Attire-moi! --- Stephanie's: Blog

Art, Cosmetics and Fashion

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 03:36:34 GMT

Source: 國藝會電子報（www.anb.org.tw）

I like the idea that the cosmetic company invites artists to design the package of their products and the company sponsors the artists' exhibition in fine art space (gallery or museum) in return. Fine arts, design and commercialism found a good way to work together. But the author oversimplifies the situation sometimes. For instance, one product package which was designed by an American artist, John Tremblay, did not sell and the author, who accepted the company's excuse for blaming the complicated package design, implied that the artist was responsible for the market. I think the author should further analyzed how strong the product is rather than favors the company, and she even slightly implies that female customers are not always smart enough to appreciate the design. This is absolutely a biased and impulsive conclusion.

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品牌定位決定策略──藝術‧彩妝‧植村秀

文│蘇怡如　　　圖│植村秀提供

　　不論是企業贊助藝術，或者企業尋求與藝術共同合作，似乎多數都離不開經營者、決策者的經營理念或喜好。從藝術家林明弘與企業合作的眾多例子之中，其與植村秀的合作經驗，也可以循溯出類似的背景脈絡。

品牌定位──彩妝是門藝術

　　已為世界第一大彩妝集團萊雅旗下的彩妝品牌之一的植村秀（shu uemura），其創辦人植村秀看待彩妝的態度，似乎成了植村秀作為一個彩妝品牌的定位，而此定位也決定了植村秀如何操作、規劃其產品的合作對象。

　　台灣萊雅化妝品香水事業部品牌經理張凡恬表示，如果談到與藝術家合作的源起與意向，要從創辦人植村秀談起，植村秀認為彩妝是一門藝術，每季植村秀推出新的妝容，其本身是一件「作品」，他透過該作品傳達嶄新的彩妝藝術及其概念，並由此延伸出彩妝產品，也因此植村秀不找名人為彩妝代言，就是希望能單純傳達妝容的理念。此與其他品牌以產品功能為主要訴求的方式並不相同。也因此植村秀推出的彩妝都以「風尚化妝」（Mode Make Up）為名進行編號，自1968年創辦人植村秀發表第一號「風尚化妝」至2008年春夏已至126號。植村秀視每次發表妝容的整體行動都為一舞台表演，他在過程中並不說話，整個舞台的場景、音樂等元素，也完整搭配演出；這與我們一般在各個彩妝櫃上，看到彩妝師為模特兒化妝時，一邊使用彩妝品及工具，一邊講解使用方法，僅僅是彩妝呈現或教授技巧截然不同。也因為植村秀將「彩妝」視為藝術，延續品牌定位及理念，植村秀在規劃各項行銷或品牌活動時，也以與藝文創作者合作為緊扣的重心。而在評估與藝術家合作的方向時，主要著眼於產品視覺包裝的提升，以及植村秀的品牌形象、希冀傳達的意象為主。

植村秀vs.山口藍

　　2004、2005年兩年，植村秀與日本當代藝術家山口藍（Ai Yamaguchi）、2006年與紐約前衛藝術John Tremblay合作限量版潔顏油，其間各有不同的考量及成效。

　　山口藍是植村秀的忘年之交，作品融合日本江戶傳統情調，彩度及線條卻十分當代，不論是插畫式分明的線條，或是色彩運用豐富而予人可愛感，都十足吸引年輕女性。而會選擇以植村秀的明星商品──四款潔顏油作為合作的商品，主要原因是植村秀認為，四款潔顏油分別具有四種不同功能和想法，但很多消費者並不清楚應該如何選擇及使用，以產品面考量，植村秀希望告訴消費者，每一個人都應該擁有四罐潔顏油，依每天自己肌膚的狀況而選擇使用，像他一直以來強調的重點──「傾聽肌膚的聲音」。植村秀同時進一步想像，如果產品在包裝上有不同的設計，那麼在早上洗臉或晚上卸妝使用時，就會有不同的感受。在考量了品牌精神與山口藍作品的特色後，請來了山口藍創作四款潔顏油的包裝。而山口藍所創作的四罐瓶裝也各有不同涵意，分別代表四瓶潔顏油不同的用途及意涵。2005年山口藍將四瓶潔顏油重新定義、包裝為春（喚醒）、夏（熱鬧）、秋（休憩）、冬（醞釀重生）。張凡恬分析，山口藍所繪製設計的圖案意義與產品意義及消費者喜好等各方面都協調得很好，使產品與消費者的溝通不會產生很大懸殊，所面對的消費對象，不須具備很高的藝術知識，於是連著二年山口藍帶著可愛迷人的畫風，成功擄獲年輕女性的心。

植村秀vs. John Tremblay

　　2006年植村秀首度進軍美國，且在美國市場創下佳績，在此背景下，植村秀興起以產品與美國消費者進行交流的念頭，才找來了紐約前衛藝術家John Tremblay共同合作。張凡恬說，John Tremblay的作品以線條和圖形為主要表現，理念與設計雖與山口藍截然不同，但他以西方人的角度並以自己的概念及觀點詮釋四罐潔顏油，也賦予了潔顏油新的趣味和意義，張凡恬也認為，此合作的背後也象徵植村秀不只在亞洲市場，更邁向全球彩妝市場。

植村秀vs.林明弘

　　山口藍和John Tremblay是由日本植村秀總部所主導、合作的藝術家，台灣植村秀並無參與其過程；與林明弘的合作則是為了2007年植村秀在台灣二十週年的慶祝活動，台灣植村秀希望以台灣藝術家為主要合作對象，也是由台灣植村秀自行針對當地市場所主導、規劃推出的台灣限量彩盤產品，張凡恬說，對於台灣植村秀而言，能夠自行規劃產品壓力大卻也相當興奮，除了希望產品整體能延續亮麗豐富的色彩，符合植村秀一直以來的品牌形象，也尋求廣為認識，且不曲高和寡的藝術家，在此前提下找到了藝術家林明弘作為合作對象。

