12/8 TAIVEX IQ Rapid Relay: Head Referee Volunteer

December 8th was the day all VEX IQ teams and team members came to participate in one of the important competitions for this VEX IQ season: TAIVEX IQ Rapid Relay. Competed by 35 teams, the 11 awards were the goal for everyone of the participants. Behind the competition are all the event organizers and volunteers that support the event, and I am one of them.

This time, I volunteered as the Head Referee for the competition, and it was my first time. Before this day, I have volunteered as a scorekeeper referee for multiple times. The first experience was during the VEX Worlds volunteer, and the next was during VEX Taiwan Open National Championship and much more.

One thing I've learned from all those volunteer experiences was that being the Head Referee wasn't an easy task at all. The head referee is in charge of training the scorekeeper referees and is required to make decisive decisions when there is a violation or argument. Moreover, they have to understand the rules of the game very well, to the point that any question from the teams can be answered.

Even though I have always wanted to stand in the position as the head referee, when I received the volunteer invitation from the event partner, I felt more anxiety than excitement. I was afraid that I might be too weak on decisions and not have a clear enough stance when dealing with arguments.

Before the day of the competition, I spent quite a bit of time reviewing all the rules written on the game manual and specifically noted all the possible violations a team may encounter. I was really happy that I did research before hand that I was able to come to conclusion quickly during the competition.

Since head referees were also responsible for the Drivers Meeting, which was a meeting where the head referee talk about some violation possibilities to help students avoid these actions, I also constructed some notes for the important rules and the meeting process on the previous day.

I also took the official VEX IQ Head Referee test and got my certificate beforehand. It was a four hour course that tested us the rules in the game manual to make sure head referees are all well-prepared for making decisions based on the game manual.

On the competition day, I was really excited to meet all other volunteers as well as teams from different places. I felt excitement as well as a bit of agitation, but I was well-prepared and was ready for ruling this competition!

First, I suggested to gather all scorekeeper volunteers for a meeting before robot inspections starts. This is because it is very important to make sure everyone knew what their responsibilities were and understand the game rules as well as possible violations. This meeting was just like a drivers meeting but with referees, and I was glad we had this meeting since there was a lot of questions asked during it.

After making sure everyone has a certain amount of understanding regarding the game rule, it was time to prepare for the actual driver meeting with all team members and coaches. I considered it as the biggest challenge yet the part of the competition I was looking forward to the most. I discussed the plan for the meeting with the other head referee, and decided that she will translate the points I mentioned while I talk in Manderin, so we can make sure everyone understands the rule.

The competition was split into morning and afternoon, and there was practice matches, qualification matches, and the finals matches that the teams will play. I started to get the hang of ruling as well as the schedule as time goes by. Much more, I felt a great sense of accomplishment and was even hoping that the competition can continue just a little longer.

The whole competition ended with the award ceremony and the group photo of all the participants. It was really a exciting day. Meeting every one of my friends that came to volunteer was especially amazing. I had a really fun time chatting with everyone during the competition. I will definitely come and help for the next time as well.

2024/10/26-27 TAI-VEX HS League: Scorekeeper Volunteer

Although I didn't participate in this year's VEX V5 game as a competitor, I still wanted to help and get involved in the VEX community. Therefore, I decided to volunteer as the scorekeeper referee, a role that helps with scoring matches while watching out for rule violations.

I really enjoy watching matches and analyzing different team's abilities. In so doing, it feels like I am understanding the match from a god's perspective, which is a completely different view from a team's perspective.

In the two-day volunteering, the first day is where middle school students compete, and the second day is for high school teams. Volunteers arrive at 11 am to help set up the competition field. Later we start to do team inspection at around 12pm, during which we have to double-check that the teams' have their robot all set and don't violate any rules.

The main matches start after all teams have their inspection completed, which is around 1:30pm. There are two main fields in total, and referees including scorekeepers keep on switching between the fields to keep the competition going.

