關於 what are you passionate about中文 ，我們在網路上蒐集到這些相關的討論、資訊與評價

【素人推薦文-最重要的夥伴】

四年前，我請在旅途中遇到的兩位好朋友，幫我寫一段他們對我的感想。不愧是我的好朋友，所以在兩年前，我終於收到了其中一位瓦倫的回覆（我們是拖時間比賽嗎XD）。當我現在要把他們整理到書裡面時，覺得NG的片段也太好笑了，所以決定一刀未剪的放上來給大家瞧瞧，你就會知道，在路上可能會遇到什麼樣沒頭沒腦只會拼命講幹話的好朋友 :D (以下是我的翻譯，原文可以往下跳到最後）

「兩位：
我終於找到時間寫些句子給Min，這真的不是一件容易的事情，因為當我開始認真寫個三句話之後，就會忍不住接一些廢話進去。這真的不是一件容易的事，試想看看，如果你得寫一篇關於某人好話的文章，但其實你心裡清楚她其實是個騙子，因為她總是跑去搭火車？

因此，這是我第一個嘗試：
Min是一個像金一樣純的人，她充滿愛和精神，總是穿白色衣服。她沒有騎車，而是在地球上飛行了50厘米。 不...他媽的！

第二次嘗試：
親愛的人們，我必須警告您：這本書是一本幻想小說！如果作者寫了幾公里這樣的文字，很有可能實際上是公尺；當她寫單車時，她意味著火車；當她寫帳篷時，其實指的是一間三星級酒店。

第三次嘗試：
關於第一個騎單車的背包客女子從德國乘火車到臺灣的簡短故事。

我第一次遇到Min時是在德黑蘭的土庫曼大使館大樓外。她問我：「您是Vali嗎？德國人，騎單車前往烏茲別克斯坦嗎？我是Min，我也想去那裡，我們可以一起騎嗎？」

那時候，我不想結識其他騎單車的人。某方面來講，我已經聽夠別人的故事，並很享受自己一個人的旅行。自從我的旅伴朱莉從伊斯坦堡離開我之後，我便開始享受旅途中的寂靜與寂寞。所以我並不想和Min一起旅行，但我只是回答她：「好吧，...是的，好吧，如果我們都能順利拿到簽證，就可以一起騎車。」於是她問了我的聯繫方式，最後她也真的打電話給我一起去領取簽證。

我們開始一起旅行時，我的伊朗簽證只剩9天，因此我每天必須不斷地趕路，我不確定Min是否能夠跟上，因為這將會改變騎車的節奏。但是當我開始認識Min時，我發現她是一個有趣的女孩，一個只燃燒熱情就打算從慕尼黑回到臺灣的女人，充滿了理想和天真。

她只是單純的展開了計劃，在還不知道接下來會發生什麼事，也沒有任何騎乘單車和露營經驗的情況下。她帶了一個彈出式的帳篷，那種帳篷你只會為了在車上應付緊急情況而準備的帳篷；是當你可能在開高速公路回家的路上，因為太過於勞累，而決定扔出這種圓形帳篷休息一下才會用到的那種。而她的單車也沒有前袋，所以她所有的裝備都扛在單車的後面以及她的背上，因為她竟然背了一個背包！實際上，她是第一個騎單車從德國到臺灣的背包客。這就是Min令人印象深刻的一件事：她有這個想法，然後她做到了。

她得到一台贊助的單車和一些贊助的裝備，然後就拿著這些東西展開旅程。她的思考模式不像我這樣的德國人，在計劃開始之前必須擁有完美的單車和完美的裝備。對她而言，在還沒有這些條件之前就可以動身了。我永遠不會知道她何時開始計劃，以及為何要做這趟旅行，我想連她自己都不確定，即使在書裡她告訴了你們不同的故事。