　　林明弘最為人所熟知的作品皆以花樣為主角，與植村秀合作的《綻放的軌跡》眼影盤，同時意謂著林明弘的創作風格及植村秀在台二十週年，一路走來不斷累積而至絢麗綻放的意涵。對於台灣植村秀而言，與林明弘的合作十分愉快，張凡恬說，以往林明弘的作品多數尺幅較大，要創作手掌大小的作品，又是與彩妝品牌的合作，對林明弘而言可能也是一種挑戰。由於這也是台灣植村秀第一次自行製作產品包裝，在選擇合作廠商及往來的過程也力求謹慎，作為專業彩妝品牌以及藝術家，植村秀與林明弘同樣對色彩有所要求，雙方合作過程愉快且順利，若要說有什麼較需花時間溝通的部份，就是林明弘在設計過程中交付的作品圖稿，並不使用顏色色碼，如此一來，植村秀與廠商或林明弘在確認色彩的溝通上，就要花費較多時間。「林明弘在設計過程選擇顏色，他要的不是號碼，他要的可能就是他在某台電腦上看到的顏色，所以這部份很難轉述給廠商或印刷商。」張凡恬說，最簡單的解決方法是，三方同時約來一起確認顏色。「這也是我們第一次把最下游的廠商一起找進來參與整個過程。」張凡恬坦言，合作之前也不無擔心藝術家主觀較強而與市場面不一定相符的問題，但在溝通的過程，一些不動到創作本身，單純消費者使用上的建議微調，林明弘也都欣然接受並進行調整。「比如說打開後鏡子應該如何移動，噴霧應該如何設計……花紋不要遮到鏡子，可能會影響到使用的方便性的部份我們會加以提醒。」也因為與林明弘合作愉快，延續此次經驗，台灣植村秀也提供經費贊助2007年底林明弘於日本的展出。

三件作品的市場接受度與合作成果

　　若要論市場接受度，成績較不理想的應是與John Tremblay合作的限量潔顏油。對此結果，張凡恬認為有兩種可能，一是這是第三年限量版潔顏油系列的推出，對消費者及媒體而言，新鮮度不如以往高，第二是John Tremblay的設計真的太前衛，需要專櫃小姐花許多時間告訴消費者設計的意義在哪？「比方綠茶的包裝上John Tremblay設計很多圈圈，因為綠茶搖過後會產生氣泡，氣泡即代表圈圈，而圈圈又有其涵意等……，這些設計背後的意涵如果期待消費者能完全理解，就要在第一線銷售時，花費時間告訴消費者，但實際在櫃點要操作是有困難的，消費者也要有慧根。」John Tremblay的作品無法直接傳達意念，似乎是John Tremblay在市場上的反應未若以往限量包裝潔顏油銷售熱絡的原因。

　　而與山口藍合作則是較為精準掌握亞洲女性購物傾向的例子，至於與林明弘合作的《綻放的軌跡》眼彩盤，張凡恬從產品面來看，彩盤產品本身就比較能吸引消費者，加上《綻放的軌跡》也是植村秀第一次推出彩盤，而它不只有外殼，連包裝盒、鏡面都經過整體設計，傳達的訊息又簡單明瞭，這也是植村秀考量與藝術家合作的重點。

　　整體而言，植村秀與藝術家合作的出發點在於品牌形象的操作，植村秀與山口藍的合作，使得植村秀成為第一個與藝術家合作的彩妝品牌。張凡恬說，如果單只講求銷售數字，推出新產品的銷售數字才會漂亮，但與藝術家合作大多是選擇原有的產品，合作的形象效益雖不會馬上就得見具體數字，但從植村秀的品牌定位出發，即便是與娛樂圈結合的公關性活動，選擇方向也都以形象清新、新崛起以創作為主的樂團或歌手為主。張凡恬認為，一路走來，植村秀之所以能在每年度彩妝形象調查中，於業界排名數一數二，似乎可說明品牌形象的經營也精準地傳達至消費者。

延伸性贊助活動

　　台灣植村秀在藝文的參與上較少單純金錢上的贊助，但在創辦人植村秀提攜後進，認為藝術要從小即開始發生影響的理念下，與山口藍、John Tremblay合作限量潔顏油並於各地市場推出時，每個地區的植村秀，都與當地兒童藝術或者兒童公益相關的團體合作或者捐款。2004、2005年與山口藍合作時，植村秀與「如果兒童劇團」連二年共同推動「兒童藝術扶植計畫」。2004年包含系列講座、活動劇場巡演，以及台北、台中三場「植村秀潔顏油限量版義賣會」；2005年則是以兒童舞台劇的方式展演出04年「兒童藝術扶植計畫」的成果，植村秀並邀及名人進行義賣，將植村秀提供之精裝限量版潔顏油及刷具等套組，以義賣組數乘以十萬元的金額捐贈「如果兒童劇團」。

　　除此之外，植村秀也以贊助彩妝產品及彩妝師支援的方式，贊助學生舞團的演出或服裝設計系所相關的時裝秀，由於行之有年，張凡恬說，每到公演或畢業季節來臨，學生就會自行來電，這部份主要是針對學生族群的服務，與品牌行銷沒有直接相關。其他像是金曲獎、《愛上卡門》歌舞劇等，也都有產品相關贊助，但張凡恬仍強調，贊助或合作的對象，一定要與藝文創作相關，這是植村秀一直以來鎖定的重點。

後續合作計畫

　　其他與藝術及時尚為主軸所展開的合作也都已陸續展開。除了林明弘，2007年植村秀同時找來了華裔建築師Calvin Tsao重新設計「無色限唇膏」的包裝；今年7月下旬植村秀也推出與荷蘭籍前衛設計師Viktor & Rolf合作，以高級訂製服概念打造三款「限量訂製睫毛」，同時也已展開與攝影師蜷川實花的合作，而與蜷川實花的合作，也將延伸至台灣，台灣植村秀欲將與蜷川實花合作的計畫，與台灣服裝設計師作一有趣的結合。張凡恬表示，台灣植村秀是植村秀海外市場中成績最好的，日本對台灣市場相當重視，也給予台灣極高的主導性，未來植村秀鎖定與藝術、時尚合作的行銷主軸，仍然會繼續延續下去。

Chinese and Taiwanese Travel Agency

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 15:26:25 GMT

最近因為有事，需要到旅行社一趟。一位朋友推薦我到一家由中國人開的旅行社，一位朋友推薦由台灣人開的旅行社，我事先打過電話問價格，心想中國人開的比較便宜，因此先到中國的旅行社去。

快到旅行社門口時，一位打扮時髦，穿著非常非常高的高跟鞋女孩也正要進去，那女孩大約比我們早一秒鐘到門口，看到我們，便站在門口等我們幫她開門。進去之後才知道原來她是員工之一，她進去後便開始忙自己的事，完全沒跟我們打招呼或問我們需要什麼服務。其他五位服務人員，好像在開下午茶 party，幾位員工都各自帶來自己喜歡的糕點，泡了茶，一群女人開始吃吃喝喝，話人長短起來。我和Richard就好像透明人，沒人理我們。過一會，終於有人注意到我們，說請在旁邊等一下，說完後又轉過頭去吃東西，聊天，快樂地享受他們的下午茶。我在旁邊坐著，眼睛不時盯著他們看，他們看到了，又把頭轉開，假裝沒看到，繼續吃，繼續談論別人八卦，我越坐火氣越大，這是什麼對待客戶的態度，員工自己玩得開心，客戶放一旁，不聞不問，看到我們的時候甚至有點高傲樣子，誇張地還要我們幫他們開門。五分鐘後，Richard 拉著我說，走，我們去另一家旅行社，我的錢不想給他們賺。我們立刻起身閃人，他們看了一眼，繼續吃東西，也沒出來阻攔我們或道歉。

