Welcome! 歡迎光臨! Selamat datang! ยินดีต้อนรับ! Bienvenue! ようこそ! Välkomna! On this blog you can find a compilation of thoughts and stories from various international interns. Are you interested in working at the farm? Take a look at the daily lives of our current and past interns for a glimpse into the farm life~
September 27, 2024
【頭城農場海外志工不定時日記第2️⃣篇】 🎈頭城搶孤
【頭城農場海外志工不定時日記第1️⃣篇】 ⛴️龜鄉海路一日遊
June 15, 2024
Dernière semaine à Toucheng Leisure Farm/Last week at Toucheng Leisure Farm (Une lettre à cœur ouvert/An open letter)
Et voilà... C'est mon dernier jour à la ferme aujourd'hui.
Je n'ai pas vu le temps passer. Si je devais décrire mes émotions, il s'agirait sûrement d'un mélange de satisfaction, de joie, de tristesse et de future nostalgie.
Pendant mon séjour, j'ai rencontré des personnes vraiment adorables avec qui j'aurais aimé passer encore plus de temps et certaines autres dont j'aurais aimé en apprendre plus. Mais... heureusement que les messages existent ! 😎
Beaucoup m'ont surpris, certains pour leur créativité, d'autres pour leur passion et leur professionnalisme, d'autres pour leur gentillesse ou encore pour leur sens de l'humour. Rien que le fait de voir leurs visages rayonnants m'a fait sourire.
Je suis triste car je ne verrai plus mes amis de la ferme quotidiennement comme c'était le cas pendant 1 mois et demi. Mais je crois fermement en la citation : "Loin des yeux, près du cœur" qui souligne le fait que, même loin des personnes que l'on apprécie, les liens resteront les mêmes.
Dans tous les cas, on ne sait pas de quoi demain sera fait ; et qui sait, je serai peut-être amenée à revenir ici. Si ce n'est pas le cas, je sais que je reviendrai au moins à Taïwan.
J'aimerais remercier toutes les personnes qui ont été adorables à mon égard, qui m'ont aidée dans les moments difficiles, et qui m'ont rendu service de leur plein gré <3 Vous allez sincèrement me manquer. 💗
La France n'est parfois pas un pays très chaleureux et rien que pour cela, j'ai besoin de découvrir de nouveaux horizons. Chacun des mes voyages me fait grandir et me rend plus forte.
Je suis heureuse et fière d'avoir pu m'adapter à cette autre culture, cet autre environnement chaque jour. Je dirais que l'adaptabilité et la compréhension des autres cultures est l'un des dons des enfants métissés.
C'est pour moi le plus bel héritage.
Ma compréhension de la langue chinoise s'est améliorée et j'ai maintenant plus confiance en moi quand je prends la parole. Pas seulement à la ferme, pendant mes jours de repos, j'ai été amenée à discuter avec des commerçants, et à ce moment-là, j'ai réalisé que j'avais tout compris, et que j'avais réussi à trouver les mots pour exprimer chacune de mes pensées. La peur de pratiquer la langue à l'oral est assez courante. Surtout pour les personnes timides ; nous avons peur d'écorcher la langue, de mal prononcer un mot, de ne pas se faire comprendre, et de se retrouver dans des situations gênantes. Mais c'est l'un des plus gros blocages psychologiques, et il faut apprendre à passer outre petit à petit.
J'ai appris beaucoup de choses dans tous les domaines, et j'ai aussi acquis de l'expérience professionnelle qui me servira dans le futur.
Une petite routine s'est installée durant ce séjour, alors c'est un sentiment très étrange de passer à autre chose.
Comme on le dit si bien, chaque bonne chose a une fin... Alors... au revoir 頭城農場 !👋
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English version:
And here it
is... Today is my last day at the farm.
I didn't
see the time pass. If I had to describe my emotions, it would surely be a mix
of satisfaction, joy, sadness, and future nostalgia.
During my stay, I met some really wonderful people with whom I would have liked to spend even more time and others I would have liked to learn more about. But... fortunately, messages exist!😎
Many surprised me, some with their creativity, others with their passion and professionalism, and others with their kindness or sense of humor. Just seeing their radiant faces made me smile.
