Going back to England

        I want to go back to England. 

       The reason why I say “go back” instead of “go to” is because I was born in London, England. Although I had lived in London for six years, I am a Taiwanese because England is “Jus sanguinis” rather than “Jus soli”. 

       Thinking about England, there are a lot of popular tourist destinations, such as Big Ben, Coca-Cola London Eye, the Tower of London, the Tower Bridge, River Thames, Hyde Park and so on. The place which I most want to visit again is Birkbeck, University of London where my father studied his Ph.D. When I was a little girl, I frequently went to his college with him. For that reason, I do have a lot of memories there. It is a very important place for me! In addition to the buildings where I visited frequently when I was young, I would like to meet some people there, including my father’s supervisor. Her name is Jennifer. Now, you can guess why my name is Jennifer.

        The second place that attracts me is the Tower Bridge because the sights there are very impressive. Tower Bridge is the most popular attraction that brings thousands of people from all over the world every day. There is a traditional English nursery rhyme named: "London Bridge Is Falling Down". This nursery rhyme has been spread throughout the world, meaning that almost everyone who comes from different countries can sing it together without language barriers. However, tourists often confuse the Tower Bridge and the London Bridge, for their names. Actually, the bridge that can fall is Tower Bridge rather than London Bridge. Tower Bridge has two levels. There are two walkways on the upper level, whereas the lower level is mainly for vehicles. The special feature of the walkways is made of a transparent glass floor and ceiling mirror. The lower level is special, too, because it can allow the river traffic to pass by raising to 83 degrees.

        When you are on the bridge, you can see the River Thames and the new building--The Shard. My family had a boat ride when I was young. We were impressed and enjoyed all the fun of the river. I still can remember the enjoyable feelings when the wind gently blew on my face. It was an afternoon in the spring when I was five. Just like the time for English afternoon tea, we did have a most wonderful day during my stay in England. Different from the experience described above, The Shard is a landmark that I never visited before, because this amazing building was open in July 2012. It was three years after I returned to Taiwan. This time, I collected much information to arrange our next family vacation and learned from the website that its open-air observation deck on the 72nd floor is quite different from the one of Top of the Rock which I visited in New York this summer. So, I would like to visit this great destination on our next vacation.

        Although I was born in England, I haven’t attended the Warner Bros. Studios Tour London: The Making of Harry Potter. Absolutely, this will be the higher priority of our family vacation. When growing up to a teenager, I started reading a series of Harry Potter fictions, by which J. K. Rowling has won multiple awards and sold more than 500 million copies. We will be able to learn from many behind-the-scenes of the Harry Potter films that cannot be read from the books. Also, in its size, the place is perhaps the only permanent filmmaking exhibit that can be kept and maintained in the world. I think it will be the most brilliant experience of my life if I have the opportunity to go to the Warner Bros. Studios.

        Travel is the transition from one place where we tired of to another place where others tired of. We can find out and establish new living habits and also try to learn about different cultures when travelling to another country. England is the country that I long to visit again. Several years ago, I met a lot of kind people and went sightseeing for many famous local attractions. All of the unique memories that were experienced from an elder gentleman living in the attic upstairs, walking to supermarkets in the snowy winter, nesting on the corner of the sofa and watching the Doctor Who excitingly, and the kindergarten teacher who spoke in British English, have enriched my current life and they are far from the local experiences after I went back to study in Taiwan. During this family vacation, my younger brother can’t know what I had learned before, but he could still enrich his growth more internationally, rather than just owning the local life in Taiwan. This family vacation will not only make our family feel relaxed and get close to each other but also give a great connection between our past stories and the current lives of my family, including myself and my brother.