另一家台灣旅行社相較之下，好上幾百倍。一進門服務人員立刻問需要什麼服務，我們坐下來談的時候，她很親切地告訴我們需要知道的事情，跟我們聊天，保持微笑，隨時盡力回答我們的問題。最後 Richard 從荷包挑錢出來，心甘情願地讓他們賺錢。

這兩家旅行社的服務態度一部份如實地反映台灣人與中國人的差異。中國旅行社的員工對業績不關心，好像這與他們無關，最重要的是把老闆交代的份內事情做完，其他的就不管了，例如服務態度與客戶滿意程度的關係，做的不好，客戶流失也無所謂，他們不要被發現打混然後被解職就好了。台灣的旅行社員工比較有責任感，把公司的業績當作自己的責任，小心與客戶建立良好關係，希望客戶回流，繼續支持他們。

中國太大了，人民的素質差非常多。我在 UCLA 的中國博士生朋友人都非常好，風趣，親切，熱心，聰明，對朋友又好，他們許多人明年要畢業，我心裡有點捨不得，每次和他們一起吃飯時我都覺得很開心。或者我在 Cal Tech 認識的朋友Shi and Sue, 也很親切有禮貌，但是也有中國人像那個旅行社的員工一樣，樣樣事不關己，有了問題決不認錯，自己的事情擺第一，出了狀況把責任推給別人，工作道德低落。比起來，台灣人的素質比較高，至少有一定的品質在，工作道德高。

(Eng summary:
I was really pissed by the arrogant attitude of the Chinese travel agency, who left their customers waiting for 5-10 minutes only for enjoying their afternoon tea party. My eye contact with them was returned with an arrogant, careless look. Moreover, the employee even wanted us to open the door for her (she had only a stylish handbag on her shoulder). Who is serving who? The Taiwanese travel agency staff, on the other hand, is much more nicer. She has a sense of responsibility for her company. She knows that even though she is just a clerk, her attitude toward customers will greatly influence their satisfaction and impression of the whole company. She did her best to assist us, so we were willing to pay her for getting things done. The difference of workplace moral between Chinese people and Taiwanese is obvious. Chinese employees only care about their own work, and if the boss or the manager isn't there, they will start to work lazily, slowly. As long as they aren't caught, they don't care about the overall performance of the company because they think it has nothing to do with them. Taiwanese people are more stable and friendly; at least we can expect a certain service quality from them.

China now plays an important role in the international stage, economically and diplomatically, but disappointingly, the quality of its people doesn't catch up. How many years will it take before its people act like first world country people, who realize their individual responsibility for their workplace, society, and country? Besides, when will they care about the issues about public affairs and public health, understand the meaning of mutual trust, fair game principle and create a better atmosphere in the basic interaction with others?

I love Taiwan.

Looking at art makes better doctors

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 05:28:05 GMT

Monet? Gauguin? Using art to make better doctors: New courses improve powers of observation
From The Boston Globe

Dr. Joel Katz's class of Harvard Medical School students meets on Friday afternoons at the Museum of Fine Arts, where they discuss the Seated Bodhisattva, a towering figure carved in ancient China, Joseph Mallord William Turner's Slave Ship, and other artworks Katz believes will make them better doctors.

On one Friday this spring, 24 of the country's most promising future physicians circled the limestone Bodhisattva as art instructor Alexa Miller posed a question: "What's happening here?" The students initially observed that the figure was made of stone and appeared peaceful. But she pushed them further. "What do you see that makes you say that?" she asked.

After an hour at the museum, the class walked back to Harvard Medical School to apply what they had learned about examining art to diagnosing breathing problems, skin rashes, and neurological disorders, and to reading lung X-rays.

Katz's class is one of a growing number of art courses offered to medical students nationwide and aimed at improving their observation and diagnostic skills at a time when doctors are increasingly relying on CT scans, Maris, biopsies, and other technology to do their work, even though it is far more expensive - and sometimes unnecessary to pinpoint illnesses.

Nana Aqua Judah, who graduated from Harvard in June and is now an obstetrics and gynecology resident in Toronto, said the art class taught her to look more carefully at patients for clues. For example, if a young mother looks run down, it might indicate she's too stressed to take a medication that requires five doses a day, leading Judah to prescribe a once- or twice-a-day drug. Besides, said Judah, who was taking six or seven classes at the time, "to me it seemed like a relief. We were going to an art gallery for a class."

At tradition-minded Harvard, many faculty were skeptical about the idea of using art to make better doctors when Katz proposed the class five years ago, especially since the first- and second-year students who enroll are already overwhelmed with work. But Katz's belief that physicians can improve their diagnostic skills by observing art was bolstered this month when he and his colleagues published a study in the Journal of General Internal Medicine showing that after completing the class, students' ability to make accurate observations increased 38 percent. When shown artwork and photos of patients, students were more likely to notice features such as a patient's eyes being asymmetrical or a tiny, healed sore on an index finger. Observations by a control group of students who did not take the class did not change."We're trying to train students to not make assumptions about what they're going to see, but to do deep looking. Our hope is that they will be able to do this when they look at patients," said Katz, an internist at Brigham and Women's Hospital and a former graphic designer. He said several studies show that doctors' physical exam skills, which include observation and taking a medical history, as well as the hands-on examination, are declining he most difficult part of the class for the high-achieving Harvard students, Miller said, seems to be letting go of their urge to find the one right answer. The Bodhisattva, for example, can spark a wide range of emotions, as the statue is towering and imposing when seen from the front but then "almost disappears into space" when looked at from the side, Miller said. As she pushes students to look harder at the sculpture, using a technique called visual thinking strategies, students' observations become more complex, and they notice that the Bodhisattva is powerful, but also small and poignant.

While diagnosing a medical condition involves reaching the right answer, often, to get there, doctors have to open their minds to myriad possibilities.

"When we get fixated on getting the right answer, we miss the diagnosis because it blocks the ability to think flexibly," Miller said. "We want them to puzzle through things."

