Roaming Around Fangshan Township 枋山鄉幾個日遊

Fangshan Township is south of Fangliao Township.  It's basically just the stretch of Highway 1 between Fangliao and Checheng.  Almost everything east of the highway is in Shrdze Township.  To the west of Fangshan is the Taiwan Strait. 枋山鄉位於枋寮鄉以南.  台1線從枋寮到車城之間的那一段是枋山鄉的大部分.  省道的東邊是獅子鄉, 西邊就是台灣海峽.

Tourist sites in Fangshan?  I suppose you could visit President Tsai Ying-wen's ancestral home in Fenggang, but aside from that there's little aside from roadside stalls selling coffee or fruit. 枋山的景點?  楓港有總統蔡英文的祖厝.  除了這個地方, 只有賣水果或咖啡的攤子.

According to the last census, there are 5,242 people living in Fengshan.  Most of these people live in Fenggang, with smaller communities in Jialu, Central Fangshan and Jhukeng. 上次的人口統計顯示枋山的人口有5,242人.  楓港的人口最多, 加祿, 枋山市區跟竹坑的人口都比較少.

All of the pictures in this entry were taken between March and August of this year.  They're a bit older than I'd like, but then again I've visited recently and didn't notice any changes. 這文章裡的照片都是 今年三月至八月的時候拍的.  有點過期了, 可是我最近也去過枋山, 風景沒有任何改變.

This above picture was taken near the Fenggang Fishing Port. 上面的照片是在楓港漁港附近拍的.

A nearby mango field. 附近的芒果園.

President Tsai Ying-wen's ancestral home.  I doubt she's spent much time in this place, but locals seem very proud of it. 總統蔡英文的祖厝.  她大概在這裡的時間不長, 可是當地人好像覺得這個地方很特別.

In Fenggang there are many stalls along the highway.  Barbecued squid is big business. 在楓港公路旁邊有很多攤子.  很多人賣魷魚.

North of Fenggang is Central Fangshan. 楓港北邊有枋山市區.

We almost rented a house near here last summer.  I'm glad I came to my senses and chose not to.  It would've been a LONG drive to work every day. 我們夏天的時候考慮過在這裡租房子.  還好最後決定不要了.  從那邊上下班有一段路.

There are a lot of abandoned houses in the area. 這個地區的空房子超多.

Still further north is Jialu, a town not far from where I live.  It's just over the border from Fangliao Township. 往北有加祿, 靠近我住的村子.  過枋寮的邊界就到了.

This picture was taken in Jialu Elementary School.  Jialu is the last station before Fangliao, and only the slowest trains stop there. 這張是在加祿國小拍的.  加祿車站就是枋寮以南的第一個車站, 只有區間車停靠那裏.

The beaches in Jialu are surprisingly clean.  Maybe it's because there's nothing famous in that area? 加祿的海灘很乾淨.  可能是因為附近沒有景點吧.

And this picture?  I know it's in Fangshan, but I can't remember where I was when I took it.  I suspect it's somewhere between Jialu and Central Fangshan, not far from where the coffee vendors set up shop. 這張照片呢?  我知道我是在枋山拍的, 可是忘了是在枋山哪裡.  我想大概在加祿和枋山市區中間的某個角落, 靠近賣咖啡的攤子吧.

Related Entries 相關的文章:

Walking Around Liuqiu Township 走路一日環島琉球鄉

琉球漁樂線 Fishy Things to Do on Xiaoliuqiu

Pingtung in the News 屏東的新聞 (South 南) 1

Roaming Around Chun Rh Township 春日鄉三天遊

Nonsense and Insensibility

Hey man, sit down here.  Why so nervous?  They're cats.

I know, right?  It quiet here at night.  Kinda.  But if you listen, there's some stuff going.  You hear my neighbors?  I think she's going smack him again.  And the.  Always the frogs after rains.  Sometimes frogs, sometimes bugs.  Alright, I'll turn on fan.  No idea how you feel hot though.  I'm in here.

Yeah they do that weekends.  What else is to do in this?  They get drunk and up the KTV.  I, I know.  Guy is terrible singer.  Still, it's than the soldiers passing on the road.  The and the shouting give a headache.

