昨晚连夜赶赴伦敦就为了今早去法国大使馆为4月份的旅行办申根签，以为上次被折磨了3次的我，怎么说都该否极泰来把，以为这次会走运，哎，结果是情况比上次还要严重，偏偏撞上了一个及其不耐烦的男的工作人员，态度及其恶劣，而且他居然在电脑面前折腾了半天查到我去年12月份去法国的时候没有入住所预定的酒店，Oh, My god, 我真是服了，千千万万从英国进入法国的中国人都是采取如此方式办的申根签，偏偏就我被抓到，而且已经是过去的事，他居然还去翻旧账，真是不得不说撞上他算是我倒了八辈子霉了。发生几率这么低的事情居然被我撞上，看来我可以去买彩票了。想想法国人这么不辞辛苦滴去查中国人是否真的入住法国的酒店，对于中国游客卡得如此之严，不知道是不是和最近中法的紧张关系有关。于是我只好编造了借口解释道当时没入住事先预定的酒店是因为我换了酒店入住，但真是道高一丈魔高一尺啊，他硬要我提供去年12月份在法国入住酒店的证明，明显是看准我撒谎，吃定我了...这其实就等于把我列入了黑名单，明知道我是不可能拿出这份证明的...哎，53镑的法国大使馆签证费+59镑伦敦到巴黎的欧洲之星车票供112镑就当作是花钱买教训咯，现在只能祈祷能从其他国家的大使馆申请到申根签咯，但愿这些申根国家的签证系统没有联网，资料没有共享，否则就真是我要和欧洲大陆说bye-bye了...

26岁，生命的三分之一已经过去了，开始感觉到时间的流逝之快，开始思考人生的真谛，生命的意义...26岁，做梦的年龄已经过去了，开始品味现实的人生，偶尔会坐在黑暗的角落发着呆...26岁，男人彻底取代了男孩，沒有年少时的轻狂，变得成熟了，变得实际，变得不再踌躇满志了。不再去苦苦追求虚无缥缈的东西，开始珍惜真实存在的感觉...26岁，所有的冲动该平静了...放下我执，享我所享...

短短一周内就去了Cardiff两次，第一次是Gareth开车专程送我去， 从Newport开车到Cardiff不到半小时就可到达，Cardiff乃威尔士的首都，其最有名的建筑当属Millennium Stadium，第一次去只是绕着千年球场逛了一圈，没想到处在市中心的千年球场和周边的建筑空隙如此之小，而且还紧紧挨着一条小河，真是难以想象如果是比赛日，市内的交通将会是多么的拥挤和混乱，很少见如此现代化的体育场会建在市中心，而且周围紧紧滴被其他建筑围绕，由于前天晚上千年球场刚刚进行完威尔士与英格兰的橄榄球比赛，这场比赛可是所有威尔士人都会关注的赛事，结果威尔士以23：15险胜英格兰，可容纳7万5千人的千年球场自然是座无虚席，我们来的时候正是比赛后的第二天，球场周围还散落着狂欢过后的啤酒瓶…真是遗憾没有早一点上网预定该比赛的球票，虽然对于橄榄球我可是一窍不通，但是能够与7万5千人同坐在同一个体育场内感受如此重要的比赛，想必会是非常非常刺激的体验…第二次去则是和3位德国朋友一起前往，从Monmouth开车去大概要1个多小时，由于他们持有学生证，我也滥竽充数滴冒充学生买了学生票4镑5进入球场参观(成人票价为6镑)，没想到今天参观的人数很多，只好预约到当天的最后一批参观时间，期间有3个小时需要打发，于是就去了卡迪夫城堡，由于门票超贵要花10镑，所以我们只是在周边逛了逛，城堡周边的绿化很好，旁边就是一个大型的中央公园，非常美丽的自然景色，而且就处在市中心，到了夏天，这里绝对挤满了享受阳光的人们…逛完了城堡又绕着千年球场逛了一圈，由于第一次看得比较匆忙，第二次则有足够的时间细细观察，发现从球场背面的桥上观看千年球场是最佳的欣赏角度，整个球场的造型就如同一艘船只，停靠在旁边的小河旁，很有意境的画面…将近下午5点时则到了我们进入球场参观的时间，我们先进入的是球场的南翼更衣室，是威尔士主队球员的更衣室，由于数据显示过往多次大赛使用卡迪夫千年球场南翼更衣室的球队都无法赢球，如2002年足总杯亚军切尔西、2001年亚军阿森纳及附加赛的普雷斯顿等，所以请来中国的风水先生来看风水，于是乎更衣室内出现一一副很中国的壁画-一匹奔跑的骏马和浴火重生的凤凰，据说自从有个这个壁画之后，南翼更衣室的魔咒就此破除，看来英国人也开始相信风水了…接着我们就进入了球场的地座，不看不知道，一看吓一跳，千年球场的面积可比曼联主场老特拉福德球场大多了，难怪它被欧洲足联评为五星级球场，从地座到达楼座需要搭乘电梯，可想而知球场是多么的高多么的大，从楼座的最顶层往下看，有恐高症的人绝对会被吓到，想象一下，这可是能够容纳得下7万5千人的球场…千年球场另外一个出名的特点是它是欧洲第二座及全世界最大拥有开合天盖的运动场，咋们北京的鸟巢最初的设计也是包含有开合天盖的，但后来由于造价过高而放弃了。千年球场在1999年揭幕，由威尔士橄榄联盟为举办1999年世界杯榄球赛而兴建，耗资1亿2600万英镑，球场可容纳74,500名观众，除足球赛外，千年球场亦用于榄球比赛（13人及15人）及室内木球比赛，可移动的比赛草坪使球场可供球赛外如音乐会、展览会等其他用途，在2005年更成为世界汽车拉力赛首次室内比赛的场地。参观完球场之后我们被带入了VIP包间，客人们可以坐在包间里一面享受着美酒佳肴，一面观看比赛，那是何等的享受，当然费用也不菲…最后参观的地方是英国女王的观赏席位，处在球场最中央最高的地方，也是比赛完之后女王颁发奖杯的地方，导游提供了一个复制品奖杯供游客拍照留念，让我们也可以过过高举奖杯，站在球场最高处享受全场观众掌声和欢呼声的瘾…

