我之前採訪的僑社新聞現在在宏觀電視的網站上，標題為 "英國伯恩茅斯 移民英國認證語言障礙多". (因為網站更新的緣故, 如果您在網頁右下角"新聞選單"處找不到該報導, 請依下列步驟觀看:
1. 網頁左下角 "僑社新聞網" 按鈕選單處按下 "地區"; "地區" 的下拉式選單處選 "歐洲" --> 中間選 "英國" --> 右邊選 "伯恩茅斯".
2. "日期"處兩邊都設定為 2008-03-23. 右下方 "查詢" 處按一下, 該報導會在右方"新聞選單"處出現. 即使你聽到 "We do not understand the link you have requested. Please check the link and try again" 也沒有關係.
3. 在"英國伯恩茅斯 移民英國認證語言障礙多"標題連結處點一下.
4. 在左方的播放視窗處按下該三角形按鈕, 即可收看.
時間飛逝，還記得去年這個時候還在掙扎要去 LSE 還是 Bournemouth University，下週我就要到期待已久的 BBC Radio Oxford 實習了。這兩個學期以來，經歷了不少挫折，但也因為如此，我相信未來成功的果實也更為甜美。
一開始從不知道去哪裡找新聞，到第二學期每週要交二到三則新聞 (兩則網路新聞加一則廣播或電視新聞)。聽起來好像不怎麼多，可是實際做了之後才知道真的很不容易，因為我們平常還有課要上，真正能夠出去採訪的時間只剩大約兩天。週末不好採訪，因為公司行號政府機關都休假，除非做的新聞都跟這些無關，不然週末只能找新聞、計畫如何採訪、找誰採訪。
有一次，圖書館外的陽光好燦爛，天空好藍，我好不容易剛找完可以採訪的新聞線索，正要找書準備下週要交的報告。一位議員聽了我的留言打電話給我，說他三十分鐘後可以在他家接受採訪。一看錶，已經十二點半了。我飯都還沒吃，書還沒找完，趕緊衝回宿舍。看地圖找出他家所在的街道，一把抓著攝影機跟三腳架，拼了命地踩著二手鐵馬，說什麼也要在一點前趕到。我腳下的影子隨著博恩茅斯的風飛馳，穿過草地、小樹林，來到一個岔路。眼看只剩十五分鐘了，我問了路旁的司機，沒有閒情享受美景，繼續往前行，最後還好趕到了。
有一次，採訪一則移民的新聞，我趕在一個厄瓜多廚師下班前趕到他工作的店。訪談完天也黑了，並且開始飄下細雨。我又餓又渴，只想趕快回家，於是硬是踩著二手鐵馬狂飆回去。不料雨愈下愈大，卡在半路的我已經分不清臉上的雨水與汗水，心想一輩子從來沒有這麼狼狽過，第一次竟然就是在英國!
