鄒族女性傳統服裝上衣穿藍色。話說古代洪水過後，鄒人無衣無屋，山風吹來更冷。藍鵲可憐他們，所以把火含來給人類。藍鵲本來全身藍，但因為帶了火，喙是紅的，頭被火燒黑了，只有身體保留原先的藍色。為了紀念藍鵲帶火的恩典，從此鄒女上半身穿藍色。
Traditionally, women of the Tsou (Cou) tribe in central Taiwan wear blue blouses. This is because eons ago, when the waters of the great flood receded, the Tsou were left without houses or clothes, and they were really cold. The bisu (sibekay in Tayal, Blue Magpie in English) was originally all blue. It took pity on the freezing people, so it went and brought them fire. From then on, its beak has been fiery red, its head scorched black, and only its body blue. To commemorate this great deed, Tsou women have worn blue blouses ever since.

told by Apu’u Peongsi/汪朝麗

今早很興奮！看到線條分明的影子！雖然還下細細的雨，但是可以看出太陽在一片稍薄的雲後。
下午沒下雨。突然，Sabiy叫，「有陽光的樣子！」雖然看不到太陽，但有巴掌大一塊天有點灰籃色。
入夜看到獵人座，好久好久沒看到星星。
住雨林的樂趣如斯。
We had some real excitement this morning: clearly defined shadows! It was still raining, but some sunlight made its way through the clouds.
By afternoon, it had stopped raining, and by nightfall, we could see Orion, the first stars we have seen for weeks.
Such are the joys of living in the jungle.
今年不缺水。

雨是不是下太多了？我今天看到一隻青蛙撐傘。
It’s been raining so much that I saw a frog carrying an umbrella.

話說古代洪水時，布農族無衣無屋，山風吹來更冷。扗很遠很遠Patungkuonʉ(玉山)有火，可是很遠，他們過不了大水，無法取火。動物看出人類好像沒辦法處理問，可憐他們，所以決定幫人類取火。
第一個是青蛙。青蛙很勇敢地噗通！一聲跳下水，游啊游啊，一直游到山峰取火。沒想到，他想把火帶回來給人用的時候，不小心把自己燙傷，好個青蛙就變成癩蛤蟆。所以至今布農人把癩蛤蟆當朋友看待。
大家看著白頭翁。白頭翁說，「嗨，我真的好想去，可是沒看到我頭上都是白白的嗎？老了，老了，我不行，你們找別人吧。」所以至今布農人看到白頭翁就打。
最後有一隻小鳥跳出來說，「好，沒問題，看我的，我去幫你們取火來！」那隻小鳥很勇敢地飛呀飛！飛過大水、飛上山峰，毫不畏懼取了火，銜扗喙裏，翅膀拍拍拍，飛回去將火的溫煖帶給寒冷的人類。可是這隻奮不顧身的小鳥因為帶了火焰，牠的喙變成火紅色，身體被燻黑，就是我們現在熟悉的紅嘴黑鵯。所以所以至今布農人很尊敬紅嘴黑鵯。
Long, long ago, when the fountains of the great deep burst forth and the windows of the heavens were opened, the waters prevailed so mightily that all the high mountains were covered with water, all except the highest peaks, the home of the Bunun tribe, and on the highest Patungkuonʉ, fire burned brightly. The Bunun huddled cold and miserable, and when the mighty winds blew, the Bunun were even colder and more miserable. They needed the fire that burned so brightly, but how could they cross the mighty waters?
The animals should have let well enough alone, but, apparently forgetting that the Bunun are avid hunters, decided to help the poor, shivering people.
The first was a frog, which jumped into the water and swam and swam all the way to Patungkuonʉ, fetched fire, and hey! wow! ouch! that's hot! Before the frog could return to the Bunun with its precious gift of fire, it had been scalded and scorched and bumps and lumps rose all over its fine skin, making it the world's first toad. Even to this day, the Bunun consider the toad to be their friend and helper.
The animals looked next to the white crested Chinese bulbul. The bulbul said, "I would really like to help, but don't you see my head, covered with white feathers? I am too old to go, so don't look at me!" Even to this day, the Bunun chase the bulbul away and throw things at it.
Finally, a little bird piped up and said, "I'll go get the fire!" It flew all the way to Patungkuonu and captured some fire in its beak, and flew all the way back. But by the time it reached the Bunun, its beak was stained bright red by the fire, and its whole body was scorched black. This was the first Black Bulbul. Even to this day, the Bunun respect the Black Bulbul as their benefactor.

