Members of the Happy Dragon Boat (小梅時光龍舟隊) practice ahead of this year's Dragon Boat Festival. (Courtesy of Wang Chien-yu)

【看CP學英文】不知不覺，時序入夏，人們也迫不及待全家動員準備慶祝一年一度的端午節。為了慶祝這美好的假期，The China Post特別訪問到在台深耕15年娶妻生子的美國人哈都，來自聖地亞哥的他熱情地分享身為老外的他如何度過這個特別的節日。

As the Dragon Boat Festival approaches, many have already begun preparing for the annual holiday. To get to know how foreigners celebrate the festival, The China Post met with Jon Hodowany, who is originally from San Diego but moved to Taipei with his wife and children in 2005.

哈都不藏私地分享他最喜歡的端午節活動，強調雖然天氣很濕熱，但是仍不減他參加各種戶外活動、節慶、和美味小吃的興致。

For Hodowany, the most enjoyable parts of the Dragon Boat Festival include the “outdoor activities, festivals and street food” in spite of the humid weather. 

在台深耕15年娶妻生子的美國人哈都｜The China Post interviewed Jon Hodowany, who is originally from San Diego but moved to Taipei with his wife and children 15 years ago, in 2005.（Courtesy of Jon Hodowany)

問及端午節通常會和家人做什麼，哈都眼睛閃爍著光芒說道：

When asked about what he and his family do on the day of the Festival, Hodowany said:

「每年端午節，我和老婆、以及兩個小孩會搭捷運前往新店碧潭邊看刺激的龍舟比賽。我們會在碧潭耗上一整天。一大早，天氣正好，我們一家會站在碧潭吊橋上為各隊伍加油歡呼，感受熱鬧氣氛。午餐時間，當我們又熱又餓，筋疲力竭，就會前往捷運附近的食物攤販買東西吃，並找個舒適的桌子坐下，一邊享受美味午餐，一邊觀賞龍舟比賽。我們全家留下許多慶祝端午節美好的回憶。」

“Traditionally, my wife and two children have always traveled by MRT to Xindian to watch the Dragon Boat races at Bitan along the river. We make a whole day of it. In the morning, we cheer on the races from the Bitan Suspension Bridge and enjoy the atmosphere and sunny weather. By lunchtime, we are both hot and hungry, so we then head to the covered food stalls on the MRT side of the river, and find a nice table to continue watching the Dragon Boat races while dining. Our family has great memories of the many Dragon Boat Festivals in Taipei.”

如此熱愛龍舟比賽，那哈都是否曾有意想參加呢？他回應道，因為參加龍舟比賽之前需要長時間的訓練，而且在豔陽高照下，參賽者看起來很熱也很累，所以他還是乖乖地站在一旁欣賞就好。

Hodowany has thought about joining a Dragon Boat racing team before, but due the long hours of training and how the racers all looked “so hot and tired” on the actual day, he decided it would be best to cheer from the side. 

A member of the Happy Dragon Boat (小梅時光龍舟隊) smiles during practice ahead of this year’s Dragon Boat Festival. (Courtesy of Wang Chien-yu)

「我不覺得我之後會參加龍舟比賽，但誰知道到時候會怎樣呢。」

“I do not see myself participating in the future, but you never know.”

至於參與端午節活動是否有感受到任何文化隔閡，哈都表示，他待在台灣這麼久沒有遇到什麼困難，因為「每個人都超級友善」。

Regarding the cultural barriers, Hodowany said that he rarely faced any problems in Taiwan as a whole, due to how “everyone is so incredibly friendly.”

「但沒錯，的確剛來台灣會有語言溝通障礙，但我也花了很多時間學習中文。」

“Yes, there is a language barrier at first, but I have invested the time to learn Mandarin Chinese.”

「其實只要用幾個簡單的中文詞彙，加上一個大大的笑容，語言的障礙也化解了，大家都很快樂。」

Members and friends of the Happy Dragon Boat (小梅時光龍舟隊) prepare ahead of this year’s Dragon Boat Festival. (Courtesy of Wang Chien-yu)

他續談道，不論是外國人、還是台灣人，大家都踏出門參加龍舟比賽、美食活動，這絕對是台灣最大最歡樂的假期！」

“All it takes is a smile, a few words in Chinese, and an appreciation for the awesome food of Taiwan, and everyone is in a happy place. There are so many people, Taiwan citizens and foreigners alike, who are participating in the Dragon Boat races and all the food festivities. It is one big happy holiday.”

想到端午節就會想到粽子，哈都表示他的岳母曾經教過他如何包粽子，但他的粽子賣相不太好，笑稱「看起來像是顆棒球」。

Regarding “zongzi” (sticky rice dumplings), Hodowany stated that his mother-in-law generously taught him before, but his results “weren’t pretty” and were “shaped like a baseball.”

最後，他逗趣地說，「我還是吃粽子就好，做粽子我真的不太拿手。」

“I am definitely better suited to eating zongzi rather than making them,” he said.

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