8/31/2008

Tom Jones 的sex bomb溜冰版

雖然Tom Jones是媽媽那個年代的歌星,但是他的sex bomb 一直是我的最愛.偶然發現這位老兄為sex bomb為編舞溜冰,除了不是很合我味口的健美先生身材外,他的舞藝與幽默感真是一絶呢!

AFP: Taiwan to cut military spending amid warming China ties: report

這是一篇來自AFP的報導,有關台灣軍購與外交預算大幅刪減的新聞。

Taiwan plans to scale back its military spending in 2009 amid warming ties with rival China, it was reported Saturday.

找了半天似乎都沒有字典有載明scale back這個phrase,但是當scale為動詞時,其解釋是這樣的:

size or measure according to a scale

這似乎是最符合原文的解釋了.所以scale back大概和中文的"向下調整"有異曲同功之妙吧!

It will account for 17.2 percent of next year's government budget, the report said, but the move has drawn criticism from opposition lawmakers.

根據Encarta的解釋account for有以下3個解釋

1. explain something: to provide an explanation for something
And how do you account for his behavior?

2. be responsible for something: to be responsible for something or be an important factor in something
Export sales account for at least half of our total business.

3. kill or destroy somebody or something: to be responsible for killing, destroying, or neutralizing somebody or something

當然在這裏第2個解釋才符合原文嘍!

自己造句:光是批改作業就用掉了至少30%的上班時間.

Grading papers account for at least 30% of office hours.

文中還有幾個與現今外交策略有關的用語

1. cement ties with existing diplomatic allies鞏固友邦 ...我看再強的水泥也無法鞏固這些只向錢看的"友"邦吧?

2. in line with Ma's call for ...呼應馬先生的外交休兵政策

The foreign ministry said the budget cut was in line with Ma's call for an end to the decades-old competition for diplomatic recognition between Taipei and Beijing.

Right, and Beijin government's is repeating deny to Taiwan's bid for any international body is in line with Mr. Ma's friendly approach? Sounds promising, Mr. Ma...

8/25/2008

游芭絲_彎延山路上的清新小店

補阿里山遊記

從溪頭往阿里山的路上,我們臨時起意想彎進達娜伊娃谷.這一臨時起意就是一路一斷的蜿延山路.在路上就看到了這個在山路邊邊的小店,挺醒目.但是未停留,後來證明有點失策.

到了達娜伊娃谷,有些...怎麼說...失望.達娜伊娃谷是個園區,前陣子登上新聞的原因是當地鄒族人努力護魚最後成功的故事.也許是非假日的關係,園區內人影稀少,更突顯出建築物的破敗與了無生氣.這是一個讓人看得玩興大減的地方.我連相機都很懶得拿出來拍.

我們後來就只走到第二護漁區,看到一群群的魚種在清徹的溪裏悠游,的確是一個明顯的護漁果實.但是週遭的環境不十分的kid-friendly,我們又帶著幼鹷孩童.所以放棄繼續往上走第一護漁區,後來和游芭絲的老闆小聊一下才知道第一護漁區才是最美的地方...唉,好吧,只能說走進園區內的前半段破敗的景象把我的冒險心都磨掉一半了...而且聽老闆說在他們這裏買入園券有打折哦!早知道就先在這裏用餐啊!

旅途結束後才上網找找有關鄒族人護漁的資料,發現這個有田野研究性質的山美日記有些挺有趣的觀點和不太會在媒體上看到的觀察記錄.

CIMG1103 喜歡游芭絲的店面設計,座落在半山腰上,正好給駕駛在彎曲山路上的旅人一個清爽小憩的地方

軒軒很高CIMG1101興終於可以下車喘口氣,她一路喊著脖子痛,真怕她真的在車上吐出來.

CIMG1106 太喜歡這種狗啦!

CIMG1110 喜歡他們擺放水果的方式

CIMG1108 從游芭絲往外看的景色

CIMG1112

烤山豬肉就在這樣的大圓盤上烤!

超出預期的好吃的檳桹花(抄的),山豬肉和竹筒飯,好吃!CIMG1105

Reconciliation

"Taiwan president promotes peace with China in speech"

An article from m&c reports about a speech Mr. Ma made while attending the 50 anniversary of the kingman battle. 

"In his speech entitled, From Killing Field to Peace Square, Ma said cross-strait reconciliation which began when he took office on May 20 has paved the way for peace, and both sides must gradually build up mutual trust."

reconciliation

n. the action of reconciling, which is to restore to friendship or harmony

synonymous: settle, resolve

Ma has certainly very keen on practicing his softer approach toward the Beijin government. Let's hope he doesn't forgett that it's the Taiwanese who got him to the presidency, not the Chinese.

