[旅行] 大公國的美麗與哀愁──立陶宛湖中城堡 Trakai Island Castle (Trakai, Lithuania) Sep. 25, 2013

        立陶宛在中古世紀曾經是輝煌一時的大公國，而位在Trakai湖中的這座城堡，見證了時代的興衰。這座湖中的城堡原本由Kęstutis公爵建成，幾次擴張之後，在一場和波蘭的戰役中，立陶宛落敗，而城堡也就跟著衰落，一直到十九世紀才翻修。

        Trakai城堡外觀呈橘紅色，內部黑黑暗暗的，沒有一絲城堡該有金碧輝煌，唯有內部博物館陳設的皇家刀劍與圖騰流露出貴氣。建築物中有一些木造的迴廊，有點像是古棧道。整個建築靜立在湖面，湖水如鏡，讓老建築少了神秘色彩，多了優雅與莊重。

        整座城堡彷彿就是立陶宛這個小國的歷史縮影。那場與波蘭的戰役失敗以至於至今立陶宛首都維爾紐斯許多人還會說波蘭語。二十世紀兩次大戰，立陶宛不但受到惡名昭彰的納粹佔領，最大的傷害還是被併入蘇聯。納粹是針對性的對猶太人種族滅絕，然而蘇聯卻是將整個國家的人民都關入鐵幕數十載，一直到蘇聯垮台。

        我到Trakai時是九月底，天氣不算太冷，但遊客並不多，門票很便宜，學生票折合台幣一百塊不到。從立陶宛首都Vilnius坐公車就可以到(公車資訊)，當地有好吃的Kibinas，我們到附近的kybynlar這家店吃，有點類似咖哩餃的酥脆外皮裡面包著各種內餡。

        離開前再度回望，湖中城堡有如童話世界的美麗場景，卻訴說著比現實更沉重更殘酷的歷史故事。

[隨筆]〈怪獸大學〉與〈頤和園〉

大家應該都聽過甚至看過〈怪獸大學〉，但很少人知道〈頤和園〉這部電影。昨天看完〈怪獸大學〉，我近乎從頭笑到尾。這是典型的皮克斯，也是典型的美國電影──幽默又勵志。但不知道為什麼，我看到最後，竟笑到眼角含淚，也許是笑得太厲害。當我回到家，腦海中快轉著〈怪獸大學〉的場景，胸口卻覺得氣悶。後來我才知道，我悶的是覺得〈怪獸大學〉跟一部電影好像。我躺在床上，雙眼直視著天花板，〈頤和園〉的片段在我的上空播送。〈頤和園〉是部看的時候令人悶著眼淚的電影，想哭又哭不出來，因為不知道該在什麼時候哭。或許昨晚在電影院的眼淚就是這樣來的。

〈頤和園〉是部夾雜青春、愛情、慾望、政治與歷史的電影。這部片子是我一年多前在台大總圖找到的老電影。導演婁燁把〈頤和園〉拍得非常嚴肅、非常藝術，其中有很多性愛場景，整部片一點都不好笑，完全不適合配著爆米花看。但不知怎地，現實與動畫交錯，當大眼仔提著家當，含淚告別鄉親父老走進怪獸大學時，我想他的心情和〈頤和園〉女主角余虹告別初戀，隻身到北京求學時，一模一樣。巍峨的巴洛克式建築、鏡面般的湖水、林蔭大道、石頭橋，大學，不只是一所學校，那是一座知識的殿堂。此情此景，無論是怪獸還是人見到都會興奮的。大學，是個和年少無知告別、實踐夢想的起點。

大學是自由的──自由的學風。大眼仔在琳瑯滿目的社團攤位前佇足，看得目不暇給。大學中有大師。歷屆的大師、優秀校友檔案被放在紀念碑、圖書館、陳列館、展覽館、校史室中。現任的大師如恐怖教授在課堂上口沫橫飛，郝刻薄院長神龍見首不見尾的方式駕到，一如清華大學教授在台上講著詩經，信手拈來。大學是人才濟濟的。大眼仔第一堂課就被毛怪如洪鐘的嘶吼聲震懾住。大學是思想開明的。余虹鎮日和朋友穿梭帝都巷弄間的沙龍，跳洋人的舞，唱洋人的歌。大學生活是無拘無束的。大眼仔奮力讀書；毛怪終日鬼混；大眼仔室友鍾情於伴著吉他和三五好友社交；余虹的室友冬冬則每天抱著琵琶。余虹呢？余虹染了菸癮，陷入熱戀，耽溺於前衛的性愛。

然而，陳腐保守的校園是關不住前衛的性愛的，強調精英、資質與血統的怪獸大學及郝刻薄院長也限制不了大眼仔。八九年，北京學生走上了天安門。而大眼仔則偷偷穿越了只有驚嚇專員才能過的門，闖入人類世界，毛怪擔心他的安危也趁亂過門將自己暴露於險境。大學生的抱負，從讀書到完善學問，從聖賢思想到獨立思考，從經世濟民到撼動時代。八九年，槍聲響起，坦克開過。人類世界驚叫聲四起，怪獸世界驚叫模擬器破表，通往怪獸世界的門熔毀，被郝刻薄院長關上的門重新開啟，驚叫記錄被打破，大眼仔與毛怪被退學。余虹躲過了子彈，毅然決然離開大學。余虹的愛人周偉則和余虹的朋友李緹在宿舍上床被抓到勒令退學，他們望著余虹離去滿臉錯愕，最後負笈東德求學。

