Belated September Update / 遲來的 9 月更新

遲來的 Patreon 9 月更新 (Scroll down for English version)

九月是個充滿成長和挑戰的月份。首先，和大家分享一個好消息：我加入了一個專注於中國人權議題的國際 NGO，現在擔任兼職工讀生，負責資訊安全相關的工作以及一些行政協助。由於這個 NGO 一直受到中國政府的監控，為了保護組織的安全，無法在這裡公開名稱。不過，由於組織目前的財務狀況，我的薪水暫時還不夠應付生活開支。

再來，另外一個好消息是，我的好朋友最近在親戚的幫助下，搬到了親戚的房子，房租也給她優惠不少。她知道我之前住的地方不太理想（採光很差，連熱水都沒有），於是她主動邀請我搬去林口和她一起住。這樣不僅讓我的生活環境變得更好，也因為有朋友作伴，生活上彼此照應，對我來說是件非常暖心的事。（當然，搬家的費用還是得自己想辦法啦。）

還有一個振奮的消息，我們的紀錄片《太陽部落的孩子》終於完成了製作！上個月已經送件參加比賽，並且在 10 月 5 日於台北舉行了首映。特別感謝 New Bloom 的協助與宣傳！當時影片播放完畢，我們正準備開始座談，卻驚訝地發現整個地下室擠滿了觀眾，真的非常感動！接下來 10 月 20 日，還會在台北的原住民咖啡廳 Lumaq 再辦一場放映，歡迎大家來捧場！

再來聊聊我自己。七、八月，我喜愛的台灣知名舞團《雲門舞集》舉辦了一場戶外公益演出，這是我第三次看他們的表演了。那天的演出深深觸動了我，讓我決定更認真投入藝術發展。幾天後，我就報名了《雲門舞集》的現代舞課程，非常感謝朋友幫我支付了學費。課程每週六進行，目前已經上了三堂課，雖然一開始有點挫折，但我漸漸掌握了老師的教學，開始感受到身體的活力。對於跨性別者來說，和自己的身體相處不易，總有點陌生感，但現代舞是一種需要與身體對話的過程，這讓我開始學習與身體和解。每次下課後，雖然疲憊，內心卻充滿喜悅，因為我知道自己身體是開心的。我也期待有一天，能夠讓大家看到我在現代舞這條路上的努力與突破。

回顧九月的大小事：

    9 月 8 日：參加台灣公共電視《主題之夜》論壇節目錄影，從資訊安全工程師的角度討論 AI 武器的道德問題以及中國的資訊戰。這次終於不是在談跨性別話題，而是專注於我的專業領域，感覺很新鮮！

    9 月 10 日：紀錄片《太陽部落的孩子》送件參加《神腦 2024 原鄉探查紀錄片比賽》，預計 12 月公布比賽結果，心裡真的是充滿期待。

    9 月 10 日：參加性別不明關懷協會的志工會議，討論 10 月台灣同志遊行和跨性別遊行的相關事宜。特別感謝兩位夥伴始終不離不棄的支持協會的活動。

    9 月 15-17 日：在竹東朋友家過中秋，還展示了一點 DJ 技術，大家過得很開心！

    9 月 21 日：正式開始上《雲門舞集》的現代舞課程，第一堂課有點不適應，但感受到身體的喜悅，這種感覺真的很特別。

    9 月 27 日：為「現代婦女基金會」的夥伴在新竹地方法院上資安課程，課程內容涵蓋基本的資安知識、防止數位跟蹤騷擾及反追蹤技巧。這是我第四年和她們合作了，真心感謝這個機會。

    10 月 5 日：紀錄片《太陽部落的孩子》在 New Bloom 舉辦了台北首映，兩位導演也參與了座談。那天的反應非常熱烈，感謝大家的踴躍參與與支持！

嶄新的十月來了，這個月是台灣的性別活動月，我充滿期待，盼望這段期間能有更多美好的事情發生，與大家一起創造更多精彩的回憶！

Belated September Update

September was a month full of growth and challenges. First, let me share some good news: I’ve joined an international NGO focusing on Chinese human rights issues, where I’m working part-time as a cybersecurity assistant and helping with some administrative tasks. Due to the sensitive nature of the organization, which is under surveillance by the Chinese government, I can’t disclose its name here. However, because of the current financial situation of the organization, my salary isn’t enough to cover all living expenses just yet.

