微醺 Slightly Intoxicated

I  Others’ Stories     壹  別人的故事

Many people have expressed they like to watch soap operas, for watching such can make them feel relaxed. They do not need to think but to immerse themselves into the stories, one after another. But, what happens when someone like me whose life is already, according to quite a few, as colorful as soap operas?

很多人都說自己愛追劇，說追劇的時候可以放空，那麼，對於像我這樣一個，被人家定義為比演出連續劇還有更多故事的人，該怎麼追劇呢?

 

 

During this past Sunday, I experimented it after working with students about certain matters they’d like to handle. Allowing myself to go into different stories, I found I was trying to understand one story after another from Youtube where many people would explain movies or series made by different people in various nations in a few minutes.

最近的一個週日，在協助一群成年學生們完成一些重要之事後，我花了幾個小時試驗試驗，如果自己也追劇，到底會怎樣；我使用了youtube中許多說故事的人們的影片，因為每個介紹的時間不長，所以一個接一個，我了解著許許多多各國不同人士所拍攝的電影、影集、連續劇等等不同故事的內容。

 

 

During such moments of absorbing these stories, I did not stop thinking. In fact, I thought even more. I looked at myself while I was trying to understand those different stories which led me to more thinking process such as the meaning of life, our care and warmth to the others and so on. In the end, I did not sleep too much that night. When I looked at my students the next day, I became even more tolerant, for I understood that they, too, would fall into their personal dramas unlike anyone else’s. 

To tell the truth, I can also feel that those people producing such stories have their own stories, too, that are with many ups and downs, perhaps.

我發現，在自己咀嚼這些戲劇節目的內容時，我並未停止自己思維的轉動。相反地，我的思維反而由於這些不同故事的刺激，而轉動得更快速，那種對於我所認識的人和不認識的他人的關注與關懷之心，愈益強烈。

 

終了，那天我因為這種Hope獨有的追劇模式，沒睡到幾個小時，接著，我發現到自己在第二天面對學生、工作夥伴、生活中的瑣事、國外的服務等等諸多環節時，更加有耐心、希望傳遞更多溫暖。

 

因為我發現自己其實是透過了那些藝術作品，而再次提醒自己，人們都有自己的不同角色需要扮演，不同喜怒哀樂需要面對……

 

 

 

貳  遠方的故事    II  Stories at Another Continent

“Why do we have to do this when we visit Africa?” My foreign friend asked. “We could have done this elsewhere, over here, in my own nation.”

外籍朋友問：「我們去非洲時考慮這個幹嘛? 這個我們在我們國家就可以做到了。」

 

 

We were discussing about certain things in relation to our different stories in life when my friend made this remark.

我們在討論一些生活與生命當中種種時，朋友這麼說。

 

 

After some thinking process, I believe my answer would look like this.

思考過後，我覺得自己的答案會有點像是下面這樣……

 

 

“’When in Rome, do what the Romans do’ would be my first reply: as long as people can entertain each other, there are more entertainments to come. I do believe in our beliefs, whereas it would not be harmful to know others’ beliefs by following suit a bit. This means that even by being ‘theatrical’ from time to time, if those who are not as wealthy or fortunate as we do can have moments of pleasure due to us, WHY NOT?”

「入境隨俗是到這些落後地區的第一步，而我覺得在這種框架之中，人們如果可以相互取暖，就會帶來更大的溫馨效應。當然，我對於我們所信奉的教條，不感到奇異、甚至不認為該被推翻，但是，偶爾跟隨他人的腳步亦無傷大雅。這意昧著，有時候甚至戲劇化一點，因為這種生旦淨丑的角色融入相處、融入生活，給別人帶來一些歡喜，促進彼此的互動，又何樂而不為呢?」

 

 

 

With such notions acquired overseas at those remote regions of the world, I also like to entertain my students, particularly I have discovered they are often deterred by the poker faces of the authority despite of the fact there can be lots of teachers who suffer from being too friendly to the students who then, in return, become too noisy in classrooms where the entire roofs seem to be flying away.

基於這種在世上邊陲地帶所學習到的信念與理念，我也很喜歡在學生面前自娛娛人，只是，當學生屬於會讓其他工作夥伴們一不小心，就爬到老師頭上，造成上課氣氛雞飛狗跳的年齡層，這種轉化的功夫，就相當值得玩味了。

 

 

In the real situations where I teach, I often need to refrain myself from laughing out loud from time to time.

事實上，我常常必須克制自己會大笑出來的衝動。

 

 

For example, what do you do when a student goes to you who says “I do not have my textbook with me.”

例如，有個學生是這樣的……

 

 

「我沒有帶課本來。」

 

 

Why?

為什麼呢?

 

 

“I put it in my bookbag last night.”

「昨天晚上我放進書包裡了。」

 

 

Where is the textbook?

那課本呢?

 

 

“I really put it in my bookbag.”

「我真的有把課本放在書包裡面哦。」

 

 

Have you brought your bookbag to our school?

那你有把書包帶來學校?

 

 

“I have my bookbag with me today in the school.”

「我今天有帶書包來學校啊。」

 

 

Where is the book? It is not with you, right?

那課本呢? 你說你沒帶課本，是嗎?

 

 

“I put it in my bookbag last night.”

「我昨天晚上有把課本放進書包。」

 

 

Up to this moment, I may need to declare to the entire class that we are all witches or wizards who have the power of alternating things to their different positions.

