Sandy's diary in Manchester (Dec, 2001)

Just click on any of the following underlined dates and you can get to know what's going on with me that day.

Dec 5, 01

Early Christmas presents

Present giving is the tradition in many countries all over the world (for example according to my German flatmates they are used to buying presents for their families and friends) but not Hong Kong during Christmas but I remember my dad used to be the Santa Claus during Christmas to give us presents when we were small (but he no longer does so; maybe he thinks we're rich enough to buy ourselves a present?). Christmas card writing is another thing that we may only do when we are small. I used to give or/and send a lot of cards to my friends to give them my best wishes, and I enjoyed the whole process from the moment I chose a card to the day I sent it out. With the fast development of the Internet and changes in my life (from being a student to getting busy with my job), Christmas cards have become kind of luxuries to me, though I still try my best to send cards to friends by post. So, I no longer expect to receive any card or present when Christmas comes.

However by the beginning of this month I've already got two big presents. One was sent by my best friend I had made here from Hong Kong, who got to know that I had lost my gloves, as I mentioned in my November diary. They're of much use to me in such coldest time of the year. Pat, Thanks a lot!!!

The other big present was intangible. It's a surprising news from miles away. My mom called to tell me that she and my dad would be coming to England to attend my graduation ceremony. It's really a twist to the story as they changed their mind again after deciding not to go to Britain because of the flight fear in the wake of September 11 atrocities... Well, this 'story' is another proof that you never know what'll happen until the last minute. So, never give up! 

Dec 8, 01

An early Christmas party?

What followed my parents' surprising decision was a series of my bookings for their trip. It's a time to challenge my problem-solving ability as time was short before their arrival and I had to book everything at a cost as low as possible while planning their itinerary. This preparation for their trip almost prevented me accepting an invitation to a Christmas party by my ex-departmental secretary. Can I call it a Christmas party? Well, though there's no dancing or any big dinner, it's a nice gathering with people from my department, some of whom I talked to then I had known before.

Dec 9, 01

Going to meet two people from far away

So, in 24 hours I'd be meeting my parents again since I came to Manchester more than a year ago. It really seemed a long long time for me as I got settled in here. Nervous? Yeah, a bit. Excited? Yeah, you can say so. I was worried as well, wondering if they'd be happy with my arrangements for them. Anyway, it's nice to see someone who comes from miles away after such a 'long' time. 

I took the coach at midnight so that I could pick my parents in the Heathrow Airport in the early morning. It was a five-hour coach trip and to my surprise the coach was full, with many people carrying loads of luggage. Well, let's count down before I arrived at London...

Dec 10, 01

My first meeting with parents

When the clock ticked at five-thirty, when everyone was in their sweet sleep or nightmare, when Uncle Sunny was still washing his teeth before waking up everyone with his sunshine, I sneaked out of the coach at the coach station in the Heathrow Airport while the driver was busy putting some passengers' suitcases out of the back of the coach. Why did I have to sneak? 'Cos I was supposed to get off at the Victoria coach station in London, as shown on my ticket. But wasn't it silly to spend another 45 minutes to go back to the Airport from the Victoria coach station? 

It was the first time I came to the Heathrow Airport and I had no idea where my parents would be. But we might be in good luck today since soon after I had got to one of the terminals I met them accidentally! Well, don't worry, no tears when we met. I was just surprised as well at their tons of luggage. How can someone have already got so much luggage even before they start their journey? My puzzle was solved when they showed me bags of food and snack bought in Hong Kong. Oh, dear, instant noodles, instant rice vermicelli, dried pork fillet, dried fish fillet, sour cola bottles gum, wasabi broad/green beans, Hokado shredded squids, grilled tuna dices... I couldn't believe what I saw then (and I didn't believe I could eat all of them!) Plus a new overcoat, a hat and a scarf given by my friend (thanks, Vickie!) (Maybe I looked very poor in their eyes?) , What else can I say besides thousands of thank-you to my family and friends? 

After solving a problem with the accommodation, we started 'Sandy's family trip around the UK', leading by the unprofessional tour guide Sandy, who visited London for the second time since this time of last year...