大眼仔和毛怪找到了怪獸電力公司的工作，開始上班。余虹也開始工作。她在人海中浮沉，在不同城市穿梭，前後經歷了幾段情，幾段性愛。怪獸大學則沒有後續，或者說後續在另外一集。這或許是〈怪獸大學〉和〈頤和園〉最大的不同。怪獸的未來可以等下一集，但現實中的人類只要沒有死就會有後續，時代也不會因為槍聲停下腳步，八九之後，東西德合併、蘇維埃垮台、中國改革開放、九七年香港回歸，維多利亞港煙花燦爛。

終究，動畫和現實是不同的。但動畫卻用最詼諧的方式反映現實，用最誇張的對白與動作表達生活，用最老少咸宜的方式讓人想起最嚴肅最艱澀的議題──那些只有出現在藝術電影中的議題。看著年輕的怪獸奮力嘶吼，彷彿看見一個個年輕的臉龐，在校園裡、在宿舍裡，在沙龍裡、在廣場上……有時像是回到了自己的舊日時光，大多時候更像是回到了那個自己錯過了的時代。我想我的眼淚就是這樣來的。

電影院燈光亮起，大家紛紛起身，我呆呆坐著把工作人員的名單看完，意外的等到了最後一小段的動畫插曲。不負眾望，即便是一小段結尾也令人捧腹大笑，於是我的眼淚沒有掉下來。

[旅行] 瑞典人的渡假勝地 哥特蘭島 Gotland Sep. 20-22, 2013

        Gotland(哥特蘭島)，並不是什麼舉世聞名的渡假勝地，也不位於熱帶，他的地位有點像是瑞典的澎湖，歷史悠久並在當地頗負盛名，大多的遊客都是瑞典人。
        Gotland, not a world famous paradise for vacation, nor is it a tropical island. Yet, Gotland is definitely one of the most popular places where the Swedes spend there vacation. It is an island that has rich historical heritages and also scenic views.

On ferry to Gotland

Arrived around midnight

        可以搭船或飛機到哥特蘭島，夏天是旺季，我們星期五晚上出發，星期天下午返回，船班並不多，最便宜的票也不好搶，建議及早預訂：訂票網站。我們是搭船，在斯德哥爾摩的Nynäshamn港口上船，而有火車直接到Nynäshamn。比較值得注意的是，搭船通常要提早30分鐘check-in，我們當時就差點來不及趕上。住宿的部分，我們是透過booking.com預定，我們六人住可容納八人的公寓，價錢相當划算。
        Travelers can choose to either take a plane or a ferry to Gotland. Summer is the high season, so if you would like to go to Gotland in summer and especially on weekends, you should book earlier. We took the Friday night ferry from Stockholm to Gotland and we came back to Stockholm on Sunday afternoon. The website for booking the ferry tickets is here. The port in Stockholm is called Nynäshamn and there are trains that directly arrive at Nynäshamn. Note that travelers need to arrive 30 minutes before departure for check-in. Regarding accommodation, we booked a house through booking.com.

At the balcony of the apartment we lived in

        Gotland本島交通還算便利，各大景點都有公車。然而，如果要安排到大導演Ingmar Bergman落腳拍片的Fårö(法羅島)，則須搭船，而且島上交通並不方便，沒有公車。幸運的，我們到的那個周末正好是Fårönatta，有一系列活動，因此有大眾運輸工具。平日去除了走路或騎車外，可以試著搭便車，多人的話可以搭計程車，有駕照則可以考慮事先租車。
         Transportation in Gotland is quite convenient. There are buses to almost every sight. However, if you plan to visit Fårö island, where the world-famous director Ingmar Bergman filmed most of his movies, you will need to take a ferry there. The transportation on Fårö island is really inconvenient. Luckily, we visited Fårö island during Fårönatta, which involved plenty of celebration and activities on the island. There were buses to most of the sights. If you visit Fårö island in other days, you might need to take the taxi or rent a car. Hitchhiking is also a choice.

Medieval City Wall in Visby 古城牆 (1)

Medieval City Wall in Visby 古城牆 (2)

        Gotland其實是個省份，首府Visby在中古世紀時可是重要的貿易商港，因此島上有不少古蹟。Visby四處都是紅瓦屋和石頭鋪成的路，教堂雖已在歲月的磨損中只剩遺跡，但站在其中仍能感受當年繁華之景。Gotland本島有公車，但其實只要住在市區，景點大多能夠走到。
        Gotland is actually one of the provinces in Sweden. The capital Visby was a large trading port during the medieval ages and thus there were a lot of historical sites on the island. In Visby, almost all the houses have red tile roofs and the roads were stone paved. The churches were worn and torn through the ages but standing there, I could still feel how prosperous it was in the past.

        我們第二天前往法羅島，從Visby市區搭乘公車前往乘船處，再搭乘小船到法羅島。若有租車，可以開車上船。我們參觀了Ingmar Bergman的博物館，詳細記錄這位出生於Uppsala的大師如何和法羅島結緣。當然，我們也造訪了Ingmar Bergman拍片的許多場景，其中有許多特色海灘，寂靜而美麗。

        We visited Fårö island on the second day. We took a bus from the city center of Visby to the port and then we took a small ferry to Fårö island. If you rented a car, you could also drive your car on board. We visited Ingmar Bergman museum. The museum displayed how this Uppsala born director met and fell in love with Fårö island. We also visited many of his movie scenes around Fårö island. Most of them were beaches, which was serene and beautiful.