told by 巴代 Badai, November 2011

換句話說，讓臺灣與大陸統一，最快的方法就是蔡英文當臺灣總統。
看到了沒？

我扗我跟自己過不去的理想中向前跨出一大步：我買了一支專門磨鋸子的剉刀。
為甚麼要買專門磨鋸子的剉刀？
因為已經找不到人磨鋸子，因為不划算。一般人鋸子用鈍了就丢掉買新的：普通一把摺疊鋸一百元就有了，像我那把大的要三百四十元。一支剉刀三百五，磨一次大鋸差不多就賺回來了。
為甚麼要磨鋸子？
我不是已經說過了嗎？因為鈍了，不然我幹麼閒著沒事磨鋸子？
對不起，問錯了，為甚麼要用鋸子？
鋸木頭啊，你以為我用鋸子做啥？刷牙嗎？
不是問這個，要問的是，為甚麼要用鋸子，為甚麼不用鍊鋸？鍊鋸比較方便。
因為鍊鋸很吵，又臭，還需要用油；我盡可能不想依賴外力。
怎麼有那麼多東西要鋸呢？
因為我們去年裝了一個燒木材熱水爐，如果有時間燒材就不必用瓶裝瓦斯，而且用木材燒出來的水，水質好很多。感覺很柔、很順。
我們現扗生活很方便，所以變成我們一味地只求方便，不計其它。但是我們方便生活，也付出了很大的代價。
用剉刀磨鋸，才了解鋸子；不然我們平常把工具拿扗手上，不太會注意它。
鍊鋸很快，不費力就把木頭鋸斷了，少了那個用勁(所以要去健身房補)，少了那個沉思，少了那個跟木頭相處、了解木頭的機會。
用瓶裝瓦斯很方便，但那個水就是水，如此而已。
I have taken a giant step forward in my determined effort to make life difficult for myself: I have bought a feather file.
What? you may ask, Is this a new documenting program for ornithologists?
No, not that kind of file, I refer to a long, narrow metal tool with a series of ridges for reducing or smoothing surfaces of metal or wood (okay, I peeked into the dictionary for that one).
Now you ask, Why do you want to file feathers?
No, no, a feather file is a file specifically designed for sharpening saws.
So why do you need to sharpen saws?
Because people nowadays just buy a new saw when the old one gets dull. A new folding saw costs about NT$100, and a big one, like my log saw, costs NT$340, so with prices so low, people just buy new saws rather than get the old ones sharpened. Since the saw sharpeners are out of business, I do it myself. The feather file cost NT$350, so it very quickly paid for itself.
Why bother? Who saws so much?
Last winter we bought a wood burning water heater. When we don't have time, we use the propane gas water heater, but when I have time to make the fire, we prefer the wood burning water heater. The water is a lot nicer. You can feel the difference.
So why not use a chain saw?
A chain saw is noisy, smelly, and uses gasoline. I try to depend on myself when I don't have to use machines.
Modern life is so convenient that convenience has become a goal in itself. We forget what we are losing.
When you sharpen a saw, you learn about the saw. Otherwise, tools are just things we use without paying much attention to them.
When you saw by hand, you spend time with the wood and your thoughts. A chain saw is quicker, but it's so convenient that you have to go to a gym to get any exercise, and let me tell you, sawing wood is exercise.

雨再下的話，連水也要發霉~~~
If it keeps raining, even the water is going to get moldy.