Dec 10 - 20, 01

Parents' visit

This eleven-day trip of my parents' involved cities like Edinburgh and Chester, a lot of walking and travelling on the public transport, different dishes from their familiar Chinese food, Uncle McDonald's over-charged burgers (from their point of view), my mom's newly found chicken tikka jacket potatoes to Sandy's (delicious, I'd say!) cooking, souvenir-buying, experiences of different accommodation including that in a guesthouse in Scotland, which they found interesting, and that in my room, which might have given them many nights of uncomfortable sleep. 

And, mixed feelings were involved as well. Perhaps what's important is not where we've been to and what we've bought. Instead it's the chance to be with your family (oh, so touching! :) ). As I saw my parents walk into the custom counters at the Heathrow airport on the last day of their trip, I had a feeling that they were really getting older...

Dec 19, 01

Graduation Ceremony

What's the most important occasion in your life? Some say, for women, it's the wedding. Of course there're many other occasions which mean a lot to many of us. Graduation ceremony is one of them. After hundreds of nights - most of which may be spent on sleeping while writing and studying were only small part of my life - I got my master's degree today. To be honest, I was not as nervous as when I had attended the graduation ceremony for my bachelor degree in Hong Kong, but anyway I was becoming nervous as the ceremony was under way. Instead of sitting with my classmates, I was arranged to have people from different departments sitting around me but strangely some of them were faces I had once been familiar with when I frequented the campus, Finally I got my certificate from a staff after shaking hands with a faculty director whose name I now even don't remember (oh, sorry...). 

Photo-taking was naturally the next step. Without bunches of flowers or a big bear doll, I, a horrible-looking girl with her own make-up today, had my broad smile when taking photos with my dad and mom and with my classmates. Indeed not many people I know attended the ceremony. A reception party at the department, a nice chat with my classmates and a big dinner with my parents on the last night of their trip to England completed one of the finest moments in my life...

Dec 21, 01

Am I lonesome tonight?

Like many other local & European students, my German flatmates have flown back home after their three-month study and my parents have gone back to Hong Kong. Suddenly the whole flat has become so quiet. There is no one I can talk to in English or in German (if I'll learn it later!). To make matters worse, the university will be closed in this festive period until after the New Year, meaning that another way of keeping contact with my friends will be inaccessible and that I'll have more time at home. Do I need to sing 'am I lonesome tonight' to kill my time and fight against loneliness?

Dec 24, 01

A cold-blooded heater on a silent night

It was the first day since the heater in my room was out of order. Ha, what a good timing!! Maybe the heater wanted to have a rest as well when everyone was celebrating this festive season. Well, at least it should have asked me for permission! Maybe it was angry with me for the fact that I dried my duvet over the top of it (Sandy, are you crazy?). So, the kitchen, where the heater was still doing its job, had become my first home, to which I moved some of my stuff like books from my 'cold-blooded' room. I became a kitchen keeper every day from the moment I woke up till I went to bed. 

Today was Christmas' Eve. I remember I used to hear a song called silent night when I was small. This evening was really a silent night, except for the sound from my radio... Where's my Turkey?

Dec 27, 01

Which one is better, Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter?

I decided to leave my cold-blooded heater, for one afternoon only today. I watched one of the big blockbusters this Christmas, 'The Lord of the Rings'.  To be honest I was attracted to it by the fact that it was a big production and I hadn't read its text version before arriving at the cinema. It was in some ways similar to 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stones' but the latter might give people a feeling that it was a movie for children. I like both movies to such an extent that I started reading their paperback versions. 

The post-Christmas sale began today, which was why the city centre was crowded with shoppers...

Dec 28, 01

A windy night before the arrival of snow?

It was a weird day. The wind was so strong all over the UK that power lines in some parts of Scotland were brought down. It could be comparable with the typhoons in South-East Asia countries like Hong Kong. The next day saw the snow arrive, which would cover the whole country for the coming week...

Dec 31, 01

Goodbye 2001

After 11:59p.m.,

- the first thing we'd always say to each other was 'Happy New Year', though it had already been heard of even a few days ago. 

- the first thing I saw from the window of my room was the fireworks around Greater Manchester.

- the first song I heard on the radio was 'You'll never walk alone' (played by Tommy Boyd from Talk Sport)

- the first correction we had to make was '2002' (not '2001' any more!)

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