Month: December 2011

It has been quite a long time since my last writing in English. It is quite hard to investigate the reason why, which can be my confidence on writing in English, or just a strong willing to maintain my Chinese writing capability. However, the recent accomplishment of my first formal report to my supervisors after my coming for nearly 12 months brought me some courage of writing this post in English again.

Though I have heard about Morecambe quite soon when coming here, I have not gotten an excellent opportunity of reaching there. In my mind, it is always quite a far place to go, especially when you are looking forward the travelling guide from Lancaster to Morecambe. But, once you have done that like me yesterday under the help of a local bus, you would find, map scaling really matters!

Morecambe is quite a beautiful and quite town by the sea, and unlike Lancaster, the first feeling of mine, is that I am really standing in U.K now! There is quite few foreigners like me, but you can hear about very pure British English everywhere. There is no Indian English, Chinglish and other strange accents any more. What it belongs, or it can present, is its quite and peaceful living style.

This is a photo that is taken near the Queen Victoria Hospital, my first destination for the terrible teeth in my mouth, and where I made the largest deal that day (It costs me 17 pounds for a 20-minute consultation). The sunshine is so warm that it help reduces the cliff feeling from the wind. However, it lasts only thirty minutes.

Not sure whether it is the carrying with a camera that I am regarded as a tourist, an old lady kindly take me to the ‘town centre’, saying that I would be able to take some shopping there. After knowing I am indeed a student from Lancaster, she’s gotten smiled, saying I should enjoy some different life in Morecambe.

It is really hard to say where the difference is between a high street in Lancaster and here in Morecambe since their similarity on quietness. The only difference however, I could find, is the increased probability of coming across people that can speak very good English. If possible, I would like to revisit here in weekend to see how the life goes.

Very firstly impression, I regarded it as a church, but soon I find it is in fact Barclay! Thanks to the Nikon 16-85, I would take such a photo with very close distance but with acceptable distortion.

Turning out the high street, there is an entrance to the beach nearby. As the old lady said, I really come to Morecambe with a wrong day. The wind blows so heavily that I wonder whether I would be taken into the sea and feed the fishes! This gent is found at the entrance, welcoming people all around the beach. But how long has he been here then?

A very interesting staff here you can see, not only in Morecambe, but also in Lancaster and Manchester, that the pigeons never feel frightened when you get close. How can you image if I am telling you that this photo above is taken with a only 16-85 lens? I wonder in most places in China, you would not have any opportunity for such a shot with a lens less than 200 mm and a reliable tripod. Here is another pigeon who is staring at me.

Walking along the beach is romantic, which most people would agree. However, such conclusion is only valid in a fine weather. In such a windy weather, it is really a terrible experience. However, you got good opportunities for a shot since nearly no one there!

A very good condition of taking a photo in such a weather is quite unique and interesting. Thanks to my new cheap Nikon which offers better resolution than my previous Powershot, the image is quite clear in fact. And the cloudy weather prevent the image from the disturbing of too much sunshine and the reflection from the water. The only problem is, however, the sea is becoming yellow but not blue anymore~

There is a large viewing platform near a harbour that you can walk into the very distant place to enjoy the wind. It is quite safe with fence protection and the height between the sea surface and that platform should be safe enough when a high tide happens.

Walking through the platform, I suddenly find some guys fishing there. I really don’t know if such a bad weather would be good for fishing. And sitting there in a chair is really not interesting. It is too cool~

Following is a photo from the place they are fishing. It is the end to the platform, where you got the feeling of being involved in the sea. Unlike the beach at Honolulu where you smell the commercials, here what you get is only the truth of life.

Comparing to that, I am more interested in the sight at the beach. Since it is only the place that you can enjoy both the nature and our living space. It is just like standing at the border, a border that distinguishes the human being and nature.

If conditioned and having my own car and driving license in hand, I would not reject of living in Morecambe. Comparing to Lancaster, Morecambe is really a better place for living. If saying there is small difference between the largest cities in China and UK, the development of urban areas like Morecambe should be the largest difference between UK, an old developed country, and China, which is still regarded as a big fool and ‘new money’ to the West.