關於 part time jobs near me ，我們在網路上蒐集到這些相關的討論、資訊與評價

[繞道亞洲心臟的一人背包旅行] Bypassing the Heart of Asia: a Solo Backpacking Trip
(English edition available below)

從2018年5月7日開始，我將自己一個人飛到烏茲別克首都塔什干，開始為期42天的「亞洲心臟繞道」旅行。這是我這輩子第一趟超過一個月的自助旅行。

「亞洲心臟」指的是中亞，一個突厥、蒙古與伊斯蘭文化相遇並交融的地方。這趟旅行之所以稱作亞洲的心臟繞道（heart bypass），是因為路線雖然貫穿俄羅斯、中亞與中國，卻不是直接「刺穿」亞洲的心臟，而是從心臟的一端繞一大圈到另外一端。用文字說明不太清楚，看下面這張路線圖應該就比較明瞭了。

Starting May 7, 2018, I’ll be on a 42-day solo backpacking trip to Central Asia, Western/Northwestern China and Russia. The title I give this trip is “Bypassing the Heart of Asia”.

The heart of Asia, commonly known as central Asia, is a region where Turkic, Mongolian and Islamic cultures intertwine. After Rather than “piercing” through it, I will first get to one side of it, and then make a huge detour to the other side. This is why I call it a heart bypass. (I guess it still sounds vague. Check out the maps attached to this post.)

這趟旅程的發想，源自於去年的幾趟歐洲行。由於工作的限制，我幾乎都是用一個禮拜甚至更短的假期自助旅行，每次只能跑一兩個國家，沒過幾天就得回到工作崗位上繼續奮鬥；累積下來固然是去了不少地方，卻少了那種「壯遊」的暢快感。於是我開始想，有沒有可能讓自己有段更長的假期，可以來個瘋狂一點的大旅行，例如，用一個月的時間，從歐洲的最西端走陸路與海路一路回到台灣？尤其路上會經過的幾個前蘇聯國家，獨特的文化與神秘感非常吸引我。

那陣子正好也開始認真思考轉職，因此心裡便默默下了這個決定——等我換工作的時候，一定要爭取到至少一個月的間隔，利用這段長假來實現我的大旅行夢。那時候為了準備面試，每天都忙著練習演算法題目，每當卡題卡到想要翻桌放棄的時候，我就會想到自己的大旅行，想到自己有一天可以從葡萄牙的最西端出發、搭著火車穿過歐亞大陸，最後站在臺馬輪的甲板上，看著基隆港從地平線上慢慢浮現，以熟悉的家鄉風景作為一個月旅行的終點，那會是何等難忘的感動呀！想著想著，就有動力繼續解演算法題了。

後來找工作的過程大致順利，但這趟大旅行的規劃則不然——我很快就發現，事情根本就沒有我想的那麼簡單！

首先，陸路旅行最大的挑戰之一其實是簽證。在我規劃原本的路線上，持台灣護照前往俄羅斯、哈薩克、烏茲別克、吉爾吉斯都需要申請簽證，而這幾個國家的簽證都相當難辦，必須要先購買邀請函（每張索價美金70-100元），然後親自跑到位在華盛頓特區的大使館辦理，就算一切順利也要等上一兩週，然後再親自回去領取，簽證費用則都至少是美金100元起跳。落地簽？有（俄羅斯除外），但是要從機場入境才有落地簽，走陸路只能用正式簽證。這四張簽證如果全部辦下來，時間和金錢根本不是我能負擔得起的。

其次，一個月的時間看似很長，其實根本就不夠！就算我決定重點放在中亞、跳過所有歐洲的景點不停留，每個國家最後可能也只夠停留三四天，而且其中2/3的時間可能都在坐車。花了這麼多時間和金錢辦到簽證，哪有可能一國只去走馬看花個三四天？無怪乎那些真正有心的背包客旅行都至少是三個月起跳，甚至半年一年，大概因為只有這樣才能充分利用每張簽證的價值吧！