Well I've beer in the fridge, if you don't like I've got that whiskey the shelf.  I'd offer the gin, but there's a splash left in bottle.  The other bottle is kind of wine a gave me.  What?  Oh other one's cider.  Expensive, think.  A gift from coworker.

Over there past stairs.

What?  Oh, my other is over in Jiadong.  In over is school my oh.  What?

I what I meant to is northeast of here, the pineapple fields.

Yeah, Have a beer.  Taiwan always reminds me a of Taitung.  Sitting in of the Family Mart a Friday or Saturday.  A lot of years.  Sometimes different guys, but the same few.  Always night, always the mosquitoes, always the Taiwan beer.

Gin is different.  Gin me think of college.

I didn't drink whiskey much later.  I didn't it back home.  That Barrel Oak is good.

Feelings about cider.  No.  The wife drinks it; I.

Ten thousand what?  I know where any of stuff comes from.  I bought of it in Carrefour.

Good smell: ?

     I don't anything.

    But maybe (possibly)

          Could head out for dinner.

Related Entries:

Smells

Tastes

Sights

Sounds 聲音

台灣地名故事 Taiwanese Place Name Stories 1

The Chinese text below was taken from "Taiwanese Place Name Stories" 台灣地名故事, published by Windmill Ltd. 三暉圖書發行有限公司 in 2012.  The Chinese text was written by 張青史, and the English was written/translated by me.

帝王福地 -- 屏東鯉魚山傳奇

The Emperor's Promised Land: The Legend of Pingtung's Liyu Mountain

位於屏東縣萬丹鄉的鯉魚山, 因形狀像鯉魚而得名.  據說, 鯉魚山正巧位在一個鯉魚穴上, 穴中住著一對千年鯉魚精.  康熙61年7月11日, 鯉魚山第一次發生泥火山爆發, 附近的居民都非常高興. Liyu (Carp) Mountain is in Pingtung County, Wandan Township.  It gets its name from its shape, which resembles a carp.  According to legend, it was located atop a cave inhabited by two carp spirits, both a thousand years old.  The first eruption there occurred during the 11th day of the 7th month of the 61st year of Emperor Kangxi's reign, and this eruption made the people living in that area very happy. (1)

王老爹說 : "這是鯉魚精開始作法了 , 鯉魚精是吉祥的動物 , 一定會帶給我們幸運的 ."  Elder Wang said: "This is carp spirits coming into existence.  Carp spirits are auspicious beings.  This is sure to bring us good luck."

曾大叔進一步的補充說 : "鯉魚精出現 , 表示我們萬丹這個地方 , 將來會產生 "真命天子" , 鯉魚山就是那位 "真命天子" 的皇帝殿 .  鯉魚精讓泥火山噴出泥漿 , 目的是在做造山運動 , 要使鯉魚山能像大武山那般高俊雄偉 , 如此 , 皇帝殿就可以穩如泰山 . Uncle Zeng added: "The appearance of carp spirits means that Wandan will one day give birth to the "Rightful King," and that Liyu Mountain will be the Rightful King's Palace.  The carp spirits cause mud to spout from the ground, with the intention of making Liyu Mountain as tall as Dawu Mountain.  In this way the Rightful King's Palace will be as secure as if it was located on Mount Tai." (2)

由於王老爹和曾大叔都是村裡德高望重的長者 , 因此 , 村民也都認同他們的看法 , 全心全意的督促年輕學子努力讀書 , 充實知識 , 以便將來能成為真命天子 . Because Elder Wang and Uncle Zeng were both highly respected in the village, the villagers all agreed with their assessment.  They urged the children in the village to study hard, and to become wise so that in the future one of them could become the "Rightful King."

果然, 過了幾年, 在雍正元年6月26日, 泥火山第二次爆發, 當時鯉魚山的赤山巖一帶, 紅光滿天, 地面衝開二孔, 黑色泥漿不斷的冒出來.  村民前往觀察, 發現是那兩隻鯉魚經再度施展法術, 噴出泥漿.  他們更加確定 "皇帝殿" 快蓋好了, 而他們出頭天的日子也已經不遠 . Sure enough, several years later, during the 26th day of the 6th month of Emperor Yong Jeng's reign, the mud volcano erupted a second time.  At the same time, the rocks around Liyu Mountain glowed red, casting their radiance into the sky.  Two holes appeared in the earth, and black mud continually spurted from them.  The villagers moved closer to inspect the holes, and came to the conclusion that the spurting mud was just the carp spirits again, working their magic.  They became even more convinced that the "Rightful King's Palace" was nearing completion, and that their day of glory would soon arrive.