有一次，要採訪當地華人學校的元宵表演，我事先跟該校校長談過，她允許我看學生彩排，也答應要給我票。過了幾天，她電郵給我說家長太多了，票要留給他們，不能給我，還說沒有票不能進去。我長這麼大還沒被校長耍過，第一次也是在英國!博恩茅斯市長當天要致詞，得知此事後，她主動邀請我去，還說會跟校長解釋。當天表演我還是去了，校長一一跟排隊的家長寒喧，一看到我在隊伍間，馬上措詞嚴厲地斥責我說沒有票不可以混進去，還當著大家的面羞辱我說不准我用市長的照片。我跟她澄清我從來就沒有說要用市長的照片，也沒有要「混進去」，只要在外面等就好了。她異常地激動，嘴角還不時顫抖，令人費解。
許多英國及中國家長攜家帶眷魚貫進入之後，就在同一個地方，我遇到一位之前在雜誌上看到的氣功兼武術老師 Alan Tinnion。原本就打算採訪他作為我的人物特寫報導，沒想到竟然在這樣的時空下相遇，他身旁同名的朋友 Alan Mercel-Sanca 是位自學的畫家，也成為我筆下評析的對象，之後我們也都成為朋友。Tinnion 先生是很傳奇的人物，從小就拜徐金棟大師為師。(徐大師武術示範)。Mercel-Sanca 先生則是從小跟他祖父學畫畫，沒有接受過所謂正規的藝術學校教育，但是其作品一直受到紐約著名的 Agora Gallery 青睞。
有一次晚上去博恩茅斯市議會開的特別全員大會 (Special Full Council)，採訪市議員的津貼預算案，這事關議員本身是否應該接受獨立審查小組的建議，提高給市議員的津貼。在大會中我看到了許多新奇的事，也有令我敬佩的事。
會議一開始博恩茅斯市長走到主席桌前，the Mace Bearer (暫譯: 杖守) 捧著一支光彩奪目鑲有寶石的權杖 (the Mace) 獻在市長面前，象徵市長的威儀及會議正式開始。接著大家就規規矩矩地按照議事規則開會，先由執政的保守黨議員解釋為什麼他們要接受審查小組的建議，再由反對的自由民主黨議員提出意見。這在當地是極具爭議性的預算案 (因為通過的話市民賦稅也相對增加)，而且兩派意見不一，但是過程非常理性和平，絕對沒有打架爭吵搶麥克風拉頭髮吐口水等等荒唐的行徑，議員也很尊重主席，不超過發言時間。發言的議員也都有備而來，還很正式地將要發言的內容打成演講稿。自由民主黨議員 Claire Smith 說的這段話更是令人感動:
"The pensions of our elder people will not even be rising by inflation. We are the representatives of people to the council. This is not supposed to be a full time career but an opportunity for people from all walks of life to make a difference and to serve their community. If you want the private sector pay, work in the private sector. If you want to serve the community, serve it well."
"Is it right that we have equivalent work to other councils but actually have lower entitlements? The independent panel has done its work and it's up to each of our members to decide whether to take up these entitlements. We will make sure we discharge our duties properly and professionally."
Today is the last day of Fairtrade Fortnight. Bournemouth University has organised a series of activities. Over the past two weeks, owners of fairtrade shops were invited and Poole Council representative said hopefully Poole can become a fairtrade town in a few weeks. What impressed me most of those activities was the movie, Black Gold, shown on campus. It's a documentary about the plight of Ethiopian coffee farmers and how fairtrade can help them. Here are some stunning statistics and information I jotted down while watching the film:
*20 billion cups of coffee are drunk everyday.
*Before Oromia Union (a co-operative system formed by Ethiopian coffee farmers) was in place, Ethiopian coffee will have to go through 6 chains to the hands of end consumers. The union helped remove 60% of the chain.
*Women working 8 hours picking coffee beans in Ethiopia earn less than one dollar a day.
*But "$0.57 a day would change our lives beyond recognition," a coffee farmer said.
*"Chat" or "khat" is a small shrub used to make narcotic drugs with a better price than coffee beans. Many coffee farmers in Ethiopia are forced to grow chat on their coffee farms to sustain their families.
* "We want to avoid death," said a coffee farmer who was forced to grow chat.
*Part of the unfair trade problem is caused by no subsidies to farmers in poor countries and subsidies to those in many developed countries.
*"Trade is more important than aide," an African representative emphasised in the Doha round WTO meeting.
*7 million people in Ethiopia depend on emergency food aide every year.
*Over the last 20 years, Africa's trade share in the world has fallen to only 1%.
A recent feature I wrote is about how eastern culture, philosophy, religion, martial arts, etc (called eastern elements for short) influenced western people's lifestyle. All of my interviewees are western people from different backgrounds. They made me re-examine my own culture, my religious beliefs and the philosophy involved as if I have also undergone a process of mental catharsis. The following are two excerpts of my own reflection:
“This concept is similar to a hidden atheist view of the universe in Daoism, of which Wu Wei (non-action) is an important part. Wu Wei, is often confused with, but is never the same as, inaction: it means unintentional behaviour without any deliberate attempt. It is believed that any purposeful behaviour would lead to deviation from nature. Thus Wu Wei is often associated with concepts such as de-materialism, anti-commercialism, “letting nature taking its course”, harmony, and flexibility, on which the philosophy of martial art Tai-Ji is based."