Educators at other medical schools that offer art classes have similar goals. Weill Medical College of Cornell University has offered a noncredit art course in collaboration with the Frick Collection in New York City for eight years, while Yale Medical School runs an art observation course for medical students that is now a required class.

Students in the Harvard class study a wide range of original art, including oil paintings by Paul Gauguin, Claude Monet, and John Singer Sargent, and sculptures from Iran and India. Students have the option of drawing a nude model as well. Instructors draw exact parallels between some artworks and diagnosing illness; students, for example, study texture and pattern in Jackson Pollack's abstract Number 10, and then return to the medical school to study how patterns in patients' rashes can indicate specific conditions. But the course primarily trains students to look at what they're seeing more carefully.

Dr. Robert Brown, a pulmonologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and a course instructor, gets undressed above the waist to give his lecture on breathing muscles. Three patients enter the classroom, including a quadriplegic man who also is shirtless, a woman with muscular dystrophy, and a woman with a deformed spine. Afterward, students list what they saw. Brown wants them to notice that his upper rib cage moves outward while the paralyzed patient's upper rib cage moves inward. Paralysis of the diaphragm is a diagnosis doctors often miss, he said, but inward movement of the belly while breathing is one sign.

If they look carefully "during the physical exam they can begin to put the pieces together," he said.

While research into doctors' physical exam skills is sparse, there is a consensus in medicine that those skills are waning. Some doctors believe medical schools are giving short shrift to the physical exam, but others believe these skills atrophy once doctors graduate and start practicing their specialty.

"When I've been to Africa and the Amazon and there are no CT scans and X-rays and it's just you and a flashlight and a stethoscope and something to look into the patients' ears, you have nothing to fall back on other than your clinical skills," said Dr. Ronald Silvestri, a pulmonologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center who runs Harvard's doctor-patient course, which teaches the physical exam.

In the United States, he said, doctors turn more quickly to these widely available tests and tend to be very rushed when seeing patients. "If you have a 10-minute visit, how good an observer can you be?" While Silvestri believes the quality of care doesn't suffer from the widespread use of diagnostic tests, he thinks the overall healthcare system does.

"It's one reason that American medical care is so expensive," he said.

But whether art classes will have a lasting impact remains an open question.

Students in the course run by Katz and Brigham neurologist Dr. Shahram Khoshbin were evaluated immediately after they took the course, not as practicing doctors, when they will face the threat of malpractice lawsuits for wrong diagnosis.

Pearl on the Pacific Ocean --- Hawaii

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 01:23:04 GMT

自夏威夷歸來已一週。一回來隔天期中考，緊鑼密鼓的課程一波又一波，後天又第二次期中考。想找個時間好好書寫夏威夷似乎有點難。無論如何，還是想寫點東西，推薦大家到熱帶天堂夏威夷。夏威夷的陽光，空氣，水，沙灘令人難忘。而且不知道為什麼，明明是熱帶地方，溫暖潮溼容易滋生蚊蟲，但我很少竟然很少看到小蟲和蚊子，可見夏威夷整個城市基本上是很努力維持乾淨舒服的環境。

夏威夷一共有八個島，分別為 Kauai, O'ahu, Ni'ihau, Molokai, Maui, Lanai, Kaho'loawe, Hawai'i, 最出名的島是歐胡島 (Oahu)，也就是首都 Honolulu（檀香山）所在地。夏威夷群島是全世界最疏離的島群之一，距最近的陸地有 2500 英哩之遠。夏威夷群島上擁有許多火山群，但已是死火山，目前有只有Maui 島上的 Haleakala National Park 的火山是休火山，上次火山爆發是十八世紀末的事情。夏威夷在1900年已是美國領土，1959年正式成為美國第五十州，當時Honolulu 上大約有75% 的日裔移民。

從洛杉磯出發直飛夏威夷約五個半小時，從夏威夷飛回來要六個小時（不過感覺很快，我一上飛機沒多久就睡著了）。抵達Honolulu 之後我們轉搭小飛機飛往 Maui 島，也就是夏威夷群島的第二大島。Mommy 和 Daddy 以前曾在夏威夷住過一陣子，覺得Maui 比Honolulu 有趣，觀光客也較少一點，因此我們和一般人的行程不一樣，先跳過首都，從Maui 開始。

我們的行程另一個不同點是我們沒住飯店，而是住在Kihei 的condo，隔一條馬路便是沙灘和太平洋，地點非常好。Condo 和飯店不一樣之處是沒有clean lady每天打掃，房間有吸塵器和掃帚，髒了自己掃，因此價格便宜很多。但價格便宜並不代表滿意度也下降，事實上我反而非常enjoy 住在condo，像住自己家一樣。有兩個房間，冰箱，烤箱，微波爐，廚房，洗衣機，洗碗機，電視，DVD player, 陽台有傢具（Daddy 最愛坐在陽台，遠眺太平洋，聽海浪聲）。廚房的設計就像吧台，可一邊做菜一邊從落地窗向外看夕陽，非常具生活情調。第一天晚上我們自己立刻到當地的supermarket 買食材做早餐和晚餐，省了不少錢。順帶一提，夏威夷物價超貴，一瓶一加侖的牛奶竟將近七元美金。街上不起眼的 cafe 店每道餐點平均十元起跳，因此我們四人上館子的話一頓六七十元美金很正常（台幣約2000元）。在condo 自己弄餐點既經濟又溫馨，全家一起用餐，感覺就像在家裡一樣，渡假度的輕鬆又舒服。我不好意思地承認，這幾天的晚餐都是Richard 在張羅，而Mommy 則忙著準備水果。至於我和 Daddy, 一個往往在睡懶覺，一個在聽海浪聲和看來往的路人。

夏威夷當地的食物我沒怎麼特別去嚐，只是有一天經過沙灘公園，看到一群當地人在烤乳豬，乍看之下很gross, Daddy 立即道；Stephanie，你不是想看當地食物嗎？這就是了！然後Daddy 跑去與他們搭訕，一聊才知烤一隻乳豬竟要八小時。（見照片）

除了陽光沙灘之外，夏威夷最令我難忘的是多汁又甜的熱帶水果，例如鳳梨，芒果，木瓜等等。第一天買來吃過，立即著迷，每天經過水果攤或超級市場，我們都要在多買幾個回家當點心。夏威夷的水果使我懷念起台灣水果，一樣好吃。洛杉磯的水果品質已經是全美之冠了，但跟夏威夷的熱帶水果比又差的遠了。