和他對話到這裡，我可能必須跟全班學生宣布，我們是個魔法班，大家全部都是巫師或者巫婆，法力高強，可以把有的東西變沒有，沒有的東西再變回有。

 

 

面對剛剛這種小男生，你怎麼辦呢?

 

 

Or, what do you do with this girl who also looks quite pretty playing with her hand and her thigh all the time? I noticed she was not paying attention. After hinting it for several times, I looked at her directly to see what she was doing.

或者，面對以下這種小女生，又該怎麼辦?

 

 

上課的時候，她不停撮著自己的大腿的樣子。她不是很專心的樣子吸引了我這個作老師的注意，經過幾次間接性質的警告她依然如此時，我決定趁她不注意的時候觀察觀察她。

 

 

Something grayish and blue was on her thigh. For quite a while, his girl who is about 7 years old was rubbing that thing looking sticky, until she noticed I was looking at her in the middle of the class session.

只見她把一種灰藍色的稠狀物在她的腿上、手上，來回揉來揉去。

 

 

Everybody else was looking at her while paying attention to where I was looking at. This kind of behavior reminds me of certain kinds of animals that enjoy looking at the same directions... 

全班學生因為我的目光焦點也注視著她。這讓我想起某種群居的動物，他們常常喜歡看同一個方向……

等她回過神來，我請問她在作什麼。

 

 

What is that?

 

 

“Glue.”

「我在玩膠水。」

 

 

Glue?

那是膠水?

 

 

“Yes. It is glue.”

「對。」

 

 

I turned to ask the roomful of students. “Do you all have glue that is grayish and blue?”

我開始好奇：「你們全班都有這種藍灰色膠水?」

 

 

Some raised their hands.

有些人舉起了手。

 

 

“Have you ever seen any glue looking like other colors?” 

「那你們有看過其他顏色的膠水嗎?」

 

 

No.

「沒有。」

 

 

At this moment, the bell rang. Class dismissed. One student passed by, smiling to me, and I waved my hand back, as if I am the princess, for my classroom is at a geographically strategic place where many students like to look inside and wave at me.

這個審判庭先到這裡結束，因為鐘聲響起，應該下課。

 

 

休息時間，有位學生經過我那地理位置良好的教室，像其他學生一樣往裡望一望，與我揮手致意，我也必須像個王妃一般，對他們一一揮手。

 

 

“Teacher! Teacher! I have something important to say to you.” One girl rushed into my classroom.

說時遲那時快，一位高年級的小姑娘衝進我的教室。

 

 

「老師! 老師! 我有個秘密要跟妳講!」

 

Here comes a student who is older, about 12.

 

 

Hi. I said.

妳好呀。我說。

 

 

“Let me tell you a secret. Charlie Brown has fallen in love with you.”

「老師我跟妳說，查理布朗愛上妳了哦。」

 

 

I am not Snoopy. That name, Charlie Brown, always reminds me of Snoopy, though I like Snoopy very much.

我不是史努比。

我這樣在內心想著。因為這樣的名字總讓我想起史努比，當然，我很喜歡史努比。

 

 

“He pretends he does not see you, right? In fact, he likes you very much.”

「查理布朗都把妳當空氣對不對，老師? 他都沒跟妳打招呼對吧?!」

 

 

How do you know?

妳怎麼知道?!

 

 

“He looks as if he doesn’t care about you, but he wrote something in his book and we saw it.”

「他假裝都不在乎老師，可是他在筆記本上面寫的愛慕老師的話，被我們看到了!」

 

 

What?

蛤?!

 

 

“Nothing. Just he likes you very much.”

「就是他很喜歡老師妳嘛!」

 

 

You are teenagers. I am a grown up.

你們根本人小鬼大……老師是老師耶，是大人了……

 

 

“So what?! Teacher, please don’t be so old-schooled! We are in a different world!”

「那又如何?! 老師，妳不要那麼老古板好嗎? 世界變得不一樣啦。」

 

 

I know that! I feel dizzy… Can I have a break, please?

天哪……我感到有點頭暈目眩。可以下課休息一下嗎?

 

 

Before I left for home, I waved at yet another one passing by. This time, this person quietly stood there, handing me something. His voice was so little I almost could not hear him.

放學正要離開學校時，一向沉默寡言的一個男生走到我面前，給了我一個小盒子，說是要送給老師我的禮物。

 

 

“Oh! It’s your birthday today! Happy Birthday!”

「哦!!! 今天是你生日嘛。生日快樂哦!!!」

 

 

“Oh. I see. This is a gift uh? Thank you very much.”

「這我就懂了。這是你跟老師分享你的生日喜悅的禮物?」

I gave him a token from my cabinet. 從我的教師用櫃子，我也拿出一個小禮物回贈他。

 

 

After the student left, I opened the small gift with many “sheets” inside. Every “sheet” is a gum which melts inside the mouth immediately.

學生走遠後，我把盒子打開，裡面有薄薄的許許多多張紙片，一張紙片是一片糖果的感覺，會在口裡即速溶化。

 

 

I’ve never known the existence of such things. The only thing I can do is to smile, while knowing it is a privilege to be able to encounter such naïve minds that are open to me.

真的，我完全不知道世上有這種零嘴。

 

 

而我應該感恩的，是這世上有這樣多的天真爛漫心性，能夠對我開啟他們的心房。

 

 

In return, I am so naïve that I cannot even take a break when those stories from soap operas are flowing into my mind!

正因如此，被弄到也很天真的我，竟然無法在追劇時完全不思考，反而會因為即知即行而想做更多事。

 

 

How come?!

怎會如此?!