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Content

Under my feet.

The city in our eyes.

Pedestrians.

Roads.

Signs.

Lonely life.

House work.

The closest feeling to home.

The taste of home.

Weather.

Epilogue.

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目錄

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MISTRUST, APATHY, INHOSPITALITY, IMPATIENT, FEAR, FRAILTY, HOMESICK, ANGER, DISDAIN, LONELY, HELPLESS, LOSE HOPE, DISAPPOINT, NERVOUS, CONFUSE, ANXIETY, NOSTOMANIA, SAD, DIFFIDENCE, DEPENDENCY, SKEPTICAL, HOSTILITY, FRESHNESS, CURIOSITY, EXCITING, INHIBITION, REPUGNANCE, INDECISION, UNEASINESS, CONFUSION.

MENTATION OF CULTURE SHOCK

MINDTHE GAP

鴻溝

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Leaving home and travelling to study in a new country can be a stressful experience. Even though it may be something you have planned and prepared for, the extent of the change and the effects it has on you may take you by surprise. If you find that you are surprised by the effects of the change, it might be helpful to realise that your experience is quite normal. This applies whatever country you come from, and wherever you are going to study, even though some cultures are more similar than others because of geographic, historic, demographic and other connections.

So culture shock is not just a simple cultural phenomenon. More specifically, it's all about starting over a new life and getting familiar with the differences between the new life and the old one you used to live.

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文化衝擊 ><CULTURE SHOCK

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一CHAPTER 1

U N D E R M Y F E E T

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行 跡When I first time arrived this City, all fangled and curiosity flood into my brain. I couldn’t wait to walk through every comer in this city. But I did realize that I never know where should I go when I step out the door. Apparently I know nothing about this city and those uncertainties take over my views, it’s like

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行 跡all my views and memories are limited in a narrow room. I’m walking on the streets without any end, I have no idea where I am. Sometimes passing some really beautiful views but never remember how to get there again.

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PIMLICO

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皮姆利科

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VICTORIA

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維多利亞

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SLOANE SQUARE

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斯隆廣場

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SLOANE SQUARE

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斯隆廣場

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GATLIFF ROAD

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蓋特利夫路

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CHINA TOWN

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唐人街

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WARWICK WAY

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沃威克路

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MINDTHE GAP

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二 CHAPTER 2

T H E C I T Y I N O U R E Y E S

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城市

I have no memories for this city. People, cars and buildings, I’m walking through them, and often lost in directions. The feeling is like a newborn baby, just opens his eyes, and can’t recognize the direction yet, everything is so bleared. Sometimes I went to some places that other people recommended to me, but when I actually arrived there, I saw those similar views not only familiar but also strange. Everything in my eyes is just like a beautiful adventure film. There are many beautiful landscape and people in this city, but there are also unknown, confusion and lost.

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MINDTHE GAP

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三 CHAPTER 3

T H E P E D E S T R I A N S

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To be familiar with a city is not a difficult thing to do, keep walking and looking, it helps deeper understanding of the city. However, it’s not easy to know someone here. This is a busy city, and also a lonely city. Many different people are walking on the street,. Blond hair, blue eyes, just like the image of western in my mind ever since I was young. Even the less, I know nothing about it. Stranger faces are passing from me every second, but I sometimes-just sit somewhere on the street quietly and look at, it’s like I’ve been isolated from them and the whole world. Yes, in this totally new environment, there is no families, no friends, and also know people to talk to. Want to join into this new life, then I still got a long way to go…

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人潮

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MINDTHE GAP

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四 CHAPTER 4

R O A D S

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行 W A L K

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路 W A Y S

Different streets are leading me to different places where I’d like to go, to see the beautiful landscape. To be familiar with a city, I need to begin with its streets.

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五 CHAPTER 5

S I N G S

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標識

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There is so much to learn in a new country. Such as the rules of this city, and also the signs, roads, brands all over the city. This is the way the city communicates with you; tell you the rules of everything silently.

