New Year’s Resolution新年新希望

I have to admit that I haven’t written any essay titled “New Year’s Resolution” probably since elementary school. But maybe like everybody else when I was a kid I never meant seriously to implement those plans laid out in the essay so that I could recycle them the next year when the time came.

Believe it or now, the situation is different now. I am an adult and I mean seriously here to carry out the following plans. I found it useful to write them down here so everybody who reads this article is welcome to be a witness, and what is more important is when the end of 2006 comes, I can compose a progress review and compare and contrast it with the plan. To make a long story short, here are my projects for the new year: Write, Launch, Publish, Lead, and Train.

1. Write. Write every blog entry bilingually on LittlePo.com.

When I started this site, (The first article appeared on this site dated back on April 1st, 2005, and all articles before that were transferred from somewhere else.) I wanted to compose every article in both English and Chinese. Although I did write several articles bilingually, the whole process took too much out of me therefore I stepped backward and wrote my blog in one language only, and as you can see, Chinese articles so out-number English articles. The reason is simple, Chinese is my native language.

The initial motivation for making my site bilingual still stands: Many people set up their blog sites because they want to share their lives, thoughts, and experience with their family and friends, and I am not an exception. It is without saying that I have many Chinese-speaking family members and friends, and the result of several years of living in the States, I married an American who brought me English-speaking in-laws, and I made friends through school, work, participating in outdoor activities, etc and most of these friends don’t read Chinese.

Another motivation is to practice my English writing skills and to broaden my audience base. I always love to write, especially about what I am passionate about: the great outdoors is the obvious target: Experiencing nature, learning it, or just being with it are so pleasant and deserve to be written down. Since I live in the States, it is unavoidable that many people who might find it easy to relate to my articles speak no Chinese.

I started to write in two languages again since Mao-mao’s Game. This second attempt didn’t seem as difficult as the first one, which gave me more comfort and confidence; I know I will keep on just fine. The only side effect is that I have to put extra burden on my husband because I always ask him to proofread my work before I dare to publish it. I would like to use some space here to acknowledge his support and generosity.

2. Launch. Launch the LittlePo Outdoor Wiki.

I always want to establish an Outdoor Wiki where I can share my outdoor experience in a more systematic way: with a wiki interface, it’s easier to read and search for a specific topic than using a chronological blog.

Maybe I haven’t been in the “outdoor world” long enough to give people advice, but I believe many people would find my experiences or information useful or merely entertaining. For example, many of my kayaking friends told me that my kayaking journals reminded them of the excitement of being a novice paddler and those articles may serve as a good comforter for people who have just start to learn the sport.

So far I have installed the software package for a wiki but I still have to change the layout and logo to make it more consistent with the design of my site. I also have a tentative table of contents at hand and a disclaimer ready. Basically I will try to put and compose articles under these categories: Conditioning, Gear, Wisdom and Medicine, Techniques, Trip Locations, Leadership, Stories, and Photography. People are welcome to apply the tips and suggestions described in the articles; however, it is for your best interest to know that trail conditions and gear are updated frequently, and much decision making in the outdoors involves personal experience, group dynamics and other constantly-changing factors.

3. Publish. Publish articles on LittlePo.com periodically.

I would like to publish my blog entry in a regular way, so that I can be more productive and organized and my readers know when to expect the next article.

Looking back, I feel I have published satisfactory number of articles; however, the length between two articles is never the same. Sometimes they are several hours apart and sometimes the gap is two weeks long. And the way I publish an article is to put it on-line just after two or three times of reviewing the article after it is written. It happened quite frequently that I still wanted to edit an article after publishing it, but because it was already published I couldn’t make big structural changes but just small fixes.

Of course if I simply treat this site as my diary, none of the above matters. However, it may sound ridiculous but this site has formed its own life and I feel obliged to treat it more seriously. I would like to be more organized so that my articles have time to sit for a while to show clearly their purposes.