所以在伊朗的時候，我們開始認識彼此，而我的內心也開始轉變，我發現和Min一起騎車真是太好了。

有一天我們還遇到了香港人Senda，傍晚我們一起紮營時，他們兩個在抱怨伊朗米飯因為不夠粘稠，所以不能用筷子吃。請想像一下，有三個人聚集在他們各自的帳篷前，在伊朗沙漠中繁星密布的星空下，而我這顆德國馬鈴薯陷入了一場關於米飯的討論之中。我不得不為自己大笑，當我告訴他們在煮飯時我加了鹽時，他們倆都非常生氣。從這種情況下，我了解到米對於Min、Senda和其他將米作為主食的人來說是非常重要的。於是，我決定再也不會煮米飯給他們，因為他們比我更知道如何煮好米飯。

之後Senda前往阿富汗，Min和我前往馬沙德（Mashad），我們就此分開直到在烏茲別克再度相見。在土庫曼斯坦的途中，我遇到了一個叫雷蒙，又名骯髒的旅行者的瘋子，我們一起前進，當我們離開土庫曼斯坦時，我們又遇到了Min，組成一個黃金三角的夢幻單車隊。雷蒙非常熱愛騎單車，是一個非常可愛的傢伙。我們三個在一起的時刻如此獨特，在一起共享每一天，只有在夜晚時，被帳篷的薄布分開。我們一起騎單車，一起出汗，一起奮鬥，一起度過美好的夜晚，同時在帳篷前烹飪美味佳餚，共享非常愉快的自由與自主的時光。當我現在回想起來，不得不承認那是我一生中最美好的時光。Min是其中很大的一部分。

如果您想進一步了解Min和她的冒險經歷，則必須購買此書。真是太神奇了，我在馬桶上翻起書頁，就在那待了兩天，直到看完為止。讀這本書就像呼吸吉爾吉斯斯坦高原的空氣一樣，就像在雷蒙身後騎車並聞到他的屁味一樣。這將是一本暢銷書，是一本令人難忘的書。絕對推薦！買吧！」
－Valentin R (一位來自德國的瘋狂自行車旅人，和Min一起旅行了兩個月)

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來來來~想要一起蹲在馬桶上兩天的請往這裡請
👉https://pse.is/minbook

🤭我個人是很好奇, 他到底蹲了兩天看什麼東西?
🤔不要說我的書沒有德文版, 連中文都還在做編輯...
🤫到底是看了什麼啊...? XDDDD
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(原文)
Hey guys,
while staying for four days in Bangkok to repair audio amplifiers for rich Thai men I finally I found the time to write some sentences about Min and it was really not easy, because when I start writing something like this, I will write bullshit after three sentences. It is really not easy. Have you ever written something about another person and you have to talk good about this person while you know she is a liar and always went by train?

So the first try:
Min is pure gold. She is full of love and spirit and always wears white clothes. She is not cycling, she is flying fifty centimeters over the earth. NOOOOO fuck it!

second try:
Dear people, I have to warn you: this book is a fantasy book! If the author writes about kilometers on the bicycles she meant probably meters. When she writes bicycle she means train, when she writes tent she means three star hotel.......NOOOOO shit!