        瑞典雖非美食天堂，但來到Gotland勢必要去嘗嘗當地有名的下午茶小點厚煎餅(saffranspannkaka)配咖啡也是種浪漫的饗宴。

        Although Gotland is not known for its food, travelers should still try its most famous dessert called saffranspannkaka. Eating it with coffee is the best afternoon tea in Gotland.

        如果你看膩了歐洲大城市的繁忙，如果你厭倦了教堂和城堡，哥特蘭島這個靜謐、古典又有人情味的美麗島嶼，值得你的駐足。
        If you are tired with the hustle and bustle of large cities or the numerous castle and churches in Europe, I strongly recommend Gotland. The island itself was quiet and historical and the people there were far more than friendly. It was definitely worth the visit.

[旅行] 童話世界 丹麥三日行 Denmark Sep. 16-19, 2013

行程概要 Brief Itinerary：
9/16 Night plane to Copenhagen  Sleep in Copenhagen airport
9/17 Morning flight to Billund → Bus to Legoland  → Legoland  → Bus to Vejle Stay in Casa Mundo B&B
9/18 Train to Odense → Sightseeing in Odense →Train to Copenhagen
9/19 Copenhagen City Sightseeing

機票比價好網站


訂房好幫手

        丹麥，是全世界最快樂的國家，也是童話大師安徒生的故鄉，更是樂高的發源地。當時學姊聽到我要去丹麥，立刻跟我說，若要去樂高樂園要盡快，因為樂高樂園在冬天是不開放的。在看了機票之後，決定到哥本哈根轉機，在機場睡一夜，隔天再搭乘國內班機到Billund。大家聽到一個女生要在機場自己過夜應該會覺得害怕，但我在查了Sleeping in Airports之後，發現哥本哈根機場是個適合過夜的機場。網路上有人推薦祈禱室，但我進去了之後發現會有監視錄影，還有警告標語說不能在裡面睡覺，否則會有工作人員來叫醒你。於是我去了Sleeping in Airports 網站上推薦的A航站入口附近、快餐區樓上，面對大玻璃看飛機起降，有紫色的舒服躺椅，還有插座可以幫手機充電。

Nice place to sleep

Cozy Couch in Copenhagen Airport

        隔天清早，搭乘國內線前往樂高發源地Billund。Billund機場旅遊櫃檯沒有人，但是有豐厚的旅遊資訊。建議可以索取公車時刻表，有不少班公車可以抵達樂高樂園。公車只收現金，因此記得在機場領錢。如前面所述，樂高樂園並非天天開放，尤其九月十月，天氣已轉涼，遊客變少，常常一個禮拜只開三四天。請事先查好開放時間表。確定要去的日期之後，可以在網路訂票，記得要印下來，事先預訂最多可以打八五折。

        園內所有的設施、裝飾都是由樂高積木組成，各國城市模型已經不稀奇，甚至有樂高水族館和樂高太空梭，將樂高發揮的淋漓盡致。我去的時候是九月中，已經是旅遊淡季，沒有排隊人潮，工作人員可以有耐心地和小朋友玩，各種遊樂設施玩不過癮可以一玩再玩。我在樂高樂園遇到了一位珠海移民澳門的交換生，一整天都和他一起玩遍各大遊樂設施。很謝謝他幫我拍了不少照片，在討論政治議題時也抱持開放的心胸，讓我一天玩得相當盡興。Billund本身沒有火車站，於是我傍晚便搭乘巴士前往小鎮Vejle，為的是要銜接隔天的火車。我訂的民宿離市中心有一段路，幸好澳門同學有幫我用3G查了一下路線圖，我大約四點多就離開，到Vejle時天還沒黑，才讓我安心找路，順利抵達民宿。民宿女主人相當熱情友善，我是他第一位台灣客人，他對我充滿好奇，和我聊了不少事。他說他隔天有事無法為我做早餐，讓我自己使用廚房設備食材，不需要額外付錢，真的很幸運。

        9/17一早，我搭乘火車從Vejle前往安徒生故鄉Odense。當天火車大誤點，在火車上，我禁不住擔心，問了隔壁女孩是否我乘的是對的車次。女孩出乎我意料的開始和我說中文，原來她曾經學過中文，並且在大陸留學過。果然，當天班次有改，所有人必須在同一站下車然後再換車。幸好女孩說他也是要去Odense，要我跟著他就好，最後順利抵達。

