💕「愛台灣，我的選擇」系列第16發：熱愛台灣詩的美國學者白瑞梅(Amie Parry)

「我在加州內陸地區一個叫做聖伯納迪諾的小城市長大，隨後在聖地牙哥念大學和研究所，並獲得文學博士學位。求學期間我們必須至少選修一門外語，所以我就選了中文。1987年我大學畢業之後，跟朋友來了台灣一趟，在台灣教英文和學中文六個月，接著就自己一個人當起背包客在亞洲四處旅遊。

我本來想要研究中國古典詩詞，後來因為獲得傅爾布萊特獎學金，便又再度回到台灣。當時我在討論詩詞的聚會上認識了幾位現代派詩人，所以我就將研究主題轉而聚焦在台灣60、70和80年代的現代詩。我的博士論文探討的就是，以現代主義來理解現有政治語言中難以理解的現代性。我認為歷史形塑而來的經驗，往往比語言本身還要複雜。

我研究的那些詩作沒有明確的政治性，反而是有很強的實驗性質，並帶著詭譎的神秘感。當時我認識的現代派詩人大多是跟著國民黨飄洋過海來台的外省人，他們經歷過戰爭和顛沛流離，也經歷過劇烈且痛苦的歷史創傷。每個人的經驗都不同，在那個年代，也很難說出口。後來，我寫了一本關於詩的書，並聚焦在一兩位我覺得特別有趣的詩人。我在書中問了一些類似的問題：這些詩作如何幫你思考艱難的議題？

當時的現代詩已經頗有制度，許多詩人都有投稿《現代詩》這份重要的詩刊，有些詩人則是將詩作與戲劇結合。整體而言，台灣的現代詩、表演藝術和文學都發展地如火如荼，也深深吸引了我，但我還未全盤了解。當我完成博士論文時，我便獲得交通大學的教職，讓我對台灣的學術圈感到非常驚艷。而當我出版第一本著作時，我也很訝異能在美國獲獎；我根本不知道自己獲得提名，當時我問授獎單位：「為什麼選擇我的書？」他們表示：「因為書中其中一個章節是以跨國的架構來進行整體論述，妳不是單用西方的理論和東方的詩詞，而是從東西方共同錘煉出嶄新的知識。」

我目前任教於中央大學英美語文學系，除了擔任系主任之外，我也有教授寫作課、文學課和文學文化理論課程。從我1987年第一次來台灣到現在，我覺得台灣人愈來愈能自在地與來自不同地方的人交談，就個人經驗來說，我認為台灣社會愈來愈開放。我第一次來台灣時，經歷了許多台灣社會有趣的發展，也結交了許多朋友，並認識了許多學術圈的同好。我想，這些珍貴的回憶就是呼喚我再度回台的動力；就像是，如果你覺得這個社會充滿生氣和活力，而你也能夠參與其中、做出貢獻，我想這就是像家一樣的感覺吧！」

✨白瑞梅 Amie Parry 現為中央大學英美語文學系 專任教授

💕Why I chose Taiwan #16 – Amie Parry

“I grew up in a small city in inland California called San Bernardino. I went to college and graduate school in San Diego. I got my PhD in literature. We were all expected to learn at least one language, so I did Chinese. I traveled to Taiwan with a friend right after I graduated from college in 1987. We came here to teach English and study Chinese for six months, then I traveled around Asia by myself with a backpack.

I originally wanted to study classical Chinese poetry. I got a Fulbright grant and I came back here. I started going to the poetry nights that were happening at that time. I met some of the modernist poets, and I switched my focus to the modernist poetry of the 60s, 70s, and 80s in Taiwan. I wrote my dissertation on modernism as a way of understanding the parts of modernity that are hard to know in the existing political language that we inherit. I think that experience in historical formation is always more complicated than the language.

These poems are not explicitly political; they're very experimental and strange. At the time, the modernist poets I met were mostly 外省, men who had been drafted and come over with the KMT, so they had experienced war and displacement, and a very intense and traumatic historical moment. People experienced it differently, and at that time, it was a hard thing to talk about. Later, I wrote a book about poetry, but I just focused on one or two poets I find really, really fascinating. And I was asking some of the same kinds of questions: how can these poems help you think about certain topics that are hard to think about?

