6. 我們 Us

日子: 2005 年 12 月 27 號 / 晚上

我們高中年紀就認識了.
在高中時代我們
-老是討論想去哪些地方
-花大部份的周六下午時間在看剛從美國寄達的 Seventeen 雜誌.
-都夢想著自己的樂團能公開表演.
-沒有想過多年之後會在麻州共度耶誕節.

文霞是我的麻吉之一.



Date: Dec.27, 2005 / Evening

We've known each other since high school.
In our high school days, we
-talked about places we wanted to go all the time.
-spent most of our Sat. afternoon reading Seventeen, the magazine freshly delivered from USA.
-both dreamed of a public performance of our band.
-never thought that after so many years we spend X'MAS together in Massachusetts.

Wen is one of my best friends.

5. 聚光燈下 Under The Spotlight

日子: 2005 年 12 月 21 號 / 晚上

他們是青少年. 當你聽到他們對話就會想到自己的高中時代. "你知道安娜史考特嗎?" (借新娘百分百裡的名字來用) "啊? 你不知道安娜史考特是誰?"

學校裡永遠都有些"嚴選人物"在聚光燈下. 他們要不是有名到每個人都想跟他們作朋友, 就是不受歡迎到每個人都以嘲笑他們為樂. 可悲的是即使我們長大成人, 還是有人喜歡談論團體中的嚴選人物. 這種談論(很多時後是嘲笑居多) 讓談論者覺得更親近彼此.

我稱它為"公憤現像"(拿小亨的說法). 跟你說, 每個臺灣同學堆都有這個現像. 我們的行為跟高中生差不多.

Date: Dec.21, 2005 / Evening

They are teenagers. When you hear their conversation you start to recall your own high school days. "Do you know Anna Scott?" (I borrow the name from Notting Hill) "What? You don't know Anna Scott?"

There are always some "selected few" under the spotlight in school. Either they are so popular that everyone wanna make friends with them, or they are so unpopular that everyone enjoys laughing at them. The sad thing is that even we "grow up" as an adult, people still want to talk about the selected few in a clique. Talking about the selected few ( in many cases making fun of them) makes most people feel they are closer to each other.

I call it "target phenomena" (quoted from Heng). Let me tell you it happens in every taiwanese student clique. We are behaving like high school students.

4. 大特價 On Sale

日子: 2005 年 12 月 21 號 / 晚上

耶誕節之前幾乎每件東西都在打折. 這個人在此享受三明治之前到過 Filene's (一間 Panera 附近的百貨公司). 美國人用血拼慶祝戰爭裡的英雄事蹟, 新世界的發現, 印地安人的友善與基督生日.


Date: Dec. 21, 2005 / Evening

Before X'MAS almost everything is on sale. This guy went to Filene's (a department store near Panera) before having the sandwich here. Americans celebrate heroic conduct in wars, the discovery of the new world, friendly gestures of Indians, and Christ's birthday by shopping.



戰爭裡的英雄事蹟: 退伍軍人節
heroic conduct in wars: Veterans Day

新世界的發現: 哥倫布紀念日
the discovery of the new world: Columbus Day

印地安人的友善: 感恩節
friendly gestures of Indians: Thanksgiving

基督生日: 耶誕節
Christ's birthday: X'MAS