Susan and Cameron Embracing a new life in Kaohsiung / Susan Hall 和 Cameron Hall 擁抱高雄新生活
Susan and Cameron
Embracing a new life in Kaohsiung
◎Text by Emily Lin ◎photo by Ya-Ting Hou
Australians Susan and Cameron Hall is a couple that has been working at I-Shou International School for a month. Susan teaches biology and is the director of the International Secondary School. Cameron teaches mathematics and is the executive consultant for the school. The couple previously worked in Tianjin, China for 8 years and is very familiar with Asian culture.
Cameron felt it was time to learn something new, so they decided to leave Tianjin City. Their daughter was also preparing go to college in Australia and wasn't really looking forward to the change. As her parents, Susan and Cameron decided to support their daughter by demonstrating that transitions are sometimes inevitable. Although their transitions were different, Susan and Cameron wanted to remind their daughter, learning is something that continues throughout one's whole life. They encourage their children to be international, open minded, embrace challenges, expose themselves to new cultures and always be interested in learning.
Susan remembered when they came to consider if they wanted to move to Kaohsiung, she immediately felt comfortable here. After they visited the school, she decided this was it. Susan felt the people of Kaohsiung were very welcoming and helpful. Cameron describes their first month in Kaohsiung as a lot of work. Besides their jobs, they also had to furnish their whole house. Although they have not had much chance to go sightseeing, they did visit Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts. Cameron was especially interested in the Calligraphy by Yang-Tze Tong. He was particularly captivated by one of the large pieces of calligraphy and stood admiring it for 20 minutes. Susan likes to make new friends, particularly at the traditional market. Susan and Cameron can't wait to learn more about Kaohsiung and make some more friends.
Susan Hall 和 Cameron Hall
擁抱高雄新生活
◎文．攝影／侯雅婷
來自澳洲墨爾本的夫妻檔Susan Hall和Cameron Hall任教於義大國際中小學，Susan教授生物同時兼任國際部主任，Cameron教授數學同時擔任執行顧問一職。儘管來到高雄只有１個月的時間，但之前因為工作關係，在中國天津居住了８年之久，對亞洲文化很熟悉。
Cameron表示，當初決定離開天津時，他告訴自己，該是向前繼續學習不同事物的時候了。他們搬離天津還有另一個感人的原因，是他們的女兒即將回澳洲唸大學，對於突來的改變她感到有些害怕和遲疑，於是為人父母的Susan 和Cameron也以轉換環境表達對女兒的支持，藉著搬到高雄展開全新生活的方式，讓他們的女兒了解到改變是好的，而且是必要的。儘管他們在環境上的改變並不完全相同，但夫妻倆希望實踐的信念是：學習是一輩子的事。也因此，以身教的方式教導孩子具備國際觀，鼓勵孩子擁有開放的心胸，勇於接受挑戰，接觸新文化以及永遠對於學習感興趣。
Susan說，高雄給她一種立即的安慰，讓他們覺得很自在。在參觀學校後，她心裏有個聲音，告訴自己說就是高雄了。而Cameron形容到高雄的第一個月是工作月，除了工作，下班後的時間主要就是遊走各大賣場，推著購物車穿梭走道中。雖然還沒有足夠的時間去體驗高雄的各個角落，但Cameron提起，日前曾到高雄市立美術館參觀董陽孜書法展，面對著其中一個巨形書法字時，Cameron說，龍飛鳳舞的書法字蘊藏著無限的能量，他被巨形的書法字深深地吸引，整整佇立在前20分鐘之久。Susan說她喜歡到傳統市場，不一定要買東西，在那裏，可以認識很多人。Susan和Cameron已經等不及要認識高雄和新朋友了。
A "Polar Bear" Who Lives in a Subtropical Summer and Comes to Love the Local Culture
Meeting Bill Jackson
◎Text by Hsin-Yi Peng ◎Photo by Chung-Hui Pao
Bill Jackson is a native of Canada; he has been in Kaohsiung for 7 years now. During the day, he teaches at Kaohsiung Dominican International School, in the evening he works at Grand Hi-Lai Hotel as Assistant VIP Service Manager. He works two jobs but he always shows upbeat energy when he faces the hotel guests. Bill says he loves meeting new friends, and his two jobs allow him to meet people at different ages and social groups which he considers a fun experience. After work, Bill usually enjoys a slow walk home. It takes him about 50 minutes, but he says it is too hot during the day, so walking at night is actually perfect.
