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：

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:

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.

"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:

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。

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

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：

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...

到店裡去看到滿滿都是花啊、卡片的，才知道3/18是英國的母親節。

why?
他們是怎麼算的啊....
我以為母親節是個難得全球會同步的節日啊～

九月，我跟Chung到這裡的第一個下午，上街採買的短短幾個小時內頭被風吹得痛死了。跟約好要取二手貨的學姊見面，很訝異在這種陽光普照但冷風颼颼的天氣裡他穿著露趾夾腳拖。

「喔，這還好，今天不怎麼冷。你們沒戴帽子啊？」
「不知道這邊這麼冷，風這麼大，沒帶出來。」
「你們不知道這裡有名的就是風大嗎？」

臭英國，爛英國，什麼東西都貴不知道在貴什麼！

好久沒有吃水餃了，我一罐白醋買到現在還沒開封，就是覺得這裡冷凍水餃沒太多選擇，不大敢買。那天下定決心買了一包，就是看在它的價格算成美金的話只稍貴一點點，但個數差不多（是的，我現在已經改用跟美金比較來估價了，跟台幣比的話什麼都買不下去），嘴一饞就買了。

結果...

22 Jan

我隔壁的樓友兼廚友Eva這星期剛考完，沒課放假一週。他計畫二、四各出遊一趟，邀我同行。可惜我這週三到五有課，只能跟一趟。可是這一趟，都是我們兩個來到英國後第一次出去玩（別人早已經跑了好幾國了，本週還有大型倫敦團出團...），雖然是個小小的踏青郊遊，卻也讓我們期待不已。（其實，Eva前一個晚上興奮到睡不著...）

為了趕車，早上難得特早起，卻興奮的看見黑濛濛的窗外景物披上一層薄薄白衣。原來昨夜又偷偷下了雪！昨天才聽朋友說前夜半夜似乎下過一點小雪（今年第一場），但下得不多所以證據一下子就沒了。昨夜下得比較多，淺淺一層雪直到我們出門都還在。

來這邊以後第一次出去玩。而且屬於「郊遊」性質（好久沒郊遊了...），開心開心。
先去寫作業，遊記晚點再補。不過照片先傳好了，等不及的人可先看。

The first day I arrived at England, I went shopping for necessities and groceries right after moving into my dorm room.  I didn't know my health was totally PROTECTED by the airports and the dorm regulations until the minute I walked in the crowds on the busiest street of our town. 

EVERYBODY WAS SMOKING!

Oh my god, I am not kidding or exaggerating. Every British man, no matter male and female, young and old,  walking fast or fooling around slowly, everyone passing by me held a cigarette, and I was literally walking in the smoke!

我的神經最近開始有點大條。去年到香港玩的第一天，都已經吃完午飯逛了一圈回飯店了，第二天早上才在人來人往的街道上一邊走路一邊抱怨：奇怪，怎麼好像一直擋到人。

「你忘記他們靠左邊走了嗎？」

上星期，朋友興沖沖的邀我一起去瑞士玩。「來回只要28鎊喔！」他說。

雖說現在1英鎊似乎永遠想賴在兌63元台幣附近不下來，一千七台幣坐飛機去瑞士來回一趟聽起來好像台北飛高雄一樣。

不過我也不大驚小怪了。便宜的機票促銷方案在這兒已經不是什麼大新聞了。我剛來的第一週，市區都還不熟，回家的路都沒有把握會走對，就聽說一個跟我同一天抵達的同學週末要去挪威玩。沒隔幾週，他又跑去北愛爾蘭。

機場不大，可是還是有一點點可以記錄的事物。首先，當然是廁所裡令人驚奇的擦手布囉！

美國的廁所一定會提供擦手紙讓人洗手之後擦乾，比較舊式一點的地方還是會有風乾機。我時常在廁所裡見到為了擦一雙手而猛力把拉稈往下拉三次以上的超級浪費美國人（擦乾一雙手需要那麼長的紙嗎？），撕下長長一張擦手紙之後啪啪簡單拍、捏個兩下就把紙給丟了。每次看了都很想揍人。

當我看到英國機場裡同樣的箱子裡拉稈拉下的不是紙而是布的時候，實在太驚喜了！這樣真環保啊！擦過的布會隨著下一位使用者拉下拉稈之際而捲回到另外一捆回收的地方，我想等整捆布使用完畢之後應該是由清潔部門統一回收清洗或者烘乾吧！仔細想想真有道理，洗完手之後都是乾淨的水，用過的布都不會髒到哪裡去才是。當時心裡真是開心，馬上有「終於離開萬惡大美帝國了」的感覺...

我從未造訪過英國。

因此，飛遍英國各地的British Airways成為我與英國接觸的第一媒介，也成為一系列英倫印象的「門面」。

結束香港快樂美食行之後，很不情願的踏入機場向BA的登機門走去。雖然早上BA小姐「好心的送我們十二小時香港意外行」（其實完全是自己迷糊到不行的結果），不過邁向BA飛機等同於邁向美食地獄之門，一想到即將過著比一個月前在美國時更加淒苦的飲食生活，實在開心不大起來。