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2024年9月17日 星期二

2024 May AP Exam: Preparation process + prep book review


Last time I talked about the preparation process for my TOEFL iBT test, and this time I will be introducing all my study processes before the actual AP exam days. For 2024, I took 6 APs in total, including AP Calculus AB, AP Physics 1, AP Physics 2, AP Biology, AP World History, and AP English Language and Composition.


AP Calculus AB





For this test, I used the Princeton Review prep book alongside the courses on Khan Academy, to help me gain knowledge of the subjects being tested. Most of my studies go like that, and it applies to almost every subject I took.

I only practiced on the mock exams provided and didn't really have time or the need to go through every single chapter inside. I found it very helpful to learn through the mistakes in a mock test, and I finished all 5 practice tests included in the book.


AP Physics 1





I also used the Princeton Review prep book and Khan Academy for the subject. However, I didn't really manage my time well during preparation causing me to only cram on practice exams last minute. I took my very first practice test only 2 weeks before my actual test. It was a terrible idea since I found out that I barely understood anything near the last minute, and it made me very nervous about testing.

For this specific subject, I would say that studying merely at Khan Academy is not enough, which is what I've realized after doing so. If I could restart the whole preparation process, I would definitely start doing practice tests sooner.

As a result, I only did about 2 practice exams out of the 5 provided in the prep book, which was a big mistake for me. Additionally, I didn't even read a single page of the topic provided. I hope that I will never make the same mistakes again.


AP Physics 2





Same as AP Physics 1, the resources I used for this subject are the same. A little difference is that the course at Khan Academy regarding this subject has no practice questions for each topic. I didn't really think it would matter that much and stuck to learning on the platform, but I soon realized that I knew nothing about how to connect each equation together to solve a problem. This is also a major mistake I've made.

I didn't actually understand the equations and the reasons behind their creation, and my first attempt on the practice exam ended up with a terrible result. From what I've remembered, I only got a two on the practice test. Overall, I did finish two practice tests and that was all it provided. Still, I would hope that I could have invested more time in finding online practice questions or doing the unit tests included in the prep book just to get more familiar with the questions.

This exam is one of the lowest scores I got for this year, not because I don't know but rather because I did not put enough effort and time into preparing. I was focusing on my robotics competition during preparation.


AP Biology





For this exam, I have also utilized the same two resources. Different from the physics courses, Khan Academy does have practice questions for each section and unit in the AP Biology course. I was more familiar with the concepts before test day because I did 4 practice exams in total and reviewed a lot beforehand.

During test day, I was actually super nervous because this exam was one of the two exams I had the chance to actually get a five. However, when I was taking the test, multiple choice was fine at first, but the free-response section really scared me as the format and question difficulty were completely out of my expectations.

Not only did I leave 4 questions on the free-response question blank, but I also answered the graphing question wrong, which was my most confident section in the test. I didn't feel sad but actually scared, because it seemed like I had lost the chance of getting two 5s on this year's test.

Thankfully, maybe because my multiple choice question saved me, I managed to get a five on the exam. I was really relieved and couldn't be more surprised, I guess hard work really pays off sometimes.


AP World History






Similar to AP Physics 2, the Khan Academy course didn't contain practice questions for this subject, but I still stuck with the video lessons provided. The same mistake was made again, I focused too much on completing all the lessons at Khan Academy but didn't do actual questions and tests to check my knowledge. As a consequence, I forgot almost everything when doing the first practice test, my knowledge level was as I have never learned through Khan Academy before.

Moreover, this test contains a section where essays are required. There are short answer questions alongside long essay responses and a document-based essay. I only found out that it wasn't a normal free-response section 1 month before test day, and it really made me panic. The worst thing was that I am famous(? with bad essay writing skills, I don't even know how I was supposed to structure my response to contain points from the documents provided.

I had a very hard time reading other's sample essays to find a structure that also suited my writing style. In the end, I did manage to understand the Document Based Essays, because it only required us to analyze the documents and utilize them to support our claim. However, the long essay really troubled me because it required actual history knowledge on the specific topics provided in the question. It kind of depends on luck whether or not I get the topic I am more familiar with, but I barely know historical events in detail. All I can do is to come up with a thesis and get at least one point, which was what I aimed for.

I completed only 2 mock exams out of all 5 provided, and I really did not have any bit of confidence during the test, but I still tried my best to guess and at least finish the essays.


AP English Language and Composition






Lastly, this subject was also the one that took the lowest score. I didn't have time to read strategies of answering questions nor did I have the time to actually build my essay skills and reading skills before the test. All I did was finish 3 practice tests and correct them, and I soon realized that I was really bad at English, since I didn't understand most paragraphs and barely knew the answers to the question.

The worst part is that the free-response question required us to write 3 long essays continuously within 2 hours and 15 minutes, and sometimes I use up half the time trying to read the documents and articles provided in the question. The essay required an even higher level of writing skills compared to the ones in AP World History.

I wish I had put more time into developing my own pace for reading the passages in the multiple choice question because I really rushed during my actual test and wasted a lot of time. Or maybe I just have to admit that my reading speed is low and that I am just not good at English.


Lessons I have learned


During this year's preparation process, I have regretted a lot of things and made a lot of mistakes. I would like to talk about them so you may have the chance to avoid them.


1. Not doing practice questions (only passive learning)

The first and most important lesson is to not rely on passive learning, which means solely relying on taking notes from online videos or in class. Since listening to teachers talking and writing down notes are super simple I usually get the wrong idea of me actually making a lot of progress in understanding a new knowledge.

However, this is exactly why passive learning is so addictive that I wouldn't try to do questions or even review because I am afraid of failing or getting a question wrong. It was only when I actually did a full test that I realized I had done the wrong thing for the whole preparation, I figured that I barely remembered anything as if I had never learned.

