My one bedroom flat in City Centre 🏠

I've been busy with furnishing my rented flat lately so that I haven't had time to write much.

As mentioned in my last blog, a lot of unfurnished properties to let near York City made me have not so many choices. And of course, there are pros and cons, which needed to consider in advance. Two main advantages if choose an unfurnished property: first, you can decorate your home on your own way. Second, the rental would be cheaper than that for a furnished one. 

I have a lot of ideas before I moved into my rental flat. However, I suggest only purchase basic kit until you move into your home. One mistake I have made is that I picked up unwanted and additional furniture just because it was cheap and then I found it occupied the space. Moreover, ‘what you imagine’ about your future home, in some cases, is different to ‘what you real feel’ after living.

Do remember! Letting a furnished property is typically suitable for more mobile tenants. Just keep looking for your ideal home and never try to furnish an empty flat unless you really enjoy decorating a house from replacing a bulb to seeking proper furniture, appliance, tools.

To avoid a great deal of expense and a complex re-movement (if I am not happy with my new flat, and it could happen), I mainly chose to buy used furniture from York Community Furniture Store Ltd, there are always some used affordable and new bed frame and mattress set to choose. I went there several times to search ideal items for my flat and staff are helpful and friendly. I also enjoyed my student discount, which they call it ‘concession’, and is nearly 80% of the sale price.

I also shopped a computer desk and some home items from Age UK York Furniture Shop, they offered smaller gadget, such as painting or decorations. Basically, if you are looking for large furniture, stores like York Community Furniture or Aladdins Cave - Second Hand Furniture York offer more choices. The latter one is more expensive, while it might because the cheaper and still new items are very popular and normally taken quickly by other customers. This phenomenon is just like ‘York’s property to rent’, which the demand is very often more than the supply.

When I mentioned that it was so struggling to find a good place for myself in York. The issue is not about the money but is about the soundproof for a good living quality. One of my friends responded that he quite understood it because many properties in York are quite old. For example, there is a good view facing city walls and York Minster from my living room; however, the traditional wooden window is unavoidably along with the traffic noise from outside the road. 

My flat has been nicely refurbished before I moved in as shown in the photos. 

After some efforts of furnishing my flat, I can call it home for a migrant now.  

My pet is from Brighton 

This is the view that is appealing to me regardless of traffic noise

My bedroom is very quiet at night for a good sleep

These two used furniture are 25 pounds(left) and 10 pounds (right) for each

最近我一直在忙於裝修租住的公寓，以致於沒有時間寫很多東西。

就像我在上一個部落格中提到的那樣，靠約克市（York City）的許多傢俱的空屋使我沒有太多選擇。當然，它們有其優點和缺點，這需要事先考慮。如果您選擇未裝修的房屋，有兩個主要優點：首先，您可以按照自己的方式裝飾房屋。其次，房租比帶家具的房子要便宜。

在搬進出租公寓之前，我有很多想法。但是，我建議您只先購買基本傢俱物件，直到您搬入家中。我犯了一個錯誤就是因為價格便宜而買了多餘的家具，然後我發現它佔據了空間。此外，在某些情況下，“關於房屋的想像”與“生活後的真實感受”是不同的。

請記住！租帶有家具的房屋通常適合流動性高的房客，就是繼續尋找自己的理想住所，而不要輕易嘗試租下空公寓，除非您喜歡裝修房屋（從更換燈泡到尋找合適的家具，電器和工具）。

為了避免大量開支和複雜的再次搬遷（如果我對自己的新公寓不滿意,這是可能發生的），我主要從York Community Furniture Store Ltd選擇購買二手家具，它們總是有一些二手讓人負擔得起的以及新的床架和床墊套可供選擇。我去了那裡幾次，尋找適合我的公寓的理想物品，工作人員樂於助人和友好。我還享受了學生折扣，他們稱之為“優惠”，幾乎是售價的80％。

我還從Age UK York Furniture Shop購買了電腦桌和一些家用物品，它們提供較小的小工具，例如繪畫或裝飾品。基本上，如果您正在尋找大型家具，York Community Furniture或Aladdins Cave-Second Hand Furniture York這樣的商店都提供更多選擇。後者較貴，這可能是因為價格便宜且仍新穎的商品非常受歡迎，並且通常會被其他顧客迅速購買。這種現象就像“約克出租的房屋”一樣，需求通常超過供應。

當我提到在YORK為自己找到一個好地方時，我真在很費力地找。問題有時也不在於金錢，而是關於具有良好生活質量的隔音效果。我的一位朋友回答說，他非常了解，因為約克的許多房產都非常古老。例如，從我的客廳可以欣賞到城牆和約克大教堂的美景。然而，傳統的木製窗戶不可避免地會伴隨著道路外部的交通噪音。

Renting a house in the UK: real-life experiences 🏠

🏡This is based on my true story.

