It is almost four months since my first step onto the British Isles before I compose this second article. Not because that I am reluctant to write something in English, however, the pressure of reading reams of mundane theories as well as the trivial affairs such as cooking and washing in daily life can be summarized as the mainspring. Being abroad for the first time, I am imposed by all these things that used to be the business of my parents. In addition, having lost the exhortation of my dear long-winded mother in old days, I always try to let my backbone survive after incessant tests of somnolence and laziness. Now I have the confidence to say that my father’s well-known prowess on cooking is not doomed to lose heir after his unfledged son was sent to experience the weathering of living on the other sphere of the earth for a while.
Selected a cheap but exquisite house as my residence here, I find my neighbor really nice and easy to get along with, partly due to our congenial interests and temperament. In last month, we have made sightseeing excursions to London and Bristle, enjoying a hilarious time there. In comparison with other classmates, I have travelled to far less places in England, let alone a long-expected journey to Scotland, which is chillingly cold especially in winter. The reason is quite simple, for I love to stay in tranquility. Piles of essays also slow down my pace for an outing. But I decide to visit more cities in the future. Anyway, the opportunity to travel abroad is scarce, thereby precious. The impression and knowledge I’ve accumulated through my experience here is sure to form a general first-hand feeling to indigenous people as well as the eclectic ambience to cultural diversity in western society.
Unlike the trip to London which lasted for three days, my Bristol visit was a single day. The transportation system of Britain is fairly developed notwithstanding, the train speed is still not as high as I have imagined. I speculate it may be for the sake of cost, and also because the national express is built quite early. The procedure to take a train is moderately convenient, just like getting on a bus. In China, when the spring festival is looming, to get a ticket back to hometown is always a thorny issue. Even in normal time, it is troublesome. However, in Britain you can buy the tickets on the spot and go immediately. Since people don’t make noise in compartment, you would therefore be abashed if talking loudly in the placid atmosphere.
After we alighted from the train, there was bus carrying us directly to the city centre where most renowned sights assemble. To my surprise, I found the water of a river crossing the city incredulously muddy. The newly-decorated aquarium, as our initial stop, is an imposing cylinder architecture with crimson brick on the surface. Although Exeter, the city where I live now, is a costal “town”, sea products are seldom seen in supermarkets. Hence, when sundry ocean animals in the Bristol aquarium appeared in front of my eyes, I suddenly had a bizarre feeling. How long it is since we last met!
For a long time, the cities in Britain boast their centre cathedrals. Bristol is not an exception. Be that as it may, I still wonder why the major churches in these places are cathedral rather than Christian ones. The statues and windowsills undoubtedly intricate, the atmosphere the dome and pillars created made you gasp in admiration not only for the technique of ancient people, but also the serene and ageless power of religions. The quaint pipe organs, stained glasses on each side of the arch, nineteenth-century tome on the altar with the lit candles in rows all comprise the magnificent panoply of the Jesus Christ’s leniency.
It was a pity that we were so late to catch the opening hour of the ancient vessel called ss Great Britain in Bristol, which was said to be the world’s first great ocean liner. However, I still sauntered in the souvenir store nearby for a while. Most stimulating articles with a logo on them had unreasonably high prices, disappointing me a lot. A small jigsaw with the label “made in United Kingdom” unexpectedly charged £22.9, which I guess would only be sold at £4 in China.