third try:
A short story about the first backpacker woman on a bicycle who travelled from Germany to Taiwan in a train
The first time I met Min was at the Turkmen embassy building in Teheran when she encountered me and asked: „Are you Vali, the German guy travelling to Uzbekistan by bike? I am Min, I also want to go there and I wanted to ask you if we can ride together?“
At this time I didn't want to know any other cyclists, somehow I was bored to hear stories of others while I was having a great adventure by myself. I enjoyed the silence and loneliness on the road since Jule, my cycle mate, left me in Istanbul. So actually I didn't want to travel with Min in the first moment, but I just answered to Min: „Well,...yes..., ok, if we get the visas we can ride together.“ So she asked for my contact and she really called me to pick up the visas.
I only had nine days left in Iran before my visa expired so we had to go really quick and I didn't know if Min was able to catch up. It was a change in rhythm for my bike tour, but when I started to know Min I found out that she is a funny girl with a burning ambition to fulfill her aim travelling by bicycle from Munich in Germany to her home country of Taiwan. A woman full of spirit and a good portion of naivety. She just started the trip without knowing what will come and without any experience of cycling and camping before this trip. She was equipped with a pop up tent, the kind of tent you have in the car for an emergency, when you are still on the highway and you get to tired to drive home. So you have this kind of round tent that you can throw and it pops up as a tent by itself. She also didn't have front panniers (bags) on her bike, so all her equipment was in the back – and also on her back, because she was wearing a backpack! Actually she was the first backpacker on a bicycle to travel from Germany to Taiwan. And that is the impressing thing about Min: she had the idea to do this trip, so she just did. She got a sponsored bike and some kind of sponsored equipment and she just took this and started the tour. She didn't think the German way like me who had to have a perfect bicycle and perfect equipment before I started. No, she just started without any spare parts for the bicycle, without any experience in cycling and camping. I never found out when she started to have this idea and why and probably she doesn't know herself even if she tells you different in this book.
So in the time in Iran we got to know each other and my mood was turning and I found out that it is nice to cycle with Min.
On day we also met Senda, an Hongkongnesian guy and in the evening Min and him were complaining about the Iranian rice, because it is not sticky so you cannot eat it with chop sticks. So you must imagine three people in front of their tents under a really nice Iranian starry sky in the desert and me as a German potato in the middle of this rice dicussion. I had to laugh for myself a lot and when I told them that I put salt in the rice when I cook it, the both got really angry. From this situation I learnt that rice must be something really important for Min, Senda and other people that eat rice as staple food. This night I decided to never cook any rice for them, because the knew it always better in terms of rice.
Senda went on to Afghanistan and Min and me went on to Mashad and we divided there to meet up in Uzbekistan again. On the way through Turkmenistan I met a crazy guy called Raimon a.k.a. Dirty Traveller and we went on together and when we left Turkmenistan we met Min again forming the golden triangle of cyclism, a dream team. Raimon is really passionate about cycling and a really lovely dude. We three had so much unique moments together, sharing the whole day together, only the nights we were divided by the thin cloth of our tents. We cycled together, we sweat together, we fighted together, we had nice evenings together while cooking nice dishes in front of our tents and having a really good time of freedom and self-determination. When I think back to this time now I have to admit that it was somehow the best time of my life. And Min was a big part of it.
If you want to know more about Min and her adventures you have to buy this book. It is totally amazing, I read it on the toilet and stayed there for two days until I finished reading. Reading this book is like breathing in the air of the Kyrgizian Plateau, it is like smelling the fart of Raimon while riding close behind him. It is just a best seller. It is the book that takes you and never leaves you. Absolute recommendation! Buy it!

我哥之前因為陪朋友去考街頭藝人證照看到一些評審對街頭藝人的態度發聲 而上了新聞。我覺得他很勇敢的去做了一件對的事。

希望政府不會時間過了就不關心這些事情。希望我們都可以更客觀的去看藝術，尊重不一樣藝術和藝術家。我覺得以下我哥說的非常好，想跟大家分享。

想知道之前的事可看新聞連結：
http://www.storm.mg/article/270611

親愛的大家：


我想感謝所有支持我、以及給予我鼓勵意見的每個人；同時也要感謝熱情關注此事、協助揭露街頭表演者們應試處境問題的許多媒體與記者們。我很抱歉這些日子我保持著沉默—僅有一個原因：我並不希望這件事情，在台北市文化局正式給予溝通管道之前就發展到無法控制的程度；我很抱歉遲至今日我才發表這篇文章，但我確實需要一些時間來沉澱彙整我心中的感受和想法，而我也需要時間及一些協助使這篇文章能夠以中文來呈現。

在我採取更進一步的行動之前，我其實未曾預料到這件事情在媒體與社交媒體上的感染力如此龐大；我受寵若驚的感動能夠聽見發自你們每個人內心的聲音，而我也著實感到抱歉，面對著如潮水般湧來的各種訊息，似乎超過我所能負荷。請原諒我未能夠逐ㄧ去回應每個人的訊息，但我真的想讓你們知道，你們每ㄧ個人都讓我感到不可思議、帶給我深深的感動及感謝。

