LIRR 終於有離家越來越近的感覺

夏至快到囉！
之前看著BBC的天氣預報日出時間覺得超有趣，有一陣子很固定每天提早兩分鐘天亮。
現在BBC預告週六當天的日出日落時間為：

Sunrise 04:26 (BST)
Sunset 21:49 (BST)
每天晚餐吃完都覺得好像小學時下午放學回家吃點心一樣，天亮得很哩！（所以晚上都沒心理準備睡覺哪...）

I went to visit London for the first time last year before I went back to Taiwan. I've uploaded some of the pictures to my album.
Here's some peeks:
The London Eye at night.

I haven't felt a real sense of security since I lived in England. Many stories of hate crime were told since the day new students arrived. Don't walking alone after dark, the senior warned, and avoid contact with teenagers. In a small town like this, people are friendly and nice in general. However, according to general experience shared by students studying in UK, teenagers love to make fun of and pick on Asian people. I've heard of stories of being thrown by stones, beating, and attacking. Last year, a senior who we all know got attacked by a group of young kids, right in front of our busiest bus station at four o'clock (a very busy time), with her kid beside her.

I always say I miss the life in the States mainly because of this. I'm not saying that all Americans treat people of different races fairly, but at least everything has to be politically correct on the surface, so it's not allowed to discriminate overtly. It's a huge thing to be accused of discrimination. Peace should be maintained.
Recently I discovered a new route to school, which is a shortcut from my place and my department building. I worked till five today, and I was taking this shortcut home because I bought many heavy groceries with me. However, this route cuts into the middle of a huge park, which has no crowds at this time because it's a Saturday. When I walked into the park I felt a bit uneasy, because I saw quite a lot teenagers playing with skateboards. Damn it, I think, I forgot it's not a weekday today. I should have chosen another route. Well, the kids seem to have fun, maybe I have nothing to worry about. So I simply walked faster. The groceries were heavy anyway. The sooner I could get home, the better.
While I was thinking about dinner menu, walking through a tunnel, and passing by a group of three teenagers, I realized that someone was talking to me. "Excuse me?" I said.

"It's winter," the host announced in the radio program. "No need to check the weather forecast.  I  tell you, it's winter.  Put on socks in bed, have your hot water bottle ready."
He's not kidding. I checked the temperature today. It's between 6 and 11 degrees Celsius. I was even shocked to see yesterday's record:

Time Condition Felt
like Humid. 11:50 PM

Clear 0°C

0°C 31% 12:50 AM

Clear -1°C

-1°C 33% 1:50 AM

Clear -2°C

-2°C 33% 2:50 AM

N/A -1°C

-1°C 33% 4:50 AM

Fog -2°C

-2°C 28% 5:50 AM

Fog -2°C

-2°C 33% 6:50 AM

Partly Cloudy -3°C

-3°C 33% 7:50 AM

Shallow Fog -3°C

-3°C 38%  Sunrise at 7:53 AM 8:20 AM

Shallow Fog -2°C

-2°C 33% 9:20 AM

Partly Cloudy -1°C

-1°C 33% 9:50 AM

Partly Cloudy 0°C

0°C 34%

新家網路終於裝好了。謝天謝地。
其實整個過程中最麻煩的不是裝網路，而是裝電話。打那個英國「中華電信」BT的服務電話真是痛苦至極，除了語音按鍵之外還要加上不斷的轉接以及長久等候。我為了一個問題等了二十分鐘還沒有跟人講到話，居然自己斷線了。再撥，還是二十分鐘，我上課要來不及了所以自動放棄。就這樣，四十分鐘沒講到話，傻傻一直等。這樣的程序大概重複了三、四次。
排隊等工程師來安裝最快只能排到一星期之後的日期。
當然，約好日期以後，他不會告訴你什麼時候會到府處理。你得乖乖在家等他上門。
更重要的是，這樣的安裝開通服務要向你索討125英鎊。各位女士先生，如果用台幣67元換一英鎊來算，你會不會很想把電話線拿起來把自己吊死？

第一次籌備在英國長時間旅遊，被一堆不熟悉的常規與習慣搞得頭昏腦脹就算了，比較受不了的是這裡旅遊的花費。弄著弄著才領悟到以前在美國旅遊時的「刻苦」到這裡來簡直是「奢侈的享受」啊！

英國最著名的火車票票價就不用說了。當我人還在美國的時候，身邊就不只一人警告我說如果要訂英國火車票一定要非常非常非常非常非常早訂，因為票價是隨著時間「強烈波動」。一個月前後訂到的票（一樣距離）有可能從十鎊猛漲到四十鎊（沒天理啊！）。跟我們同團的那對臺灣夫妻就抱怨說他們這次二十多天旅遊花了超多錢在火車票上面，我想，他們應該很晚才訂票吧。不過由於收過太多警告，我最早訂好解決的就是火車票，沒有在這點上面遇害吐血。
外食的花費是我能預期的。自從被來英國之後的第一餐（KFC套餐）價錢嚇到，我就幾乎都在家開伙。外食簡直是敗家的同義詞。但是旅遊嘛，哪能讓你把廚房隨身攜帶？除了那幾天在我們那間the Hilton of hostels五臟俱全的方便小廚房自理晚餐之外，不在外面吃實在不行。不過也罷，平日自己開伙的習慣讓我失去許多體驗這裡飲食文化的機會，而且老爺大老遠飛過來，總不能委屈他放棄臺灣的粽子不吃而天天來吃這美食地獄的冰冷三明治吧！事實證明我實在太不懂這裡的外食文化了，才會發生吃飯時誤點一罐四鎊九五的礦泉水...
.

今日再次實驗，事實證明台式炒米粉是道連拘謹英國人都能接受的絕佳potluck選擇。
第一回實驗（一般有肉絲等正常配料）
對象：土生土長美國人、歐洲四處亂跑的美國人、俄國人、土耳其人

反應：一盒米粉快清光，但是大部分的香菇絲都留下來。

沒在這兒待超過半年以上，不知道原來這兒緯度真的這麼高。畢竟都不大下雪，也不會動不動就到攝氏零度，冬天一點也不覺得比紐約冷。
可是，這幾天天氣好時才看得出來：
這是晚上七點十五的照片。↑
剛從臺灣回來的時候，要不是肚子餓得厲害，不然根本不會抬頭看時鐘，驚覺原來已經該吃飯了。

We stopped very briefly at Robin Hood's Bay, where I took the only picture of my self during my entire trip. :) You could see my new curly hair in the album.
Then we went further north, to an ancient port called Whitby.
This picture was taken far away from the port. It doesn't look very busy. But on the other side, there were crowded people and boats.

Today I went to a small coastline trip with the student association.  It was like a typical tourist trip: several stops with limited time, and of course some stops at rest areas that have restrooms.
Our city is an industrial city, so the scenes along our way were very refreshing to me (especially in the springtime). Green grass, cows, THIN horses, and sheep which don't stop eating...
(taken on the bus so not clear enough)
This trip was called "Trip to North York Moors National Park," but actually we didn't go to the park at all. No moors. (I wonder what they look like.) Our first stop is a place famous for vacations on a summer beach: Scarborough