In the past 15 days, I experienced a very challenging task, that is, seeking a decent accommodation for myself in York. Maybe for some in poor financial situation, 15 days are not that long, I am quite lucky to have enough budget to spend on the housing, but I am kindda picky in living environment, including the house itself, the location and surroundings. The most important thing that I consider is the space as we now stay at home more time after COVID-19. Living comfortably is very vital in everyday practices. 

This annoying and anxious experience started from the date which my current lease will be due in the mid-Sep. It was not the first time my looking for a place to live in the UK. But the first time was completely smoothly so that I did not perceive the difficulty of the housing market discrimination against a ‘migrant’ ‘student’. This disadvantage for me involves multi-level challenges.

First, being a student, your social class is quite low (actually is not regarded as an independent person), many landlords are not willing to rent their house to student. Many ads on the letting website put ‘NO CHILDREN, NO PETS, NO SMOKERS, NO STUDENTS’, which means children, pets, smokers, and students are not welcomed by the landlords. 

Second, even the landlord has the confidence with you—a student, it does not mean you are accepted by the agent. They are afraid that you might be the nightmare to the landlord or the troublemaker to the house. To deal with your case, the property company like Linley and Simpson ask you two questions: Are you—  

- A UK based guarantor: Someone who lives and is employed in the UK, earning a salary that is a minimum of 3 X the annual rent. 

- Payment of rent in advance: this means paying the rent for the tenancy up front and in full. i.e. 6 or 12 months in one payment prior to your move in. 

When applying a UK based guarantor, you heard of someone saying the school can help, so you emailed the school asking all the details, eventually, it only came with a business cooperation with another company, which asks you to pa 600+ more pounds a year to play this role. 

Oh, come on, under such a circumstance, I am of course happy to pay 6 months or 12 months in one payment. A bond with 5000 pounds only generates 36 pounds interests in Barclays Bank, I would not mind giving you 6 months instead of paying a ‘virtual’ guarantor, who is not necessary for me. 

Third, even you have a chance to view this property, someone might take the case before the long queue of viewing. If you message the agent, that is too late, there is always someone simply calling in and got the first place of viewing or even taking it without viewing, Hunters Estate Agents in York does things like that (2 bedroom flat to rent Winteringham House, Whitecross Gardens, York)! They even just promised that they will arrange a time of viewing for you, then in the following 30 minutes, they said someone already took this case without viewing. VERY Unfaithful!!! And no wonder that they are currently the biggest agent in York, which only favour and serve certain customers. They are like foxes or sneakers wanting to get the lion's share of the property market. 

I have had very painful and shocking experience of this, after that, I gradually got the tips, calling in to enquire first, whether this case allows a student to rent. And emphasizing that you are a PhD research student not an aged 18-25 young student. Calling instead of emailing, which takes a slower pace.  

Prepare some important reference at hand, such as the references from the ex-landlord, I am lucky to have one. She is more than a British beautiful landlady. Every time I show my weakness, she tells me how to be strong. Be Rock!! 

Without AXXXX, it is impossible for me to rent a decent place in the UK after searching for more than 100 properties (not exaggerated). Without AXXXX, I would not know that I can position myself as ‘a working professional’, which I myself feel quite good and is more acceptable by most of the UK property companies. To sum up, growth with pain and anxiety, though! 

Is this story only happened in York? 