我不認為自己是一個勇敢的人，我也自知自己並非街頭藝人的代表或者發言人。但我是一個藝術創作者，一個表演藝術家，一個教育者，而最重要的，我身為一個 "人"。我的家人、朋友及師長們，總是教導我應該為正確的事情挺身而出。

我明白事情有時候總是不像我們所期待的永遠是非分明。但發生在5月21日星期天的街頭藝人評審事件，是對藝術群體的一種「極不尊重」。不論反面評論者所提出的藉口、理由或是文化差異等緣由，這些應試的表演者們，很顯然是被視為次等公民，或者（經驗與技能不夠成熟？）的學生等級。而與此同時，同樣非常清晰的是，街頭藝人評審制度或許是立意良善，但其審查過程的執行層面，卻是嚴重缺失連連。

藝術並非一種特權的這件事情如今已完全被遺忘。台北市文化局本應提倡所有具有文化及藝術可能性的事情，但它並未做到這ㄧ點。很顯然的，一個「對表演者的基本尊重」並不存在 — 許多表演者都如此感覺，有些人則深感受傷。

就算是得到全世界所有理應被如此對待的原因及理由，他們仍然感受到自己的不被尊重；因為這就是事實。

再一次的我想強調我並不是認定台北市文化局與該評審是一個「壞人」，我想強調的只是這個評審街頭藝人表演的執行環節，究竟有多麼的不妥當與糟糕。

我試著回應一個反面評論者所提到的觀點：若街頭藝人證照是ㄧ場「考試」、考試就會有考試的規則。評審無需與應試者惺惺相惜，掉頭就走是因為模擬街頭現場環境以及時間到了。再一次的，在我描述現場狀況的前ㄧ篇文章中，大家或許還記憶猶新：許多表演者根本沒有完整的短至一分半鐘的時間可以好好表演，遑論是超過2-5分鐘的時間限制了。

而這樣的回應是否也指出了另一個值得我們去思考的問題： 為什麼我們會將它視為一種「考試」，而不是ㄧ個表演者的「試鏡」呢？

首先，這些表演者們並不是學生。事實上，許多人更可能是一個專業的音樂家、舞者、或者正從事著表演藝術的人。當然，我不否認也可能會有些正在學習中的族群。但，最重要的是，當他們「在屬於他們應得的演出時間與機會裡 (而且還是付費才有的），他們就是ㄧ個真正的表演者。」

他們不應該被看待成一個不成熟的學生或者次等的公民。而就算一個人擁有著學生的身分，這個身分也不應該影響或侷限他或她，作為一個藝術創作者的身分及所有可能性。「藝術家」並非是透過一個人的職業身分或者社會地位來定義的。

所謂「考試」的這個字眼指涉著ㄧ個學術教育機構，而我們都知道台北市文化局所應該扮演的角色與作用，並非一個學術性的教育機構，也並非是用來教育藝術創作者們該知道些什麼？該怎麼表現？藝術教育及審美的養成也從來不是在追求填鴨式教育裡的ㄧ個標準答案。將街頭藝人的徵選視為「考試」的視角，或許本身就有待商榷。

評審的場所是在一個公共場合，許多居民與遊客都會圍觀欣賞著表演，其中有些人或許不了解藝術；因而這些人也許會將在場的評審們，視做為某種藝術的衡量標準；試問，當這些人看到評審對待表演藝術家的行為與態度，當他們看到評審總是任意打斷演出，並且掉頭就走不帶ㄧ句回應時，人們日後還能懂得尊重街頭表演藝術家嗎？

沒錯，我們都知道這是一場「考試」，我們也很清楚這些手上拿著計分表的人們就是評審；因此，事實上評審們根本無需「模擬」街頭現場那些會隨時走掉的陌生人們。

這些評審以及相關單位的人員，理應提倡藝術，並且作為ㄧ種示範與典範，讓普羅大眾都能夠看到該如何去欣賞ㄧ場演出。一個表演者並不會因為他選擇在街頭表演，就因此比不上一個在大舞台演出的藝術家。我自己就曾在世界各地超過百個不同的絢麗舞台演出過，但我仍然汗顏自己可能也不比這些街頭藝術家們來的優秀。