…
"Buddhism emphasises that everyone can reach enlightenment, or Nirvana, through following the Noble Eightfold Path (the way to cease suffering) spontaneously. The concept of reincarnation illustrates the understanding of life as a continuum---previous life, present life, and afterlife, thus the importance of seizing the moment, not to indulge, but to uproot the stems of suffering. In this regard, Mr Mercel-Sanca's proactive determination to enlightenment is closely aligned with Buddhism.”
Last week National Qualifications Board AQA (The Assessment and Qualifications Alliance) announced that it will launch Chinese GCSE teaching in September 2009 and Chinese GCSE exam in June 20011, subject to the approval of QCA (Qualifications and Curriculum Authority). Mr Graham Watson, Lib Dem MEP for the South West and Gibraltar, also welcomed this initiative in promoting the Chinese language and understanding of Chinese culture. In fact, Bournemouth Chinese School has been offering Chinese and Cantonese lessons since 2000 and more than 60 students are learning Chinese every Sunday in Moordown Community Centre. A lot of them are children but there are some adults as well. A Chinese teacher told me these adults are mostly people from Hong Kong. They moved to the UK before the 1997 handover and did not really have the chance to pick up Mandarin Chinese. Now they can learn Chinese with their children in the Chinese School, which has been dedicated to cultural awareness and exchange.
The Chinese Lantern Festival Celebration tomorrow (February 17) is a good example. Although the actual date of Lantern Festival on the Chinese calendar is February 21, it is celebrated on Sunday to attract more parents and children. Around 340 school children from 5 local schools in Bournemouth are involved in the Chinese Lantern Competition, which was held for the first time last year. Hopefully there will be more events like this in the future.
Large scale festivities of different ethnic groups, including ethnic Chinese, in Bournemouth would be an interesting idea for this seaside tourist resort. According to the 2001 census for Bournemouth, the total population was 163,444, of which 'Chinese and other ethnic Chinese' was the fourth largest group after white British, other White and White Irish. Celebrations of different cultural festivals not only foster understanding of cultural diversities but also contribute positively to the image and economy of Bournemouth.
Hopefully people can see this positive change to Bournemouth in the near future.
Tony Jian, 11 Feb 2008
Schools in Bournemouth are looking for ways to introduce government's plan of compulsory cooking lessons, which critics say is too expensive. Tony Jian goes to Winton to check out a possible solution.
Tony Jian, 10 Jan 2008
British government has proposed to continue offering free English lessons to immigrants but do they really find them practical in helping them to integrate? According to a report by Commission on Integration and Cohesion, barriers include lack of knowledge of their rights and responsibilities, non-recognition of qualifications and many more. Tony Jian has the story.
2007 年十二月六日
這次參訪 OneWorld 正好碰上聯合國於峇里島舉行的氣候變遷大會, 怎麼說呢? 我們目睹了OneWorld 工作人員運用第二人生 (Second Life) 軟體和世界各地的公民一同參與虛擬記者會. "虛擬"或許不太精確, 因為這場會議的確在峇里島進行, 只不過是透過虛擬的環境讓大家都有機會同步參與.
面對鏡頭的那位女士是世界自然基金會印度分會 (WWF India) 的能源氣候政策協調人 Ms Shruti Shukla, 右方訪問她的那位男士是 OneWorld 的線上編輯 Daniel Nelson. 鏡頭外還有兩個工作人員: 一個在攝影的同時, 另一個在 Second Life 裡面負責蒐集整理來自世界各地與會者的問題, 再交由 Mr Nelson 提問.