(I successfully booked a viewing of this pretty apartment in the first place, but it has been taken after 30 minutes when I arrived there)

這是基於我的真實故事。 

在過去的15天裡，我經歷了一項非常艱鉅的任務，那就是在York為自己尋求合宜的住宅。也許對於一些財務狀況不佳的人來說，十五天沒那麼長，但我很幸運能有足夠的預算花在房屋上，但我對居住環境（包括房屋本身，位置和周圍環境）有點挑剔。我考慮的最重要的事情是空間，因為我們現在在COVID-19之後有更多的時間待在家裡。生活舒適在日常實踐中至關重要。

這種煩人和焦慮的經歷始於我目前的租約即將在9月中旬到期的日子。這不是我第一次尋找在英國居住的地方。但是第一次是完全順利的，所以我沒有意識到房屋市場會歧視“移民”“學生”的這個困難。對我來說，這個不利之處涉及多層次的挑戰。 

首先，作為一名學生，您的社會階層很低（實際上不被視為獨立的人），許多房東不願意將房屋租給學生。出租網站上的許多廣告都標有“禁止兒童，禁止寵物，禁止吸煙者，禁止學生”，這意味著房東不歡迎兒童，寵物，吸煙者和學生。 

其次，即使房東也對您有信心-一個學生，這並不意味著您被仲介接受。他們擔心您可能是房東的噩夢，或是房屋的麻煩製造者。為了處理您的案件， Linley & Simpson等房地產公司向您提出兩個問題：您有(能)-  

-英國的擔保人：在英國居住並受僱的人，其工資至少為年租金的3倍。

-預先支付租金：這意味著要預先全額支付租賃租金。即在您入住之前一次付款6或12個月。

 在申請英國的擔保人時，有人說什麼學校可以提供幫助，因此您透過電子郵件向學校詢問了所有詳細訊息，最終，它僅是與另一家公司進行業務合作罷了，要求您1年付600英鎊以上來扮演這個角色。 

哦，拜託，在這種情況下，我當然樂意一次付款6個月或12個月。 5000英鎊的債券只能在巴克萊銀行產生36英鎊的利息好嗎，我不介意給您6個月一次付款,而不是付給一個我不需要的“虛擬”擔保人。

第三，即使您有機會查看此房屋物件，也可能有人在漫長的排看隊列之前決定要此物件了。如果您向仲介發送消息，那為時已晚，總會有人簡單地打電話進去獲得能看屋的第一名，甚至根本就沒有看它就決定了，YORK的Hunters Estate Agents就是這樣做的（案例: 兩間臥室的公寓可以租借Winteringham House，約克懷特克羅斯花園）！他們甚至承諾會為您安排一次觀看時間，然後在接下來的30分鐘內，他們說有人已經收了這個案件而沒有觀看,還把物件改為’不再有了’。非常不忠實！！！難怪他們目前是約克最大的代理商，只會青睞某些客戶並為其提供服務。他們就像狐狸或鬼鬼祟祟卑鄙者，想要在房地產市場上佔據最大份額。 

我對此感到非常痛苦和震驚，在那之後，我逐漸掌握了竅門，要求先詢問一下這種案例是否允許學生租房。並強調您是博士學位研究的學生，而不是18-25歲的年輕學生。打電話而不是發電子郵件，後者會降低速度。 

準備一些重要的參考資料，例如前房東的參考資料，我很幸運能有一個參考資料。 她不僅僅是英國美麗的女房東。 每當我展示自己的弱點時，她都會告訴我如何堅強。 

這只發生在約克嗎？

Stockton on the Forest 🌲 a misleading Google map

Stockton on the Forest🌲

When I started to live in York, a local friend told me that why don’t you get a bike for yourself? There are many picturesque places near York, and a bike can take you there. I actually bought two used bikes before, unfortunately, I eventually lost them all. One was disappeared due to without locking the bike for one night, and in another case, it was stolen at the city centre because of a poor lock on it. 

Since COVID-19 imposed travel restrictions, if I learned there is a pretty field near York that I could reach without a car, I knew I had to go. 

There are also buses from York city centre to Stockton on the Forest, but you have to wear a facial mask, I chose to walk around 1 hour from my living place to there in a sunny day and enjoyed exploring some beautiful houses alongside my way. 

Interestingly, before I chose to visit Stockton on the Forest, I was expecting to see a forest and garden flowers because the photos shown on Google Map were so appealing.

(the photos above are found on Google Map when checking Stockton-on-the-Forest)

But when I arrived, I actually did not find any such places like that. And I asked the locals there, showing the photos on my smartphone, they told me that there was no place like that…One of them even told me that, 'here is Stockton on the Forest, there is no forest here.' 

However, go hiking in the early August, I got a lot of suntan, and I saw a group of sheep with different colours which I never saw in York before. Until right now, when writing the blog, I then started to notice that it was the ‘Breezy Knees Gardens’ photos being uploaded on ‘Stockton on the Forest’.