All matches ended at around 6pm and we helped pack up some of the tools and replaced all schedules with the ones that will be used for the next day.

In total, I volunteered for 14 hours. I really enjoyed the process. Not only was I able to understand current match strategies and robot designs, but I was also able to meet several friends that I made last year during the competition. It was a spectacular experience and I will continue to volunteer in VEX.

113年統一發票推行暨「四格漫畫 來Show稅」租稅宣導活動：佳作、早鳥獎

大約在九月初的時候，我投稿參加了財政部中區國稅局舉辦的「113年統一發票推行暨「四格漫畫 來Show稅」租稅宣導活動」。這是一個四格漫畫繪圖甄選比賽，最終總共有 136 件作品，而我獲得佳作，是不錯的成績。由於我是前幾個繳交圖畫的人，還有另外獲得早鳥獎。

這次決定要參加比賽的原因之一，是因為我想要運用我的繪圖能力去關注並幫忙社會相關的議題，剛好看到財政部正在宣傳新的活動就決定要來試試看。在題目選擇當中有許多現代的社會議題，像是性別平等，新的財政計畫，以及有效改善發票兌獎的 APP 等等，最終我提交的圖畫是以介紹統一發票兌獎 APP 為主題創作的四格漫畫。

作品名稱：

發票不再麻煩！APP 一次輕鬆幫你搞定！

作品介紹：

以前，有些人可能會為發票兌獎而煩惱，但現在我們有財政部統一發票兌獎 APP 可以幫忙解決很多事情也節省很多時間！

這次的作品以「起承轉合」分別代表四格漫畫當中的故事，描述著主角小明第一次看到別人使用載具儲存發票時驚訝的情緒與其過程。

當小明前幾天還在為和對層層堆疊的發票所需要耗費的時間煩惱，在結帳時也仍然在接收店員給的紙本發票。小明卻無意間發現在隔壁櫃檯結帳的女生小美，竟然拿出手機儲存發票！！小美並好心的介紹了她所使用的「財政部統一發票兌獎APP」的所有好處，更是強調了 APP 的方便性。

希望透過這次的四格漫畫，能夠讓更多人體會到並使用財政部統一發票兌獎APP。

活動連結

這是我第一次上網投稿自己創作的作品，在創作途中也有意識到自己現在可以用更好的繪圖技巧和經驗去表達自己的想法，並真正的靠自己的實力描繪出腦中構想的故事情節。最終繪製完作品時非常有成就感，導致我在看到比賽後一個禮拜內就將作品繪製完成並上傳投稿了！

非常幸運地在最後可以得到佳作，也讓我更想要在日後持續創作並參加更多繪圖比賽。如果有機會的話，我仍然希望在未來持續用繪圖關注更多新計畫，並繪製出自己構想的故事。

2024/9/29 TAI-VEX HS League Scrimmage: Scorekeeper volunteer

Despite not having time to compete in this year's VEX V5 competition, I still have enthusiasm about meeting both older and newer teams, understanding their strategy, analyzing their robot design, and much more. This time in September, I had the chance to volunteer in the TAI-VEX Scrimmage as a scorekeeper referee. I enjoyed it very much and felt excited to see all the team's potential.

I arrived at the competition venue at 12pm and started to prepare for the team's inspection. Then soon the main competition matches started, and my job was to calculate the score of both alliances and confirm it with the teams. Time flies and the matches soon ended at 5pm. I helped clean up the field and pack up tools, then headed home.

It was a very pleasant experience, I had the chance to meet old friends from last year and the opportunity to watch the match from such a close distance. I will definitely continue to volunteer in the VEX  competition whenever I have the chance.

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

Princeton Review Prep Book

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

Princeton Review Prep Book

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 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

Official Guide to the TOEFL IBT Test, Seventh Edition

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.

不是權威不出書：托福命題總監教你征服新托福（閱讀聽力、口語、寫作最強3in1套書）

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.

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。

2024-2025 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。