是通常沒開幾個月就關門了. 在台東開餐廳很簡單, 可是經營是一個大問題. 因為台東市人口少, 喜歡的食物種類也不多.

What follows below are the newest developments with regard to cuisine in Taitung City. If they sound good to you, you might want to hurry up and eat there! You never know, they might be closed by next month! 以下這些餐廳是台東市的最新選擇. 你如果想試試看的話, 趕快去吧! 誰知道他們是不是下個月就關門了!

1. The new pizza restaurant on Shin Sheng Road (Farmaggio) is pretty good. I believe the owner used to own a Domino's somewhere. I've had every kind of pizza they make, and even one kind that wasn't on the menu. Obviously I like their pizza, but it's not cheap! My family of four ate there a few weeks ago, and it was over 1000 NT for the four of us! 新生路上的一家比薩餐廳不錯. 老闆說他以前是達美樂的老闆. 我吃過他們所有口味的比薩, 也吃過老闆特製的不在菜單上的比薩. 我喜歡他們的食物, 可是不便宜. 我們一家四口幾個禮拜前在那裡吃午餐. 大概1000元多一點!

2. Did you know that they're building a Subway sandwich restaurant downtown? It will be on Jung Shan Road, just around the corner from the KFC, and not far from the Pizza Hut. I don't know how this place is going to stay open. I don't think there are enough people in Taitung to support a Subway, and I don't know anyone here who's really crazy about sandwiches. It will probably do OK in the first few months, but it's hard to imagine it staying open for longer than six months. 你知道台東要開一家Subway三明治餐廳嗎? 它會在中山路上, 靠近舊火車站的KFC和Pizza Hut. 真搞不懂這家餐廳在台東怎麼經營下去. 台東市民不多, 而且可能也沒有那麼多人喜歡這種食物. 前幾個月生意應該不錯, 可是長久經營好像不大可能.

3. The "I Love Taitung" Italian Restaurant is moving from their old location on Shin Sheng Road to a new location on Han Jung Street. I have never been a huge fan of this restaurant. I always thought their food was just OK. Their new location is just up the road from Tung Hai Elementary School, behind that big church on the intersection of Jeng Chi North Road and Han Jung Street. "我愛台東"義大利餐廳要從新生路搬到漢中街. 我覺得他們的食物還好, 他們新的地點在東海國小附近. 靠近正氣北路跟漢中街的路口, 在那個大教堂後面.

4. The "Breakfast Castle" breakfast restaurant continues to take over the Taitung City breakfast market. They're building a new one downtown, not far from Carrefour. I'm not sure why people love this place so much. There are already so many of these in Taitung City, and I'm sure they will build others. 還有早安!美芝城這家早餐餐廳,它們陸續攻佔台東市的早餐市場. 在家樂福附近又在蓋一家新的. 我不知道為什麼台東人那麼喜歡美芝城. 雖然已經有那麼多了. 但我相信以後還會有更多的美芝城出現吧!

And that's all of the new restaurants I can think of now. If anyone knows of any others, please let me know! 這是我目前知道的新餐廳. 還有其他你知道的嗎? 請介紹給我!

Related Entries 相關的文章:

Hamburgers in Taitung 台東的漢堡
Eating in Taitung City 台東市裡的餐聽

Cheng Gong Municipality 成功鎮

2011-05-21T18:02:00.000-07:00

I was looking through my pictures today, and I realized that I only have a few pictures of Cheng Gong. I'm not sure why. I drive up there fairly often - much more often than I drive to places like Chang Bin, Chr Shang, or Hai Duan - but for some reason I only have a handful of pictures to show for it. 今天看著我拍的照片時, 發現自己在成功鎮拍的照片不多. 我不確定為什麼. 因為我們去成功的次數比去長濱鄉, 池上鄉, 海端鄉多, 可是我能夠介紹成功鄉的照片卻只有一些而已.

So please accept my apologies if you've seen these pictures already. I didn't have many pictures to choose from, and I am almost certain that I have put one or two of these up before! 所以我要跟你說一聲"不好意思." 我沒有很多照片可以選. 我也知到這個文章的一兩個照片是以前看過的.

Cheng Gong Municipality is on Highway 11, between Dong He and Chang Bin Townships. Its biggest tourist attractions are San Shian Tai and the National Taitung Aquarium, both very close to the city of Cheng Gong. 成功鎮位於長濱鄉和東河鄉中間,在台十一線上. 它最有名的景點是三仙台和臺東小丑魚館. 這兩個地方都離成功市區不遠.

As I have written elsewhere, San Shian Tai is well worth a visit. The National Taitung Aquarium, however, is not. This aquarium is located in downtown Cheng Gong, just on the other side of the fishing port. There are very few actual fish in this place, and most of the building is strangely empty. 我之前寫過三仙台值得造訪的特色.但是成功的臺東小丑魚館就沒那麼有趣. 它位在成功市區, 靠近成功漁港. 館裡的魚不多, 而且大部分的建築物空空的沒什麼東西.

In downtown Cheng Gong there is also the "Mother Song" Restaurant, just off the main road. Their seafood is excellent, and I have eaten there many times. Their food tends to be less fresh during Chinese New Year, mostly because they prepare dishes ahead of time, so I would avoid it then. 成功市區的"宋媽媽餐廳"的海鮮很好吃. 它離海洋館不遠. 我去過許多次. 但是農曆新年時, 他們的海鮮沒有平常時候新鮮, 因為他們預先準備, 所以我覺得不要過年時去比較好.

There is also a Swordfish Festival in Cheng Gong once a year. The banners throughout the county make this event sound pretty cool, but there's really not much to it. They set up food stalls near the Cheng Gong Seashore Park, people form ENORMOUS lines for the sake of free sashimi, and that's all. 另外還有每年成功鎮舉辦的旗魚節活動. 台東沿路的旗幟讓這個活動聽起來很棒, 可是這個活動只是在成功海濱公園附近架一些賣吃的小攤子, 和為了免費生魚片而排出來的巨型人龍了.

Aside from the above, there aren't any noteworthy places in Cheng Gong. In the absence of such places, Cheng Gong boasts miles of beautiful coastline, and also roads that lead into scenic river valleys. My daughters love to play in the rivers and on the beaches of Cheng Gong, and I do too. 除了以上這些地方與活動之外, 成功有的就是美麗的海灘跟漂亮的山景,那裡的小路也會帶領你到另人驚艷的河提, 我的孩子相當喜歡在那裡玩水. 我也不例外!

Superhero Movies! 超人電影

2011-05-13T20:36:00.001-07:00

Like many American men, I am obsessed with the idea of superhero movies. There is something indescribably cool about seeing characters like Thor, Green Lantern, and Iron Man appear on the big screen, even if the movie versions of these characters are sometimes disappointing. 我超愛超人電影,就跟許多美國男人一樣. 電影中的雷神索爾, 綠燈俠和鋼鐵人的酷,讓我無法以言語形容. 雖然不一定每部超人電影都很精彩, 可是我還是喜歡超人電影.

I grew up reading comic books, so the process of translating superheroes into a movie context fascinates me. Movies can do so much now, and characters that would have once been unthinkable in a movie context - for example, Green Lantern - are now making their way to a movie theater near you. 我小時候最喜歡看漫畫書, 所以我對每個電影中的超人都很好奇. 現代的電影特效很厲害, 讓漫畫書中的角色活生生出現在觀眾面前. 所以現在任何超人電影都有可能出現在螢幕上了.

Most recently, Thor appeared this May. I went to Kaohsiung last weekend specifically to see this movie, and I must say that I was pleasantly surprised. I was a bit skeptical when I heard that Kenneth Branagh was directing it, but he did a good job. The story has some serious plot holes, and Thor's costume could have been better, but the actors involved were fantastic. 雷神索爾在今年五月上映. 我們上禮拜為了看這部電影開車到高雄. 我覺得它不錯. 剛聽說Kenneth Branagh是這部片的導演的時候, 我想這部電影應該沒什麼好看的, 可是看過它以後,我發現這位導演進步了. 雖然雷神索爾的故事情節有點漏洞, 英雄的服裝造型也不太酷, 但是這部片的演員演技很棒.

And, as the poster above announces, Green Lantern comes out next month. Warner Bros. has pumped a lot of money into this picture, and I think with Martin Campbell (Casino Royale, Edge of Darkness) at the helm, it should be a good film. I liked Thor, but I think Green Lantern will be even better.從上面的廣告應該看的出來綠燈俠快上映了. Warner Bros. 這間電影公司為了這部電影花了很多錢. 從它的導演Martin Campbell(皇家夜總會,驚爆萬惡城)來看,這部片應該很棒. 雖然雷神索爾不錯, 但是綠燈俠應該更好.

In July, Captain America: the First Avenger hits theaters. This movie also has a good director behind it, and the incomparable Hugo Weaving plays the Red Skull. I am a bit confused by Chris Evans as Captain America, since he also played the Human Torch in the Fantastic Four movies. Yeah, he's got the build for it, but I think having the same guy play two different superheroes is kind of strange. 七月的時候還有美國隊長出場. 這部片有一個好導演, 還有我最喜歡的Hugo Weaving扮演 Red Skull. 只是我覺得Chris Evans當美國隊長很奇怪, 因為他以前飾演驚奇四超人的Human Torch. 雖然他有美國隊長的身材, 可是一個人飾演兩個超人很奇怪.

After Captain America, there isnt' much going on with respect to superhero movies for quite some time. A sequel to Ghost Rider is coming out, and another X-men film, which acts as prequel to the other films. I am not that excited about either movie. I thought the last Ghost Rider film was awful, and I have never been a big X-men fan. 繼美國隊長以後, 可能要等很久才會有很棒的超人電影. 雖然今年夏天還會有惡靈戰警2跟X戰警:第一戰. 但是我對這兩部電影不是很有興趣.因為惡靈戰警第一部不好看, 而且我原本對X戰警就沒什麼興趣.

For the next "big guns" in the superhero canon, we'll have to wait until next year. This is when The Dark Knight Rises comes out, as well as The Amazing Spider-man, Superman: Man of Steel, and The Avengers. The Amazing Spider-man is the underdog of the four, since neither Toby Maguire or Sam Raimi will be returning for this fourth Spider-man film. There will of course be a lot of hype surrounding the next Batman movie, given not only the star power involved, but also the fact that the Dark Knight was so commercially and critically successful. The Man of Steel might be good, especially with Zack Snyder directing and Christopher Nolan producing. 比較有名的超人電影明年才會上映. 明年有新的蝙蝠俠, 超人, 跟蜘蛛人,也有Avengers超人隊. 新的蜘蛛人是其中比較沒有希望的, 因為這一次沒有Sam Raimi當導演, 也沒有Toby Maguire當蜘蛛人. 很多人因為上一部的蝙蝠俠而等著看新的蝙蝠俠. 新的鋼鐵人應該不錯, 因為有Zack Snyder當導演還有蝙蝠俠的Christopher Nolan當制片人.

But the Avengers, now here's the movie to watch. The Avengers will either be the crowning achievement, or the death-knell of Marvel's "cinematic universe." In case you hadn't noticed, Marvel has been trying (since the first Iron Man), to tie all of its movies together into a single world, culminating in The Avengers, which will hit theaters May 2012. If this movie succeeds, we will probably see a host of new superheroes hit screens in its wake. If this movie bombs, I would imagine that Marvel will have to "scale back" its plans to a considerable degree." the Avengers"這部片的成績應該會對未來超人電影造成影響.它是Marvel Studios這間公司的計畫終點. 從"鋼鐵人"開始, Marvel Studios的電影裡的超人都住在同一個世界. 因為他們從以前就打算在2012年推出"Avengers超人隊". 如果這電影賺很多錢, 以後一定會有更多的超人電影. 如果這部電影不受歡迎, 以後的超人電影應該會減少.

Whatever happens with Marvel, I think in the near future we will see a movie version of The Flash. This is the thing that gets me really excited, since The Flash was always my favorite superhero. Warner Bros. has plans to develop The Flash, Wonder Woman, and other DC heroes into movies, and it will be interesting to see what they do with these characters. 無論Avengers的成績如何, 之後就應該有我最想看的閃電俠電影. 我從小就最喜歡閃電俠. Warner Bros. 打算拍閃電俠, 神力女超人和其他的DC超人的電影. 我想這些超人電影應該很有意思.

Related Entries 相關的文章:

Comic Books 漫畫書

Guanshan Municipality 關山鎮

2011-05-08T17:51:00.000-07:00

"Flower Sea" 花海

Guanshan Municipality is at the north end of Taitung County, on Highway 11, between Chr Shang Township and Lu Ye Township. It is one of the more famous places in Taitung County, and one of the most scenic. 關山鎮的位在台東縣北部. 它在台十一線, 也再池上鄉跟鹿野鄉的中間. 它是台東最有名地點其中一個. 它也是台東風景最美的景點.