I guess I have to visit the garden another day. What have you discovered recently after lifting lockdown?  

Stockton on the Forest

當我開始住在約克時，一個當地朋友告訴我，為什麼不自己買一輛自行車？ 約克（York）附近有很多風景如畫的地方，而自行車可以帶您到達那裡。 我實際上買了兩輛二手自行車，不幸的是，我最終把它們全部丟掉了。 其中一個失踪是因為一晚沒有鎖好自行車，而另一起案件是由於鎖不牢而在市中心被盜的。 

由於COVID-19施加了旅行限制，因此，如果我得知約克附近有美麗的田野，無需開車即可到達，我就知道我必須要去一下。 

從約克市中心到Stockton on the Forest，也有巴士，但是您必須戴上口罩，我選擇在陽光明媚的日子從我的住處步行到那兒大約1小時,並喜歡沿著道路探索一些美麗的房屋。 

有趣的是，在我選擇參觀薩頓河畔森林之前，我期望看到森林和花園的花朵，因為Google地圖上顯示的照片非常吸引人。 但是當我到達時，我實際上沒有找到這樣的地方。 然後我問那裡的當地人，在我的智能手機上顯示照片，他們告訴我那裡沒有這樣的地方……其中一個甚至告訴我，“這裡有森林的薩頓，這裡沒有森林。 ' 

無論如何， 8月到這裡，我曬黑了，還看到了一群以前從未在約克見過的不同顏色的綿羊。直到現在，在撰寫Blog時，我才注意到它是“ Breezy Knees Gardens”的照片被上傳到“ Forest on the Forest”上. 

解除疫情封鎖後，您最近發現了什麼？

Celebrating Yorkshire Day – 1st August

Celebrating Yorkshire Day – 1st August.

On 1^st August, Yorkshire is celebrating and promoting Yorkshire culture.Living in Yorkshire, you can decorate your home with bunting and flats on Yorkshire Day!

Although COVID-19 outbreak does affect daily lives, we still enjoy these days we stay in Yorkshire. Yorkshire, known as the County of York, is a historic county of Northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom.

Yorkshire are featured by many local products: popular Yorkshire pudding, Yorkshire Tea and Betty’s afternoon tea (more than 100-year-old), Kit Kat chocolate (more than 85-year-old) is made in York, Viking history, Lake district, York Minster, White rose, Harry Porter, the cobble-stoned shambles street, etc. These key features have been preserved well and have not been changed. 

                                                        (Yorkie is also made in York)

Keep calm and drink a cuppa tea. We really don’t mind get back to the old days to enjoy York’s rich heritage. 

(I enjoy the lake district without going to Lake District)

 

慶祝約克郡日– 8月1日

8月1日，約克郡慶祝和推廣約克郡文化。生活在約克郡，您可以在約克郡日用彩旗和公寓裝飾房屋！

儘管COVID-19疫情大爆發確實影響了日常生活，但這些日子以來我們仍然喜歡住在約克郡。 約克郡被稱為約克郡，是英格蘭北部歷史悠久的郡縣，是英國最大的郡。 

約克郡有許多當地特產：受歡迎的約克郡布丁，約克郡茶和貝蒂的下午茶，奇巧巧克力在約克，維京人歷史，湖區，約克大教堂，白玫瑰，哈里·波特，鵝卵石鋪成的肉鋪街等等。這些特色產品都保存完好，沒有改變。 

保持冷靜，喝一杯茶。 我們真的不介意回到過去，享受約克豐富的文化遺產。

One day trip to Leeds after COVID-19

24 July 2020, the UK government demanded customers to wear a face covering before entering any shop and must keep it on until they leave. Face masks or face coverings in shops has become compulsory. 

There have been different voices for this governmental decision; hundreds of demonstrators once gathered at Hyde Park in central London to protest this policy, claiming that ‘Freedom of speech, choice and thought.’ However, some people think that wearing faces can protect oneself and others.  

To be or not to be is not a question. On 24 July 2020, from my morning bus to the train station, then form the train couch to the shopping mall in the city centre; the day England's shoppers put on their face coverings, my adventure to Leeds definitely became safer. 

Wearing a mask is a new fashion!

Pay attention to the new rules, what you should do and what you cannot to do

Only E-ticket available, there is no collecting your ticket at the desk.

