College students' outing / 大學生的旅行

前幾天嘉蕊看到去巨石陣和巴斯的學生旅遊團宣傳，因為費用低廉，我們很快就報名了。為了壓低成本，我們還計畫了出遊當天的餐點，於是我特別在早上五點半起床煮飯帶便當，窗外的少年少女一整夜沒睡覺，窗內的我頭腦未清醒就站在瓦斯爐前切切煮煮，我自問：現在是為什麼要這樣呢？總之在一片混亂之後，我們也順利地出門了。

A few days ago Jazel came across a webpage advertising college students' tour to Stonehenge and Bath. Due to the low costs, we signed up almost immediately. Not to spend too much money on eating out, we even planned the menu for our meals during the day. I thus got up at 5:20 am to prepare our lunch boxes. The youngsters outside my window didn't go to bed for a whole night, while I was cutting and cooking in my kitchen with my head still muddled. I asked myself, "Why am I doing this?" Well, after a whirlwind of messy preparation, we left home as scheduled.

一到達維多利亞皇宮戲院，前面已經有好多等待的國際學生，東方人像中國或印度人多半是一大群共同來旅行，西方人要不是情侶就是一人單獨來，雖然有些人也帶著超市買的食物，但沒有人像我們倆各提大型手提袋，更別說裡面都是吃的東西。

As soon as we arrived at Victoria Palace Theater, we saw scores of international students waiting. Asians such as Chinese or Indian students came in large groups. As for Europeans, they came mostly with their lovers or alone. Though some people carried in their hands bags of food bought from supermarkets, no one else carried a huge bag of self-made food like me or Jazel.

我們會和某些人變成朋友，我相信上帝做了巧妙的安排。嘉蕊明明就是個二十歲的小女生，居然也跟我搞野餐和烹飪，甚至比我還投入，我笑她也許不久之後主修就要轉烹飪了。我們一上車她便拿出精心製作的三明治給我當早餐，裡頭的荷包蛋還用塑成心型，真是可愛的孩子。

I believe that God makes clever arrangements for us when it comes to why we become friends with some people instead of with others. Jazel is a young 20-year-old girl, but she is no less zealous than me in our enterprise of picnicking and cooking. I often tease her about switching her major to cuisine soonish. The moment we got on the coach bus, she couldn't help taking out her well-prepared sandwiches with a heart-shaped sunny-side up egg inside each. What a lovely child...

我們的遊伴五花八門，因為這一對愛侶坐在我們前面，所以連親吻的聲音也要和我們分享。他們沿途連睡覺的姿勢都極恩愛，我忍不住偷拍一張作紀念。

Our travel companions came in different ethnicities and cultures. This loving couple sat in front of us, and they shared even the sounds of kissing with us. Even when they slept, we could feel tangled love between them, so I took a photo of them in memory of all that beautiful human emotion. 

我們幾乎被中國同學包圍，但左後方是火熱的印度人，有三名印度男孩感覺就是來把妹，一路找機會和美麗的各國妹妹搭訕，還好我和嘉蕊兩個人散發著「不要來惹我們」的強烈氣息，不過我很喜歡觀察女孩們回應他們的方式。

We were surrounded mostly by Chinese students, but in the back of the coach bus sat really passionate Indians. Three Indian boys seemed to constantly look for opportunities to hit upon beautiful girls from various countries. Fortunately, Jazel and I gave off very strong hostile scents signifying "Stay far away from us!" So hardly anyone came to interact with us. However, I did enjoy observing how girls responded to them. 

雖然之前潔西卡和我說巨石陣不過就是一堆石頭，接近目的地時我還是很興奮。

Though Jessica told me that Stonehenge is nothing but a pile of stones, I couldn't help but feel thrilled when approaching our destination. 

因為巨石陣位於一大片草原上，不論是人或動物都顯得很渺小，與其說是石頭，不如說是一望無際的原野令我很振憾。

Since Stonehenge is located on a vast stretch of grassland, people or birds are comparatively very tiny. Instead of stones, it's the boundless nature that moves me. 

巨石陣最早在西元前三千年就建造了，在文明未發展之際，人類卻有如此高度的工程科技，從現在起的三千年之後，如果地球還存在，今日建造的一切會有多少能留存？

Stonehenge dated back to as early as 3000 B.C. When the civilization was barely developed, human beings were capable of such advanced engineering techniques. What about three thousand years from now on, if the earth still exists, how much of today's architecture will survive? 

最近我越來越看清楚英國人的個性了，我們的遊覽車上有個年輕導遊，看起來像個學生，她一早出現時，感覺昨晚沒有睡覺，遊覽車遲到了半個小時以上，她等得很焦急，卻無從連絡司機，只能癡癡地等。

Lately I've seen more and more underneath the Brits' surface of politeness. There was a young tour guide on our bus. She looked like a student, and it appeared that she hadn't slept the previous night. She was anxious when the coach bus driver was half an hour late. However, she had no means to contact him, so all she could do was wait passively with us. 