200708-200806, days in Nanning, China….

20090213-20090216, days in Newport, Wales…

托Nick的福，得以搭Jane的顺风车从Monmouth前往Bath一日游，有车还真是方便，英国就这么丁点大，开车想哪都不会太远，可以理解当初为什么Jana不远万里从德国开车开了10个小时来到Monmouth，有车真是幸福…因为整个欧洲大陆都是靠右行驶，只有英国是靠左行驶，Jana的德国车，司机是坐在左边滴，开在英国的公路上还真有点怪怪滴…还好，欧洲的驾照都是通用的，只要在某国拿到驾照，就可以在欧洲畅通无阻… 从Monmouth开车到Bath只要1个半小时，巴斯以其乔治王时代的建筑和古罗马温泉而著名。巴斯温泉是公元1世纪时古罗马人开始系统利用的，并修建了一系列浴室和神庙。巴斯的建筑风格统一，均是以当地Combe Down地下开采的蜂蜜石修建的乔治王时代风格的镇屋。巴斯是英国旅游胜地，人口仅九万多，但游客数量仅次于伦敦。1987年，巴斯城被列为世界文化遗产。

帕特尼桥(Pultney Bridge) ...

Monmouth, another small place not so far away from Newport, luckily there is another friend Nick from Nanning No. 3 Middle School working here…We are the only two volunteers from Guangxi coming to UK this year….

I didn’t get a clue about rugby until I came to Wales. Only when I was here did I realize how popular this sport is to Welsh people. Everyone knows the relationship between Wales and England, however, when it comes to rugby, it was the most important sport event of the year to Welsh. 14, Feb, 2009, All Welsh people, young and old, man and woman, crowded into Millennium Stadium in Cardiff to watch this game live, for those who can’t watch live in stadium, will gather in front of the TV of a bar to witness their victory over England…It was so cool to be a part of it and I was so overwhelmed by the nosy atmosphere even I was just in a bar, let alone how exciting it will be to watch this game live in Millennium Stadium…Luckily, Wales beat England at 23:15, all Welsh were crazy…