At that time, Modernist poetry was a kind of an institution already. There was a journal called 現代詩, “Modern Poetry,” a really important journal that most of these poets were published in. Some of them combined poetry and theater. There's just so much going on in Taiwan in terms of poetry and performance and literature. It's just amazing. And I'm very interested in it at all, but I haven't kept up. After I finished my dissertation, I got a job offer at 交大. I thought, wow, there's something really amazing happening intellectually here. When my first book came out, it actually got an award in the U.S., and I was so surprised. I didn't even know it had been nominated. I asked them, ‘Why did you choose my book?’ And they said, because one of the chapters has a transnational of framework for the whole argument, so it wasn't like you used Western theories and Eastern texts, it's like the whole knowledge part is coming out of both places.

I currently teach in the English department at National Central University. I'm the chair and I teach writing classes, literature classes, and literary and cultural theory classes. Since my first visit to Taiwan in 1987, I think people are a little more comfortable talking to people from different places. In my personal interactions, I feel a difference, like a greater openness. Back then, there were so many interesting things happening here, all at one time, and that's the time that I happened to be here. And I made good friends in my personal life and in my intellectual life. And I think those are the things that made me come back: like if you feel that there's something interesting happening and there's some way that you can support it. I guess that's a way of feeling at home.” — Amie Parry

✨Amie Parry is professor of the Department of English at the National Central University

【國立臺灣大學109學年度畢業典禮 致詞代表 資訊工程學系韓哈斯】
Student Address, National Taiwan University Commencement 2021
International student Seth Austin Harding from Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering

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校長、教授、以及在螢幕前的各位同學，大家好。非常感謝臺大給我這個機會。我是韓哈斯，來自美國華盛頓特區。我會以自身的真實經驗出發，來跟大家分享臺大帶給我的收穫。

我當初為什麼選擇來台灣求學呢？我小時候非常喜歡看武打片，然後我十歲的時候去看了一部電影叫做「功夫熊貓」。這部電影成為了我最喜歡的電影，主角「阿波」的故事跟我的故事很像。我看完了之後就決定要開始學功夫，所以去了「美國武術學院」。那個時候我每天都聽旁邊的人講中文，到了高中我就決定開始學中文。當時我遇到了一位貴人，她是從台北到美國來教書的中文老師，她教的課是我當時最喜歡的課，我每天去她的教室跟好朋友練習。到了高中畢業時，我是全高中中文最好的非母語人士。同時，我第二喜歡的課程是電腦科學，那時候我是程式能力數一數二的學生。後來在成功錄取夢寐以求的學校：臺灣大學之後，我感到雀躍不已，因為我既可以繼續學習中文，也可以持續在世界頂尖的學府中，往電腦科學的方向精進自我。

不過老實說，當我回顧大一的時期，我也曾迷失自我。雖然我修了很多很多的中文課，但是我那時只聽得懂大概一半的課程內容。跟大家對美國人的印象不同，我其實很害羞，也很害怕舉手提問，我甚至不太敢參與社交，所以當時朋友也很少。我開始想家，也變得有一點憂鬱。那時籃球是我唯一的紓壓方式。

但更不幸的是，我在打籃球時弄傷了我的前十字韌帶，做了兩次手術，需要一年半才能恢復。許多的負面情緒壓得我喘不過氣。我被困在人生的低谷，不知如何是好。我覺得我的中文不夠好，我也被診斷出失眠跟ADHD，另外，美國高中的數學太簡單了，來這邊不夠用。種種壓力讓我足不出戶，找不到自己的人生方向。後來，我向臺大心輔中心以及我的心理醫師尋求協助，然後我也開始跟系上有更多互動。有一位教授叫徐宏民跟我說，"Never give up"，雖然那時候我覺得這句話太過於簡化了我的問題，不過，在我仔細思考了一個禮拜之後，我下定決心，發誓不讓自己被這些事擊敗。我決定要克盡全力，認真做好每件事。這是我人生的轉捩點，我開始變得異常自律。當時廖世偉教授和洪士灝系主任帶我進入它們的研究室鑽研學術。這重燃了我對資訊工程的熱忱，提醒了我當初會愛上這個領域的原因。我開始研究人工智慧以及區塊鏈，也開始跟其他系上同學交朋友，一起成立臺大人工智慧應用社NTUAI。NTUAI現在是校內頗具規模的技術研究社團，致力於推廣人工智慧給任何對該領域有熱忱的學生。歡迎加入NTUAI，可以掃描我們的QR CODE。

