在開始介紹我的 Top 10 之前，我想先在這裡介紹一下我的『遺珠』。沒錯，下面這些城鎮都沒進我的前50 名。有的城市沒進，對它們粉絲 (fans)來說，可能很荒繆。可是本來就每個人喜好不同，很難互相迎合。另外，有的城鎮是因太久沒去，雖然第一次去時很喜歡，但現在幾乎沒什麼感覺了， 因此沒進 Top 50; 另外有的城鎮是上次去沒玩好，其實有機會仍希望重訪。
此外，先在這裡聲明，所有的中國城市，包括上海，北京，南京，西安，我全部沒去過 (中國只去過廣州，而且一點也不喜歡那裡)。因為沒去過，所以也沒辦法排進榜。不是因為政治問題故意不排中國城市進 Top 50，不要想太多。
下面就是我的『遺珠』名單：
《註》因打字太慢 (我中文內容得比英文多花至少五倍的時間打字)，目前先只放英文的。有機會在補充中文版的描述‧‧‧
Before I reveal my Top 10 Favorite places in the world, first, let me reveal the list of cities that are among the favorites by many travelers (or at least those who vote in some travel magazines' surveys) but were NOT selected into my Top 50. Yes, I did pay a visit to these places before (it's not like Kinshasa or Karachi, which I REALLY have never been to). And there are reasons why they are not in my Top 50. Yes, there are some really big shockers here....
- 杜拜及阿布達比，阿拉伯聯合大公國 (Dubai and Abu Dhabi,United Arab Emirates): 沒有，杜拜這個很多人都很想去的『明日之都』，真的沒有在我的前 50名。No, the city of the most "superlatives" in the first decade of 21st century is not in my Top 50, even though I just moved to this country and travel there pretty much on monthly basis. It is ambitious and impressive, but how should I put it? It still lacks a soul. And also, the whole city of Dubai is like a giant (and unfinished) theme park. Traffic jam is very bad and so many constructions make driving around also difficult; its public transportation requires more improvement than Los Angeles and Atlanta. Hopefully, when many projects finish and Dubai's first metrorail line opens in 2009, thing will get better! As to its weathier and (definitely) less galmorous older sister, Abu Dhabi (the capital of U.A.E), well, I don't have any bad thing to say about it. But pretty much that's what I feel about it.
- 佛羅倫斯，義大利 (Florence, Italy): As Rome, I have only been there once, in 1991, with an unsophisticated Taiwanese tour group. But unlike my stay in Rome, I had only half a day in Florence (Though in that half day, we witnessed a robbery by a motorcyclist, welcome to Italy!). I did not even have time to walk to see the exterior of Uffizi Museum! This is the birth place of the Renaissance and I barely even saw anything! I returned to Italy in summer 2007 but stayed only in area near Rimini (Florence is 5 hours away by train). For a city this fascinating, a returned visit is a must (and I will leave at least 3 days for it)!
- 東京，日本 (Tokyo, Japan): Possibly rated as No. 1 by many of my Taiwanese friends (yes, we Taiwanese just love Japan, unlike Chinese...). It is the most prosperous city in Asia and a real world metropolis. But just like most other Asian capitals, it is overcrowded and very stressful. Though I have been traveling through its airport many times in the past 15 years, I haven't really got into the city for more than 20 years. I will need to drop by again to know if I can love it as Hong Kong and Bangkok.
- 墨爾本，澳洲 (Melbourne, Australia): Sydney is in Top 50 but Melbourne is not....Sorry about that to some of my Aussi friends! (I know how much you dislike Sydneysiders :P) But I just feel I like Sydney better. Period. But also, last time when in Melbourne I was sick with some digestion problems (another problems when traveling with Taiwanese group - they just feed us too much food! Yes, I am complaining). I didn't get to see much of that city, except those penguins on Phillip Island...
- 哥本哈根，奧斯陸及赫爾辛基 (Copenhagen, Oslo, and Helsinki): Why does Stockholm get into Top 50 (No. 16, to be exact) but the other Scandinavian capitals do not? Sorry, Claus Jan, Kjersti, and Nina, I do love your countries no less than Sweden. Though all three cities are all nice, civilized and cultured (and people are all multi-lingual), but then, they are ju1l rust not as beautiful as Stockholm. But I will remember my Danish and Norwegian friends' invitation. After my next return visit, Oslo and Copenhagen should all be in Top 50!
- 保加利亞的城鎮 (Cities of Bulgaria): I visited Bulgaria both the summer of 2006 and 2007 and partially witnessed the rapid changes of this lovely country. Sofia, Veliko Tarnovo, and Varna (on Black Sea Coast), they are all good and interesting in very different ways. However, none of them is actually unique enough to grab a Top 50 spot. However, Bulgaria as a whole, I have to speak out that it would definitely rank in my Top 20 countries.
- 開羅及魯克索，埃及 (Cairo and Luxor, Egypt): I admire the pyramids and the temples. I even love the anthropological museum in Cairo, but those places are too chaotic to love. I also never like people hassling me all the time and don't take no for answers, which is a constant thing a traveler has to put up with in Egypt. That's why I do appreciate what I saw there but no Egyptian city or town is in my Top 50.
- 拉斯維加斯，美國 (Las Vegas, USA): Too artificial, too fake, too soulless....remember the reasons why Dubai is not in Top 50?
- 檀香山，美國 (Honolulu, USA): A former Top 5 cities of mine when I was still in my...teens? The first ever US city I have ever visited. Unfortunately, after being away for more than 20 years, I hardly remember anything about it. So, no, it cannot stay in Top 50!
- 波士頓，美國 (Boston, USA): Another very high profile and valued US city that is excluded from my list. This was where I went to school when I moved to the US more than 10 years ago (Yes, that big H University). But be honest, I never really enjoyed my experience in Boston. That must have been among the most miserable years in my life. Yes, it is easy to get around by public transportation, and yes, it is very sophisticated, and even relatively multi-cultural. However, I felt people there are very rude and arrogant and it was quite hard to make friends. Definitely one of the most unfriendly cities in the world. So no, it is not in Top 50 and possibly never will be.
- 提蛙那，墨西哥 (Tijuana, Mexico): Mmm...Are you joking? It is lucky that it is not in bottom 10 LOL...
And last, but not the least, maybe the biggest shocker of all. One of my former No 1 city now does not even make it to Top 50...
下面這城市，沒進 Top 50，也許對很多人來說，是最大的意外。我在那裡住了三年，我還為她寫了十七帖的回憶錄，但最後我只給它第 51 名，故意不要讓它進 Top 50。這遺珠中的遺珠是‧‧‧
紐約市，美國 (New York City, USA):
No, NYC is not even in my Top 50. A former No 1 for several years when I
only had Top 20 (instead of 50) but now it is officially and solidly
out of Top 50. Talking about the effects of "personal deduction"!
Judging on many things I feel about New York (culture, food, ease of
getting around, etc), it should definitely be in Top 20 (or Top 10
indeed). However, many personal misfortune I experienced in that three
years as New Yorker really make it difficult for me to love it without
reservation. Don't want to bother you my "tragic affairs" with NYC again
and again, just to let you know, it is not in Top 50, mainly for my
personal reasons...So, after another negative round of ranting, now we are off to the No. 10 to No. 6....
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