I think I should keep in mind that without practicing and reviewing over and over again, no knowledge will be actually stored in my memory. Moreover, I wanted to tell my past self to not be afraid of failing because it is a necessary process toward further success.


2. Pouring too much time into extracurriculars

Another mistake I made was spending too much time in my robotics competition preparation, and spending only a little time on test preparation because I think I can do well. I guess this is an overconfidence that I built after getting good scores on my easier AP exams last year, and I am really disappointed with my own behavior after looking back now.

Another reason leading to this was because my mind was all about robotics even in the morning when I was supposed to study. I think I am easily attracted to things that are more relaxed and can easily forget about the subjects that are actually important to me.

If I could go back in time, I would really want to tell my past self that spending my time studying can produce better outcomes for myself. Even if I had to drag myself away from the robotics lab, or if I had to slap myself awake, I would be willing to do so.


3. Not finding my pace for AP English Language and Composition

Another point I would like to fix is to find my own pace in reading the articles and answering the questions. What I experienced during the test was a complete mess because I messed up my reading pace and was worried about not having enough time to answer the questions. I wish I had developed a pace for me to follow and not be lost when anxious about the time limit.

I believe if I had slowed down to understand the words written in the article, I could've answered a lot more questions confidently and maybe increased my score.


2024年8月29日 星期四

2024 TOEFL: 106/120, test preparation + thoughts





In this article, I will share tips on TOEFL test preparation and thoughts about the test overall. I took TOEFL in mid-August, scoring a total of 106 points out of 120, with a section score of 27/28/27/24, corresponding to reading, listening, speaking, and writing.


PREPARING FOR TOEFL


In my case, I spent 3 months preparing for the test and I think it was just right, not too much and not too less. However, this may be different in everyone's case since this was my first time taking the test and it may take a shorter time for someone who had testing experiences.






THE MOST IMPORTANT RESOURCE: Toefl Test Ready
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (10/5)

TOEFL Test Ready is the official test preparation website for the TOEFL iBT test, it contains an every day free practice question and one free sample full-length test with scoring and feedback. Furthermore, the tests can all be taken over and over again, which you can try until you get a satisfactory score.

This is definitely the BEST resource I would recommend to all test takers, not only is it free for use, it also encourages you to practice every day. I can even say that this is the resource that helped me the most. Moreover, there will also be academic discussion writing questions for you to try, so you can get familiar with the newer testing question types before the exam.


PREP BOOKS




Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)

The first one is the Official TOEFL iBT test booklet, it contains four full-length practice tests online and is perfect for simulating the actual testing environment. I think this book is a must for everyone, even though I didn't actually use the physical book but rather just took the online tests haha.


Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)

The next few books were bought in a series, where there are three books in total. The series includes reading and listening, Speaking, and Writing. I also practiced a lot of questions using these while learning testing techniques and sample templates for answering questions.

I would recommend purchasing this one alongside the official test. This way you would be able to improve through practicing questions in sections while also having the opportunity to try completing one full test in just one sitting.

Just a little flaw about this series of books, this series was published in 2014 which is quite a long time ago, but I personally think that it is still high at worth even now. Just be aware of the newest update on TOEFL testing question types and skip the older parts. For example, I still did the listening and reading section normally, but I didn't practice for the independent writing section since it has now changed to academic discussion. Additionally, I also chose only the four question types tested now out of all six provided in the speaking booklet to practice.




The Princeton Review Toefl iBT prep book 2022
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

I also practiced questions using the prep book published by The Princeton Review. However, that was a book that I got in 2022 so it's actually a bit outdated. I think that it works well for me as it also has a lot of practice questions. I haven't tried the newest version, but I believe that I will also benefit your preparation journey.

Comparing the difficulty of the questions, the series above definitely has a higher difficulty, while The Princeton Review prep book is easier for me. Even though you might feel defeated when doing practice questions in the series book, just like me, it certainly matches the difficulty of the actual test better.


Other than the above recommendations, there were also other prep books that I bought but just never got the chance to use, so I wouldn't be listing them here since there would be no customer review to write about.


HOW I STUDIED

Next, I will be introducing how I studied and planned for the test. Basically, I try to maintain a habit of practicing TOEFL for at least 1 hour a day or doing at least one part of a section every day. Just by improving my English every day, there will already be a lot of improvement.

I remember when I first did a mock exam, I only got a 92. By continuously practicing and improving, I improved my score by a lot, I even got a 109 on a mock exam once!! Just before the exam, I completed all the full-length practice tests online and finished around 90% of the questions in the series prep book.


TIPS FOR THE TEST


There are several tips I would like to talk about for studying and testing, mostly what I figured out during test preparation and some things that I wish I had known sooner.


TIP 1: Come up with your own template

The first tip is to come up with your own template in the speaking and writing sections. It is important that you think of yourself and not copy others, this is because you need to reflect on your own English speaking or writing style and the template also needs to suit your skills. Directly using other templates that use difficult wordings might result in insufficient time for answering and it would only do worse.

For example, when I was preparing for the first question in the speaking section, I saw a lot of templates using two examples and reasonings in their response. However, when I really tried that, I figured out that I was not able to speak fast enough to fit both examples and it would be hard for me to always come up with two reasonings. That is why the template I created myself contains only one main reason and example, while I explain in detail about that one experience.


TIP 2: Think and speak in English

The next tip would be to practice thinking and speaking in English every day. However, I don't mean speaking English with your friends and family when they might only understand your mother tongue, what I mean is when you speak to yourselves. For instance, when thinking about what to eat for dinner, try talking to yourself in English, "Should I get noodles or tacos for tonight" or "I think that's a better option" would all be good practices.


TIP 3: Create your own speaking questions to practice

This tip might only be suitable for the first question in the speaking section, about whether you prefer or agree with one or another. For instance, when you are taking a shower, you may think of a situation that often has a controversial opinion, and then create a question with it. This can include questions like "Many people prefer taking a shower while others prefer taking a bath, which do you prefer?". Continuing to create and answer questions of your own can help you practice a variety of topics and be familiar with the process of coming up with a response.