8/18/2008

安 靜 思 考

CIMG1113

還記得看完記者會後,我們3人沒有半個人講話.空氣凝重得像可以用一把刀切開.這幾天的sequal更是讓人confuse, anxious and heartbreaking.

落井下石不必花力氣,但是理智的思辨似乎總是無法博得媒體版面.什麼時候媒體才能正視問題的本質,從制度面思考而不必個人的出身血統左右歷史包袱下的情緒?我們須要的是法制,而非人制.我們須要的是共同的前景,而非英雄.

我們還沒從台灣前50年的領袖崇拜中學到任何教訓嗎?

Chinese cheers pose a dilemma for Taiwan's athletes

這一篇是英國Guardian報導有關中國觀眾在北京奧運為台灣女子舉重選手加油的報導.

Some of the Chinese crowd applauding the crop-haired Taiwanese contender said it was "natural" to do so.

在問到為何為台灣選手加油時,這名任工廠經理說"因為台灣是中國的一部份,所以如果她得金牌那也算是中國的!"

"I don't think she's as strong as the Kazakh woman. But Taiwan is a part of China, so if she wins gold that also counts as ours," said Li Rufeng, a retired factory manager from northeast China, speaking before the results were decided.

記者在比賽結束後問到盧映錡來自中國觀眾的加油是否讓她士氣大振?她很低調的回應"這太敏感了,我不知道"

Taiwan's athletes must tread carefully between the mainland embrace and their home island's proud distinctiveness.

根據Cambridge dictionaries online的解釋

tread v.

1. walk/tread a tightrope

If you walk/tread a tightrope, you have to deal with a difficult situation, especially one involving making a decision between two opposing plans of action:

2. tread carefully/gently/lightly

to speak or behave carefully to avoid upsetting or causing offence to anyone:

ex. The government know they have to tread carefully on this issue.

2種解釋有些微的不同,但是都是小心翼翼,左顧右盼的意思.尤其是第2個解釋.

運動和政治真能分得開嗎?我看是一廂情願吧?!

8/17/2008

8 essential skills they didn't teach you in school

CIMG0964 

 

Heritage classroom in Beaconsfield Mine Museum, Tasmania, Australia

A peak of the old school classroom. Look at those cute writing board for each kids!

 

 

Schools, some hate it, some love it for the achievement or the attention, some work for it, some work against it. I'm currently work for it but I can see why there are people work against it. I wouldn't deny the value of schools and I do value the skills I learnt at school but I can't ignore the fact that school education in general have a pretty big gap from the real world.

I came across this article 8 essential skills they didn't teach you in school from Lifehack, one of my favorite blog. It mentions networking, personal financing, negotiating, self-learning....etc. to be the less cultivated field in school system. I feel so true when reading the part about the people skill.

The shy folks lurking in the corners at cocktails parties will never reach their full potential as human beings because our school system didn’t place enough value on “being social”. President Bush didn’t get the best grades at Princeton, but boy did he know how to network, and look where that got him.

Some would claim that people skill is something inherited. That's only partially true. I believe people skill needs to be practiced, discussed like any other subjects.

What about learning to be money smart? I hate math doesn't necessarily mean that I hate organizing my finance. I would probably find math more interesting if I can apply it in my future money management.

This is an interesting post for both educators and parents. It's also an interesting reflect for those adults who already done with school!

Taiwan succumb to panda diplomacy

Taiwan yesterday finally succumbed to the appeal of panda diplomacy, saying it would accept a pair of the world's favourite bears offered as a token of friendship by China.

今晨看到英國Telegraph的其中一則關於台灣的消息.我想要是台灣的媒體大概不會用succumb這個字眼在中國送熊猫的新聞...

按照Cambridge dictionary 的解釋succumb的字義是:

verb

to lose the determination to oppose something; to accept defeat.

怎麼看都是相當負面的意思.在我看來,台灣最近向中國投降的恐怕也不只是一對熊猫吧?

文中提到三年前陳總統以台灣為亞熱帶氣不宜熊猫居住為由間接的否定北京的"好意",但其實真正的原因是-

A more significant but unspoken reason was the fact that China's last "panda gift" was to Hong Kong to mark its return by Britain in 1997.

在97回歸之前,中國也致贈香港熊猫過,等於是相當明示的宣示主權.

熊猫終將落腳台灣.台灣是否也將漸漸走向香港的歸途呢?

8/16/2008

1981-1982年間的National Geographic雜誌

家裏書籍太多了,我們整理了一些給圖書館,一些準備回收,而這一些古董雜誌該怎麼辦呢?丟也不是,不丟又相當佔空間. 如果你喜歡,就給你嘍!有興趣的人email給我吧!