Put your facial coverings even while waiting the train 

Only sit in the Green V place

Please walk to the right direction

Wearing facial masks or coverings before stepping into the shopping mall

You will be safer and have fun as usual 

COVID-19之後的Leeds一日遊

2020年7月24日，英國政府要求顧客在進入任何商店之前都必須戴好面罩，並且必須一直堅持到離開為止。在商店中戴口罩或面罩已成為強制性的。

對這項政府決定有些不同的聲音出來。數百名示威者曾經聚集在倫敦市中心的海德公園（Hyde Park）抗議這項政策，聲稱“言論，選擇和思想自由”。但是，有些人認為戴面罩可以保護自己和他人。

要不要作已不是個問題。 2020年7月24日，從我的早上巴士到火車站，然後從火車車廂上走進市中心的購物中心；英格蘭的購物者戴上面罩的那一天，我去Leeds的冒險似乎變得更加安全了。

戴著口罩絕對是一種新時尚！

Observation and fieldnotes in Dewsbury

Dewsbury fieldnotes

The migrant group is often seen as the minority community in the host country. However, in Dewsbury, migrants are not invisible. The colour of the skin, the costumes they wear, and the scarfs Muslim women put on their faces make them visible on the main streets. Most grocery stores or small cafes and restaurants are run by migrants, establishing a migrant enclave in the local area. 

I stayed Dewsbury for several days. As I can see, most of them are Muslims and Indians. A judgmental question comes: ‘Are the Britons tolerant?’ I think so, and I will say they have to, if they consider themselves a leading Western democratic country. The migration history in the British past has been written with ethnic conflicts which are hardly avoid in terms of differences of social status, political power, language and cultures between the locals and the outsiders. 

Migration to the UK is part of aftermaths of the British Empire and migrants have the right to remain their own cultures, including religions. Many argue that this policy is simply the demonstration of the discourse of multiculturalism. However, migrants here seem quite enjoy their new life. 

Dewsbury is in West Yorkshire, 20-minute train to Leeds City, just like ‘Bolton to Manchester’. Some places like Dewsbury are listed on the top 10 most deprived in the UK, it is not so surprising that the price of the house in this old mill town is seemingly very low in the country so that migrants could more possibly afford the costly UK life. 

As a visitor to Dewsbury, I totally agree that many things are relatively cheaper. If you pass by Dewsbury, Dewsbury Sunday market, Sainsbury, Iceland and Asda with enough parking spaces, could offer you a few bargains. Interestingly, Dewsbury library has some of いとう じゅんじ famous comic books. have read them all there last year. Luckily, all the libraries are going to reopen in this month.

迪斯伯里

移民群體通常被視為東道國的少數民族社區。但是，在迪斯伯里，移民並不是隱形的。膚色，穿著服飾以及穆斯林婦女戴在臉上的圍巾使它們在主要街道上可以見到。大多數雜貨店或小型咖啡館和餐館都是由移民經營的，在當地建立了移民領域。

我在迪斯伯里住了幾天。如我所見，其中大多數是穆斯林和印度人。一個判斷性的問題來了：“英國人寬容嗎？”我想是的，如果他們認為自己是西方領先的民主國家，我會說他們必須這樣做。英國過去的移民歷史寫有種族衝突，就當地人和外人之間的社會地位，政治權力，語言和文化差異而言，這是不可避免的。移民會到英國是大英帝國後果的一部分，移民有權保留自己的文化，包括宗教。許多人認為，這一政策只是展示多元文化話語的表象。但是，這裡的移民似乎很享受新生活。

迪斯伯里（Dewsbury）位於西約克郡，距利茲市（Leeds City）僅20分鐘火車路程，就像“從博爾頓到曼徹斯特（from Bolton to Manchester）”一樣。像Dewsbury這樣的一些地方被列為英國最貧窮的十大城市，這並不奇怪，這個古老的磨坊鎮的房屋價格在該國似乎很低，這樣移民就更有可能負擔昂貴的英國生活。

作為Dewsbury的訪客，我完全同意很多東西都相對地便宜。如果您路過Dewsbury，Dewsbury 假日市場，Sainsbury，Iceland和Asda，這些地方都有足夠的停車位，您可以買到一些特價品。有趣的是，迪斯伯里圖書館藏有一些著名的伊藤潤二漫畫集。 我去年在那裡把全部都看過。 幸運的是，本月所有圖書館都將重新開放。