First Edinburgh Experience 1999
Snow in Scotland, October 1999
1999, I decided to fly from Los Angeles, my U.S. home base, to England for holidays
When some of associates from all over Asia sending me a couple of assignment requests to Continental and Eastern Europe by emails. At that time, I had already booked my tickets and ready to go. So I turned them all down and explained my vacation schedule to London was set. One email reply said "We have another 2 assignments for you. How about shooting both in London and Edinburgh?...." I wrote back "No way, it is my vacation and time overlapped with my other bookings!" They finally rang me proposing "How about let us know when is your vacation ended? We will just send our men to join you for starting the photo shoot either in London or Edinburgh." "I am sorry, my return (back to Los Angeles) airline tickets will be expired when my journey ends." They showed down without giving up and saying "We pay you. Including all the tickets reimbursement! All right?" I said to the mouthpiece of my phone. "Okay."
Here I was in Edinburgh! The reason I decided to go en rout to Edinburgh after weeks in London areas was I would be coming back here with coworkers for work in 2 weeks. Came up here as a shooting location scouting and to quench my curiosity. Without previous planning, with no accommodation reservation either. No groundwork planning to realize it was the Scottish International Storytelling Festival eve. No hotel room booking in advance by the annual event in October was impossible.
So, I ended up running door to door for soliciting a room along the Princes Street in the Edinburgh New Town, stretching around 1 mile (1.6 km). Somewhere near the Charlotte Square I met Miki and her mom while I was still looking for the vanishing availability of a hotel room. Miki, her mom and the landlord stood at the door of a "Bed & Breakfast" arguing due to language barriers. Miki kept waving a fax copy sheet in her hand and protesting "Here is the evident of the reservation!", repeated over and over. I offered to help them. The whole story was, Miki actually faxed the reservation application form from Japan, the landlord of the B&B in Scotland got it then faxed back to Miki asking for confirmation before their departure, and this Miss Miki saw the "confirmation" wording in the reply fax and thought It was confirmed.
I saved all of them. This time everybody was happy. But the Bed & Breakfast owner had no more room available for any of us. Now everyone, except the owner, was not happy. Thought of "Not-so-good-in-English Miki and her Mom", I could not leave them on their own. I bit the bullet and weeped in my heart, 2 MORE COMPETITORS for The Scarce Precious Room joined my journey now!
The temperature dropped sharply approaching sundown. Our last stop at a hotel, as expected the manager said "I am sorry, no room for you three." Before we left, "Don, maybe you should call one of my relatives up. He runs a B&B up on the hill." he said. "Here is his number, try it. Good luck!"
When we finally checked in the Lovely B&B it snowed heavily outside. That was so close! Three of us had to share a room. I hate it, I hate it, I hate it! But grateful. Miki was a lawyer in downtown Tokyo (I could not help to flash back the way Miki kept waving a fax copy sheet in her hand and protesting "Here is the EVIDENT of the reservation!", repeated over and over.) and her mother was a housewife. I spoke to this Mother-and-Daughter pair in half Japanese and half English while they talked mostly in Japanese. I found out I knew more Japanese big words and terms than them did. So I had to explain, to prove by using their electronic Japanese-English dictionary. The pride which had arisen, even my Japanese was so rusty.
1 year later, I came back from a long business trip. I found a big package of Christmas gift from Miki in Tokyo sitting on my doorstep in Los Angeles, USA. My long lost first Edinburgh memory was back. My belated Christmas' present!
Note: It took me exactly 2 whole months to finish the English-to-Chinese translation version below. Sorry for the delay.