I am translating the word "鎮" as "municipality" for the lack of a better option. In the USA, where I come from, I don't think we have an equivalent for this word. "市" is obviously "city," and "鄉" seems to make sense as "township," but I'm really not sure how to best translate "鎮." Google translates it simply as "town," but that doesn't seem equivalent to the way the word is used in Taiwan. "鎮"這個字是很難翻譯. 再美國, 我們常用Town這個字形容關山這種地方, 可是成功鎮也叫"鎮"這個字. 問題是成功這個地方一點都不像我們再美國用的Town這個意思, 所以我從中文翻譯過來就用Municipality這個字.

The most famous thing in Guanshan is the Water Park, which resembles Taitung City's Forest Park. You have to pay to get into this place, and in my opinion they charge too much money. It's pretty, but not especially big. 關山最有名的地方就是關山親水公園. 這個公園很像台東市的森林公園, 可是在關山的公園要買門票. 親水公園裡的風景不錯, 可是它不是很大. 我也覺得門票太貴了.

Most people go to Guanshan to ride bikes around. It's a great place for riding bikes, since the traffic away from the highway is very light, and the mountain scenery away from the town is very beautiful. There is an overlook that you can ride to on the west side of Guanshan, and from here you can see both north and south for many kilometers. 大部分的觀光客喜歡在關山騎腳踏車. 關山真的滿適合騎腳踏車, 因為小巷子的交通很順, 到處的風景也好美麗. 關山鎮的西部有一個景台. 騎車到這裡的旅客可欣賞遠遠的山谷.

Some of the food in Guanshan is also famous, or at least getting so. A lot of tourists converge on the area surrounding the market during holidays, primarily for the sake of eating fermented ("stinky") tofu and what I will translate loosely as "glutinous rice balls." I think the "rice balls" at the Pu Li Rice Balls (behind the market) are the best, and I have tried just about all the restaurants in or near the market. 關山還有一些食物受觀光客的歡迎. 大節日的時候, 好多人喜歡在關山菜市場附近吃臭豆腐跟肉圓. 我覺得市場後面的埔里肉圓是最好吃的. 我也吃過很多另外家的肉圓.

Aside from the town of Guanshan itself, there's not much except scenery in Guanshan Municipality. If you take the bridge behind the Water Park, there's a nice drive along the 197 Highway south, through the village/town of Dian Gwang (literally: "Electric Light"). This highway grows increasingly unreliable as you approach Lu Ye, however, so those without sturdy vehicles should probably avoid it. 除了關山市區以外, 關山鎮沒什麼. 親水公園後面有一橋. 這個橋另外邊是電光村. 你可以從這裡用台197線往南開到臺東市. 197的風景不錯, 可是這條路真的有點危險. 比較老舊的車不應該開這條路.

Local Rice Products, Guanshan Rice Factory 關山米廠

Guanshan also boasts a "flower sea," which is a major tourist attraction during Chinese New Year. Speaking for myself, I don't understand the big deal about "flower seas." The flower sea is next to the rice factory, and also along Highway 11. 關山也有個花海. 中國新年的時候這個花海是關山最熱鬧的地點. 我當然了解那麼多人喜歡花海的理由, 可是我自己沒有興趣. 關山的花海在米廠旁邊, 也在台十一上.

Besides the touristy stuff above, I think Guanshan would be a nice place to live. I have often thought of buying land there, but I'm not exactly sure what I would do afterwards, or how I would go about earning money. I can't imagine that anyone in Guanshan is making a lot of money, unless perhaps they are renting bicycles. 除了上面的這些東西之外, 我也想住關山鎮應該不錯. 我以前考慮過在那裡要不要買土地或是買房子. 問題是我不知道我在關山可以找什麼工作. 我也覺得很多關山的住民也有這個問題. 除了租單車之外, 在關山過生應該不是跟人想像的那麼簡單吧!

Guanshan Water Park 關山親水公園

The 2011 Taitung Flowing Lake International Triathlon 台東活水湖國際鐵人三項賽

2011-04-30T23:35:00.000-07:00

115.5 KM triathlon start

The 2011 Taitung Flowing Lake International Triathlon is the first triathlon I have ever participated in. It is also the most exhausting thing I have ever done. I have always liked running, but this is the first time I ever tried to throw swimming and bicycling into the equation.2011年台東活水湖鐵人三項比賽是我第一次參加的鐵人賽,也是我這輩子目前做過最累的一件事,雖然我喜歡跑步,但這是我第一次參加將游泳,騎腳踏車與跑步結合的比賽.

I woke up at 5:30 a.m. for this thing, roughly two and a half hours before the triathlon started. I was a little bit nervous, but mostly just worried that I had forgotten something. I drank about a gallon of water, had breakfast, and went over my personal checklist for the hundredth time.我在五點半起床,比比賽時間早了兩個小時.我有點緊張,但大部分的原因是擔心忘了該帶的物品,在喝了大概一加侖的水和吃些早餐後,繼續進行"第一百次"的檢查動作.

Do I have....看看是否東西都齊全了.......

My bike? (check)腳踏車(有)
My clothes? (check)衣服(有)
My shoes and socks? (check)鞋子和襪子(有)
My water bottle? (check)水壺(有)
My energy packs? (check)能量包(有)
My race number and assorted race paraphernalia?(and... check)號碼布....等(有)

115.5 KM triathlon - swim segment115.5公里鐵人三項-遊泳

So, finally convinced that yes, I did have everything, I woke up the rest of the family and we rode our bikes over to the the Deep Forest Park. It was at this point that the morning began to take on a very surreal aspect, as I finally and completely realized that yes, I was about to do my first triathlon, and no, there was no way to back out of it.最後確認後,我將全家叫起床並且騎腳踏車往森林公公園出發.這時"參加鐵人三賽"這件事變得很不真實,是的,我是真的將參加這場賽事,而且不能反悔了.

An hour and a half later I'm standing among 200 or so other people, waiting for the swim portion of the triathlon to begin. I feel fairly confident at this point, because the swim course is actually smaller than I though it would be. Someone shoots off a starting gun, and we all jump into the water. It is at this point that I almost have a heart attack, because I finally realize how inept most of the other competitors are in the water, and I begin to to understand how truly dangerous it is to be in the water with so many people who don't really know how to swim. "What if one of them grabs on to me?" I wonder, "And how am I supposed to avoid getting kicked in the face?"一個半小時後,我與兩百多位的參賽者一同等著遊泳比賽開始,我對自己很有信心,因為遊泳的距離比我認為得還短,鳴槍後,兩百多位參賽者一起在水中的情景讓我差點得心臟病,大部分選手的泳技都不怎麼樣,我開始了解和這麼多泳技不佳的人一起在水中是多麼危險的一件事,我開始猜想:"如果他們抓著我怎麼辦?","我怎麼避免臉部被踢中獎?".

After fifteen or so minutes, I realize that swimming in the middle is probably the most dangerous place to be, so I work my way over to the right bank of the lake, and pick up a fair amount of speed. The only trouble is that my swim cap keeps coming off, and I have to stop FOUR TIMES just to screw it back on my head. Before starting, I thought of swimming as my weakest event, but as the swim progresses I realize that I am much better than I thought.大約十五分鐘後我意識到在中間區域遊泳是最危險的,所以我試著游到湖的右邊,這樣也讓我的速度快些.唯一的問題是泳帽,因為它一直掉下來,我必須停下來四次把它戴好,下水之前我以為遊泳應該是我最弱的項目,沒想到我在水中的表現比我以為得好多了.

Afterwards we are all running to the Transition Area, which has been set up on the other side of a hill that runs along the left side of the lake. It's quite a long run, I think, but I am so happy from the swim that I don't think about it much. I find my bike among the over 500 that are waiting there, put on my helmet, drink some water, eat an energy pack, slip on my shoes and socks, and walk my bike to the starting line for the bike segment. At this point my confidence is fairly high, but then again I am competing with a mountain bike, and I know that there's not much hope of beating guys riding road bikes that cost more than my car. I figure that if I do an average of 30 KM an hour, over the entire cycle leg, that I'll be OK, and not too far behind the other competitors.游泳結束後,我們要跑到湖左邊的小丘旁的轉換站,那距離真是有點長,只是我很高興自己能夠完成游泳的部分,所以對於距離也就沒想太多了.我的腳踏車停在五百多輛的腳踏車中等著我,戴上安全帽,喝些水和補充能量包,穿好鞋襪,牽著腳踏車走到下一階段的起點,開始腳踏車的比賽路程.這時我充滿了信心,只是我的腳踏車是登山車,不大有希望贏過騎著比我的車還貴的名貴公路車的人,我計算如果保持在時速30公里的狀態下, 我不會落後其他人太多.

51.5 KM triathlon swim segment (that's me with the tattoos!)

So we all ride up to the other side of Du Lan and back. The sun is coming out big time, and it's HOT. Fortunately the sun slips back behind the clouds after I reach the turnaround, and even though a lot of guys are passing me, I still feel like I'm doing alright - for a guy on a mountain bike, anyway.我們都騎到都蘭再折返回來,這時太陽已經很大了,幸運的是回程時太陽又躲回雲層去了,雖然很多人越過我,但是我覺得對騎登山車的我來說,我的成績已經很不錯了,

After 40 KM of cycling we race back to Taitung City, and back to the Transition Area in the Forest Park. I know I'm not anywhere near the front of the pack, but I think I've done fairly well for a guy with such a heavy bike. I walk the bike back in, have some more water, eat another energy pack, and begin walking to the start of the running segment.經過了四十公里的腳踏車賽程,我們又回到台東森林公園的鐵人比賽場地,雖然我不是屬於領先的那羣參賽者,但是騎著笨重腳踏車的我有這樣的成績已經很好了.我將車子牽回車棚放好,喝些水再補充些能量,開始走向跑步賽程的起點.

And here was where I really got into trouble, because by the time the run started I... just... had... nothing... left. Really. I couldn't have run that last 10K if you had put a gun to my head. I managed to run about a fourth of it, and then run/walk the rest of the way to Li Ji and back.這一部分是我有麻煩的地方,跑步時,我...沒...有...任何...精力了,我只能跑四分之一,然後就是一邊跑一邊走地到利吉和回來.

51.5 triathlon run segment start

As I am (mostly) walking back past the Forest Park, I manage a final run towards the finish line, and find out that I completed the triathlon in almost exactly three and a half hours. By this time I'm so tired that I feel kind of "floaty," and all I can think about is a) having a really, really huge milk tea, and b) jumping right back into that lake, and sitting there for a very long time.我幾乎走回來,最後終點前我是跑步通過的,而且整個賽程我花了大概三個半小時完成,這時我已經累到覺得自己有點飄浮感了,我唯一能想到的只有(a)喝杯超級大奶茶或是(b)跳進湖裡,並且久久地坐著.

For those unfamiliar with triathlons, three and a half hours really isn't a very good time. I hope I can do better next time. I am already signed up for two triathlons in Seattle (in July), and I'll probably sign up for a third, in Taitung, in October. I'm thinking that it would be best for me to finally spend the money and buy a more expensive bike. I also want to train harder, which I plan to do in the following two months.三個半小時的成績並不是很好,我希望下次我有更好的成績.我已經報名西雅圖七月份的兩場鐵人賽,我可能會繼續參加台東十月的另一場比賽,我最好還是花錢買輛貴一點的腳踏車,而且更努力於往後兩個月的練習.

Man, I am really, really tired as I write this. My respect to everyone who came out today and gave their all. My congratulations to those who finished first, but especially to those who had the heart to finish last. You are all heroes in my book, and I hope to see some of you next year!喔!j我真的,真的很累,我很佩服今天來參加的選手們,也恭喜那些比較早完賽的選手和那些終不放棄的選手,你們都是我心目中的英雄,希望明年還可以再見到你們!

Triathlon finished! TIRED but happy!

"Love 197" 戀戀197

Bicycling, Swimming, and Running 騎單車, 游泳和跑步
Running Around Taiwan 慢跑臺灣

Music (II) 音樂 (II)

2011-04-21T04:17:00.000-07:00

Let's see what I've got on the old MP3 player these days. 讓我們來看看我的MP3上有什麼音樂.

As far as Jazz goes, I have a lot of songs by Billy Cobham. Billy Cobham is most famous for being the Mahavishnu Orchestra's drummer back in the 1970s. He is also one of the greatest drummers of all time. I like his solo albums a lot, especially "Spectrum."在爵士樂上, 我有很多Billy Cobham的歌. Billy Cobham是1970年代Mahavishnu Orchestra樂團的鼓手,也是當時頂尖的鼓手其中一位. 我也很喜歡他獨奏的唱片, 尤其是他的Spectrum.

Besides Billy, I've also got some Miles Davis and some John Abercrombie. Miles is one of my favorite musicians, but the album on my MP3, "Jack Johnson," isn't one of my favorites. John Abercrombie's music is just OK, and not all that different from a lot of other contemporary Jazz. 除了Billy Cobham之外, 我還有Miles Davis跟John Abercrombie的音樂. Miles是我最喜歡的爵士樂
喇叭手, 可是我MP3裡的音樂 "Jack Johnson" 不是他最好的唱片. John Abercrombie的音樂還好,沒有甚麼特別之處 .

