2009年10月29日 星期四

惡女

中島美嘉唱情歌很動人,不過上一張No More Rules的包裝走蕾絲皮鞭惡女系,
網路上找一找,還是比較喜歡早期這首Love Addict.

惡女歸惡女,這種說法大概跟敗犬一樣,只是一種時髦的標籤,
然後提供給自認為非惡女/勝犬的人,一點循規蹈矩之餘的幻想罷了。



2009年10月27日 星期二

Knowing Thyself


Epiphany of the Day: EMBELLISHMENT,「你必須變得很強」。

口筆譯皆是如此。唉。

同場加映:「學姊你B九幾啊?」「我B85。」


Life is...

因為不想被工作拖著走所以才嚮往口譯員的生活。所謂被工作拖著走不只是朝九晚五,而是下了班還不能把工作拋之腦後的心情。

例如東南亞海嘯那年、那天,我正在夏威夷度假,我完全不想管,但是CNN一整天大紅布條(breaking)高高掛,我可以揣摩長官可能希望我打個電話回台北,搞不好還來個越洋連線,叫我去採訪就設在夏威夷的美國太平洋氣象中心。

不要。我只想去海灘衝浪(其實是被浪衝)!既然這麼決定了,就是後果自負。

那時候工作吃掉了我幾乎所有醒著的時間。儘管我喜歡每天接觸新知,也享受傳播訊息的小小成就感,行政上、技術上也有越來越多瞭解,會開稿、會幫忙處理一點簡單的衛星事務。新聞工作是一種total immersion, 難怪職場不倫比比皆是,因為越陷入其中就越無法自拔,跟家人連吃頓飯都有困難,還經常不得不邊吃邊看電視。

不過在公司工作也是有有趣之處,那是一個大團體、一個大環境,會帶給你穩定感(勞保、退休金),也有很多只有公司才有的東西,像電視台還有很多機器可以玩,飯店有很多廚房秘辛可以嚐。單打獨鬥的freelancer生活,偶爾會讓人覺得載浮載沈。

我嚮往的是什麼呢?其實我也不知道。現在太陽出來了,我想去露天cafe喝杯咖啡。

也許是且戰且走,把當下的事情了結,把該做的事情做好,回頭的時候不要猶豫,往前的時候切忌夢遊。也許我什麼都想要,但首要得有balance.

2009年10月24日 星期六

My Theme Song

最近突然很想聽Macy Gray, 尤其是這首。簡直是腦海中的主題曲。



Like hot wings with hot chocolate in here, u-huh
Cold like in my isolation said
In the winter, we're kissing mysteries

Take the weather man and throw him away. hey hey
Now there's a desert and I need it to rain
You are so good at keeping me company.

You are related to a psychopath
Your own mother is in therapy
You must be real fuck up
You're related to a psychopath.

Noah's elephants are leaving the ark, in haste
They're in the up side of my manic depressive state
We get to sing in three part harmony.

I try to walk away
I choke and I stumble
I'm fly and that's all it tells when I mumble
You are so good at keeping me company.

You are related to a psychopath
Your own mother is in therapy
You must be real fuck up
You're related to a psychopath.

It never adds up when you do your math
You are related to a psychopath
Yes, I'm real fuck up
You're related to a psychopath.

Education is slow
And it's what it keeps me in
When my mind chooses to roll
I feel it just begins
Just when I get attached it ends
And to say I'd rather remain a psycho.

Got to feel this dance in my head, I said
Life is butter won't you be my bread
You are so good at keeping me company.

You are related to a psychopath
Your own mother is in therapy
You must be real fuck up
You're related to psychopath.

It never adds up when you do your math
You are related to a psychopath
Yes I'm real fuck up
You're related to a psychobpath.

A psychopath

I am demented

A psychopath

My life is twisted

You are related to a psychopath
Your ow

The Secret Life of Conference Earphones

本篇別名「耳機實習記」。

本來以為只是來發耳機,想想好像人家家教一小時都比我站一整天賺的錢要多,但終究還是乖乖白衣黑褲(嗯還有一看就很不像工讀生會戴的胸針跟袖扣),依約到現場「實習」。

八點整跟工程師報到,今天是詭異但華麗的兩岸三地合辦會議,現場除了燈光及口譯器材,其餘包括音響螢幕背板都是香港飛來,還有好幾位嫩臉黑西裝的老外工作人員,一大早就精神奕奕在控場。

