費伊儷實習日誌26: 桃園的最後一堂課

 

桃園的最後一堂課

今天是我們在桃園的最後一堂工作坊。可惜的是，何秘書長和吉娜都沒能來，所以只有我一個人。今天的展示主要圍繞著如何將人工智慧融入影片剪輯流程，以簡化操作。我們也朗誦了一首用中文寫的詩，詩裡描寫了碧綠的河流，以及何秘書長有多麼了不起。午餐後，我讓班上所有同學都在我從一家9x9文具店買來的筆記本上簽名，這樣我回美國後就能記住他們的名字了。想到這些人我可能再也見不到了，心裡很不是滋味，有點傷感。回台北的路上，我們在桃園郊外停下來，拍攝了一些空拍素材，準備用於即將出版的公民新聞刊物，報道一位男子因政府原因失去土地的故事。

Last day of Class in Taoyuan

Today was our last class in Taoyuan. Unfortunately, Mr. He and Gina could not make it, so it was just me and the other students. Today's presentation focused mostly on incorporating AI into video editing to streamline the process. We also got to recite a poem written in Chinese about the green river and how awesome Mr. He is. After lunch, I had everyone in class sign their name in a notebook I had purchased from a 9x9 stationery store so that I could remember all of them when I went back to the States. It was very sad knowing these were people I will probably never see again, and I got a little emotional. On our way back to Taipei, we stopped at the edge of Taoyuan to get aerial footage for an upcoming citizen news publication about a man losing his land to the government.

費伊儷實習日誌25: 水豚咖啡館

水豚咖啡館

    今天真是特別的一天。因為是個人專案時間，我被安排去探訪幾家動物咖啡館。我的專案是分析展出動物的品質，所以我決定去土城區的水豚咖啡館。我是第一個到的，比開門時間還早。第一眼看到的時候，我就納悶它怎麼這麼小。水豚體型那麼大，我以為應該會有很大的空間。我付了200台幣的入場費，這樣我就可以和它們互動，拍些影片。所有工作人員都非常熱情友好，但我沒看到咖啡館裡有太多關於水豚的科普內容。他們的泳池也小得可憐，看到水豚潛到水底卻遊不深，我有點心疼。不過，餵食和與它們互動還是挺愉快的。之後，我回到台北市中心吃午飯，然後在一家咖啡館坐下來查閱台灣飼養水豚的相關政策。我還花了很多時間研究圈養水豚的要求。

Capbybara Cafe

Today was a unique day. Since it was individual project work time, I was sent out to explore some animal cafes. Since my project involves analyzing the quality of animals on display to the public, I decided to visit a Capybara cafe in the Tucheng district. I was the first to arrive at the shop, shortly before they opened. Upon first glance, I wondered why it was so small. I was expecting a much larger area since capybaras are quite large. I paid the $200 NTD entrance fee so that I could interact with them and take some videos. All of the staff were extremely kind, but I didn't see much educational content about the capybaras around the cafe. I also found their swimming pool extremely small, and I felt bad when they would dive under but couldn't go deeper. I did enjoy feeding and interacting with them, though. Afterward, I headed back to the middle of Taipei to get lunch, then sat down at a cafe to research some of the policies for keeping Capybaras in Taiwan. I also spent a lot of time researching the requirements for keeping capybaras in captivity.

費伊儷實習日誌24: 與司法改革基金會會面

 

與司法改革基金會會面

今天上午，我與蕭副執行長會面，聽他簡要介紹了之前在司法改革基金會的工作經歷，之後我們下午與他們進行了會面。我了解到該基金會及其為司法系統不公正對待的人們所做的努力。午餐時，他介紹我認識了一位在同一棟大樓工作的IT人士，我們一起去了西門町一家著名的日本餐廳用餐。回來的路上，我還第一次嘗試了幸福堂。所有食物都非常美味。下午，我們前往司法改革大樓，與他們的實習生見面，進一步了解基金會的情況。兩位實習生都非常博學，讓我對基金會的運作方式有了清晰的了解。得知有那麼多人因為審判不公或判決不公不義而無法得到公正的審判，我感到非常難過。肖先生帶我去參觀基金會讓我非常高興，因為這讓我知道有人在為邱浩順而戰，邱浩順是我幾週前在拘留中心遇到的那個人。

