Dear friends,
I am terribly sorry if you are on my msn list and you got a message from me which was a link took you to a website and you clicked in and wondered what’s going on then you realized that your computer slowed down and people sent messages to ask you why you sent them the message which you didn’t. Well, you’ve got the virus. I do apologize for this but I am a victim too so what you need to do is to update the anti-virus software in your computer and change your MSN password and the hint for your password. Then it should be fine according to my friend who is a computer programmer.
Some friends complained to me that they open the file because they trust me. I am really sorry but that’s how the virus works so you just cannot trust anything without a personal passage even though they are from your friends. Besides, I don’t forward jokes and pictures to my friends and my emails always have titles so you can tell that’s from me. If you ever get something forwarded to your mailbox from me, then it’s a virus or if the email doesn’t have a personal title, then it’s a virus. I know this sucks but it’s a good lesson to learn and I’m sure you won’t make the mistakes next time.
How’s the weather in Taiwan? I believe it’s getting warm but perhaps with a lot of rain? It’s fall now in Sydney and of course the leaves start to fall. Is it the reason why it’s called fall? Does everyone feel the cold? Ha ha, it’s not funny, I know. I don’t like the weather because my nose allergy gets worse and I have sinus headache almost every morning and sometimes it lasts all day, which really kills me. But I am fine, surviving.
I’m taking this unit called Language and Culture and I started to read books and articles related to that and found it fascinating. I had a presentation about my linguistic background last week and while doing that I had a better understanding of Taiwan and myself. It was really nice. Besides, there’s one thing I would like to share here and probably most people knew that already. I think we are all ethnocentric in certain ways. When we go to a different country, we often complain how different it is from our country with the presumptions we have in mind. But wouldn’t it be so boring if everywhere is the same and everyone does things exact like what you know in your country then why do you bother to go abroad?
I remember I used to get very annoyed when my foreign friends complained about Taiwan. They said “In my country, we do it this way and that way. This kind of thing will never happen in my country. Blah blah blah. Thhis and that. “ There’s one particular country which is especially good at doing this and I think people all know which one. No offense. Sorry, if that’s where you are from. When I got really annoyed I would tell them that if you really didn’t like Taiwan, why didn’t you go back to your country? Very rude, I know and that’s me. However, I don’t really think I will ever say that to anyone because now I am a foreigner and I know how difficult it is to live in a foreign country. Sorry if I ever said that to you.
And of course there are things we don’t like about other culture. For example, when I complained to my Aussie friend that a lot of cashiers here were really rude that they didn’t look at you neither did they talk to you even after I said thank you to them, then he told me that because some Aussie don’t like to be greeted when they buy things and they don’t want to talk to the cashier or clerk. Hmm, I am not Aussie and I don’t like this kind of culture so I will go home as soon as I finish my studies.