這時候 , 正好有一位乞丐經過 , 看到兩隻鯉魚經在互相加油 , 呼喚 , 使得泥漿不斷的湧出 , 發出 "轟隆 ! 轟隆 !" 的巨大聲響 .  乞丐不明就裡 , 認為是兩隻鯉魚經在作怪 , 心裡既生氣又害怕 , 就把手上的拐杖往泥漿中擲去 , 無巧不巧 , 竟然擊斃了雄的鯉魚精 .  從此以後 , 鯉魚穴就被破壞了 , "皇帝殿" 沒能建造完成 , "真命天子" 自然也就無法順利產生 .  雄鯉魚精死後 , 雌鯉魚精非常傷心 , 就離開萬丹 , 遁走南海. As this was happening a beggar was passing by.  He saw the two carp spirits stirring up the mud, and heard them calling out with a great "Hong!  Hong!"  The beggar was unfamiliar with the area, and thought that the two carp spirits were up to no good.  He felt angry and scared, and he threw his crutch into the mud, which - wonder of wonders - killed the male carp spirit within.  In this way the cave of the carp spirits was destroyed, and the "Rightful King's Palace" was never completed.  Of course after this point the "Rightful King" would also never come to be.  After the male carp spirit was killed, the female carp spirit grew very sad, and left Wandan for the South China Sea.

村民們知道後 , 非常憤怒 , 將乞丐打了一頓 , 趕出村去 , 還立下一個規矩 : 從此不准任何一個乞丐進入村裡乞討 . After the villagers learned of this they were very angry, and they beat the beggar half to death.  From that time they made it a rule that no beggars could enter the village to beg for alms.

光緒28年9月 , 鯉魚山的泥火山再度爆發 , 連續好幾天噴出泥漿 .  村民傳說是雌鯉魚精回來了 , 因為思念雄鯉魚精 , 因此難過的噴出泥漿 .  During the 9th month of the 28th year of the Emperor Guangxu's reign the mud volcano erupted yet again, and continued to do so for several days.  According to the villagers, this event signified the female carp spirit's return.  The bubbling mud was caused by her longing for the male carp spirit.

此後 , 每當雌鯉魚精思念牠的伴侶時 , 就會再度噴出泥漿 .  但是因為傷心過度 , 噴出的泥漿已經大不如前了 .  From this time onward the mud would bubble up every time the female carp spirit missed her mate.  But because her pain has lessened with time, the mud does not bubble up as strongly as it once did.

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琉球漁樂線 Fishy Things to Do on Xiaoliuqiu

Hey Pingtung 屏東好

恆春漁樂線 Fishy Things to Do in Hengchun

If 如果

1. There are other Liyu Mountains in Taitung County, Hualien County (next to Liyu Lake), Taipei City and Fujian Province, China.  One gets the feeling that naming things after carp was once very popular.

2. Dawu Mountain is the best known (and most historic) mountain in Pingtung County.  Mount Tai is located in Shantung Province, China.  There are many legends surrounding Mount Tai involving gods and monsters.  The villagers in Wandan, having settled in Wandan during Kangxi's reign, would have had more recent memories of the Mainland, and would have also been more apt to compare places in Taiwan to places in China.

Pingtung in the News 屏東的新聞 (North 北) 2

There are 29 townships, 3 municipalities and one city in Pingtung County.  It's exhausting to include news from every township, municipality and Pingtung City every time, so what I'll do instead is include news items from eleven different townships or municipalities in each entry.  This way I should be able to work my way through Pingtung County every three entries. 屏東縣包含了29個鄉, 3個鎮還有屏東市.  每次討論所有鄉鎮的新聞太累了, 所以我會每次討論11個鄉鎮的報告.  這樣子我每三篇新聞文章就會涵蓋到全縣內鄉鎮的新聞.