最近，由於疫情的緣故，我已經一年半沒回美國了。但是沒關係，因為我已經找到了我第二個家。我很愛臺大，以及台灣的人事物。雖然我經歷了人生的低潮，但這裡的一切總是給我滿滿的祝福與協助。最後，我想送給大家「功夫熊貓」裡的一句台詞： "You just need to believe"。只要用樂觀的態度去面對困難，就有能力改變自己，甚至改變身旁所愛的人。就像阿波的父親說的，"心誠則靈，只要你相信，點石就能成金。根本沒有什麼秘笈。只有你。"謝謝大家。

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President, professors, and classmates, I'm very honored to be here. Thank you to NTU for giving me this opportunity. My name's Seth Austin Harding, and I'm from the D.C. metropolitan area. I'm going to tell a real story that's personal but that's relatable and what I see as the real me.

What motivated and guided me to take my undergraduate studies in Taiwan? When I was very young, I really loved watching kung fu movies, and when I was 10 years old, I went to the theater to watch "Kung Fu Panda". This became my favorite movie as I felt like the story of the main character Po was one to which I could very much relate. After watching this movie, I decided that I wanted to start learning kung fu, so I went to the United States Wushu Academy. At the time, I began hearing Mandarin on a daily basis, so when I was in high school, I decided to begin formally studying Chinese. It ended up being my Chinese teacher from Taipei who was my favorite teacher who taught my favorite class, so I decided I'd hang out in the Chinese classroom every day and practice lots. By the time graduation came around, I had attained the highest proficiency in Chinese among any non-native speaker in my school. My second favorite class was computer science, and I ended up attaining among the best coding skills in my school. After getting accepted to the school of my dreams -- National Taiwan University -- I felt honored, humbled, and excited; I could now spend time at among the world's finest universities studying Chinese and at the same time advancing my knowledge of computer science.

But when I look back at my freshman year, to be honest with you, I didn't know what I was doing. Despite having taken very many Chinese classes, when I went to the NTU lectures, I understood only about half of what the teachers were saying. Contrary to most people's impressions of an American, I was actually too shy to raise my hand, to ask questions, or to even meet with teachers after class, so I had very few friends at the time. I started to become homesick and depressed. At that time, I found that basketball was the only way I knew of relieving my stress. However, while playing basketball, I had torn my ACL and it would take two surgeries and a year and a half in time to fully recover. At this point, I felt caught between a rock and a hard place. In fact, this was the lowest point of my life, and I didn't know what to do. I felt like my Chinese wasn't good enough, I had been diagnosed with insomnia and ADHD, and I felt like the math taught in America was too simple to allow for me to keep up with my classmates. I was under immense pressure, and at this time, I lost any sense of purpose or direction. Later on, I went to seek help from NTU counseling, from my psychiatrist, and from my department. I reached out to Professor Winston Hsu from CSIE, and he told me this: "Never give up"; it was such an oversimplified way to approach such a complex series of problems, I had thought. However, I pondered these words intensely for one week, and by the end of that week, I had made a firm decision. This would NOT be another example of me giving up. I decided to go all out, to work diligently and passionately on all tasks at hand. This was the turning point of my life; I started to discipline myself to a very high degree. At this time, I met my then-to-become advisors Professor Shih-Wei Liao and Professor Shih-Hao Hung and entered their labs to begin research. Finally, the passion that I had for computer science that I had previously held in high school was kindled again, and I was finally reminded why I loved this field. I began my research life in blockchain and AI, and at the time I entered the lab, I also began creating NTUAI. NTUAI is now a large and highly successful NTU club that is dedicated to the research and public understanding of AI. Welcome one and all to join us; please scan our QR code here.

For a year and a half I haven't returned to America because of covid. But not to worry; I have found my second home, away from home. I love it here in NTU and I cherish all of the things I've had the privilege to experience in Taiwan. I've gone through the most difficult of struggles in my life here, but I've also had the most fortunate and blessed of experiences. To conclude, I'd like to quote a line from "Kung Fu Panda": "You just need to believe". As long as you are willing to adopt an optimistic attitude in facing challenges and hardships, you may become a positive force in changing the lives of those around you as well as your own life. It all depends on how you view it; just like what Po's father says, "there is no secret ingredient. It's just you." Thank you, everyone.