When Bill recalled the days when he first arrived in Kaohsiung, he remembered that he had a hard time dealing with the scorching heat. He said he felt like a polar bear that suddenly had to live in a subtropical summer. Fortunately, he had a cool roommate -A-chi -who helped him settled down in Kaohsiung. Bill says Kaohsiung is like a populous rural city. It has the hustle and bustle of a metropolis, but its people are very unassuming and down-to-earth. Bill says his impressions of people in Kaohsiung are that they are very open-minded, very generous, and are never hesitant to share.
In his work at the hotel, Bill faces different guests every day, answering all kinds of questions from where to get a haircut to where to find some fun. After a while, he became a walking local directory. Bill says foreign tourists are usually not interested in shopping centers and places like that; they wanted to be close to where people live their everyday lives, such as the fish market, traditional markets, or temples. In fact, Bill also thinks these are the places where Kaohsiung is most charming. He suggests that the fish markets and traditional markets should put up some simple English signs to make local culture more accessible to foreign tourists.
Bill said he really didn't feel any cultural conflict when he first arrived, but as he stays on, he became more aware of it. For example, he had to take "Feng-Shui" into consideration in his recent move. From his point of view, some of the Feng-Shui rules actually make scientific sense and for things that he doesn't understand, he just takes it as part of the culture experience. Coming from his personal experience, Bill has a few words of advice for foreigners who have plans to stay in Kaohsiung for an extended period time: try new things, invest more time, and get to know more friends. New friends can help you broaden your horizon. Oh, and drive carefully.
從夏日街頭的北極熊 到享受道地文化
認識Bill Jackson
◎文／侯雅婷 ◎攝影／鮑忠暉
加拿大籍的Bill Jackson來高雄７年，白天在高雄道明外橋學校教書，晚上則擔任漢來大飯店客服部禮賓接待副理。身兼兩份工作，卻總精神奕奕地服務飯店房客。Bill說，他喜歡認識新朋友，而他的２份工作，正好能讓他接觸到不同年齡層和不同族群的人，因此Bill樂在工作。下班後，Bill喜歡慢慢地「走路」回家，回家的路程大約要50分鐘；他說，白天太熱了，晚上走路剛剛好。
Bill談起他一開始來到高雄，很不適應高雄的炎熱天氣，感覺自己像是走在夏日街頭的北極熊，還好他遇到很棒的室友－阿吉，幫助他適應高雄。Bill形容高雄給他的感覺像是一個人口密集的鄉村城市，有著大城市的熱鬧，同時有著很純樸、實際的人民。Bill說，他遇到的高雄市民，有著很開放的心胸，對他很大方，從不吝於分享。
Bill在飯店的工作，每天必須面對不同的房客，回答各種問題，從到哪剪髮到到哪玩，儼然成了高雄通。Bill談到，外籍旅客喜歡的並非購物中心，而是體驗最貼近高雄市民生活的地方，比如漁市場、傳統市場亦或是寺廟，這些地方也是Bill眼中，高雄魅力獨具的地方。Bill表示，希望漁市場和傳統市場能增加一些簡單的英文標示，方便外籍旅客體驗道地的本土文化。
剛剛當了爸爸的Bill笑著說，初到高雄時並沒有感受到所謂的文化衝突，是後來慢慢地感受到，比如最近搬家，就必須考量「風水」的問題，Bill坦言，有些風水的觀點還蠻科學的。諸如此類的事情，無法了解的地方，他就當作是文化的一部份。而對於準備在高雄居住的外國朋友，Bill分享了他的心得：多嚐試不同的新事物；多投資一些時間，認識新朋友，新朋友能打開新的視野；還有，小心開車。