21

Yeah, it's something that I would've never done, but I did. And I am proud of myself for making the decision. It's been a wonderful time since then, along with some thoughts coming up as a reminder to me.

It's now two instead of one. Adaptation is necessary and I think I am still in the progress of such stage. 

I must be good, at least way better than who I am now. Being able to handle different tasks and other situations with confidence and appropriate response. 

I may not be very experienced but I am serious about this and I really hope that this is going to be a forever-journey.

20

Such a forgetful person I am. Looking back at the beginning of September, Geodesy Retreat, numerous meetings with prof and grad students, things learnt and planned to learn... So many things going on and so many things await ahead. What about now? What about today? The first few weeks seemed fine, with relatively few numbers of assignments. As time passed, the situation has gradually changed. I am slowly losing the state of mind I built which is extremely frustrating.

I must find my rhythm back or else even I won't agree that I am qualified for what I plan to attempt.

19

So this is another day not paying attention in class. I couldn't help looking back on my older posts here and falling into the swirl of memories. Along with this song I recently fell in love with, which makes this process more intriguing, "It won't be like this for long".

As for happy events, such as a nice day at school, a happy celebration for a friend's birthday, or simply doing well on a test. It won't be like this for long. Cherish those moments since they are just moments. Soon they will be gone, leaving no trace for us to find or recover. No matter how many pictures you take or how many words you write, they are not coming back and we can only experience them in memories and dreams; Being in a bad mood sucks. Having a heavy load of assignments is as well frustrating. Breaking up with someone, losing a tough tennis match, having a horrible performance on stage...we can only list down too many bad experiences we had. But what for? It feels terrible going through a hard time, however; these are also moments that can easily be gone through time.

This reminds me of the movie I saw a few months ago. Now is Good, starring Dakota Fanning, with this beautiful quote "Life is a series of moments. Let them all go. Moments. All gathering towards this one."

Now is good, now is bad. Now is just a moment that will soon be gone. Cherish them with utmost care, lest they should slip by without being noticed, and be unreachable ever since.

Now. Here. This moment. So many things passing by, along with so many emotions rising and fading. Grabbing this instant to do what I always want to do and to say what I've been wanted to say may be difficult and risky, yet I think I am going to take the chance this time.

18

I haven't been here for quite some time. Yeah, school has started. Assignments and quizzes are all passing through in a tremendously fast rate and I can hardly keep up with the pace of all the deadlines showing up like a series of endless waves. Well, that's that. I guess the only thing I can do is put more effort on those tasks...but this is not what I want to write about today.

It all came in a sudden and I really couldn't help but let it come. One can control his actions but it's almost impossible to control his feelings. When it happens, one can only accept the fact that it is inevitably going have a great influence on him.

It's good. It's bad. It's right. It's wrong. That just doesn't matter at all. I am in the middle of this kinda-delighted yet confusing and frustrating situation. I know it sounds really strange, but I am sure people who are in such conditions can totally relate to this description.

Knowing that writing this down is going to help very little in this circumstance, I still did it in order to remember the feeling right now, since it won't be like this for long. Nothing will.

17

I so wanna go to Hehuan Mt. with all the Guang Wu students and teachers again.
Hopefully I will be able to fulfill this dream this time, and I will try hard for it.

16

It's not easy, and I knew that in the very beginning. Quite some time had been wasted already, and time is really not something I can afford to lose now. Having no idea how difficult it could be in the future, I just hope that I can keep it up and strive to go through all the challenges step by step. There are always some great role models in front of me and they are as well keeping up their pace and effort to the challenges ahead. The only thing I can do to get closer to you is holding on to this notion and try to be better and hopefully one day I will be there. It's a long route, but I think I am on the right track,  having the confidence that I will be able to reach you one day.

15

我有一個香港夢：港大台生的香港觀察

2013-08-20作者：余佩樺

圖片來源：余佩樺提供

在香港，你需要時刻惦記你是什麼人、看出別人是哪裡人，才知道別人會怎麼對待你，你要怎麼待人。

2011年，我進入百年歷史的港大文學院，成為作家張愛玲的學妹。自幼生活在單純的台灣，我冀求瞭解這世界更豐富的樣貌。進入大學前，我有一個香港夢，「香港，是世界都會，我要藉由香港，觸及更廣大的世界，」我篤定地對所有人說。

我期望，在東西交會的社會裡，背景不同的人可以通達無阻地交流；我預期，在這繁華似錦的城市裡，見到文化兼容並蓄的迷人風貌。港大兩年，在課堂中我的確與受人敬重的教授問答思辨，也結識在台灣難以遇見的國際友人，他們來自緬甸邊區、斯里蘭卡、科威特、埃及、希臘，我依舊慶幸到香港讀書。

然而，我也發覺，在香港，你需要時刻惦記你是什麼人、看出別人是哪裡人，才知道別人會怎麼對待你，你要怎麼待人。

校園裡，8成學生是講著粵語的香港本地生，儘管香港的官方語言是中英並行，學校標榜全英文教學的國際化環境，粵語講得不好，很難在課後打入本地學生的生活圈。

很多人都有類似的經驗。在香港，我作為一個旅人，當我尚無法完全掌握當地人使用的粵語，而需要以國語或英語溝通時，就要先做好心理的防備，以抵禦時常接踵而至的輕視和不耐。有幾次在香港店裡遇到服務員，以為我來自大陸內地，在得知我的台灣人身份之後，驟然撇下輕忽的眼神，轉為熱絡的和顏悅色。這強烈的反差讓人疑惑，同樣是人，為何得到迥然不同的對待？

很難體會，在一個多數人都有移民背景的社會裡，為什麼對於後到的外來者，沒法寬容以對？

相較之下，在我因國際交換學生前往的英國愛丁堡，我記憶猶新，街上行人和超市店員，對於一位提著大件行李、英語還說得不太流利的交換生，親切地伸出援手，給予極大的包容和耐心。在愛丁堡大學的社團裡，我和一群英國同學相談甚歡，一直到臨別時，我才得知其中也有幾位瑞典人、波蘭人和立陶宛人。原來，在這裡，因為興趣就可以聚在一起，不需要知道你來自哪裡。

台灣人總是羨慕香港的富裕，但我在香港第一次隨港大志工隊探訪住在公屋（公共住宅）的長者，卻令我難以想像。

在30層樓的老舊公寓裡，每層樓住著近10戶人家。昏暗的迴廊上，一道簡陋的柵欄就是一個家庭的大門，門外的灰塵可以透過柵欄下的縫隙進入屋內。   僅容側身的空間，住著一位老婆婆和她的照顧者。

婆婆患喘哮病，走動時需要機器協助呼吸，沒錢租輕便的機器，她已經很多年沒下樓散步了。婆婆認為低樓層空氣不好，希望按照醫生建議換到更高的樓層，但是分配公屋的委員會並未批准，因為還有更多人在排隊等待住進公屋。

乘巴士離開之前，我回頭環顧這座山丘，矗立了20～30棟相同的建築。一根根生鏽的曬衣架從狹小的公寓中伸出窗外，凌亂地掛著褪色的衣物。整個香港特別行政區，還有無數山丘，蓋滿了同樣的公屋。

香港人口700萬，只能擠在台北市大小的可居住地，公屋，是港府致力讓所有人都有地方住的福利政策。香港，是大批大批的大陸移民客，所欣羨的福利城市。但，想起因為病痛無法下樓的婆婆、那些活在摩天大樓陰影下的人，我不禁懷疑，在一個人口快速膨脹的小地方，維持一個幸福城邦，是否真的可行？

from http://www.cw.com.tw/article/article.action?id=5051535&page=1