Have you ever felt patronized by others responding to your questions reluctantly or with a That-Really-Turned-Me-Off look？ That really hurts your feeling when you really try to strike up a conversation in order to bridge a friendly relationship with others whom you met the first time or more than that. Here comes a puzzle that has been haunting me： It seems unlikely for a person to be level with you in all respects. People might feel safer when hiding something deep within, such as family issues, health condition, individual occupation, or financial status and so on. I can totally understand the feeling of being labeled by others with certain identity from which people can judge you to certain extent and predict what exactly person you are, how you are gonna behavior, or the depth of your conversation riveting at " entertainments" or " philosophy of life". Again, it's quite a challenge for pretty much every single person honest with you or with your questions. We must hide something really private from friends, family, or the significant others. Well, if you have to lie in my face about your preference, that might get me to scratch my head and such interaction could help me deduce that you could be a habitual liar or the deceiver to anyone around whether you are aware of or not. I didn't mean to intensify the whole relationships with others but simply take everyone really seriously thought they don't feel the way as I do. One of my students in class, Lee as a programmer for a backpacking website, has been carrying his "favorite" strawberry doughnut to my class all the time except the days he's absent from those. There's a day I couldn't help but confront him with the question, " Do you have a sweet tooth for strawberry？" " No, that's the last one left on the shelf at the convenience store. I was running later for your class right after my work in Taipei. Just grab one for my growling stomach." "That explains a lot！" But wait, the same excuse has been used nearly twenty times in his carrying strawberry-bread-case which really intrigued our interest afterwards. Some students even accused him of being overly-protective about his addiction to strawberry, for which we are all fine with that and we love the way he is. But did he just confess his great affection for that particular taste for bread？ Not At All！ I am sorry to fail you in this case but the prejudice of this modern society really prevented males from revealing their feelings for something romantic or colorful that will be instantly connected to girlish attitude and emasculating images you might notice from some movies children had been traumatized simply due to their sexual orientation or hobbies different from general expectations rooted in our culture. If a guy told me that he would like to join some yoga classes, I might appear startled right then because there's no male in my school willing to practice yoga or aerobics for passion. Education can be the only way out helping us get to know more choices from different people who are entitled to equal opportunities for what they like in life. But still the reason that people are being really insincere is because they have been afraid of making mistakes since childhood, especially in Asian countries. Teachers at school don't take " I have a different idea" or " Could it be possible that the textbook knowledge can be false？" for answers. You will soon be regarded as a rebel in class by your professor and the rest of the peer. It didn't take long before you realized you had been marginalized because you were trying to tell a truth only. You might intend to laugh over all these anecdotes after you've grown out of that age then. Apparently, we couldn't avoid dealing with all the things more or less. That shall be a lifelong learning chance for us to evolve into a mature person who could either perceive or relate to others' comments or acts without being too judgmental or hypercritical.
