【生活】利物浦記事04 - 旅行的意義 @ il Giardino Romantico

這張看起來不怎麼樣也一點都沒有特殊含意的照片，對我來說是我到英國以來最珍貴的一張照片。看看右下角的日期，或許你就會了解－那是踏上英國領土的第一天，也是我夢想實現的第一天。這張照片是我在英國拍到的第一張照片。價值：無價。

回頭看看當初剛到這裡時所拍下的一些照片，我已經開始在笑我自己當時怎麼連這麼普通、簡單、隨處可見的物品都要給人家拍下來。但同時，我又告訴自己：還好你都把他們拍了下來。因為日子久了，這些東西都已經變得不稀奇了。照片卻可以永遠保留住你當初來到這的那份新鮮感。又是一個無價。

當你對你身邊的景物開始感到一定的安全感，這代表你要找尋當初那份新鮮感就得去別處旅行。或許對某些人來說是種酸葡萄心理，但我思考了很久之後，還是沒辦法做到說走就走。去年年底會去愛丁堡，純粹是拜Rosslyn Chapel所賜才得到一系列的意外驚喜。當我開始習慣利物浦之後，我要花盡多少工夫才能恢復到我當初對這座城市的那種新鮮感？我無法隨便旅遊的原因既是如此。如果我習慣了旅遊，無論我到哪裡，那種新鮮感也會逐漸的減弱。我怕。所以若是要出走，就必須要從長計議。

英國人從文藝復興時期開始就提倡青年旅遊歐洲拓寬自己的視野。一直到了十八、十九世紀或甚至至今，歐洲大陸旅遊對英國人來說還是可以算是一個教育、成長的必經路程。這幾百年來對於這種提升知識的方式也不見得大家都是贊成的。反對的人說，年輕小夥子們去旅遊回來只會學壞。贊成的人說，一定要出去看看才會長知識。因為有兩種不同的聲音，當然也有人提出一些建議。例如：帶個稍稍年長的長輩，路途中不但可以擔任導遊也可以慎防這些年輕小夥子們吸收到不好的習慣以及風俗。又或者：帶本旅遊書，出發前先了解人家的風俗習慣，到了當地才能夠深入了解。

我開始思考：旅遊對我來說是『教育』還是『經驗』？我想我的答案是：兩者都是。這兩者少了一者就失去了意義。要增進知識、拓展視野，就一定要同時重視『教育』與『經驗』。

來到這裡半年，唯一出走的一次就是愛丁堡。就連鄰近的Chester、以及只看到機場的Manchester我都還沒有機會去看。原因有很多。上學期，是因為還搞不清楚狀況。有太多的不知道。開學後，終於有勇氣出走了。可惜想去的都太遠。沒時間。英國有太多我想去的、看的、了解的。來這裡之前及之後都不時有人告訴我：要趁來這邊多玩、多看、多走走。但是，已經六個月了，利物浦本身我都還有好多我還沒有探索到的層面呢！

而每當我離開利物浦出遊，我希望你相信我想要底達的目的地，一定都有它非凡的意義。

寫於一個慢活的週六下午。

The photo above may not seem to signal anything significant. To me, however, the image is priceless. It was the very first picture I had taken since I set foot on English soil. Look at the date at the bottom right hand corner. That was the day I got to England. That was the day, I started living my dream.

When I browse through the photos I had taken when I first got here, I started to chuckle a bit at my own silliness. I took pictures of the most ordinary and insignificant things! At the same time, I felt glad that I had taken those photos. Because those images were nowhere close to being 'ordinary' nor 'insiginificant' when I saw them for the first time. That feeling may never return, but the photos will always remind me of how I felt back then. Another priceless item on the list.

The more secure you feel about the new environment you're living in, the more you crave to travel and seek that excitement of seeing things and experiencing things for the first time. I don't suppose everyone will understand, but after pondering upon the subject for a while, I still don't have that spontaneity in travelling. Rosslyn Chapel brought me to Edinburgh, and in return, I got a whole series of pleasant surprises. Once I get used to Liverpool, how much effort will I need to revert to that feeling I had for the city upon my first arrival? I can't do spontaneity. Because I fear the gradual diminishing of that excitement of first-encounters. Therefore, I must always plan ahead.

Since the Renaissance, all the way up to the 18th and 19th century, or even till now, the English has had a long tradition of sending young men to the continent to expand their knowledge. Nonetheless, not everyone agreed with this method of 'education'. Some saw that these young men absorbed nothing but the defects of other cultures. Others thought that it was the only way a young man's mind could advance. Some people suggested bringing tutors to act as guides and give guidance along their travels to solve the problem. The consultation of guide books were also suggested to boost their educational experience to its fullest potential.

I started to ponder upon what 'travel' meant to me. Does it mean 'education' or 'experience'? The answer, I suppose, is that it is both. You can't have either one with out the other. Both have to work together in order to advance knowledge.

That is why even though I have already been here for six months, the only place I had been to is Edinburgh. I have yet to visity ven the nearby cities of Chester and Manchester. I had so many reasons for not going places. Last semester, I didn't know 'how'. At the start of this semester, after finally gathering up enough courage, I now cannot spare the time, for all the places I'm interested in seeing are all so far away and need at least a couple of days. Everyone kept telling me that I must make use of this chance of being here in the UK to travel around and see lots of European cities as well, but I simply can't! There is so much, already, in the UK, in England itself, that I have to find time to see. On top of that, there is so much more of Liverpool that I have yet to discover!

Thus you will know, that whenever I step out of Liverpool, that destination must have its special meaning, to me.

Written on a Saturday afternoon, with little else to do.