我曾擔任過ㄧ些國際比賽的評審，我也曾舉辦過專業的試鏡；我從來沒有聽過關於尊敬一個人的這件簡單事情，會需要在時間充裕的前提下才能夠發生。

如果一點表情會洩漏出評審成績的好惡，其實也真的可以不用笑或是無需在表演結束時說一聲謝謝。而評審也真的「不需要」與考證照的街頭藝人感覺惺惺相惜，因為這些都不是我想討論的重點。

我在意的是，表演者所需要的，只不過就是一個對人與對一個演出者的「基本尊重」而已。這樣的尊重存在與否，如人飲水冷暖自知，在人與人的接觸中就能直接感受的到，著實無需仰賴規則或語言的贅述。

我作為一個藝術創作者和教育者，穿梭各地工作超過15年的職業生涯經驗，或許會因此被視為一個外國人，但我的身分就是一個台灣公民。身為一個39歲的成年人，我可以分辨何謂尊重，而表達尊重甚至不需要浪費到任何一秒鐘。如果一個人會需要至少五分鐘以上的充足時間才有可能表達出對另外一個個體的尊重的話，那他可能需要重新再思考一下，尊重對他而言意謂著什麼？


再度回應一位也曾擔任過街頭藝人評審的老師所提出來「中途要求更換曲目或要求表演者改唱另ㄧ種語言的歌」的理由，是因為評審們不會希望一個街頭藝人一整年下來只會唱同一種語言、甚至是只唱同ㄧ首歌。

我所思考的是當一個街頭藝人遵守規定，付費且努力準備去應試時，他ㄧ定會準備了符合完整時間長度的、同時也是自己最擅長、最喜歡或者是最期待能被看見的那些內容；表演一首歌曲或者ㄧ種風格並不代表他就只會唱那ㄧ首歌；而且就算是當做他只會唱ㄧ種語言、ㄧ首歌，如果他能把這首歌反覆演繹的淋漓盡致時, 又有什麼不好呢？

難道我們不曾注意到百老匯的音樂劇就是同樣的那幾部，而獅子王也已經在舞台上展演了20年了嗎？許多同樣內容重複的音樂劇票房始終歷久不衰，持續帶給觀眾們心靈的滿足。而人氣歌手愛黛兒從頭到尾也只會用英文唱歌，而且幾乎都是類似的曲風，我們可曾在乎過她有沒有能力去唱中文歌呢？

ㄧ部舞蹈作品光在荷蘭本土就能有至少五十場大大小小的演出機會。但在台灣，ㄧ部作品如果能有五個場次的演出，可能已經算是很長壽了。這樣的環境迫使藝術創作者們必須不斷快速的「生產新作」，而將舊有積累的作品與經驗拋在腦後。就所有對於藝術的挹注與投資（不僅僅是金錢）來說，這樣的情況對藝術的生產是ㄧ種過度消耗與浪費，也並未真正教育到民眾如何去看待藝術的價值。

而最終，這樣的評審過程與態度並不僅僅是對街頭表演藝術者的不尊重，同時也是對於藝術的不尊重。

台北市文化局星期ㄧ曾經聯絡過我，親切向我表示將與我進一步聯絡並討論這件事情；他們要求我先將評審的照片拿掉—我答應取下照片，但前提是他們必須確實誠意的允諾一個面對面的溝通。這幾天我也暫時迴避了一些報導媒體的詢問（還請大家見諒）只因我衷心希望能先與台北市文化局及該評審當面談一談。我ㄧ直等待，但我也持續的看到了相關機構或人員回應給媒體的諸多理由與藉口； 自從將照片從網路上取下之後，直到今日都沒有人再跟我連繫過。慢慢的我突然明白星期一的那通電話，或許純粹只是ㄧ個希望我能將照片取下的操作手法，而並非真的試圖去了解整個經過以及解決問題。我對這個本應提倡藝術與文化的機構感到無比失望。

