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匆匆的一年又過了，而我又坐在這裡給你們寫年終回顧了。不知道為什麼今年的時間似乎過的特別的快，可能是因為我今年特別的忙吧！現在想想今年一年還真是做了不少的事情。雖然有的時候我覺得自己應該要做更多的事情，但是再想想還是量力而為吧！年中的時候有一天因為過敏去看學校的醫生，結果醫生跟我說我有高血壓的傾向，要我定期的觀察我的血壓。醫生的警告好像一聲當頭棒喝。想想過去這一年自從進了博士班以後，每天除了在學校上班、上課之外，就是不斷的讀書、做研究、寫報告。基本上沒有什麼機會放鬆自己，更不要說做運動了。這下可好，不要學位還沒拿到，身體就先被我搞壞了。所以自從被醫生警告之後，我便每個禮拜一定找個時間到學校的體育館做運動。而那以後血壓也逐漸的回到正常的水平了。另外我也開始特別注意我的飲食。因為一個人實在太忙，而且我對下廚又實在是興趣缺缺，很多時候我便吃罐頭食物以求迅速。後來我發現罐頭食物往往含有很高的鹽分，而高鹽分食物對血壓高的人是很不好的。現在我要求自己多花一點時間煮東西吃，也許有一天能培養出一點對煮菜的興趣(到目前為止還沒有培養出來)。
今年一年參加了好幾個研討會。也因為參加研討會的關係，去了好幾個沒有去過的地方。三月的時候去了一趟波士頓，也順道到紐約去晃了一下。去紐約的時候，看到了被恐怖份子炸倒的雙子星大廈的廢墟，心中很有感慨。不知道我們人類什麼時候才要停止自己毀滅自己。隔天我跟一個美國同學去百老匯看了我今生第一場百老匯秀-悲慘世界。那真是一場令我難以忘懷的秀，從頭到尾我不知道掉了多少眼淚。倒是我的美國同學坐在我旁邊覺得很無聊-真是煞風景。紐約回來，七月跟我的老闆去到芝加哥在一個研討會裡發表我們的研究成果。第一次在正式的研討會上發表讓我非常的興奮。在芝加哥只待了兩天，所以沒有時間到處晃晃，但是看到芝加哥市中心的建築每一棟都非常的有特色。不過我也見識到芝加哥夏天火爐般的氣候。十月去了一趟離我們學校兩個小時車程的佛羅里達大學發表另外一篇報告。回來之後又去了一趟北卡羅納州參加另外一個研討會。參加研討會是一件很有趣的事。其一、我見識了很多沒見過的都市。其二、可以認識很多相同領域的學者和同儕並且交換心得。參加研討會唯一的壞處是佔去了很多時間，回來之後就得加倍的用功讀書寫報告。
學校的事沒什麼特別的。Spring的時候我自找麻煩的去教了一門大三的課-生涯與職業規劃。那是我第一次教書，而且還不是用我的母語。結果為了準備課程花了我太多的時間，搞的我那個學期的成績不盡理想。春季班一結束，夏季課程就馬上開始了。我們學校的夏季課程是緊接著春季跟秋季課程開的。因此，我今年到現在還沒有放超過一個禮拜的假。上課上了一整年，倒是發現自己對現在念的科目越來越有興趣，沒有什麼倦怠的感覺。只是覺得時間不夠用，希望有更多的時間能拿來唸書。這個學期我評估了一下是不能再不自量力的去教書了，但是為了增加我的校務經驗，我每個禮拜花八個小時到Student Rights and Responsibilities Office (SRR)實習。SRR的功能有點像台灣的大學中的訓導處，但也不是完全的相像。由於我們學校是個很大的學校，學生有的時候難免會觸犯一些法律而被警察逮捕。最常發生的狀況是未滿 21歲喝酒被警察捉到。我的責任是審查警察局送來的報告，決定是不是要根據校規起訴學生。如果決定要起訴學生，我還要聽學生以及證人的辯護，然後決定是否要懲處。我很喜歡這個工作，因為它讓我有很多的機會接觸學生。我不但可以應用心理輔導以及教育行政的知識，也可以更多的瞭解美國大學生的生活。到目前為止我還沒有把任何學生踢出學校–意思是說我是個好人。
教會裡，我已經穩定的在我們教會的「青少幼年團契」裡服事了。說實在的，我從來沒有看過這麼乖的青少年。他們真的是一群很好的年輕基督徒。我希望自己能夠成為他們的好榜樣。沒有牧者以及缺少屬靈的教導是我至今仍然不太能接受的一件事實。雖然我不斷的跟教會的同工溝通我的想法，他們卻似乎覺得有沒有牧師不是一件很緊迫的事情。目前我們的教會正在建堂，我卻覺得有牧師比有新的教堂更重要。每每提到這件事我就覺得心情沈重又很煩。
大概就是這樣了。我的中文打字已經大大的退步。打這封信打的我好累。今年的聖誕節我將會在台灣度過。兩年半沒有回台灣了，很想念在台灣的家人和朋友們。請繼續為我的學業和事奉代禱。也請為我的教會禱告。有的時候我懷疑自己什麼時候才會有女朋友。如果你也對我有同樣的疑問的話，你也可以為這件事禱告。
願 神以祂的臉光照你，賜你平安！
祝 聖誕快樂，新年如意!
