Paradise on Earth.
First read this when I was in lower sec, and then studied it for Chinese Lit in Sec 3. Liked it a lot for the sense of mystery... though apparently it was not written by the author just for pure entertainment.桃花源記 陶淵明
晋太元中，武陵人，捕鱼为业。缘溪行，忘路之远近。忽逢桃花林，夹岸数百步，中无杂树，芳草鲜美，落英缤纷，渔人甚异之。复前行，欲穷其林。
林尽水源，便得一山。山有小口，仿佛若有光；便舍船，从口入。初极狭，才通人；复行数十步，豁然开朗。土地平旷，屋舍俨然，有良田美池桑竹之属。阡陌交通，鸡犬相闻。其中往来种作，男女衣著，悉如外人。黄发垂髫，并怡然自乐。见渔人，乃大惊，问所从来。具答之。便要还家，设酒杀鸡作食。
村中闻有此人，咸来问讯。自云先世避秦时乱，率妻子邑人来此绝境，不复出焉，遂与外人间隔。问今是何世，乃不知有汉，无论魏、晋。此人一一为具言所闻，皆叹惋。余人各复延至其家，皆出酒食。停数日，辞去。此中人语云：“不足为外人道也。”
既出，得其船，便扶向路，处处志之。及郡下，诣太守，说如此。太守即遣人随其往，寻向所志，遂迷不复得路。南阳刘子骥，高尚士也，闻之，欣然规往，未果，寻病终。后遂无问津者。
Not going to translate this. Too long, and I am already making a compromise by posting it in simplified :P so people like GCS don't complain :D
Oh well. Found this place in Scotland! Haha it is really similar... just that there is no one living in the paradise. I have to walk 5 miles along a road and then scramble (yeah scramble... some parts of the path are so scary that I have to use my hands to help me) through a narrow river gorge for roughly half to one mile before getting to the place :P
Though when I reach the hidden valley it was utmost rewarding. It is mighty, beautiful, tranquil; the river flows quitely in the middle, with grassland and forest (dotted with wild flowers) surrounding it; the jewel on the crown is the waterfall at the other end! I felt so happy when I reached the place... even more happy than Ben Nevis; or I would say, even more happy than getting As for my papers :P
There were a number of other hikers around too... I can see that they are also really charmed by the place, especially the couples. I met this Singaporean family when I was heading back... I was really surprised to see them (Singaporeans, don't, hike... let alone a family, with two 12/13 years-old girls, in a place so far away from the normal touristy places; they actually drove from Edinburgh to get there, and they had already visited Glencoe!), and they were really surprised to see me too (apparently same feeling). When I told them I walked up Ben Nevis the day before, the dad went 'are you an officer in the army?' Haha nope, I am just a medic...
Another thing I like about hiking is that hikers are generally very friendly (at least in both Wales and Scotland). We smile and say hi to each other (basically all are strangers), pick up small chats with each other along the way, admire the scenery together, warn each other with the dangers ahead... Basically I never felt lonely over there even though I was alone. How wonderful that was...
Along the way when I was travelling alone I have met and talked to quite a few people. It's a nice experience indeed! Though the logistics gets pretty nasty at times... especially when you need to use the bathroom and no one can look after your things for you. Also, it can get pretty lonely sometimes... but my kind of personality allows me to tolerate that.
I like to be with people, but I am fine being by myself.
I think I am too careful when I come to planning things... I rather wait than rush and freak out and then see the plane/train/bus leave in front of my eyes. Had one nasty experience of almost missing a flight because of stupid security check at BWI (that's my fault actually); not going to make the same mistake again.
Though I think that annoyed Shireen quite a bit :P I got her to book a 7:45am bus (instead of an 8:30am bus; anyway 7:45 is really early to be honest) to leave Cambridge tomorrow morning so that we can have 2 hours to get everything settled in London before getting on the train. Might be too much, but I seriously think 1 hour is not enough... especially on a Sunday morning when the stupid Tube might have 10-minute frequencies, and we still have to change once. I'll know :P
I am not at Cambridge at a very good time anyway; friends are busy planning and getting ready for May Week stuff and whatnot (though is there a good time? don't know :P). Though still managed to catch up with a couple of friends from A*Star and not; e.g. Haihan, Kelvin Chan (I know them long before A*Star), and finally re-linked Yaofeng to him :P I knew him since SRP time but kind of didn't keep in regular contact... and had a nice chat with Manu yesterday night! Also got to know some new friends, which is always nice :)
Home in 5 days... Biopolis seems quite fun nowadays from what Ka Yi is telling me. Looking forward to joining the fun hahaha :D
And lastly photos!
On top of Ben Nevis!
And this is the very nice valley I am talking about! It doesn't look good here, but really, you have to be there to understand why I am so exhilarated over it...
On the way up Ben Nevis.