1. Ligang Township 里港鄉

A. The Environmental Protection Bureau and other local authorities were called in after the noise from a local temple festival persisted late into the night.  Those responsible for the noise and garbage were fined. 屏東縣里港廟會繞境鞭炮擾民  警 , 消依法開罰

B. Ligang Township is offering birth subsidies to boost its population.  Ligang Township has been implementing this policy since 2012, and the subsidies, ranging from 30 to over 100 thousand NT dollars, vary depending on the number of children in each family. <屏東>  里港 "催生" 再加碼  第4胎給12萬 (1)

C. A police officer working in Ligang collapsed inexplicably.  He was taken by fellow officers to E-Da Hospital in Kaohsiung, where he was diagnosed with a myocardial infarction.  An operation was performed, but the medical staff at the hospital were unable to save him. 協助病患強制送醫  屏東警員心肌梗塞急救5天後不治

2. Gaoshu Township 高樹鄉

A. This article introduces a resort and a couple other attractions in Gaoshu.  "Da Lu Guan," the old name for an area near the resort, was part of the Hakka "Right Duei" settlement. 寬闊草地 + 歐式夢想莊園 !  高樹鄉大路關好讚站 x 幸福莊園  帶路探訪石師三兄弟

B. In this article a man with relatives in Pingtung reflects on his childhood memories and taking part in the Gaoshu Marathon. 賽事心得 / 屏東高樹蜜鄉馬拉松  重溫兒時的回憶

C. A local man, devastated by the recent death of his wife, was found unwashed and unresponsive on the road by local police.  The police later returned him to his village. 阿北呆坐旁恍神... 問住哪不回應  口袋一張紙揭深情故事惹人淚

3. Sandimen Township 三地門鄉

A. As part of the Pingtung County Government's push to renovate or relocate cemeteries, and also to promote cremation over burial, one of the cemeteries in Sandimen was renovated.  This renovation, however, made burial very expensive, and fees were only recently reduced to accommodate local incomes. 規費過高 "住不起"  屏東三地門鄉幅調降殯葬管理費

B. Since the advent of COVID, tourism in Sandimen has declined.  As a way of stimulating the local economy and/or financially assisting local residents, in October the Sandimen Township Office gave every resident 1000 NT. 屏東三地門鄉振興禮金  每人1000元

4. Wutai Township 霧台鄉

A. Wutai Township was recently recognized by the Agriculture and Food Administration for its efforts in regard to organic farming.  I can only hope they're confining their organic farming to areas where it is legal to farm. 全台首個有機鄉示範地  屏東霧台鄉展成果

B. With the encouragement of local government, residents of Wutai have been farming lilies.  This flower has a cultural significance within the Rukai Tribe. 霧台植2.8萬株百合  預約美景

C. Coffee beans area also grown in Wutai.  This report discusses how a local man is growing coffee beans on his grandmother's land. 擦亮霧台咖啡招牌  杜俊文用阿嬤的農地種出特等咖啡豆

5. Jiouru Township 九如鄉

A. Over a hundred people attempted to remove the head of Sankuai ("Three Pieces") Village from office.  They lacked the required number of signatures to do so.  No reason for this attempted dismissal is given in the article, aside from "destroying the harmony of the village." 二階連署未過  屏東縣九如鄉三塊村長罷免案宣告不成立

B. Residents of Jiouru recently visited the Taiwan Water Company (a water utility) to inspect operations there.  The Taiwan Water Company has been working to improve the supply of tap water to places like Jiouru, where people previously relied on groundwater. 九如鄉給台水一個讚

C. A man living in Jiouru has spent a lot of time and money improving roads in that area.  While fixing the roads his wife directs traffic and his son assists him.  He, his wife and their son were recently given an award for their efforts. 常年幫補破路  一家三口都獲獎

6. Yanpu Township 鹽埔鄉

A. Work has begun on the riverbanks and canals near the Wuluo River, which is a source of flooding in the area. 改善大仁科大周邊淹水  武洛溪大仁支線二期排水工程展開

B.Jiang Wei-ping, former head of Yanpu Township, was sworn in as Pingtung County Councillor after the previous office holder was accused of bribery. 鄭雙銓涉嫌賄選遭解職  前屏東縣副議長江維屏宣誓上任