最後我只好開始妥協，先放棄了從歐洲最西端出發的想法，接著決定允許少數一兩段不走陸路（以便拿到比較省錢省事的落地簽或電子簽），後來又努力減少造訪的國家數量。最後，就產生了這趟先往東再往西、在中亞和蒙古周圍繞了一大圈的奇特路線。

第一週：烏茲別克
第二週：吉爾吉斯
第三、四週：中國新疆、甘肅、寧夏、內蒙古
第五、六週：俄羅斯從東向西橫跨

為什麼要先一路向東、繞了一大圈之後才入境俄羅斯，而非從俄羅斯開始一路往東？這樣規劃的原因是，俄羅斯簽證是世界知名的難搞加上昂貴，但正巧在2018年，趁世界盃在俄羅斯舉行之際，自助旅行者聽到了千載難逢的福音：凡購買世界盃門票者可以在球賽期間免簽證入境俄羅斯，整個開放期間是6/4到7/25。由於我的旅行得在6/17結束，如果要利用世界盃門票入境俄羅斯，就只能利用6/4-6/17這段期間。因此我只好先把中亞和絲路走完，然後再往上以由東向西的方式橫貫俄羅斯。

寫著這篇文章的此時，有點不敢相信自己竟然已經找好新工作、從前公司離職、申請好所有簽證，彷彿幾天前還在為了轉職奮鬥，現在才驚覺兩天之後就要出發了！

這趟旅行對我來說有很多個第一次：第一次一口氣旅行這麼長的時間、第一次前往中亞、第一次走陸路跨越亞洲與歐洲，除此之外還有另外一個第一次：第一次嘗試一路用臉書專頁的形式分享我的行程，以及路上見到的人事物。過去我比較喜歡先把旅程跑完，等凱旋歸來之後再把旅程中最美好、最精華的部分呈現出來（當然也有很多時候是根本就沒有認真寫）；這次選擇用同步的方式紀錄，意味著我寫下的文字將更加貼近自己當下的感受，路上經歷的好與壞、成功與失敗都更可能被攤在別人面前。不確定這種方式寫出來的文字會是如何，但就把這當成一個實驗性的寫作計畫吧，我這樣想著。

歡迎加入我的旅程。我們後天晚上出發！

This grand trip idea started last year, after a few European trips I took. Due to the limit of my paid time-off, those trips lasted only one week or even shorter. Then I started thinking: how cool would it be if I can get a longer time off, let’s say like 1 month, to travel from Europe to Asia through all the former Soviet Union countries (which seem extraordinarily attractive to me after my Baltic States trip last year)? And I knew that the best timing for me to do that would be the gap between two jobs. Therefore, I started conceiving this trip while looking for a new job. The job search went fairly smoothly, but the trip planning soon faced some difficulties.

The biggest difficulty is visa. As a Taiwanese passport holder, visa is required for me to enter Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyz, and those countries are notorious for their lengthy and costly visa application process. For each visa, I have to buy a letter of invitation (LOI), go to the consulate in Washington DC in person, wait for one or two weeks, and then pick up the visa in person. Each visa can take a month and cost $200-300. Things have changed recently -- visa waiver is now available for many western countries, but not for Taiwan citizens, unfortunately.

Another difficulty is time. One month may seem long, but to travel from the westernmost point of Europe (Lisbon) to Taiwan without flying, it’s still way too short. Even if I take train through all the European countries without making stops, I’d probably have only 3-4 days to spend in each central Asian country, and 2/3 of the time I’ll be on the train. This is not the way I would like to travel!

As my original plan was quickly proven unrealistic, I began to make compromises: giving up the attempt to start from the westernmost point of Europe, allowing myself to fly once (in order to enter using visa on arrival, which is applicable only if you fly in), and reducing the number of countries to visit. Finally, I came up with this “heart bypass” itinerary:

Week 1: Uzbekistan
Week 2: Heading east to Kyrgyzstan
Weeks 3-4: Heading east/northeast to western and northwestern China
Weeks 5-6: From Russian Far East heading west to Golden Ring, the European part of Russia

Some may wonder about this: why do I travel eastward into China first and turn westward to go back to the European part of Russia first, instead of starting from European Russia and go eastward all the way? This is because Russia has a visa waiver policy during the 2018 FIFA World Cup: all foreign ticket buyers can enter Russia between June 4 and July 25 without a visa. Since my trip has to end on June 17, the only period for me to take advantage of that would be June 4-17. That’s why I have to do Central Asia and China first and enter Russia later.