I am sad
because I won't be seeing my friends from the farm daily as I did for a month
and a half. But I firmly believe in the saying: "Out of sight, near to heart," which highlights the fact that even when far from those we care
about, the bonds remain the same.
In any
case, we don't know what tomorrow holds; and who knows, I might end up coming
back here. If not, I know that I will at least return to Taiwan.
I would
like to thank all the people who were kind to me, who helped me in difficult
times, and who willingly did me favors. <3 I will sincerely miss you. 💗
France is not always a very warm country, and just for that reason, I need to discover new horizons. Each of my travels makes me grow and makes me stronger.
I am happy and proud to have been able to adapt to this other culture, this other environment every day. I would say that adaptability and understanding of other cultures are among the gifts of mixed-race children.
To me, it is the most beautiful heritage.
My understanding of the Chinese language has improved, and I now have more confidence when I speak. Not just at the farm, but during my days off, I had the chance to talk with shopkeepers, and at that moment, I realized that I had understood everything and managed to find the words to express each of my thoughts. The fear of speaking the language is quite common. Especially for shy people; we are afraid of butchering the language, mispronouncing a word, not being understood, and ending up in embarrassing situations. But it's one of the biggest psychological barriers, and we need to learn to gradually overcome it.
I have learned a lot of things in various fields, and I have also gained professional experience that will be useful to me in the future.
A small
routine developed during this stay, so it feels very strange to move on to
something else.
As they say, all good things must come to an end... So... goodbye 頭城農場 !👋
A picture from today's event:
A day in Tamsui/1 jour à Tamsui
During my last day off, I decided to go explore Tamsui.
If I had to summarize this excursion in one word, I would say: Food.
It's no longer just food, it's works of art! I almost felt
bad eating it, haha...
It was also a special day because it was a holiday due to the Dragon Boat Festival! There were many parades and celebrations in front of the temples.
Before heading back, I sat on the grass to drink my bubble tea. It was just nice to sit, reflect, and soak in the surrounding atmosphere.
June 13, 2024
2 days in Taichung, Nantou and Changhua/2 jours à Taichung, Nantou et Changhua
I decided to explore other counties during my days off.
I started by visiting the city of Taichung, a city that has
been deeply shaped by the Japanese colonial period, as there are many remnants
and influences of this culture. I found the atmosphere of this city to be
really different from other cities in Taiwan.
I naturally
stopped by the birthplace of Bubble Tea (the first official Chun Shui Tang
shop).
I then went
to the art alley painted with several characters from Japanese series and
animated films. Being quite a fan of anime, it was a pure delight for me.
I then went
to visit the Rainbow Village, which used to be a former military village. It
was initially supposed to be demolished, but an old soldier started painting
it.
In the
afternoon, I took a bus to Nantou County to visit Sun Moon Lake. Unfortunately,
the weather wasn’t very good that day. I rented a bike to ride around the lake,
which was quite athletic, but it was truly a wonderful experience.
The next
day, I went to visit Changhua County. I visited the Great Buddha Temple, and it
was truly impressive.
I then went
to Lukang, where I took a stroll down the old street and did some shopping. I
found some unique items.
June 12, 2024
6ème semaine à Toucheng Leisure Farm/6th week at Toucheng Leisure Farm
The sixth week was quite special because Filipino high school students came to stay at the farm to improve their Chinese language skills. (Most of them were actually mixed-race, Filipino and Chinese).
I attended
the Chinese classes taught by Kate and the others.
Then, the high school students had a cooking class. I was able to participate while assisting my colleagues. We made pancakes (which look more like crepes to me haha). The moment when we had to flip the pancake in the pan reminded me of Chandeleur (a celebration in France where we hold a coin in one hand and flip the crepe in the pan to attract wealth).
The students also baked cheesecakes.
The
following days, Laura taught me how to make bracelets. When the students came
to make theirs, I individually explained to them how to do it when they didn't
understand.
I think
that patience is a virtue when it comes to this kind of work.
Finally, the students climbed to the top of the branches using the ropes that were set up for this purpose, following the demonstration given by the teacher.
