A very long trip home.
We got up at 5:30am and took a taxi at 6:30am to the central coach station in downtown Birmingham. (A coach is a British name for long-distance bus, sort of like the Grayhound in the US.) The coach was quite comfortable and had a nice toilet at the end. We arrived at Heathrow airport at 10:30, in good time for the 1:05pm flight.
After lunch, I went to foreign exchange to turn my remaining British pounds into US dollars. I was surprised to see how little I got back. We get really short-changed by exchanging money! Before you leave Europe, try not to have too much Euro cash remaining in your hand. You should spend all the coins as the foreign exchange does not take coins.
The flight from London was delayed by more than an hour. When we reached Philadelphia, we only had 40 minutes to go through immigration, get our baggage, clear customs, recheck in the baggage, find the next gate, buy our dinner, and board the next plane which started moving as soon as we stepped onto the aircraft. But we made it!
The rest of the journey was quite uneventful. Patrick's dad picked us up at the airport. We then picked up Kevin and Kenny from their home and drove home. It was strange that I wasn't sleepy while driving in spite of the fact I had been sleepless for more than 24 hours.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Trip to England (Day12)
We went to Shakespeare's hometown (Strafford-upon-Avon) today! 50 minutes' train ride and a lot of walking. We visited Shakespeare's birthplace and the houses of his relatives. I learned a few things I didn't know before: the great playwrite was the first surviving child of his parents (his older siblings all died in infancy); his wife was 8 years older than him; he became very wealthy later in his life and purchased many properties; he died at the age of 52 (my present age).
At the train station, I needed an urgent toilet visit, but the WC was not free. You have to deposit 30p (pence). I only had enough coins for 20p, but a passer-by had mercy on me and donated the other 10p. Well, no p, no pee.
At the train station, I needed an urgent toilet visit, but the WC was not free. You have to deposit 30p (pence). I only had enough coins for 20p, but a passer-by had mercy on me and donated the other 10p. Well, no p, no pee.
Trip to England (Day11)
Today is Sunday. We went to a Mandarin-speaking Chinese church for worship. (The couple we met were from Cantonese-speaking Chinese church. So we couldn't go to their church.) Apparently, the church is quite young and they are still learning. For one thing, their program doesn't have a part where newcomers are introduced. So our presence there remained undetected except by a few people sitting next to us who complimented on our singing. We still enjoyed the worship, though anonymously.
At 5pm, we were on the train again, this time from Manchester to Birmingham to visit my college classmate. He is doing his PhD at the University there. When he greeted us at the University station. I was bit shocked to see how much he had changed: he had lost most of his hair but his standard British accent was very impressive. He had been trying to study abroad since I came to the US, but for some reason his visa application always got rejected. Finally, in 2003, at the age of 45, he managed to come to the University of Birmingham to start his student life again, leaving his wife in China. (And he has no children yet.) Apparently, he really enjoys his studies here, though with a lot of stress, financially, academically and emotionally.
We were quite moved by his hospitality. He cooked dinner for us himself, paid for our first night's hotel bill, and insisted on us not paying him back. He talked on and on about the grand plan of his thesis, while I was worrying about his post-doc life. I tried to preach the Gospel to him, but he always managed to switch the topic back to his thesis. I also made some suggestions to his thesis, of course, hoping he will take my advice to make it less ambitious and finish it sooner.
At 5pm, we were on the train again, this time from Manchester to Birmingham to visit my college classmate. He is doing his PhD at the University there. When he greeted us at the University station. I was bit shocked to see how much he had changed: he had lost most of his hair but his standard British accent was very impressive. He had been trying to study abroad since I came to the US, but for some reason his visa application always got rejected. Finally, in 2003, at the age of 45, he managed to come to the University of Birmingham to start his student life again, leaving his wife in China. (And he has no children yet.) Apparently, he really enjoys his studies here, though with a lot of stress, financially, academically and emotionally.