Meeting with the Judicial Reform Foundation

This morning I met with Mr. Xiao to be briefed on his previous employment at the Judicial Reform Foundation before we met with them in the afternoon. I learned about the foundation and its advocacy for those unfairly treated by the justice system. For lunch, he introduced me to an IT guy who worked in the same building, and we headed out to the Ximending shopping district for lunch at the famous Japanese restaurant there. I also got to try Xing Fu Tang for the first time on my way back. In the afternoon, we went to the Judicial Reform Building to meet with their interns and learn more about the foundation. The two interns were both extremely knowledgeable and gave me a good idea of how the foundation operates. I also felt quite sad learning how many people end up not being tried fairly due to biased trials. I was very glad that Mr. Xiao took me to the foundation because it showed me there are people out there fighting for Chiou Ho-shun, the man I had met a few weeks prior at the detention center.

費伊儷實習日誌23: 台灣公民參與協會網站日！

 

台灣公民參與協會網站日！

今天在辦公室很輕鬆。我拿到了公民會TCPA網站的登入碼，開始上傳我的實習日誌！我花了一整天的時間，根據何秘書長的建議修改我的中文部分，並確保英文內容一致。我還花了很多時間製作圖片拼貼，準備好放在部落格的開頭。我太投入了，以至於午休時間都在做這些拼貼。在回顧了之前的部落格格式後，我成功上傳了我的第一篇實習部落格！我非常興奮地上傳了我在新北投拍的所有照片，因為它們真的太棒了。

TCPA Website Day!

Today was a casual day in the office. I was given the access code to TCPA’s website to begin uploading my journals! I spent most of the day working on adding Mr. He’s suggestions to my Chinese sections. I also spent most of my time making picture collages to put at the beginning of the blogs. I love collages because I always take so many photos I don't know where to put them. But if I make a collage, they can all go in one spot and conserve lots of space! I was so focused on making these collages that I even worked on them during my lunch hours because I was so invested. After reviewing the previous blog formats, I successfully uploaded my first intern blog! I was so excited to see them on the TCPA website finally!

費伊儷實習日誌22: 桃園第3班

桃園第3班

    今天我們再次前往桃園參加何秘書長的新聞工作坊。今天我們觀看了關於綠水巷改造的最終影片。我們也重返綠水巷，拍攝了更多素材，並分享了各自的經驗和感受。我的小組帶我們訪問了更多見證了綠水巷變化的普通民眾。我發現，許多人覺得綠河現在已經不再那麼礙眼了。我個人非常喜歡這條溪流，以及它所能孕育的豐富生態系。這裡有蝸牛、魚類和鳥類。我最喜歡看魚兒逆流而上。唯一讓我不太喜歡的就是河邊的蚊子。我想說，了解綠河的改造讓我對家鄉更有信心了。我也希望能夠支持家鄉的這些行動。

Taoyuan Class #3

    Today we headed to Taoyuan again to participate in Mr. He's journalism course. Today we got to watch the final videos about the transformation of the Green River. We also got to go back to the Green River, take even more clips, and share our experiences and impressions. My group took us out to interview even more everyday people who have witnessed the change in the river. I found that many people think the river is less of an eyesore now. I personally love the stream and how many ecosystems it can support. There are snails, fish, and birds. I love watching the fish swim upstream the most. The only animals I didn't like near the river were the mosquitoes. I would say learning about the stream's transformation has given me more hope for my hometown. I wish to support these movements there as well.