        我參觀安徒生博物館時，問了櫃檯人員有無學生票，當她表示沒有時，我已經準備買成人票，此時他居然拿出一張問卷，說這是為了配合政府的統計，只要我看完展後填完問卷，就可以免費參觀。驚喜之餘，我也更認真的仔細欣賞博物館的展示。安徒生一生在感情上有不少波折，但在童話創作的成就卻舉世聞名。他的作品被翻譯成好幾種語言，為各國孩子創造美好的童年夢想。參觀了安徒生博物館後，我前往安徒生的兒時故居。但抵達時，老闆娘說今天已經要關門，明天請早。我回答說，那真是太可惜了，我今晚就要離開這裡了。老闆娘居然笑著說，那你就在我結帳的時間進來看一看吧，讓我受寵若驚。安徒生兒時故居很小，老闆娘帳還沒結完我就逛完了，要買紀念品時，老闆娘帳已結完，無法找零，他居然說要送我，讓我超級不好意思，決定挑一個不須找零的紀念品，我最後買了張立體卡片。在安徒生的故鄉，我充分感受丹麥濃濃的人情味。當天下午，我搭乘火車，在晚上抵達丹麥首都哥本哈根。

        9/18為哥本哈根市區一日遊。哥本哈根很大，要細看絕對看不完，我經過了市政廳、玫瑰宮、哥本哈根大學，也拜訪了著名地標小美人魚。小美人魚比想像中的小很多，很多人都認為小美人魚是一個令人失望的景點，我倒是很樂在學小美人魚的姿勢拍照。比較值得注意的是，我們遇到了一位台灣大叔，他說他前一天在小美人魚附近遇到了假警察。原先那兩個人士想找他拍照，把他帶到一旁人煙比較稀少之處，之後秀出假證件說要搜查包包是否有毒品，趁機拿走一疊美金。我們同期交換的學長也在哥本哈根掉了錢包。總之，大城市的治安不太好，還是要小心再小心。

[旅行] 挪威縮影四日行 9/5-8 Norway Sep. 5-8, 2013

這次挪威行是我到瑞典之後的第一次出國旅行，一開始從訂機票到訂車票都是戰戰兢兢。好在挪威跟瑞典一樣治安良好，當然不代表可以掉以輕心，但至少比較安心。然而，挪威是全世界物價數一數二昂貴的國家，要有心理準備。

The trip to Norway is the first time for me to leave Sweden in my exchange life. That's why I was especially cautious about every plan of the trip. It is good that Norway is a safe country, but it doesn't mean that we can be careless. Still, the low crime rate there makes me less worried. Also, Noway is one of the most expensive places in the world, so be prepared before you come.

行程分享 Itinerary：
主要參考Norway in a nutshell，只是因為部分票券有學生票，所以自己分開訂可以較便宜。
I planned my trip according to "Norway in a nutshell". Some tickets include a student price, which can't be obtained by buying the package, so I decided to book them separately.

行程大綱 Brief Itinerary

1. 9/4 22:00 Uppsala--(bus booked through SJ)-->Oslo (arrive in morning)
2. 9/5 city tour in Oslo (one day ticket include all transportation 80 kr bought in Ruter near train station) Stay in Sentrum pensjonat hostel
3. 9/6 6:00 Oslo--(miniprice tickets booked in advance)-->Myrdal--(tickets booked on board)-->Flåm
   Stay in Brekke Gard Hostel
4. 9/7 8:00  ferry to Gudvangen (tickets booked 9/6 in Flåm tourist center, ask for students tickets)-->bus to Voss (tickets booked 9/6 in Flåm tourist center)---->train to Bergen (tickets bought at train station, beware of opening ours, and ask for student tickets)----> night view in Bergen Stay in Bergen Host's place
5. 9/8 City tour in Bergen----> Flight back to Sweden

9/4 晚上從Uppsala搭夜車到Oslo，搭乘巴士，在SJ網站上購票(搜尋時請在"show express bus"打勾)，可以選擇讓他寄簡訊到手機，就不用印車票。因為到Oslo也可以搭火車，所以請看清楚自己買的到底是火車票還是巴士票，若是巴士票請查好是在第幾月台。
On 9/4, we took a night bus from Uppsala to Oslo. We booked the tickets in advance on SJ website (by ticking the "show express bus" box when searching), and we selected to deliver the tickets by SMS so that we don't need to print the tickets. One can also travel to Oslo by train, so do check whether you booked a train ticket or bus ticket. If it is a bus ticket, please check which platform it is, since it won't be shown on the ticket or anywhere else, and the platforms are quite far away from one another.

9/5早上抵達Oslo，隨後進行市區遊覽。巴士站離火車站不遠，火車站旁邊有個寫著ruter的售票處，可以進去購買一日券，80kr包含所有市區交通，注意連船都可以搭。270kr則是除了所有交通還包含博物館。我們當時因為前一天搭夜車太疲倦，不打算跑太多博物館，選擇80kr的方案。Oslo有孟克150年展覽，國家藝廊也有孟克畫作展出，推薦去看。Oslo晚上車站附近龍蛇雜處，建議不要單獨在那裏逗留。
We arrived at Oslo on 9/5 and then started our city tour. The bus station is not far from the train station. Beside the train station, there is a ticket selling booth called "ruter". We got a 80kr one day ticket, including all transportation, even boats. There is also a 270kr one which includes all transportation and museum. We took a night train the previous night so we decided not to visit so many museums. There was a 150 year Munch exhibition, in which we saw the famous artwork Skrik.