TIP 4: Practice doing tests in a noisy environment

The test day might be full of noise when everyone was doing their speaking section, but I only realized that about 4 days before the exam. I would recommend you practice doing your listening, speaking, and writing sections while playing human-speaking voices in the background as there will definitely be someone going onto the speaking section before and after you.

This is very important as when I first tried constructing my speaking response with noise in the background, I found it super disturbing and couldn't even focus properly. I am glad that I wasn't affected by other's responses that much during the test and I still managed to finish my response with only minor hesitations.


TIP5: Know your weaknesses

It is especially helpful to know which section and question types you have the most trouble with, it can help you locate where you need most practice. For example, I am especially weak in the vocabulary and the "choose three main ideas" question types in the reading section, so I focused a lot on memorizing the vocabulary that I had gotten wrong from previous tests, and I also spent more time understanding the full passage.

Another example is that I know I struggle the most with the speaking and writing section while preparing, so I spent most time grinding on those two and spent less time on practicing the listening subject which I know I wouldn't have much trouble on.


TIP 6: PRACTICE EVERY DAY!!!

This is the last and the most vital tip!!! Practicing every day is super important. You don't have to do a full test every day, but just completing one question would be enough. Personally, I usually pick two sections to do some part of each, for example, a reading passage and a full speaking test. Even though you might feel stressed about doing bad in the practices at first, which I experienced a lot of self-doubt in my speaking section, continuously practicing can really help improve your confidence and skill.


That is all I can recommend for you! I hope these tips can really help you prepare for the TOEFL test.


2024年6月30日 星期日

岡山鳥取之旅:餐廳介紹以及評比


在這一篇文章當中,我會將這趟岡山鳥取的旅程當中,所有品嘗過的食物,包括路邊的小吃和餐廳都整理起來,最後再寫上我的評語以及評分。這次去日本其實前前後後也去了很多城市,像是岡山、鳥取、姬路、松江、出雲等等,品嘗到的食物也很多樣。


第一天:台灣前往岡山


桃園機場登機門前餐廳:⭐⭐⭐⭐(4/5)
餐點:番茄燉牛肉飯套餐 + 紅燒牛肉麵套餐
套餐內容物:燙高麗菜 + 蔬菜湯 + 芒果果凍




這是一家在我們登機門前的餐廳,裡面的廚房是沒有真正開火的,而是運用調理包和微波爐等等烹飪而成。即便是這樣,餐點的完成度和美味程度都還是很高,尤其是紅燒牛肉麵的湯頭和麵條配合得恰到好處,差點讓我再點一碗來吃,但礙於有訂購飛機餐,還是必須留下一些肚子。相較的,我覺得燉牛肉就沒有像牛肉麵那麼讓人驚豔,不過還是在可以接受的範圍。


虎航飛機餐點:⭐⭐⭐⭐(4/5)
餐點:鹹酥雞餐 + 奶油洋蔥烏龍麵套餐
鹹酥雞餐內容物:鹹酥雞 + 四季豆 + 玉米筍 + 地瓜薯條 + 蘿蔔糕
烏龍麵套餐內容物:烏龍麵本體 + 蘋果汁 + 杏仁堅果






虎航的飛機餐比我預想中的還要小份,不過內容物還是不錯吃的。鹹酥雞的餐點真的很像夜市買的到的鹹酥雞,調味也都很好吃,烏龍麵的醬料也是很夠味,兩者都是我認為非常好吃的餐點。不過較為可惜的就是價錢和大小,兩者不太平衡,我認為餐點分量大一點會更好。


Aeon Mall Okayama 百貨商店內美食:
築地銀だこ:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(5/5)
這一家是位於 4 樓美食街的賣章魚燒的店面,我們購買的是最一般的原味章魚燒,我認為他的麵糊軟硬度適中,搭配剛出爐的熱氣,讓整體吃章魚燒的體驗特別深刻,尤其是口味真的很讓人驚豔。從這家店的人潮來看,和其他店家比起來就可以看出來真的很好吃。


牛かつ上村:⭐⭐⭐⭐(4/5)
這一家店是位於 4 樓美食街的賣炸牛排定食,有許多不同種類的搭配方式,像是咖哩飯和普通的定食。我們嘗試的是最一般的炸牛排定食,也就是炸牛排搭配生菜絲以及白飯,另外還有附上一碗味噌湯。整體來說,我認為口味比較一般,不像章魚燒那麼驚豔,但還是足以讓我快速吃完的好吃程度。


デザートパーラー ピノキオ:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(5/5)




這一家店是位於 7 樓的甜點店,裡面有賣聖代、鬆餅、法式吐司、飲料等等品項,非常豐富也很適合在飯後來這裡享用甜點。我這次點的是香蕉巧克力法式吐司,我覺得他們這裡的氛圍和食物都非常令人享受,完全就是拿到餐點後就馬上吃掉的類型,到現在我還是念念不忘。


第二、第三天:岡山前往鳥取


Lawson 早餐:
鮪魚蛋沙拉三明治:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(5/5)
玉米沙拉加和風醬:⭐⭐⭐⭐(4/5)

日本的蛋沙拉三明治都超級超級好吃,就算是配上吐司,也完全不會覺得乾,整體吃起來真的是人間享受,是我最懷念的食物之一。不過比較可惜的是他們的沙拉的生菜有些會苦苦的,所以必須要配上醬料才會好吃。


鳥取空港 Sunaba 咖啡館:⭐⭐⭐(5/5)






在這家餐廳裡面,我吃的是冷的蕎麥麵,我覺得非常好吃,不過沒有特別令我印象深刻。其他的餐點,像是炸豬排咖哩和漢堡排套餐,我個人覺得就比較一般,但是是個能夠填飽肚子的餐廳,也是空港內少數的餐廳。


