At first, I was very disappointed because I thought British Airways would provide transit accommodations like Emirates or China Southern Airlines, but I found nothing but staying at the airport. In addition, the London Heathrow Airport is far less cozy than the Singapore Airport, there are hard chairs everywhere, the cold wind does not know where to run in, freezing me to shiver. I couldn't find a comfortable seat and I didn't want to study or sleep at all. All in all the experience of this transfer was a very unforgettable experience of failure.
On British Airways, the service is fine, but the food is not very accustomed to, strange salad, cold and sour, no way to eat; a cup of chocolate sauce as a dessert to eat a mouthful of greasy soul trembling; with a meal of bread tasteless, and no suitable sauce can be dipped.
The tea and wine-loving qualities of the British are also evident on the airplane. There was one drink offered before the meal, and most of the British passengers around me chose to drink, with a variety of small bottles of wine mixed together with ice and lemon concoctions, which dazzled me. Upon hearing me say I wanted orange juice, the stewardess would even ask back, "Would you like some red wine?" . She assumed I didn't order wine because I didn't see it on the cart.
There is also a very peculiar drink that takes tomato juice and wine and makes it taste unimaginable. If Mr. Chen were there, I would have ordered one of these specialty drinks and the two of us would have experienced it together. During meals, there are also drinks, including coffee and tea and so on. Most Brits drink tea, and I sometimes follow the trend. English tea with a small packet of granulated sugar and a small bar of milk on your plate tastes pretty good. But it's very different from Chinese tea, especially the green tea I usually drink, with more of an astringent taste and less of that tea flavor.
There are a number of details that make the British Airways planes great, one of which is that the bottles of hand sanitizer in the restrooms are fixed on a tilted base, so that if there is any residual hand sanitizer left over after pressing down, it will drip right down into the sink below, which is clean and tidy.
A long trip, watching a few British dramas on the plane, and getting a lot of sleep. The trip, though long, is finally over. This time y appreciate the airplane long-distance travel labor. In the past, I always thought that I would take my dad and grandma out for a trip when I had the time and money to do so. After this trip, I am hesitant to take my elders on a trip. I'm afraid that only after he settled in the place is convenient, so that after flying there can first recuperate a few days to restore vitality, after all, the journey is really consuming.
Before this trip, we had actually already decided to get married, but we had been missing the ritual I had in mind, the proposal.
Mr. Chan and I studied in Singapore together, experienced more than four years of down-to-earth together, and when it came to the time of graduation, the water was right to get married. But beyond the smoothness of it all, there's still a bit of romance to look forward to. Whenever I told Mr. Chan that I must propose or I won't get married, he would either say "marry me" or "propose to me". This I expressed very dissatisfied, but also helpless, so I had to do their own hands to choose the diamond ring, clearly put forward their own wants, told him to accompany me to buy, this is with this polytechnic straight male communication.
The first night to buy a diamond ring, it is February 6, 2018, that day in the AAAI venue to see posters to 8:30 after we decided to go to a restaurant near the hotel to eat. Ordered a pot of oysters and a shrimp rice, I had gotten used to the taste of oysters, and remembered that I had changed really quite a lot by his influence, so I said so, and casually asked "Have you changed by my influence?"
He replied, "Because of you, I have a purpose in life".
When I said this, I was moved by the words, and it hit me right in the center of my heart. I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to do this, but I'm going to be able to do it," he said. Looking at the opposite side of the affectionate Mr. Chen, listening to him talk about how I let him make a lot of changes, I can no longer hold back the tears in my eyes, out of the socket. He asked me if I was willing to marry him, my heart whistled I am willing, but could not open the mouth. Because I know, at this time, as long as the mouth, I will not be able to stop bawling, can not be controlled. After a long time, my mind was calmer, and I was finally able to say I was willing.
Our hands were clasped together across the table, and the look in his eyes was so deep in my mind that I will remember it for the rest of my life. So, the long awaited proposal, no surprises, but still let me feel surprised and touched. The TV show is so unrealistic, how can the heroine smile and say yes without a ripple?
In New Orleans, we were in New Orleans during Mardi Gras, and were walking back to our hotel from the conference hotel in the evening when we encountered a parade. The streets were lined with excited people, young people, middle-aged and old people, laughing and joking in circles, some even brought deck chairs. The roadside has a temporary sale of snacks and drinks stalls, a handful of people holding a bottle of wine with one hand and a handful of cigarettes.