王吉娜實習日誌22: 台灣國立博物館

 台灣國立博物館

    今天上午，我們參觀了位於二二八和平紀念公園內的國立台灣博物館。雖然館內很大一部分是自然史展區，但我特別喜歡原住民文化的展覽。令人著迷的是，那種認為萬物一體、環境各要素相互關聯的理念，在許多不同的原住民文化中竟是一脈相承的。我還了解到，歐洲人曾試圖將台灣打造為貿易樞紐，但由於沿海風浪過於洶湧湍急，導致許多船隻在近海沉沒。此外，我還得知台灣棲息著一種源自古生代的稀有深海螺類－「龍宮翁戎螺」（俗稱「龍宮貝」）。 1968年11月，一艘台灣漁船捕獲了全球已知的第四個標本；此後，台灣東北部海域又陸續發現了更多此類海螺。

    當天晚些時候，伊莉莎白（Elizabeth）和我去聽了一場關於桃園河流修復計畫的講座，但我不得不提前離席，趕往越南駐台代表處修改我的旅行簽證——因為此前行程幾經延誤，我即將啟程前往越南。代表處門前排著長隊，好不容易輪到我時，工作人員卻表示無法幫我修改簽證。排在我旁邊的一位女士說她認識能幫忙的人，於是我付給她大約2000元新台幣，請她幫我在隔天辦好新簽證。希望能順利辦成！

The Taiwan National Museum 

    This morning we went to visit the Taiwan National Museum located in the 228 Peace Park. A lot of it was a natural history museum, but I think I really liked the aboriginal exhibitions. It’s just interesting that the concept of oneness and interconnectivity within the entirety of the environment has stayed consistent across so many aboriginal cultures. I also learned that the Europeans had tried to make Taiwan a trading hub, but because the waves were way too strong and turbulent, so many ships sank along the shoreline. I also learned that Taiwan is home to a rare, deep-water sea snail called the slit shell, dating back to the Paleozoic era. In November of 1968, a Taiwanese fishing boat had brought up the 4th specimen ever seen globally, and afterwards many more were discovered on Taiwan’s northeastern coast. 

    Later that day, Elizabeth and I went to a lecture about a river restoration project in Taoyuan, but I had to leave early to go to the Vietnam Embassy to correct my travel visa, as I am traveling to Vietnam in a few days after a few delays. The line for the Vietnamese Embassy was long, and when I finally got to the desk, they said they couldn’t help me correct my visa. A lady in line next to me said she knew someone who could help me, and I paid her around $2,000 NTD to get me a new visa by the next day. Let’s hope it works!

費伊儷實習日誌21: 參觀台灣國立博物館 + 台北環境會議

參觀台灣國立博物館 + 台北環境會議

    今天早上，何秘書長想讓我們多了解一些台灣的歷史和自然史，於是安排我們去國立台灣博物館。當我到達博物館時，眼前的景色美得讓我驚嘆。這是一個巨大的公園，四周環繞著寶塔和抽象藝術作品。在公園裡漫步了一會兒後，我和吉娜走進了博物館。一進門，我們就來到了蝴蝶展區，台灣的蝴蝶種類之多讓我大吃一驚。它們色彩斑斕，有些蝴蝶與周圍環境完美融合，如果我在野外看到它們，可能根本不會注意到。現在我終於明白為什麼那麼多人稱台灣為「蝴蝶王國」了！我們繼續往上走到博物館二樓，我發現自己對日本殖民統治時期的歷史非常感興趣。在博物館裡，我發現了一件與日本殖民統治相關的展品，其中最讓我感興趣的是日本在台灣建立統治的印章。光是那枚印章，就預示著台灣未來五十年的命運，這其中蘊含著一種難以言喻的勢力。下午，我和吉娜與珍妮佛會面，前往位於台北非政府組織俱樂部的環保會議。演講結束後，我們進行了一項小組活動：將環境議題標註在台北的相應區域，並闡述原因。他們讓我談談新台北部分地區受到農業噴灑的影響。會議結束後，我們輪流與大家分享各自的想法。我覺得這次活動意義非凡。

                                Taiwan National Museum Visit + Taipei Environmental Meeting

    This morning, Mr. He wanted us to learn more about Taiwanese history and natural history, so he sent us to the National Taiwan Museum. As I arrived at the National Taiwan Museum grounds, I was blown away by how beautiful the surroundings were. It was a huge park surrounded by pagodas and abstract art pieces. After walking around the park for a bit, Gina and I headed inside. Upon entering, we stumbled into the butterfly exhibit, and I was completely surprised by how many kinds of butterflies there were in Taiwan. They all had such beautiful colors, and some blended into the environment so well that, if I had seen them in the wild, I would not have noticed. It makes sense now why so many consider Taiwan the Butterfly Kingdom! As we continued up to the second floor of the museum, I noticed how interested I was in learning about the Japanese occupation in Taiwan. One of the things I found most interesting at the museum about the Japanese occupation was the government seal that imposed Japanese rule in Taiwan: something indescribable about seeing the physical stamp that sealed Taiwan's fate in the 50 years that followed.