Taiwan is not perfect and I can name tons of things I don’t like but still it’s my hometown, where I grew up and where all my friends and family are. Yesterday a friend knew I was going home and asked me what I would miss about Australia when I went home. Well, it’s really difficult to answer. The trees, the parks, the birds, the open space, the fresh air. Ah one more thing, living in a house instead of an apartment. Hmm, that’s about it. It is nice here but I just don’t belong to here. I really think it takes a lot to live abroad.
So what’s my point? No point at all. Just talking nonsense as usual. A bit worried about what I am going to do when I go home but try not to worry too much. Hope all is well. Take good care.
Cheers
Jessie
大家好，
首先要感謝幫我寫問卷的眾親朋好友，總共有二十八份，給我很好的參考資料。感恩啊！有沒有人中樂透的啊？等我回去別忘了分紅喔！
再來呢真的是非常抱歉，假如你在我的MSN名單中，且收到我的MSN訊息是連結到一個網站，連進去後卻發現什麼都沒，正當你懷疑我在搞什麼鬼時，你發現你的電腦變慢了，然後陸續有朋友傳MSN簡訊問你什麼事，或告訴你你的身份被盜用了，然後你就知道，你沒中樂透，但是被木馬圍城了。唉！真的很不好意思，我也是受害者。我那朋友用的是MAC，沒事就會傳一些有的沒的給我看，誰知到他的電腦壞了送修，用他朋友的WINDOW馬上送了病毒給我。
所以呢，請趕快更新你的病毒軟體，然後掃瞄你的電腦，並到MSN去改密碼還有密碼提示。這是我電腦工程師朋友教我的，應該這樣就可以了。真是十二萬分的抱歉。但是請大家多多包涵吧！順便學起來，即使是認識的人傳的檔案，假如不確定的話千萬不要開，尤其是連到不知名的網站。我寄的信一定都有檔名，除了我家人外我幾乎不會轉寄郵件，在MSN上我也只會留言，不會傳連結網站，所以呢假如不幸再收到類似的信，請立即刪除，順便通知我一聲。我知道大家會開檔案是因為看到我的名字，信任我的，但是，但是，現在的病毒實在太可怕了，誰都不能相信啊！
道謝與道歉完了，就再八卦一下吧！現在我在放秋假，在台灣我們有春假，這兒有春假與秋假。一學期的當中有兩週的休息，沒辦法，學店嘛！上星期總算上台報告完了，有另一個報告要寫，還有一個大報告在期末，所以還有不少書要看。但是很懶，因為最近天氣變涼了，白天還有二十幾度，但晚上一下就掉到十四五度，冷死了。加上因為天氣變化大，季節變換時我的鼻子過敏的很嚴重，每天早上起來鼻子都不舒服加上過敏引起的頭痛。可憐的我，昨天火車沒開，我在寒風中等公車等了一個小時。回家趕快泡薑母茶來喝。要是在台灣，本姑娘早就坐計程車回家，然後買個藥燉排骨在家喝。唉，快了。再兩個月，希望報告能趕快順利寫完回家去。
昨天與一個澳洲人聊到我要回台灣了，她問我回去後會想念澳洲的什麼東西。想了一下，我說綠油油的樹，很多公園，空氣好，寬廣的空間。然後就開始說因為台灣太方便了，商家都開到很晚，所以我很想念台灣的便利性。但是呢其實澳洲是比較有人性的，我覺得商店早早打烊也有他的好處啊，爸爸媽媽就可以早點回家陪孩子，夫妻朋友也有比較多的時間相處。台灣人為了賺錢可是犧牲了很多呢。
那天我晚上走路回家無聊就開始數假如我回家後要吃什麼東西，愛吃鬼的我在五分鐘的路程就數了五十樣在我家附近夜市可以吃到的東西。隔天與台灣同學聊天他問我那有什麼我回台灣會想念的澳洲食物？沒有。真的沒有。因為不常在外面吃，很貴又不好吃。今天與朋友吃了一片要價三百元台幣的起士蛋糕（就是一般咖啡店賣的大小），味道真的不怎樣，附的冰淇淋又是品質很差的那種實在吃不下去。貴沒關係，但品質要好啊，在這兒到處都貴，但是品質好的不容易找到。唉！我對食物真的很挑。還是快快回台灣享受物美價廉的路邊攤吧！
認真思考一下澳洲有什麼好？好難啊！這回做報告發現了很多有關台灣的事，人在國外反而會覺得要多瞭解台灣一些，才知道原來自己真的很愛台灣這個寶島的。澳洲也不是不好，就他們國家的人而言這可說是最好的國家吧！但是每個人多少都會有些民族主義ethnocentrism，覺得自己國家是最好的，到了國外就開始與自己的國家比，批評這個批評那個。我當然也不例外了。從前我的外國朋友批評台灣這個台灣那個，常常都想給他們一拳，叫他們滾回自己的國家，假如那麼不喜歡台灣的話。現在我想我完完全全可以體會身為一個外國人的感覺。
昨天與澳洲朋友聊到這兒很多店員都不跟小狗說笑話，不苟言笑的話還好些，常常會有那種你去買東西結帳是給他添麻煩，他希望你快快離去。連昨天去紀伊國書店買東西，從頭到尾店員都沒看我一眼，更別說說聲謝謝了。我說謝謝他也連鳥都沒鳥我。我的澳洲朋友辨說在澳洲有的人不喜歡買東西還要聊天打招呼太麻煩了。嗯，這就是所謂的文化差異吧！可以理解，但還是不喜歡，所以呢快快滾回家。
好的店員也有，不多，看運氣。我學校的健身房的櫃臺人員就有很客氣，很友善的，但也有很沒禮貌的。好的人好到不行，我有一些教授就超好。對了，社會福利好。我先前看心理醫生都不用錢，藥很貴就是了。學校後面那塊草地很大很正點，雖然不常去，過馬路的鴨子很可愛，成群結隊飛起的鸚鵡很壯觀。海灘很乾淨，高樓大廈少，可以看得很遠。好難，想不出來了啦！
反正我就是很台，但是回台灣一定又會嫌台灣空氣差，人多，吵雜。就像我與我阿根廷同學的共同想法一樣，我們都可以數出一堆我們故鄉的缺點，但故鄉永遠是我們的最愛。有太多的回憶，我們的家人與朋友所在的地方就是我們的家。金窩銀窩不如自己的狗窩。
有錢有閒的人假如能有機會出來走走真的很不錯，開開眼界，在異鄉很多想法都會不同，對自己與故鄉的瞭解也有所不同。最近在看村上春樹的一些書，發現他在美國待了幾年後有一些想法與看法都與我相似，不是我自抬身價，我想異鄉遊客的感受應該是大同小異吧！當然有些人是完全不同的，過的快快樂樂的日子，不過應該是很有錢或很會隨環境變化的人吧！
雖然我從頭抱怨到尾，但這就是我的人生啊，這就是我啊！這當然不是個好體驗，但是一年多也這樣過了，學到不少東西，對自己有多一點瞭解，對人事物有多一些體會，對未來還是沒頭緒，但是呢走一步算一步啦！假如讓我從來，我會不會選擇同樣的路，當然不會，但是因為也不可能所以也不會這麼想來給自己找麻煩，就把這當成生命中的必要之惡，給自己的貴聳聳的一堂課。希望能用在這兒所看到的學到的好好的為未來鋪一條平穩的路。否極泰來，只能對自己這麼說了。
不好意思，又囉囉唆唆嘮叨了一堆。年紀大了請見諒。假如有人這麼不怕死還想來澳洲的，沒有啦，其實這是個好地方可能只是不適合我，歡迎寫信來問我。好想在端午節前回去吃粽子喔，對啦，我滿腦子就只有裝食物,但是應該不可能，唉，沒關係，我弟會把粽子放冷凍留給我回去吃的。去年九月回去就有吃到端午節剩下的粽子。台灣現在應該是慢慢回暖了吧，嗯，大家就快快樂樂的迎接春天的到來，沒多久我就回去煩你們了。對了，再次謝謝大家的回信與幫我寫問卷，我儘量都回短短的信，要是真的沒回到，可以寫信來罵我，一定會回的。放假兩週很閒，所以上MSN可以找我聊天，不要再罵我就是了，寫信給我我也可以回長一點的信了。最後祝大家平安健康心怡。
穿著雪衣與毛襪喝著紅棗枸杞茶的慧卿
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