C. As recently announced by the Pingtung County Bureau of Cultural Affairs, several workshops were held throughout the county.  One of these workshops, in Yanping Township, centered around the making of puppets. 屏東49個社區營造有成  展現草根力量

7. Pingtung City 屏東市

A. Bus service in Pingtung City is terrible.  But then again very few people in Pingtung City ride the bus.  Maybe it doesn't matter? 屏東市區公車搭乘率太低  日搭乘人數平均不到20人次

B. The Pingtung City Government was criticized after installing unsightly solar panels in a local park.  The County's "green energy" plan was also criticized, in that it often values green energy at the expense of green areas.  The solar panels will be removed. 綠電搶綠地挨批  經協商屏東市永新公園光電板將拆除

C. Pingtung City's Global Mall is working hard to attract customers with several Christmas-themed events. Global Mall屏東市店打造 "反應過激的貓" 森林雪景打卡點

8. Chang Jr Township 長治鄉

A. Chang Jr (Changjr?  Changjer?) will be hosting a road run on December 20.  They will be promoting the kumquats grown there during the event. 帶動金桔產業  長治鄉辦路跑促銷產業

B. The township has also been working with professors at nearby Daren University of Science and Technology to develop recipes incorporating kumquats. 推廣長治在地農產金桔  大仁科大備 "亨桔宴"

C. The mayor of Chang Jr Township recently visited the local military training facility to see how recruits there were doing.  They said they were doing fine. 長治鄉長探視役男  鼓勵子弟充實自我

9. Linluo Township 麟洛鄉

A. Along with plans to extend the Kaohsiung MRT into Pingtung, there are additional plans to construct bike trails and parks in Linluo and Jhutian townships.  As part of this initiative the County will begin construction of the "Prince and Grandma Park" in Linluo.  This park will reflect the area's Hakka heritage. 活化客庄車站  麟洛站前打造王爺奶奶公園 (2)

B. Several scholars were recently invited to Linluo Township to help preserve historical materials and to contribute to a local chronicle of the area. 9名學者專家投入麟洛鄉志編纂任務  預計2年後完成

C. The local fire department visited Linluo Elementary School to teach kids about CPR and fire prevention. 麟洛國小園遊爆竹煙火防火防災宣導  學童收穫良多

10. Jhutian Township 竹田鄉

A. Jhutian won an award from the Global Brand Management Association recognizing its achievements with regard to improving living conditions there. 屏東縣唯一竹田鄉獲台灣城鎮品牌銀質獎 (3)

B. People have been parking their cars for long periods of time near the Jhutian Train Station, creating a scarcity of parking spaces in the area.  The Jhutian Township Office decided to start charging a parking fee as a way of solving this problem. 竹田火車站停車場  每小時5元

11. Neipu Township 內埔鄉

A. Neipu will host a street festival similar to one held in Chaojhou around Chinese New Year.  Local businesses have high hopes for this event. 農曆年不能出國來屏東 !  內埔勳循潮州模式辦年街  同攤票下3特區

B. A "toy gun" and a bronze medal from a Nezha temple in Neipu were stolen by a man later arrested in Chaojhou.  He later claimed that he gave them to a child to play with. 連三太子玩具槍供品也偷 !  內埔警一天抓人賊 : 送小朋友玩 (4)

C. The owner of two rifles was arrested near an elementary school in Neipu.  The firearms were purchased legally, but the man is under investigation. 校園附近的槍彈情資  屏東內埔警不敢大意

Related Entries 相關的文章:

Walking Around Liuqiu Township 走路一日環島琉球鄉

琉球漁樂線 Fishy Things to Do on Xiaoliuqiu

Pingtung in the News 屏東的新聞 (South 南) 1

Hey Pingtung 屏東好

1. I came across two different articles on this policy.  The numbers didn't agree, hence the "over 100 thousand NT dollars."

2. I doubt the Pingtung County Government would phrase it this way.  They'd probably say they are creating a NEW Pingtung MRT system.  But really, it's more an extension of the Kaohsiung MRT for the foreseeable future.

"Prince and Grandma Park."  The name of the park was taken from a nearby temple, and I'm not sure how to render it in English.  The "Prince" 王爺 is a popular local deity, and there are many temples dedicated to him in Taiwan.