Moving on to Reggae, I've got some Burning Spear and some Lucky Dube. Burning Spear is from Jamaica, and Lucky Dube is from South Africa. I like Burning Spear a lot more than Lucky Dube, and some of the words to Lucky Dube's songs are just silly. 接著在雷鬼音樂方面,我有Burning Spear和Lucky Dube. Burning Spear是從牙買加來的, Lucky Dube則是南非的歌手. 我比較喜歡Burning Spear的歌. 因為Lucky Dube的歌詞通常沒什麼意思.

As for Rock, I've got a lot of T-Rex, Slade, The Sweet, The Rolling Stones, and Journey. T-Rex is one of my all-time favorites, and I own every album he ever recorded. My favorite of all his albums has to be "The Slider." I'm not a huge Slade fan, though I do like their "Slade Alive" album. I like The Sweet slightly more than Slade, though I think they only really made two albums worth buying. 談到搖滾樂, 我有很多T-Rex, Slade, The Sweet, The Rolling Stones, 和Journey. T-Rex是我最喜愛的歌手, 我有他的毎一張唱片. 我最喜歡的一張是"The Slider". 我不是很喜歡Slade的音樂, 但是他們的"Slade Alive"還不錯. 雖然The Sweet比Slade好一點, 可是他們值得買的唱片只有兩張.

It's hard to go wrong with The Rolling Stones. They are one of the greatest bands ever. Their "Sticky Fingers" is the album on my MP3, though my personal favorite is probably "Exile on Main Street.我也很喜歡" The Rolling Stones. 他們也是最棒的的樂團之一. 他們的"Sticky Fingers"也收錄在我的MP3裡, 只是我覺得他們最棒的唱片是"Exile on Main Street."

The Journey album on my MP3 is "Revelations," and is not as good as the "holy trinity" of Journey albums, these being: "Departure," "Escape," and "Frontiers." "Revelations" is the album they made with their new singer, who is from The Philippines. He's got a great voice, but he's no Steve Perry. Then again, who is? 我MP3裡的Journey唱片是"Revelations." 它沒有以前的"Departure," "Escape,"和"Frontiers"好. "Revelations"是他們與菲律賓籍的新主唱合作完成. 他們的新主唱很會唱歌, 可是沒有以前的Steve Perry厲害. 話說回來, 誰能夠跟Steve Perry一樣厲害?

On the Pop front, I've got Michael Jackson's "Off the Wall" and Rihanna's "Loud." "Off the Wall" is my favorite Michael Jackson album, even though I also like "Thriller" a lot. He lost me after "Bad." Rihanna's OK, but I'm not a huge fan or anything. 以流行樂來說, 我只有Michael Jackson的"Off the Wall"和Rihanna的"Loud." 我也喜歡"Thriller",但是"Off the Wall"是Michael Jackson唱片中我最喜歡的.除此之外,Rihanna的音樂還好, 可是她不像Michael那麼棒.

Aside from the above, the remainder of my MP3 is devoted to Heavy Metal. Here I've got Budgie, Meshuggah, Obscura, Pestilence, Revocation, and Spawn of Possession. Budgie was one of the first metal bands, from the 1970s. Meshuggah and Spawn of Possession are both from Sweden, and both those bands are very LOUD. Obscura is from Germany, and both Pestilence and Revocation are from the U.S. Lately I listen to the Obscura album more than the others, primarily because they share both their drummer and guitar player with one of my favorite metal bands of all time, Necrophagist. 除了上面那些歌以外, 我MP3大部分的音樂都是重金屬的. 這部分我有Budgie, Meshuggah, Obscura, Pestilence, Revocation, 還有Spawn of Possession. Budgie這個樂團是其中年代最久遠的.而 Meshuggah和Spawn of Possession都是從瑞士來的. 他們的音樂是最吵的. 還有Obscura是德國團體. Pestilence和Revocation是美國的樂團. 我最近常聽的是Obscura, 因為他們的吉他手跟鼓手也在我最喜歡的重金屬音樂團--德國的Necrophagist--當團員.

I went to a Meshuggah concert last time I was in Seattle. It was both the loudest and the most violent thing I have ever been to, ever. 我上次在西雅圖去了Meshuggah的音樂會. 以我去過的音樂會來說, 那次真是最吵也最危險的.

And that's it for my MP3. Writing about it was fun. Let me know about what kind of music YOU like, and maybe I can put it on my player! 我的MP3中大概就是這些了. 談音樂是件滿好玩的事. 如果有空的話, 你也可以告訴我你喜歡什麼音樂. 我的MP3還有空位!

Related Entries 相關的文章:

Music 音樂
Only a Northern Song... (英文)

Nuclear-Powered 核能發電

2011-04-14T18:31:00.000-07:00

The Fukushima Nuclear Accident in Japan is all over the news these days.日本福島的核能意外仍是現今新聞的重點.

Even people in Taitung are worried about this accident. The most common concerns are "fallout rain" or "rainout," and also the wisdom of eating seafood, given the seepage of radioactive material into the waters off the coast of Japan.甚至住在臺東的人也很擔心可能的輻射雨,和日本海岸線附近的放射性物質對"吃的安全"的影響.

To some, all of the worry over something so far away might seem ridiculous. Taitung, after all, is a great distance from Fukushima. A trip to that part of Japan would involve at least two plane rides, and several hours of traveling.對某些人來說,擔心那些遠在天邊的禍事有些可笑,畢竟臺東與福島的距離那麼遠,搭飛機都還需要轉機和幾個小時的路程呢!

Still, when one thinks of that distance with respect to the weather, the distance between Fukushima and Taitung is not so great after all. It so happens that at this time of year, wind and currents are blowing most of the fallout from the accident northwards and out into the Pacific, sending a large percentage of radioactive isotopes towards North America. Were these winds and currents to change direction - as they will inevitably do with the change of seasons - more of this fallout will reach Taiwan. What this phenomenon points to is the fact that fallout from any nuclear event is liable to wind up anywhere, and the ultimate destination of all those isotopes is at the whim of global weather patterns.只是從天氣的影響來看,福島與臺東的距離就不是那麼遠了.這個季節的風向和洋流把大部分的輻射雨往北送到太平洋,將大比例的輻射物質送到北美洲.這些風和洋流會不會改變方向呢?不可避免地當季節變化時,這些輻射雨也會到達臺灣.這些現象都指向一個事實:任何核能事件所造成的輻射雨都隨風向轉移,最終都落在全球氣候的運轉模式軌道中.

I am against nuclear power for this reason. The technology is too unstable, and should accidents occur they are likely to affect anyone, in any part of the globe. I often wonder whether or not the residents of Orchid Island have pondered this fact, given that they live next door to several hundred tons of nuclear waste. Should such a tsunami strike Orchid Island, what would it mean for them? Or for those of us in Taitung? Or for the world?這也是我為什摩反對核能的原因.這一項技術太不穩定,當意外發生時,它的影響是全球性的.我常想住在蘭嶼的人是否思考過他們就住在核廢料的隔壁?如果哪一天蘭嶼也遭逢海嘯襲擊,那蘭嶼的人會怎麼樣?其他的臺灣人會怎樣?全世界的人呢?

This, and Taiwan has its own nuclear reactors to worry about. It is a fact that tsunamis such as that which struck Fukushima also strike Taiwan. Even though all of these reactors are on the other side of the island, on the Taiwan Strait, does that mean they are tsunami-proof? Or earthquake-proof? And what about all that waste they produce - left on Orchid Island?臺灣有自己的核能反應爐需要煩惱,事實上,福島發生了海嘯,表示臺灣也可能發生同樣的事件.雖然所有的反應爐都在臺灣西部,緊鄰臺灣海峽,卻不表示不會有海嘯或地震發生,那些核廢料該怎麼辦呢?存放在蘭嶼嗎?

I don't think people in Taitung need to worry about Fukushima in terms of immediate effects. We are very far from it, and our level of risk is probably about as low (or as high) as for the rest of the world. I just hope that Fukushima gets people thinking about the viability of nuclear power, and moreover gets them to take action. Nuclear power makes a kind of economic sense, but it is not worth the risks involved.我不認為臺東的人需要擔心福島事件對我們立即造成的影響,我們與它的距離遠,我們受到的影響程度可能和全世界的人們一樣低(或高),我只希望人們藉由這次的福島意外考慮核電的可行性,並且付諸行動.核能發電雖然符合經濟需求,但卻不值得冒這麼大的險.

Related Entries 相關的文章:

Garbage 垃圾
Saving the Earth 救地球
Orchid Island Township 蘭嶼鄉

Pictures at My Exhibition (IV) 我最喜歡的照片 (IV)

2011-04-10T17:58:00.000-07:00

Hai Duan Township, Taitung County. 台東縣海端鄉.

Cabbage Field, Li Dao Village 利稻村的高麗菜

Bunun Tribe Architecture 布農小屋

Looking west up the Southern Cross-Island Highway 南橫的風景

Someone's backyard, Li Dao Village 利稻村民的院子

Old church, Li Dao Village 利稻村的教堂

Bunun House 布農小屋

Lio Kou Hot Springs 六口溫泉

Lu Ye Township 鹿野鄉

2011-04-02T23:53:00.000-07:00

Lu Ye Township lies along Highway 9, between Beinan and Guanshan. 鹿野鄉位在卑南與關山之間,台九線上.

Driving north from Taitung City, you will find a steep hill leading down into a river valley, not long after passing the entrance to the Chu Lu Pasture. A sign on the left, just after the bridge, announces the fact that you have entered Lu Ye Township. This is the southern boundary of Lu Ye. 從台東市開車往北走, 你會經過一個河谷,它離初鹿牧場不遠. 經過河谷以後, 在橋的另外一邊可以看到鹿野鄉的路牌,告訴你已進入鹿野.

Just after this sign, you'll find both the Ing Jia Hot Spring and the Tuo Shian Chicken Ranch. The hot spring is on the left, and the chicken ranch is right across from it. Ying Jia is one of my favorite hot springs. It's on the small side, but it's also very cute and still has a "family feel." As far as the chicken ranch goes, their chicken is worth the drive, but nothing else on their menu is very good. I avoid that place on weekends. It gets CRAZY then. 過橋以後會看到盈家溫泉和脫線雞牧場. 盈家溫泉在你的左手邊, 脫線雞牧場在右手邊. 盈家溫泉是我喜歡的溫泉之一. 它不大但很可愛, 而且那裡的人都很親切. 脫線雞的桶子雞很好吃,但是最好不要在週末的時候去那裡,因為他們的生意太好了.

Further north, you will pass by the Luminous Hotel and Hot Spring Resort. This is a fairly new, enormous hotel that you will see on your right. 繼續往北開,你會在你的右手邊看到很大很新的鹿鳴溫泉酒店.

Further on is the entrance to the Lu Ye "Terrace," or Gao Tai. This is the most famous place in Lu Ye. The view from the top is great, and kids have a lot of fun running around on the grassy part. Many people hanglide in this area, and you can also ride sleds down the grassy hill. 再往北走, 左手邊有鹿野高台的入口. 鹿野高台是鹿野鄉最有名的景點. 高台的風景很美. 孩子們都會很喜歡高台的大草地, 你可以從高台乘滑翔翼或是滑草.

Past Gao Tai, there isn't much of note in Lu Ye. There is a great bike trail through Wu Ling, but I'm not sure if this is in Lu Ye or Yan Ping Township. 鹿野的有名景點大致上就是這些. 另外武陵有一條自行車道, 可是我不太清楚它屬於鹿野鄉或是延平鄉.

Related Entries 相關的文章:

Where is Taitung? 台東在哪裡?
Da Wu 大武鄉
In and around Da Ren Township 達仁鄉
Jin Feng Township 金峰鄉
Tai Ma Li Township 太麻里鄉
Taitung City 台東市
Green Island Township 綠島鄉
Orchid Island Township 蘭嶼鄉
Beinan Township 卑南鄉
Yan Ping Township 延平鄉
Dong He Township 東河鄉

Monkeys 猴子

2011-03-28T04:00:00.000-07:00

It's pretty easy to see monkeys in Taitung. It's so easy, in fact, that I no longer feel excited about seeing monkeys. If you are anywhere north of Tai Ma Li, and relatively close to the mountains, you will probably see them sooner or later. 很容易在台東看到猴子. 也因為很容易看到牠們, 所以我對看猴子沒什麼興趣. 對想看的人,你只要到靠近山區的地方都有機會看到牠們.

In Taitung, the most popular monkey-viewing area is just west of Dong He Town, on the road that leads to Tai Yuan. There is a bridge 5-10 minutes down the road, and it is always easy to find monkeys on or around this bridge. This is primarily because tourists regularly pass through the area and feed the monkeys, probably to the great annoyance of farmers in that area. 在台東,最有名的猴子景點在東河村, 開車從東河往泰源的路上十分鐘, 會來到一座橋. 觀光客常常在這裡餵食猴子, 這附近的果農應該對這行為很頭痛.

