A TWISTY TALE OF TAIWAN
CATHY ADAMS puts her Mandarin to the test with an immersive tour of beef noodles, stinky tofu, cities, beaches and mountains along the length of Taiwan Cathy Adams在台灣自駕遊，穿過城市、海灘與山間，考驗自己普通話的會話能力之餘，沿途更大啖牛肉麵和臭腐豆 等地道美食
Cityscapes, seascapes, landscapes, wordscapes – one action-packed drive. By CATHY ADAMS
封面故事 曲折多姿的寶島之行
城市、海邊、陸地，還有文藝，一次自駕遊盡覽各種風光。撰文： Cathy Adams
When I was studying French at school, the advice was immersion. Listen to the radio in French, watch French films, snag a French boyfriend. ( That last one usually worked the best.)
I added one more to the list when I lived in Toulouse as a young adult: drive. I bought a car and used it to slingshot myself across the country (Marseille and Montpellier to party, the Pyrenees to ski, Paris to shop) every weekend. I got to know the intricacies of the parking meter, what an aire was (a surprisingly pleasant rest area on a motorway) and how to pump a deflated tire. My French improved immeasurably when a speeding ticket arrived in my boîte à lettres.
Ten years later, I’m banking on the same logic but 10,240 kilometres, 50,000 characters and five tones away.
I’m a fledgling Mandarin speaker – and am driving the length of Taiwan to improve that. I’m travelling with my colleague Mike, a photographer, whose Mandarin stretches only to nihao (hello).
我在求學時期修讀法，語 常聽到人說習語學 法 的要訣便是全情投入法的語 世界，例如聽法語電台、看法國電，影 還有交個法國男（友 這方法通常最奏效）。我成年後不久便移居法國圖盧茲，學習法語要訣從此添上一項：駕駛。當時我買了一輛汽車，每逢周末便於法駕國 車到處闖蕩（前往馬賽和蒙彼利埃參加派對、到比利牛斯滑雪、到巴黎購物）。我逐漸明白泊車咪錶錯綜複雜的、運作 了解何謂「aire」（出乎意料舒適的高速公路休息區），以及學懂為漏氣的輪胎。充氣 當我收到從法蘭西寄來的超速罰款告票時，法文水平便會隨著怒火突猛。飛 進
十年之後，把我 這套竅門應用學於 習一種有50,000個字及五個音調之別的外語，期望在10,240公里之外，方法會同樣奏效。
我剛剛開始學習普通話，期望這趟台灣長途駕駛之旅能讓我學業進步。同行的旅伴是我的攝
This is good. I’m our only hope if we want to make it from Taipei in the north to the southernmost tip in Kenting and back up to the port city of Kaohsiung.
Helpfully, this mountainous, urbane, plucky little island is ideal for a road trip over a long weekend. In just three days, we whizzed through cities, up mountains, along coastlines; spotting animals, surfers, shoppers and foodies as we went. I was doing the talking; Mike was taking the photos.
We picked up the car, a robust Ford Focus, outside the airport in Taipei and drove into the city. For those new to driving in Asia, Taiwan is the best place to begin. Drivers are courteous (the only time anyone honked a horn was when I accidentally leaned my elbows on the steering wheel) and lanes well-signposted. It was a good sign for the 461 kilometres we’d be driving from north to south over the next two days.
In Taipei, we wanted urban: and we found it in Songshan Cultural and Creative Park,
a former tobacco factory-turned-arty district. We had kafei (coffee) on battered Chesterfield sofas and thumbed non-fiction books under Anglepoise lamps in Yue Yue,
a bookshop fashioned out of a wooden cabin. We shopped in Design Pin, selling all kinds of cool things that you want but don’t really need: wooden toothbrushes with tiny bristles, shu (book) that open up into a lamp. In Songshan, even the toilets looked like an exhibition space.
Happily, Taipei is also one of those cities where shiwu (food) is front and centre. Which is good, because I learnt the major food groups in Mandarin around lesson 11 and now can order choudoufu (stinky tofu), Taiwan’s iconic niuroumian (beef noodles) and point to hongdoubing (red bean pancakes) for lunch at roadside sellers on traditional street Dihua Jie. Had we not left in the afternoon, we would’ve needled our way to the Shilin night market at dusk, hoovering up waffles, soups and almost anything on a stick.
We still wanted to visit a night market, so we drove south to ancient capital Tainan to do it. Tainan was four hours away on the pleasant-enough, but unatmospheric Freeway 1. Outside the car, we skirted Taiwan’s west coast, the mountains in the middle and some of the island’s metropolises: Taichung, Taoyuan and Chiayi.
Inside the car, we argued over the yinyue
(music). I like up-tempo dance music at any time of day; Mike prefers old-style songs with guitars and melodies. He even suggested Bruce Springsteen.
The immersion tactic known as local radio (103.9 MHz) won this particular battle, even if I could pick out nothing aside from the occasional city name: Xianggang (Hong Kong), Beijing, Kaohsiung. It could’ve been a shipping forecast, the news headlines or an interview with the latest Mandopop star. I hoped my language skills were improving.