3. Having read the local news for a few months now, I'm thinking the Jhutian Township Office works very, very hard.

4. "Nezha," better known locally in his 三太子 ("San Tai Dze") aspect, is a childlike god fond of toys.  He is often seen during street processions.

NOTE: There's one news item that doesn't fall within the borders of any specific township, municipality or city.  Pingtung County has a big "problem" with iguanas, which were introduced into Taiwan from abroad.  Someone set their unwanted iguanas loose in the mountains, the critters started breeding, and locals are now wondering what to do with these occasionally giant lizards.

A Report 報告

By the time you read this I'll have finished week 15 out of the 20 weeks that comprise the fall semester.  I have two more weeks of classes to plan, and after that I'm testing the students in grades 3-6 in both of the schools where I work.  During weeks 19 and 20 I'll have a lot more freedom in terms of what I teach, and lessons during the last two weeks of any semester are usually interrupted or postponed by whatever school activities are planned for that time. 當你讀到這裡的時候, 我已經完成第一學期的第十五周了.  這個學期總共有二十周.  我還要寫兩個禮拜的課程計畫, 之後要為兩所學校的三到六年級學生測驗.  第十九跟第二十周我比較自由, 除了上課內容比較自由外.  每個學期的最後兩個禮拜學校也會舉辦活動, 我的課應該會變少.

Then, my friends, Chinese New Year vacation is imminent.  Can you feel it?  Can you feel the nearness of that many days off?  Ah, it's glorious, I tell you.  Glorious! 朋友們, 知道嗎?  寒假也即將來臨了.  感覺到了嗎?  那麼多天不用上班!  真是美好的事.  好棒!

With all of the above in mind I thought I'd talk about where I am, what I'm doing, how I'm doing, and what the near future might hold for me.. 知道這些事之後, 我想說說自己住的地方, 最近做的事, 心態和可能的未來.

I. My House 我的房子

As stated elsewhere, we're renting an old house in Shin Kai Village, Fangliao Township.  It's about 30 minutes by bike from my main school, and 40 minutes by bike from my second school.  The paint is peeling off the walls, and we have no use for the third floor, but the house is in (relatively) good condition and the landlord is nice. 我已經在其他文章說了, 我們在枋寮鄉新開村租了一棟房子.  這棟房子離我的基地學校騎單車30分鐘, 離衛星學校騎單車40分鐘.  雖然牆壁上的油漆慢慢剝落, 我們也沒有使用到三樓, 可是房子的現況還不錯, 房東也很親切.

If I have a complaint regarding that house it's the noise.  My neighbors tend to have really loud conversations, and they seem generally unaware of when to use their indoor voices.  They also get up early, and the rumble of their farm machinery forces me to get up early too.  On the weekends they sing KTV so loudly it rattles the windows in our house. 我對那棟房子不滿意的部分是噪音.  我鄰居們大聲聊天, 不在乎室內音量跟戶外音量的差異.  他們都很早起床, 也很早開始使用農機.  周末的時候他們大聲唱KTV, 聲音大到我們窗戶的玻璃會動.

II. My Cats 我的貓

I have five cats now.  We still have the three we brought over from Taitung, plus two kittens we found in a graveyard near one of my schools.  We were pretty sure the kittens were going to die when we found them, but I'm happy to say that three weeks later they're doing fine.  We named the orange one Mango and the white one Milky.  They still need to drink milk from a bottle, but they'll be moving on to solid food soon. 我們現在養了五隻貓.  除了從台東帶過來的三隻, 再加上在墓地撿到兩隻貓寶寶.  我們發現那兩隻的時候都認為牠們快要上天堂了, 我現在很高興地說經過了三個禮拜牠們還活著.  我們叫白色的那隻Milky, 橘色的那隻Mango.  牠們還需要喝奶粉, 可是快要轉換吃固體貓食了.

III. My Family in Taiwan 我台籍的家人

I haven't seen any of my Taiwanese in-laws for a while.  I'm really not sure how they're doing. 我很久沒有跟我太太的家人見面, 不知道他們最近怎樣.