Monkeys also congregate near Jin Dzuen, on the cliff face above the beach. I have also seen plenty of them in Jer Ben, both inside and outside of the Forest Recreation Area. The ones I encounter in Jer Ben always seem more aggressive than the ones in Dong He, probably because their contact with humans is more limited. 金樽海灘的猴子也不少,知本森林遊樂區內及附近也有很多, 知本的猴子比東河的猴子兇. 可能是因為東河的猴子比較常看到人.

I don't know about you, but monkeys make me nervous. They have large teeth, move fast, and their behavior is hard to predict. Monkeys scare me more than any other animal, including snakes, killer bees, and sharks. I never feed them, and I usually go out of my way to avoid them. 我不知道你對猴子的觀感, 可是猴子讓我很緊張. 牠們的牙齒很大, 動作很快, 而且很難預料牠們的行動.我怕蛇,虎頭蜂和鯊魚的程度都沒怕猴子的程度高,我從不餵牠們,而且盡量避免接近牠們.

The only variety of monkey in Taiwan is the Formosan macaque, or rock-monkey. There is a picture of two below. They grow to between 36 and 45 cm tall, and they weigh between 5 and 12 kg. They are very social animals, and they like to plunder orchards around the county. Every time I ride out to Jer Ben on my bike, and happen to see one of them in a tree, a sense of dread almost overwhelms me. 臺灣猴類只有臺灣獼猴. 下面有祂們的照片. 祂們的身高是36-45 cm,體重5-12 kg,是重視社交的動物.牠們也很喜愛偷吃果園的水果. 我每一次騎腳踏車到知本,只要看到牠們在樹上的身影都覺得好恐怖!

Related Entries 相關的文章:

Wildlife in Taitung 台東野生動物
The Royal Jer Ben and Other Hot Springs 知本溫泉

Development in Taitung 台東的發展

2011-03-20T01:16:00.001-07:00

My family and I recently attended a dinner given by a local association. I won't say what association, given that my views on local development might conflict with theirs. 我和我的家人最近參加一個臺東當地的運動協會的晚餐聚會. 我不想說是哪一個協會, 因為他們對"臺東發展"的看法跟我的有所出入.

As anyone who lives in Taiwan knows, the price of a free dinner is having to sit through at least one speech. Before we were allowed our allotment of food, several people got up to speak. All of these speakers talked about development in Taitung, and about how this development would benefit everyone else in the room. 台灣人應該都知道:天底下沒有免費的午餐. 這頓飯的代價就是開動前要聽些關於臺東發展的演說,每個拿到麥克風的人都對臺東的發展有一番見解, 也認為它將為台東人帶來利益.

In case you didn't know, the Taiwan Railway Administration is working very hard to improve train service to this part of Taiwan. Other public and private groups are also working to improve the roads into and out of Taitung, and it is now possible to fly directly from Taitung to Mainland China. 如果你還沒聽說這個消息:台鐵將致力於東臺灣到臺東的火車電氣化工程. 還有政府單位跟一些私人機構也努力促進改善臺東對外的交通,現在也可以從台東機場直飛到大陸去了.

Other recent developments have included 台東最近的發展也包括:

The construction of housing along Jong Shing Road and in other areas. This reflects the local government's determination to "build up" Taitung, and to increase the number of people living in Taitung City. 中興路上多了許多新房子.這反映了地方政府為了提高台東市人口數,致力於土地的開發.
The construction of a new road on the other side of the putting range/golf green near the Naruwan hotel. 多了一條新馬路在娜路彎飯店附近的高爾夫練習場後面.
The resumption of construction on the Shan Yuan Hotel, despite local protests and environmental concerns. 之前遭環保團體抗議的杉原飯店又開始動工了, 忽略當地居民的抗議跟環境汙染問題.
The construction of a new resort in Lu Ye, just past the entrance to Kao Tai. 鹿野高台多了一個度假村.
The construction of a new "river park" along the Tai Ping River. 太平溪溪口蓋一座新公園.
The construction of water filtration ponds near the mouth of the Tai Ping River. 多了一個生態自濾池在太平溪的溪口.
Renovation of local roads, including the resurfacing of Chuan Guang Road. 馬路重鋪. 包括傳廣路跟南迴公路.

Yes, Taitung is developing, though it could be debated as to whether this development is a good or a bad thing. Naturally not all parties are going to benefit equally, and some parties aren't going to benefit at all. 是的,台東正在發展,受爭論的常是發展的優缺點. 正常的情況下, 不是所有的團體都能公平地得到發展的好處,全民的生活不一定比較好,有的甚至一點好處也沾不到.

Local farmers, for instance, are going to be at a disadvantage when it comes to buying land - unless they already own a great deal of it. Those without a home are also going to be at a disadvantage, since the price of real estate is escalating quickly. This is because many wealthier residents are using the new housing developments as a place to invest their money. Not trusting their wealth to banks, many of these wealthier residents speculate in land and houses, of which they are usually the first buyers. This in turn drives up the cost of real estate. 比方說當地的農民, 如果不是本身已經有農地的話, 買農地就成為一項難事,對於想購屋的無殼蝸牛也是一大壓力, 因為有錢的人不再相信銀行,只好買地買房等待增值,台東不動產的價格越來越高的原因,應該和這個原因有很大關係.

I just hope that the city and county governments have a plan behind all this development. I hope they have some understanding of the need for "green spaces" within a city, and of the need to tackle the pollution problem in the area. Building more and more might help the economy in the short term, but massive building projects can also be used to mask other weaknesses in the local economy. 我只希望台東縣市政府有一個好的發展計畫. 我希望他們了解城市綠地跟環保的重要性. 蓋越來越多的建築物當然會在短時間內幫台東發展城市規模, 可是這種方式也可能掩藏了地方經濟的重要問題.

I, the local foreigner, don't have much of a say in all of this. I might go to dinners held by local associations, but I can only ever be a spectator in the political life of Taitung. I just hope the local decision-makers are making their decisions with the long term in mind, and with everybody's well-being at heart. 我,台東的外國人,沒辦法有意見. 我可以參加當地發展協會的晚餐, 可是沒辦法投票. 我只希望做決策的人考慮的是縣民長久的未來, 還有大家想過好生活的心情.

Related Entries 相關的文章:

Buying Land in Taitung 臺東置產
Saving the Earth 救地球
Garbage 垃圾
Things to Like About Taitung 我喜歡臺東的原因

English Literature (II) 英文文學 (II)

2011-03-12T18:54:00.000-08:00

A while back I offered a list of "good books" in English, mostly for the sake of those who wish to study the language and/or broaden their understanding of Western culture. The books discussed in that post were not necessarily my favorites, though all of them are certainly very good.之前我為想學英文或是想了解西方文化的人推薦了一些"好書".這些書不見得是我的最愛,但都是非常精彩的書.

This time I offer a list of my top five favorite books. Most of these books are famous in Western countries, most of them have been adapted into movies, and most of them continue to be studied and talked about today. I cannot say which of these books have been translated into Chinese, but for those who have the time they are well worth reading.這一次我分享的書是我喜愛的書籍中的前五名.它們在西方都是耳熟能詳的,有的甚至拍成電影或是課堂上的討論用書,我不確定它們當中有哪些有中文翻譯,只要你有時間,它們都是值得一讀的好書.

1. "American Psycho" by Bret Easton Ellis "美國殺人狂"

This book details the exploits, or perhaps the hallucinations, of a serial killer. I believe it was banned in Germany. It was adapted into a very good movie starring Christian Bale, who went on to play Batman in both "Batman Begins" and "The Dark Knight." The movie holds true to the spirit of the book, though the book is much more graphic.這本書詳細描述連續殺人狂的犯罪手法及內心幻想,它曾是德國的禁書,根據它所改編的電影是由主演蝙蝠俠的Christian Bale擔任殺人狂,真實地傳遞書中的人物精神,但是書中的描寫則是比電影的表現更血腥.

You might think me strange for saying this, but this book made me cry. The main character is so lonely, so unable to connect with others, and by the end of the book the horror of his loneliness far surpasses the horror of what he does to his "victims."這本書讓我忍不住流眼淚,你可能會覺得奇怪,書中的主角是那麼地孤單,無法與他人建立關係,等結局到來時,主角恐懼孤獨的心理反而比他對受害者所做的行為更恐怖.

2. "Moby Dick" by Herman Melville "白鯨記" 梅爾維爾著

I'm certain that most people in Taiwan are already familiar with this book. Moby Dick is the story of Captain Ahab, and his quest for the white whale. It is also a story about futility, about arrogance, and maybe even fate. The author, Herman Melville, is one of the truly great American writers, and this book, despite its difficulty, ought to be read by everyone.我相信大部分的臺灣人對這本書都不陌生,白鯨記是關於亞哈船長和白鯨的故事,包含了虛榮,傲慢甚至有點關於命運的主題,這位作者是位有名的美國作家,儘管內容困難,還是大家應讀的書籍之一.

3. "The Man in the High Castle" by Philip K. Dick

Philip K. Dick is very famous in the States, but not so well known outside America. Many of his books have been adapted into movies, the most famous examples being "Blade Runner" and "Minority Report." He was a master of writing paranoid, futuristic stories wherein it's hard to tell what's true from what's false.Philip K. Dick在美國非常有名,但在其他國家就不是了.很多他的書都拍成電影,最有名的是"銀翼殺手"和"關鍵報告",他擅長的主題是偏執的未來世界,難以辨別真假的世界.

I think the Man in the High Castle is his best book, though A Scanner Darkly comes very close. The Man in the High Castle outlines a future in which Germany and Japan emerged victorious after World War II, and the struggles of the everyday man in a "today" that differs quite markedly from our own.我認為"the Man in the High Castle"是他寫得最好的一本書,雖然"A Scanner Darkly"(心機掃瞄)一書也很棒."The Man in the High Castle"的故事背景是德國和日本在第二次世界大戰中勝出,與現實世界中的史實相反,完全顛覆了現今的固定思維.

4. "The Lord of the Rings" by J.R.R. Tolkien 魔戒三部曲-托爾金著

I think that the movie adaptations of these books were very bad. The first part of Peter Jackson's trilogy was fairly true to the source material, but the second and third films deviated very far from Tolkein's stories. The "love story" element, for example, introduced in the second film, was completely absent in the book.我覺得改編自這些書的電影很差,彼得傑克遜的三部曲第一部分跟原來的故事出入不大,只是第二和第三集就偏離了原著,例如第二集的那些愛情故事就不曾在原著出現過.

If you have the patience, the book versions of Lord of the Rings are classics. Never before - or since - has a fantasy world been rendered in such astonishing detail. These weren't just the works of a lifetime, they were also the works of a generation.如果你有耐心,魔戒三部曲的原著可以說是經典讀本,從來沒有任何一本書將虛幻世界描寫得鉅細匪遺,甚至是時間上的世代變化.

5. "Sister Carrie" by Theodore Dreiser"嘉麗妹妹" 德萊塞著

This book is the sole exception on this list, since it is neither popular, nor has it been adapted into a movie. Sister Carrie was written by Theodore Dreiser at the beginning of the 1900s, and it is the best example of "realism" in American fiction up to that point. In many ways, this book anticipated the work of later authors and trends in world fiction.這本是唯一冷門的書,它既不出名也沒被拍成電影,這是19世紀初德萊塞所寫,它是美國小說中"現實主義"的最佳代表,作者當時在書中所提出的某些想法,成為後來小說的寫作趨勢.

I doubt it's available in Chinese, but perhaps Taitung University might have a copy. It is a sad book, full of characters driven by contradictory impulses, and it is also one of my favorites.應該是找不到它的中文版,也許在台東大學可以找得到這本書,這是一本很灰色的書,裡面的主角充滿了矛盾,這是我喜歡這本書的原因.

Related Entries 相關的文章:

English Literature (I) 英文文學
The Neverending Stories (英文)

Hualien 花蓮

2011-03-05T23:56:00.000-08:00

Luo Mountain 羅山

"HualiAn" is also spelled "HualiEn." I'm not sure which way of spelling is more accurate. The 蓮 in 花蓮 sounds more like "lien" to me, so I write "Hualien," with the "E". 花蓮這個字有兩個英語拼法. 一個是HualiAn, 另外一個是HualiEn. 我不知道哪一個比較正確. 我只是覺得HualiEn比較像本字的聲音.

Hualien County is north of Taitung County, and there is also a Hualien City, which lies at the northern end of Hualien County. 花蓮縣位在台東縣北邊. 花蓮市在花蓮縣的北部.

Yu Shan (Jade Mountain) National Park 玉山國家公園

If we get bored enough, we drive up to Hualien. Our ultimate destination is usually Hualien City, but we rarely make it that far. We drive a few hours north of Taitung City, find somewhere for our kids to run around, and then start heading home. 如果我們很無聊就開車到花蓮去. 我們的目地通常是花蓮市, 只是我們常沒有耐心開那麼遠, 所以常常從台東市開車幾個小時後, 找個孩子想玩的景點,等孩子覺得無聊了就回家.