1999年十月 蘇格蘭 下雪
1999年 我決定離開洛杉磯 從我在美國的落腳處 飛到英國度假日
當時一些亞洲同事寄來的一些電子郵件 請求我到歐洲大陸和東歐的任務 那時 我已經定了我的機票和已經準備上路 因此 我全數推辭了他們並解釋我到倫敦的假期日程表早就設定好了 一封電子郵件回覆說 “我們有另外2 個任務給您 去倫敦和愛丁堡兩個城市拍照如何?... 。” 我回信 “不行 我的假期時間與你們的工作行程重疊！” 他們最後直接打了電話給我 提議道 “這樣好了 讓我們知道你的假期結束日期怎麼樣？ 我會派我們的人員跟你會合 再開始照片拍攝 看是在倫敦或愛丁堡都可以” “很抱歉 我的回程 (回到洛杉磯) 機票剛好在我的旅途結束時到期” 他們接下並沒有放棄的打算 並且說 “我們支付你 包括所有機票退款！好不好？” 我對著我電話的受話器說 “好吧”
我來到愛丁堡了！ 在倫敦地區待幾星期以後 我決定繞路去愛丁堡 原因是 在2個星期後我還會與同事為了工作再度回到這裡 先來這裡查看外景地點和餵飽我的求知慾 沒有事先的計劃 也沒有訂房準備 更沒有做功課預習 所以 完全不知道那是蘇格蘭國際故事節日的前夕 在10月份每年一度的節慶期間旅館住客不事先預定是不可能的 所以 我落得只能沿著愛丁堡新鎮的王子街挨家挨戶地尋找住房 從頭到尾連續大約1英哩 (1.6公里長) 當我仍然在尋找旅館客房渺茫的可能性時 就在夏洛特廣場附近我遇見了Miki和她的媽媽 由於語言障礙 Miki 、她的媽媽和房東站在B&B的門口上爭論 Miki不斷地揮動在她手上的傳真紙同時抗議著 “這就是保留的證據！” 一再地 多次重覆著 我主動提供幫助 原委是 Miki的確有從日本傳真了訂房申請表 在蘇格蘭的B&B房東有收到了 然後在他們出發之前再度傳回給Miki 請求確認 因為這位Miki小姐看見了 “確認” 這個字詞在回覆的傳真上就認為都已經確認好
我解救了所有的人 此時大家愉快地鬆了一口氣 但是B&B的老闆沒有多的空房可以給我們住 現在大家 除了老闆之外 大家都變得很不開心 一想到 “英文不太好的Miki和她媽媽這對母女檔” 我決不能獨自留下他們 我死撐硬頂只能在我的心裡落淚 平白生出兩個額外的競爭者來角逐 缺乏的 珍貴的 空房間 出現在我的旅途中！
接近日落時分溫度陡然下降 我們在最後的一家旅館 經理就如預期的說 “我抱歉 我沒有房間可以給你們三位” 就在我們離開之前 “唐 或許你應該打電話給我其中的一個親戚 他在小山上開了一家B&B ” 他誠心地說 “這是他的號碼 試試看 祝你們好運！”
當我們終於入住了可愛無比的B&B後 外面下了沉重的白雪 好險喔！ 我們三人必須同住一間 我恨 我恨 我好恨！ 但是心存感恩 Miki是一位在東京市區的律師 (我總忍不住地回想那一剎那 Miki不斷地揮動在她手上的傳真紙同時抗議著 “這就是保留的證據！” 一再地 多次重覆著) 她的母親是家庭主婦 我與這對母親和女兒的對話必須用一半日語和一半英語 當然他們回話主要是用日文 我發覺比他們知道更多日本的大詞和術語 因此 我必須解釋 並經由使用他們的電子日英字典來證明 頓時出現了小小的自豪感 在我的日文完全生鏽的年代
一年後 我又從一次長程的商務旅行回來了 在美國洛杉磯的門口階梯上 發現了一個大包裹 是Miki 從在東京寄來的聖誕節禮物 我長久遺失的首次愛丁堡記憶回來了 我遲來的聖誕節禮物！
註：這篇文章整整花了我2個月的時間來完成由英文翻譯成中文的版本 如上 在此為延遲感到抱歉
1999, I decided to fly from Los Angeles, my U.S. home base, to England for holidays
When some of associates from all over Asia sending me a couple of assignment requests to Continental and Eastern Europe by emails. At that time, I had already booked my tickets and ready to go. So I turned them all down and explained my vacation schedule to London was set. One email reply said "We have another 2 assignments for you. How about shooting both in London and Edinburgh?...." I wrote back "No way, it is my vacation and time overlapped with my other bookings!" They finally rang me proposing "How about let us know when is your vacation ended? We will just send our men to join you for starting the photo shoot either in London or Edinburgh." "I am sorry, my return (back to Los Angeles) airline tickets will be expired when my journey ends." They showed down without giving up and saying "We pay you. Including all the tickets reimbursement! All right?" I said to the mouthpiece of my phone. "Okay."
Here I was in Edinburgh! The reason I decided to go en rout to Edinburgh after weeks in London areas was I would be coming back here with coworkers for work in 2 weeks. Came up here as a shooting location scouting and to quench my curiosity. Without previous planning, with no accommodation reservation either. No groundwork planning to realize it was the Scottish International Storytelling Festival eve. No hotel room booking in advance by the annual event in October was impossible.
So, I ended up running door to door for soliciting a room along the Princes Street in the Edinburgh New Town, stretching around 1 mile (1.6 km). Somewhere near the Charlotte Square I met Miki and her mom while I was still looking for the vanishing availability of a hotel room. Miki, her mom and the landlord stood at the door of a "Bed & Breakfast" arguing due to language barriers. Miki kept waving a fax copy sheet in her hand and protesting "Here is the evident of the reservation!", repeated over and over. I offered to help them. The whole story was, Miki actually faxed the reservation application form from Japan, the landlord of the B&B in Scotland got it then faxed back to Miki asking for confirmation before their departure, and this Miss Miki saw the "confirmation" wording in the reply fax and thought It was confirmed.
I saved all of them. This time everybody was happy. But the Bed & Breakfast owner had no more room available for any of us. Now everyone, except the owner, was not happy. Thought of "Not-so-good-in-English Miki and her Mom", I could not leave them on their own. I bit the bullet and weeped in my heart, 2 MORE COMPETITORS for The Scarce Precious Room joined my journey now!