My proposal is to publish one to two articles per week; therefore I will publish one article every Tuesday and at least one article every other Friday.

4. Lead. Lead more backcountry trips for the AMC.

I love to lead trips. Leading trips is challenging and fulfilling, from the very first second when I lay out my maps trying to compile several possible courses to the last second when the participants say, “thank you for the great trip.” (Of course, you cannot always expect only gratitude, but that’s the driving force behind working to become a better leader.)

AMC is the hiking club I belong to. Several years when I was anxious about starting my outdoor life in the States, the AMC opened a portal for me and connected me through outgoing and kind friends to several sports (white water kayaking and backcountry skiing) which I didn’t realize how much I would enjoy back then. I became a qualified backpacking/hiking leader and youth program leader last year and am scheduled to lead my first youth hike in Jan and two winter backpacks in Jan and Feb respectively. I am planning to contribute more time to leading trips with more variety as a gesture to show my thankfulness to the AMC.

Last year I also fulfilled my first step toward a full-grown AMC major excursion leader. In AMC terminology, a trip which is at least 10-day long and takes place at least 500-mile away from the east coast is a major excursion. I plan to lead an inter-chapter excursion in 2006 and hopefully to co-lead two major excursions by the end of 2007 and then become a qualified leader. After that, I will be able to lead backpacking trips in Taiwan for my AMC friends, and they will understand how beautiful the island is by walking step-by-step in the mountain range.

5. Train. Train for better physical fitness and learn more outdoor skills.

Physical fitness is always one of the key factors to truly appreciate the outdoors. You don’t have to be an ironman in order to go to the backcountry but conducting activities in the backcountry requires a certain level of fitness. The more fit you are, the more time you can spare to observe the landscapes, wild animals and vegetation, experience the fresher air, solitude, and clear skies, or simply enjoy the sport at hand.

Everyday I have some kind of workout routine: endurance training, weight training, stretch, or rest, but I still haven’t fine-tuned a plan that I completely feel comfortable with. I am willing to push myself but I don’t want to hurt myself; I’m willing to invest time in workout but I don’t want to overdo it so that I lose my interest. I constantly ask myself whether I am too harsh or too easy on my body. It seems that the balance point is so hard to reach and once you have it, it is hard to hold on to it. “Isn’t it the dilemma a Libra always has?” Sometimes, I wonder.

The important lesson I have learned from my accumulated experience is to always look for the right body position for any sport before I commit to pursing more mileage. Correct position leads to efficiency and fewer injuries. Practice doesn’t always make perfect: practicing with incorrect body position makes it harder to break this bad habit later.

You need to have faith in yourself when you just start to learn a new sport. My experience tells me that if I am patient and I take my time building my foundation step by step, the rest will come.

In 2005, I took quite a few classes such as a kayak rolling session, telemark skiing workshop, gym climbing clinic and a swimming class. In 2006, I’ll keep working on what I have learned and continuing reading magazines and books broadly in order to compile a better all-year-round workout plan for myself. Hopefully, by the end of the next year, I will have so many more skills at hand for me to expand my frontier wider than I can imagine now. I know, as along as I progress steadily, the rest will come.


大概自從小學畢業之後，就再也沒有寫過什麼「新年希望」之類的作文了。那時候，每年也只不過應應老師的要求，寫一些三大條，五要點之類的交差了事，從沒有想過要認真實行。等下一個新年一到，沒有實行的計畫，又可以回收再利用，反正誰記得你一年前究竟答應了些什麼？

今非昔比，現在是大人了，說出口的話可是要認真點了。在接近歲末的這一刻，決定將明年的企畫條列在此，除了邀請有興趣的讀者們作個見證，更重要的是，明年年底，我還可以寫一個歲末回顧，仔細地評量自己的實踐成果。好，閒話不多說，以下就是我的新年企畫：雙語部落格、小Po戶外維基、文章的定期發表、帶領戶外 活動、以及戶外技能訓練。

