5/2至5/4 ICLP再次舉行了一年一度的媽祖朝聖旅遊，今年共有30位ICLP學生與老師參加。星期天早上每個人極爲興奮卻意識朦朧像沒睡飽似的，在台大校門口集合，準備朝著期待中的旅程出發。

　　我們到了北港下車，在煙霧彌漫的夜晚，聞到一股來自各個神明在朝天宮附近出巡時所放的鞭炮味。我們分了小組去探個究竟，並且享受在我們所見所聞當中。

　　我跟著另外兩個同學碎步疾跑到充滿人山人海的朝天宮，我們發現媽祖已經出巡了，因此漫無目的地尋找其他出巡中的神明。當我們走在小巷中，我們突然發現所有的路人都急促地往馬路兩邊移動，圍觀著中間放長鞭炮的人。此時路旁的小吃攤也急忙收拾食物，立刻把桌、椅及客人拉開馬路。所有的人站在路旁，手指摀著耳朵，眼睛半開，期待鞭炮爆炸。鞭炮導火線點火的瞬間，數以百計的鞭炮好像都同時爆炸，只留下一縷青煙跟碎紙片。

　　大伙兒步履蹣跚地返回巴士，滿身灰塵及碎紙，耳朵仍嗡嗡作響，卻眉開眼笑，滿腦子想的都是「欸，再玩一次吧！」

　　From May 2nd to the 4th ICLP once again organized its annual Mazu Pilgrimage cultural field trip.  This year a group of 30 ICLP students and teachers excitedly, but sleepily, assembled outside of Taida’s front gate early on Sunday morning to embark on what would prove to be an interesting trip.

　　The moment we stepped off of the bus in Beigang, we were welcomed by the unnaturally hazy night and the smell of spent firecrackers from the ongoing Chinese deity parades that were scattered in various areas surrounding the Chaotian temple.  As we split off into groups to explore, the sights, sounds and smells of Beigang pulled ICLP students and teachers in many different directions. 

　　I scurried along, with two other classmates, to a crowded Chaotian temple only to discover that Mazu and her entourage were still out parading through the streets.  Slightly dismayed we decided to wander the streets to see which deities were still out for a stroll.  As we were waddling down one of the side streets, we noticed that the middle of the street suddenly became devoid of people as they made way for the people laying out long strands of firecrackers on the ground.  The food vendors on both sides of the street covered all their food and pulled all their tables, chairs and customers back away from the street.  All the bystanders just stood on the side of the street, fingers plugging ears, eyes partially open, waiting intently for the long chain of explosions.  The fuse was lit, and in less than a fraction of a second hundreds of firecrackers seemed to pop simultaneously, leaving behind a huge plume of smoke and paper debris.

　　As we waddled back towards the bus, covered in dust and scraps of paper with our ears still ringing and with huge smiles across our faces, all we could think was, “Hey, let’s do that again!”