by Allison Peng
Have you ever traveled abroad? When it comes to this question, most people will answer in the affirmative – or even “of course” – but for me the answer is no. It’s not that I lack interest and curiosity; on the contrary, I’m definitely willing to travel all over the world, but the problem is I can’t. There are several difficulties that have to be overcome, such as financial problems, accommodation, and traveling companions. Also, my parents don’t approve of it. They worry about my safety and think I might get robbed – though I don’t find myself looking particularly “robbable.” However, confronted with all these obstacles, I still have a way of “going abroad.” I’ve never been England, yet I know when entering Cambridge I would see its narrow streets with cycling students, as well as its historical colleges. I also know that everyone goes punting there, with people in various costumes accosting tourists asking them if they want a go on the River Cam. I can imagine myself gliding down the willow-lined river, during which the bridges of each college are fully appreciated, such as the Mathematical Bridge and the Bridge of Sighs. Along the riverside there are strips of grassy land, called The Backs, opposite several colleges. Many local students would sit there reading or just basking in the sun. Cambridge is supposed to be a great place to study. There are many great libraries, and I know which one to visit for a display of Chaucer’s manuscripts, though I’ve never been there myself. One’s cultural journey could also continue into the King’s College Chapel, with its magnificent stained glass windows and beautifully carved ceiling. Teatime! Spend at least one free afternoon having tea. But I can’t stand the slow service, so I roam a bit farther in my mind until I find the Orchard. On foot or by bicycle, through a winding path near the River Cam, passing farmhouses, herds of cattle, or an old lady arranging her garden, it feels as if I’ve reached the destination in my mind. In the Orchard there are open spaces with fruit trees, under which there are many tables and chairs. Go inside the bar to order your tea. Now this is the real England! It’s not strange that someone like me, who hasn’t had any experience traveling abroad, knows all of this. I never consulted tour books or surfed the Internet. All I had to do was ask my friends who had been there. This spares me much time and money. Besides, other friends can tell me about Germany and Paris, such as the puppets in Lübeck, the statue of four animal musicians in Bremen, the beauty and history of Schloss Neuschwanstein. I can hear about the scenery by the Seine, the Louvre, and outdoor cafés in Paris. I’m very well traveled, in fact, in my mind: I know about three European countries, New York, Sydney, and Kyoto. Of course I hope that one day I can physically go to all of these places, but before that day comes, the best and most economical way is to urge people around me to go abroad often and force them to bring back stories – and of course photos. If your situation is like mine, why not try this method – and bon voyage! #Volume 8 Issue 1
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by Shin-wook Shawn Kim
The 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan was the first World Cup of the twenty-first century, the first tournament held in Asia and the first ever to be jointly hosted. In view of its historic significance, many economists have attempted to speculate on the current and future impact of the 2002 World Cup on the Korean economy. Korea’s co-hosting of the 2002 World Cup – and the surprising success of our national football team, the Red Devils – has boosted the country’s image abroad and undoubtedly yielded considerable direct and indirect economic benefits. For example, various independent economic think thanks both domestic and foreign forecast the economy could expand as much as 6% this year, making Korea one of the strongest performing economies in the world. However, it is also questionable exactly to what extent the World Cup has directly played a role in positively affecting the economy as a whole. Certainly, the government used the football competition to invite the chief executives of many multinationals as well as foreign dignitaries to Seoul with the aim of increasing foreign direct investment and boosting Korea’s exports. Furthermore, the World Cup finals provided more avenues for attracting tourists to Korea and possibly helped increase exports through a better image of Korea as a result of the superb performance by the national team, which sent shock waves throughout the world by reaching the unprecedented final four. These intangible gains, however, are rather difficult to measure, and the truth is that it would take at least several months, for instance, to figure out exactly how many foreigners came to Korea because of the World Cup finals and what kind of expenditures were actually generated by foreign visitors. Moreover, it is already known that not all industries benefited from hosting the World Cup. For example, retailers have reported sluggish sales because the tournament disrupted normal shopping patterns as people were distracted by the fervor of the games. Although Korea had planned to use the event to launch a drive to become a major international tourism and business center in the Far East, the number of visitors, especially from Japan, the country that supplies Korea with most of its foreign visitors, dropped sharply on a year-to-year basis during the tournament – contrary to the government’s high expectations. What should Korea do to maximize post-World Cup economic benefits? Whatever contacts Korean businesses have made during the World Cup finals need to be pursued without delay. External economic uncertainties, such as foreign exchange volatility and U.S. financial markets instability, could have an adverse impact on the Korean economy in the short run. Postponement of corporate reforms and industry reshaping will also have dire effects on the Korean economy in the long run. Nevertheless, the 2002 World Cup has rejuvenated our nation and provided a venue for the people of Korea to show the world that the Korean economy is a successful showcase that has overcome a near default at the end of 1997. This may just be the biggest prize that the 2002 World Cup has rendered to Korea. #Volume 8 Issue 1 by Allie Lin