9/6一早搭乘火車至Myrdal(事先上網訂票，愈早訂愈便宜，有mini price優惠票)，這段火車有全世界最美的高山火車之稱，優惠票通常是超及早的票，但建議大家不要睡覺，應該沿路欣賞風景。抵達後，從Myrdal轉乘小火車到Flåm，車票於上車後向列車長購買，沒有學生票，但我們表明我們是學生之後，可愛的列車長伯伯就給我們打折了XD。小火車沿途風景比剛剛那段更為優美，沿途也有三種語言的影片介紹。沿途經過一個壯麗的瀑布時，車長還讓我們下車觀賞拍照。Flåm是個如詩如畫的山中峽灣小鎮，因為峽灣而聞名於世。可先去旅遊中心問問有什麼行程推薦。我們原本計劃的行程就是由Flåm搭船到Gudvangen，沿途欣賞峽灣，再由Gudvagen搭公車到Voss。印象中船票有學生票，其他的票都可以問問，有折扣。但是我們已經定了Flåm的住宿，不想做來回的船，所以把搭船和搭車延到明天。
On 9/6, we took a train from Oslo to Myrdal (tickets booked in advance, there is so called mini price tickets). This journey is said to be the most beautiful high altitude train journey in the world, so be sure to appreciate the beautiful scenery along the way. After we arrived at Myrdal, we changed to a small mountain train bound for Flåm, and tickets are bought on board. There is no student tickets, but the nice ticket salesman gave us a discount because we were at the age of his son. This journey is also known for its stunning scenery, and there is introduction in three languages of the fjord along the way. We passed by a spectacular waterfall, where the train stopped to allow everyone to take pictures. Finally, we arrived at our destination Flåm. Flåm is a little village in the mountains known for its stunning scenery. You can go to the tourist center to ask for some recommendations for activities there.

離開旅遊中心，已經舟車勞頓的我們想要走到旅館，拿了地圖卻不幸走了反方向，愈走愈荒涼，終於興起要問人的念頭，但可惜找不到半個人。眼看天色就要轉黑，發現前方岸邊有個小屋，像是為捕魚搭的，裡面似乎有人！我們立刻走向前去，從大馬路旁走下，超級陡的坡度，深怕自己滑倒。我們把他們叫住，一如預期，兩位北歐捕魚人英文都相當流利，告訴我們說我們要走40分鐘回頭路才能抵達。他們還問了我們從哪裡來，當她聽到台灣，驚訝了說：Wow, I am impressed!
After we left the tourist center, we walked back to the hostel. Unfortunately, we figured the wrong direction, and the far we walked, the bleaker the scenery. We tried to find a person to ask for directions, but there weren't any people. As the sky became darker, we discovered that there was a small wooden house near the water. The wooden house seemed to be built for fish catching, and there seemed to be someone inside! We went ahead, off the roads, and down a little slope to close to the water, and went near the house. The two fishermen inside were really fluent in English, and told us that we were in the opposite direction. It would take us 40 minutes to walk back. When they knew that we came from Taiwan, they were kind of shocked that we came from such a remote place, and told us that they were impressed!

我們好不容易回頭走到旅館，到了旅館的那一刻，旅館女主人超級熱情的迎接我們。那是個坐落在小鎮的美麗木屋，彷彿進入童話世界。我們筋疲力盡的放下行李，女主人卻表示該旅館沒有供餐，但我們可以盡情享用廚房。可是唯一的超市在20分鐘路程的市中心啊！而且超市八點就關門了！我們出了門，到了旅館旁邊的小瀑布，但礙於趕著趕超市關門，我們趕緊離開衝向超市。挪威物價非常高，只有乳製品和麵包稍微便宜一點，於是我們就買了義大利麵跟醬自製晚餐，而麵包和牛奶就是隔天早餐了。
Finally, we arrived in the hostel. The madam there was hospitable. The hostel is a wooden house in the village, and the atmosphere made me think of a fairy tale. After we settled down, we realized that there were no restaurants in the hostel. There was a kitchen, though. That means that we have to buy the food from a supermarket, but the only supermarket was 20 minute walk away, and it closes at 20:00. We reluctantly went out again, and didn't have time to admire the beauty of a nearby waterfall because we were really worried that the supermarket will be closed. The price is Norway is super high, so we only bought some spaghetti for dinner and some milk and bread for breakfast of the next morning.

9/7照著我們前一天的規劃，一早搭上往Gudvangen的船。沿途風景優美，恍如置身仙境，船上的介紹相當詳細，甚至有中文。不過也有人去的時間天氣不佳，只能在大霧中渡過。所以建議大家不要在Gudvagen停靠時，真的被這個以峽灣聞名的小鎮吸引。雖然九月初已經是夏末，但這裡還是擠了滿滿的遊客。我們非常慶幸搭了早班船，我可以想像午後時多麼擁擠。
On 9/7, we took the ferry from Flåm to Gudvangen and appreciate the beauty of the fjords along the way. Then, we took a bus from Gudvagen to Voss. There are student tickets for ferry. Although September is already the end of the tour season, these sites were still packed with tourists. We were glad that we took the early ferry because more and more tourists approached later in the day.

在Gudvangen短暫停留後，我們乘坐巴士(在Flåm一並和船票買好)搭車到Voss。沿途風景一樣相當秀麗，而沿路經過不少髮夾彎，令人心驚膽戰。不過顯然他們司機都受過專業訓練，開起車來都相當安穩，沿途經過瀑布還像我們介紹，而車子本身也相當新，設備良好，對於搭過尼泊爾可怕的超載車開在伸手不見五指的山區的我，顯然是小巫見大巫。
After our short stay in Gudvangen, we took the bus to Voss. The scenery along the way was really beautiful, and there were many heart-startling turns along the way since it was a mountain road. The drivers seemed quite professional so the ride was nice and safe. As I have traveled on the bus to the deep mountains of Nepal, this ride to Voss was nothing compared to that.