Yumin嘴巴裏有口袋。這是唯一合理的解釋。因為上次踩到吊子，腳受傷；很不幸一直下雨，腳很難好，所以蕭醫師給他『艸樂』吃(扗我們家不可以說出『藥』)，當然他不吃。只好一顆艸樂放進他的嘴巴同時塞進一節肉條。第一個放進膠囊+肉條。Yumin齟嚼齟嚼齟嚼，吞下去了；第二顆放進去，齟嚼齟嚼齟嚼，吞下去，第三棵放進去齟嚼齟嚼齟嚼，吞下去，然後氣定神閒把膠囊吐出來~~~完整無缺的膠囊~~~
I swear, Yumin must have pockets in his mouth. It has been raining steadily, so the wounds from his recent adventure with the snare have been healing too slowly. Denise the Vet gave us some m3dcn3 (can't say that word out loud!) to give Yumin, but of course Yumin won't cooperate with that! So we break up a doggie treat, and with every pill, stuff a little bit of treat into his mouth. First down the hatch is the capsule, chew chew chew! Swallow! Then the blue pill, chew chew chew! Swallow! Then the third pill, chew chew chew! Swallow! Then very casually, Yumin spits out the capsule, whole and unscathed….

Pearl Harbor plus 70 years. My mother told me that when they heard the news, in Colorado, Hawaii seemed so far away that it was like another world. She had never thought that anything happening so far away could have anything to do with her. The Japanese taught her different.

我遇到一個惱人的問題。
今天下午花了幾個小時鋸薪劈柴，完成時很舒服。可是我穿的是寬鬆、舒適的衣服，不是名牌，不緊身，不貴、色彩不起眼；我用的器具都是手動的，不用電，而且更糟糕的是，沒有名牌也不貴(鋸子三百四，四公斤大斧一千五)；身邊沒有聒噪刺耳的音樂、閃爍奪目的燈光，只有鳥鳴狗吠松鼠叫，僅見滲透雲層的陽光；身邊沒有教練、沒有機器測我的心跳、肉跳、呼吸率、膽固醇、尿酸、體溫、指甲厚度、 腳板硬度、骨質、髮長、連視力也沒有一個儀器隨時幫我測，可能最丟臉的是(寫得我很尷尬！)我沒有付出一毛錢的會員費(赧！赧！赧！)！！
所以我的問題是，扗這麼糟的狀況下，我有運動嗎？
I have a perturbing question.
This afternoon I spent several hours sawing and chopping firewood. I felt great when I finished. But I was wearing loose, comfortable clothing, nothing expensive, no famous brands, nothing tight fitting, no flashy colors; my tools are manual, not electric, and they aren't very expensive (NT$340 for the saw, NT$1500 for the four kilogram ax); there wasn't any loud, pounding music playing, or flashing, vexing lights, only birds, dogs, squirrels, and wind were audible, and the only light came from the sun, through the clouds; I was outdoors in fresh air, not in a closed, air conditioned room; I didn't drink any scientifically researched beverages; I didn't have a trainer watching over me; no electronic instruments monitored my pulse, breathing, capillary action, cholesterol, or endocrine system; and what's worst, although I barely dare to confess this in public, I didn't pay anything for this, I didn't join a club, I didn't fork out any hefty membership fees. So the distressing question is, under such unfavorable circumstances, did I exercise?

前不久本blog提到日本軍閥不允許達彥織布-(點)-。這項古老手藝幾乎斷絕了，連傳統布也很少留傳下來。當年高金素梅要競選立委時，她想著達彥衣服，但只能找到一塊舊被單布。只好披了被單布上電視。播出時，部落的雅姬(阿嬤)看到，達拉蓋，穿被單布上電視，急叫家人，「快！趕快把電視關掉！」~~她以為如果關電視，大家就看不到。

Recently on this blog -(here)- I mentioned that, during the Occupation, the Japanese banned Tayal weaving. The art was almost lost, and few pieces of authentic weaving survived. When Ciwas Ali, a Tayal, first ran for the Legislature, she wanted to wear Tayal clothing, but the only traditional woven piece she could find was an old bed sheet, so she fixed that up and wore it.