那螢幕上其他的路人甲, 路人乙是誰呢? 他們就是那些世界各地的與會者, 用化身 (Avatar) 代替他們在虛擬世界中出席這個記者會. 這時候, 位在倫敦的 OneWorld 工作人員也問我們有沒有什麼問題要問. 我想了一下說 What would developed countries do if they fail to meet the objectives in Kyoto Protocol by 2012? 只見我身旁的小姐趕緊敲鍵盤, 一指按下, 我的問題隨即由她的化身送到幾千公里外的現場.
驚嘆這項科技帶來便利的同時, 我腦中浮現一種超現實後現代拼貼的圖像. 看著眼前的電腦螢幕, 演員 (我們的化身) 與觀眾 (控制化身的我們) 之間的界限模糊了, 我們要透過虛擬世界的化身來完成現實生活中不容易做到的事 (飛到幾千公里外開會). 真真假假, 假假真真, 虛實界限解構, 距離感消失, 分不清主體為何.
如果這還太抽象, 就想像你自己拿著照相機面對鏡子自拍. 鏡子裡的你/他也拿著照相機拍你/他自己, 那到底是你拍他, 他拍你, 你拍你, 還是他拍他呢? 細心的讀者也許已經注意到這段文字"模糊" 的敘事效果了, 你vs他界線瓦解, 所以在選用代名詞的時候, 分不清是你還是他.
想像你現在拿的不是相機, 而是鏡子, 複雜程度可見一斑. 這個小時候大家都玩的遊戲, 沒想到可以牽扯出後現代主義這麼抽象複雜的概念吧?!
幾分鐘後, 我從超現實的沉思世界中回神過來, 仍有許多疑問. 為什麼不開視訊會議就好了? 為什麼不用 Skype, MSN 等方式開會? 為什麼要大費周章用化身來代替我們提問?
另外, 就民主參與的層次來說, 也有潛在的問題. Second Life 的運作概念雖然不難, 但對於許多未開發或開發中國家的居民而言, 連買麵包都有問題, 怎麼可能有電腦, 上網, 用 Avatar 開會呢?
我得到 OneWorld 的說法, 不是挺令人滿意. 這些問題就留給各位想想吧. 有興趣的人可以寫信或留言討論.
該會議已經上網, 也可點選這裡觀看.
介紹的人員說現在的總部以前是個倉庫, 規模之大可想而知. 我們先從二樓往下俯瞰新聞室, 每個人都像八爪章魚一樣忙個不停, 分工也很細. 基本的採訪, 編輯團隊少不了, 另外還有國際新聞組, 網路新聞組, 研究企劃組, 運動新聞組 (這是 Sky 的強項), 還有新成立的廣播新聞組, 預計作為提供其他媒體 24 小時廣播新聞的單位.十二月五日六日全班去倫敦參觀一些媒體機構, 包括 CMPi Publishing, Sky News, BBC, Guardian Unlimited, Channel Five, Oneworld, Bloomberg. 我一直很想去 BBC 和 Guardian 看看, 無奈老師早把組別分好了, 所以除了這兩個機構沒去之外, 其他地方都去參觀了. 雖然一開始得知不能去 BBC 有點失望, 但是整個過程就像連續劇一樣的精采, 也有意想不到的收穫.
五日早上六點十分要在博恩茅斯火車站搭 National Express 大巴去倫敦, 但是這麼早沒有公車可以搭, 我只好前一天晚上跑到 Poole (博恩茅斯西方一小鎮) 投靠同學, 非常克難地在沙發上窩了一晚, 再和一幫人浩浩蕩蕩地從 Poole 搭火車到博恩茅斯, 再換大巴. 要不是同學收留, 搭計程車到博恩茅斯火車站十磅跑不掉的; 用走的話我得早上四點半爬起來, 拖著行李在漆黑的人行道上走, 既累又危險.
到火車站買了張單程票 (兩磅) 到博恩茅斯, 準備上車時, 看見同學按了一下門邊的按鈕, 才知道雖然門關著, 按一下鈕就可以上車. 不然傻呼呼地等, 門還沒開車就開走了. 第一次在英國坐火車, 感覺很舒適平穩. 這不是什麼特高級的列車, 但舒適感勝過台灣的電聯車.