抵達Voss之後，我們先到車站買車票，一樣有學生票，而且不限定時間。下午有不少班火車往Bergen，所以我們選擇先去吃飯。
After we arrived at Voss, we went to the station to buy tickets to Bergen. There were student tickets.

下午花了一些時間在Voss海邊看風景散心，秋風微涼，相當愜意。接著，我們便搭乘火車前往挪威第二大城Bergen。
We spent some time in the sea shore of Voss in the afternoon. The autumn wind was mild and we were relaxed. Then, we took the train to the second largest city in Norway, Bergen.

雖然是第二大城，但許多挪威人認為這才是有挪威特色的城市。首都奧斯陸因為現代化少了挪威感，而Bergen則因為山環水抱保有了挪威傳統海港漁村文化。的確，Bergen這個字據Host所說是七座山的意思，幾乎所有的建築都是依著山而建造。而Bergen又靠海邊，所以魚市場相當聞名。
Although it is the second largest city, many Norwegians told us that they think it is the city that has the most Norwegian culture. The capital, Oslo, is too modern, but by contrast, Bergen preserved most of the fishering culture since it is a city around the mountains and close to the sea. Bergen, in Norwegian, means seven mountains. The whole city is constructed along the mountain hills. It is also close to the sea, so the fish market there is really famous.

在火車站和Host會面後，由Host領軍，帶我們遊覽Bergen夜景。Host的工作是在輔導身心障礙的小朋友，他對我們相當熱情友善，他也是位土生土長的Bergen人。
After we met our couch surf host at the train station, the host showed us the stunning night view of Bergen. The job of the host was a teacher of disabled children. The host was from Bergen, grew up here and worked here. He was really enthusiastic and nice.

山中之城在夜色中格外寧靜，從海的一側看過去，家戶燈火閃爍，那是相機拍不出的迷人。好幾次，我們穿過毫無路燈的街道，幸虧有Host的陪伴，若只有我們自己，絕對無法來到。在挪威，雖然物價奇高，但卻是我Couch Surf最多次的地方，感謝挪威人的友善熱情。
Night Bergen was serene. We saw the city from the other side of the water. Lights were shimmering. Sad that my basic camera couldn't capture the beauty. The way to this viewpoint was totally dark without any street lights. We couldn't have made it here if we weren't with the host. In Norway, although the price is crazily high, we were lucky to meet so many nice and hospitable host.

9/8終於來到旅程的最後一天，我們都相當疲累，但卻不減旅遊興致。今天同樣由Host帶領，我們在Bergen市區遊覽。中午吃了傳統的挪威料理，我點了麋鹿肉，朋友點了「現撈」魚。當天適逢美食節，我們穿梭在大小攤位中試吃，彷彿回到了台灣的夜市。而Bergen城在白天看來也相當優雅，除了教堂，還有許多古老的建築。下午我們告別Host搭上往機場的巴士，飛回瑞典。機場巴士有兩家，一家似乎只能收現，另外一家要事先上網預訂，感謝Host提供電腦讓我們這些沒有挪威克朗只用刷卡的旅客得以順利回家。
Finally we were at the last day of our trip. The host showed us around the city center of Bergen. We had some traditional food for lunch. I ordered reindeer meat and my friend ordered 'today's catch' fish. We encountered the food festival, and there were food stands along the street. It was like the night markets in Taiwan! Bergen was a really nice and elegant city. We visited the churches and some old buildings. In the afternoon, we took the bus to the airport. There were only two bus companies to the airport, and one can only accept cash, while the other only accepts online reserving. We were happy that the host reminded us about this, and lent his computer for us to online reserve since we only had cards, and didn't have a penny of cash.

[分享] GMAT 一戰 760 Q51 V41 AWA 4.5 IR 8

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考試日期 2013/5/30

考試成績 一戰 760 Q51 V41 AWA 4.5 IR 8求學背景 NTU Management 大三 學測 數學14 英文15準備時間 1-3月A2培訓班 之後自己念準備教材 OG/OV/pp/GWD

前言:能考到這個成績我有點嚇到，原因是我當天考試寫得相當不順手，幸好結果是好的。考完之後課業有點忙，拖到現在才分享，希望鼓勵大家往夢想的方向前進。

說來汗顏，我AWA和IR都沒有特別認真準備，大家參考就好了。


AWA:寫GWD模擬考時，把題目練一練，七宗罪不一定要生吞活剝套進去。我的建議是先看題目，把它當沒選項的CR，看到哪裡覺得邏輯不合理就記下來， 記到三個點，然後再用概括性敘述去涵蓋每個點。例如我自己就常常用illogical reasoning/careless conclusion，每一段的開頭都用The argument suffers from XXX.