我們在茂宜島（Maui）待四天，划獨木舟，看火山國家公園，參觀歷史古城。第一天去划獨木舟，我門連救生衣都沒穿就出海，可見海浪之平靜。海水非常非常清澈乾淨，划到海中，低頭一看便可見到水中的珊瑚礁，海龜，魚等等生物，夏威夷環境保護做得之好令人驚嘆。同船的一位隊友甚至直接潛下水中看個夠再浮上來歸隊。最刺激的部份是出航或歸航時遇到海浪，幸運時乘著海浪出航，運氣差點就被海浪打得全身溼透，但與海浪奮鬥結果仍是非常過癮。

我和Richard 最常做的事情便是夕陽日落時手牽手在Kihei 海邊散步。市政府在一些沙灘地點旁設有公園，有些小朋友在打球或放風箏，此外在岸邊也有座椅，供行人散步累了坐下來觀海沈思。入夜了也沒有蚊蟲叮咬人，因此非常適合朋友或情人一起散步。即使在夜間，也可遠眺 Maui 島的另一個歷史城市Lahaina的燈火。Moby Dick 的作者Herman Melville 曾在居住，激發靈感撰寫這本十九世紀美國文學名著。

最後一天我們在Honolulu 短暫停留一天，先去看Pearl Harbor（珍珠港），下午到Manualua Bay和最著名的 Waikiki Beach。我對珍珠港其實印象很深刻，尤其是參觀USS Bowfin Submarine (潛水艇)之後。這艘大型潛水艇在二次大戰扮演重要角色，體積約有10,000 square foot。一走下去，便聞到機器的氣味和化學物質的氣味，如此stuffy 的味道以及看不到自然光，整個感覺非常depressing, 我無法想像自己當一名海軍在潛水艇中渡過幾個月。而且如果發現敵軍似乎注意要追蹤，攻擊潛水艇的話，船上所有的機器都要立刻全部關閉，以免發出任何聲音，包括空調，在如此密閉不通風的空間沒有空調的話，日子之難過可想而知，二次大戰時期海軍的海上生活之苦若沒有經驗過難以體會。整艘潛水挺可容納八十名海軍，但只有30 個床，換句話說，大家輪流睡在非常狹小又跼促的床上，其餘清醒的人隨時操作機器，注意海上動靜，時間到了再去叫醒睡覺的人輪班。

Pearl Harbor 免費放映二次大戰日軍偷襲珍珠港紀錄片，影片欣賞之後，遊客乘船至Arizona Memorial，為在偷襲中喪生的美軍致敬。Arizona Memorial 設計的很好，建立在一艘沈船上，設計師導入開放的空間與自然光，營造肅穆又有美感的空間，就算對美軍沒興趣，光是去參觀其建築也值得。

在夏威夷，會讓人感覺到這是一個介於東方與西方的城市，儘管標語都是英文，美國本土大型連鎖店（速食，傢具，超級市場等）都在夏威夷有分店，但還是讓人感覺到夏威夷和美國本土不太一樣，有很多東方文化的影子，尤其是日本。檀香山有非常多日本人，隨時可聽到日語，看到日本料理店，有些地點甚至讓人有錯覺好像在日本。Richard 開玩笑地道夏威夷是美國的第三世界國家版，和美國其他大都市比起來，夏威夷人做事很沒效率，悠閒地慢慢地，機場老舊設計不貼心，指引不清楚，Daddy 也抱怨道夏威夷每年接待這麼多觀光客卻怎麼都沒改進。當我們在一條彎曲的山路開車時，我們非常小心速度放慢，因為太彎曲，看不到前方是否有來車，但是夏威夷當地人開車卻非常快，絲毫不擔心轉彎是否太快容易發生事故，反而是外地觀光客比較小心，有禮貌地互讓。

夏威夷是熱帶天堂，終年氣候溫暖宜人，都在攝氏30 ~ 20度之間，但也就是太舒服了，整天享受陽光沙灘棕櫚樹，容易令人喪失鬥志。因為一回洛杉磯隔天便要考試，我還帶日文書去看，希望有空複習一下，但是結果我都在吃吃喝喝，觀看水上活動和欣賞夕陽，我穿了比基尼到海灘戲水，坐下來時只想看不用大腦的時尚雜誌，整趟旅程完全沒有動力想用腦。還是回北方好，冷一點，頭腦清醒一點。

Study: Your personality changes when you change languages

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 01:24:34 GMT

最新的研究指出當我們轉變主要語言時，我們的個性也隨之改變，因為我們的思考框架會受到所使用的語言影響而產生不同詮釋角度或性格表現。非常有趣的研究，我還沒看完全文。等我看完再補充中文摘要。

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How switching language can change your personality

Source: NewScientist.com news service (http://www.newscientist.com/channel/being-human/dn14202-how-switching-language-can-change-your-personality.html?feedId=online-news_rss20)
Reuters and New Scientist staff

Bicultural people may unconsciously change their personality when they switch languages, according to a US study on bilingual Hispanic women.

It found that women who were actively involved in both English and Spanish speaking cultures interpreted the same events differently, depending on which language they were using at the time.

It is known that people in general can switch between different ways of interpreting events and feelings – a phenomenon known as frame shifting. But the researchers say their work shows that bilingual people that are active in two different cultures do it more readily, and that language is the trigger.

One part of the study got the volunteers to watch TV advertisements showing women in different scenarios. The participants initially saw the ads in one language – English or Spanish – and then six months later in the other.

Researchers David Luna from Baruch College, New York, US, and Torsten Ringberg and Laura Peracchio from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, US, found that women classified themselves and others as more assertive when they spoke Spanish than when they spoke English.

"In the Spanish-language sessions, informants perceived females as more self-sufficient and extroverted," they say.

For example, one person saw the main character in the Spanish version of a commercial as a risk-taking, independent woman, but as hopeless, lonely, and confused in the English version.

Journal reference: Journal of Consumer Research (DOI: 10.1086/586914)

Happy Birthday and Anniversary

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 06:31:29 GMT

Today is Stephanie's Nth birthday and our (Stephanie and me) 2nd wedding anniversary. The adjectives I can think of don't really convey how much we mean to each other. How about this:

- We have a tremendous mutual understanding. When Stephanie saw me about to write this, she said, don't worry about writing something well - I'll be glad to see "Happy Anniversary" there, because she knows I'll agonize over what to say and how to say it, which is why it's taken me 20 minutes to write this so far. And I've marginally altered a detail because I know she wouldn't want it out there.

- We really appreciate each other. Tonight after dinner I just wanted to relax, but my parents are determined to look tidier for the cleaning person's first visit tomorrow, so they dumped a bunch of stuff randomly and somewhat inconveniently, so I spent an hour late tonight moving stuff around, maximizing our use of space. I needed to do it, didn't really want to do it, but it became worthwhile when she thanked me for what I did and let me know that she knew exactly what my thinking was.