一、雙語部落格：以雙語寫作每一篇部落格文章

以雙語寫作是本站架設之時的原始構想（本站第一篇文章的日期為2005年四月一日，之前的文章大部分由其他地方遷移而來）。剛開始，我的確用中英文寫了好幾篇文章，慢慢地，我發覺用雙語寫作是一件相當累人的事情，於是越來越懶，越來越懶，變成只選用一種語言寫文章，有時候英文，有時候中文。最後統計下來，中文文章還是佔大多數，誰叫中文是我的母語呢？

不過，當初想以雙語寫作的動機到現在仍舊沒有改變。就像很多部落格寫手一般，我架設部落格，原因不外乎，是為了和親朋、好友、同好分享生活經驗以及學習心得。不用說，我的家人以及很多好朋友都是土生土長的台灣人。不過，在美國生活這麼多年下來，除了嫁了個美國老公，多了些美國親戚以外，還因為從事戶外活動 的緣故，認識了不少外國朋友，而這些朋友，大部分都是不懂得中文的。

另一個創作雙語部落格的因素，也是想藉此機會，督促自己多練習英文寫作；同時，以英文創作，或許也可以增加一些閱讀人氣。很久以前開始，就喜歡舞文弄墨，寫作部落格，讓我可以將對大自然的熱愛轉化成文字，與眾人分享，是個令人欲罷不能的經驗。由於我身處美國，戶外活動的地點目前也多侷限在美國本土，恐怕很多 文章描寫的經驗和地點，也是居住在此地的當地人比較容易找到共鳴。

從「貓貓的獵物」 開始，我再次嘗試用雙語寫作文章。這第二次的嘗試似乎沒有像第一次那麼的困難，也因此我開始比較有信心，可以好好維持這個計畫的推行。唯一的缺點，可能就 是老是得麻煩老公節米，在我送出英文文章之前，先幫我讀幾遍，看看有沒有什麼文法上或是結構上的錯誤。在這裡，特別要感謝他的鼓勵和協助。

二、小Po戶外維基

我想要弄一個小Po戶外維基，想了很久了。不管在閱讀上或是搜尋上，維基是一個比較好的平台，讓我能夠以較系統化的方式，分享我的戶外經驗。部落格平台不是不好，不過部落格的文章通常是以時間排序，比較適合閱讀新聞般的瀏覽。。

我 在「戶外世界」立足的時間其實還非常短暫，也許尚未夠資格提供什麼大師級的建議。即便如此，我相信大家在這些戶外經驗以及學習心得的分享中，還是可以找到許多有用的資訊，就算純粹搏君一粲，也已經達到我寫作的目的。很多一同從事激流獨木舟的前輩們告訴我，我的文章往往讓他們回想到，當初戰戰兢兢開始學習的階段；也說，我的文章或許可以鼓勵駐足觀望的人，跳入學習的行列。

目前的進度上，已經完成維基軟體的架設，不過仍然需要花時間更改一些頁 面上的設計，圖樣的擺放等等，讓其和本部落格的風格更為一致。對於目錄，也有一些初步的構想，「不負責宣言」也準備好了。基本上來說，戶外維基中的文章會 分散在這幾大類：體能訓練、裝備、戶外知識與醫藥、戶外技能、活動地點、領隊知識、戶外故事以及攝影。所謂的「不負責宣言」也就是提醒大家，戶外的情況 （地形、氣候）刻刻在變，戶外的裝備也是日日在翻新，使用資料的時候，要參考個人經驗，團隊結構以及其他參數靈活應用。

三、文章的定期發表

我計畫在固定的時間貼文章到部落格上，一來可以幫助自己規劃文章進度，二來讀者可以預期什麼時候可以閱讀新文章。

自從開台以來，文章的數量似乎還算差強人意，就是之間的間隔太不常態。有時候幾小時後就來一篇新文章，有時則要過上兩個禮拜。我總是蠻隨性地發表文章，通常寫完看過兩三次，就發出去了。有時候回頭看那些文章，好些時候都想再修飾一番，不過文章已經登出去了，再改也只是改小地方，不太適合大刀闊斧地改動大結構。