The most famous thing in Hualien is Taroko Gorge, which is not all that far from Hualien City. Taroko Gorge is as close as Taiwan gets to the Grand Canyon, if you can imagine the Grand Canyon buried under a subtropical forest. I like going there a lot, but it's a REALLY long drive from our house. 花蓮最有名的景點是太魯格國家公園. 太魯閣離花蓮市不遠. 它有點像美國的Grand Canyon, 可是Grand Canyon當然不在亞熱帶森林裡. 我很喜歡那裡, 可惜從我們家到那裡要開好幾個小時的車.

Taroko Gorge 太魯閣國家公園

Yu Shan (Jade Mountain) National Park can also be accessed from Hualien. One of the main entrances to Yu Shan can be reached via Yu Li, which is not all that far from Taitung County. Liou Shr Dan Mountain (Jin Jen Mountain) and Luo Mountain can also be reached from this area. Both are very beautiful places, though I prefer the latter of the two. 玉山國家公園的南安入口處在花蓮. 它位於花蓮的玉里鄉. 從台東到玉里比較近. 除了玉里還有六十石山跟羅山......等地方. 六十石山跟羅山都很美, 我本身比較喜歡羅山.

Along the Su-Hua Highway 蘇花公路

Farther up the Number 9 Highway you'll find the Ruei Suei Hot Springs, Jao Feng Pasture, and Li Yu (Carp) Lake. There's also the Sugar Refinery in Guang Fu, which is worth going to if you have kids along. There are probably about a million other places you can explore along this stretch of road, but right now I can't think of any. The geography of this part of Taiwan is vast, and any road of any size will take you somewhere interesting. 在台九線附近還有瑞穗溫泉, 兆豐農場, 和鯉魚潭. 光復的臺糖糖廠也在這條路上. 孩子們都應該會喜歡那個糖廠. 花蓮的山區還有很多好玩的地點, 只是我現在無法一一介紹. 這邊陸地廣闊, 隨便一條路就能帶你到有趣好玩的地方.

I find the coastal route through Hualien to be slightly less interesting. Ji Chi Beach is nice, as is Nyo (Cow) Mountain, but I think the northern coast of Taitung is better. To be sure, the coastline north of Hualien City, along the Su-Hua Highway, is amazing, but there are some major traffic jams along this road during the weekends. 我覺得花蓮的山區比海濱有意思. 磯崎海灘很漂亮, 牛山也是一個好玩的景點, 只是我認為台東的北海岸區比較好. 蘇花公路的風景台灣有名, 可是那裡的交通卻很可怕.

Taiwan Beer Brewery in Hualien City 花蓮市的台啤酒廠

Hualien City is a great place to eat. The most famous of their night markets has some fantastic food, and there are also a lot of stores you can't find in Taitung City. Hualien City is roughly three times the size of Taitung City, which means a much wider selection of stores and restaurants. 花蓮市的美食不少. 他們市區的夜市有好多好吃的食物, 還有很多台東沒有的餐廳跟商店. 花蓮市是台東市的三倍, 所以那邊的東西當然比較多.

The downside to this greater population is, of course, more traffic. Even so, I'd have to say that the Hualien City and County governments are doing an excellent job of tackling pollution, and in this respect Taitung ought to follow their lead. 花蓮市的缺點是塞車問題. 但是我可以感覺到花蓮縣市政府努力保護當地環境,台東縣市政府可以學他們環保措施.

Sugar Refinery in Guang Fu 光復的糖廠

Dong He Township 東河鄉

2011-02-27T18:40:00.000-08:00

Jin Dzuen 金樽

Dong He Township is one of the prettiest townships in Taitung. For that matter, Dong He is one of the prettiest places in Taiwan. It is located along the coastal highway (number 11). 東河鄉是台東縣最美的鄉鎮之一,也是全台灣最美的景點的其中一個. 它位於台十一線上.

Jin Dzuen Beach 金樽

For surfers in Taiwan, Dong He is a major site of pilgrimage. There is a place just past Dulan Town called "the Reef" by local surfers, and it is both here and further north at Jin Dzuen beach that most surfing in Taitung occurs. 對於喜歡衝浪的人來說,東河是個不可多得的好地方. 靠近都蘭村的海灘"The Reef"是當地衝浪者喜歡的衝浪地點. 從"The Reef"到金樽北邊都是常見人們衝浪的地方.

Archaelogical Site, Dulan 都蘭

Dong He is also famous for its steamed buns, which can be purchased at two different places in Dong He Town. Don't ask ME which one is better, since they taste almost exactly alike as far as I'm concerned. 東河鄉的東河包子也很有名. 東河包子有兩家,很多人問我哪一家的包子比較好吃. 因為我吃不出來,所以我對這件事沒有什麼看法!

Near Dong He Town 東河村

Besides steamed buns and surfing, Dong He Township is famous for its scenery. The place is easy to photograph, with long mountain vistas leading down to palm tree-lined beaches. There are no big cities in Dong He, and the populations of most towns in this area can be measured in the hundreds. 除了包子跟衝浪之外,這裡美麗的山景跟棕梠樹下的海邊更適合拍照. 東河鄉大部分的村子只有幾百個村民而已.

Flowers near "Water Running Up" 水往上流

One place in Dong He that I would avoid is the "Water Running Up." I have no idea why this place is famous. I would also encourage you not to buy any coral while you are there, since much of this coral is overharvested from local waters. Go enjoy the water in the ocean, and leave the coral where it belongs - IN the ocean! 我只不知道為什麼那麼多觀光客想去"水往上流",東河還有很多值得去的好地方.我也想呼籲觀光客: 請你們不要買珊瑚. 請多保護台東的自然生態環境. 要欣賞美麗的珊瑚應該是到牠生長的海裡, 請把珊瑚留在牠原來的地方.

Thumb Bay 加母子灣

Running around Taiwan 慢跑臺灣

2011-02-21T03:14:00.000-08:00

Between February of this year, and February of last year, I ran in 7 races around Taiwan. These were, in order, the 2010 Kaohsiung Marathon (4.5K), The Ma Dzu Temple Road Race in Taichung (6K), the Green Island Marathon (5K), the Hue Lan Cup in Hualien (5K), the Taitung Marathon (5K), the Taipei Fu Bang Marathon (9K), and most recently the 2011 Kaohsiung Marathon (12K).從去年二月至今,我總共跑了七場:2010年高雄馬拉松(4.5公里),大甲媽祖健康跑(6公里),綠島馬拉松(5公里),花蓮的洄瀾盃(5公里),臺中馬拉松(5公里),臺北富邦馬拉松(9公里),和最近的高雄馬拉松(12公里).

I like running a lot. I find that it calms me down after a long day of work, and also helps me think. I know that a lot of people hate running, often for perfectly understandable reasons, but it is my preferred mode of exercise.我很喜歡跑步,它能讓我在一天的工作後放鬆,同時也幫助我思考.我知道很多人有許多理由不喜歡跑步,但它卻是我最喜歡的運動.

For foreigners, it can take a while to get used to running in Taiwan. Compared to Seattle - where I'm from - the climate in Taiwan is very humid, and the heat during the summer months can be formidable. Running in a different climate is hard at first, but you can adjust.對一些外國朋友來說,通常需要一點時間習慣在臺灣跑步,對我自己來說,臺灣的氣候比西雅圖潮濕,而且夏天的熱氣更是一項考驗,剛開始很難,但並非不可能.

I think participation in sports is a great way to learn more about Taiwan. My running has taken me to some very strange places, and these are often places that I would have no other reason to visit. The race at the Ma Dzu Temple in Taichung, for example, was one of the most interesting events I have ever attended.參與運動是一個認識臺灣的好方法,藉由跑步活動,我到過一些從來沒有理由拜訪的地方,例如臺中大甲的媽祖廟,那是一個有趣的經驗.

Alongside this fact, there is an interesting contrast between the popular, well-organized events in places like Kaohsiung and Taipei, and the less popular, badly organized races in places like Hualien or Taoyuan. Runners of any ability are not likely to place very high in big city events, simply because there are more people running, and more obstacles to keeping your pace. The more rural events, however, offer a chance to place higher, but are often very disorganized - or just plain unfair.熱門有組織的賽事和組織較鬆散的有一個有趣的現象,例如在較大型的慢跑賽中,跑者很難拿到好的成績,因為多人參與,反而沒有足夠的空間伸展身手,而小型的比賽,雖然得名機率高,但也因為他們的計畫不足而較容易有不公平的現象產生.

At the last race I attended, the Kaohsiung Marathon, I placed 80th out of more than 2000 participants in the 12K race. The highest I ever placed was 7th, at the Hue Lan Cup in Hualien, for the 5K. That race, I think, had about 200 or so people participating.最近的一場高雄馬拉松的12公里跑步,我在2000人當中拿到第80名,我最好的成績是花蓮洄瀾盃的5公里比賽,我在200人左右的比賽拿到第七.

I'm getting faster all the time, and if I keep it up, I can foresee a day when I might start placing in the top 3. This is not my main goal, however. For the most part I just enjoy running, and just running well is satisfying enough for me.我的速度越來越快了,如果我繼續練習,某天有可能拿到前三名,雖然拿名不是我的主要目的,但卻讓我享受跑步的樂趣和滿足.

Whether you are a world-class athlete or just a beginner, I would encourage you to get out there and take part in your local races. This is just as true for those living in Seattle as for those living in Taiwan. As said above, sports are a great way to explore the place you live.無論你是世界級選手或者是剛開始嘗試跑步,我建議你參加你社區當地的慢跑活動,因為它是一項認識自己的城市的好方法.

Related Entries 相關的文章:

Bicycling in Taitung 台東腳踏車之旅
Sports in Taitung 體育活動
Green Island Township 綠島鄉
The World Cup 世界盃足球比賽
"Love 197" 戀戀 197
Bicycling, Swimming, and Running 奇單車, 游泳和路跑

Related Sites 相關的網站:

Taitung Urban and Rural Athletic Association 台東縣城相生活運動協會
"Runner's Market" 跑者廣場

5 Cats, 4 people, and 0 dogs 5隻貓, 4個人, 0隻狗

2011-02-16T16:05:00.000-08:00

Oscar, Jojo, and Sammy

We now have 5 cats in our tiny, tiny apartment. This means that the number of cats in my apartment now exceeds the number of human beings. This is especially obvious when we feed them in our tiny, tiny kitchen. Now, instead of one or two cats, we have a SWARM of cats all over the kitchen floor, noisily demanding food. 我們現在養了五隻貓. 這表示我們現在貓的數量比我們家庭人數還多. 最明顯表現數差的時候是早餐時間. 我們的小廚房擠滿了一群貓, 充滿了牠們要食物的喵喵聲.

We brought three of our cats over from our old apartment. Then one of them ran away and (I'm not making this up) got eaten by dogs. After that we were down to two. Then we found two more at the pet hospital, so we were up to four. Then my wife brought another one back from the pet hospital, and we are now up to five. 我們搬家的時候帶來了三隻貓. 其中一隻從我們新家偷跑, 被外面的狗吃掉了. 我們再從寵物醫院領養兩隻回來, 變成四隻. 最後我太太又把一隻帶回來, 所以我們現在總共有五隻.

Marty and Sammy

So now we have 5 cats, and I spend evenings watching them knock over, scratch, urinate on, and in other ways destroy our earthly possessions. Yes, they are very cute cats, but three of them are kittens and they like to play - A LOT. 有五隻貓的家庭很熱鬧. 三隻還沒完全長大, 所以牠們很有精神. 雖然牠們破壞了我們家很多東西, 但是牠們真的很可愛.

Oh well. At least we managed to get rid of our dogs. One of our dogs ran away in the Forest Park some time ago, and we found a home for the other in Jin Feng. This, at least, is progress. 我們沒能留下以前養的那兩隻狗. 因為一隻在森林公園跑走了, 一隻送給金峰的一位小姐. 減少了我們照顧寵物的負擔.

At least I can say that instead of 8 pets we have 5. And that's something, right?"五隻寵物"比"八隻寵物"聽起來簡單多了, 不是嗎?

Christmas

Related Entries 相關的文章:

Cats Vs. Dogs 貓跟狗哪個好

Elementary School Vs. Junior High 國小Vs.國中

2011-02-12T04:44:00.000-08:00

Beacon Hill Elementary, Seattle USA 美國西雅圖的國小

I spent two years teaching at Tung Hai Junior High School, and I also taught (VERY briefly) at a junior high in Seattle. These days I am teaching elementary, but this is not because I think junior high kids are horrible! 我在臺東市的東海國中任教兩年. 也在美國西雅圖短時間當過國中老師. 我目前在國小教美語, 可是這並不是因為我不喜歡教國中生.

Most junior high kids have short attention spans. You might think they would be able to concentrate more than younger kids, but I have never found this to be the case. Hormones are often blamed for this, and surely the long, embarrassing process of becoming an "adult" plays a part. 大部分的國中生沒辦法專心上課. 也許你認為他們的專心度應該比國小生好很多. 也許這情況跟他們年紀有關係. 隨著賀爾蒙的變化,他們的身體和想法在改變, 也影響他們沒法專心上課.