IR:這部分沒什麼特別的準備方式，我懶得看機經，於是就把官方版的考題在考前三天做一做，當天考試的題目比官方版的簡單很多。建議大家慢慢寫，題目不用全看但重點要抓到不然就會鬼打牆一直卡住。我自己是寫到第十題。

Q:這部份對於亞洲考生來講其實就是搶分區，所以分數務必一定要拿到，但也不要覺得搶分區就很簡單，大部分的題目都不難，但有少部分還是需要花點心思，我參加培訓班時，上課時題目會了就直接往後算，D大講課時再對照做法，若有特別tricky的部分或自己已經忘記不熟的部分就做記號。考前在捷運上把講義重算。難題就靠機經了!我自己錯過報名機經班的時間，所以就自己去追夢網看機經，數學機經我算了一遍之後再把不會、不熟的算第二遍。機經有時候會有變體或是不全的狀況，記得要小心!

V:
SC
這塊應該是大家最頭痛的。我覺得這個部分A2教得非常好。上完課之後憑印象答對率大概就可以提升到六成以上。當然我之後至少把筆記複習了兩次，最後幾天把容易錯的觀念(ex比較結構)再看一次，基本上就很ok了。我最後幾天寫pp破解檔的SC答對率都幾乎有八成以上，真的要認真念，一定會進步的。

在此我也分享一些我對SC的看法。SC雖名為修辭，但其實你可以把它想像成比大小遊戲(這樣想比較有趣)。五個選項其實不是在比誰文法對，因為很多時候五個選項文法都是對的，這個時候就是要挑一個"好"的。至於好的句子是怎麼樣呢？
我在準備GMAT期間看到一個笑話，讓我想到SC與大家分享。
老婆傳簡訊給老公:買五個饅頭回家。
過了一會，老婆又傳簡訊:看到賣西瓜的，買一個。
結果老公最後買了一個饅頭回來 = =
大家或許覺得很好笑，這老公怎麼這麼沒常識，大家都知道一個是指西瓜，但這
在SC上就是指代不清，會誤導別人，這種選項絕對錯。

GMAT是要設計考給高階經理人的，高階經理人日理萬機，資訊量大，看到句子一定要是精簡扼要、文辭對稱、重點明顯(其實就是OG的官方說詞)這樣講非常抽象，A2上課的時候會幫你具象化，例如by>because>because of>due to//and I前面沒逗點就錯。A2上課一定會講背後的原因，原因總歸來說就是上面那些，大家了解原因之後會比較好記，接下來就是實際練習了。我自己練習寫錯除了先看講義檢討之外(有時是粗心或忘記)，也會上曼哈頓看Ron的解釋(直接google題目通常第一個出現的就是了)雖然外國人的解法跟我們不同，但是我覺得還是要練習用native speaker的角度去想，有時能夠把上課學的東西融會貫通。記得一樣技術的最高境界是無招勝有招，題目到時候出來的時候慢慢想要用什麼方法已經來不及了，一定要練到見招拆招，來一個殺一個來兩個殺一雙這樣。我自己考試的時候SC每每都是用技巧刪掉三個剩兩個掙扎，這個時候千萬不要擲茭賭運氣，這時候就是在把題目讀一遍，不要想任何招式，就用"英文文意理解"把兩個選項分析一下，雖然A2上課總是說看文意吃力不討好最快還是用技巧，但最後無技可施還是要回歸到基本文意，這個時候平常有沒有看Ron就很重要了，因為美國人解題比較偏重文意有沒有符合標準應文要求。

CR
這部分我沒有什麼特別的方法，就是上課跟著步調練習各種題型，最後兩堂課會有統整，但考試的時候其實你無暇去想是哪種題型，還是把題目認真讀進去見招拆招最好。如果說SC是比大小那CR就是考你辯論的能力。但這種辯論絕對不是詭辯，是非常有邏輯架構的批判性思考。他是非常"反常識""反直覺"的考試，你必須要有足夠的證據才能支持或削弱一個論點。這點大家如果跟我一樣每次看到網路上很多不理智的鄉民講的話就傻眼，應該會很快進入CR的狀況。
例如:


A:某甲固然有錯，但目前這種行為的刑罰太重，這是失當的。

B:他有錯阿！(重述前提)就把他關到死阿，這個渾蛋(沒有反駁論點→懲罰太重)
在CR這種答案就錯，但在我們生活中其實常常看到，ptt上或是電視上。不過想想，高階經理人當然不能跟著名嘴或鄉民走，不然在這種競爭的環境下要怎麼賺錢，所以想當然，GMAT考的是你腦袋清楚，知道每句話的論點與邏輯。
剛剛的例子中B就可以說:這種刑罰刑度適中，有證據顯示比這個輕的刑罰沒有達到嚇阻效果，而這種刑罰除了有效嚇阻之外，也讓受刑者出來不再犯並改過自新重新開啟人生(不至於太重影響到他的生活)。要有獨立思考的能力!!解CR就能得心應手

RC
這部分我覺得是跟英文程度最正相關的。其他部分可以說是a test in English但其實根本不是在考英文(不然美國人都滿分)，但這部分真的比較偏向a test ofEnglish。A2上課把資訊分類文章架構都講得很完整了，但是自己還是要多看多練。我自己在這邊就是把每篇文章做確實的檢討，抓架構。不要執著於看不懂的小地方，要抓文章重點跟大方向。練習的方式就是看完文章，把文章蓋住接著把每一段重點在重講一次，把自己當作沒看過文章的聽眾，講給自己聽。專有名詞、細節漏掉沒關係，但文章重心要抓到，例如新舊觀點、批評、對比、討論、評論。