出站後, 我們拿出之前列印的電子來回票 (二十磅) 給大巴司機, 一行人準時出發. 這時候天空仍是烏黑一片, 通常要到七點四十分後東方才漸有曙光. 很多同學一開始嘰嘰喳喳, 隨著天色越亮, 車上也越安靜了. 約莫三小時又二十分鐘後, 我們抵達 Victoria Coach Station. 大家下了車就趕快吃早餐, 換上正式服裝, 分兩組出發.
倫敦地鐵是出了名的複雜, 事後得知另一組的英國同學走丟了. 大家買了張可以到 Zone 4 (因為下午要去 Sky News) 的一日票 (約五磅多), 就趕緊往第一站 CMPi Publishing 出發. (下圖: United Business Media 為其母公司)
負責接待的小姐帶領我們到公司的最高樓, 放眼望去, 泰晤士河對岸的景色盡收眼底. CMPi 為母公司對外聯絡的主要窗口, 提供的產品包括策展服務, 會議, 資訊, 網站, 以及許多產業的專業雜誌, 例如 Building, Travel Trade Gazette, Farmers Guardian, Property Week 等等, 可以看出其讀者群大多鎖定在專業人士, 出版品質自然有相當的要求.
這麼商業化的雜誌主要營收當然是廣告囉, 不過公司宣稱他們的出版品因為在各產業受專業人士的青睞, 具有一定的影響力, 他們仍舊可以保持中立, 不受廣告商的威脅或利誘. 畢竟廣告主還是要透過 CMPi 才能找到上層客戶. CMPi 的 "i" 字代表 information, 也說明該公司的賣點. 這讓我想起之前 Mr Duncan Campbell 說的一番話: 現在資訊氾濫, 搜尋, 篩選資訊早已成了最基本的能力. 要更近一步提升自己競爭力的話, 就要學會備份資訊, 管理資訊. 這段話乍聽之下好像某些商業雜誌的老生常談, 但仔細思索, 真正的精髓在於"管理". 隨時需要, 隨時找得到, 找到之後的資料還能很清楚有條理地呈現在眼前, 這就不是每個人都做得到了.
就翻譯來說好了, 大家一定都有類似的經驗: 某個專有名詞也許在某個網站上看過, 某本書上看到, 也許很認真的存在電腦裡或抄在自己專用的筆記本上, 但都是以不同形式儲存起來. 有的是 .doc, .txt 有的是 .html, .mht, 有的是 email. 筆記本最不方便搜尋這就不用說了. 時間久了, 資料一多, 要怎麼在龐大的眾多類型文件中找到你要的資料呢? 容我先賣個關子. 現在很多以集結眾人之力為特色的網站如 del.icio.us, HemiDemi 等就運用 tag 的方式讓大家能方便快速地找到相關的文章, 說穿了就是網摘的功能, 但仍舊只能在同一類型的文件間 (i.e.網頁) 搜尋. 而 Windows XP 以下的搜尋功能還停留在搜尋檔名跟檔案夾, 除非你各個類型的文件一個一個打開, 再一個一個搜尋, 實在沒有什麼更快的方式.
其實這個答案不是什麼新鮮事, 只是科技接受度高不高, 有沒有去嘗試而已. 現在有很多軟體可以提供上述這種個人化的桌面搜尋功能, 這意味著以後歸檔可以更輕鬆, 搜尋可以更精準. 只要配合自己經年累月蒐集的各式文件, 輔以強大的搜尋功能, 存在超大隨身碟裡, 你就可以進一步讓個人化的資料庫變成行動資料庫, 成為管理資訊的箇中翹楚.
雖然扯遠了, 不過話說回來像 CMPi 要將適合的資訊傳達給適合的客群也不是簡單的事, 這又是另一種能力了.