詳見：
https://www.facebook.com/NTUCommencement/posts/2718185771805180

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#臺灣大學 #畢業典禮 #NTUCommencement2021 #學生致詞代表 #臺大資訊工程學系 #韓哈斯 #SethAustinHarding

入冬了，先加件衣服一起來讀 #BBC新聞
🎅紅白色聖誕老人的前世今生
The real reason Father Christmas wears red and white

🎄 Why, after all, does Santa Claus wear red and white?

聖誕老人給人的印象，是一個穿著紅白色大衣的老人，但聖誕老人這個形象是甚麼時候開始的？

Many people will tell you that the modern Santa is dressed to match the red-and-white colors of a can of Coke, and was popularized by Coca Cola's advertising in the 1930s.

許多人會說，聖誕老人的衣服在1930年代被設計為紅白兩種顏色，是為了與可口可樂的罐子設計一致。

A good story, but the red-and-white Santa himself wasn't created to advertise Coca-Cola - why, he was touting the rival beverage White Rock back in 1923. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was the one who was invented as a marketing gimmick.

可口可樂公司當時的確有為宣傳可樂創造一個卡通人物，但那是紅鼻子馴鹿魯道夫，而不是身穿紅白衣服的聖誕老人──他1923年就已經誕生，當時是為了宣傳可口可樂的競爭對手White Rock汽水。

🤶 The modern Santa Claus is actually much older, a patchwork character woven together from different sources. These include Saint Nicholas, a 4th Century Greek bishop - who famously wore red robes while giving gifts to the poor, especially children - and the English folk figure "Father Christmas", whose original green robes turned red over time.

現代聖誕老人是用不同歷史人物的故事拼湊而成。這包括一名4世紀的 #希臘主教 聖尼古拉斯，許多神話都記載他身穿紅色外衣給窮人派禮物。另外，聖誕老人的部份特色來自英國神話故事人物 #聖誕神父，他原本身穿綠色外衣，但漸漸變成紅色。

The Santa we know also owes much to the Dutch figure Sinterklaas - also based on Saint Nicholas - whose legend flourished in the once-Dutch city of New York, popular with prosperous Manhattanites such as Washington Irving and Clement Clarke Moore in the early 1800s.

但對現代聖誕老人形象影響最深遠的，是受希臘主教聖尼古拉斯的一個荷蘭神話故事人物。他的中文譯名也是 #聖尼古拉斯，在曾經是荷蘭殖民地的紐約市十分流行，受歐文和穆爾等住在紐約曼克頓的作家歡迎。

🎁 It was in the 1820s, too, that advertisements for Christmas presents became common in the United States.

而在穆爾的同一個年代，美國零售商為了 #清理年末積壓下來的存貨，開始用廣告鼓勵大眾給其他人買聖誕禮物。

By the 1840s, Santa himself was a frequent commercial icon in advertisements. Retailers, after all, had to find some way to clear their end-of-year stock. The gift-giving tradition took firm hold.

到了1840年代，這些廣告經常都有聖誕老人出現，令聖誕節變成一個消費節日的傳統更為根深蒂固。

In Boston in 1867, 10,000 people paid to see Charles Dickens give readings of his Christmas Carol - a story light on biblical details and heavy on the idea of generosity.

1867年的底特律，約1萬人排隊買票，就是為了聽英國著名小說家狄更斯朗讀他的小說 #聖誕頌歌（又譯《小氣財神》），內容主要宣揚無私、慷慨解囊的精神。

想知道《小婦人》中，哪一句名言奠定了現代聖誕節的贈禮傳統嗎？
加入國際選讀，了解更多聖誕文化
https://events.storm.mg/member/HOWSJ/

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原文連結請看留言
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#跟我說說✍🏻
你印象中的聖誕節是什麼樣子？
就送你【今日讀報單字包】！