And there's more stuff from just tonight, and that's just one night. Our lives are like this, and I couldn't imagine anything, anyone better for me.

Richard

End-of-Year Barbecue by the Lake

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 00:35:52 GMT

A Great Barbecue party by the Lake Michigan!
The whole department is like a big family whose members are getting together from different directions (some just came back from overseas research trips).
Really nice, pleasant and relaxing atmosphere. I am very glad to be part of this big family.
I also celebrated the end of the first year with my classmate, a girl from Oxford (and she's going back to Oxford for a quarter soon).
Look forward to the coming summer and the new autumn quarter, new challenges!
My three related advisers, one French art (the Chair) and two Chinese art professors are also within the photos, though not obvious.

Europeans

Sun, 08 Jun 2008 20:51:04 GMT

隨著我與歐洲人的互動增多，我對歐洲人的印象也逐漸改變中。從徹底擁抱歐洲文化，到現在增加了一些不同角度的考量。我的觀察只是很粗淺的，畢竟我只去歐洲玩過，沒有在當地長久生活過，這些想法是我與朋友聊天時得到的印象。住歐洲的朋友若有不同意見，歡迎交流。

對大部人來說，歐洲仍象徵成熟的文明，對文明古蹟與藝術文化的重視，對生命的尊重，對人性的堅持，守法誠實，且各國文化都很不一樣，不像美國，雖然土地大，但文化差異不大，雖說紐約忙碌緊湊重效率的生活與洛杉磯優閒輕鬆隨意的生活步調還是有差，但基本上從洛杉磯飛到紐約六個小時的航程中，中間經過的城市文化都深受資本主義影響，大型連鎖店到處都有，雖說從南到北地理景觀很不同，但文化差異小。在美國從一個城市搬到另一個城市，並不會讓人感覺有劇烈的變化要調適，應該很快能上手。歐洲則很不一樣，可能開車兩小時就到另一個國家，另一套系統，語言和文化，英國人，法國人，德國人，荷蘭人，義大利人等等民族性都差很多。所有到歐洲留學的朋友回來之後幾乎每個人都讚不絕口，希望在歐州久住。但是我漸漸開始覺得住歐洲這個浪漫的想法或許需要一些實際的考量。

有時候我覺得歐洲與我們東亞文化的差異可能比我們與美國的差異更大（這個好像不是很客觀，台灣本來就親美），例如他們對人與人之間的界線更堅持，所謂家人與朋友就是不一樣，德國男人有客在家絕不穿短褲，與朋友的聚會和與家人的聚會是不一樣，不能混在一起辦。我的比利時朋友說他的朋友在荷蘭時去拜訪朋友，沒先預約，結果對方報警解決。他的荷蘭朋友與大家聚會時，從家裡拿來食物，然後當場與大家一起算帳，這個食物的食材花了多少錢，請大家一起 go Dutch。我請歐洲朋友幫忙一件事時，他也立刻與我談條件，我該做什麼事回饋，這個想法與我們就差很多，別人請我幫忙時我是先想該怎麼幫，不是先思考我想要求什麼回報。朋友說他在荷蘭念博士的朋友很孤單，整個所五個博士生，互相不認識，也不交談，各自做研究，而且外國學生與荷蘭學生分開住，一個外國學生要打入荷蘭社會很難。

在其他國家的學術圈也有類似情景。我另一個原先在巴黎念博士的朋友，念了兩年就放棄，來美國念，理由很類似，必須單打獨鬥。她說在法國，所以事情都要自己打理，沒人理你，教授很忙，偶爾見面，見面時只討論學術，所有其他問題請自己想辦法。念不懂怎麼辦？教授再開書單自己看，或者自己找書解決。同學之間也不熟，因為大家都自己埋頭苦幹。她說在美國唸書比較有community 的感覺，你知道有問題時可以找到誰來一起來幫忙解決，互相加油。一位在英國拿到博士的朋友說美國很資本主義，功利主義，英國不會這麼有銅臭味，每個做學術研究的都很有理想，"但是換個角度想，如果我是接受美式教育，早點為就業做準備，我求職應該會比較順利。那時候我剛畢業時，找不到工作，到處碰壁。很沮喪。而且當時唸書的時候也總是感覺孤伶伶，自己在知識的大海中獨自摸索，找出路。相較之下，美國的教授比較照顧學生。"她道。和歐洲制度不一樣，美國教育常提醒學生早點做規劃，要求實習，例如到博物館去實習或參與策展，編輯學術期刊，或者要求博士生開課，培養教學經驗，所以雖然念很久，工作經驗可能已就一串了。

但歐洲人未必就都支持歐洲文化，畢竟差異很大。例如我的德國朋友常批評美國人，說不知道美國人心裡在想什麼，美國人將工作與生活混在一起，生活品質降低。後來她搬到希臘又跟我抱怨希臘人太矯柔做作，過於誇張熱情，而西班牙人則是生活悠閒過頭變成懶散。連歐洲人對其他歐洲文化都有很多意見。但大致上我覺得歐洲的美好對歐洲人來說最好，他們都能enjoy, 對一個外國人來說，生活在歐洲可不是一件簡單的事情，如果沒有當地朋友的話，不容易開拓生活空間，最後可能都是跟同樣是外國人的朋友最熟。（sorry, 以上論述混亂，還沒有好好組織就打出來，以上的各個例子牽涉到美國人看歐洲人，歐洲人看歐洲人，歐洲人看美國人，亞洲人看歐洲人，亞洲人看美國人，相當複雜。）另外，我的觀察當然非常有侷限性，因為我大部分是跟在美國的歐洲人或亞洲人聊，他們會來美國唸書，很大原因是不喜歡歐洲學術界那套師生制，那些長久留在歐洲的人肯定是有不一樣的想法。

對歐洲人深厚的人文素養我還是很欣賞，但是想想若真的定居歐洲我是不是真的會很快樂，似乎很難說。例如，到歐洲念博士雖然每天出門都覺得自己生活在歷史悠久的古蹟中很棒，但同時要忍受長久孤獨，這就不是我喜歡的了。說是這麼說，有機會當然還是想去歐洲住一陣子。去年夏天我在 UCLA學法文時，旁邊坐著一位親切又有氣質的經濟學教授，她說最近幾年每年春天巴黎的一些大學都邀請她到去講課一學期，這也是為什麼她想學法文的原因。最後一次上課時，她微笑地鼓勵我說，好好努力，將來這種機會很多的，你也會和我一樣。

Getty cutting jobs

Thu, 29 May 2008 00:46:31 GMT

經濟不景氣也吹到博物館界了。來自企業界與民間的捐款大幅減少，美國西岸最大的蓋提美術館不得不宣佈裁員。

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The J. Paul Getty Trust, which recently posted its fiscal 2007 annual report online, last year incurred a staggering operating deficit of $49.36 million on a budget of $307.7 million. The previous year, the deficit was $18.29 million on a $293.57-million budget.