We were quite moved by his hospitality. He cooked dinner for us himself, paid for our first night's hotel bill, and insisted on us not paying him back. He talked on and on about the grand plan of his thesis, while I was worrying about his post-doc life. I tried to preach the Gospel to him, but he always managed to switch the topic back to his thesis. I also made some suggestions to his thesis, of course, hoping he will take my advice to make it less ambitious and finish it sooner.
Trip to England (Day10)
A very tiring day for me and a very happy day for mommy. The conference was over but there were some workshops that I was interested in. The workshops were held in a different building on the campus which I had never been to. I got lost and had to walk around for about 20 minutes with my computer before I found the place. The talks at the workshops were not as good as I had expected. Besides, most of my friends had already left!
I got back to my hotel room and threw myself on the bed. Just then, mommy came back with a lot of excitement. The church people who took us to dinner the other day (the wife only) took mommy to a shopping spree! While I was half-dead on the bed, mommy showed me her trophies one by one. Well, I'm glad that at least she is happy.
I got back to my hotel room and threw myself on the bed. Just then, mommy came back with a lot of excitement. The church people who took us to dinner the other day (the wife only) took mommy to a shopping spree! While I was half-dead on the bed, mommy showed me her trophies one by one. Well, I'm glad that at least she is happy.
Trip to England (Day9)
I ran away from the conference and took mommy to the famous "lake district" which is supposed to be the most beautiful area of England. We hopped on a train, and had to change train somewhere, and reached Windermere in about two hours. Well, the place is very beautiful, though not breathtakingly so. It's a long, long lake with a lot of grean hills around it, sort of like Lake Chelan. We cruised on the lake and then had a bus ride around the lake. This is a very peaceful and relaxing place. It will be nice we could camp here for a few days and explore a few places everyday.
We saw some peope eating French fries, which made us hungry. Mommy went to store and asked for French fries. "We don't have French fries here." "But what are you aking over there?", mommy asked, "Aren't they French fries?". "Oh, those!" said the sales girl, "They are chips". Of course! How come we forgot about the "chips" in "fish and chips"!
The train ride back home was more complicated, We had to change trains two times (three hops). Mommy would be very nervous without me :-)
We saw some peope eating French fries, which made us hungry. Mommy went to store and asked for French fries. "We don't have French fries here." "But what are you aking over there?", mommy asked, "Aren't they French fries?". "Oh, those!" said the sales girl, "They are chips". Of course! How come we forgot about the "chips" in "fish and chips"!
The train ride back home was more complicated, We had to change trains two times (three hops). Mommy would be very nervous without me :-)
Trip to England (Day8)
There are many "to let" signs on the UK streets. Mommy wondered why there are so many toilets in Britain and all these words are missing an "i". :-) It turns out "to let" is the British English for "For Rent" or "For Lease". Actually it is not as easy to find a toilet in Britain as to find a restroom in the US. It's impossible to find a "restroom" here, of course, but "toilet" or "WC" also takes some search.
A couple from the local church here came and took us to a very nice Thai restaurant. We got to know them through Jonothan and Sherry of the Olympia church who visited here before. We went to their church after dinner, but we were not able to get in: they didn't have the key and the young people inside were singing and drumming so loud that they just couldn't hear the door bell. We had to give up. Instead, we went to Manchester Union which is most famous football ( = US soccer ) stadium in England.
A couple from the local church here came and took us to a very nice Thai restaurant. We got to know them through Jonothan and Sherry of the Olympia church who visited here before. We went to their church after dinner, but we were not able to get in: they didn't have the key and the young people inside were singing and drumming so loud that they just couldn't hear the door bell. We had to give up. Instead, we went to Manchester Union which is most famous football ( = US soccer ) stadium in England.
Trip to England (Day7)
Today is the excursion day of the conference. We went to Tatton Park which has a magnificent mansion and a huge garden. Very pretty. We then went to a small town called Chester which is supposed to be the only walled city in Britain. We walked on the wall a bit, of course. We actually got lost. Mommy and I wanted to go in opposite directions twice. Mommy was actually right the first time and I was right the second time. Two heads are better than one! And we obeyed the right person each time.
I will post some pictures later to show you the places.
I will post some pictures later to show you the places.
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