Still cannot believe the trip is just around the corner! I have found a new job, wrapped up my previous job, and been approved for all visas. This is my first time trying to write about my trip while still traveling -- previously I always did that after trips. Writing while traveling means the narratives would probably be closer to what I actually see and feel on the way. I’m not a big fan of broadcasting or checking-in everywhere to show off my trip, but I’d like to do this “near-time writing” as an experiment, and see how my travel and my writing would both be made different.

Welcome to join my trip. Get yourself ready to head out with me on Sunday night!

Read to the end! This is written by an American black officer. People still deny there's racism in the US. They honestly need new glasses and perhaps new thinking cap as well. Perhaps they need a complete metaphorical makeover.

Starbucks.
Alleged events.
Two black males entered Starbucks to wait for a friend to arrive and did not order anything from the business. Prior to ordering and prior to their friend’s arrival, they decided to attempt to use the restroom. An employee denied the men access to the restroom because they had not purchased anything and asked them to leave. The men calmly refused and the employee called the police. The police arrived at the scene and asked the men to leave the facility. The men refused numerous times. The men were told that they would be arrested if they did not leave the restaurant. The men told the officers to arrest them. The men calmly stood up and allowed the officers to arrest them. They were transported to jail, when Starbucks contacted the police department and stated that they did not want to follow through with charges against the men. They were released.

Why did the police officers have to arrest them? Why didn’t the officers investigate further?

Any employee of a business has the right to ask a person to leave their business. If a person refuses to do so, it is trespassing, period. The modern-day purpose of that charge is to reduce physical conflicts, escalating situations and to protect patrons/employees. The number 1 reason why trespassing is important is because the mentally ill and homeless “camp out” inside of businesses scaring/employees and customers. I trained near downtown and I was frequently called to arrest the mentally ill/ homeless for trespassing. It isn’t to discriminate against them, but they cause disturbances. I removed a guy for clipping his toenails on a table. I removed a woman for bathing in the toilet. I removed a man for masturbating in a trash can next to a family with small children. We have a homeless/ mental illness problem in America and there is no real solution to the problem. Trespassing charges are the quickest way to remove them and the nuisances associated with their behavior.

If you have ever been to a parade or any other event, you know that business often post signs stating that no one can use the restroom unless they are paying customers. You can imagine the nuisances caused by hundreds of drunk people creating a line only to use the restroom, pushing actual customers away from a business. It has caused numerous fights and disturbances. Trespassing charges are the easiest way to get people to leave and go on with their day.

In this Starbucks situation, the police were called and an employee wanted the two men out of the store. When the police arrive, it is their job to arrest someone who refuses to leave after being asked to do so by the business. Period. It doesn’t matter if the men were correct or not. A business can ask someone to leave. This prevents escalation between patrons/ employees for the most part. If a patron has a separate civil issue with the company, they are free to file that complaint or seek justice in other methods. The officers did nothing wrong.

As an officer, I know that most officers hate arresting people for trespassing. In an officer’s heart, they are hoping that the person being asked to leave will be gone prior to arrival. Most officers are disappointed to see the person still at the location. Trespassing charges are way too much paperwork and take too long to process at jail considering the charge. It’s annoying, but needs to be done in some circumstances. The officers asked the men to leave several times hoping they would just leave. They refused and told the officers to take them to jail. The officers were forced to take them to jail. They were professional and did their jobs. This is a civil issue and the issue lies with Starbucks and not the officers.

Racism / Cognitive Bias

It is not my place to accuse the employee of being racist, as I don’t know her heart and I wasn’t there. Racism and cognitive biases towards black people are real. I experience it all the time. Both affect black people the same way, regardless of the intention of the person exhibiting that behavior. It is tiring.

