American and Global Studies Colloquium

從小對美國文化的薰陶不外乎來自於美國電影，美式速食以及西方節慶，還有從小學到大的美式英語。讓我對美國總是抱懷一種憧憬，也是我一直認真學英文，認為英文可以讓我走向國際。　　我認為影響我最深的是美國文化是它們的平等精神,因為從小看著美國電影或新聞，都深深覺得美國人的階級觀念似乎不像台灣那麼現實，不管你是修電器的、修車的、賣車的、服務生、或是老師都是工作一份,沒有什麼高級職業看不起低級的,即使是教授亦相當平易近人。還有美國人的樂觀、積極向前看的精神,沒有太重的歷史包袱，總是令我感到佩服，那種今天失敗，明天再來多次,成功就是成功,不在乎你是嘗試多少次，總是抱著樂觀正面的態度。

另外就是我最喜歡的美國速食文化，麥當勞。童年有許多美好的回憶是在麥當勞度過的，再來還有美國的節慶，如聖誕節跟萬聖節都是相當好玩的節日，讓我深深感受那種節慶的風情。總而言之，美國文化似乎就是全球化的代名詞，不久將來希望我能有機會能到美國深造留學實現我的美國夢，這次真的相當感謝台灣政府的德政讓台灣的青年學子能有機會到國外見識，還有僑界的長輩們無微不至的照顧與幫忙，可以讓我們這次美國之行如此順利，更辛苦的的是美國的各洲的僑教中心辦事處的長官熱心的幫忙與安排我們一切的參訪行程，真的非常辛苦。

最後我希望台灣政府可以繼續推動這項計畫讓它永續經營，讓我們台灣的青年學子能更走向世界，具有國際視野增進我們對台美間政治、外交、戰略、文化及僑務等海外事務之接觸與瞭解，最棒的是拜會美國與成功的台裔政、學、商界大人物、參訪美國政府機構與團體、還有美國歷史及文化深入之旅等課程。我是安德魯，因為參加國際事務青年人才培訓計畫，使我的人生更為精彩豐富。

美國將軍的搖籃

今天很開心能有機會參觀常聽到的一所美國名校「美國軍事學院（The United States Military Academy at West Point），常被稱為西點軍校。西點軍校是美國第一所軍事學校，位於紐約州西點。到了學校校區首先被美麗的風景所吸引還有那看似莊嚴神聖的建築，有如置身在哈利波特的電影世界裡。經過導覽員的詳細解說才知道西點軍校能夠培養出如此眾多的優秀軍事人才，與近乎嚴酷的訓練是分不開的。學員入學後，首先要接受六星期的基礎訓練，也就是把老百姓變成軍人的過渡訓練，被學員稱為“野獸營”。學員必須遵守“榮譽制度”，即絕不撒謊、欺騙或盜竊，也不容忍他人有此類行為，這是培養學員忠誠正直的主要方法，其實質就是強調自我約束和自我完善。西點軍校的校訓是國家，榮譽，責任。而我對於他們這樣高紀律的自我要求感到相當佩服。參訪了美國西點軍校感知到全球頂尖人才的培育是如此令人佩服​，晚上到了台商家的別墅BBQ Party聽取了不少人生哲學與經驗，我了解到現在我們最有本錢的就是青春，當體力與腦力處於巔峰時期我們應該好好把握去充實自我展現才能，而且勇於開口把自己的想法表達出來達到溝通效果，這也是我來這邊所學到的美國文化之一，在拜訪林映君僑務委員的別墅家裡後，我在內心想將來一天我也要像她一樣成功，站在美國的主流社會上這是我一個算是遠大的夢想。

華府看世界

結束在休士頓聖湯瑪士的行程後，帶著收穫滿滿的心情從Hobby搭機飛往華府，做了三小時的飛機後終於抵達華府我們便從華府搭巴士與home媽相見歡，home熱情的招待我們真的讓我非常感動。這次在華府的行程主要是參訪華府的的國會山莊圖書館，航太博物館，航太博物館華盛頓紀念碑等其他有名地標，覺得華盛頓的市景真的很漂亮，那到處綠意盎然的街道襯托古色古香的名建築物令人心曠神怡，這次華府僑教中心幫我們安排了國會圖書館的參訪，讓我們有機會看了一些台灣看不到的東西向是孫中山先生的手稿還有名信片，這樣的真跡能保持得如此完整實在讓我嘖嘖稱奇，因此學員們個個把握機會拼命照相。美國的國會圖書館是美國聯邦政府最古老的文化機構。 這次還有難得有機會參觀印鈔局，讓我們大略了解到美國印鈔的過程如何的操作。另外緊接著我們參訪了駐美軍事代表團，從長官井然有序的簡報下，才知道中華民國政府與美國軍事單位有著如此複雜的關係。這次的華盛頓行，我學習到美國的首都華盛頓特區其實全名是華盛頓哥倫比亞特區，而至於為什麼會叫哥倫比亞特區聽說是當初和華盛頓和發現美洲新大陸的而命名的，而華盛頓在行政上麵是由聯邦政府直轄的因此它不屬於那任何一個洲。 隔天我們參訪了雙橡園緊接著就前往紐約了。

走~我們出發到美國去!

