Halloween in the UK: ‘Treat-no-Trick’

Some like it hot and some like it…spooky!? Yes! Tonight is Halloween!

As I know and observ in the UK, although ‘Knock! Knock! Trick-or-treat’ is a Halloween custom for many children in many countries, it seems to be more popular in North America.

The British Halloween is ‘Treat-no-trick’ as in fact, their children don’t ask for treats from door to door.

However, there are still some common ways to have a blast night for a Halloween,

such as get dressed up to have fun in this theme party, carving pumpkins with horrid and ghastly styles, or strolling on the streets to see Halloween decorations. 

What I got tonight? Mr Stuart, a man looks like Dumbledore in Harry Potter,

(photo provided by friendsconnect.york)

explaining what is the history behind Halloween-- the evening before all Hallows/Saints (All Hallows Eve).

In other words, tomorrow: 1 Nov is ‘All Saints Day’, and this is the reason why people need to dress horribly in order to scare the ghosts and welcome the hallows coming in tomorrow.  However, that is just my own assumptions, according to Mr. Stuart, 'in the UK, Christian believers would not normally dress up in that way, but would rely on Jesus and the light he shines in the darkness, to give guidance and protection'.

  

只給糖不搗蛋

有些人喜歡很酷帥，有些人喜歡..古怪！是的!今晚就是萬聖節！

正如我在英國所知和觀察到的，雖然“不給糖就搗蛋”是許多國家的兒童過”萬聖節”的習俗，但是好像在北美比較普遍。 英國萬聖節是“只給糖不搗蛋”，事實上，他們的孩子們不會作挨家挨戶要糖果。

然而，仍然有一些共同的方式來為萬聖節舉辦1個火熱的夜晚，例如刻些有駭人和可怕風格的南瓜，或好好打扮開心參加主題派對。

看看我們今天晚上有什麼：Stuart先生，一個看起來像哈利·波特的鄧布利多的男人，解釋了萬聖節背後的歷史：所有聖人的前夕。 也就是說，明天：11月1日是“所有聖人的節日”，這就是為什麼人們要打扮的很可怕來嚇唬鬼，以歡迎聖人明天來到來。不過，那只是我個人臆測，Stuart先生說，英國信主的人通常不穿那樣，而是靠主耶穌及光引導。

‘Is together really better?’: a multi-racial British society

Today’s Britain is by far a multi-racial international society. Communities of Indian sub-continental, Caribbean and African origin can be seen in many cities as exemplified by London, Brighton, and Manchester.

As I read Ian R.G. Spencer’s book, the fact is that when the Roman emperor Claudius Caesar invaded Britain in AD 43, the history has recorded that the black soldiers were part of the Roman armies. With the development of British shipping industry later on, many transient seamen were recruited from Africa, the Indian sub-continent, China, the Middle East, the Caribbean and Malaya to work in the UK ports.

However, the making of multi-racial Britain has experienced a series of unrest in the past and has hidden stories behind the scenery. Being the labour working class, those who physically and culturally different to the British inevitably face racial discrimination, finding themselves difficult to integrate into the local society, especially during economic depression period.

It not only happened to the Asian and black, when the Irish moved to London to serve as seasonal labourers in the late eighteenth. There is already an anti-Irish sentiment in the Anglo-Saxon culture.

This Sunday, I stood in front of York Minister looking at two marching bands in the streets. I see multi-racial members within them acting as a team. I wonder such a racial issue has been truly mitigated right now. ‘Is together really better’ for interpreting the image of the Englishness? Or multiculturalism is just a necessity for creating a ‘generous’ Western society in the global era?