14, Feb, 2009, was such an unforgettable day to me. Not just because it was an Valentine’s Day, instead, it was a day when I hiked on a snow mountain for the first time ever. I was so proud of myself spending nearly four hours hiking in such a horrible environment, cold, rough road condition, slippery shoes…However, I still made it, successfully conquering the summit of Sugarloaf Mountain. P.s. The view from the top of mountain was really fantastic…

Newport, Wales, though a small and definitely not a tourism place in UK, is a must-see place for me. In the past few years, all of the foreign teachers in Nanning No.2 Middle School are from Newport and that’s how I made so many British friends, from Richard & Andrew to Gemma & Gareth…I really enjoyed being their mentor whilst their stay in Nanning and I did show them a good time in Nanning, hanging out in Le-nest, SOHO, Backstreet Bar, Yangguang 100, Zhongshan Road, so many familiar places, so many nice memories….How time flies! It was their turn to show me good time now. The bar here is totally from that in Nanning, no food, no snacks, no dice, no loud music, no bottle of beer, instead, all they have are just pints of beer, crisps, pool, quiz…Of course, the food here is different too, marshed potatos, peas, grills, hamburgers…Though it was just a short-stay, It was really nice to meet old friends again in their hometown….especially who has been to my hometown before…

今天有意思的事儿还不是一般的多，先是收到邮件被告知学校有某女生怀孕，让所有老师给予这个女生特殊的关注和照顾，学校会尽全力支持帮助她…接着下午上课就看到男生开始扮怀孕状，呵呵，看来这边的校园也是没有不透风的墙滴…

能够写出“新年好”这三个汉字，对于他们来说已经是相当相当不容易了…

穿自己的衣服也是节日？难以置信吧，呵呵，这里的名堂还不是一般的多，因为学生每天都要求穿校服，难得有一天可以穿自己的衣服，可以展示自己的个性，每个人都下足了功夫，之前有过pink day, 是支持乳腺癌，今天是green theme， 也是支持癌症，能够有这么一天来秀自己，1镑的捐款算什么，今天不论老师还是学生，八仙过海，各显神通，有穿绿色袜子的，绿色T恤，绿色外套，染绿色头发，涂绿色眼影，戴绿色领带，绿色围巾，当然，也少不了戴绿帽滴，呵呵，幸好在西方文化里戴绿帽可没那层意思…

Valentines' Day disco party in school? Can you imagine this would happen in China? Of course not. Watch the ads lines: If you want to send a special message to someone in school, post it in the Love Box…and Cupid will deliver!!! Can you imagine this would happen in China too? The answer would still be definitely no. What a huge cultural difference between East & West….

“fashion, noble, hot boys & girls, sex, young, label, school life, New York, upper easter, Brooklyn, bar, drug, gay, sleep best friend's girlfriend or boyfriend, divorce, affairs, virginity, lie, friendship, love…”… this is what gossip is about and this is what makes us gossip…

today was absolutely a busy but happy day, first Old Trafford, then Alex’s birthday….nice…p.s. didn’t expect the business of Wing Wah Chinese Buffet was so good, a long queue of foreigners waiting for seats even at 7, or 8 o’clock…though it was a Chinese buffet, the taste of Chinese food has already been localized….too oily and too heavy…

perhaps it was the biggest shopping mall I had ever been to, fucking huge, shops, cinema, restaurants, even a small China Town…definitely a one-stop shopping mall…loved it…

After a week’s heavy snow, we finally had a sunny day today though with freezing wind occasionally. That really made our school trip to Old Trafford stadium a success. Though having been here once, it was still the first time that I have had chance to tour around such a world-famous football club-Manchester United. Since the school had already booked a group visit, the ticket price had been reduced to 10.85 pound for adults, 6.85 pounds for juniors. What a great chance to see those places we cannot see from TV, such as player changing rooms, player lounge, news conference room, it was absolutely fantastic…Without doubt, Man United is one of the most popular football clubs in the world, with over 330 million supporters worldwide–almost 5% of the world's population. Even it was not a match day today; there were still quite a lot of visitors touring around the club today, which made our tour in a hurry and short. A little bit lack of time to take more photos….that was a pity…Anyway, it was still worthy...Football has become an important part of UK’s culture, Man United definitely playing a big role…

2005年, 大学毕业前, 南宁GXU…

1998年，高一军训，南宁…