This growing shortfall is likely one of the reasons for the recently announced elimination of 114 jobs, including 40 layoffs. Anne-Marie O'Connor of the LA Times recently quote this explanation for the cuts by trust president James Wood:

The whole goal here is to focus the Getty on the core mission of the visual arts. This is to ensure that we have flexible funds to devote to both building our collections in the museum, the research institute and the library and undertake targeted strategic initiatives where we feel we can really make a difference...

...and maybe also to insure something resembling a balanced budget. The main contributing factor to the spike in the deficit from the previous year was the decline in contributions from $36.2 million in fiscal 2006 to only $2.2 million in fiscal 2007. Because of its already fabulous wealth, the Getty has a hard time soliciting donations.

The endowment, as of the June 30th end of the fiscal year, was a hefty $6.4 billion, compared to $5.6 billion in fiscal 2006, so times are not that tough. Unlike most museums, the Getty reports the total value of its collections on its financial statement---$1.8 billion. Capitalizing collections in this manner is something most museums resist, because they do not regard collections as assets than can be tapped for operations. Getty spokesperson Ron Hartwig acknowledged to me that "most other museums do not list their works of art on their balance sheet. We are taking a look at this."

Despite its vast wealth, the Getty feels compelled to cut back its window-washing to "once a year instead of three times," as revealed by Wood to the LA Times. And I've never encountered a museum press release like the recent Getty Goat announcement: It has hired about 60 of these beasts as landscapers, "to nibble away the flammable brush around its 110-acre hillside campus in Brentwood."

Some of the fired Getty employees may be disgruntled, but at least the new hires are happy. According to Lynne Tjomsland, manager of grounds and gardens, quoted in the Getty's press release:

UPDATE: Patricia Woodworth, the Getty Trust's chief financial officer, has informed me that the "large contribution of the Stark Sculpture Collection" in fiscal 2006 is what accounted for the unusually high figure for contributions that year. She added that the Getty's operating results are significantly impacted by the depreciation charge, which in fiscal 2007 amounted to $47.8 million, compared to $45 million the previous year.

Almost the end of the first year

Tue, 27 May 2008 22:10:10 GMT

來芝加哥唸書即將滿一年，最近在忙著寫期末報告，一抬頭驚覺我很快要升格為二年博士生。

在這兒住快一年，一開始很期待四季變化，雖然我還是很喜歡這兒四季分明，但後來發現其實芝加哥好像只有夏天和冬天，而夏天只有三到四個月。這兒的春天還是很冷，平均 15-16 度，三月份還在下雪，四月份平均氣溫不超過 10度，早上出門往往在2-3 度之間徘徊，而現在五月底了，平均15度左右，有時候竟然還可以一整天不超過 10度(上週五看球賽時加上刮風，大約只有5度)，冬天的外套我到現在還沒完全收起來。這兒的春天和台灣的冬天是一樣的，現在我只要看氣溫超過 20 度就非常高興，不過這種日子加一加大概只有一星期吧。看來我對春天的期待比須做些修正。

我很喜歡芝加哥的市中心，充滿大都會的活力，加上有芝加哥河流經以及大的像海一樣的密西根湖，城市景觀開闊，日落時很壯觀。不過事實上我也沒多少時間逛街，週末往往還是有一堆書要念。最令我興奮的是芝加哥藝術學院有許多十九世紀法國藝術的第一手期刊資料，方便做研究。想起以前在台灣唸書，要找第一手法國資料別無他法，只有買一張機票飛到巴黎，在各大美術館的圖書館和國家藝術研究院穿梭尋找。以後寫論文還是要跑一趟法國的，但美國的收藏夠做期末報告。

我從一開始一學期修四門課到現在只修三門，日子改變好多。多一門課一星期大約多兩百頁的閱讀份量，期末報告更是不得了，不用睡了。而修三門，我終於可以過比較健康的生活，睡眠多一點，偶爾去運動，參加朋友聚會和 party 。漸漸適應這樣密集的學術生活，改變思考方式，到這學期我覺得已經比較駕輕就熟，presentation 常得到美國同學的讚美，很興奮。（美國人對讚美這件事非常大方，好習慣）我也記得一開始到學校時，看到中午用餐時間時許多學生一邊吃飯一邊唸書，一分一秒都不願放過，但現在我也很習慣地一邊用餐一邊看書。

我在博士生中看到一位典範。她是一位來自比利時的女生，非常聰明，問題往往一針見血，最重要的是，我欣賞她悲天憫人的胸懷，她不但關心藝術與文化專業的問題，也關心全球社會議題，提出她的建議與看法。我覺得在很多亞洲學生身上是比較缺乏的。我認為身為一名知識份子應該有對社會的關懷與責任感。至於教授，我也喜歡美國文化，教授與博士生平起平坐，像朋友一樣，我適合這樣的環境。有次聊天有位教授甚至告訴我他的挫折感，真讓我訝異。他們對面子問題不像我們看得那麼重。而且對人也比較有信任感，而我們則是習慣被教育對周圍的人要保持警戒心。

來芝加哥唸書，最可憐的是 Richard。我在這兒住九個月，他也飛到芝加哥九次。謝謝他諒解我學期中我一次也沒回家。
(Translation: Thank you, Richard. I've lived here for 9 months, and you also flew here for 9 times. Thank you for understanding that I've never been able to go home even just once.)

拉拉雜雜寫一篇沒有重點的文章。其實我要說的是，it's has been a great year for me.

p.s. I passed the French reading exam with high scores! That makes a nice ending of this year. Finally I got rid of one foreign language requirement! :) Now I can focus on my Japanese. I need to be good enough to compete for the fellowship of studying in Japan.

Étrangeres en Paris

Wed, 14 May 2008 18:22:51 GMT

In the writings of E. E. Cummings (1894-1962), Paris is a city repleting with beautiful darkness.

"Where in Hell am I? What is Paris --- a place, a somewhere, a city, life, to live: infinitive...Paris. Life. Liberté. La Liberté. 'La Liberté'! --- I almost shout in agony."