As the drums and music approached, a parade appeared in the center of the road. A flamboyant group of floats arrived, their bodies covered in exaggerated graffiti and filled with people in fancy dress standing on top of them cheering as they threw all sorts of trinkets, including brightly colored beads and baubles and more. The crowd on the street cheered even harder, drawing attention to the car by screaming. I held up my cell phone on the side of the road and couldn't help but cheer and scream along with them. It happens that this time the float threw down a few dolls, stretching out a hand to grab, to hand a small horse, a careful look Made in China. seems to be very destiny, thousands of miles away from the encounter, I can take it back to China.
Behind the float is followed by a performance team, knocking and playing all kinds of musical instruments on the field, a bit like the domestic university in the sports games when the class entrance ceremony. A large number of boys and girls dressed in brightly colored costumes singing and dancing while walking and performing. I looked at myself wrapped in a down jacket, and then look at the cool clothes of the little actors, really a little shame.
Back at the hotel, I saw a pamphlet about the parade at the front desk, and it turns out that the parade has been going on intermittently since January 6th, and can last until the beginning of March, with different routes every day. Before we booked the hotel and did not do a strategy in advance, just choose a closer to the conference hotel and more affordable, but it just so happened that we can pass through the lively parade route, witnessed the experience of some American-style carnival. This kind of event is probably rare in China, and it's possible to see a similar lion dance in some cities during the Chinese New Year.
New Orleans is a typical tourist city, and the city's orientation is probably somewhat similar to that of Lijiang in China. Extensive historical architectural complexes, comfortable environment and climate, delicious physical objects, laid-back living atmosphere, these constitute this small tourist city.
It's not wrong to say she's a small town, we had a meeting in the business district in the center of the city, stayed near the French Quarter, and casually walked around to see the city's landmarks, and took a 20-minute taxi ride to the outskirts of the city. The business district is the only part of the entire city where you can see the higher floors, mostly hotels born of the many tourists. The Hilton has a small three-story building and a newer twenty-something-story building connected by a corridor in between, standing on the corridor with the obsolete railroad tracks at its feet. City trolleys jingle slowly past every day, their unhurried speed representing the rhythm of the city.
Outside of the business district, the French Quarter is home to many old buildings from the French colonial period, with low-rise floors, rich colors, and elegant details that show the traces of Romanticism. Today, the French Quarter is a must-see destination for visitors to New Orleans. A leisurely walk through the straight alleyways reveals superb artwork in the windows and brilliant graffiti on the old walls.
Push your way through a restaurant and you'll find a fresh and flavorful treat in the flesh. Being on the bend of the Mississippi River and near the mouth of the ocean, there is an abundance of seafood, especially oysters, lobster and alligator. In addition, we tried several French restaurants, all of which were very good.
Bourbon Street in the French Quarter is especially lively at night. Bourbon Street in the French Quarter is especially busy at night, and is lined with specialty bars, jazz, folk, blues, classic rock, and all kinds of music bars. There are newer bars that are filled with loud music and hissing, allowing people to let loose; there are also traditional bars that are soothing and quiet, where you can order a glass of wine and sit around a table with your friends and it's a good time to chat. It's also a good time to sing along with the gentle, low voice of the resident singer.
We walked down Bourbon Street to the end of the street and found the oldest bar in the area, recommended by a friend. Unlike the hustle and bustle of the rest of the city, it's almost as quiet inside. The old, simple house has several doors wide open, ready to welcome passersby. The tables and chairs inside are also simple, if not worn out. On the recommendation of the waiter, we each ordered a drink and blended into the dimly lit surroundings, comfortable talking and chatting.
In the far corner of the bar, the Super Bowl was being shown, with countless commercials during the final moments, and although we didn't understand any of them, we were cheering and sighing along with the locals. By the time the game was over, the bar was slowly getting more crowded, and by now the night was getting darker and more people were enjoying the nightlife instead.