たくみ割烹店:⭐⭐⭐(3/5)
餐點:鳥取和牛火鍋、煮和牛、燉和牛咖哩飯




這家店雖然有和牛的餐點,但我個人覺得不夠驚艷。他的火鍋湯頭只是一般的水,所有的食材都要靠他附的麻醬沾醬提味,包括和牛也是如此,整體吃起來就只是在品嘗醬汁的感覺。比較好吃的是和牛咖哩飯,會讓人忍不住一口接一口地吃,但是吃不太出和牛的味道,我認為不需要特別來這間店吃。煮和牛的部分,我個人認為是不太符合我的口味,就是真的沒什麼味道的牛肉,稍微有點失望,但是像弟弟就很享受這種牛肉的料理方式。

另外一點比較不適合我的地方就是上餐的速度,我個人喜歡快速地吃完,吃得飽飽的那種感覺,但是由於這家店的上餐速度較慢,沒有吃飽的感覺。另外,整體上餐的份量也有點少,餐點價格卻蠻高的。雖然可能不太適合我,但是對於喜歡牛肉的人來說也是可以很享受的。


柯南廚房:⭐⭐⭐(3/5)
餐點:蛋包飯咖哩、咖哩飯、雞蛋布丁、拿鐵

這家店是位於由良的米花町商店街上的柯南廚房,比較像是動漫餐廳,每個餐點都會有柯南的角色,但食物種類不多。我們全家點的三個咖哩飯和蛋包飯都是同樣的咖哩和飯做排列組合的餐點,整體上不錯吃,但不是非常特別的餐點,比較特別的在於其裝潢以及販售的柯南周邊。


焼肉ホルモンすだく 鳥取駅前店:⭐⭐⭐(3/5)
餐點:和牛燒肉拼盤、沙拉、豬雞拼盤




這家店是位於鳥取站前面的一家韓式燒肉店,個人對這家餐廳的印象不是很好。我們點了一些和牛和一般的豬肉和雞肉,肉本身我覺得還不錯吃,可惜分量不太夠。肉烤起來香氣撲鼻,和牛會有入口即化的軟嫩口感,豬肉的香氣也很足夠。另外一點比較可惜的是他們對於上餐順序的掌握不太好,由於我有點一碗白飯想要配著肉吃,就在我們肉烤到一半的時候,店員回答我說飯還正在製作,最後竟然在我們都烤完肉之後才上白飯。若不是我有猜到而留了三塊肉,可能我就得用沾醬配整碗飯了。


第四天:鳥取前往松江


松江站內部拉麵店(らあ麺ダイニング 為セバ成ル。KAKERU):⭐⭐(2/5)
餐點:鹹味蛤蠣拉麵




這家店是在松江站內部的一間拉麵店,人潮算是蠻多的,但是餐點的部分真的有點讓我震驚。我點的是蛤蜊拉麵,湯底是鹹味的,菜單上寫的是松江特別口味拉麵。個人認為湯頭太鹹,而且加上海鮮味之後吃到最後會很膩,麵和湯也有點不配合的感覺,但我最後還是把拉麵吃完了。另外還有吃到 0.5 辛的味噌拉麵,不過那個吃起來像是 100 辛,真的超過我的承受度了。


松江城內契茶店:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(5/5)
餐點:抹茶聖代




這間契茶店位於松江城歷史博物館內部,我點的是抹茶聖代,內容物有香草冰淇淋、抹茶冰淇淋、抹茶凍、紅豆泥、脆片、團子。個人覺得在炎熱的天氣下吃這道甜點真的是非常正確的選擇,尤其是抹茶冰淇淋真的很好吃,旁邊還有附上冷的茶,讓你在吃完甜甜的聖代後可以喝。剛好店面有一片窗戶可以欣賞外面的風景,整體是很好的體驗。


ガスト 松江南店:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(5/5)
餐點:雞肉沙拉、瑪格麗特比薩、焗烤飯、香蕉巧克力鬆餅






這間是位於島根縣立美術館旁邊的家庭餐廳,個人認為這是零死角超好吃餐廳。我在這邊點了很多餐點,而每一項都是人間美味等級的,上餐速度快而且都是熱騰騰的送上來。瑪格莉特比薩的起司熱熱的上餐時,真的超級好吃,鬆餅也是同樣的概念,熱熱的鬆餅加上巧克力醬和香蕉的搭配簡直是完美。另外一個加分的地方是點餐、送餐、結帳都是用機器完成,可以不用為溝通煩惱。


第五天:松江回到岡山


出雲大社旁的蕎麥麵店:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(5/5)
餐點:冷蕎麥麵 + 黑糖黃豆粉團子 + 抹茶






這間店是在整條出雲大社前的街道上被我們選中的餐廳,在這裡吃到的餐點都非常非常好吃。我最喜歡的就是黑糖黃豆粉口味的團子,他們的團子不會很黏,而且搭配上黑糖真的是超級超級超級好吃。冷蕎麥麵也非常好吃,不知不覺就會一口接著一口把他吃完。


出雲大社旁糖葫蘆:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(5/5)

這間糖葫蘆店位於前往出雲大社的路上,我在台灣一直都很想吃糖葫蘆,而剛好在這邊看到就完全被吸引過去了。糖衣的部分稍微厚了一點,草莓的部分本身就有甜,搭配起來是罪惡的超好吃點心,我很喜歡。


7-11 以及 Lawson 的晚餐:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(5/5)
由於當時我們從松江要回岡山的火車要開 2 小時 30 分鐘,而且剛好卡到晚餐時間,我們就在車站裡面的 7-11 買了一些餐點在車上食用,回到岡山時又去 Lawson 買了一些點心。