The air is thick with a creepy essence. There doesn’t seem to be a living soul in sight. Yet, one would not be at all alone on this particular night, for the streets are far from empty. Suddenly, a witch cackles wickedly under the eerie pale light of the yellow moon. Ghastly figures of ghosts and goblins thread through the shuddering shadows of the naked trees. They roam the open streets, sniffing, searching. A black cat approaches menacingly on the doorstep illuminated solely by the sickly, flickering light of an orange lantern. The door creaks open… “Trick or treat!” the cat sings cheerfully, thrusting out a pudgy hand, waiting. “Happy Halloween!” the man in the doorway smiles as he dismisses the child in costume with a handful of sweets. Every October 31, Halloween is celebrated in America by people near and far, young and old. People dress up as anything from witches and goblins to Power Puffs and the Backstreet Boys. Lanterns with ghoulish faces are carved out of pumpkins, known as the Jack O'Lantern. The most famous and popular tradition of this day, however, is the one where children get to go from door to door collecting candy from their neighbors at night, known as “trick or treat.” The word “Halloween” originates from the name “All Hallows Eve”, meaning the Night of the Dead. Yet, the Americans were not the first ones who celebrated All Hallows Eve. This traditional celebration has roots dating back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in) two thousand years ago. It was held on the night of October 31 and would last into November 1, which was the first day of the year on their calendar. It was believed that the transition of the old year into the new would somehow blur the boundaries between the worlds of the living and the dead, and spirits of their deceased loved ones would be able to come back to them along with Samhain, the Lord of Death. Huge bonfires were built in honor of this Lord, and they would dance around the fire wearing costumes consisting typically of animal heads and skins. For Celtic people, All Hallows Eve brought back not only the spirits of their loved ones but also mischievous and evil spirits as well. To prevent the evil spirits from entering their homes, bowls of food were put outside to appease them; and much later on in Ireland and parts of England, lanterns carved out of turnips were also added outside the door to ward off the evil spirits. The act of putting food outside the door on this day, in time, gradually evolved into the old Irish and English tradition of townsfolk going door to door asking for contributions of food and later became what we now know as “trick or treat.” When the Irish emigrated to America, especially in large numbers during the potato famine in 1846, they took their Halloween customs with them. These customs meshed and blended with the customs of other European ethnic groups and the American Indians; which gave birth to an all new, distinctly American version of the celebration, soon popularized and spread nationally and eventually became what we all know today as Halloween. #Volume 8 Issue 1 by Kay-Christian Karstadt
Until I actually did it this summer, I thought Eurail was the most flexible way of budget travel in Europe. You just buy as many days in advance as you need and then hop on the train with the destination of your choice. Well, that would have been nice. Have you ever tried to book a train on one of the main European routes during the summer? If not, try it and…good luck! First of all, you line up for hours at the ticket counter just to realize that the train you wanted to get on is already fully booked. The alternative is hopping on local trains, where no reservation is required. Of course, the traveling time easily doubles, and on a trip from Rome to Madrid (for instance) you lose one day. And if you don’t happen to have an extra day left on your Eurailpass, then your whole schedule is suddenly messed up. But there is an alternative: budget airlines. They allow you to save a lot of your traveling time and ticket prices are low. But almost nobody outside of Europe knows about these no-frills-airlines, since you can only book them through the internet and not through travel agents. Europe’s most important carriers are EasyJet (http://www.easyjet.com/), Ryanair (http://www.ryanair.com/), Buzz (http://www.buzzaway.com/), GermanWings (http://www.germanwings.com/) and VirginExpress (http://www.virgin-express.com/). The best served routes are between London and continental Europe but all of the airlines are rapidly expanding their European hubs – which is great is you are holding a European (“Schengen”) visa, which is not accepted in the UK. Check out different sites to find the route that you need and then just book it online. And by the way, the earlier you book the better deals you get. Make sure too that you try different days, because prices differ depending on the utilization of the plane, which makes it more expensive to travel during rush hours. Taking this into consideration you will be able to book a one-way trip within Europe for just 25 Euro or, if you are lucky, for even less. You will get an online booking code and that plus any photo ID card is all you need to check in. As with any other economy class ticket you can check in 20 kilos of luggage. But it is not possible to make any flight connections. If you intend to do so, you have to pick up your luggage and check in for the next flight by yourself. Just allow enough time in between flights. Oh, and one more thing: make sure that you aren’t hungry, or just bring something to eat. Otherwise you’ll end up paying a fortune for snacks and drinks on board. Anyways, apart from 4-hour flights to Turkey, flights don’t take longer than 2 hours. So next time you are thinking about traveling to Europe, spend a little while on these websites and you’ll have more time to spend at the places you really want to visit. #Volume 8 Issue 1 by Bird Chiao