Daily Expressions：
1.After learning of the demise of my grandparent, it's too much for me to take.
2.It's widely known that you never prepare too much for the exam.
3.We can notice that fishing for sympathy is rather common among us, considered part of human nature.
4.Why did you draw so many inspirations for your novel？
5.I prefer living in the city rather than the countryside because of its convenient transportations, a wide variety of entertainments, and hustle-and-bustle.
6.It's simmering summer so that we find it really sticky to exercise or go window shopping outdoors.
7.Thank you for your hospitality and your house is really cozy with sweet family and lovely decorations.
8.Let me level with you regarding this plan this month of going picnicking with our co-workers. The incentive trip is a must for all salesperperson.
國際化是什麼？夠把精品店品牌如數家珍？戴起一只價值連城的鑽石？還是優閒地走在路上，手中拿著連鎖咖啡廳的飲品？如果是如此，可能就是盲目罷了！所謂的國際化，也要多注意全球化帶來的商業商品流通和本國自身人口遷徙現象變動，這可不是穿上來自各國品牌服飾或拿起價值數千萬的珠寶可以扛起的概念，是多了"異文化的同理心和尊重"。大家口說常說族群融合和尊重多元發展和價值，但很明顯地，在各地大眾運輸上(Public Transportation)，每每聽到操著不同口音(accent)的英文或華語，多半都是竊竊私語(whisper)，不然就是小聲地批評(criticize +N/Np./V-ing+ in small volume)。有回從台北車站下課，剛好遇到多年前班上的學生，於是我們用英文分享最近生活小確幸；此時，對面座位的高中生們，使著疑惑又不是很友善(unfriendly)的眼神，用中文說著：「會英文了不起喔！？」但自己手中卻拿著英文單字書，這不是很諷刺(ironic)嗎？語言是打開彼此文化大門，一窺不同風情的生活內涵與不同生活圈的精神，並沒有驕傲或自滿的概念！反倒是，學了一種外語後，我們要利用這樣的能力去獲取新知，增進自己的能力和拓展世界；最最重要，就是幫助我們台灣朋友、亞洲朋友，甚至不熟稔英語的朋友，來解決生活大小事情。因為這也是到世界各地都奉行的簡單想法。語言沒有高低，只有用心觀察和找對方法，存有太多成見，是很難接受其他新的概念和知識的！所以，想把語言真正融入自己的生活、深入體驗，需要更謙卑的心態和開闊的胸襟，讓自己不只是在背誦一個接著一個生硬的字眼，而是想著在怎樣特定的情況，可以表達出自己的想法和需求，最後順利完成溝通這件美妙又快樂的事情。即是老師常提醒各位同學：立足台灣，放眼國際。
你有想過有多少華僑在國外奮鬥嗎？客家電視台的<作客他鄉>節目，不管是在法國南部小鎮生活的台灣媳婦，或是在寮國開拓個人事業的夫妻檔，這些台灣的鄉親都非常努力地在自己的生活上耕耘努力，辛苦的汗水、淚水，也在認識新文化中慢慢地落地生根，近而愛上這塊異國的土地。不僅入境隨俗地(When in Rome, do as Romans do)凌晨五點鐘起來準備零食及米飯給僧侶，也努力學習當地語言，活絡彼此的想法和溝通生活上的大小事情；更甚者，有許多新移民會主動去改善當地教育水準，興建起學堂和定期與跨國際醫療團為當地的孩子就診。每每看到這一幕就會讓我相當的感佩，也會想起在遠渡重洋來到台灣的外籍朋友們，在台灣的新生活用心地在這塊土地貢獻，進而成為我們社會富強的基礎和希望。更重要地，當深入異國文化時，會以更謙卑又寬容的心態去欣賞許多新環境的美好和驚喜。
許多電視節目上都紛紛介紹台灣新移民的生活分享，非常興奮地介紹家鄉的拿手菜，不管是顏色鮮豔可口，抑或是口感酸甜苦辣，彷彿都是這些辛苦又努力融入台灣新生活的寫照。從以前就注意到台灣許多節目紛紛邀請從歐洲、東南亞、大陸地區、香港及澳門地區，以及遠從非洲來到台灣依親，或從工作、相戀，最後以台灣配偶身分成為我們台灣社會的一分子。我國國人跨國(境) 不但與國人共同生活，並兼負家庭照顧及社會服務等重要角色，但由於語言、文化之差異，仍有生活適應等問題，政府必須負起照顧輔導之責任。
很多文化衝擊(Cultural Shock)早在申請移民時就開始了，許多的書面資料審核、曠日廢時的書件往返和面談機制、語言能力標準審核、財力證明與身體健康檢查，甚至還有規定在原國內無犯罪紀錄，到了移入國還會遭遇許多語言上或是社會中的歧見對待。有時不禁讓我們思考：所謂的國際化只是所謂迎合『主流文化』？還是鼓勵歧視(discriminate)與自身不同的人事物呢？這一刻就會了解法國人為什麼捍衛母語和其彌足珍貴的文化內涵，那並不單純是一種自傲神態，更是世代所肩負的使命和責任感。珍惜每個交流的機會和分享彼此價值觀的初衷，會學到很有趣的故事呢！在國外總會被問起：『去台灣可以從事哪些有趣的活動呢？哪裡一定要好好瞧瞧？哪些食物要好好品嘗呢？如果我只有五天可以逛逛這個寶島，搭火車是最好的嗎？』當不認識自己文化時，是最可惜的！要把台灣介紹到世界的舞台，就要從認識台灣開始，不是嗎？希望大家可以讚嘆更多美好的古蹟、歌頌歷久彌堅的傳統、聆聽長輩細數的歷史過往，共享這份洗淨鉛華又刻劃你我生命源頭的回憶，那是心靈歸屬最踏實的部分，就在人們交會中傳遞著、流動著，無形地撐起我們的天地和從未遠離的深深情懷。
其實有印象同學除了很愛誤用save money(節省或財務規劃)當作make deposits存款外，老師也很常聽到學生說：『這個遊戲好fashion喔！』那麼這就是說明在「詞性錯置」和平時口說表達的結構過於鬆散，腦中翻譯句子也忽略了最基本的細節概念。在國外每次只要看到APPETIZER(開胃菜)，價錢也不輸主菜，但總怕點到地雷，偏偏一樣的價位，同學拿到大如碗公的沙拉雞絲總匯，送上桌前的只有很像菜鳥廚師做壞的菜(rookie是來自於球隊稱呼對方"菜鳥"，！另外，也可以用apprentice描述剛開始學習技巧或進入新團隊的成員，"學徒"的意思；同時也是美國當紅電視實境秀商業大亨川普先生(Mr. Trump)選接班人的挑戰賽The Apprentice"誰是接班人")。遇到朋友要準備出門用餐或是有機會服務客人，就可以親切地用法文" Bon Appetit"(這是有連音的喔！發音近似Bo-Na-Pe-Ti，碰那朋踢)，稍微輕柔地念出，下次在餐桌上令人刮目相看(偷偷告訴同學：其實往往選訂餐廳後，老師都會先乖乖在家裡做功課爬討論區看看REVIEW，確認自己要點的菜是人人按讚而且也有其他隱藏菜單，只有行家才會知道的，都會讓這場聚會有不同的驚喜和值回票價，也別忘了給優秀的店家一個肯定的微笑喔！)