When the melodious music started, we realized that in the dark corner under the TV was a huge piano. A middle-aged man's fingertips flexibly danced, and the melodious music slowly seeped into the crowd, and a low voice rang out, singing tunes familiar to the locals. A circle of people sat on the bar around the piano, singing along and playing the beat. The atmosphere got better and better, and more people joined in, leaving their seats and standing in several circles around the outside of the bar. The singer on the piano interacted frequently with the surrounding audience, and we were all a little reluctant to leave as one beautiful song went on without interruption. Until late at night when we left, the bar was still very lively inside.
The local young people's state of life also makes people feel no pressure, they are really enjoying life. Inside the French Quarter, there are many young men and women who ride bicycles to take tourists sightseeing, all of them are very energetic, and they will stand up and pedal when they go forward. I remember when I was in middle school, I would do the same, especially when I rode to the slight downhill or almost home, the mood is extraordinarily happy, just like to stand up and feel the wind blowing.
These young people who make a living by cycling are also in a great mood, and when they are tired, they park their bikes on the street, laugh and play with their friends, eat and drink, play with their cell phones, and enjoy life immensely. I think this side of the car house will not be too big a burden for them. After all, it's a sparsely populated place, and except for the business district, there are low-rise small villas everywhere. One small house was built neatly, with the outer walls painted in different colors. As far as the eye could see, a small street was as colorful as a rainbow. I couldn't wait to take a picture in front of each house and go back to put it into a nine-panel grid.
In the French Quarter, there is a French Market, in which there are all kinds of specialty stalls, but at a closer look, they are all Made in China, I think these things can be found in Taobao. The first thing you need to do is to get a good deal of money from the government, and you'll be able to get a good deal of money from the government. New Orleans is such a magical place, no matter what occupation, people are happy happy life.
This trip also allowed us to experience the kindness and strong human touch from strangers.
Mr. Chen told me that when he was connecting at the Dallas airport in the US, a cleaner saw him napping on a chair and brought him a pillow and quilt. On the last day before we left, when we were looking at a map to find a store at the Lakeside Shopping Mall in New Orleans, a janitor also took the initiative to come up to us and ask us what we were looking for, providing detailed pointers.
While we were touring the French Quarter in New Orleans taking pictures, an elderly man on crutches passed by and made a passing compliment. After we politely replied thank you, he then bluntly said he hadn't eaten in a long time and asked if we could help him get a McDonald's burger. After first considering that it should be safe to be in a downtown area, we went with him to McDonald's.
We chatted on the way and learned that he was a veteran who came to New Orleans more than a decade ago. He is a veteran who came to New Orleans more than a decade ago and now has no income and often goes hungry. In fact, looking at his clothes and spirit, he did not feel so poor that he needed to beg for a meal. Maybe it's the large number of tourists here, or maybe it's the locals themselves who are so helpful that he can live well like this without needing to work.
We're among those soft-hearted tourists. After buying the burger, Mr. Chen also gave the old man all the change he found. After putting aside the worry of being scammed, we were actually both very willing to help others, something that may be one of the reasons why we are together.
The afternoon after the meeting, we asked a few friends to go to experience the classic rides, wetland boat ride to see the crocodile, I heard that you can and crocodile close contact, the heart of the good not to look forward to. The cab is only ten minutes out of the city.
Next to the highway are neat little villas, in the open field has been extended to a very long time, families in front of the house behind the green lawn, parked in front of the car. We laughed and said that this was really living in a country villa and enjoying the convenience of city life. I guess many people inside the city live in this neighborhood and drive to work. A twenty-minute commute is easier and faster than most big cities.
Unfortunately, the weather was not kind to us, and the tour we booked coincided with a thunderstorm, so we had to cancel for safety reasons. Back in the city, just after getting out of the cab, the rain came down in a hurry.
The crocodile tour was replaced by a night tour of the mausoleum. On the dark and windy night, although the rain stopped, there was a burst of wet and cold cool wind that made people shiver. A minibus full of foreign tourists took us to the suburban mausoleum, the guide tried to impress us with lurid legends, but unfortunately I was really a little sleepy, all the way down the dizziness, and could not wait to crawl back to the hotel bed to sleep.
The meeting in New Orleans plus the trip was so hastily ended, before leaving also specially for Mr. Chen into a cell phone. The most important thing about this trip is the promise of a lifetime of companionship. Although it is only a few days, the proportion in our lives and the memories left are far greater than many days and years.