    In the afternoon, Gina and I met with Jennifer to attend an environmental meeting at the NGO Clubhouse in Taipei. After the presentations were over, we did a group activity where we placed the environmental issue in the correct area in Taipei and then presented why it was there. They had me talk about the agricultural spraying that was affecting parts of New Taipei. After the meeting concluded, we went around and shared our thoughts with the group. 

費伊儷實習日誌20: 居家辦公與就醫

居家辦公與就醫

    今天過得相當有趣。由於何秘書長和粘麗玉主任外出公幹，我一開始是在家工作。我的工作主要是整理實習計畫資料和撰寫提案，重點是規劃接下來要分析和比較幾家動物咖啡館。大氣我已經去過三個與動物相關的場所，我也著手對這些地方進行了比較分析。午休期間，我去了診所，接種了破傷風疫苗這是為了處理前幾天被豬咬傷的傷口。幸運的是，專案組的一位工作人員帶我去了診所，所以過程很順利。之後，我回到辦公室繼續推進專案工作。 粘麗玉看到我手臂上扭曲的尖纹,都覺得有些驚訝，畢竟傷口其實很小。我很慶幸傷勢不算嚴重。在辦公室剩下的時間裡，我忙著整理每日工作記錄，並檢查之前的工作日程以統計工時。

Work from home and doctors visit

    Today was quite an interesting day. It started with working from home since Mr. He and Jennifer were away working on business. I mostly worked on organizing my internship project and writing up proposals. I mostly had to map out the rest of the animal cafes I am going to analyze and compare for my project. Since I have already been to three animal-related places, I have also started comparing and contrasting them. During my lunch break, I had to go to the doctor's office to get a tetanus shot from the pig bite from the other day. Luckily, one of the program staff was able to take me, so I didn't have many issues. Afterward, I arrived at the office to work more on my project. Jennifer got to see the massive bandage they put on my arm for such a tiny bite. I was quite lucky it wasn't worse. I spent the rest of my time in the office organizing my daily entries and tracking our previous work schedules to calculate hours.

王吉娜實習日誌20: 實習計畫：會見謝和霖

實習計畫：會見謝和霖

    在決定以南投垃圾焚化廠提案作為我的實習計畫後，我聽了Jennifer的建議，去拜訪了「台灣環境資訊協會」（Taiwan Watch，一個環保非政府組織）的成員謝和霖。他擁有化學工程背景，自2024年起就一直關注這項議題。

    我們在他位於台北的家中會面，他向我介紹了當地的地質。當地居民極力維護的那片茶園位於名間鄉；該鄉地理位置特殊，東面緊鄰高山，西面則是一處高原。

    這座擬建焚化廠存在的問題在於，它不僅坐落於斷層帶上，還位於濁水溪（Zhoushi River）的上游；這條河流流向台灣西海岸，而那裡分佈著大量農田。一旦發生地震，焚化廠內的污染物極有可能外洩並擴散至週邊區域，甚至順流而下，污染下游的其他城鎮以及食物和水源。此外，名間鄉的風速極低（僅每秒2公里），這意味著焚化廠產生的空氣污染物很可能會滯留在名間鄉附近，難以擴散。

Internship Project: Meeting Xie Helin

    After deciding to do my internship project on the waste incinerator proposal in Nantou, I followed Jennifer’s recommendation to meet Xie Helin, an activist in Taiwan Watch (an environmental NGO) who has a background in chemical engineering, and he had been following this issue since 2024. 

    We met him in his home in Taipei, and he began to tell me about the geology of the area. The tea farm that the locals are protesting for is located in Mingjian Township, which is situated on the bottom of the high mountains to its east, and a plateau to its west. 