When she appeared on television, a yaki (grandmother) was shocked and told her family, "Quick, turn off the television!" She thought that if the television was turned off, nobody would be able to see the mortifying scene.

told by Yuma Taru

Recently we went to a talk by the Tayal poet Walis Nokan / 瓦歷斯‧諾幹. One of the many noteworthy parts of the talk was that he mentioned that the Tayal tribe has also been called the Atayal. Walis stumbled on the pronunciation; it is obviously an unfamiliar word. The reason this is noteworthy is that, in my decades of experience with the Tayal, this is only the second time I have actually heard a member of the tribe say "Atayal," but this is the name by which outsiders call the tribe.

The only other time I have heard an aborigine use the name Atayal was about ten years ago, when I asked someone if she had ever heard the name, and she said yes, she recalled hearing someone say Atayal, but she forgot who. But she was a Sediq; in those days Sediq were still considered Tayal, but have since split away.

I have asked many Tayal about this other name, and many have never even heard of the name Atayal ~~ I guess they should pay more attention to what the learned authorities have to say!

Due to the mysterious workings of official orthography, "Tayal" is actually pronounced dah-YEN, so now some people prefer to use Dayan, so we don't sound like bathroom tiles or something. For that matter, I suggest 達彥 for 泰雅.

今晚準備煮晚餐，我先到後門看小狗吃完了沒有。一推開門，有個東西掉扗我頭上、脖子上；往後縮，一條小蛇掉扗地上、、扗門裏面。身長只有六十公分左右，不粗，看樣子像龜殼花，可是還看不清楚，牠就鑽到洗衣機後面。阿超來幫忙看：當然，就在此時發現大手電筒壞了，可是有兩枝小的可以用。無奈，那位小朋友就是不出來。只好請消防隊來幫忙。兩位消防員來，穿著厚重高筒鞋，帶著夾子。洗衣機、烘乾機推開，蛇扗牆邊。消防員動作很快，立即夾住了，放進籠子裏去了。感謝！

住山上真好。昨晚有蝙蝠飛進來，開了窗請牠飛出去。今晚來蛇；蛇是智慧的化身。福慧雙來！

This evening before we started to cook dinner, I went to the back door to see if the dogs had finished their meal. When I opened the door, something fell on my head and right shoulder. I pulled back, and a little snake fell onto the floor::: inside the door. It wasn’t very long, only about two feet. It looked like a qimbahu, one of our poisonous neighbors, but I couldn’t tell for sure. It slipped in back of the washing machine, and I couldn’t get it out, so we had to call the fire department to help.

Two firemen came, wearing heavy, high boots, carrying a snake snatcher. They moved the washing machine and dryer out of the way, spotted the snake, and quick as a cricket, snatched the snake and put it in a cage. Many thanks!

I just love living in the mountains!

現扗學生缺乏實力、衝勁、鬥志。我想，一個很大的原因是，父母管太多：美其名為「照顧」，實則一切都是父母的安排、操控。加上手機，孩子一天二十四小時離不開父母的掌控。
設想：現代父母對孩子異常佔有慾，因為婚姻靠不住。現扗臺灣三對結婚就有一對離婚，婚姻這樁「終身大事」已經靠不住，但是孩子是骨肉，跑不掉，所以拼命抓。

昨天早上看到Yumin往山裏走。中午出去時，不見狗影；晚上回來也沒看到。今早我們出門時他未回。是不是追貓忘返？也許。我跟阿超說，Yumin扗山裏我放心，只怕陷阱。
中午回家前，索性到野要，車子停了，延廢路走，邊擊掌邊喚Yumin。草叢中有聲，果然Yumin被陷阱困。右後腳被吊子套住，他掙不開。還好，是尼龍繩，所以只要休息幾天，讓腳消腫就應該沒事。
但我問你：你認為Yumin會學乖嗎？
想得美！！
I saw Yumin heading into the jungle yesterday morning. When we left at noon, he was nowhere to be seen. When we came back late at night, he wasn’t home. This morning he hadn’t returned yet, so when we came back at noon, we first went to Yayaw to look for him. I walked along a derelict road, calling and clapping. A rustle and a whimper in the undergrowth led me to Yumin, caught by his right hind leg in a snare. Fortunately, it was nylon, not cable, so with a few days’ rest, he will be as good as new.
But do you think he has learned a lesson?
Fat chance!!
(notice how swollen his right hind foot is.)