The talking had given way to an odd Mandarin R&B song as we pulled into the labyrinthine underground tingchechang (car park) under the centre of Tainan. First stop: the traditional city’s prettily named Huayuan Yeshi (Flower Night Market), which sells everything classically Taiwanese. Dinner was hot bags of airy, deep-fried sweet potato; crispy jiaozi (dumplings), dunked in hot sauce; and fried jirou (chicken) with a generous sneeze of paprika. Handily, according to an old 影師同事Mike，他懂說的普通話就只有一句「你好」。好極了，我們這兩名洋鬼子居然想從開台北 車到墾國丁 家公園的最南端，再回頭到口市港 城 高雄。順能否 利完成，就全看我的本領。了
幸好，這個多山、先進及蠻有個性的小島實是周末長假期自駕遊的理想之選。在短短三天的時間裡，我們穿梭不同城市，在山路及海邊公路飛馳，看沿途 到不少動物有，也 衝浪、購物及尋覓美食的遊人。我負責發言， Mike則專注拍照。
我們於台灣桃園際國機場外取車，坐上一輛堅固的福特Focus汽，車 然後開車進城對。 於那些在亞洲缺乏駕駛經驗的人來說，台灣是最好的起點。司機大都彬彬有禮（我在當地唯一一次聽汽到 車響號，是我自己不小心把手肘靠在軚盤上的時候） ，此外路標亦十分清晰。我們在接下來的兩天內需由北至南駕駛461公里，這些事情都令我們感到安心。
來到台北，我們難免想感受一下都市的氣息，而松山文創園區正合心意。松山文創園區的前身為香煙廠，改後來 成藝術園區。我們走進一間宛如小木屋的閱樂書店，坐在破舊的稜格紋皮沙，發上 在曲臂枱燈的燈光下呷著咖啡看。書們我在設計點閒逛選購心頭好，那裡的商品有配以幼細刷 毛的柄木 牙刷，還有開成翻 變 一盞燈的硬皮精裝書，美精 有餘，實用性卻略嫌。不足在松山，連洗手間也散發文創氣息，弄得像展覽空間一樣。
好在台北亦是民以食為天的城市，而我於第11課普通話所學到的食物詞彙正好大派用場。我們走到老式的迪化街，我於路邊攤用普通話點了臭腐豆 及台灣著名的牛肉麵，還豆午有紅餅作 餐如。 果我們當天下午不用離開繼續行程，應該會在黃昏時分擠進士林夜市，把窩夫餅、湯羹和一串串小食統統吃進肚子裡。
我們還是想去個夜市走走，所以我們往南駛至古台城 南。由台北駕車到台南約需四小時，我們取道的高中山 速公路稱得上舒適宜人，但卻平平無奇。我們的車子沿著台灣西海岸的邊緣走，駛過中部的山脈，還有台中、園桃 及嘉義這些寶的島上 大都會。
在車內廂 ，我們卻為播放什麼音樂爭持不下。歡我喜 一整天都播放節奏強勁的跳舞音樂，而Mike則喜以他歡 結 伴奏和配有主旋律的老歌。他甚至提議聽村鄉 及搖滾樂手Bruce Springsteen的作品。
我的「投入外語世界」第一式，又名聆聽當台道地電 （頻 103.9兆赫， ）助我在這場播放權之爭贏得漂亮一仗，即使我能聽得懂的只是偶爾出現的港香 、北京及高雄等地名。這可能是海上天氣預報、新聞頭條或國語流行樂新壇 星的採。訪 我希望這對學習普通話有助幫。
我們駛進台南市中心猶如迷宮般的地下停車場時，電台的喃喃自語換成了一首奇怪的國語R＆B節奏藍調歌曲。我們在這個古老城市的第一站，是冠以花園夜市美名的流動夜市，到處可見各種典型的台灣貨品。我們的晚餐是數袋熱騰騰的烤薯蕃 、香脆的辣餃，汁 子 以及灑辣滿 椒粉的炸雞。據我現在於台南生活的老同學所說，炸雞正是市內最受歡迎的美。食
台南是台灣最古老的城市台，而 南神農街則是保存得最好的老街之一。我們四處閒逛，喝著台灣啤酒，窺探一下沿路的迷你酒吧（其中一家甚至名為太古）及設計小店。，另外 我們還從一台位置隱密的自動販賣機買了點東西。販賣機擺放於木棚之內，亭前還有一道布簾呈， 現這裡日治時期的遺風。
在自駕遊的第一天，我們由北至南已經縱向過走 台灣三分之二的地土 。第二天，我們打算完成餘下的三分之一，駛往台灣的最南端：墾丁國家公園。
我們重返高中山 速公路，駛到高雄一帶，沿途風景由工業化的田農 ，變為綿連 不斷的脈山 ，公路兩旁盡是棕櫚樹，還藍有 得不能再藍的汪洋大海。綠意盎然的田野上立著數間寺廟路，攤邊 販在擺賣切成一片片的芒果和紅龍。火 果油站裡有一頭狗，眉毛置兩的位 貼有 塊。貼紙
我們一直往前駛，直至無路可走。
在台灣的最南端有一座漂亮的水泥紀念碑，前臨洶湧的波濤和藍黑色的海綿
IN SONGSHAN, EVEN THE TOILETS LOOKED LIKE AN EXHIBITION SPACE在松山，連洗手間也像個展覽空間一樣
school friend of mine now living in Tainan, fried chicken is the city’s favourite dish.