    The problem with the incinerator is that it is located on a fault line, as well as upstream the Zhoushi River that feeds out into the west coast of Taiwan where a lot of farmland is located. On the occasion that an earthquake occurs, it is highly possible that the pollutants in the incinerator will spill into the area, and leak downriver into other towns and food/water sources. The wind speed in Mingjian Township is also very low (2 kilometers per second), so the air pollution produced by the incinerator would most likely stay near Mingjian Township and not disperse.

費伊儷實習日誌19: 史上最糟糕的農場？

史上最糟糕的農場？

今天在桃園市郊的大溪區度過了非常難忘的一天。何秘書長的學生帶我去參觀了一個鄰近的“農場”，其實更像是一個圍場，裡面養著各種各樣的動物。第一次看到那裡，我就明白何秘書長為什麼想讓我去。那裡的環境實在糟糕。圍場裡有一匹小馬、四隻山羊、一隻鹿、許多雞和鵝。我發現它們的生存狀況都很差。那隻鹿看起來狀態最好，但它孤零零的。鹿是群居動物，卻沒有其他同伴。雞和鴨似乎大多都能自食其力，所以我並不太擔心它們，但山羊們都瘦得皮包骨。小馬也很瘦，但我最擔心的是它背上的皮膚狀況，以及它對人的恐懼。把這麼多動物養在這麼小的空間裡，不利於它們的生活質量，得知照顧它們的人有錢給它們更好的生活，我感到很難過。參觀完那個條件很差的農場後，碧娥姐帶我去了一家很棒的咖啡館，我在那裡喝了一杯美味的桃子冰沙。之後，她又帶我去了另一個地方，一個她之前都沒帶何秘書長去過的地方。那是一個很棒的咖啡館兼探險公園，位於深山之中。那裡有雞和豬在四處走動，你可以餵牠們。它們看起來都得到了很好的照顧，至少比我之前參觀的農場好多了。餵雞的時候，我還被一頭豬咬了，它悄悄地從後面咬了我一口。雖然咬得不重，但還是挺疼的。我之前不知道它們的下顎這麼有力。帶我參觀完之後，她又帶我去了山上的湖邊，但是因為開始下大雨，我們沒辦法下車遊覽。之後，愛玲帶我看了她的家，還有她可愛的貓、狗和花園。一天結束時，我搭乘巴士和捷運，花了1小時30分鐘返回台北。非常感謝碧娥姐讓我度過了美好的一天。

 The Worst Farm Ever?   

    Today was a very adventurous day in the Daxi district outside of Taipei. Mr. He’s student took me to visit a neighboring “farm,” which was more like a paddock filled with all sorts of animals. After seeing it for the first time, I could tell why Mr. He wanted me to visit. It was quite abominable conditions. The paddock itself had a miniature horse, 4 goats, 1 deer, many chickens, and geese. I found their conditions to all be quite poor. The deer looked to be in the best condition; however, she was all alone. No other deer friends when deer are herd animals. The chickens and ducks seemed to be able to fend for themselves mostly. So I wasn’t as worried about them, but the goats were extremely thin. The pony was also thin, but mainly the greatest concern was his skin condition on his back and how scared he was of people. Having that many animals in such a small space is not conducive to a good quality of life, and I was sad to learn that the man who takes care of them has the money to give them a better life. After visiting the poor-quality farm, Ailing took me to a wonderful cafe where I had an amazing peach smoothie. Afterward, she took me to another place that she hadn’t even shown Mr. He. A wonderful cafe and adventure park deep into the mountains. Chickens and pigs were roaming around that you could feed. They seemed to be mostly taken care of, at least a lot better than the farm I visited.

    I also ended up getting bitten by a pig when I was feeding the chickens, and the pig snuck up behind and bit me. It wasn’t a very bad bite, but it was quite painful. I didn’t realize they had such powerful jaws. After she showed me around, she took me to the mountain lake, but because it was starting to rain so hard, we weren’t able to leave the car to look around. Afterward, Ailing showed me her home and her wonderful cat, dog, and garden. At the end of the day, I journeyed back to Taipei on a 1-hour-and-30-minute bus-and-MRT ride. I am very grateful for Ailing treating me to a wonderful day.