"Who has sprinkled a handful of sugar in my life?" I wonder, because I feel sweetness everywhere. The people I meet are gentle. Everything gives me warmth. I wish to be happy like this forever, without worry.
On April 6, 2019, after a 30-hour journey, I arrived at this island in the Atlantic with luggage almost the same weight as mine. Newcastle is a small town in England. Absent of famous scenic spots and prosperous night scenes, this small town will usually be ignored when people travel to Britain, still and all, I find peace and great longing for a new life here
On the first few days of my stay, life was like playing a game of finding differences. Walking on the road, I could always find various kinds of novel things. Even some trivial things would make me amazed. This is a social system that I have never contacted since childhood. As a new comer, I was as curious as children who begin to know the world. I didn't understand the relationship between UK and England, Scotland and Ireland, until I came here. Only when I came here did I realize that the price of the student apartment was so "ferocious". Here, I also learned about the British's obsession with wine. Every day, I shuttle through the supermarket with a pile of jingling coins to look for the discounted goods of the day. What to eat is decided by the discount in the supermarket every day, which saves the worry of thinking and is a blessing for people who suffer from choice phobia disorder. The weather is something worth mentioning. Sometimes, it is sunny in the morning, and rainy in the afternoon, but the sun appears again at dusk. However, it is rather difficult to see the sunset. After all, it is still broad daylight at 10 o'clock in the evening. Due to continuous rainy weather, even if the temperature is as "high" as 25-degree, it will still make you shivering in your wind coat. As soon as the sun comes out, it shows its supreme power, which allows you to wear a skirt even in winter.
Britain is a country that has brought the spirit of gentlemanliness to its fullest. Here, the most frequently said words are SORRY and THANK YOU every day. Service personnel from all walks of life keep smiling all the time. Even if guests need to wait for a long time, they will still queue patiently and quietly. Of course, in this orderly order, the quality of service is never compromised. Walking on the street, one will not encounter impatient drivers. Vehicles always give precedence to pedestrians. When going out, you will always meet warm-hearted and friendly people to help you solve your problems.
The laboratory has strict rules. Only after training can one enter the laboratory and use specific instruments. The instrument I am using is a surface acoustic wave device, which is a completely new field to me. But after a period of experiments, I think this field is very interesting. All kinds of novelties interest me. But I went through numerous difficulties when doing experiment. Every time a new instrument is used, I must be trained by special technical personnel, and the use of risky drugs must be evaluated and discussed. When inert gas is used in annealing, a report should be sent to the laboratory manager. Sometimes I feel frustrated when meeting someone with a strong accent. Everyone should think about what he wants to do instead of waiting for the teacher's instruction. The group cooperation is the biggest highlight here. This is what is called "Many heads are better than one". Here, I came into contact with some new fields. From time to time, I made reports in English and sent emails to technicians asking for instrument training. I learned to use many instruments and also learned to analyze various test results. I now can communicate with foreigners without fear. I have mastered many professional English words and have learned how to think.
Since I started to learn English, England has been a destination I yearned for. When it comes to England, we are talking about Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, London Bridge, Oxford and Cambridge, Englishman who goes out with an umbrella, Scottish bagpipe on the highland, a daffodil described by lake poets: “Beside the lake, beneath the trees, fluttering and dancing in the breeze…”Now, I finally have the chance to see these places with my own eyes. I walked across the Cambridge which Xu Zhimo was reluctant to leave, swam over Loch Ness where a monster is said to live in, and experienced the sadness and grandeur of the Titanic.
As we often say, time flies. When I have gradually adapted to the life here, I will soon return to China. I miss the food and low-priced goods in my motherland, but I also miss the natural conditions and social customs in England. I am very grateful to the China-EU Institute for Clean and Renewable Energy for giving me this exchange and learning opportunity, and I am also very grateful to all teachers for their strong support. I hope I can keep going forward in the future, and have the power to protect both men and women.