IV. My Family in the States 我美籍的家人

My sister's going to have a baby.  It'll be her first.  I'm very happy about that. 我妹妹要生了.  這是她第一個寶寶.  這件事讓我很開心.

I haven't talked my brother in a while.  As he is a performing musician and nearly all concerts in the U.S. have been cancelled due to COVID, he's probably doing some other kind of work to make ends meet. 我很久沒有跟我的弟弟聯絡了.  在美國, 因為病毒的關係, 不可以舉辦音樂會, 所以彈吉他的他應該正做著其他的工作.

My mom seems to be having difficulty hearing.  Phone conversations with her can be hard.  Otherwise she seems fine. 我媽的聽力好像變差了.  打電話給她很困難.  除了這件事, 她好像沒有問題.

My dad is doing better.  He was suffering from severe depression the last time I saw him - for completely understandable reasons - but he sounds very upbeat on the phone now. 我爸最近比較好.  我上次見到他時他很傷心 -- 大家可以了解的理由 -- 可是最近和他通話, 他聽起來比較開心.

V. My Job 我的工作

As said above I work at two schools, one in Fangliao Township and one in Jiadong Township.  I spend three days of every week at Fangliao, and two days at Jiadong.  I have a similar number of classes at both schools. 我各在枋寮和佳冬的兩所學校上班.  我每個禮拜三天在枋寮, 兩天在佳冬.  我在這兩所學校上的課數差不多.

I can't go into too much detail about either school because a) it will get me into trouble, and b) it violates the terms of my contract.  I will say, however, that I like one school MUCH more than the other.  Staff in both schools have been very friendly and welcoming, and I've never been made to feel like my presence in either school was extraneous.  The students in south Pingtung County seem to have more family issues than what I encountered in Taitung City, and the schools in the area have fewer resources, but on the whole my job here isn't that different from what I was doing in Taitung. 我沒辦法很仔細地討論這兩所學校, 因為: a) 這麼做我會自找麻煩, b) 我的合約也不允許我這麼做.  我可以說其中的一所比較適合我.  這兩所學校的工作人員都很親切, 我也覺得這兩所學校都想要我這種外師. 我這邊的工作跟台東的工作差不多.但是屏東南部的孩子好像比台東市區的孩子有家庭的問題, 學校的資源也比較缺. 

VI. The Pingtung County Government 屏東縣政府

In the course of doing my job I sometimes have to deal with the Pingtung County Government.  Comparing Pingtung County to Taitung County, and also Pingtung City to Taitung City, I'd say that Taitung City has an enormous advantage in that it's located in the center of Taitung County.  The Pingtung County Government is located in Pingtung City, far from the southern end of the county, and this makes administration more of a challenge. 我工作的小部分需要跟屏東縣政府交流.  以屏東縣跟台東縣比, 和屏東市與台東市比, 我覺得台東市的位置在台東縣中心這一點比較好.  屏東縣政府在屏東市區, 但是離屏東縣南端很遠.  這樣子縣政府管理比較偏鄉的事務時很麻煩.

I had a hell of a time getting correct information about meetings when I started here.  The communication between the folks in Pingtung City and most of the foreign teachers was really bad.  Over the past three months communication has slowly improved, but I still feel that teachers (and by this I mean all teachers) could be better informed about upcoming meetings, guidelines, and other things pertaining to their jobs. 我剛開始在這裡工作時, 覺得收到正確的研習資訊及其他的工作訊息很難,   屏東縣的外籍教師間的溝通不是很好.  雖然這幾個月溝通的部分慢慢改善了, 可是我還是覺得縣府傳給外師的研習資料和工作上的相關資訊還有改進的空間.

As it is I try to add important people on Line whenever possible.  This has worked for me so far. 我碰到新同事的時候就加他們的Line.  這樣子對我來說比較有幫助.