In my elementary school, I would never pursue any activity for longer than fifteen minutes. In junior high, I wouldn't do anything longer than ten minutes. When junior high kids get bored, things can get really, really ugly. 在我任教的國小, 我不會讓任何課程活動超過十五分鐘. 在國中, 則是不超過十分鐘. 因為當國中生覺得無聊的時候,那就是真的很恐怖的時候.

One great thing about teaching in an elementary school is not having to break up fights as often. In my one and a half years at Tung Hai Elementary, I have broken up exactly one fight. In two years at Tung Hai Junior High, I broke up MANY fights, often involving students who were much larger than I was. 教國小的好處就是學生不那麼容易打架. 我已經在國小一年半, 我只看過一次學生打架. 而在國中那兩年則發生很多打架事件, 而且很多學生比我還高.

The biggest difference between elementary and junior high is, of course, the "sex issue." Sometimes girls and boys in my elementary will tell me they "love me," but they just mean in the way that they love many other adults. Girls in junior high have told me they "loved me," but that was in a strange, psuedo-adult way that made me VERY uncomfortable. 國中生跟國小生最明顯的不同是對性別的敏感度. 在國小,很多學生會跟我說"我愛你", 他們這麼說只是因為喜歡我. 而國中女生跟我說"我愛你"時, 卻不只是對老師的單純喜歡. 在這種狀況下,我覺得非常得不舒服與困擾.

Boys in junior high are fascinated by sex, and they will always try to use English class to find out about sex words they learned in movies. During my first year, it took me about a month to eliminate the word "fuck" from my presence, and even still I was pestered with questions related to words like "fag," "penis," and (strangest of all) "motel." 國中男生最喜歡使用他們在電影裡學的髒話. 我剛開始教國中時, 一直聽到"fuck"這個字. 花了我將近一個月的時間請他們不要說這個字. 除了它, 他們也很喜歡用"fag," "penis,"還有"motel"這樣的生字.

All of this said, teaching junior high kids really isn't all that different from teaching elementary kids. They have their own, weird sense of humor, and once you learn how to "speak their language" it's not so bad. They also have their own way of looking at the world, and there is a lot to be learned from it. 大致上教國小和教國中很像. 國中生有自己的看法, 自己的溝通語言和自己的幽默感. 只要你學會他們的語言,他們並不是人們想的那麼恐怖. 而且大人也可以從他們獨特的世界觀中獲得收或.

Tung Hai Elementary School, Taitung, Taiwan 東海國小

Happy Year of the Rabbit! 兔年快樂!

2011-01-14T03:59:00.000-08:00

Here's wishing you a Happy Year of the Rabbit!! 兔年快樂

I'll be away from the computer for the duration, so I'll be back after we restart school on February 11. 寒假也是我網誌休息的時候. 下學期是從二月十一日開始. 到時再見喔!

Thanks for reading my blog, and thanks to those who've left comments. I enjoy reading what you wrote as well. 謝謝你們看我的網誌,也要感謝留言的網友. 我喜歡看你們的意見.

And my apologies to those who have trouble with my English responses to your comments. I promise to make more of an effort to respond in Chinese to Chinese posts where necessary! 我也要向留言的網友道歉. 有時用中文回答你們的問題不是很方便, 我以後會盡量用中文回答以中文表達意見的朋友.

You are also welcome to read my other blogs, Taiwan 101 (about Taiwan), the Neverending Stories (about books I'm reading), and New Millennium Cyanide Christ (about music). 也歡迎你們看我其他的網誌. 以上是它們的連結.

Please be aware that the blog about books and the blog about music are in ENGLISH. If you don't understand English - or if you don't want to understand English- then I wouldn't bother reading them. For the blog about Taiwan, I am only translating place names into Chinese. I'm happy to help with English questions, but comments like: "I don't understand any of this, it's in English!" don't get anyone anywhere. 我要先聲明這些是英文網誌, 如果不想看或不懂英文的話, 最好就直接跳過. 關於臺灣的這個網誌,我只有把一些地名翻譯成中文而已. 如果你們願意學點英文的話, 我當然歡迎並且願意幫忙, 可是像這種"這個網誌全是英文, 我看不懂!!" 的留言是一點意義也沒有的.

I'm also on Facebook, which I might check once or twice during the break. For Facebook, just click on the "badge" below. 我也使用"臉書", 方法請按文章旁的連結.

Again, happy Year of the Rabbit!!! 再說一次: 兔年快樂!

And P.S. - you are welcome to leave comments on this blog, but please leave your name. Feel free to use a fake name - that's fine! - but just leave a name so I can identify who is leaving the message. 還有, 我歡迎你們留言, 但是請留下名字. 假名也可以, 我只是要知道我跟"誰" 聯絡!

Bad Foreigners 壞外國人

2010-12-29T02:38:00.000-08:00

Are all foreigners in Taiwan nice? Are all foreigners polite, and punctual, and hard-working? Of course not. Applying generalities to large groups of people, be they Chinese, foreign, or from other planets, never works all the time. 在臺灣的外國人都很熱心嗎? 我們都很客氣, 很準時, 在工作上很用心嗎? 不盡然. 有的外國人很熱心, 有的很冷漠. 有的在工作上很盡責.我們看待事情就像任何臺灣人一樣.

So you might understand why I get so perturbed when I hear such generalities applied to us foreigners. No, we are not all nice. No, we are not all polite, or punctual, or hard-working. Not all of us speak English, and not all of us eat hamburgers every day. 所以你應該知道我不喜歡聽"外國人都很熱心"這種話. 每個外國人都不一樣. 不一定很熱心, 不一定很客氣,或很準時. 也不一定講英文或是每天吃漢堡. 外國人群中,什麼人都有.

Some of us, in fact, are BAD. 也有"壞的"外國人

I have met at least a few foreigners that I would classify as "bad," or at least "undesirable" for various reasons. I came across most of these foreigners on the other side of the island, but I have also met a few in Taitung. 我當然碰過一些壞外國人. 我叫他們"壞外國人"的原因很多. 大多在西部碰到這樣的人, 臺東當然也有這種人存在.

My list of "bad foreigners" includes: "壞外國人"的條件如下:

1. The foreigner who starts fights with Taiwanese drivers over minor traffic violations (i.e. "That Taiwanese guy cut me off!"). I met a guy like this at the Taitung Airport, and instead of sticking around to face the music, he just ran away and left his friend to discuss the matter with the police. 為了小車禍打架的外國人. 我去年在臺東機場碰過這種人. 他跟一位臺灣人打架, 最後他怕被抓就跑走了. 膽小的他把自己的朋友留在機場跟警察解釋整件事.

2. The foreigner who tries to steal Taiwanese guys' girlfriends, and then starts fights with their boyfriends when the girls aren't interested. This is just stupid, and has on one occasion gotten foreigners like this beaten very badly. 追臺灣人的女朋友的外國人. 當女人不接受他的時候, 又跟她的男朋友打架,而且差點被打死,這真是一件很沒有面子的事!

3. The foreigner who skips out on his/her contract and flees to Thailand. I know several foreigners who have done this. They just disappear and leave their school to pick up the pieces. I could understand if their school was treating them unfairly, but this is rarely the case. 還有一些人惡意違反工作合約,工作到一半就落跑到泰國,留下爛攤子給學校處理,如果是因為學校工作條件太差還能了解,但往往並不是這樣的原因.

4. The foreigner who molests children. I heard of a guy in Taichung who was doing this. He did it at every school he worked for. When he got caught he ran away, moved to another part of Taiwan, and started doing the same thing at another school. Anyone who runs into this guys is welcome to castrate him. Please do. 摸小朋友的外國人. 我住臺中的時候,聽說過這樣的事. 他每次被工作的學校發現時就搬家, 不停地在各個學校下手. 我希望他下次被發現的時候有人剪掉他的小鳥.

5. The foreigner who complains about everything in Taiwan that isn't like everything else in his/her home country. Of course, this kind of foreigner makes up about 70% of the foreigners in Taiwan, so I can't judge him/her TOO harshly. Still, get used to it. You're not in Canada, the States, or England anymore, and YOU signed yourself up for it. Calm down and enjoy where you are? 只會抱怨臺灣不像自己國家的外國人. 在臺灣很多這種外國人, 我要對他們說:你們這些外國人應該知道自己選的地方是臺灣, 不是你自己的國家! 不要一直想這兩國家的差別. 選擇你所愛,愛你所選擇,臺灣有它自己的好.

I could go on. But I think I'll stop my list here for now. Besides, I'd rather think about the foreigners that AREN'T on this list. You know - the ones that are nice, polite, and hard-working? 我不想再說, 所以我在第五點上停下來. 我要想想不在這名單的外國朋友. 你認識他們嗎? 那些熱心, 客氣, 跟有責任感的外國朋友.

Related Entries 相關的文章:

Foreigners I Know (Besides Me) 我認識的外國人
Taiwan, Ten Years In
Nostalgia 思鄉情懷
Can You Speak Chinese? 你說中文嗎?
Seattle 西雅圖
Taiwan, Eleven Years In
Foreign Teachers, Public Schools 公立學校的外籍老師
Going Home 回家
Hamburgers in Taitung 臺東的漢堡

Cram Schools 補習班

2010-12-20T17:36:00.000-08:00

Are cram schools necessary? I really don't know. All I know is that we don't really have cram schools in Seattle, and that this doesn't seem to be a problem for anyone there. Maybe this is because the United States is much less "test-centric" than Taiwan, or maybe it's because of other cultural factors. Again, I'm not sure. 真的需要補習班嗎? 西雅圖那邊沒有什麼補習班. 在西雅圖,人們對補習班這種地方沒什麼概念. 可能是因為那邊不是那麼地重視考試成績. 這也許跟民俗習慣有關, 只是我在這方面沒有仔細研究過.

I just feel sorry for kids that attend cram schools until 8, 9, or 10 p.m. every night. Seeing them walk around with those heavy backpacks, and watching them trudge onwards to their next class, in their next school, just makes me sad. 我只是覺得晚上8點過後還在上課的學生很可憐. 看他們背那麼重的書包, 上那麼多的課, 和去那麼多不同的學校.

Life, after all, should be about more than going to school. Life is also about friends, and family, and having fun, and going places. But it seems like some people want to turn life into one huge cram school, where we are always preparing for the next test. 除了上課, 人生還有很多重要的事, 例如:朋友, 跟家人相處,休閒和旅行. 很多爸爸媽媽只重視孩子的課業表現,好像人生只有補習才是唯一的重心..

I realize that parents just want the best for their children. I realize that success in school is important. I realize, moreover, that tests are important in Taiwan. Still, I don't know why so many kids need to attend so many classes. Sometimes it seems like the only thing that people in Taiwan know how to do is take classes, or tests, or how to worry about both classes and tests. Their parents forced them to do it, and so they force their own kids to do it. 我了解每位家長都想讓自己的孩子得到最好的. 我知道學習的成就很重要. 我也知道在臺灣考試的成績更是重要.但是我不知道的是為什麼有的豥子要上那麼多課? 有時候我覺得臺灣朋友只知道上課跟考試這兩件事情. 因為他們自己的父母有這種想法, 所以他們也是這樣子教他們自己的孩子.

Sometimes people ask me about what English cram school they should go to. I am never able to tell them. I have never taught in a cram school, and if I can help it I will never put my daughters into one. 有時我的臺灣朋友問我哪一個英文補習班最好. 我沒辦法回答這個問題. 我沒有在補習班任教的經驗. 我也不是很想把我的孩子送到任何補習班.

I'm sure there are cram schools that help some students. I just hope they are thinking about their curriculum half as much as their business plans. There is a lot of money to be made in cram schools, and not always honestly. Besides that, I can think of a thousand other things kids would rather be doing than attending cram schools - things like playing video games, or going to the park, or playing with their friends, or spending time with their parents, or sleeping more, or reading comic books, or... 有的補習班當然幫孩子很多忙 ,也有的補習班只想賺錢, 他們很願意講你要聽的好話. 我只希望他們對學生的關心是跟賺錢的熱忱成正比. 孩子們除了上課之外, 還有很多應該做的事,例如:玩電動玩具, 去公園玩, 跟朋友玩, 跟爸爸媽媽聊天, 多一點的睡覺時間, 看漫畫書...

Related Entries 相關的文章:

Tests 考試
Can You Speak English? 你會說英文嗎?

Yan Ping Township 延平鄉

2010-12-20T17:35:00.001-08:00

Yan Ping Township is one of the largest townships in Taitung County. The more accessible portions of it are near Highway 9, just before the bridge that crosses from Chu Lu into Lu Ye, and also along the section of the 197 highway that passes close to Du Lan Mountain. 延平鄉很大, 可是人口少. 要到延平探險的人要走台九線,從初鹿往鹿野的鹿鳴橋, 也可以從臺東市走臺197線到鸞山.

The strip of settlement along the river near Lu Ye is very vulnerable to typhoon damage, and the Water Management Bureau has spent a lot of money to keep many of the roads and houses in this area from falling into the river. 颱風對這個山區的影響很大. 水利局花了很多時間與金錢維護,以免這地區的馬路跟房子落到河裡.

