30 Years in Taiwan / 走過台灣30年
30 Years in Taiwan
Written by Sandra Ou
Mr. Leslie and Mrs. Thelma Barnard have been in Taiwan for about 30 years. During this time, they've experienced a variety of different lifestyles in a number of different cities across the island including Taichung, Hsinchu, Taipei and Kaohsiung. Mr. and Mrs. Barnard explain that choosing where to live in Taiwan is not a decision they have to make; rather, it's purely God's order. Mr. Leslie Barnard, who comes from the United Kingdom, hadn't previously met Australian-born Thelma before they were called to Taiwan to spread the word of God. Their strong faith took them to many cities around Taiwan, and it wasn't until August 1997 that they decided to get married. They have been living in Kaohsiung for the past 10 years admitting that they are enjoying life in Kaohsiung more and more each day, so much so that it's slowly becoming a place where they can call home.
When Mr. and Mrs. Barnard aren't preaching, they spend their free time strolling around some of the more natural places in Kaohsiung such as Love River or the Cultural Center. They both share the opinion that Kaohsiung has undergone major development over the past few years; an increase in the neon lights around the city as well as flowers and trees lining the streets all contribute to the enhanced look of the city. In addition to this, reconstruction of the Kaohsiung Museum of History, the British Consulate at Takao, and the Museum of Fine Arts provides visitors with more places to go to. As residents of Siaogang, they're impressed by the construction and development around the airport. Furthermore, they are optimistic about the success of the MRT system and are looking forward to the added convenience that it will bring to commuting around the city. To make the city even better, they suggested that the City Government consider developing an area that would be open to only pedestrians and shuttle buses, thereby reducing the air pollution and the problems associated with parking.
Finally, Mr. and Mrs. Barnard offered some valuable tips for learning English. Mr. Barnard stated that studying a Chinese-English Bible for just five minutes a day is sure to improve one's English, whilst receiving God's blessing at the same time. In addition to supporting her husband's views, Mrs. Barnard feels that persistence is the key when learning a new language.
走過台灣30年 文／歐陽萱 藍恬梅女士（藍姐）和白斯理先生（白哥）從第一次來台灣至今大約三十年了。從台中、新竹、台北到高雄，已經是「台灣通」的他們說：其實，無論走到哪裡，都是「上帝的旨意」！藍姐和白哥並不是一起到台灣來的，藍姐來自澳洲，白哥則是英國人。因為宗教的關係先後來到台灣並走過許多城鎮。1997年8月才因緣際會地在大家的祝福下結為連理。兩人住在高雄也超過10年了，白哥表示，越來越喜歡高雄，甚至慢慢地覺得高雄就是他的家了。 由於藍姐和白哥平日都忙於宣教，難得的空閒時間最喜歡到樹木多的地方，如愛河或文化中心散步。這麼多年來，他們看著高雄成長、進步。其中，令他們肯定的包括有點綴市容的彩色燈光及安全島上的美麗路花和行道樹，還有歷史博物館、前清英國領事館、高雄市立美術館的重建。住在小港的他們，對機場周邊的建設，倍加感到高雄市政府的用心。另外，對於正在趕工的高雄捷運系統工程，他們也給予最大的肯定，誠心地希望能如期完工，讓高雄市的交通更便捷。此外，他們建議在捷運完工後，可規劃「徒步區」只讓行人和接駁車出入，一來不但可減少空氣污染；二則可以降低停車位不足的問題。 在訪問的最後，藍姐和白哥也大方的傳授學好英文的秘訣：白哥說，只要每天花五分鐘讀中英對照的聖經，「保證」不只英文會進步，同時還能得到上帝的保佑。而藍姐則說，一定要持之以恆，才可見到效果。 |