7-11 涼拌小黃瓜:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(5/5)
7-11 純蛋沙拉潛艇堡:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(5/5)
7-11 醬油蛋黃飯糰:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(5/5)
7-11 炸雞、炸薯條、炸薯餅:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(5/5)
Lawson 焦糖烤布雷冰淇淋:⭐⭐⭐⭐(5/5)
Lawson 水果奶油塔:⭐⭐⭐⭐(4/5)


第六天、第七天:岡山、姬路、回台灣


松屋(姬路城旁):⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(5/5)
餐點:烤豬肉定食(雙倍豬肉 / 大碗飯)




松屋和吉野家和 sukiya 都是有名的牛井店,不過松屋是在台灣及其稀有的店面,所以我們去日本都一定會去松屋朝聖一下。這次我點的是烤豬肉,我想嘗試的都是台灣吃不到的餐點們,而他完全符合我的期待,烤豬肉的香氣超級適合配飯,真的是一瞬間就被我清空。


神戶三明治(岡山站內):⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(5/5)
餐點:水果三明治組合




在逛岡山站的時候,就是這家有賣水果三明治的店家吸引了我的目光,我一直很想要嘗試甜點三明治,所以就買了水果三明治組合,裡面有咖啡凍香蕉口味、草莓香蕉口味、綜合水果口味以及卡士達水果口味。我最喜歡的是咖啡凍香蕉口味,真的是完美的組合,也完全不用擔心吐司會很突兀,反而整體融合得很好,真的會讓我想要反覆吃很多次。


Aeon Mall Okayama 美食街義大利麵:⭐⭐⭐(3/5)
餐點:奶油蛋黃培根麵




我們又再次回到岡山的 Aeon Mall 美食街,這次吸引我們目光的是一家義大利麵店。我們點的是奶油蛋黃培根麵,然而他的醬是較稀的類型,加上麵也比較普通,表現在我們期望之下,也解釋了為什麼沒什麼排隊人潮。


松屋(岡山站旁):⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(5/5)
餐點:炸豬排、炸蝦定食




這間松屋有和旗下的炸物公司有合作,所以有推出一般松屋沒有的炸物定食,我就是被炸豬排和炸蝦定食吸引到。果然沒有辜負我的期待,這個定食真的是好吃到讓我不想回台灣,如果可以真的希望我每天都可以吃到。兩個炸物都是不用沾醬就可以很好吃,若是加上他附上的塔塔醬也是不同層次的好吃。


虎航飛機餐點:⭐⭐⭐⭐(4/5)
餐點:鹹酥雞餐 + 焗烤鮮蔬貝殼麵

回程時我們同樣是選擇鹹酥雞餐點,不過另一個則是選擇貝殼麵。貝殼麵的部分不是特別好吃,但是我覺得是越吃越覺得不錯的類型,整體算是滿足,但同樣也是份量小了一點。


以上就是這次去日本所品嘗到的所有餐點,我吃到很多夢寐以求的食物,也嘗試很多不同的日本特色食物,我覺得非常值得。


2024年5月22日 星期三

2024-2025 個人創作展:作品介紹


接續上一篇介紹畫展的文章,這次要介紹的是展覽的作品們。呈現出線上畫展的感覺,讓你不用親自到現場也能夠聽到作者的導覽。




【新世紀哥吉拉戰士】
最初的靈感來源是我夢到的構圖,中間由一條光束連接兩個人物,用對比的背景打造出在打鬥的感覺。而當時剛好就想到哥吉拉以及為【美好的世界獻上祝福!】的惠惠,就將他們兩個結合起來,背景則是正在被哥吉拉破壞的城市場景。

當時的水彩技巧還不是非常成熟,可以看到許多層顏色的堆疊來打造陰影感,而不是在底色的時候就先一同將陰影處用漸層畫出整體感。不過最後呈現出來的效果還是不錯,有表達並呈現出想像的構圖。




【堅定的信念】
當初繪製這張圖片是為了紀念第一次接觸到射擊運動的場景,背景是在溪湖戰役。當時非常投入這項運動競賽,腦袋容納不下其他想法以及構圖,就將當時的心境記錄下來了。從畫面上也可以看的出來,綁著馬尾的少女就是我本人!




【街道風情】
這張畫是比較近期的畫作,當時剛好想要練習一點透視的街景,所以就運用水彩繪製出想像的日本街景。街道上的看板都是自己想出來的,旁邊的店家也是。可以看到右邊有一個空的販賣機和他的招牌、左邊還有超便宜的燒肉吃到飽和胖丁居酒屋,完全就是從我的想像中跑出來的場景。整體呈現比較色彩豐富且活潑的感覺,繪製這幅畫也讓我對水彩的掌握又更上一層樓。




【花開富貴】
這張是 2019-2020 年在嘗試油畫美彩的時候畫的其中一幅畫,當時主要是練習油畫的漸層,從白色漸層到有顏色的部分,做出花瓣的感覺。




【給未來的自己】
這幅畫的標題是給未來的自己,當時剛從學習日文轉變到漸漸開始學習新的東西,在這張作品當中表現的是從日文轉變為 AP 人文地理的時期。可以看到整張畫由地上的道路連接而成,從石頭道路轉變到沙漠的道路,背景而是從代表日本的神社建築轉變到清真寺以及蒙古包等等,象徵當時新學習的知識。

其實這幅畫也是在夢境中建構出的構圖,當時的想像是中間有人在走動,從過去走到未來的場景,最後融合當時的狀況,創造出這幅畫。中間的人就是以我為原型去繪製出來的,在左邊的怪獸們正在漸漸摧毀建築物,象徵著在學習新的東西時,舊的記憶漸漸喪失,而右邊的鱷魚和蛇就是我當時喜歡的動物。

這幅畫不僅在構想時花費了不少心思,也在塗色上花了很多時間。尤其是因為我使用的是色鉛筆,每次可以覆蓋到的區域並不多,加上這張畫是四開的作品,整個上色過程就佔超過一半的時間才得以完成。




