傻膽 Courage of Stupidity
麥恪旺先生攜家帶眷（就是我和他後生）和許久不見的朋友們見面，當我們抱怨買不起雪梨的房地產，他們問為什麼我們在盧森堡認識卻來到澳洲，沒想過回台灣或蘇格蘭定居嗎？
Mr. McWang took his whole family (essentially me and his son) to meet up with long-lost friends. When we were whinging about couldn’t afford the properties in Sydney, they asked why we came to Australia when we met in Luxembourg; did we not think about moving to Taiwan or Scotland?
麥恪旺先生回答我們認識的時候我就已經在辦澳洲簽證了，他自己也想來澳洲，所以我簽證下來後就一起來了。我說我選擇澳洲的原因，是因為在美國和盧森堡工作都需要有公司贊助工作簽證，讓我覺得跳槽之不便，所以就找了可以申請技術移民簽證的澳洲。
Mr. McWang commented that I was already in the Australian visa application process when we met, and that he’s always been keen on moving to Australia, so we came together when my visa was approved. As for me, the rationale of choosing to move to Australia was because I was fed up having to have companies sponsoring my visas when I worked in the States and Luxembourg, so I chose Australia which allowed me to apply for a high-skilled immigration visa.
朋友對於我四處跑的工作經驗頗為訝異，對於美國的經驗快問快答了一下：
Friends were surprised at how many places I’ve worked, so a bit of Q&A for my experience in the States:
我在美國（麥恪旺先生插嘴說，美國？是路易士安納州欸。）一共六年，從十七歲去當交換學生的時候開始。
I was in the States (Mr. McWang cut in ‘the States? You were in Louisiana.’) for six years, starting from being an exchange student when I was 17 years old.
友：這麼年輕就自己一個人去？
Friends: you went to the States by yourself at such a young age?
麥恪旺先生：而且那時候她英文還很爛。（說得好像我現在很好，那你為毛每天幹譙我的英文）
Mr. McWang added: and she was not fluent with English either (as if I am fluent now, then why you always whinge about my English)
對呀，一開始超慘。有時候看那種美國凌霸的高中電影片還會心有戚戚焉。我去的地方不是什麼路易士安納州的大城市，而是烏龜不下蛋的小鎮。我去念的那所高中四個年級一共也才七百的人，我第一天走進校門只有我一個亞洲人，所有的黑人和白人學生都盯著我看，像是我是動物園裡跑出來的狒狒。
Yup, it was really tough at first. Sometimes seeing those American high school drama reminds me that time. I was not in any of the big cities of Louisiana, but in a small town in the middle of nowhere. The high school I went to had just about seven-hundred students across 4 years, and I was the only Asian stepping through that school door the first day I arrived the school, all black and white kids were staring at me like I was a runaway baboon from the zoo.
友：為什麼選路易士安納州？
Friends: why did you choose Louisiana?
我沒有選啊，我只是不知道原來多付一千塊美金可以自己選州別。從人滿為患的台北到看得到公路但是公路上沒有車的路易士安納州的鄉鎮，就是有一種媽啊我到底到了什麼地方的感覺。
I didn’t. I just didn’t know that if I paid another USD $1,000 I could choose which state to go to…
友：妳一定是很有想法然後持之以恆吧？
Friends: you must know what you want and persevere through the tough time?
嗯……我姐對我的行為解釋得很好。她說我這些思前不顧後的作為只能用傻膽形容。
我一直都是真的想要做什麼，就覺得應該放手一搏，也會考慮到事情如果不成功的逼計畫。但是很少考慮到欸計畫實行上會有的痛苦和困境。除了傻膽一詞，我的確也找不到更好的形容詞來形容我如何決定遷移和居住四大洲的經歷。
Hum…. My sister explained my behaviour well. She said that I just have this courage of stupidity as the base for all my blindsided actions. I thought that if I really want to try something, I’d have thought of the option B if I failed, but would not have thought of the pain and the difficulties to execute option A. I cannot find a better way to describe my decisions of moving and living in four continents but courage of stupidity.