#拉著朋友徹夜不歸 #和另一半共享珍貴時光
#在家庭聚會上被三姑六婆逼婚
#沒什麼，不過又是一個孤單的夜晚

#歡迎追蹤並且分享我們的音樂 #約書亞樂團 #信實到永遠

信實到永遠 / Faithful To The End
詞曲 Lyricist & Composer：Hannah McClure, Paul McClure, Brian Johnson & Joel Taylor
中譯詞 Translator：周巽光 Ewen Chow
主領 Worship Leader：何彥臻 Franny Ho、趙治德 Samuel Chao

[Verse 1]
我們是屬天子民
We're heaven-spun creations
父神蒙愛的百姓
His pride and adoration
在祂榮耀中成形
Treasures woven by His love
慈愛雙手扶持我
His careful hands they hold us
在應許中堅立
Safe within His promise
活出呼召和命定
Of calling and of destiny

[Chorus]
我要宣揚 祢作為
And I will sing of all You've done
我要紀念 祢成就的一切
And I'll remember how far You've carried me
從起初到見祢面
From beginning until the end
祢是信實 信實到永遠 (到永遠)
You are faithful, faithful to the end

[Verse 2]
天父的心屬我
A Father's heart that's for me
從開始到最後
A never-ending story
祂愛不停的追求
Of love that's always chasing me
祂恩慈令人驚奇
His kindness overwhelming
盼望永無止盡
And hope for me unending
祂永遠都不放棄
He's never given up on me

[Bridge]
不會有一天 祢不在我身邊
There wasn't a day that You weren't by my side
不會有一天 祢離我遙遠
There wasn't a day that You let me fall
我一生年日 祢愛太真實
In all of my life, Your love has been true
我一生年日 我要敬拜祢
With all of my life, I will worship You

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奉獻 Asia for JESUS/ 約書亞樂團事工
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這裡可以找到我們！
YouTube▸https://bit.ly/3hBNTH5
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異象工場官方商城▸https://shop.asiaforjesus.net/
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很多台灣朋友好奇為什麼一個外國人或美國人會想來台灣！雖然來這裡不是我原本的計畫，但是可以說是一個happy accident！沒有扶輪社給我的機會的話我就不會知道有這麼好的地方
A lot of friends in Taiwan are curious as to why I moved here in the first place! Although it wasn't a part of my original plan, it was a happy accident. If it weren't for Rotary International, I wouldn't know just how great of a place it is here.

#Taiwantravel #RotaryInternational #Rotary #崔璀璨

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⭐合作信箱聯繫➔tristan@capsuleinc.cc⭐

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【影片後製/Video Production】
🎬 攝影/Videography：崔璀璨 Tristan H.
✂️ 剪輯/Editing：崔璀璨 Tristan H.

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每週三更新影片 New videos every Wednesday!

更多影片：
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🔍️【VLOGS！✈️ 生活跟我玩】
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【崔璀璨 Tristan H.】
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2013年8月31日是我第一次來到台灣。 剛好已經七年了！ 對不起，我說錯了！ 我過了超棒的7年！！ 我不知道怎麼說我好幸福，即使在那個時候我也不確定自己會做什麼，來台灣是我一生中最好的點子之一。

我決定拍一個有關台灣的影片，這次我不介紹風景或食物。會有點不同。

因為我來這裡已經7年了，所以我決定分享我在台灣學習的7件事。我認為每個人也應該學習。

影片是英文的，但是有中文字幕，這樣說中文和英文的人都可以認識台灣！ 請大家看到最後，也回答最後的問題。 非常感謝！

On August 31 in 2013 it was the first time I arrived to Taiwan. It's been exactly seven years! Sorry, I said it wrong! It's been 7 great years!! I cannot express how happy I am and even though at that time I wasn't really sure what I was going to do, coming to Taiwan was one of the best ideas in my life.

Because of that I decided to make a short video about Taiwan. This time it's not about places, it's not about vistas, neither about food. It's a bit different.

Since I have been here 7 years, I decided to share 7 things that I learnt in Taiwan.. and I think everybody in the world should learn as well.

The video is in English with Chinese subtitles. This way people who either Chinese and English can understand well! So please watch it to the end and make sure you answer the question at the end. Thanks a lot!

0:00 Intro 簡介
0:18 Safety 安全
1:30 Customers Service 客戶服務
2:14 Public Health System 全民健保
2:57 Healthy Lifestyle 健康生活
3:38 Public Toilets 公共厠所
4:15 Business Friendly 商業友善
6:40 Last but not least 最後但同樣重要的

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