07/10/2026
【今天我36歲生日😎】
感謝大家個人帳號與粉專帳號的各種訊息祝福💗！
到了這個年紀其實不太需要許什麼生日願望，因為覺得很幸福、什麼都有了🥰，很感謝目前身體還算健康年輕，尤其說出自己年紀的時候，還能享受被UCL年輕同學還有不同族裔的朋友說「No way!! （不可能吧！）」
上個月把論文完成之後，看著自己閱讀各種有趣的文獻、還有哥倫比亞首都波哥大的都市規劃法規因此而「生產」寫了幾個月的東西。真的是非常感謝基隆公共服務的經驗，讓我可以來到這麼遠的地方、來到都市規劃權威的UCL巴萊特學院跟全世界的關注城市規劃的朋友認真地談城市——怎麼找到一條不是空談理想，而是把永續、交通改善、人權、安全、能源甚至是不同於線性發展的永續「零成長」的概念真正放入市政的改革系統裡。
我去年給自己的生日期許是持續探索，回顧這一年，真的非常有趣，目前還在持續探索、旅行、親身見證世界上有趣的都市規劃案例。今年的話，希望自己持續被「啟發」（inspired）與「深化」（deepening），好好地學習、也好好地實作，然後好好地找一條能夠回台灣把所學可以交流與應用討論的、也許還是一條做政治的路。
有很多不是我一己之力能完成的，還是要貪心地許生日願望😉，如下：
✨生日願望之一：
希望台灣開始關注永續電網和再生能源等長久之計，停止接收站暴力政策。台灣的海洋山林能夠受到保護，原生種如白海豚、食蛇龜、各種蛇類、石虎棲地所有台灣原生的動物能夠好好的不要被道路擴張和外來入侵種浪犬貓給侵佔、吞噬。
每個愛台灣的人都能夠健康又好好地愛著台灣的土地，關注基隆四接、五接還有那個可惡的北宜直鐵等所有議題，幫我們和我們的下一代繼續保護土地，保護一個不被過度經濟發展吞食的永續的未來。
✨生日願望之二：
由於2023年我的生日那天，是哈瑪斯攻擊以色列南部、成為這三年以色列對巴勒斯坦種族清洗戰爭的藉口之始，使得我每年過生日都心情複雜。首先，最重要的，不要再有任何戰爭。不只台海還未發生但政治人物言之墜墜的戰爭，任何戰爭都不該有任何理由可以啟動，請政治人物不要自顧自地美化戰爭或利用戰爭恐懼獲取選票。
期望台灣人也能多看看國際人權討論，拒絕美國強勢文化以及蔣介石政府以降製造的伊斯蘭恐懼症等意識形態，並能多參與國際社會對巴勒斯坦的支援。
✨生日願望之三（願望太多惹還是要說出來）
希望台灣的民主可以越走越成熟，今年的地方選舉，讓我們不要只是看新聞和社群媒體等等片段的資訊，更要拒絕任何匿名粉專沒有咎責性的言論傳播。偶像崇拜的宣傳是認知作戰的一環，都是在破壞民主和公共討論的機會，好好地閱讀候選人的政見，碰到真人時請認真提問質疑，投完票之後還要記得比用鞭刑（？）還嚴厲的監督，才是對每個政治人物最好的防腐劑。
p.s. 我還是期待有一天能回台灣做政治，我畢竟跟大獨裁者普丁同天生，真心期望台灣公民社會可以長出公共辯論的空間，無情地以「民主監督」之鞭、鞭打（？）我們這些想做政治的人，台灣的民主才會比較健康唷！（ㄏㄏ台灣有人很愛鞭刑請用對地方啊各位🤌）
（照片是因為今天倫敦下雨天氣很差光很爛，只好放上週末踢完社區足球穿得很casual照片）
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【Today is my 36th birthday 😎】
At this age, I don’t really feel the need to make birthday wishes, because I feel happy and already have everything I need 🥰. I’m very grateful that I’m still fairly healthy and young, especially when I tell people my age and get to enjoy hearing my younger UCL classmates and friends from different ethnic backgrounds say, “No way!!”
After finishing my dissertation last month, I looked back at what I had spent months “producing” through reading all kinds of interesting research and policy documents from Bogotá. I’m very grateful for my experience in public service in Keelung. It brought me so far from home, to UCL’s Bartlett, where I could seriously discuss cities with friends from around the world who care about urban planning: how to bring sustainability, inclusivity, better transport, human rights, safety and energy into our cities, and even the idea of sustainable “zero growth” as an alternative to linear development.
My birthday goal last year was to keep exploring. Looking back, it has been such an interesting year. I’m still exploring, travelling, and seeing interesting examples of urban planning around the world for myself. This year, I hope to keep being inspired and to deepen my understanding—to learn well, put what I learn into practice, and find a path back to Taiwan where I can share, apply, and discuss what I’ve learnt. Maybe that will still be a path in politics.
There are many things I cannot achieve on my own, so I’ll still be greedy and make some birthday wishes 😉. Here they are:
✨ Birthday wish number one:
I hope Taiwan starts focusing on long-term solutions such as a sustainable electricity grid and renewable energy, and stops forcing LNG terminal projects that destroy our coastline and marine biodiversity. I hope Taiwan’s seas, mountains, and forests can be protected, and that all our native animals—including Taiwanese white dolphins, yellow-margined box turtles, different kinds of snakes, and leopard cats—can live safely in their habitats, without road expansion taking over their homes or invasive species (stray dogs and cats) invading their habitats and killing them.
I hope everyone who loves Taiwan can stay healthy and care for its land, pay attention to issues such as the fourth LNG terminal in Keelung, the fifth LNG terminal, and that awful Taipei–Yilan direct railway project, and keep protecting the land for us and the next generation. Let’s protect a sustainable future that won’t be swallowed up by excessive economic development.
✨ Birthday wish number two:
On my birthday in 2023, Hamas attacked southern Israel. That became the starting point for the excuse Israel has used for three years of genocide against Palestinians, so every birthday now brings mixed feelings.
And most importantly, no more wars. Not just the war in the Taiwan Strait that has not happened but that politicians speak about with such certainty. There should be no reason to start any war. Politicians in Taiwan, please stop glorifying war or using people’s fear of war to win votes.
I hope Taiwanese people will also pay more attention to discussions about human rights around the world, reject ideologies such as Islamophobia shaped by dominant American culture and by governments since Chiang Kai-shek’s rule, and take a more active part in international support for Palestine.
✨ Birthday wish number three (too many wishes, but I still have to say it):
I hope Taiwan’s democracy keeps maturing. In this year’s local elections, let’s look beyond fragmented, misleading information on the news and social media. Let’s also reject the spread of claims from anonymous pages that cannot be held accountable.
Campaigns that turn politicians into idols are part of cognitive warfare. They damage democracy and take away opportunities for serious and evidence-based public discussion. Read candidates’ policies carefully, and when you meet them in person, ask serious questions and challenge them. After voting, remember to keep them under scrutiny even more harshly than a whipping 🤣. That is the best way to stop any politician from becoming corrupt.
P.S. I still hope to return to Taiwan and work in politics one day. After all, I share a birthday with the great dictator Putin. I sincerely hope Taiwan’s civil society can create more space for public debate and mercilessly use the whip of “democratic scrutiny” to whip (?) those of us who want to work in politics. That’s how Taiwan’s democracy can become healthier!