It was another rainy afternoon. A persistent drizzle had just visited Taipei and wrapped it in a thin mist. The rain polished the streets, creating a thousand water puddles; they resembled a thousand eyes which, when caught by the veiled sunlight, seemed to blink listlessly at the same time. Or they looked like a thousand mirrors; yet their reflection was between real and unreal, between formless and multiform. The weightless weight of one single raindrop already turned a water pit into a muddy whirlpool, swirling it violently and shattering another world – now distorted, distant, mocking at what appeared in reality. It was an image like that reflected by a broken mirror. A familiar one. It was the reflection of life – the reflection of ourselves. Soon the drizzle died down and ceased. Faintly, however, some droplets were still felt on the cheeks or forehead – so few and unreal were they that they reminded one of crocodile tears, shed by those who betrayed something of laughter in their crying. The sky was now prematurely dark. Heap upon heap, clouds loomed menacingly over the low and ominous horizon. And out of nowhere emerged a doom-struck man. He was a hobo, a life’s cripple who had clearly sustained the wield of Fate’s scythe many a time. Age, and obviously disease, had drained blood and all color from his face, making it dried and wrinkled like last year’s apple. His hair, scorched by the flame of time and hardship, tangled like weeds laid in abandon. His cheeks were sunken; his eyes empty with a hunger that seemed never fed. So thin was he that it seemed only a skeleton trembled beneath his baggy, mummified clothes, and a gentle gust would easily blow him away like a withered leaf. Everything about this old man was broken or incomplete, as if he himself was pieced together by the debris of life. Amidst the crowds the hobo looked out of place. Bent under the weight of seventy winters he labored through the multitudes of people, not knowing where to go as if Death itself was leading the way. He drifted like air, seen and yet unseen, existing and yet not existing. Many women, whose beauty only bloomed for exhibition or could never bloom again, merely darted a glance of contempt at the half-invisible man. With a sting their look seemed to say: “Keep away from me and drop dead, you dirty old dog!” A gang of overfed schoolboys, tumbling, chasing and being chased all the way, saw him and surrounded him in wonder as if he were the prize in their everlasting treasure hunt. But they got bored with him as quickly as they did with their toys, leaving him chained to the spot with a twisted face like an amateur clown. The man walked on, the fetters of age and disease still between his legs. It was a walk toward the unknown. Toward death. Suddenly it began to drizzle again. It seemed to signal the continuity of this homeless man’s doom. Hesitantly, the hobo paused at a water puddle, and stared into it. The puddle, now turned into a shattered mirror by raindrops, faithfully yielded its reflection – a broken image of a broken man. The rain now alternated between showers and drizzles, but it kept falling. And the man, too, kept staring, as if spellbound, at the shattered reflection, at himself. #Volume 8 Issue 1 by Ann Chen
This is how it goes. Standing in an open space, you’re surrounded by six huge stages. The ground is trembling, owing to the pounding and deafening beat. You look around, discovering that the guy standing next to you is shaking his head madly as if he’s just escaped from a lunatic asylum. A girl passes you by, shouting “encore, encore” over and over, and you’re at the same time amazed by her zombie-like makeup – white mascara with dark blue eye shadow. Suddenly, people start to hustle and huddle, moving towards the stage like they wanted to take it over… Welcome to the party. If you ever travel down under during late January, you’ll probably notice an event religiously followed by Australians, and particularly the young. The annual music festival, Big Day Out or B.D.O., has always been the center of attention. Each year, hundreds of thousands throng to cities like Sydney and Melbourne in order to feel its amazing vitality. Featuring more than 50 of the world’s most popular bands each year, B.D.O. has always been a huge success. Imagine hearing Garbage, Coldplay, and Limp Bizkit performing in just one day. Here, anything is likely to happen. You might even see the band of your dreams jumping off the stage, climbing up one of the barricades right in front of you. Also, rock is not the only type of music offered. The concert is also known for its variety. This year, for example, at the Melbourne Showgrounds, there were six major stages and eight smaller ones. Each stage had a specific theme, like the “boiler room,” with dance music, and the “hothouse” for heavy metal. Whether it’s grunge, techno, tripop, or hip-hop, for only AUD $88 you have it all. The best part of B.D.O. is always the crowd. During the concert, you’re most likely to see people beside you going totally out of control. Bunches of people shaking their “bon-bon,” crowd surfing, and shouting at the top of their lungs – with brilliant sunshine, an azure sky, and a cool breeze as the backdrop. Boundaries don’t not exist in these concerts either. Strangers cuddling each other dancing, and after a while starting to kiss. So don’t hold back when someone approaches and hugs you. Meeting new friends is common at B.D.O.; it’s easy for you to find someone who shares your fanaticism for a particular band. There’s nothing you really need to care about; just make sure you’re not stepping on someone’s feet! Party animals, get ready to groove! The 2003 B.D.O. will be held in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, and Adelaide. It’s estimated that the concert will catch a total audience of 210,000. You might be thinking about rescheduling your plans for the upcoming winter break. The official B.D.O. website has a buy-online service; there’s also plenty of information about the event(www.bigdayout.com). See you there! #Volume 8 Issue 1 |
Authors
The Taida Student Journal has been active since 1995 with an ever-changing roster of student journalists at NTU. Click the above link to read about the authors Archives
May 2024
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