The beauty of this incident occurring at Starbucks as opposed to any other restaurant is that Starbucks encourages and cultivates an environment of loitering. College students spend hours there studying without making a purchase. People go on first dates without spending a dime. Business meetings take place there without a dime being spent. Friends gather there to pass time while waiting to go to a concert. People go there to read books. People go there to hang out. Starbucks has less standing to try to enforce a strict bathroom rule because of the environment that it encourages among citizens.

Many people use the restroom before placing an order. I would never order anything prior to using the restroom. You might miss your name being called for your order. I don’t like leaving my food/beverages unattended while in the restroom. I will not take my food/ beverage in the bathroom.

There was nothing about those two men that should have made this employee think they were mentally ill/ homeless. There was nothing about these men that should have made this employee believe they were a threat. There was nothing about these men that should have made the employee believe they were at a parade and using the restroom without intentions of patronizing their business.

Opinion

I get numerous messages from white people who desire to understand why black people get so upset about situations like this and I will try to explain.

I’ve gone to jail to do an interview with a prisoner, wearing the proper credentials and I had a jail worker put their hand on my chest (and the badge allowing me access) telling me that I can’t enter the facility. I was with a white officer, who was not wearing the proper credentials and he was allowed to pass through. When the white officer saw that I had problems passing through security, he came back and told the security worker that I was an officer. I did everything I was supposed to do, but my credentials meant nothing because her racism/cognitive bias told her that most officers are white males and she decided in her mind that I couldn’t be an officer. What if I punched her for putting her hand on my chest? How would I be viewed? She never looked at my credentials. She only saw my hair and face. I needed my white co-worker to validate my existence.

I was talking on my phone in CVS getting ready to buy toiletries for a trip. I was being followed around the store by an elderly white woman. I ignored it and continued to speak on the phone. Suddenly, an officer was called to the store. I saw the officer, but I didn’t care because I am an officer and I just knew he wasn’t there for me. The officer walked up to me and asked what I was doing in the store. I told him I was shopping. He told me that a suspicious person call came out about me. I started laughing and began to look for the elderly white woman. I knew she called because these things happen to me more than they should. She was peeking around a shelf to see what would happen. I knew she called the police. As he began to ask for my name to check and see if I had warrants, I showed him my badge. He stopped gathering my information. The officer was very professional. It wasn’t his fault that he was called there. If he refused to investigate and I robbed the store, he would have been in trouble. He marched me over to the elderly lady and asked her why she called the police. He showed her my badge and she still didn’t believe that I was an officer. He criticized her behavior and stormed out of the store. Good thing I had my “I’m not just another black person” badge. What happens to those who don’t have one? I needed the white officer to validate my existence.

I was at work for nearly 48 hours finishing up a big case. I went to my car to retrieve something and began to walk back into the police department headquarters. I was wearing plain clothes and wasn’t wearing identification. A white officer was in front of me wearing plain clothes and not wearing identification. A uniformed white officer was exiting the building and asked the white undercover officer, who looked like an extra from “Duck Dynasty,” if he was an officer. The guy stated that he was an officer and the uniformed white officer allowed him to enter the building. I was a few steps behind that exchange and the white uniformed officer asked me for my identification as I began to approach the building. I have been through this production many times so I already knew where this was headed. I told him that I was an officer to see if that same privilege would work for me as I entered the station. He repeated that he needed to see my identification and blocked the door. I was tired from being at work for so long and wasn’t as politically correct as usual. He began to try an enforce policy stating that he needed to see my identification. I told him that I would not show him my identification until he chased down the white, homeless looking guy that he didn’t recognize as an officer and ask him for his identification. He was clearly upset. He was upset that his authority wasn’t respected. He asked why everything had to be about race. I told him I’ve been trying to figure that out my whole life. He plead for me to just show him my identification because it wasn’t a big deal. I told him it was a big deal. I won’t comply because that’s what you want me to do and you want your authority respected. I told him to show me his identification and he refused. He got upset and walked away cursing me out. I wouldn’t have had a problem showing him my identification because it is policy. I wasn’t showing him anything because he trusted the white undercover officer’s word, but mine wasn’t good enough. If only I had a white officer with me to validate my presence at the police department.

