Monday, 21 September 2009

Visiting Cambridge | 初访剑桥

Oxbridge, people always put these two schools together and it's a must to visit Cambridge as a student in Oxford. However I never did this because - it takes FOUR HOURS to go to Cambridge from Oxford!!!! Comparing one hour to London, this journey sounds too long for me:p. Lucky this time, a friend of mine need some favour thus I had to be in Cambridge.

After one year in Oxford, I finally visited Cambridge! I travelled by coach (By train will require changes in London from Paddington station to the King's Cross station, not recommended) and it took 3.5 hours. As a student, day-return ticket will only cost 11 GBP, even cheaper than the return ticket from Oxford to London. Coach is more convient and cheaper than train, however, the coach station is not in the center of Cambridge, which will take 10-15 mins walk to reach the town center:(.

My first impression of Cambridge, the parkside.

I'm always curious about Cambridge since the feedback from my friends who ever visited there are only two types: either love Cambridge so much or don't like it at all. How different Cambridge can be?

Followed by myself, I found this campus is a too new to feel its 800 years' old history place. The colleges, the shops, the center market...all the buildings are newer than those in Oxford. From time to time, when I walked in the lane of shops, I felt myself in somewhere York down town not Cambridge!















































BTW, on the way back to Oxford, see some very beautiful scenes.

Wednesday, 2 September 2009

Dinner in the Trout Inn| 牛津餐馆:红鳟鱼


After visiting the Trout Inn last December, I went to this "most beautiful restuarant in Oxford" a second time last Friday to have dinner with classmates who come from China.



The Trout Inn sits in the north of Oxford, which will take more than 1 hour's walk from SBS and much more time from east area of Oxford. So normally we seldom chosing there as venue for dinner. This time, to celebrate the reunite after the summer and the end of this one year, we decide going there.














It's always a nice experience enjoying food in the Trout. Better is I saw a complete rainbow this time!!!! It was a rainbow covering the whole skyline with very clear strong colour. In the beginning I even saw a twin lighter rainbow!!!

Pity I didn't bring the wide lens but a 50mm fixed one which can't even take a quarter of the rainbow. So I only took two pics of half rainbow with the phone camera.


Go there by bus takes only 16 miniutes from the center Oxford. Number 6 bus starts from the local Sainsbury and ends in the Wolvercote is your choice. It costs only 3 ponds for a return trip and the bus runs 24 hours a day!




Book your place in advance if you will go in a big group!

48Hours, IPOD classic in pocket|Apple网店的购物体验



I wanted to buy a ipod classic with engraving this July. However, the offer in apple online store was 249GBP while for US area it asked only 249USD!!!


This Monday, I happened to find the price dropped to 175GBP, almost 30% decrease!!!!!!!!!! I made the order immediately.



Since I asked for an engraving, I supposed it will take at least 2-3 days before delivering so I might recerive my ipod within a week. Surprisingly, the website showed "delivering within 24 hours" even after I chose the engraving choice. Emm, will it work?


It worked! Even before the 24 hours, I received the email of the ipod was on the way. And this noon, UPS brown short man ("the people in the funny brown trucks in the funny brown shorts", ^-^) brought me the pack!



After the aluminium macbook, I have one more apple product now! I have to say, it's still a little bit difficult when I using apple products, but the nice purchasing experience from apple online store definitely encouraging me buying more in the future.