這次很幸運可以獲選國際事務青年人才培訓計畫，順利前往美國體驗相較於台灣不同的民俗風情，並了解美國的政治，歷史以及文化。 因為提前抵達，我第一站來到了德州的聖安東尼奧，它是一個觀光大城伴隨著市中心的河濱步道充滿了浪漫的異國氣氛。在這裡有河有風景，有歷史也有故事令人不禁有如坐著時光重溫古時。而我想其中最有名的應該就是阿拉漠的古戰場，她有悠久卻人動容的歷史故事。 當我獨身站在那死傷的戰場上，心裡有股說不上來的感覺。原來聖安東尼奧是以前德州的首府，但當時是由墨西哥統治的，因德州的民兵和墨西哥的政府衝突不斷，兩邊常發生戰爭。阿拉漠戰場可說是德州的起點，沒有阿拉漠就沒有今天的德州了。結束在聖安東尼奧的自由行，便回到聖湯瑪仕大學準備開始連續兩周的課程，在這兩周的課程裡我們將會了解美國政經歷史等概況，想必對自身的國際觀又可以充分提昇，在第一天的行程裡，HANS教授就非常熱心帶我們了解校園的概況，以及安頓我們住宿的地方，在經由跟該校的美國大學生互動使我們更為熟悉環境，而第一次的正式上課我們就通略了瞭國現今 美國文化，在課堂上同學踴躍的討論，並積極發問問題實在非常有趣味。除了上課以外我們也有不少校外參訪行程還有拜會在休士頓的僑務人士，透過這樣的交流真的使我們獲益良多。

BEng Naval Arch - Bulefin Voyage and my 21st Birthday 2009

The most unforgettable 21st birthday I ever spent in my life was held in Tribunna as I went on a Bluefin voyage,the educational voyage for 2nd years students of naval architecture that introduces me a hands-on seagoing experience and I also gave out presentations in front of my peers. This voyage is a tremendous opportunity for me I'll never forget in my life.Thanks to the Lecturers, Paul and Giles, as well as other friends, got together in celebration of my 21st birthday. However, there's one thing that still give me shivering is that I got seasick for three days non-stop, I have to admit it's somehow quite a disaster for me.

Check out some pictures I took on board

me and Jason next to the Blufin


me and George from Korea who is doing Naval Arch like me

SEE! my name is on the list for the allocated cabin

Me and Maryam, she made fun of me when I have a barf face... so mean!

everybody celebrating my 21th Birthday.

Me, Richard,and Ronni did a 21 sign in celebration of my B'day

Me with the lecturers, Giles and Paul.

After I got back to campus with a tiring body, my friend Shafeen invited me out for drinks and having fun, also to celebrate my birthday. Apart from that, the day after was my friend, Maddy's birthday so I cant help but to accept his offer and decided to go out and have fun to paint the town red. :) See how drunk we rocked

Me and french friend, Brice

Shafeen, Brice, Maddy, me and Sandra

drunk frenchy and Taiwanese

Elements of Shipboard Safety (ESS)

In order to work on a small commercial fishing or trade vessel, even as a deck hand, you need to have an ESS certificate.So today I took the ESS course, and it’s was so exciting because I never did this kind of course before. It is all about ship safety, how you are gonna save you life from a ship disaster. First of all we wore very special life jackets like frogman and then we jumped into the water to do some practical training. It’s really amazing to see how Australians emphasize ship safety when it comes to engineering students. The depth of the water is like 4.3 deep, you cant touch the ground. Luckily, I learn to how to swim back in Taiwan before, so I still can handle it
somehow. You have to know what the best pose is when you’re floating on water with life jacket. Otherwise, you have a great possibility of getting choked by your life jacket, I feel quite funny when I am doing this with all Australian students. They’re all Caucasians while I am the only Asian here taking the course. Also, in the water we have to hug each other to prevent form hypothermia as well as other techniques I have to learn how to apply when wearing a life jacket. Also we have to do the ‘’abandon ship’’. It feels so real that you’re easily to get nervous when doing this kind of activity. We have to pull off a giant cylinder that contains with a life jacket, and when it was pulled down the water, it exploded and inflates with air in no time. And they make all those artificial thunders, rain, and sound to make you feel like you’re in a real situation. And of course, those equipments we have to use is real for survival, we just need to learn how to use them properly. So we jumped in to water from height in dark one by one, there’s a capital who is in charge of giving orders, telling us what to do. But he’s also a student for sure.

Survival training with a life raft

Start with my adventures in Australia

This blog is mainly recording my life while I am studying in Australia. I think I am so lucky to be entitled to receive a grant from the Ministry of Education which enables me to study abroad for one year at the Australian Maritime College.

Here goes my life abroad, I hereby would like to share this with my friends. The day I departed for Australia, my mom drove me to the Kaohsiung international airport. Actually I was not that saddened at that time because I know I am going to experience a brand new adventure which is far cry from Taiwan, the home I used to belong.

The dreamland I am going to land is called Tasmania which is separated from the rest of Australia by the 240 km stretch of Bass Strait,Tasmania is an island apart -a place of wild and beautiful landscapes,friendly ,welcoming people,a pleasant,temperate climate ,wonderful food and wine. Maybe I am giving too much credits for my destination. :)

The school institution where I study at is the Australian Maritime College or AMC, it is a specialist institute of the University of Tasmania and I have access to world-class teaching and research facilities because it's said that AMC is top 5 institution in marine industry worldwide which I found very impressive .

That's why I believe the AMC is my ticket to the world.