我知道我並非一個公眾人物，而我也不能代表所有想要考取街頭藝人執照的表演者們；自從我的臉書網頁訊息爆炸之後，我就不斷的在思考這件事情，我反覆思考自己是否該繼續爭執此事，這似乎並非與我切身相關的事情，然而，身為一個藝術教育者，我卻又感受到深切的責任。

經過反覆的思考以及與朋友們的討論，我意識到不論我們的展演形式如何不同，我們同樣都是表演藝術群體中的一分子。台北市文化局最後很可能將持續充耳不聞，而這位被我所抱怨的評審也可能繼續做他這些年來ㄧ直在做的事—用他ㄧ貫的態度。除非他們願意傾聽與改變，否則我無法改變任何人。

我真心相信有些事情值得改善，也可以改善。我必須強調我並不是想要攻擊或羞辱任何人。我只希望能有機會去討論如何讓審查的過程變的更適當。我看到台灣有許多優秀的藝術家，但環境對藝術和藝術家的不尊重不但打擊同時也限制了他們的發展；更遺憾的是，這一切可能是在許多疏忽之中造就出來的環境。

許多評審過程如果能夠在尊重藝術的前提之下思考和進行，事情或許會截然不同。
只要有一點點可能去拋開面子的問題，或許也就有機會明嘹我們所期待的結果其實是一樣的。

事實上我之所以說了這麼冗長的話語，並非是要不尊敬所謂的評審或師長，而正是因為我對藝術的尊敬，使我更深切的關注身為一個教育者所代表的意義。今天我看到了街頭表演藝術家是如何被不當的對待，而很顯然的我也不會是唯一的目擊者。某個程度上我的聲音似乎被放大了，但我也知道我的聲音並不是唯一的一個，我是許許多多的聲音中的ㄧ份子。

William

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Dear All,

I would like to thank you for all the encouraging messages and supportive comments. I would also like to thank all the journalists and reporters who are passionate about this issue and are so willing to expose the problem that was faced by these street performers. I am sorry that I have been quiet but with a reason: I don’t want it to get much bigger than it already was until I talked to the Taipei Cultural Affair. I apologize that it took me a while, but I needed some time to gather my thoughts and help to translate my writing into Chinese.

Before I go on any further, I never expected my story would go viral on the media and the social media. I am humbled and touched to hear from many of you. All the messages I’ve received have been overwhelming. I am not able to reply to all of them, but I’d like you to know that I am honored, thankful, and touched by every single one of them.

I do not consider myself as a brave person, nor do I consider myself a representative for the street performers. BUT I am an artist, a performer, educator, and most of all I am a human being.I have always been taught to stand for what’s right by my family, friends and mentors.

I understand things are not as black and white as we all wish sometimes. However, what happened on Sunday 21st of May was a disgrace to the art community. Regardless of all the excuses that were given or cultural differences, it was very obvious these performers were treated like lower-class citizens; if not, students. It was also very clear that the intention might be well, but the execution of the busker’s exam was done horribly.

Somehow the idea that ART is NOT a privilege had been forgotten. Taipei Cultural Affair is supposed to be advocating for all things cultural and artistic but it was not conveyed that day. It was very clear the respect was not there. Many felt it and some got their feelings hurt. Even with all the excuses there are in the world, many experienced the disrespect. That was the truth. Again I have to emphasize that I believe Taipei Department of Cultural Affair and its adjudicators are good people, but the execution of the exam was poor.

It brings to the question…. why is it called an exam? Shouldn’t it be an audition?

These performers were not students when they took the exam. Some of them were actually professional musicians, dancers, or performers. Just because one is a student, it doesn’t make him or her less of an artist. Artists are not defined by their social status or occupation.