【寶可「夢」】
當時在構想這幅作品時,剛好在玩 Pokemon Sleep,就是一款遊戲能夠用手機在晚上記錄你的睡眠狀態,並在早上的時候給你抓一隻寶可夢。由於當時都只能看到早上醒著的神奇寶貝們,並沒有成群睡覺的姿態,於是我就決定用自己的想像力把他們在睡覺的樣子記錄下來。

整體的氛圍也畫得比較暗,比較有夢境中的感覺。作品中出現的神奇寶貝們剛好都是我喜歡的幾隻,尤其最喜歡的就是傑尼龜和胖丁。




【金錢的誘惑】
這幅畫是在看完魷魚遊戲不久之後繪製的作品,當時深受這部劇的啟發,覺得世界其實沒有想像中的美好,也有很多黑暗面,而且大多還是圍繞著金錢在運轉。這幅畫同時記錄我看過這部劇,也承載著我對世界觀點的改變。




【阿古利巴石像】
這張畫非常簡單,就是一張畫阿古利巴石像的素描作品。雖然整體上看起來蠻簡單地,但當時在繪製的過程中其實並不簡單,因為這是真人的臉,和我平常繪製的動漫臉在五官比例上有很大的差異,有時候會不小心把他的眼睛畫得太大,造成人臉比例失調。




【黃昏中的薰衣草】
這張畫是我前幾張畫的水彩作品,當時還在摸索如何善用水彩繪圖,就從簡單的風景畫開始下手。可以看到在山的部分,其實對水和顏料的比例調控不太熟悉,所以有蠻多水紋,對比之後的作品就可以發現我有進步蠻多的。




【轉生成戰士的我養了一隻老鷹】
當時要繪製這張作品時沒有想很多,基本上就是我想畫人又想畫老鷹,加上當時很喜歡末日風格和沙漠,所以就將所有元素進行結合,進而誕生了這幅畫作。在繪圖技巧上也有一定的進展,我比較能夠捨棄掉背景不重要的地方,而不是每一個地方都要畫得很細,這樣整體才能夠凸顯出中間兩個角色。




【提燈夜行】
這幅畫的背景是虎年的元宵節,想說可以繪製小老虎和燈籠,就將日本神社元素和他們結合。中間的女生是穿著巫女的服裝,而他左手上拿的是老虎小燈籠,而竄出來的則是真正的小老虎,圖畫左邊則有一排燈籠。在繪製這幅畫最困難的部分就是用色鉛筆製造出光的感覺,在畫背景的黑色時必須刻意的去留空白,才不會讓整幅畫都暗暗的,能夠禿顯出燈籠產生的光。




【鯉魚之旅】
這一張水彩作品是進步最多的,可以看到我在鯉魚和人物的色彩掌握上面有所進展,整體的顏色可以比較鮮豔明亮,主要是因為我用一筆就將底色和陰影都先做初步的渲染。相較於之前一層一層堆疊的繪製方式,這次一口氣將底色做完更能保留第一層水彩的透明感,讓作品看起來較鮮明。




【宮島之旅】
這張油畫也是前期嘗試時繪製的,剛好當時去了宮島參觀水上神社,就將當時拍攝的照片繪製下來,剛好練習了用油畫呈現的倒影。




【彌豆子】
當時很流行鬼滅之刃,而我也很喜歡其中的彌豆子。可以看到這不只是我接觸油畫的初期,也是我開始畫畫的時候,當時對物體的立體感很沒有了解,在這張畫當中就可以看到其實很多陰影處都是使用較深的顏色直接去畫,並沒有漸層或其他處理。




【胖丁的向日葵】
這幅畫是我第一張油畫,將梵谷的向日葵改畫成胖丁的向日葵。同上,當初不了解立體感怎麼用顏色去表達,在胖丁劉海的部分就只有使用黑線描出來,並沒有用深色疊加陰影。




以上就是我所展出的所有作品,關於畫展本身的設計流程或主旨,可以在我另外一篇部落格當中了解,【2024-2025 個人創作展:畫展介紹】。這次畫展的邀請卡是使用【街道風情】這部作品當作背景製作的,上面的就是我的邀請卡。


2024年5月5日 星期日

VEX V5 2023-2024 Over Under 世界賽:所見所聞、比賽心得





經過一整個賽季,九個多月的努力,終於來到最後一場比賽,並且也是規模最大,容納 800 多支隊伍的世界級比賽。這篇文章當中,主要會圍繞在介紹整趟旅程中的經歷與體會,以及和之前所參與過的世界賽有什麼不同的感受。


V5 世界賽(4/25-4/27)





在經歷過這次的 V5 世界賽之後,我體驗到很多和之前不一樣的事物,不管是在比賽當下時間上的分配有所不同,還是整體比賽的忙碌程度,完全和出發之前對於世界賽的想像截然不同。


時間分配上的差異

第一個最令我震撼的點,就是在賽是當中時間的分配。從自己相簿照片的數量比較就可以發現,這次去參加 V5 的世界賽,相較於之前 FLL 和 VEX IQ,少了幾乎三分之二的照片,尤其這次和其他攤位拍的照片只有個位數。

最大的差異就在於零碎時間少了許多,在場次與場次之間必須進行機器和程式的調整。由於唯一能夠測試機器的地方,是在世界賽的公用練習場,而這個練習場距離我們的攤位大概要步行 7 分鐘才能抵達。在比賽密集的後兩天當中,基本上沒有時間能夠去參觀其他人的攤位,全部的行程都是在拖著機器前往不同的地點。只有在第一天早上的行程當中,因為只有練習和驗機,有些時間去和其他隊伍交流,並參觀大家的攤位。

