The speaker returned to Taiwan twice this year primarily to spend time with her aging mother and encourage her to undergo cataract surgery. She initially planned to accompany her mother for the first surgery in March and the second in October, but her mother hesitated in March and finally scheduled the surgery for early November.
The speaker’s daughter took charge of planning their trip to London, organizing a rigorous daily schedule that included visits to landmarks like Tower Bridge and London Bridge. The speaker found the trip exhausting, walking up to 10 kilometers a day, but appreciated her daughter’s meticulous planning and independence.
The speaker highly recommended the 'Medieval Women' exhibition at the British Library, which showcased historical documents and literature about women’s lives in the Middle Ages. She spent two hours exploring the exhibition, finding it deeply informative and engaging.
The speaker noted that in medieval times, women were often paid less than men for the same work. For example, men might earn three pence a day, while women earned only two pence for the same tasks. This historical inequality highlighted ongoing issues of gender pay disparity.
The speaker praised the National Palace Museum’s exhibitions, particularly the 'Great Beauty Speaks Not' exhibition, which featured collaborations with Van Cleef & Arpels and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. She described it as a high-quality international exhibition, comparable to those in Paris.
The speaker views filial piety as a moral construct rather than a natural expression of love. She emphasized that her care for her mother stems from love and gratitude, not societal expectations of filial duty. She also observed that in France, care for aging parents is often based on mutual love rather than cultural norms of filial piety.
The speaker learned about a medieval Jewish woman who took over her late husband’s moneylending business. Despite her success, she faced significant challenges, including having her child kidnapped by the king for ransom. Her story highlighted the precarious position of Jewish women in medieval society.
The speaker found London’s exhibition culture more relaxed compared to Paris. In London, visitors took their time to read and discuss exhibits without feeling rushed or pressured, whereas in Paris, the atmosphere was often more aggressive and impatient.
The speaker felt that her trip to Taiwan helped her recover from a deep emotional wound caused by a personal setback. She described the healing process as gradual, with her time in Taiwan providing significant emotional relief and a sense of renewal.
剛從台灣和倫敦休假回來,正在投入巴黎11月繁忙的工作中,這集讓我們來閒聊吧!同時大大推薦倫敦大英圖書館的中古世紀女性特展,還有台北故宮的大美不言、圖書文獻展、書畫展等。