2008年1月13日 星期日

台大兩師生 Sean Allan 和 澳洲男生Gaz

分數定義價值 台大是寂寞地方
吳忠彥(Gareth W. Durrant)
國籍:澳洲
年齡:廿二歲
在台:四年
現職:台灣大學國際企業系三年級學生
照片/記者鄭超文攝影
【本報記者梁玉芳】

十七歲就到宜蘭當交換學生的澳洲男生Gaz,現在是台灣大學國企系三年級的學生,但他曾說「台大是個寂寞的地方」,「語言不再是障礙,文化卻開始隔閡」, 雖然他早視台灣是第二個家。從宜蘭到台北,他覺得「文化暈眩」,有些台灣菁英學生對分數的計較、功利導向,讓他難掩失望。

台灣人麻吉但不愛擁抱

問:台灣哪些地方吸引你?

答:我十七歲來台灣當交換學生,在宜蘭念高中,接待家庭對我的人生影響很大,在鄉下看到很真實的台灣人。人民的活力和創意驚人,好像任何人都可能做小生意,擺攤、開早餐店,靠自己過日子。澳洲的社會福利很好,很少人像台灣人這麼拚生活。

朋友之間非常照顧對方,出去旅行,台灣人總是買著要買禮物給誰誰誰,什麼事都想到家人、朋友;我們就比較個人主義。

想到離開台灣,我會覺得害怕。我十七歲到廿四歲都在這裡,從小孩子變成大人,我很多想法都被台灣人影響。台灣人不喜歡擁抱,但現在阿嬤看到我都知道一定要抱我一下,我才覺得有愛的感覺。

還有,台灣人很容易擁抱不同的外來的東西,融合出新味道。比如說,我住的頂樓加蓋,原本是個和室很寬敞,加上台式的神明桌、中式的窗戶,還有西式的房間擺設,還滿舒適的。

創意紙摺小紙盒

這好像是台灣人常用不要的DM紙摺出小紙盒可以放雜物,沒用的廢物就變有用了。台灣生活中充滿這類的創意。不好看,但是有意思。像加拿大,好山好水,可是好無聊;台灣,有點髒、有點亂,但很好玩。

問:外國人在台灣生活有什麼困難嗎?

答:我會中文,生活過得很充實,在bbs上有各式資訊,參加同志大遊行、看煙火。有外國人住了十一年,一句台語都不會,對異文化都不好奇,這很奇怪啊。

台灣人交談很愛夾雜英文字,最近很流行「prefer(偏好)」,大家會說「我prefer什麼什麼」;或是講一個人很親切,就說「他很 nice」,好像不用nice就不能表達他的體貼。為什麼說power就比較有力?祝生日快樂就非用英文不可?被fired會比「被炒魷魚」更容易接受 嗎?我很好奇,這些字都是怎麼流行起來的?

假菁英只愛分數排骨飯

問:你的部落格裡寫了不少對台大人的觀察?

答:我對台大人的感覺很複雜。有些人真的很強,功課好、打扮又有型,會玩樂器又會寫東西,交的報告認真到不行,超級優秀;有些就是「假菁英」,這是我自己發明的詞,我是指不關心別人、不關心世界,生活的意義只有分數和「排骨飯好好吃」!

成績是唯一顯示個人成功的方式,周末被沒收,沒時間想課外的事,很多人不開心,但他們寧願乖乖的,不說話!

比如有些人很愛問我「你考幾分?」我說六十分,「那你怎麼辦?你爸媽會怎樣?」我很驚訝他們對分數那麼在乎。我用中文考試,考及格了,我就很開心了;我恨微積分,但它讓我學會一些新的中文字彙,就夠啦。分數不能代表一個人的品質。

好學生乖乖為爸媽讀書

我已經可以理解「台大人」是一路念好學校上來的,生活裡很少有別的東西。有些人就是分數好,所以來念台大國貿、企管或電機,他們會說,啊,好想念文學或電影,可是爸媽不同意。我就會說,你該為自己決定啊,大學要念四年耶,一輩子更長,是為爸媽而活嗎?

我高中到台灣念書,後來回澳洲再到北京,又決定回台灣念大學,我爸媽都讓我自己決定。他們很開心我一個人在外面成長,我爸爸會邊喝紅酒邊用 skype和我聊天,知道我的近況、未來的方向等等。我在台灣,語言上已經沒有障礙,但文化上卻有了隔閡,可能是我太愛碎碎念,或者是到了中文說的「見山 不是山」的階段,過一陣子大概會好一點吧。

【2008/1/8 聯合報】


An Encounter with Sean Allan

By Wei-Fan Yang

In order to take pictures of Sean Allan I disguised myself as a freshman and visited one of his classes. Here I “witnessed” his magic: he captures students’ attention and also tries hard to assist them in memorizing new vocabulary. He never lost patience when students could not answer questions in English, and his lectures kept me from many common writing errors! As a teacher he is responsible, and as a friend he always wins a laugh and a smile. Meet our next interviewee: Sean Allan.