Tainan is Taiwan’s oldest city, and
Shennong Jie one of its best-preserved laojie (old streets). We ambled down it with a can of Taiwan Beer, peering into its microbars (one even called Taikoo) and design stores. We even ordered from a vending machine hidden in a wooden booth behind a curtain. There’s more than a little Japanese influence in this former capital.
By the end of day one, we’d made it two-thirds of the way down Taiwan. On day two, we were going to drive the rest of it: to Kenting National Park.
And so back onto Freeway 1. Around
Kaohsiung, the scenery changed from industrial-looking farmland to sweeping mountains, palm tree-studded highways, and blue, blue sea. Miao (temples) rose from green fields. Roadside sellers flogged smooth slices of mango and dragonfruit washed a beetroot purple. A gou (dog) appeared at a petrol station with two stickers where its eyebrows should be.
We pushed on until there was no more road.
The southernmost point of Taiwan is marked by a concrete cornucopia structure overlooking crashy waves and a field of black-navy spongy-looking rocks. It made for a good photo (it’s also the meeting point of the Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea) but local holidaymakers are more likely to be found further up the coast. Where surfers were picking off squat waves, where yellow sands rolled into clear seas and slightly faded fandian (hotels) overlooked both.
Away from the coast, the whole area around Kenting National Park is mountainous, easily hikeable and flushed a rich green with palms, banyans and bushes. This landscape continues in Kaohsiung, a gentrifying, artsy port city two hours’ drive north of Kenting.
On the third day we found ourselves in this city that’s a neat mix of mountains, coast and urban development: a microcosm of Taiwan itself. We barrelled up Chai Shan (Monkey Mountain), the city’s version of Victoria Peak in Hong Kong. Mike snapped plenty of mean-looking houzi (monkeys) while I found several dead ends.
Here’s immersion tactic #12: ask a local about the best way to do a seven-point-turn halfway up a 356-metre-high mountain.
We made it down Chai Shan in time for a quick lunch and snoop around at Pier
2, a new creative district carved out of Kaohsiung’s former port buildings. I tried to decipher a few of the characters in Taiwanese comic strip gallery ACGN Warehouse,
but had more luck pointing out xianhua
(flowers) in cute boutique Danny’s Flower.
This asking for directions, ordering zhenzhu naicha (bubble tea) and listening to Mando R&B was all very well. I needed to prove myself – and it came in the form of an intercom on the side of the coastal road from Kenting to Kaohsiung. I (almost seamlessly) ordered a hot black coffee for me and nine chicken nuggets for Mike.
Last entry to the immersion handbook: visit a McDonald’s drive-through. 狀岩石，這裡是太平洋和南中國海的交匯點，亦是絕佳的拍照地點。不過對於當地的度假人士來說，沿岸的上游位置才是他們的聚腳地。衝浪者正等待時機乘風破浪，伴以黃色細沙被捲入大海的畫面，還有遠處看不太清楚的海灘度假飯店，遙遙望著這一片風景。
離開海岸範圍，墾丁國家公園周邊一帶盡是山脈，行山路徑難度不高，沿路遍佈棕櫚樹、榕樹和灌木叢，到處綠油油一片。如畫美景一直延伸至距離墾丁兩小時車程的高雄，那是一個正經歷中產化、散發藝術氣息的港口城市。
第三天，我們發現高雄其實有山脈和海岸的風景，亦有城市發展，風貌雖然各異，但一切有條不紊，這不就是台灣的縮影嗎？我們一鼓作氣駛上壽山(當地人又稱它為「柴山」或「猴山」，這裡就如香港的太)平山。我在駕駛途中遇到多個死胡同頻頻碰壁， Mike則忙於拍攝一群群看似來意不善的猴子。
此時我的「投入外語世界」第12式出場了：詢問當地人如何於上山途中來一個七點掉頭駕駛大法，補充資料是山高為356米。
結果我們順利下山，還來得及匆匆吃一頓午餐，並前往駁二藝術特區四周逛逛。駁二藝術特區前身為港口倉庫，現在搖身一變成為創意園區。我試圖於台灣動漫基地動漫倉庫辨認一些角色人物，但完全茫無頭緒，然後於可愛的精品花店
認出「鮮花」這兩個字。我用普通話問路、點珍珠奶茶及聽普通話R&B歌曲都尚算成功，是時候進一步證明自己的實力了。測驗地點是由墾丁前往高雄的沿海公路旁，主持測驗的是一部對講機。我（幾乎完美無瑕地）為自己點了一杯熱的黑咖啡，並為Mike點了九件麥樂雞。
這就是「投入外語世界」的最後一式：使用麥當勞駕車點餐服務。