廿六

廿六

Twenty-six

今年的生日很特別

This birthday is very special for me

因為我達成了十年前的願望---到英國念書

Cause I reach my dream of the past ten years---studying in the UK

今天也恰好是來英國滿三個月的日子

Today also marks three months since I arrived at the UK.

還記得三個月前離家的那個夜晚

I still remember the night when I left home three months ago

沒有以往任何一次出國前的興奮與雀躍

Without any excitement and joy which I always felt before every journey

取而代之的是對未來充滿未知而滿溢爆表的焦慮與不安

Instead, I was overload with anxiety and uneasiness because of the unknown future

第一次搭長途飛機還為了我那腰特地買了商務艙

For the first time, I took a long-journey flight and bought a business class for my waist.

殊不知完全無心享受

And I totally couldn't enjoy it at all.

貴賓室 A380 阿聯酋 機上酒吧......

The VIP lounge, A380, Emirates, Bar in the air......

一切都被排山倒海而來的不安感完全掩蓋過去

Everything was just covered by the overwhelming worry

24個小時以後

24 hours later

人生中第一次踏上亞洲以外的土地

I stepped onto a land outside Asia for the first time in my life

從炎熱的夏季台灣抵達了溫暖微涼的愛丁堡

Moving from Taiwan in the scorching summer to warm and cool Edinburgh

嗨!愛丁堡你好!

Hi! Hello, Edinburgh!

當初選擇商務艙的另一原因是有免費接送服務

Another reason I chose business class was that Emirates has a free pick-up service

人生第一次坐賓士就獻給阿聯酋了

The first time sitting in a Benz is because of Emirates

司機是格拉斯哥人

The driver was from Glascow

幽默地向我介紹愛丁堡

He introduced Edinburgh to me humorously

還幫忙搬行李到宿舍門口才離開

And helped me carry my luggage to the accommodation before leaving

對英國的第一印象很不錯

My first impression of UK was pretty nice

有可愛的房子 歷史悠久的街道 和友善的人們

There are cute town houses, historical street and kind people

語言班讀了七週

After the pre-sessional course that lasted 7 weeks

順利通過考試拿到非條件式錄取通知

I passed the exam luckily and finally got my unconditional offer for the master course

特別感謝我在英國的第一位老師Eva 人美又好的助教Heather

Special thanks to my first tutor in the UK--Eva

And our CA Heather, who is very kind and also beautiful

還有很幽默的課程負責人Agnes

And also the humorous course manager Agnes

以及最親愛的泰國姊Paichit (Jane)

Of course my dearest Thai sis Paichit (Jane)

在完全沒有環境介紹一切都要自己來的情況下

As I tried to handle everything by myself without any help or guidance

是她帶著還摸不清東南西北的我到學務處領Bank letter

She was the person who brought me to the student administration to get my bank letter

到圖書館領學生證

to the library to pick up my student card

到各個教室上課

to every tutorial and lecture rooms to take lessons

再去辦報到手續領BRP(英國簽證生物晶片卡)

And who assisted me with the check-in procedure and get my BRP

最後我才有辦法去銀行開戶

Then I finally opened my UK bank account

不用再吃力地辨認那一點也不合邏輯的硬幣

Thus, I no longer needed to identify the illogical coins

或是掏出全部硬幣請人很好的超市收銀老奶奶自己拿......

Or to take out all the coins that I have and ask the kind supermarket cashier granny to take the money by herself......

那幾天我每天走路萬步起跳(學校散落在整個城市)

During those days, I walked at least ten thousand steps everyday

手也因為扛了將近40公斤的行李 然後宿舍和教室都是厚重難開的防火門

My arms were also extreme sore for whole week after carrying my almost 40 Kg luggage and opening the thick, heavy, and hard to open fire-prof doors everyday.

就這樣鐵了整整一週......

更慘的是第一週的周五就要交出800-1000字的文章草稿給老師

What was worse is that we had to submit an 800 to 1000 words essay draft on the Friday of very first week. 

我每天看著Flightrador上往TPE飛的班機

Everyday I watched those airplanes on Flightrador toward TPE

多麼希望自己也在其中一架上

and wished I could be on one of them

甚至想:不如不要念了?就回台灣繼續當個臨床小護士不也挺好?

I even thought: Why don't I give up? It's not bad to keep being a clinical nurse in Taiwan is it?

為此還被老賴嘲笑了一頓

My dearest Lai laughed at me for this thing

她問我為何想回家

She asked me why I wanted to go home

我說:因為要寫作業

I said: Because I need to write essays

她說:就因為這樣?妳之前不是一直想來的嗎?

She said: What? That's it? Didn't you want to come all the time?

對呀!我不是一直想來的嗎?

Yeah, didn't I always want to come?

想了十年夢想近在眼前我卻想放棄?

I wanted to give up after preparing for ten years for the dream!

還好最後透過泰國姊聯繫上我親愛的同時也是好同事的直屬學姊 一樣讀護理的Sabrina姐

Luckily, I started to know my dear fellow classmate Sabrina through Jane, who is also a Taiwanese and furthermore was my good colleague's senior schoolmate before. What a coincidence!

再透過她終於在茫茫人海中找到可貴的一小撮台灣人

And finally, through Sabrina, I got to know a small group of Taiwanese people from the vast sea of people.

密不可分 很愛嘴砲的六個愛丁堡VIP

The six Edinburgh Taiwanese VIP who are very close and love to gab

這三個月我參與了愛丁堡藝術節

In these three months, I experienced Edinburgh Fringe

看了有名的軍樂節 浪漫的藝術節閉幕音樂會+煙火秀

Watched famous military tattoo, firework concert

去了荷里路德宮 愛丁堡城堡 

and Holyrood Palace and Edinburgh castle

走了牛津 劍橋 倫敦 布萊頓

also went to Oxford, Cambridge and Brighton

看了最愛又比台灣便宜很多的音樂劇

Watched few musicals which are much cheaper than in Taiwan

當然也展開了我那忙得不可開交的碩士人生......

And of course started my BUSY master’s course......

最後我想說的只是

Finally, what I want to say is,

即使常有陰晴圓缺

even it is usually overcast,

但在我心中

but in my heart,

世界上最圓的月亮仍然在台灣

Taiwan still has the most rounded moon in the world.

然後我很好

And I'm fine,

只是不想寫作業

just don't want to write any assignment

等我畢業以後這輩子絕對不要再寫任何作業 看任何文獻

After completing my master’s degree, I doubt I will ever write any assignments or read any literature again.

絕!

NEVER

對!

EVER

不!

A-

要!

GAIN!

祝我自己生日快樂!

Happy birthday to myself!

同樣也祝福我身邊的人永遠健康快樂!

Also as usual, wish all the people I know happiness and health forever!

P.S. 英國真的很美 即使沒錢辦貸款 沒假辭工作 這輩子都一定要來一次

絕對值得~

P.S. UK is really very super extremely beautiful, if you don't have enough money or holidays to travel to here,

then just make a loan and quit your job,

no matter what, you definitely must visit UK for once during this lifetime,

I assure you it is worth it, without doubt.