回顧了之前世界賽的部落格,注意到這三天自己和其他隊伍的交流都比較淺,之前有詢問關於比賽經歷,機器設計理念等等,這次大多就圍繞在交換紀念品而已。我認為這一點比較可惜,因為像我現在回顧之前的部落格,還是可以讓我想起那些和隊伍交流的時光。


比完賽的勞累程度






這次世界賽九天的旅程當中,每一天晚上都非常令人難忘,尤其是每天洗完澡躺在床上就直接關機的睡覺模式,還有借別人的鍋子來煮熱水,拿來泡從鍋子主人身上偷來的泡麵也非常有趣。在這九天的旅程當中,我總共消化一包拉麵道和兩碗來一客鮮蝦魚板泡麵,當作一天努力過後的心靈慰藉真的非常適合。

世界賽三天的過程是最辛苦的,尤其當上午和下午的比賽已經夠疲累,但晚上還是比須回到民宿的場地維修機器和測試程式,甚至從民宿回到飯店之後還要在房間復盤今天的比賽,並看一下明天的隊友和對手的場次。

令我最印象深刻的是 4/24 晚上的面試練習,那時候我們隊伍(66994W)和另外一支教室的隊伍(66994P)在用英文訓練,結果八個人當中有大約六個人都是已經睡著的狀態,並以半夢半醒的狀態在回答。我們有一位隊友 Alex 說自己是副遙控手,P 隊的 Albert 第一次公開了他的英文名字,甚至還說自己是 11 years old,雖然原本應該是想要說 11th grade(高中二年級)。

我的習慣是在所有事情都結束之後,一次關機,所以我只要還有重要的事情要做,就會努力撐下去。最好的例子就是雖然想睡覺,但是肚子餓,所以會堅持到把泡麵吃完才會睡覺!我們隊上的 Frank 就是把泡麵泡下去結果睡著,最後是在泡麵泡了 30 分鐘之後才醒來開始吃。


飲食上的差異

在比賽的這幾天,除了第一天機場的飯店有提供早餐,後面住的 Omni Dallas 飯店的早餐都是要自己處理。我們在第二天要從休士頓前往達拉斯的路上有停一家超市,購買後面幾天要吃的食物。由於美國的食物都是主打量多,麥片只有看到家庭號的,不過對我們三個人住五天來說應該是差不多剛好。比較可惜的就是每天就只能吃一樣的,沒辦法換一些花樣,就算是這樣,麥片加牛奶真的是不敗的組合,到最後一天都還是很好吃。

這幾天的中餐和晚餐都是由旅行社處裡,其中有幾餐是真的很好吃,像是達美樂的奶油筆管麵、In & Out 的漢堡、麥當勞的漢堡、會場的 Pizza 和叉燒炒飯加上芝麻球等等。其實要在美國吃到符合自己胃口的食物不簡單,畢竟整個煮飯的文化和烹調的技巧都有所不同,但懂得體驗不同的文化和其與自己國家的文化融合的方式也是不錯的學習。


比賽的競爭強度 / 難易度




相較於 VEX IQ,V5 的競賽真的多了一層的強度,每一分每一秒都至關重要。有時候只是一時的策略判斷錯誤,少放了兩顆球,可能就錯失了很大的得分機會,導致比分拉大;有時候只是稍微慢對方一點點,兩顆球可能就被搶走,真的是每個時刻都在和時間賽跑。

整體來說不管是比賽場次的強度,還是整整三天的強度都非常高。加上這次因為來不及準備技能挑戰賽,總共只有去跑三次,如果這次的比賽還要包括 skills 的測試和實際去跑所花的走路時間,真的是無法想像的忙碌。


攤位布置




這次我們很用心的布置了攤位,可以說整排攤位看過去,最會讓人想要停下來看的一定!一定!是我們 66994W 的。最大的亮點就在於我們幾乎沒有留任何原本攤位的黑色布,背後的黑色布幕我們用一張隊員介紹的海報蓋住,桌子上則是舖上我們粉紅色的隊旗,在攤位旁邊還擺著一張 88x212cm 的易拉展,內容是關於機器結構的介紹和程式策略和感應器的選擇。每一個來我們攤位參觀的都非常喜歡易拉展,是吸引別人目光的第一名。

稍微失策的是紀念品的數量有點做多了一些,最後除了發光手環和胸章以外都還有一些剩下來。第一天因為我們認為應該會發的蠻快的,所以在給紀念品上面有點保守,下次應該要不手軟的發掉。不過也因為有剩下紀念品,還能夠留下來給分給家人或其他台灣的隊伍,也是不錯。

簡單做一個排行榜,最受歡迎攤位布置是我們的易拉展,紀念品則不相上下,但最受歡迎的是發光的手環和扇子,貼紙和胸章則是路過的人,我們都會給一份。另外我們還特別放置工作日誌在旁邊給隊伍們簽名,這樣日後翻到工作日誌就能夠回憶所有來過我們攤位的隊伍。


消失的面試機會


▲世界賽前努力準備面試


這次最令我錯愕的就是,我們隊伍竟然連一次面試的機會都沒有。憑良心講,我認為我們隊伍在世界賽前的線上面試當中表現,是整個賽季最好的一次,要我相信這樣竟然沒有現場面試,是不可能的。比起在台灣的比賽,我們的表現又更上一層樓,到了世界賽卻連面試的機會都沒有,真的有些誇張。大家現在或多或少都知道,背後可能有很多黑暗中的操作,尤其現場還有其他評審發現,某國的評審故意把其他國家隊伍的分數拉低等等的舉動。

雖然在比賽現場,我很努力地不要讓自己的心情受到影響,也避免給自己身旁的人帶來負面的情緒,但其實內心我真的有點生氣。我們隊伍為了線上賽面試也是準備許久的時間,我規劃面試題目和回答也費盡許多心思,現場面試的機會卻因為低級的刻意打壓,直接消失。日後我們會考慮選擇英文的線上面談,避開某國的老師和家長志願者,以獲得公平的對待機會。