Symbolic of this area's vulnerability is the "disappearance" of the above-mentioned hot springs during the 8-8 Typhoon. As you can see from the picture below, the Hong Ye Hot Springs are now buried under several tons of rock. 兩年前的8-8水災把延平的紅葉溫泉毀了. 從下面的照片看得出來,整座紅葉溫泉都被埋在土石底下.

With the disappearance of the hot springs, there isn't any great incentive to visit Yan Ping. There are some cool rock formations near the apex of the 197. There used to be a baseball museum in Hong Ye, but even this, like the famous hot springs, has closed down. You might visit the place if you are searching for local wildlife, but aside from that, I can't think of much reason to go there. 紅葉溫泉不在以後, 外地的人沒有什麼好理由去延平. 但是臺197線的頂端處有許多特別的岩石地形. 紅葉以前也有一個棒球館, 可是上次去時已經沒開放了. 如果你對當地的野生動物有興趣的話,它應該是一個值得拜訪的地方.

Then again, maybe it is the lack of local attractions that makes Yan Ping special. There is nothing famous there, and there are very few people. It is, in that sense, a place where you can truly get away from it all. 可是我後來想到延平的好處是沒有熱門景點. 所以如果你要找一個很安靜的世外桃源, 那麼一定要到延平.

Related Entries 相關的文章:

Da Wu 大武鄉
In and Around Da Ren Township 達仁鄉
Jin Feng Township 金峰鄉
Tai Ma Li Township 太麻里鄉
Taitung City 臺東市
Green Island Township 綠島鄉
Orchid Island Township 蘭嶼鄉
Beinan Township 卑南鄉

Merry Christmas! 聖誕節快樂!

2010-12-20T17:28:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas! 聖誕節快樂! And a Happy 2011! 新年快樂!!!

Hamburgers in Taitung 臺東的漢堡

2010-12-02T16:45:00.001-08:00

I want to emphasize, for the sake of my Taiwanese friends, that when Americans use the word "hamburger" we usually mean a beef hamburger. The word in Chinese, "han bao" might refer to any hamburger, be it beef, pork, chicken, or even ostrich, but for Americans "hamburger" implies beef. When a hamburger is not beef, then we modify the word accordingly: i.e. "chicken hamburger," or "pork hamburger," or even "ostrich hamburger."我要對臺灣的朋友解釋一下Hamburger這個字,對美國人來說,它代表的是牛肉漢堡.臺灣朋友把雞肉,牛肉,豬肉或是鴕鳥肉......等的同類食物都當成漢堡,但是對美國人來說卻是大大的不同.如果漢堡麵包中夾的不是牛肉,那你就會看到各種不一樣的名稱,例如:雞肉漢堡,豬肉漢堡或是鴕鳥漢堡.

Up until recently, the Italian restaurant on the way to the train station (near the intersection of Geng Sheng Road and Ss Hang Road), would have gotten my vote for the best hamburger in Taitung. Sadly, the couple that owned this restaurant decided to close it down this fall, and I can only wish them the best of luck in another location.目前為止,往臺東火車站路上的義大利餐廳是我認為有最好吃的漢堡的餐廳,但是他們已經不再營業了,祝他們在別的地方有更好的發展.

The Hokie Diner, one of the three remaining restaurants in Taitung that serve hamburgers, has moved from Shin Sheng Road to one of the small alleys behind Jung Hua Road, not far from Who's Pub. Their hamburgers are on the small side, but their prices are reasonable. I've heard that they are also selling food at the night market on Sundays, though last time I went I didn't see them there.The Hokie Diner是臺東三家提供漢堡餐點的餐廳的其中之一,他們從新生路搬到Who's Pub附近的小巷子裡,他們的漢堡比較小,但是價錢公道,我聽說他們也在夜市擺攤.

Besides the Hokie, there is also the Pirates Restaurant on Kai Feng Street, run by another American. The Pirates Restaurant seems to do a steady business, though their hours are very strange. Their food is on the pricey side, but their hamburgers are very good.另外在開封街還有一家美國人開的"海道",他們的生意很好,雖然他們的價位比較高,但是他們的漢堡真的很好吃.

Of course if Pirates is too expensive for you, then there is always McDonald's. I just wonder how much actual beef they put into a Big Mac, because I have never found eating one to be a satisfying experience. If I were you, I would avoid McDonald's anyway. Their food just isn't healthy.如果你認為"海道"有點貴,那還有麥當勞可供選擇.但是我懷疑麥當勞的大麥克漢堡到底有多少牛肉在裡面,因為他們的漢堡不能帶給我滿足感,如果我是你,我會避免麥當勞的餐點,因為他們的食物跟健康沾不上邊.

Related Entries 相關的文章:

Eating in Taitung City 臺東市的餐廳

Pictures at My Exhibition 我最喜歡的照片 (III)

2010-11-28T16:33:00.000-08:00

More pictures from recent expeditions. 這些是最近拍的照片. This is a beach in Cheng Gong Township. 這是成功的海邊.

In the mountains near Du Lan. 都蘭山區

From the Local Ma Dzu Festival. Very loud! 臺東天后宮的節慶

At the entrance to the Li Jia Forest Path in Beinan. 利嘉林道

View from the "Big 69" Restaurant near the same path. 大巴六九藥用植物園

And that's it for me! See you next time? 先到這裡就好. 下次見面吧!

Related Entries 相關的文章:

Pictures at My Exhibition 我最喜歡的照片 (I)
Pictures at My Exhibition 我最喜歡的照片 (II)

Can You Speak English? 你會說英文嗎?

2010-11-21T17:23:00.001-08:00

English is a very popular language. It is, in one sense at least, the most popular language, with about 1,800,000,000 speakers worldwide. Compare this to Chinese, of which there are 1,345,000,000 speakers worldwide. 英文是一門熱門的語言. 它是世界上最多人使用的語言. 目前說英文的人口有18億,比起說英文的人口,說中文的人數只有13億4500萬.

One thing that might surprise you, however, is the fact that Chinese has more native speakers than English does. 845,000,000 people speak Chinese as their first language, compared to 328,000,000 people speaking English as their first language. With regard to native speakers, even Spanish has about a million more native speakers than English does. 可是以中文為母語的人口比以英文為母語的人口多. 以中文為母語的有845,000,000人. 這個人數比328,000,00以英文為母語的人數大得多. 連以西班牙文為母語者還是比英文多100萬.

All of which means that English isn't necessarily the most "popular" language in the world, just the most studied. Certainly the combined economic might of Western countries is one reason for this. The giant shadow cast by Hollywood films and other forms of American media is another. 從這比較數字來看, 英文不是最"熱門"的語言. 卻是最多人學習的. 這與西方國家的經濟與科技發展有關. 也受美國電影跟音樂影響很大.

I just wonder if people sometimes miss the point of studying English. Yes, proficiency in English will open up a number of opportunities, but people seem to forget that the opportunities realized through English study are not the only ones out there. I've known Taiwanese people with a skill in music or dance, for example, who've not only traveled the world but also made a fair amount of money doing so. Scooter mechanics, to use another example, can be quite successful without any proficiency in English. 我想很多人搞不清楚為甚麼要學英文. 當然學好英文在工作上比較有發展機會, 可是不一定什麼機會都需要靠英文. 有的人很會跳舞或唱歌, 有的人很會畫畫還是修理機器. 有這種能力的人也能生活得很好, 不管他們的英文程度如何.

All I'm saying is that it might be worthwhile to contemplate the relevance of English to your daily life and goals. Some people use English to get into a good college, some people use English to get a job, and some people just use English to make friends or see the world in a different way. What you use English for depends on your own attitudes, likes, and dislikes. You can use English for many purposes, you just need to be clear about what those purposes are. 我的意思是確認您的學習目標有助於您的學習成果,有的人學習英文是為了進入大家公認的好學校,有的人則是為了工作上的需要,也有很多人是為了交朋友和拓展視野,您的學習態度和喜好影響您學習英文的方向,您可以為了很多不同的原因學英文,但是首先必須知道你的學習目的是什麼.

Related Entries 相關的文章:

Can You Speak Chinese 你會說中文嗎?
Tests 考試
English Literature 英文文學

Beinan Township 卑南鄉

2010-11-16T16:05:00.000-08:00

Beinan Culture Park 卑南文化公園

Beinan Township is just north of Taitung City. It is an area that has seen a lot of development in recent years. Members of the Beinan tribe are also scattered through this township. Many of their villages can be found near the mountains. 卑南鄉位於臺東市北邊. 這個地區也很熱鬧. 卑南鄉更是卑南族的家鄉, 所以山區裡都有卑南族的部落.

Yuan Sen Botanical Gardens 原生植物園

Beinan is still too spread out to have any kind of "downtown," though people have tried to convince me otherwise. Most of the stores in Beinan are to be found along Highway 9, and you will definitely notice an increase in traffic as you approach Taitung City along this highway around Chinese New Year. 卑南鄉的大多數商店都是在台九線上. 也因此這段路比較容易塞車, 尤其是過年期間更是糟糕.

There are many famous places in Beinan. The most famous place is probably the Chu Lu Ranch. The Chu Lu Ranch sells milk all over Taiwan, and for this reason just about everyone visiting Taitung for the first time feels compelled to go there. I've never really understood the attraction of the place. The entrance fee is surprisingly high, and there really isn't much to see or do within. 卑南有名的地方很多,最有名的應該是初鹿牧場. 初鹿牧場的牛奶在全臺灣都可以買得到, 所以觀光客都想去那裡參觀. 只是我這位外國先生覺得初鹿牧場沒有意思. 進去還要收門票, 而且牧場附近沒什麼漂亮的風景.

Shan Yuan Beach 杉原

Besides the Chu Lu Ranch, Beinan is also home to "Master Bear" Resort, the Yuan Sen Botanical Gardens, the Beinan Cultural Park, and Shan Yuan Beach. The "Master Bear" Resort would, I think, be a cool place to stay, but it's PRICEY. The Botanical Gardens are well worth the visit, and offer a chance to purchase organic products grown in the area. The Beinan Cultural Park can be a nice place to spend an afternoon if it's not too hot, and Shan Yuan Beach is a good place to go if you don't have the time to visit more scenic beaches further north. 除了初鹿牧場以外, 卑南還有小熊渡假村, 原生植物園, 卑南文化公園, 和杉原的海灘. 小熊的風景很不錯, 只是住那邊不便宜. 另外,在原生植物園還可以買到臺東的有機名產. 天氣比較涼的時候, 卑南的文化公園是一個適合散步的好地方. 而杉原的海灘是最靠近臺東市的玩水樂區之一.

Beinan can be a nice place to explore on a bicycle or on a scooter, though people in a hurry will probably pass it by. I have the feeling that a lot of people from the "other side" hurry through the place around Chinese New Year, buy their box of shr jia ("Buddha-head fruit"), and never give the place a second thought. This is really too bad, since there are a lot of places in Beinan worth exploring. 無論是騎單車或是騎摩托車, 卑南有很多地方可以玩. 對西部的遊客來說, 大部分的人只是在那邊買一盒釋迦, 可惜的是卑南有很多的特色都沒機會被遊客發現.

"Buddha-head" fruit 釋迦

Going Home 回家

2010-11-09T16:01:00.000-08:00

Since I first moved to Taiwan, I have been home six times. During my first year here, I went back to Seattle twice - once during Chinese New Year and once during the following summer. That was back when I was still getting homesick for the States all the time, and I needed those trips to reinforce the fact that, yes, Seattle was still there.我第一年來臺灣到現在,我總共回去西雅圖六次,第一年更回去了二次,一次是農曆新年,另一次是暑假.那時候我常常想家,回去的主要目的只是為了確定我熟悉的西雅圖仍舊在那裡.

As the years have worn on, of course, I have been home less and less. After my second trip home it was a full year before I went back, and after my third trip it was two years. I now consider the trip home a once-every-two-years event - that is IF I have the money to go.隨著在臺灣的時間愈久,我第三次回去跟第二次回去的時間舊間隔了一年,第四次跟第三次又間隔了二年,現在我只希望每兩年能有錢回去一次就好了.

Part of my trouble is that I am traveling for four now. In the beginning, it was just me and my then-girlfriend, later to be my wife. After our second trip to Seattle we had our first daughter, and then the airlines began adding several thousand to our ticket price. Later on, my older daughter needed her own seat on the plane, and this meant three tickets instead of two. The arrival of my younger daughter - loved as she is - only compounded the problem.剛開始只需要付二個人的錢[我和我當時的女朋友(現在的太太)],之後加上寶寶的幾千元,等孩子大一點就是三個人的錢,因為她需要買自己的位置,再加上後來的小女兒,所以我們現在出門就是四個人的機票錢啦!

If I want to take my family back to Seattle this summer, that means buying four tickets. That also means A LOT of money. In fact, it means so much money that my bank account will get emptied, and this after saving for more than a year already. It's hard to see all of my money fly away like that, especially when one of my daughters is not so far away from junior high school, and I begin to think about money she might need for college.如果我想要在暑假帶我的家人回西雅圖,那就是一項足以讓我破產的龐大的費用.很難接受我們辛辛苦苦存的錢就這樣飛走,因為我大女兒快到上國中的年紀了,我已經開始想到她未來求學需要多少費用了.

