The Golden Wheel award ceremony on Oct. 15 praised outstanding bus drivers, taxi drivers, government agency staff and crossing guard volunteers. Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je praised the award winners, saying that, come rain or come shine, they are busy creating a good traffic environment in Taipei and making “the friendly city” a by-name for Taipei.
Fifty-year-old Chung Shing Bus bus driver Hsu Cheng-chi was all smiles as she happily received her award. She said that when she was little and saw bus drivers driving their awe-inspiring buses, she dreamed that she one day would be sitting in the driver’s seat. However, the minimum height required for obtaining a driver’s license was 160cm, so she had to give up on her dream and take a job in a general company.
About 10 years ago, the Taipei City Bus group was established. Anyone who could reach the clutch could apply for a job, and Hsu was finally able to sit in the driver’s seat. Her father, a truck driver for more than 30 years, told her that being a bus driver was hard and thankless work and that drivers had to deal with unreasonable passengers and other road users and that there could be a lot of malicious remarks within the profession. Still, she persisted in her dream, but her father’s warnings were proven right: she was often ridiculed, causing her to be dejected and downcast and she developed health problems and left the profession for a while.
Photo: Kuo I, Liberty Times
照片:自由時報記者郭逸
Hsu says that if you encounter problems, it is best not to answer back immediately, adding that “forbearance” is her motto for dealing with life. She says that the joy of driving a bus down the road and making her dream come true while caring for her passengers has expanded her life.
(Liberty Times, Kuo I, Translated by Perry Svensson)
金輪獎十月十五日頒獎,表揚優良公車駕駛、計程車駕駛、各機關優秀人員及導護志工,市長柯文哲稱讚獲獎者不畏雨淋日曬,為市民營造優良的交通環境,建立「友善城市」美名。
五十歲的中興巴士駕駛員許丞圻滿臉笑容欣喜領獎,她說,小時候看公車司機開車威風凜凜,她夢想有一天也要坐上駕駛座,但考照有身高一六○公分限制,讓她黯然打退堂鼓,當起一般公司小職員。
十多年前,北市聯營公車成立,只要能踩到離合器就能報考,讓許丞圻順利坐上夢寐以求的公車駕駛座,從事貨運司機卅多年的父親卻提醒她,公車司機吃力不討好,更得面對不講理的乘客、用路人,同業更可能惡言相向,但她堅持逐夢,父親的告誡也隨之印證,常遭冷嘲熱諷,讓她相當沮喪,身體健康也出狀況,短暫離開業界。
「遭遇困境,別直接回嘴、還手。」許丞圻說,她以「忍」面對生活,享受駕駛公車馳騁道路的快感,實現夢想並悉心對待乘客,生活更海闊天空。
(自由時報記者郭逸)
A: I want to go to Neihu to see the cherry blossoms. B: Do you want to go by YouBike? A: Well, how much does it cost? B: The Taipei City Government just announced that riders can use the bicycles for free for the first 30 minutes! A: Great! Riding bikes is also more eco-friendly than driving. A: 我想去內湖賞櫻花耶。 B: 那要不要騎YouBike微笑單車去? A: 車費怎麼算? B: 台北市政府最近宣布︰前30分鐘免費! A: 太棒了,而且也比開車更環保。 (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張聖恩)
One of us is a murderer. The terrifying thought fills your head. There’s a corpse in the next room, and one of your fellow diners put it there. As the evening progresses, you learn disturbing secrets about everyone, and you’re forced to confess to a few yourself. You all have motives for the crime, but who committed it? Fortunately, it’s just a game. Murder mystery games are multiplayer role-playing games designed to be played over the course of an evening. The concept likely originated with “wink murder,” an amusing pastime that became popular in the early 1900s. In this game, a “murderer” kills
A: How does Taipei’s YouBike service charge after the free ride for the first 30 minutes? B: It’s NT$10 every 30 minutes within four hours. A: What a bargain. No wonder Taipei is listed by Britain’s “Time Out” magazine as one of the best 50 cities in the world. B: But I spotted a few English mistakes on YouBike’s Web site. A: I guess that aspect of it still has room for improvement. A: 台北市YouBike前30分鐘免費,之後怎麼算? B: 4小時內每30分鐘10元。 A: 真劃算,難怪台北市會入選英國《Time Out》雜誌全球最佳的50座城市。 B: 不過我在YouBike的網站上看到了好幾個英文錯誤。 A: 看來這個部分還有改善的空間。(By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/ 台北時報張聖恩)
Mullet roe is a highly-priced delicacy typically served during special occasions like wedding banquets or Chinese New Year’s dinners, where families come together in celebration. The mullet roe can be prepared in various ways. It is usually pan-fried but can also be roasted or torched. To cook a pan-fried mullet roe, soak it in liquor or wine and peel off its membrane. Then, it is browned over a low fire and turned several times. Finally, the fried mullet roe is cut diagonally and is ready to be served. This dish is usually served with garlic scapes and daikon slices, but