感謝名單


首先想要感謝的一定是自己的家人,謝謝爸爸媽媽願意提供這個資源,讓我有機會學習機器人,在整個賽季當中,真的學到很多。不管是在自己處理生活的大小事,對待人該有的態度,以及如何組織並照顧一個團隊,很多都是因為有你們慢慢教我才能夠學會的。謝謝你們支持我繼續努力,每次遇到挫折還有壓力的時候,都願意在我旁邊聽我說話並給予鼓勵,讓我有信心繼續為自己的未來打拼。


▲賽季初期非常艱辛和努力做出來的機器XD




在整個賽季當中,教會我最多東西的肯定是第一名教師 LULU 老師!謝謝老師耐心地教導,從賽季初那個什麼都不會,連 c channel 應該要怎麼連接都不曉得,連底盤、投手、Intake 和飛輪都不知道怎麼做的我開始教,到現在只要提到某種結構就能稍微有個畫面在腦中,真的成長蠻多的。從 VEX IQ 學上來,真的會需要經過一個斷層,尤其很多結構的做法都不一樣。我還記得自己賽季初最大的不解是在於「為什麼橫桿變成一個 C?這樣要怎麼接?」,因為 IQ 都是用插銷連接,很難聯想到螺絲配墊片的做法,一開始真的一竅不通。

再次感謝 LULU 老師整個賽季的指導,我想如果不是 LULU 老師用心的指導,要從 IQ 跳上來 V5 真的會成為很大的障礙。不管是程式的陀螺儀 function 還是結構如何做得堅固,都是整個賽季的教導堆疊起來並融會貫通而成的。我覺得能夠有這種學習的機會非常難得,從賽季初對一切都超級迷茫的我,能夠成長到有一定實力的選手,真的很幸運能夠有這樣的機會。


▲我們隊伍和友隊的合照


我也想要謝謝我的隊友們,願意陪我奮鬥一整個賽季。從一開始大家都還不熟,彼此沒有什麼聊天和交集,隨著每次練習一起去吃飯,在組機器時一起聊天打屁,錄一些迷因影片,慢慢地也是混熟了XD。身為 66994W 的一員,我很珍惜每一次比賽的過程和練習時的討論,這些經歷都會成為很好的回憶。

謝謝我的結構和投球好夥伴們 Frank 和彤彤,很多時候都是你們陪我練到很晚,不管是在做機器或是練習 matchload 上都是。還記得有一次我連續三天練遙控練到 1:30,就是 Frank 在陪我放球,謝謝你承受我這麼高強度的練習。也謝謝你經常待在教室過夜,就為了把機器的一個部分修好,每次早上去看,都可以看到你徹夜未眠修機器的成果,辛苦你了!

謝謝彤彤平日有空的時候會來陪我做機器和聊天,也會提供很多影片企劃,讓我們大家一起發瘋。不得不說,謝謝你把隊伍的帳號管理的那麼好,真的是 Social Media 第一名,最喜歡的肯定就是 reels 的跳舞影片們XD。

另外還要謝謝荷米超強社交功力,邀請我們去比賽前一天晚上的練習賽。那場練習賽讓我們體會到世界賽規格的比賽該有的強度,很慶幸有這個機會能夠提早和強隊聯隊並切磋。

也要謝謝所有在這個賽季當中幫助過我和我們團隊的人類們。不管是在賽事準備過程當中,和我們一起比模擬賽的隊伍們,或一起打 1 對 1 的教室隊伍和選手們,或是在我努力摸索結構的路上給予幫助的選手們,都很謝謝你們的幫忙。

最後還要謝謝旅行社精心安排的行程,讓我們不用擔心吃飯和接送的問題,這九天都過得非常充實!


比賽心得總結





我認為在整個比賽過程中,最有趣的就是看到每個隊伍和裁判都熱情的歡迎每一個人,尤其這次我三天都戴著粉紅色捲捲假髮和一些奇怪的配飾,卻意外地吸引了超多人的喜愛。光是我們隊伍上去比第二場比賽,有一位裁判就直接說「這是我最喜歡的隊伍!有粉紅色頭髮的!」。也是我們才第二次去 skills 場地排隊,就有志工和裁判說「我知道你們來過!」「剛好我也帶粉紅色帽子,要不要跟我拍張照!」,粉紅色頭髮戴上去就成為超明顯的指標了。

在攤位區也有很多奇特裝扮的隊伍,有一支愛爾蘭的隊伍有裝扮成聖派翠克小精靈,剛好是他們國慶日的吉祥物小精靈。還有一支隊伍有一位隊員揹著一個大籃框,並讓大家投娃娃進去籃框內,籃板上也收集超多隊伍的貼紙在上面,非常特別。

儘管這次的比賽結果並不是特別突出,也很可惜未能帶獎盃回台灣,但這次的比賽仍然是一個非常好的經驗,讓我再次體會到外國人的熱情以及比賽有趣的氛圍。整個準備比賽和奮鬥的過程也都會成為未來回顧時非常重要的回憶。


▲總決賽 dome 現場


這次在 dome 看最終的決賽時,也有特別的感受。這是第一次體會到自己的實力和站在舞台正中央的隊伍的差異,遙控的順暢程度真的是非常絲滑,彷彿不用瞄準,就像是完全預判球的行徑一樣,到哪裡都可以吸到球。希望未來自己也有一天能夠達到那樣的境界。

這個賽季已經告一個段落,也比了不少比賽,在台灣的各場比賽以第一年的隊伍來說,已經比我一開始的預期好非常多,也很意外第一年比賽就能夠順利晉級世界賽,是一個很難忘的經驗。明年的規劃目前還在考慮當中,但不管最終的選擇是什麼,我一定會照樣付出 100% 的努力,不讓自己留任何遺憾,我們明年見!