CIMG1064

蔣介石和毛澤東在信義鄉農會把酒言歡

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走進信義鄉農會時看到的這個角落著實讓我...想吐.

這2個人放在一起是多麼的諷刺啊!果真沒有一世的朋友,也沒有一世的敵人.不過,看看開放兩岸直航後中國人的旅遊人數統計,恐怕也不值得台灣人這麼熱情相待吧?!

本來看到梅子就受不了的我,和爸媽逛完一圈後兩手空空的出來.爸爸說農會裏面很多產品的產地地名標示已經改成 台灣地區了...

還有比自降國格更悲哀的事嗎?

8/08/2008

在這裏吃到最好吃的東坡肉啦!The best Pork Belly I've ever tasted-Stillwater in Launceston, Tasmania

CIMG0819

我是是搭維珍航空到Launceston的,很喜歡維珍的性感女標織.但是這種budget flight的座椅可就不怎麼性感了.雖然短短3小時的航程我卻坐的腰酸背痛,再加上每回落地時的耳鳴,難怪W總是說我下機時的神氣活像打完仗的士兵狼狽不堪.

不過,美食總是能解決一切.我們第一晚住的Lesiure Inn Penny Royal的對面就是當地相當有名的Stillwater restaurent.CIMG0820

餐廳的建築物可是挺有歷史的,是原建於1830年的磨坊工廠整修而成的.Launceston和Hobart 一樣很有些歐洲的味道,從我們坐的位置往窗外看,冬日的Tamar River很有些蒼涼清冷的感覺.

我和W各點了Asian styled pork belly和Asian Styled salmon.哇,這真是我吃過最好吃的東坡肉了!真希望愛吃東坡肉的弟弟也可以來此品嚐啊!順便學到東坡肉的英文-Pork belly

Stillwater雖不算便宜,但還在可以接受的範圍內,和Fee and me比起來算便宜的啦! 記得我和W共花了快60澳幣吧!

CIMG0872

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

,,

8/07/2008

史上最貴的晚餐帳單-168元澳幣....

我應該在看到Fee & me這個奇怪的名字時就有警覺的,現在想起來這個奇怪店名和用餐後嚇人的fee還真貼切啊!

之所以會再一次造訪Tasmania是因為上次愉快的Hobart行.這次我們到北邊的Launceston停留3天.Launceston長年以來一直在和Hobart處於競爭的狀態.但以一位外國人的觀察,我想還是Hobart勝出!

行前我上了Tripadvisor查了當地好玩好吃的地方,有個餐廳Fee & me一直出現在眼前,看看各方的Review除了食物非常impressive,帳單也很嚇人.我和W還是想看看這個被大家一提再提的餐廳到底長什麼樣...

CIMG0990 已經晚間5點多了,還得再等1個多小時,此餐廳7點才供餐,而且只供晚餐哦!照這張照片時我已經在"忍耐"饑餓..

餐廳座落在市區較安靜的角落,有個挺可愛的花園,花草茂盛,從街上是看不到室內的,建築物顯得有點貴氣....

嗯...我這樣是不是也算是"考察建築服務"呢? 鄺縣長,下次帶我一起去吧!我也有記筆記哦!

門上的告示寫著

3 courses 21 dollars

才21元?那還好嘛!於是我就很豪氣的電話訂位.

好不容易等到7點,穿著體面又挺有氣質的服務生帶進用餐廳,打開menu才知道

是21 dollars for "each" course,所以我們一人就吃掉63澳幣...

雖說如此,既然來了就享受吧.這家餐廳用餐環境宜人,桌間的距離很大,是個很安靜又有隱私的地方.當然,我的相機在這裏是完全不敢上場的.感覺很怪

每個人點3道菜後,廚房會依這3道的口味依清重陸續上菜.每一道的份量都相當的"日本料理",我和W交換著吃,所以總共吃了6道,每一道的確都是相當的有創意,我會給它打90分.

離開時總共付了168元澳幣....完全不想算合台幣多少....

8/01/2008

The nursery

園藝在澳洲是相當大的產業,地廣人稀的澳洲當然不愁沒地方弄花蒔草嘍! Flower Power是相當普遍的園藝品牌,從花草到石材在這裏都可以找到.我很喜歡來這裏逛逛找點子.

CIMG0723 CIMG0732

CIMG0721 CIMG0722

CIMG0730 CIMG0728

W去年在院子裏的種的橘子樹居然結果了!而且還挺好吃的!很適合我這個愛酸的人CIMG0734CIMG0736 啊! 橘子樹趕快長大吧!旁邊那株Australian Native plant長相很是有趣,我叫它spider flower,看看他的莖就知道了!老實說近看時有點噁心,本來想剪來插花的,後來還是做罷.

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