會場是整層都被包下,但隔了很多空間架設器材、布置茶點(茶點區整個被廠商的立牌給包圍),觀眾使用的區域大概只佔整個租用面積的四分之一。

據說這個產業的會都是如此,廠商藉著贊助研究或年會,鎖定目標客群,邊行銷邊打關係,只見廠外業務代表們從頭忙到尾,帶位寒暄,接待客人一刻不得閒。還有大陸、香港、東南亞來的團,業務們還兼導遊似的順道招待台北之旅。

另外,所有講者上台前都還要去跟主辦單位briefing一遍,確保上台發表時所有用字遣詞不會對產品不利(這,不就是變相的propaganda...),不過除了我之外,好像沒有人認真地管口譯員在講什麼;第一天只有四人借耳機,今天一整天也不過二十來人。


而會議內容我覺得是即使只聽英文或只聽中文都跟聽雷一樣,所以一天工作結束後聽口譯員說「簡直翻到要口吐白沫!」

這並不意外,我聽一天下來,到下午已經覺得:所有讓會議內容進入我腦海的嘗試,都是腦細胞的自殺行為。

仰之彌高望之彌堅的老師口譯員還講了另一句話,"that which didn't kill you shall make you stronger!"好吧,真是體會到所謂的stemina是怎麼一回事。猶如天邊一線曙光神諭降臨茅塞頓開。不過我想我成為口譯員之前應該會先死個幾百次。

跟一旁協助的資深工讀生聊天,會議經真是講不完。她說在她眼中「口譯老師都是神」,不是每個人都做得來的。有些廠商把略通兩種語言的自家員工找來口譯,以為真正省錢又專業,但發生的慘劇,輕微的例如第一個coffee break就有很多觀眾提早出來還耳機,說「口譯很爛」。

嚴重一點的就是有過這種「人(悲)情口譯員」從口譯廂裡衝出來跟工作人員大叫:

「叫講者把現在的講稿給我!他沒有照投影片講,投影片上有講到的地方又會跳行!這樣怎麼做!」

工作人員無計可施,又不是腹語術變魔術,但為防那位口譯員再度暴走,只好把他/她所在的口譯廂搬到中控旁邊,讓現場工程師一邊盯緊口譯廂的門。

穿高跟鞋一天下來真是站得腳痛,不過邊發耳機邊見識會場百態,尤其坐在這裡可以第一手觀察「誰在聽口譯」「誰在聘口譯」,對於會場以及整個產業也有更活潑充分的瞭解,算是不虛此行!


2009年10月22日 星期四

How It Happened (p.17)

Contrary to conventional medical wisdom, the cause of autism is not primarily genetic, but is a complex combination of genetics and environment. Genetics, so to speak, load the gun, and environment pulls the trigger.

Genetics alone don't cause epidemics. Genetics are essentially constant from one generation to the next. Epidemics occur when genetic vulnerabilities are assaulted by environmental changes-- introductions of a new virus, a new bacteria, or a new toxin.

Autism has increased, according to most estimates, from approximately one in every 2,500 to 10,000 births to one in every 150-166 births, over just the past twenty years. This is a fifteen-fold to sixty-fold increase: 1,500 percent to 6,000 percent. Now at least a half-million American children have autism-spectrum disorders, and some experts believe it to be as high as 1.5 million. Better diagnosis does not account for this, because the diagnostic criteria have not changed significantly for many years. Besides, if this epidemic were just a matter of more accurate diagnosis during childhood, where are all the thirty-year-old autistics?

ADHD has increased by at least 400 percent over the same twenty years. Now, 3.5 million children suffer from it. The very worst symptoms of ADHD are similar to those of children on the autism spectrum. American kids now consume 90 percent of the world's Ritalin, the most popular ADHD medication.

Asthma has increased by 300 percent over the same time period, and asthma deaths have increased by 56 percent, despite improvements in acute crisis care. Now 6 million American kids have asthma.

Allergies have increased by 400 percent over this period. Now approximately 20 percent of all kids have some type of allergy. Peanut allergy, one of the most common fatal food allergies, has more than doubled since 1997. Two hundred people, many of them children, now die from food allergies every year.

Add together all of the children who have these disorders, and it comes to 20 million kids, or almost one-third of all American children. Of these 20 million, at least 10 million have serious problems: autism-spectrum disorders, ADHD, asthma, or sever allergies. These conditions limit their lives, define their identities, and haunt their families.

(Disclaimer: This project is for translation practice and improvement of general understanding of autism only.)