"The streets. Les rues de Paris. I walked past Notre Dame. I bought tobacco. Jews are peddling things with American trademarks on them, because in a day or two it's Christmas I suppose. Jesus it is cold. Dirty snow. Huddling people. La guerre. Always la guerre. And chill. Goes through these big mittens. Tomorrow I shall be on the ocean... Les rues sont tristes. Perhaps there's no Christmas, perhaps the French government has forbidden Christmas. Clerk at Norton Harjes seemed astonished to see me. O God it is cold in Paris. Everyone looks hard under lamplight, because it's winter I suppose. Everyone hurried. Everyone hard. Everyone cold. Everyone huddling. Everyone alive; alive: alive."

For those who are or have been seduced by an exotic place would find the experience similar. Beauty and darkness coexist in a city while twisting our senses. The feelings are no longer coherent but fragmentary, being cut through by displacement. Cummings created an exuberant, heterogeneous narrative mixing French with English, which reinforces the impression of a stranger's struggle, the past/ native language is racing with the the present/ foreign language. He evokes a sense of the fast pace of passersby by using short sentences; after all, he can only talk to himself. His Paris, transformed by wars, was marked with fragments of city, people, images, and collision of identities.

After I searched for the desired images for several days and still couldn't quite get them, the anxiety surfaced. Walking around on a gray day, I thought about Cummings' alienated feelings for Paris. Suddenly my qualm seemed to be relieved a little bit. His words caught me.

Hawaii, Summer

Mon, 12 May 2008 04:01:45 GMT

"Stephanie, 我們要給你一個生日驚喜。" Daddy 道。
"哇，什麼驚喜呢？"
"現在我們還在等結果，確定告訴你。"
"好！"

原來是 Daddy, Mommy 正和旅行社接洽，為我和 Richard 訂了飛往夏威夷的機票和飯店，油價和機票天天漲，早訂早省。

"你生日我們也不知道要送什麼，想說你暑假難得回家又還沒去過夏威夷，所以我們幫你訂了機票和飯店，當作是你的生日禮物和結婚兩週年的禮物。" Mommy 道。
雖然距我生日還有一個多月，我已經提早知道禮物了。雖然不是我生日當天去，暑假密集的日文課不能隨便翹一週，我們是等到七月初放國慶日假期時才去，但 Mommy, Daddy 這份貼心的禮物已經讓我非常興奮，想像夏威夷的陽光，白色沙灘，高大的椰子樹，性感的比基尼女郎，忍不要馬上拿起相機捕捉熱帶風情。

提到相機，我說那是去年Richard 送我的生日禮物。Richard 驚訝地道: "才一年而已嗎？"
確實是，我們常常覺得似乎已經在一起十年了，但事實上我們認識不過三年左右，結婚未滿兩年。
我告訴Richard 結婚後我蠻常流淚。
"怎麼回事？" Richard 擔心地問，他心想他已經很努力在當個好丈夫了，為什麼我會這麼說。
"因為我常常被你感動到流淚。"
"呵。" Richard 也笑了。
"不過我覺得我的生日不重要。" 我真的覺得我出生這件事沒什麼大不了，我和所有人一樣。
"No, your birthday is very important。I have a biological birthday, but yours is my spiritual birthday; I was reborn with you. " Richard 立刻又說了一句佳句。

Lucky me, I have the greatest parents-in-law and husband.

除了夏威夷之外，考完期末考我會先飛到紐約一趟，和教授一起看展覽，順便玩個四，五天，週末再回洛杉磯，然後隔週一日文課就開學了。看來這個暑假挺忙的，和去年賦閒在家差真多。

Dream Life

Sun, 06 Apr 2008 13:04:19 GMT

長長的冬天終於要過去了，昨天一早起床便看見燦爛的陽光和聽見清脆的鳥鳴聲。我和幾位朋友夕陽西下時一起開車往芝加哥北方，過橋時欣賞日落，直到藝術家聚集的地方，逛二手書店，音樂店和服飾店，附近還有許多音樂酒吧。末了，我們在一家法國料理店用晚餐。

席間聽到一位學姊已申請到日本唸書一年的獎學金，六月即將出發，課程結束後她將飛往瑞士繼續做研究半年，然後再回芝加哥。另一位現在於芝加哥藝術學院工作的朋友也同樣告訴我們她將搬到紐約，到紐約大都會博物館工作，而她的部門主管則將到全美居領導地位的亞洲藝術博物館當館長，這位新館長說未來有可能邀請她過去一起工作，協助策展。

Richard 道，我想你的夢想應該是像你學姊一樣吧，全世界飛來飛去。
我道，其實不是的，我的夢想是能在各地重要的美術館工作，像我那位在芝加哥藝術學院工作的朋友一樣，有那樣的機會到全世界最棒的美術館 ---- 大都會美術館工作。（大都會與羅浮宮對我來說並列第一）

那位工作的朋友鼓勵我認真攻博士，“在美術館工作，一張碩士學歷沒什麼用，發展機會有限。“她道。

聽到她這麼一談話，立刻燃起我對夢想的熱情。因為念人文博士班真的很累。學姐說準備資格考要有心裡準備看個 200~ 300 本書，真是無法想像的多。

無論如何，好好唸書做研究吧。我對自己說。

Notes on American College Education

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 17:58:56 GMT

I have been thinking about a question recently: how do American top universities train their students?

I observed a few undergraduates in some courses, and I found them really intelligent and critical about the issues raised by the professors. Their ability to link their previous knowledge with the current course and to articulate their thoughts systematically is surprising. On the contrary, Asian students are weaker in this aspect. For instance, Asian students are really good at those they learned before; they are good at collecting documents, integrating those teachers say in the class to their papers and make their own arguments. However, once they are exposed to something new, like something "outside their major/ specialty," they are very fragile. They are so weak that even a graduate student would write a paper like a college or high school student. Averagely speaking, Asian undergraduates are less flexible and less creative than American peers.

Some people have pointed out that Asian students are good and quick at solving basic and intermediate-level math questions, yet once they see difficult questions which they have never seen before, they would be at loss and feel anxious, not knowing how to tackle the question. I think the same situation happens to humanity students as well. My observation is that American students are better at integrating different knowledge and apply the methodology to the new sphere; they are less intimidated by the unknown and more flexible/ creative. From them, I see some really smart persons whose talent is not bound by the boundaries of professional knowledge.

Before college education, I think Asian students perform better academically, as shown in various international high-school students competitions. But the American college education not only makes the gap smaller but also even surpass. To understand how the American college education keep students competitive, we need to look at their pre-college education altogether. They must have formed some thinking habits before coming to the college. I am curious about how American teachers guide their students to have critical thinking and to integrate what they have learned. Possessing this ability empowers students because it will be a significant component of a successful career.

I don't have a satisfying answer now. I will keep this question in mind and find it out someday.