一大堆免費的東西Nice give-aways

不知道這可以不可算是曼徹斯特比較好的部分了！

I guess this is probably the only nice part of
Manchester for all the ugliness, messiness, and
inefficiency. There are always some nice give-aways,
like this self-protection alarm, lots and lots of food.


我們經常有免費的東西可以拿。
來英國前，我把我一直隨身攜帶防身電擊棒拿了起來，
反正也不可能通得過海關。

剛到這裡時，曼城是亂了些，人種混雜了些，
但警車一直在街道穿梭，大至上還算是安全。

不過我有時還會覺得很沒有安全感，
尤其晚上稍微晚一些些回寢室時，
就算自己再怎麼小心，好像還是覺得怕怕的。
加上英國的室友她比我更是小心，
她經常出門是直接把她父親買給她的警鈴直接握在手上...
因為連她本國人都有這樣的舉動，
本來感覺起來還好的我，又開始害怕了起來，

才再想....想找到買警鈴的地方，

我們宿舍門前竟有警察來做一些預防手機被盜的資料填寫。

他還示範了如何使用警鈴。

我問了他：「How do I get one of those?(這樣才可以取得這個)」

他就從箱子裡拿了一個給我。

我問他：「How much is it?(多少錢)」
他竟然說：「It's for you.(給你的)」

竟然是免費的！！

開學週本來就有會多的社團活動，
他們也會為了招攬會員及人氣發一些小禮物，
但好像過了那一兩週就沒再拿到冰淇淋或比薩等的東西了。

不過，今天...竟有人拿了好幾排的杯麵發給經過的人。

在台灣，除了地震及颱風賑災才有這種景象。

如果真的有人拿一大堆的東西來發給路人，

我們也會覺得它可能是過期的東西。

In Taiwan, they may give you some food or drink

samples but they would never give you the whole
box, not to mention the whole trail of cupnoodles.

The free give-aways were very common in the first
2 weeks of a new semester for that some clubs
were attentively recruiting and attracting menbers.
But never would I expect to encounter this right now.
Yet, the self-protection alarm was what I was always
wanting to get. It came in handy. I'm really grateful that
the police departments do send people around to talk
about the prevention of cell-phone theft and give away
this nice little device for us to feel a bit secure.

全英國最大的遊樂場--Alton Towers

萬聖節當天，我和我中國的同學加入

International Society舉辦的出遊活動。

...這是另一種過節的方法。

搭遊覽車延路的風光明媚。

雖然是遊樂園，內部仍有許多的庭園造景。

可能是來英國有一段時日了....開始進入了所謂的「生活階段」

所以開始會接觸一些反而是遊客不會接觸的地方及事物。

很多像童話般的色調。

Charlie的夢工廠。

有電影裡的故事情節。

我們還真的搭上了船...最後還搭上了飛空的電梯....

可惜裡面燈光太暗。

坐了旋轉木馬....

我們玩了非常刺激的雲霄飛車....本來以為我的心臟會受不了。

沒想到，比起一開始興奮但後來覺得恐怖的她，

我竟一點也沒什麼感覺！

進入了古堡的鬼屋。

我的同學受了嚴重的驚嚇！！

到晚上，她還說心有餘悸。

可是...我一點都沒有感覺！！

(我是老了嗎？！)

因為進入了生活層，

照的照片不再徧向什麼都照了...所以沒有太多細節的部分。

有些很刺激的部分也不會特別照下來。

不過....那天萬聖節的夜晚，

月色異常地鬼異。

Reading Week--No class

A major difference between western education and
the one in Taiwan is that there is less lecturing but
a lot reading to do. Students need to 'dig out' the
knowledge by themselves.

On the other hand, Taiwanese students depend fully
on teachers' teaching. The lecture they listen during 
the class is how they get to know certain knowledge. 
Things which are not taught in the class may even be
considered useless or valueless by students.
Of course, the value of something is determined by
how helpful it is for the coming tests, not conerning
with knowledge or skill.
The education is basically test-related.

英國的教育是....老師及教授教得不多，
但有一大堆的閱讀內容得做...感覺起來是學生主動去學習的。

而台灣則相反，學生背動學習，大部分都是仰賴老師；
甚至老師沒教的，也不會想去了解透徹。
常常也只是為了應付考試。

自己真心想學的、自己去思索過的，
才比較容易變成自己的。

所以，我倒挺欣賞英國的這種教育方式的優點。


另一個英國教育的優點是.....
上個週末開始，有一大堆的學生前往意大利、法國巴黎等地
旅遊一週....原因是：這個禮拜是笫6週閱讀週，沒課。

很好吧？

可惜啊....目前沒錢又加上有3個1500字的作業馬上要交的我，
只能羨慕在心頭，然後誓言在未來的日子裡再去完成！

Yet, I don't know if this is good but many students
set out for Paris or Italy this weekend for a-week-trip because
there is no class in the 6th week. Reading week is meant for
students to catch up with their excessive reading materials so
that they can relate more to their learning and continue the
work in the coming weeks. Some students apparently take
this for granted and get a bit carried-away.

One thing I am jealous of those rich students who can
depend on their well-off parents and resourceful family
support is their free mind of doing traveling anytime they want
without worrying about the financial problem. The traveling
part is also what I intend to do much in the near future.

But for now, I'll just keep my feet on the ground.