大家下遊覽車去巨石陣觀光時，她說十一點五十要回到車上，但英國人很喜歡說：十二點差十分集合，而不是直接說十一點五十分。後面的學生不知沒聽清楚還是不在意，雖然我們倆也遲到了，但有一群中國學生拖到十二點十多分才回來。導遊很生氣，不過用很壓抑的音量說了好幾次：到了巴斯一定要在四點四十分回到車上，不然我們就開車走人。

Before we were dismissed to visit Stonehenge, the tour guide said we had to be back on the bus by 11: 50 am, but the Brits love to say, "Ten to 12" instead of "Eleven fifty." The students on the back either didn't care or couldn't hear her. Though Jazel and I were late too, some Chinese students didn't come back until 12:10. She was very angry, but still, she tried to repress her anger when repeating to us: You have to be back on the bus by 4: 40 this afternoon in Bath, or we will leave without you. 

說完四點四十分後，居然又加了一句：也許最晚五點差十五分，我們五點就走人。難怪英國人很多方面都定義得不清楚。

After she specified 4:40, she added, "Maybe a quarter to five. We will leave at 5 sharp." No wonder the Brits can't define many things clearly in every aspect of daily lives. 

好吧，其實自得其樂二人組滿心期待巴斯的野餐，所以不是很在乎外面發生了什麼事。一到經常下雨的巴斯，最近也豔陽高照，我們一路尋找綠地，在充滿石頭建築的大街上終於被我們找到可愛的小公園。

In fact, Ms. Picnic Chong and Ms. Picnic You looked so much forward to the picnic in Bath that we didn't care what had happened around us. When we made it to Bath, it was all sunny in the city known for rain. We looked for some green grass to sit on, and finally, we found an adorable little park on streets full of stone architecture. 

如果你認真比較我們前兩天的菜色和巴斯菜色，會發現我們在量和質方面都有可怕的大躍進，這些照片還不包括水果和點心，做完當天的野餐後，我和嘉蕊的冰箱都空了。我們一邊吃一邊計算省了多少錢，真的是很努力在生活的人啊！

If you carefully compare our menus two days ago and today, you'll discover that there is SHOCKING progress in terms of quantity and quality. Some fruits and snacks were not even included in the photos above. As a matter of fact, after we prepared the food for picnic, our fridges were both emptied. We ate and calculated how much money we had saved from not going to restaurants, you can tell how hard we were living our lives! 

用完餐之後得認真旅行了，旅遊公司縮短了我們待在巴斯的時間，所以我們得趕快四處走走。

After the picnic, we had to travel hard. The tour company cut short our stay in Bath, so we had to hurry and look around. 

有一說巴斯於西元43年由羅馬人建立為溫泉城，上圖的國王浴池建於十二世紀，泡溫泉的人可以坐在水池裡，這個浴池一直用到二十世紀中。我要拍照時，有個韓國男孩擋住鏡頭某一角，他的朋友和他說一串話，我只聽懂阿朱媽，結果男孩就走開了，我很生氣地說：我不是阿朱媽，他們可能有些嚇一跳，唉呦，我可以稱自己是大嬸，可是由別人來說，還是韓國人，我的內心無法接受啊！

As far as I learned, Bath was established as a spa city by Romans in 43 A.D.  The King's Bath shown in the photos above was built in the 12th century, allowing bathers to immerse and sit in water. It was used for curative use until the mid-20th century. When I was about to take photos, a Korean boy blocked my view. Then after his friends said some words, among which I could only catch the word ajuma, he walked away. I reacted vehemently, "I am not ajuma!" They were kind of scared by my reaction. Well, you see, it's perfectly ok when I think of and call myself a middle-aged woman, but if it's someone else, especially when it's said by a Korean, I just can't live with it! 

巴斯處處都有羅馬人陽剛的建築風格。

The architecture everywhere in Bath is reminiscent of Romans' masculine style. 

這是巴斯的大修道院，有一千多年的歷史，不過其間經過許多整修。

This is Bath Abbey, which has been a place of worship for more than 1,000 years, but it has undergone many transformations. 

教堂廣場上有許多人的風景。

Tourists formed a very important scenery of Bath city as well. 

我們再往前走，整個城市伸展開來，彷彿人間仙境。

The further we went, the more the city expanded. We felt like being in a human paradise. 

河對岸正在進行熱烈的英式橄欖球賽。

On the other side of the river a competitive rugby game was going on. 

最後我們晃進了巴斯市場，小巧的空間裡氣氛輕鬆，婦女們喝著下午茶，和外頭截然不同。

At last we sauntered into Guildhall Market. In the small space, it was all relaxing. Ladies took their time to drink afternoon tea, which was totally different from the atmosphere outside. 

趕回巴士的沿途我們一邊玩拍立得，在巴斯留下青春的足跡！

On our way back to the coach bus, we took Polaroid photos all along to leave footprints of youth in the city of Bath!