It has been another year passed and I hope that you are ready for another newsletter from me. This has been a cold winter for Florida because the temperature has already dropped to the freezing point in November. This also has been a busy year for me from the first day of the year. Because the summer semester at Florida State University is tightly connected to spring and fall semester, I have taken classes and worked for a whole year without a break more than a week. Fortunately, I am going back to Taiwan this winter break for a month, and I am very excited about this. I have not been home for two and a half years. Most of my college buddies have married and some of them have already had kids. I cannot wait to see all my families and friends, especially my college buddies’ kids!
One day in the past summer, I went to FSU health center to see a doctor for my seasonal allergy. After reviewing my medical records, the doctor told me that I had a tendency of high blood pressure. I was shocked by the news. Since my life was filled by school assignments, papers, works, and church services, I did not have much time to cook (yes, I admit that I do not like cooking) and to do exercise. The result was that I ate a lot of canned food and I probably did exercise once during the year. No wonder I had the tendency of high blood pressure. After I was warned by the doctor, I began to run at least once a week and tried to spend more time to cook for myself (though I still don’t like cooking). My blood pressure has returned to normal range in the last several months, but I will keep doing exercise and monitoring my own health.
This past year was a traveling year for me. I went to Boston in March to attend a national conference for student affairs professionals. Since Boston was not far from New York, I took the opportunity to visit New York City with an American friend. In New York, I went to the Ground Zero of the old Twin Towers. It was a very sad place. Every time when I recalled that place, I reminded myself how much we, as human beings, need the salvation and love from God. Without the love from God, we are just going to destroy ourselves. After visiting the Ground Zero, we went to see a Broadway show – Les Miserables. It was a great show and I could not stop myself from crying again and again. I wish that I will have opportunities to go back to New York and see other Broadway shows.
Coming back from New York, I then went to Chicago in July with my professor and colleagues to present in a local conference. Chicago was a beautiful city and I liked its buildings because they were very unique. However, the summer of Chicago was like a furnace – very very hot. After the Chicago conference, I then went to Gainesville, Florida in October to lead a team presentation in another conference. It was fun, but I wish that we could have more audience. Coming back from Gainesville, I then flew to Raleigh, North Carolina with my professor for another student conference. It was a conference about student spirituality and it was a very special and interesting conference.
Traveling was fun, but the consequence is that I have to spend more time working on my assignments and papers when I was in town. In the spring semester, I took nine credit hours courses plus one teaching job. It was a memorable semester because I still don’t understand how I survived that semester. I have never taught a college class before. Can you image that my first time teaching was teaching a junior level college course using my second language? Although it was a three credit hours class, it took my about 10 to 15 hours a week to prepare it. Teaching a course plus my own assistantship job and 9 credit hours course – no wonder I had the tendency of high blood pressure!
This semester I decided not to teach again. Instead, I got an internship in the Office of Students Rights and Responsibilities. My regular duties included reviewing police reports, drawing charges against offending students, and hearing the cases. So far I have not dismissed or suspended any student from FSU – I mean that I am a pretty nice hearing officer : Anyway! I like this job because it gave me an opportunity to interact with students and to understand their lives.
There is not much to say about the church. I am still in the Tallahassee Chinese Christian Church and serving as a counselor for the youth group. We still have no pastor and I wish you can pray for this for our church. Other than that, please also pray for my study and my service in the church. If you have question about my relationship, then you can add it to your pray list. Overall, I am pretty happy with my life in Florida.
If you are willing, please send an email and let me know you are doing.
Merry Christmas! May God’s grace and peace be with you!