今天的英國是一個多種族的國際社會。印度次大陸，加勒比和非洲裔的社區可以在許多城市看到，例如倫敦，布萊頓和曼徹斯特。

正如我讀Ian R.G. Spencer的書，事實是當羅馬皇帝Claudius Caesar在公元43年入侵英國時，歷史上已記載，黑人士兵是羅馬軍隊的一部分;隨後英國航運業的發展，許多臨時海員從非洲，印度次大陸，中國，中東，加勒比和馬來亞被招募到英國港口工作。

不過，過去多種族英國的形成經歷了一波波動亂，背後有著隱藏故事。身為勞動工人階級，外表和文化上與英國不同的人,無可避免地面臨種族歧視，發現他們難以融入當地社會，特別是在經濟衰退期間。

這不僅發生在亞洲和黑人身上,當愛爾蘭人搬到倫敦擔任十八世紀晚期的季節性勞工時。盎格魯 - 撒克遜文化中已經有反愛爾蘭人的情緒。

這個星期天，我站在約克大教堂前面，看著街上的兩個行軍樂隊。我看到他們有多元種族成員組成的團隊。這樣的種族問題現在真的被減輕了嗎？“在一起真的會比較好”用來闡述英國人的形象嗎？ 或者多元文化主義只是個在全球化時代創造一個“有雅量的”西方社會的必要條件？

Maple Grove

‘Acer’ is a brand name of Taiwan’s computer. Interestingly, I find that it is also a genus of trees, commonly known as maple. 

If there is a symbolic colour for autumn, maybe it can be given by maple leaves. In York, it is about the season to experience the Fall decorated with maple trees.

Today, I strolled around Maple Grove to Rowntree Park and discovered picturesque scenery. 

On my way to the city, a cluster of miscanthus suddenly jumped into my eyes, 

then I passed by the Yorkshire historical city wall with falling maple leaves.

When I recalled this afternoon—people walking on the path,

ducks paddling on the lake,

and doves sipping water on the old plate,

they are all in the backdrops of maple leaves, which compose the autumn. 

楓樹林

“宏碁”是台灣電腦的品牌。 有趣的是，我發現它也是一種樹木(的學名)，俗稱楓樹。

如果秋天有象徵性的顏色，也許可以由楓葉來賦予。 在約克，現在正是體驗秋天被楓樹裝點的季節。

今天，我在Maple 小樹林周圍漫步到Rowntree Park，發現風景如畫。

在去市中心的路上，一群芒草突然映入我眼廉，然後我穿過約克郡歷史悠久有著落下的楓葉的城牆。

當我回想今天下午: 人們走在路上，鴨子在湖上搖搖晃晃地行進，鴿子在舊盤子上啜水，它們都在構成秋天的楓葉背景裡。

Cheer Yourself Up in the first week of Yorkshire

I moved from Brighton to York in this early October. The city landscape has transformed from a seaside beach to a medieval picture with a great minister church. 

Heslington Hall at the University of York

The Lake District National Park is renowned as ‘the most beautiful lake in England’ and is near to York. No hurry to visit that, I have founded some buildings surrounded by small lakes at and off-campus. 

 

On the other hand, there is no seagulls flying over your heads, instead, the iconic animals are the ducks and geese (also fish under the water).

Undeniably, I miss Brighton where I already made some good friends and know how to have fun. However, being an expatriate, facing environmental change is essential task needed to deal with. 

Today’s 2017 Yorkshire Marathon Festival just announced the starting point for me. Let’s warm-up, get prepared and ready to go!

this is well-prepared!

Go GO GO

十月初我從布萊頓搬到了約克。城市景觀已經從一個海濱的海灘變成了一個有著偉大的教堂的中世紀畫像。

湖區國家公園被譽為“英國最美麗的湖泊”，靠近約克。 但我不急著去參觀，我在校園內外就發現了一些被小湖包圍的建築物。

另一方面，沒有海鷗飛過你的頭，相反地，標誌性的動物是鴨和鵝（在水上），也許還有魚（在水下）。

無可否認地，我想念布萊頓，我已經交了一些好朋友，知道在那如何玩樂。但是，作為1個海外人士，面對環境變化是必需要處理的任務。

今天的約克郡馬拉松比賽剛剛為我宣布了出發點。 讓我們暖身,準備,開跑吧！