VII. Pingtung in General 屏東縣

For a while I was suffering from gout.  Too many new foods and too much eating out.  I've had problems with gout for years, but around the end of October it got REALLY bad.  I've had to be more careful about what I eat, but I've been fine for the past month or so. 有一段時間我有痛風.  太多外食和飲食種類的改變  我有痛風的問題好幾年了, 可是今年十月底真的是很嚴重.  我只好更小心我的飲食, 還好上個月至今這問題都沒有再發生, 

Pingtung is fine in general.  It's very poor in places, the population is shrinking and it has about it an air of faded glory.  When we really want to "go out" for dinner we go to either Chaojhou to the north or Donggang to the west.  Both places have more of restaurants, though I have to say I find Donggang far more interesting. 屏東很好.  有的地方很貧窮, 人口也在減少, 還給人發展日漸落沒的感覺.  我們想去比較遠的地方吃飯的時候會去潮州或是東港.  這兩鎮的餐廳比較多.  我覺得東港比較有趣.

When we want to go somewhere even further away we head to Pingtung City or Kaohsiung.  There are some surprisingly good restaurants in Pingtung City, and the presence of Carrefour, department stores and movie theaters in that sainted metropolis are also incentives to go there.  We went to Kaohsiung A LOT when we first moved to Pingtung, but the drive from our house into downtown Kaohsiung is exhausting. 再遠就去屏東市或是高雄.  屏東市有些很不錯的餐廳, 也有家樂福, 百貨公司跟電影院.  我們剛搬到屏東的時候去高雄好幾次, 可是從我們家開車到高雄市區很累.

I've been to Hengchun and Manjhou a handful of times since moving here.  I really like Manjhou. 我搬到屏東之後去過恆春, 滿州幾次.  我很喜歡滿州.

Due to my gout I haven't biked around the county as much as I'd intended to, but now that I'm better I'm able to do that again.  I rode to Sandimen up the Mountainside Highway last weekend.  It was as beautiful and interesting as anything in Taitung. 因為痛風的關係, 我不像以前常常騎單車.  現在身體變好後就可以騎了.  我上個周末騎沿山公路到三地門.  風景和景點跟台東一樣好.

VIII. Taiwan 台灣

And Taiwan?  How's Taiwan doing?  I think that I can say that most people here - at least in relative terms - are doing fine.  People aren't dying by the thousands from COVID, China hasn't invaded yet, and the economy has been oddly buoyant since the pandemic started. 台灣呢?  台灣怎麼樣?  我應該可以說在台灣大部分的人沒事.  武漢病毒沒有傷害那麼多人, 大陸沒有入侵台灣, 經濟也不錯.

If I remember correctly, the most recent news concerned the importation of American pork.  Those who raise pigs in Taiwan are worried about unfair competition, and the public is worried about chemicals present in American pork.  Considering that pork is much more of a staple food in Taiwan, I believe that these concerns are valid.  My personal opinion?  Knowing the American FDA, I'd rather eat Taiwanese pork. 如果沒有記錯的話, 最近的新聞主要關於美國豬肉的輸入.  台灣的養豬農民擔心經濟上的不公平競爭.  一般的人民擔心美國豬肉裡的萊克多巴胺.  台灣的豬肉食用量大, 我想大家擔心是有道理的.  我認為美國的FDA不是好的政府部門, 也覺得台灣的豬肉比較安全.

IX. The World 我們的地球

Well, Biden's going to the White House, so that's something to be optimistic about.  It's nice having a President I can bear listening to.  To be perfectly honest, I voted for Trump in the election - I thought he'd be better for Taiwan - but I'll admit I was relieved when Biden won. 比登被選上, 這是大家可以放心的.  他的演講我可以聽得下去.  說實話, 我投川普的票.  對台灣來說, 我覺得川普的政策比較好, 可是我一知道比登被選上後鬆了一口氣.

And there's a COVID vaccine on the horizon.  Will you or I be receiving this vaccine soon?  Not likely, but it's encouraging just the same.  At this point in history anything that points toward people working together and solving problems makes me happy.  We might not colonize Mars by next Friday, but by God we'll get there one day soon. 冠狀病毒疫苗也出現了.  我們可以很快的打疫苗嗎?  大概不會, 可是這還是很鼓舞人心.  這歷史性的一刻, 人們互相合作解決問題這一點讓我很開心.  雖然我們下禮拜五前不會殖民火星, 但總會有做到的一天.

Related Entries 相關的文章:

Walking Around Liuqiu Township 琉球鄉一日走

Smells

Hey Pingtung 屏東好

Roaming Around Chun Rh Township 春日鄉三天遊