Another piece of good news: a close friend of mine recently moved into a place owned by her relative, who’s giving her a great deal on the rent. She knew my previous living conditions were less than ideal (poor lighting, no hot water), so she kindly invited me to move in with her in Linkou. This way, I’ll not only have a much better living environment, but I’ll also have a friend to share the space with, which is a great source of emotional support. (Of course, I still need to figure out how to cover the moving expenses.)

One more exciting update: our documentary The Children of the SUN is finally completed! We submitted it to a competition last month, and we held our premiere in Taipei on October 5th. Huge thanks to New Bloom for their support and promotion! We were pleasantly surprised to find the basement venue packed with people as we prepared for the post-screening discussion. I’m deeply touched by all the support! We’ll be hosting another screening on October 20th at Lumaq, an Indigenous café in Taipei, and I hope you all can join us there!

Now, a bit more about myself. Back in July and August, I attended an outdoor public performance by Cloud Gate , a renowned Taiwanese dance company I’ve loved for years. This was my third time watching them perform, and this time, I felt especially moved. It reignited my passion for the arts, and just a few days later, I enrolled in a modern dance course at Cloud Gate’s dance school. I’m incredibly grateful to a friend who helped cover the tuition. I’ve had three lessons so far, and although I felt a bit out of place at first, I’m gradually getting the hang of it and starting to feel more connected with my body. For trans people like me, the relationship with our bodies can be complicated, often feeling distant. But dance is a process of reconnecting with and embracing the body. Even though the classes are physically challenging, I leave each one feeling both exhausted and fulfilled, knowing that my body is happy. I hope that one day, I can show others the progress I’ve made in modern dance and the effort I’ve put into it.

A Look Back at September’s Highlights:

• September 8: I participated in a taping of Taiwan Public Television’s “Themed Night” forum, where I discussed the ethics of AI weaponry and China’s information warfare from a cybersecurity engineer’s perspective. It was refreshing to finally be invited on TV to talk about something other than trans issues and to showcase my professional expertise instead!

• September 10: Our documentary The Children of the Sun Tribe was submitted to the “Senao 2024 Indigenous Exploration Documentary Competition.” The results are expected in December, and I’m so excited to hear the outcome!

• September 10: Attended a volunteer meeting with the Gender Minority Support Association, where we planned for October’s Taiwan LGBT Pride and Transgender March. I’m especially thankful for my two amazing partners who have continuously supported our association’s work.

• September 15-17: Spent a lovely Mid-Autumn Festival with friends in Zhudong, where I also had the chance to showcase a bit of my DJ skills. It was a fun and relaxing time!

• September 21: Started my modern dance lessons at Cloud Gate Dance School. The first class was tough, but I could feel my body rejoicing. It was such a unique and joyful sensation.

• September 27: Delivered a cybersecurity workshop for the Modern Women’s Foundation at Hsinchu District Court, covering basic cybersecurity, digital stalking prevention, and anti-tracking techniques. This marks my fourth year collaborating with them, and I’m so grateful for the ongoing opportunity.

• October 5: Hosted the Taipei premiere of The Children of the SUN with New Bloom, followed by a discussion with the two directors. The event had a fantastic turnout, and I was overwhelmed by everyone’s enthusiasm and support!

October is already here, and since it’s Gender Month in Taiwan, I’m looking forward to seeing what amazing things this month has in store. Here’s to creating more wonderful memories together!