文：吳沛儒 桃園市私立復旦國中

　　這是我第一次參加筆友計畫。它讓我有機會體驗到與年紀相仿、卻來自不同國家的人，用同一種語言溝通的樂趣。透過 Gmail 交流的過程中，我深深體會到從小學習的英文，不再只是講求文法和應付考試，而是一項能讓我認識新朋友、了解遠方生活與文化的技能。雖然我的英文寫作不完全正確，但透過查資料修改文句和分享照片，我們依然能夠順利溝通。

　　在第一封信的結尾，我提到了彼此之間的時差。我們都覺得這很有趣，因為她所生活的地方——愛荷華州與臺灣的時差約為 13 小時，因此我們常常有種「在和過去或未來的人聊天」的奇妙感覺！後來讓我較印象深刻的對話，是有關節慶和興趣的分享。

　　首先，McLane 在信中提到他Showing cattle ( 秀牛比賽 ) 的興趣與生活日常。她住在一個很大的農莊，裡面有數百隻貓和牛，她十分專精於相關的養育和照顧。他也和我分享了 Showing cattle 這個比賽，這是一種牽著牛進場、讓裁判評分排名的競技活動。我覺得非常新鮮，因為在臺灣從來沒有這種活動，而且在都市長大的孩子，通常很少會投入大量時間在農業類的休閒上，這讓我十分嚮往，也產生了許多反思。

　　除此之外，我們也交換了食譜。她教我做法式吐司，她說這是美國小孩經常當作宵夜或早餐的食物；而我則推薦 McLane 做番茄炒蛋，因為這道料理不僅簡單，同時也是臺灣的國民家常菜之一。之後，我進一步了解了彼此飲食習慣的差異，有些真的讓我大開眼界！

　　交流期間正逢臺灣的清明連假，McLane 也分享了他們的陣亡將士紀念日、復活節和 spring break week 的文化。我非常驚訝地發現，不同國家的節慶其實有很多相似之處。不過，我覺得臺灣可以學習的是，增加每一個節慶的氛圍，甚至在校園舉辦不同的主題活動。我相信這麼做會讓大家對傳統節慶更有記憶點，同時也能增加與家人互動的機會，這真的很棒。

　　這次交流中，我還和她分享了我們的教育體制、校園活動和未來的夢想。能跟一個擁有不同世界觀的人交流，是我最大、最大的收穫。它讓我不再侷限於眼前的社會樣貌，因為這個世界上，還有許許多多讓人驚嘆的生活習慣與文化差異等待我去探索。

This is my first time participating in a pen pal program. It has given me a wonderful opportunity to experience the joy of communicating with someone my age from a different country using a shared language. Through our exchanges over Gmail, I realized that the English I’ve been learning since childhood is no longer just about grammar rules and cramming for exams; instead, it is a real-life skill that allows me to make new friends and understand lifestyles and cultures from afar. Although my English writing isn’t always perfect, we can still communicate smoothly by looking up information to improve my sentences and by sharing photos.

At the end of my first letter, I mentioned the time difference between us. We both found it fascinating because the time difference between Taiwan and her local area, Iowa, is about 13 hours. As a result, we often have the magical feeling that we are "chatting with someone from the past or the future!" Later on, the most memorable conversations we had were about festivals and hobbies.

First, McLane shared her routine and her interest in "showing cattle." She lives on a huge farm with hundreds of cats and cows, and she is highly experienced in raising and caring for them. She also introduced me to cattle showing, a competition where you lead a cow into the ring for judges to evaluate and rank. I found this incredibly fresh and unique because we never have activities like this in Taiwan. Moreover, kids who grow up in the city rarely spend a lot of time on agricultural hobbies. This lifestyle really appeals to me and has given me a lot to reflect on.

In addition, we exchanged recipes. She taught me how to make French toast, and she told me it's a common snack or breakfast for American kids. In return, I recommended that McLane try making tomato scrambled eggs because it’s not only simple but also one of Taiwan’s most iconic home-cooked dishes. After that, I learned more about the differences in our eating habits, some of which truly opened my eyes!

Our exchange happened to take place during Taiwan’s Tomb Sweeping Day long weekend, and McLane also shared their culture surrounding Memorial Day, Easter, and spring break week. I was very surprised to find that holidays in different countries actually share many similarities. However, I think Taiwan could learn from them by encouraging people to fully immerse themselves in the holiday atmosphere, or even hosting different themed activities on campus. I believe doing this would make traditional festivals more memorable and create more opportunities to interact with family, which would be amazing.

During this program, I also shared our education system, school activities, and my future dreams with her. Being able to connect with someone who has a completely different worldview has been my absolute biggest takeaway. It has taught me not to limit myself to the society right in front of me, because out there in the world, there are still so many incredible lifestyles and cultural differences waiting for me to explore.