2009年10月21日 星期三

see the night as if it were day

孩子們睡後,把餐桌擦乾淨,打開電腦開始放巴洛克廣播。接下來一兩個小時的寧靜時光是一日裡寶貴的時刻。



不敢說自己忙碌,只是「被很多人需要」,所以時間必須分割,必須把握零碎的片刻,不得不樂在當下。

例如邊搭公車邊聽著一兩首歌,想像或許有一天會去唱卡拉OK。或者,在醫院候診的時候,拿著隨身帶來帶去很想讀卻好像又沒時間讀的書,看個幾頁旁邊的阿婆就來搭訕,我也可以微笑地暫時合上書頁,臨走時揮手再見,祝她早日康復,像在跟我已過世的外婆講話一樣。




如果不是為了要練習,其實寫網誌都嫌麻煩呢。這五分鐘好好喝一罐啤酒,趁它還冰。

2009年10月13日 星期二

Monday Blue

結束週末開始工作的禮拜一,早上總是要多花點時間整裝,才能精神滿滿地待發。

生活經常依據所在的空間就切分了我的角色,脫下圍裙穿上套裝,或者扔下電腦拿起鍋剷,按下麥克風的按鈕或牽起下課孩子的手,一時間,就是只能做一件事。

我處理multitasking的方法就是盡量不去multitasking啊...


2009年10月6日 星期二

Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Asthma, and Allergies

This is it. My mission!

"Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Asthma, and Allergies, the Groundbreaking Program for the 4-A Disorders"
by Kenneth Bock, M.D. and Cameron Stauth
Ballantine Books, New York, 2008

Due to property right concerns, I guess I'll just randomly pick up some paragraphs and translate. This is just a translation exercise, I am not making any money from this, and if you get really interested in the topic-- go to Amazon.com and order the book yourself. (Hope this sounds like a disclaimer.)

Rainy Day, Coffee Day

念大學時,下雨天我總是想去挪威森林喝一杯卡魯瓦(Kaluwa),那時候他們溫州街跟誠品台大店二樓的店都還在。霏霏細雨剛下不久、還下不大的時刻,窗外像有薄薄一層霧,空氣中混合著來自柏油路面和水泥圍牆的潮濕氣味,跟卡魯瓦微溫的酒香最搭了。

考上大學即將北上那年,記得我媽買了幾本文圖並茂的「台北咖啡館」系列書籍,還有張耀的攝影集也正當紅,於是我對台北的期待便是那許多充滿人文氣息的咖啡館,(果然是鄉下來的啊啊...)。公館師大附近有好幾家,我看著圖片按圖索驥,煞有其事地偷偷對人家的家具、餐具、廁所品頭論足,後來最喜歡的還是挪威森林啊。

大學畢業後沒多久,誠品台大店二樓的挪威森林就收掉了,前兩年溫州店也收了,陳文茜好像還寫了專文「悼念」。我的文藝青年時代大概也就隨著完全進入回憶,不再有現在式。

啊,畢竟,帶著小孩去什麼咖啡館呢!

2009年10月3日 星期六

A Not So Happy Donor

我第一次捐血時還沒17歲。捐血車到學校裡來,如果去捐血就可以兩節不上課。我跟同學借身份證,就這樣冒名去了,花不到十分鐘就捐完250cc, 賺到兩節空堂。後來收到捐血報告,才知道自己血型是所謂「少見」「特別」的AB型,這種自我感覺良好對於17歲少女來說真是很受用,於是從此我覺得捐血是件好事。

今天我去捐血。雖然捐血是好事,但面談時就非得被詢問許多隱私問題,並且大部分集中在「性病」「性伴侶」上頭,例如是否曾感染各種性病?一年內是否有先生以外的性伴侶?是否有過一夜情?護士小姐一點也不羞澀,我也知道這是該做的程序,但我總覺得不耐煩。當然捐血是要顧及用血安全,但好像捐血人非要「告解」似地交出清白的口供,這點,多少讓我覺得自己的好心被踐踏到了一下下。

面談前其實捐血人就得填一份問卷,裡頭也是滿滿各種確認你性生活、旅遊史的問題。妙的是,以前有些問題只要四五題簽一次名表示瞭解即可,現在全都是是非題要勾選,而且裡頭還有陷阱,不是每題都勾否的,會安插否定句,看看你有沒有好好讀,有沒有誠懇。唉,我挽起袖子上捐血車來排隊還不夠誠懇嗎?!