1 jour à Keelung/1 day in Keelung
On my day off, I went to Keelung, a city also known as the "Rainy Port" due to the significant rainfall it receives throughout the year.
I started
my visit at the Fairy Cave, which was formed by sea erosion. This cave houses
temples and sculptures. On the left side of the cave, there was a path. It was
quite wide at the beginning but became narrower and narrower (lower as well). Since I'm quite
tall, I was afraid of getting stuck in the cave, so I turned back!
Sauf que... j'ai fait un immense détour car je ne savais pas qu'un des ascenseurs de Keelung nous y conduisait directement.
Except
that... I took a huge detour because I didn't know that one of the elevators in
Keelung would take us there directly. One of my shoes broke on the way (quite a
special expedition but very fun in the end).
These
adventures were worth it because I was able to admire the city of Keelung from
the panoramic terrace.
I went to
Zhengbin Fishing Harbor and its colorful houses, then I went to the Miaokou
Night Market before returning to the farm. I enjoyed some beef dumplings and
drank a Thai milk tea.
5ème semaine à Toucheng Leisure Farm/5th week at Toucheng Leisure Farm
Jeudi, ma collègue m'a emmenée à l'établissement viticole "Cang Jiu Winery" pour que je puisse en apprendre plus sur la torréfaction du café (La torréfaction du café est le processus par lequel les grains de café verts sont transformés en grains bruns prêts à être moulus et préparés en une boisson. Il s’agit d’une étape cruciale dans la production de café, car elle affecte directement le goût final de la boisson.)
On Friday,
I went to help Kate at the local products exhibition of Yilan in Fulong. This
allowed me to quickly explore the surroundings.
Here is our
stand! :
June 03, 2024
4ème semaine à Toucheng Leisure Farm/4th week at Toucheng Leisure Farm
Cette 4ème semaine à la ferme a été assez spéciale puisque des écoliers de l'école française de Taipei sont venus nous rendre visite.
J'ai donc passé la plupart de mon temps au centre DIY.
J'ai notamment traduit les instructions de mes collègues et aidé les élèves à faire les activités.
Il y a eu la préparation de la boisson vinaigrée, l'atelier cuisine avec les pancakes taïwanais, la réalisation de T-shirts avec les impressions de feuilles.
Jeudi, j'ai encadré les élèves lors d'une promenade pour assurer leur sécurité, ce qui m'a aussi permis de visiter le temple le plus proche et ensuite d'assister à une représentation théâtrale traditionnelle. (Lorsque les acteurs ont lancé des pièces, les enfants et les adultes se sont vite jetés dessus, c'était assez drôle).
Les enfants ont ensuite préparé des tangyuan que nous avons ensuite dégustés.
Un phénomène assez commun chez les enfants parlant plusieurs langues à un jeune âge est de mélanger les langues. Ici, certains élèves faisaient un mélange de français, d'anglais et de chinois.
C'était très intéressant de voir la différence entre l'éducation française et l'éducation taïwanaise.
Les jours suivant le départ des enfants, je suis restée au centre DIY pour aider mes collègues. De nombreux clients sont venus faire les activités.
Nous avons préparé les cerclages en bambou des lanternes et nous avons disposé les papiers à brûler.
This fourth
week at the farm was quite special because schoolchildren from the French
school in Taipei came to visit us.
So, I spent
most of my time at the DIY center.
I
translated my colleagues' instructions and helped the students with the
activities.
There was
the preparation of the vinegar drink, the cooking workshop with Taiwanese
pancakes, and making T-shirts with leaf prints.
On
Thursday, I supervised the students during a walk to ensure their safety, which
also allowed me to visit the nearest temple and then attend a traditional
theatrical performance. (When the actors threw coins, both children and adults
quickly scrambled to collect them, which was quite funny).
The
children then prepared tangyuan, which we then enjoyed.
A common
phenomenon among children speaking several languages at a young age is mixing
the languages. Here, some students were mixing French, English, and Chinese.
It was very
interesting to see the difference between French education and Taiwanese
education.
The days
after the children left, I stayed at the DIY center to help my colleagues. Many
customers came to do the activities.
We prepared
the bamboo frames for the lanterns and arranged the papers to be burned.