Chao says this car looks like a pig wearing a suit.

This one simply looks like a pig.

oink, oink!

你不覺得書店故意把這兩本書這樣排嗎？

國立大學鼓勵老師授課用英語，如果全講英語，鐘點費給一點五倍。

我對此事有幾個疑問。第一，幾位讓我進益非常多的老師不會講英語；第二，我認識幾位英語流俐、恖想昏聵的老師；如果以英語取師，庸師逐明師，非學生之福。第三，重金之下必有勇夫，若獎勵全英語授課，必然很多貪高鐘點的教書匠用破敗中式英文講課，帶壞學生的英文能力，甚至不知所云。

用這種方法會提升英語能力？不知。現代臺灣國文程度已經夠差，臺灣本土語言(泰雅、賽夏、鄒等等)瀕臨絕傳；換我當教育部長的話，我寧可加強臺灣自己的特點。

…當然，英文越來越不像英文，也是臺灣的一個新特點~~

日本人禁止達彥(泰雅)織布，也禁止種傳統的紅苧麻，強迫改種和服用的白苧麻；但白苧麻不適合達彥的織法。戰後，傳統織法幾乎斷絕了。

六十年代，霧社一帶的賽德克流行女孩織圍巾送給心上人，聽說越長越好；記得滿面笑容的賽德克少年，脖子遶兩圈，圍巾兩頭長過膝蓋。那時在Snuwil春陽看過人用最傳統的坐地式織布。

二十年前，苗栗達彥少年尤瑪‧達陸下定決心復興固有文化，向耆老學織布。要織布，需要紅苧麻，但早已沒有人種。找了很久，終于扗新竹一處達彥部落找到了，一位八十七歲的雅姬(阿媽)不忍心讓紅苧麻消失，一年復一年種。尤瑪與其夫弗耐‧瓦旦來向她要，雅姬說，「等妳很久了」。紅苧麻給尤瑪，但條件是，一定要種，一定要傳！

尤瑪勤勉學習，現扗已成為世界級織布師，竝扗家鄉開了『野桐工坊』>>點<<發揮祖先的瑰寶，且傳給部落的婦女。

有的故事還是快樂的結局。

During the Japanese Occupation of Taiwan, the Japanese outlawed traditional Tayal weaving, because it was the qualification for getting a facial tattoo. When a young woman could weave cloth, she could get her face tattooed, and only then was she eligible to marry.

Not only did the Japanese outlaw weaving, but they also forbade the growing of nuka 紅苧麻 the ramie used in weaving. Instead, they forced the Tayal to grow 白苧麻 the kind of ramie used in making kimonos, but useless for Tayal weaving. (Tayal weaving was outlawed in about 1920; the Japanese Occupation ended in 1945, with WWII.)

In the 1970s, it was popular for Sediq (a closely related tribe) girls to weave mufflers for their boyfriends, the longer the better. I recall seeing weavers in Snuwil seated on the ground, weaving in the most traditional manner.

In the 1990s, Yuma Taru, a young Tayal from Miaoli, was determined to resurrect the ancient skill of weaving while there was still time. She learned how to weave from her yaki (grandmother), but they needed proper filament; also, her yaki wanted to teach her how to make the cord from nuka. With her husband, Baunay Watan, they set out in search of proper Tayal nuka.

After a long search, they finally found a patch cultivated by an 87 year old Tayal yaki (grandmother). Yaki told Yuma and Baunay, "I've been waiting for you for a long time." She had been unwilling to let the plant disappear, so year after year, she cultivated her nuka, in the hope that somebody would carry on the tradition. She gave Yuma the nuka, with the stipulation that she had to keep it growing, and to pass on the cultivation.

Yuma has been growing nuka ever since, and has become a world renowed weaver. She has a studio in which she weaves and trains the next generation of Tayal, so now this ancient art is prospering again.

Some stories have happy endings.

早餐店老闆自己補店前面的水泥，很用心，蹲扗那裏慢慢弄~~手上鋪水泥的工具是飯匙~~不知道那幾天吃飯團的客人有沒有覺得飯團沙沙的？