As it is already November, and as I will certainly need to purchase tickets by May, I begin to worry about this situation. I would like to visit home very much, and I would also love for my daughters and their grandparents to have the time together, but I wonder if the expense is really worth it. Should we go, and say to hell with the money? Or should we stay, and wait another year to go back?現在已經11月了,如果要回去,我們五月份就要買好機票,我很想回去看看我的家鄉,也想讓我的孩子和她們的祖父母有機會相處,我只是不確定花這麼多錢在這上面是否值得?我們是要不惜代價地回去探親?還是明年再回去?

Naturally there is the pressure I feel from my parents. They miss their grandkids, and the time they spend with my daughters is precious to us all. At the same time, I ask myself if going back is really the responsible thing to do. No, money isn't everything, but there are times when money is a very good thing to have.當然我可以感受到我父母想念我們的心情,他們想念孫女,希望有時間和她們相處,這對我們大家是一件重要的事,但是同時我也反問自己:這是負責任的行為嗎?雖然錢不是一切,但是在很多時候,有錢是一件美好的事.

I'm sure there are many other foreigner residents in the same situation. They might not have kids, they might not be married, but nevertheless a plane trip back to North America, Europe, or wherever else is never cheap. For those just arrived in Taiwan, this will probably be less of a concern, yet as years pass it can become a serious burden. It's not easy to divide your life between two continents, especially not in the long term.我想很多在臺的外國居民都有這樣的問題,他們不一定有孩子也不一定結婚了,只是飛機票到北美,歐洲或其他地方都不便宜,對剛到臺灣的人來說,也許機票的價錢不會成為回家的考慮因素,但是時間久了,卻也是一項負擔.長期來說,將生活依國家切為二半是件很難的事.

Then again, I suppose my family is lucky to have this choice. I have many Taiwanese friends who can only dream of visiting America, and also many friends in the States who can only dream of escaping to Taiwan. It would be nice if we were all like those guys on Star Trek, who can just teleport wherever they want, but until that day we'll just have to count the days, count the money in our bank accounts, and count on our better judgment to steer us toward the right decision.我想我們家是很幸運擁有這樣的選擇權,我的一些臺灣朋友期待有一天能到美國玩,一些西雅圖的朋友只能對臺灣充滿想像.如果我們可以像電影中的情節一樣,利用轉換器將自己送到任何想去的地方就好了,但是直到那一天來臨前,我們仍需要算著天數與金錢,並且依據自己的判斷能力做出對的抉擇.

Oh, and here's wishing you a happy Thanksgiving. Wherever you might be.無論您身在哪裡,祝您感恩節快樂!

Related Entries 相關的文章:

Nostalgia 思鄉情懷
Foreigners I Know (Besides Me) 我認識的外國人
First Impression 第一印象
Seattle 西雅圖

"Three Fairies" Bridge 三仙台

2010-11-01T19:13:00.000-07:00

The "Three Fairies" Bridge, also known as San Shian Tai, is located in Cheng Gong Township, at the north end of Taitung County. Along with the hot springs at Jer Ben, it is one of two "must-see" spots in Taitung. 三仙台位於臺東縣北邊的成功鄉. 三仙台跟知本溫泉是臺東最知名的景點.

It is pretty much impossible to reach by train. The nearest train stop is in Chr Shang, which is divided from Cheng Gong Township by mountains. You could take a taxi there from Yu Li in Hualien County, but that would be a long and expensive taxi ride. 搭火車到三仙台很麻煩. 因為最近的火車站在池上, 而且池上跟成功之間隔著山,沒有道路相通. 你可以從花蓮的玉里搭計程車, 但是從玉里到三仙台還是蠻遠的.

Most of those visiting San Shian Tai do so by car or bus. Buses heading in this direction can be taken from any of the larger towns on the coast, though you are probably looking at a long wait to take the bus. Renting a car is a much better option if you don't live in the area, especially since just about anywhere along the coast is going to be a long drive. 大部分到三仙台的觀光客是搭遊覽車或是自己開車. 臺11線都有公車到三仙台, 可是要等很久. 如果你是外縣市的觀光客, 在臺東市租車前往是比較好的選擇.

Next to the parking lot there is a concession area. From this concession area there is a trail that leads down to a small, rocky beach and to the bridge itself. On a sunny day it's a very photogenic spot. The waters beneath the bridge are very blue, and the location of the bridge makes for some excellent views of the coastline. 三仙台的停車場旁邊有一個商店區. 商店區的後面有一條步道. 這條步道通往海邊的主要景點. 晴天時,那裡的風景很漂亮,海浪藍藍的,很適合拍照.

The bridge leads to a small island. There is a wooden path around this island, and it is very pleasant to sit in the rocks or on the benches along the path. Most of the island is forested by the Lin Tou trees that grow wild throughout Taitung. The fruit of these trees seems to be related to the pineapple, though it's not nearly as sweet. I have had juice made from this fruit, and it's nice on a hot day. 三仙台的另外一邊是一座小島. 小島上的步道兩邊都是林投樹.坐在那裡很舒服. 我也喝過林投果汁, 三仙台的熱天裡很適合喝林投果汁.

A lot of people only visit the "Three Fairies" Bridge once, and then never return. I guess they feel like they've taken all their pictures, it's never going to change, and so there is no reason to go back there. I would probably agree with them if I lived outside the county. But since I'm only an hour away, I do like to revisit it once or twice a year. It's not the most spectacular tourist destination in Taiwan, but it's a nice place to sit and think. 大部分的觀光客只去過一次三仙台. 他們的想法應該是已經拍好該照的相片, 以經沒有什麼回去的理由.如果我不住臺東一定也怎麼認為. 從我家到三仙台只要一小時, 所以偶爾去那裡不是問題. 三仙台不是臺灣最熱鬧的地方, 它是個適合想事情的美麗景點.

Related Entries 相關的文章:

The Royal Jer Ben and Other Hot Springs 知本溫泉

Bicycling, Swimming, and Running 騎單車, 游泳和跑步

2010-10-27T17:46:00.000-07:00

San Yuan Beach 杉原

1. Bicycling 騎單車

Bicycling in Taitung is great. Within a few minutes, you can find yourself in some very beautiful, and very remote areas. 10K from anywhere in Taitung City will bring you to Jia Lu Lan, Jer Ben, or the the slightly-less-scenic parts of Bei Nan. 20K will bring you to Du Lan, Tai Ma Li, or Lu Ye. 30K will bring you to Jin Dzuen, Jin Feng, or just past the Gao Tai "Terrace". After 40 or 50K you start to come to the county borders, with Hualien, Ping Dong, or even Tainan awaiting the hardier cyclist. 臺東真是一個適合騎腳踏車的地方. 從臺東市出發,你可以在一個小時內到達許多漂亮的景點和小村鎮. 10K 以內的路程景點包含加路蘭, 知本和部分的卑南地區. 20K 以內可以到達都蘭, 太麻里, 或是鹿野. 30K 以內可以到金樽, 金峰, 或是鹿野高台. 超過 40K 後就適合比較厲害的有經驗者,因為那就大概要跨縣了.

Yuan Sen Botanical Gardens 原生植物園

Bicycling is also a great way to commute. There isn't much traffic in Taitung City, and there is almost NO traffic in the rest of the county. Of course people still love their cars, but commuting by bike can be a healthy and environmentally friendly alternative. 臺東的交通很順暢,所以騎腳踏車上下班是一件值得推動的事情. 當然很多人在市區還是喜歡開車, 只是騎腳踏車能讓身體更健康也是保護環境的最佳選擇,當然是需要大家多多推廣 .

There are plenty of bike races in Taitung. Just a couple of weeks ago the county hosted the "Taitung Cup," which stretched from Jer Ben to Yu Li in Hualien County. This race featured 100 and 200K divisions. It was too far for me, so I didn't go! 臺東也常舉辦腳踏車比賽. 兩個禮拜前,臺灣杯單車比賽路程更是從臺東縣知本到花蓮縣玉里. 它分為 100K 跟 200K 兩部分. 我覺得太遠所以沒有參加.

2. Swimming 遊泳

Swimming in Taitung gets more complicated. Much of this, I think, is due to certain superstitions about water. Many local swimming spots are described as "dangerous" or "dirty" by local people - for reasons that are often frivolous. 在臺東,游泳活動比較複雜一點. 可能是因為中國人對水的禁忌. 這裡有很多地方可以游泳, 只是很多臺東人都覺得"不乾淨".

The "Flowing Water" Lake 活水湖

One great outside swimming spot is the "Flowing Water" Lake in the Forest Park. Yes, there are signs that tell you not to swim, but everyone does it anyway. Several unwary visitors have drowned in this lake, so the superstitious avoid it like the plague. I don't believe in ghosts, so it's not a problem for me. 在臺東市, 很多市民會利用森林公園的活水湖游泳. 大家都不管那些"禁止游泳"的牌子. 當然也有些人不敢在那個地方玩水, 因為湖很深而且還發生過多起溺水意外. 我不相信這類的事, 所以我在那邊游泳沒有問題.

There isn't any good place in Taitung City to swim in the ocean. This is due to pollution. Many of the older houses in the center of the city have drains and even toilets that empty directly into local rivers, and these rivers of course empty into the sea. For cleaner ocean water, you have to venture north to Beinan, Dong He, and Cheng Gong townships. There are several places to swim in Dulan, and this area is also very popular with the surfing crowd. 臺東市的髒汙都被卑南溪跟太平溪沖到海邊去了,所以要到卑南, 東河, 和成功才有比較乾淨的海邊. 特別乾淨的是都蘭附近. 衝浪的人最愛都蘭.

Swimming Pool in "Journey to the East" Hot Spring 東遊記

There are some swimming pools in Taitung City and Jer Ben, but these tend to be of a seasonal nature. I would recommend the pool in front of the Vocational High School, on the way to the airport. It's open year round, not expensive, and it is fairly clean. 臺東市跟知本都有游泳池, 可是冬天開放的不多. 我覺得"農工"的游泳池是最好的. 它冬天開放, 而且交便方便和地方乾淨.

There aren't any swimming competitions that I know of - not in this county. The closest thing is the triathlons that several athletic associations host throughout the year. The Taitung County Urban and Rural Athletic Association, the "T-Man" Group, and the Taitung Super Triathlon Association all host triathlons in the area. These range from the shorter "Olympic" distance (1K swim, 40K bike, 10K run), to soul-crushing, 220 KM-long affairs that send competitors to local emergency rooms. 臺東縣好像沒有什麼游泳比賽, 可是每三, 四個月就有鐵人三項比賽. 城鄉運動協會, T-man 團, 還有超級鐵人都在臺東舉辦過鐵人比賽. 有的是1K游泳,40K騎腳踏車和跑步10K的,更有的是跑到累死人的加倍賽程.

3. Running 跑步

Running here can be a problem if you don't like tracks. A lot of people keep dogs to guard their property, and this makes running through rural areas a bit dangerous. I've found that the best place for road running is probably the "Ma Heng Heng" road that circles the city. There are fewer dogs here, and there is also a bicycle path that scooters (mostly) avoid. 在臺東的路上跑步真是危險. 很多農夫喜歡養看地的狗, 所以在鄉下路跑的人要特別小心. 馬亨亨那條外環道比較沒有狗. 那條馬路的車也不是很多, 所以在那裏跑比較安全.

Taitung University Athletic Field 東大的跑場

I would discourage anyone from running along the highways. It is extremely dangerous, and people get killed that way. If a track is more to your liking, there is the popular track next to Taitung University's "old" campus. There is also the usual slew of tracks at local public schools. 我覺得在臺9線或是臺11跑步很危險. 如果你比較重視跑場的安全性的話, 東大有個很熱門的操場. 除此之外,也有很多公立學校的操場.

For runners there are the triathlons mentioned above, and there also several running events such as the Taitung Marathon, scheduled for this month. Those interested in running events in east Taiwan are hereby directed to Race Events in Taiwan, which posts events from all over the island. 喜歡路跑的人可以參加鐵人比賽. 這個月有臺東馬拉松. 想要參加東部路跑比賽的人應該先看跑著廣場的網站. 全島的路跑比賽資訊都在那裏.

Whatever you decide to do out there, please be careful. There are a lot of crazy people driving cars in Taiwan, and it is best to exercise caution! Reflective bands are a good idea if you exercise at night, and it is probably best to avoid major thoroughfares if possible. Exercise is part of a healthy lifestyle, but only if it can be done safely.無論你喜歡什麼運動都要小心! 路跑跟騎單車的人要注意交通狀況. 夜裡的時候, 帶著反光帶是一個很好的方法. 最好也不要在常常飆車的地方運動. 運動雖然對身體很棒, 但是我們一定要關心自身的安全!!

Related Entries 相關的文章:

Bicycling in Taitung 臺東腳踏車之旅
Love 197 戀戀197
Sports in Taitung 體育活動

Happy Halloween

2010-10-17T17:25:00.000-07:00

萬聖節快樂!!!!