Q1: What was your best or worst experience in Taipei?

When I first arrived in Taipei, I brought too much luggage. Every time the bus or the cab dropped me off I would struggle to move four large bags. Most of the people around me just ignored me and my struggle. Eventually, on two different occasions a woman stopped to help me. The first time it was a woman in her seventies; the second time a woman in her late forties. This is both my worst and best experience: I witnessed both the coldness of the big city and the kindness of everyday people-- or at least the kindness of everyday women.

Q2: What are your favorite movies and books?

I have hundreds of favorite movies and books. If I had to name some movies, I would say Billy Wilder's Double Indemnity, anything by John Cassavetes, Bela Tarr's Werckmeister Harmonies, and Wong Kar-Wai's Fallen Angels. Do I sound pretentious enough? I was very lucky to see several films by the late Edward Yang at the 2007 Golden Horse film festival. He was a major world filmmaker. I attended a screening of A Brighter Summer Day even though it didn't have English subtitles (I saw it with English subtitles before). It's amazing how Yang used the influence of 1950s American teen movies and was able to make such moving insights into the nature of childhood, machismo, violence, and Taiwan's history. As to books, I have probably read Denis Johnson’s
Jesus’ Son more than any other. The book captures the mood of 1970s America, and it looks at the elective affinities between drug addiction and spiritual torment.

Q3: What kinds of music do you like?

I listen to different kinds of music. As a scholar of the late 20th century masculinity I listen to rap music of the early 1990s. (Really? Can you rap now?) No. Listening to rap and rapping are different things. I like anything coming out of the blues and jazz traditions. Of course, Jay Chou is the greatest musician ever.

Q4: Talk about your experience of learning Chinese. Did you face any difficulties?

It is very difficult to learn Chinese. I have some vocabulary, but my ability to listen and understand is still very poor. Because of my teaching schedule, I cannot take a regular class. I try to study on my own, and that is hit-and-miss. It is hard to practice listening and speaking skills; my roommate is very helpful, but he is also very busy.

Q5: Why did you choose film studies and English as your major field?

My field is American literature and culture. In particular, I am interested in how contemporary American art is interested in representations of male violence and male emotional trauma. Why do we have such an interest in violent men now, and how is it different from the interest in juvenile delinquents in the 1950s and 1960s? I think literature still has a lot to say about the way we live now, but I also think I need to give attention to art forms that people are more likely to consume--namely, films and popular culture. Also, because I'm interested in contemporary literature, I feel that an interest in film is necessary; film and literature influence each other.

My master's degree is in English, with an emphasis on cinema studies, particularly Asian film. I don't know that I can explain why I am interested in film studies. I suppose I like the fact that film explores visual spectacle and visual poetry, yet it also provides the spiritual insights of good literature.

Q6: What is your attitude about teaching English for non-native speakers ?

I have a positive attitude. I teach the course as I would teach a course fornative speakers; I adjust simply by anticipating and determining students' special needs. The only significant difference is the attention needed for vocabulary. The great challenge is the variation in speaking and listening skills among the students. They can write nearly as well as their native speaker counterparts.

Q7: Could you give students some suggestions for learning English?

Generally students should pay more attention to speaking and listening. There are a lot of basic resources like English language television and English language radio on the internet now, which can help students improve their listening and speaking skills.

Q8: What courses would you like to teach?

A film survey. I would just show the movies and talk about how much I like them and why I like them, and I believe the class would be fun. As to literature, I would like to teach contemporary American writers or something more specialized.

Q9: What would you like to change?

(After thinking a minute) I have no idea. If I could change one thing, I would give someone else the ability to change one thing. Well, I think I respond to my situation rather than dream about how I could change. Sometimes you will imagine yourself being more social, being a better speaker, being better looking, or being smarter, but it is just a private little fantasy, you know.

About Sean Allan

Heights: 6 feet 5 inches
Sign: Aries
Blood type: Unknown
Hair Color: Brown
Favorite Food in Taiwan: Stinky Tofu

Professor Sean Allan received his Ph. D. in English at University of California, Davis. He specializes in American literature and culture, as well as English composition. He teaches Freshman English at NTU now.
posted by NTU The Foreign Exchange at


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