當然，如果這個站台只是我當作寫日記的地方也就罷了，根本不需要計較這麼多。只是寫了兩年下來，寫文章已經成為生命中不可缺少的一部份，於是，經營站台也變成重要的任務。如此一來，文章發表之前，當然更需要一番時間的沈澱。

我計畫每一週發表一到兩篇文章，每個週二定期發表，每個週五隔週發表。

四、帶領戶外活動

自從成為AMC的正式領隊，並且帶了幾次行程之後，就愛上了領隊的任務。從攤開地圖，逐漸縮少範圍以確定行程地點，到計畫，到正式帶隊，中間充滿了許多具有挑戰性的決策過程。行程結束後，伙伴發自內心的喜悅和道謝，更讓人溫暖，而自己對自我則是更加認可。（當然，不是每個行程都可以圓滿結束，這樣的可能性更 督促自我成為更可靠的領隊）

想要多帶一些AMC的行程，一半因為領隊的成就感，一半則是對AMC的感謝。幾年前，我正不知如何著手開發我的戶外生活，AMC為我開了一扇大門。同時，經由參與AMC的活動，我認識了很多好朋友，這些同樣熱愛大自然的朋友，擴展了我的視野，介紹許多我以前從沒 想過會從事的活動。在一二月我會分別各帶一個冬季行程，並計畫在春天多帶些活動。

去年我也結訓了帶領長期遠程活動的第一段課程，也就是向 帶領十天以上，離美國東岸至少500英哩地區的行程，又跨近了一步。計畫六月間完成一個中短期的行程，並且在2007年底以前協助規劃兩次長期遠程活動， 並且擔任副領隊，以成為合格領隊。如此一來，我就可以親自介紹台灣的山林給我AMC的朋友認識。

五、戶外技能訓練

健康的身體是享受可親的大自然的第一步。不是說我們必須要像鐵人一般強壯，才可以從事戶外運動，只是戶外運動的確需要一些體力。體力愈好，可以有比較閒暇的心思，好好欣賞大自然的美妙風光：不管是觀看山林野景，野生動物，層層植被，還是享受清新空氣，自我的孤獨時光，或只是單純地喜愛所從事的戶外運動。

每天我都有一些運動行程的規劃，也許是訓練體力、肌力、柔軟度，也或許是休息，只是還沒有真正調節我的訓練規劃，到滿意的程度。如果需要，在不傷害自己的前提之下，我很願意挑戰自我的極限，同時也希望不要過份訓練，以致於對訓練行程失去興趣。訓練的過程中，我總是不斷地問我自己：這樣夠了嗎？這樣會不會太多？卻還沒有找到一個平衡點。有時候，忍不住問自己：這是不是天秤座的宿命？

至少，過去的經驗讓我了解到，不管從事什麼運動，正確的姿勢總是第一個要掌握的原則。在規劃長時間的訓練之前，一定要耐心點將自己的姿勢調節正確。訓練不一定總是帶來完美，不正當的運動姿勢，不但造成運動傷害，還讓自己以後必須花大筆時間修正不良習慣。

同時，在學新運動的時候，給自己多一點信心，一步一步慢慢來，一定會學會的。

2005年我參加了不少課程，包括激流獨木舟的180度翻船課程、Telemark滑雪課程、攀岩講座以及游泳班。2006年，我除了要繼續加強已經學到的知識，還要廣泛閱讀、同時蒐集資料，以設計一個真正令我滿意的訓練課程。希望一年的時間，已經能夠帶領我到一些以往不敢嘗試的地方，擴展我的戶外視野。而我知道，一步一步慢慢訓練，該來的遲早會來。