The term exam suggests an educational institution, but we know Taipei Department of Cultural Affair is not an educational institution. They do not decide what these artists need to know. These performers were not given any materials to study, thus the term exam is very misleading.

The exam took place in a public space. Many tourists and residents were there to enjoy the event. Many do not understand arts. So they may look up to these adjudicators as role models who are experienced in the arts. When they saw how this exam was being done, do you think they would have any respect for these performers afterwards? They saw these adjudicators interrupting the performers and left without saying a “thank you.” We all knew it was an exam, we all knew these people were adjudicators. They did not need to pretend to be street spectators who just walk away. They all carried their score boards in their hands.

Just because a performer performs on the street, it doesn’t make that performer any less of a performer than someone who is performing on big stages. I myself have performed over hundreds of stages around the world and I do not dare to think myself better than these performers.

I have judged a handful of international competitions. I have also held professional auditions. I have never heard an excuse that respect can’t be shown when time is limited. You do not need to smile to simply say “thank you.” Since when, a smile means “I favor you.” What a performer need is respect. Over the 15 year span of my professional career as an educator and artist, and 39 years of being a human being, I know what respect looks like. It doesn’t take more than a second to show it. If it takes longer than 5 minutes to show what respect is, I think you may need to rethink what respect means to you.

Another excuse that was presented was that they don’t want a street artist performs only one kind of songs or genre throughout the year. Don’t they know broadway musicals? Lion King has been performed over 20 years. They’ve been doing the same musical numbers for years to sold out audiences. Adele has been singing the same genre of music and always in English. Does it matter that she doesn’t sing in other genre or sing in Chinese?

One dance production in the Netherlands can be performed up to 50 performances within the Netherlands itself. In Taiwan, a dance work only performed 5 times the most. They are forced to constantly create new works and leave the old works behind. That is a waste of arts funding and it doesn’t educate the public on the value of the arts. These performers is old enough to decide what they want to show these judges with their limited time.

In the end it wasn’t just disrespectful to the performers, but also to the arts.

I was contacted by the Taipei Cultural Affair on Monday, the representative spoke nicely promising that they would discuss further with me. He asked me to take the adjudicator’s picture down, I agreed with the condition of meeting in person to further discuss what could be done better. I have refused to talk to reporters for the last few days. I have been waiting but I then heard the excuses given to the media. Since I’ve taken down the picture of the head adjudicator, they haven’t made any attempt to contact me. I came into a realization that when they made the call, it wasn’t to address the problem but simply to manipulate me to take down his picture. I’m disappointed at this institution that was supposed to promote the arts and culture.

I realized I am not a public figure, nor am I responsible for the well being of all artists who want to get a busker license. After my Facebook post went viral, I’ve been thinking so much about this issue. I kept going back and forth questioning whether I should keep fighting for this. It doesn’t feel like my fight, but at the same time I feel responsible as an art educator.

I truly believe this can be fixed. I need to emphasize, I am not attacking anyone. And I don’t want to shame anyone. I want to start a discussion how to make it better. Taipei has some of the best performers I’ve seen, yet the lack of respect for the arts and artists has suppressed their ability to excel. And ironically, it’s often done unintentionally.

If the exam is done based on respect for the arts itself, things might have come out differently. And just maybe if we all let go the “face” culture, we could possibly see further to realize that we are all wanting the same thing.

I saw mistreatments towards performers that day. It was very obvious I wasn’t the only one witnessing it. It was not that I don’t respect these adjudicators/teachers, but because I respect the arts and the meaning of a teacher that is why I had to speak up. Somehow my voice had been amplified this week. But my voice wasn’t and isn’t singular. I am simply a voice amongst many.

Sincerely,
William Lü

Taipei National University of the Arts 國立台北藝術大學
寶藏巖國際藝術村 Treasure Hill Artist Village
Taipei National University of the Arts
臺北表演藝術中心 Taipei Performing Arts Center
National Theater and Concert Hall, Taipei
中正紀念堂 Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
National Taiwan University of Arts
Department of Cultural Affairs, Taipei City Government