What would that officer say about me if I filed a complaint? What if I got loud with him? Would he label me as another angry black woman? Would he tell everyone on the department that I am a race baiter to defend his behavior? I didn’t complain.

I went to Gloria’s (Addison) for a birthday party around 2 pm. I had on Timberland boots, but was dressed fashionable. The security guard let the rest of my group in, but told me that I couldn’t wear tennis shoes inside. I told him that I was wearing boots and he said boots and tennis shoes were the same. I politely asked to speak with the manager. I tried to show him my “get out of looking suspicious” police identification and told him that I wasn’t there to cause problems, I drove an hour to get here and I was there for a birthday party. He rudely said that I wouldn’t be attending any party at their business. There were numerous white guys wearing actual tennis shoes and they were immediately allowed inside the business. I pointed to those guys and asked why those tennis shoes were acceptable? He called more security guards to the scene and said that I would not be allowed inside their business. I missed the party, nor did I desire to be there anymore. I never go to that Gloria’s and I think about that experience every time I pass by it. This may not seem like a big deal to you if you are white. These things don’t happen to you all the time.

Every day black people have to be calmer and pick and choose their battles. It is tiring. I understand the frustration of white officers who don’t understand all the frustration exhibited by blacks. These incidents don’t happen to them daily. Their position is validated just by existing. I understand why white people say “just be compliant.” Generally, people should just comply, but sometimes you have to dig your heels in the sand to effect change.

Again, the police did nothing wrong in this situation. There is no recourse when white people call the police because of their own racism/ cognitive biases. What if those men were supposed to see their daughters off to prom and missed it due to their arrests? What if they had to acknowledge this arrest as they applied for jobs? What if their sons had soccer games that they missed because of this incident?

If these white people didn’t step up and say that they come to Starbucks all the time without ordering and are allowed access to the bathroom, where would those black men be? If those white people refused to get involved because the incident didn’t affect them, where would those black men be? If those white people didn’t record the incident, documenting proof of how calm the black men were, where would those men be? If those white people didn’t raise so much hell, that the company called the police station and refused to press charges against them, where would those black men be? Where would black people be without white chaperones to prove their existence is valid and harmless? Black people should not need validation from white people to exist.

Just as criminals don’t wear signs indicating that they are criminals, racists and people with cognitive biases don’t wear signs indicating their status. If you are white, I encourage you to try to imagine going through incidents like this every day as you buy groceries, pump gas, ride the bus, purchase clothes at the mall, attend parties, go to bars, watch your children play sports, and a long list of other everyday activities. It doesn't make you a racist if you don't insert yourself in situations such as this to defend people. It takes a special person to stand up for people dealing with an issue that will never affect you.

If you could work from anywhere in the world, which city would you be in right now?
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Me: #Tokyo, #Japan.
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•Where I first fell in love with Italian food (ironically!)
•Where my first Japanese music CD was released
•Where my 50 in-store Japan live performance tour commenced, and
•Where I found out (after undergoing an open surgery for an ovarian cyst that same year, right before the tour) that I had a tumour on a nerve in my brain.
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God, WHY ME?
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Turns out I forgot to ask that very question when I was privileged to be the first Malaysian to sign a multi-million dollar deal with a Japanese record label in 2009.
Or when I survived a near-death motor accident a decade before that.
Or when I miraculously & against all odds, graduated from college as Valedictorian while holding 1 full time job + 4 part time jobs.
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Point is, I have so many things to be grateful for.
And taking stock of all the good things in my life (big and small), gives me countless reasons to smile.
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Sometimes the bad things that happen in our lives put us directly on the path to the best things that will ever happen to us.
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Today, I have a story to tell and a message of hope to share.
So I say, God, thank you for trusting me that much.
:)
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#HannahTan
#truestory
#日本
Wiyo MY