說了這麼多，感謝大家把我冗長的準備心得看完，我分享一下我當天考試的狀況。我平常寫模考V都剩10分鐘以上，GWD也都錯10題左右，寫起來也都算順手。但考試當天，不知為何寫得非常非常不順。SC幾乎每一題都刪掉三個剩兩個。CR太緊張都看很慢，RC第二篇超級卡，明明都看得懂題目就是選不出來。這時候千萬不要慌!我當時就把時間hide起來索性不看，把每一題都寫紮實，確定了再下一題。到了第三篇閱測大概有四段吧，超級長，我時間又剩20分鐘左右，有一題題目非常長，答案又是情況題，也就是五個選項要把情況帶進去，我來不及直接猜了。這時候就要當機立斷不要浪費時間了。第四篇閱測我幾乎使只看題目問什麼直接找答案。每段首末句看一下就選答案，A2上課有教跳過非限定資訊，但我沒時間到連中間句子都無法看了。另外，千萬不要想說這題難、這題簡單我是不是掉到低分區或高分區，考試的時候想這些都沒有用，我40跟41題都超簡單，但事實證明我不是在低分區，所以千萬不要受到影響，認真寫完每一題就對了。

台灣學生從小考到大，本來不應該怕考試的，但由於我之後要去交換學生，如果我考不好就要出國考了，加上是在學期中間準備，壓力非常大。我幾乎每天六點起床開電腦寫題目。到考前都不用鬧鐘叫生理時鐘已經調成這樣了。數學我都利用在捷運上跟等車的時間寫，生活幾乎沒有一刻休息。這次考試寫得不太順手，本來想說有七百我就要謝天謝地了，成績出來我下一大跳，終於從GMAT深淵中解脫了，蠟燭兩頭燒的日子也結束了，雖然我最近每天也是不用鬧鐘叫，但會稍微賴床一下XDD。

祝福每位在這條路上的考生!!

[交換] 台大交換學生申請分享(管理學院院級篇) Outgoing Exchange Application for College of Management NTU

院級交換時程大約與校級相同，都在十二月的年底。校級交換請參考[交換] 台大交換學生申請分享(校級篇)。
不同的是，院即要求以英文繳交所有申請資料，在此提供我的資料以供大家參考。

Statement of Purpose

    I have wanted to become an exchange student since I was a freshman.   Luckily, the College of Management has over 70 partner universities over the globe, and I wish to study in one of them for one semester.  I applied for the exchange student because of the following reasons.
    In my opinion, being an exchange student broadens my horizons.  Studying in a foreign country enables me to experience learning aspects and teaching methods totally different from those in NTU.  For example, when I read the students sharings from the website, I found out that many schools in the U.S. or Europe emphasize class participation, whereas most classes in Taiwan are lecture based.  As a student in Taiwan, I rarely have the chance to raise questions or dicuss in class.  I look forward to learning in a active atmostphere in a foreign country.
    Furthermore, as a student majoring in the business field, it is highly possible that I will have to work in an international environment in the future. Therefore, understanding different cultures and interacting with people from various countries are also important motives of being an exchange student.   I am an openminded person and I have joined camps, studytours and volunteer teams to various places around the world.  I believe that being an exchange student enables me to further understand the culture and concepts of people from all over the world.
   What is more, traveling is also an inevitable part of the exchange life.  I have always enjoyed traveling since I was a child.  I've joined local tours as well as trips to faraway places.  The most unforgettable trip was traveling with two of my high school friends all along the Silk Road.  We started our trip in Xian, which is the capital of several ancient Chinese empires.  Then, we passed by great deserts and grasslands.  Along the way, we visited many ancient cities that onced flourished.  Finally, we ended our trip in Urumqi, Xinjiang.  It was a wonderful trip and the memories are still vivid even three years have passed.  I believe that traveling around as an exchange student will give me memories as valuable as all my other trips did.
    Also, I think exchanging is a great chance to train myself to become independent.  Living in Taipei for over 20 years, I have never had the chance to live by my own and take care of myself.  Being an exchange student forces me to face all challenges.  In Taiwan, I can almost get anything I need conveniently.  For instance, I never have to worry about what to eat since I can get all kinds of food at a cheap price at any time.  However, I would have to cook if I study abroad since the food price is expensive and places to buy food are not always open.  Moreover, I will need to take care of my health since medical fees in foreign countries are much more expensive.
    In sum, going on exchange allows me to study in a new environment, learn different cultures and also become more independent.  I hope that I can join the exchange program and study in one of the partner schools in the near future.

Resume

Name
Department
Double Major
Year of study
Gender
High School
Toefl IBT Score	R(28) L(30) S(24) W(30) T(112)
Academic Performance
1. GPA 4.30  Rank No.1 (2012 spring semester and 2011 autumn semester)
2. Started double major study in finance in 2011
3. GPA 4.27  Rank No. 1 (2010 autumn semester)
4. GPA 4.25 Rank No.3(2011 spring semester)
Other Performance
1.      Volunteer work in Nepal(2012.8) (Details about volunteer work)
2.      Department of Accounting in NTU Azalea Festival(2012.3) (Details about work)
3.      I joined the Accounting Student Organization in my sophomore year.  (Details about work)
4.     Being buddies for exchange and visiting students (Details about work)