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規則

RULES

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六 CHAPTER 6

L O N E L Y L I F E

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孤獨

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When I was just starting London life, I had to get used to loneliness. No familiar friends and families, I had to do everything in my life by myself. Shopping alone, cleaning alone, studying alone, experiencing all the happiness and sadness alone in my life.

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空

廊

9.00 AM 11/10/2010Alone at school corridor.

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10.00 AM 11/10/2010Alone at school corridor and stair well.

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空

廊

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空

舍

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3.00 PM 11/10/2010Alone at student residence.

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空 地鐵

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9.30 AM 15/10/2010Alone at tube station.

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空

路

11.00 AM 16/10/2010Alone at Gatliff road.

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6.00 PM 16/10/2010Alone at Old street.

1.00 PM 16/10/2010Alone at Pimlico.

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4.00 PM 18/10/2010Alone at supermarket.

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空

超市

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空

歸途

8.00 PM 18/10/2010Alone on the way home.

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MINDTHE GAP

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七 CHAPTER 7

H O U S E W O R K S

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I used to live with parents when we were in China. Mom prepares dinner and tidy up the room for me everyday. However, starting an independent life means I have to face to all these things we don’t need to do before. Learn how to cook and pay the bills etc. Sometimes these housework seems take too much time in my live, so that I can’t concentrate on study or don’t have enough time to have break or entertainment.

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家務

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家務

HOUSE WORK

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放鬆

BREAK

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家務

HOUSE WORK

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學習

STUDY

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家務

HOUSE WORK

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購物

SHOPPING

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MINDTHE GAP

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八 CHAPTER 8

T H E C L O S E S T F E E L I N G T O H O M E

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Homesick is the saddest topic of the life in London. When it is Chinese festival we always go to China town to buy the Chinese food and cooking sauce. This is a kind of life style of Chinese people in London. However, are we really just want to satisfy our appetite? Actually, it isn’t. China town is a place where full of familiar Chinese elements. The accent and language that people are talking, the traditional food, the decoration of stores and the products and goods on shelves. Here is actually a best place to feel like home.

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家味

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九 CHAPTER 9

T H E T A S T E O F H O M E

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BREAKFAST

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早

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LUNCH

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午

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DINNER

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NIGHT SNACK

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宵夜

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十 CHAPTER 10

W E A T H E R

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天 氣The weather in London is unsteadily; you can feel the four seasons in one day. I have got this impression when I was a little. But when I start to live here, I still cannot get used to it. It’s really sunny in the morning but starts to rain in the afternoon, it’s like the weather is joking to everyone. However, after I spend more time here, I start to care less than before. I will

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天 氣enjoy walking in the rain when I forget my umbrella, let the soft rain to moisten every inch of my skin. On the other side, London has its specially lingering charm in the rain, those familiar landscapes, has become a beautiful abstract painting if you look it far away through the window.

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Sunny8.00 AM 21/10/2010e.

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晴

Sunny9.00 AM 21/10/2010

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Sunny10.00 AM 21/10/2010e.

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晴

Sunny11.00 AM 21/10/2010

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Cloudy1.00 PM 21/10/2010e.

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陰

Cloudy2.00 PM 21/10/2010

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Rainy2.30 PM 21/10/2010e.

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雨

Rainy4.00 AM 21/10/2010

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At Claverton Street

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雨中城市CITY IN

THE R

AIN

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At Belgrave Road

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At Belgrave Road

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At Warwick way

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At Victoria Station

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At Westerminster city hall

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At New Scotland yard

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At Westerminster abbey

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At Big Ben

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At Trafalgar square

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Starting a new life in London may be beset with difficulties. You will probably feel tired, confused and shocked. However, we can't lose hope. Because you are not the only one fighting with these problems. Just keep learning the new ways of this city from your experience. Ultimately, you'll find that this is a brilliant and beautiful city, and you will appreciate that you can spend part of your life at here.

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EPILOGUE

結語

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