The temperature dropped sharply approaching sundown. Our last stop at a hotel, as expected the manager said "I am sorry, no room for you three." Before we left, "Don, maybe you should call one of my relatives up. He runs a B&B up on the hill." he said. "Here is his number, try it. Good luck!"
When we finally checked in the Lovely B&B it snowed heavily outside. That was so close! Three of us had to share a room. I hate it, I hate it, I hate it! But grateful. Miki was a lawyer in downtown Tokyo (I could not help to flash back the way Miki kept waving a fax copy sheet in her hand and protesting "Here is the EVIDENT of the reservation!", repeated over and over.) and her mother was a housewife. I spoke to this Mother-and-Daughter pair in half Japanese and half English while they talked mostly in Japanese. I found out I knew more Japanese big words and terms than them did. So I had to explain, to prove by using their electronic Japanese-English dictionary. The pride which had arisen, even my Japanese was so rusty.
1 year later, I came back from a long business trip. I found a big package of Christmas gift from Miki in Tokyo sitting on my doorstep in Los Angeles, USA. My long lost first Edinburgh memory was back. My belated Christmas' present!
Note: It took me exactly 2 whole months to finish the English-to-Chinese translation version below. Sorry for the delay.
1999年十月 蘇格蘭 下雪
1999年 我決定離開洛杉磯 從我在美國的落腳處 飛到英國度假日
當時一些亞洲同事寄來的一些電子郵件 請求我到歐洲大陸和東歐的任務 那時 我已經定了我的機票和已經準備上路 因此 我全數推辭了他們並解釋我到倫敦的假期日程表早就設定好了 一封電子郵件回覆說 “我們有另外2 個任務給您 去倫敦和愛丁堡兩個城市拍照如何?... 。” 我回信 “不行 我的假期時間與你們的工作行程重疊！” 他們最後直接打了電話給我 提議道 “這樣好了 讓我們知道你的假期結束日期怎麼樣？ 我會派我們的人員跟你會合 再開始照片拍攝 看是在倫敦或愛丁堡都可以” “很抱歉 我的回程 (回到洛杉磯) 機票剛好在我的旅途結束時到期” 他們接下並沒有放棄的打算 並且說 “我們支付你 包括所有機票退款！好不好？” 我對著我電話的受話器說 “好吧”
我來到愛丁堡了！ 在倫敦地區待幾星期以後 我決定繞路去愛丁堡 原因是 在2個星期後我還會與同事為了工作再度回到這裡 先來這裡查看外景地點和餵飽我的求知慾 沒有事先的計劃 也沒有訂房準備 更沒有做功課預習 所以 完全不知道那是蘇格蘭國際故事節日的前夕 在10月份每年一度的節慶期間旅館住客不事先預定是不可能的 所以 我落得只能沿著愛丁堡新鎮的王子街挨家挨戶地尋找住房 從頭到尾連續大約1英哩 (1.6公里長) 當我仍然在尋找旅館客房渺茫的可能性時 就在夏洛特廣場附近我遇見了Miki和她的媽媽 由於語言障礙 Miki 、她的媽媽和房東站在B&B的門口上爭論 Miki不斷地揮動在她手上的傳真紙同時抗議著 “這就是保留的證據！” 一再地 多次重覆著 我主動提供幫助 原委是 Miki的確有從日本傳真了訂房申請表 在蘇格蘭的B&B房東有收到了 然後在他們出發之前再度傳回給Miki 請求確認 因為這位Miki小姐看見了 “確認” 這個字詞在回覆的傳真上就認為都已經確認好
我解救了所有的人 此時大家愉快地鬆了一口氣 但是B&B的老闆沒有多的空房可以給我們住 現在大家 除了老闆之外 大家都變得很不開心 一想到 “英文不太好的Miki和她媽媽這對母女檔” 我決不能獨自留下他們 我死撐硬頂只能在我的心裡落淚 平白生出兩個額外的競爭者來角逐 缺乏的 珍貴的 空房間 出現在我的旅途中！
接近日落時分溫度陡然下降 我們在最後的一家旅館 經理就如預期的說 “我抱歉 我沒有房間可以給你們三位” 就在我們離開之前 “唐 或許你應該打電話給我其中的一個親戚 他在小山上開了一家B&B ” 他誠心地說 “這是他的號碼 試試看 祝你們好運！”
當我們終於入住了可愛無比的B&B後 外面下了沉重的白雪 好險喔！ 我們三人必須同住一間 我恨 我恨 我好恨！ 但是心存感恩 Miki是一位在東京市區的律師 (我總忍不住地回想那一剎那 Miki不斷地揮動在她手上的傳真紙同時抗議著 “這就是保留的證據！” 一再地 多次重覆著) 她的母親是家庭主婦 我與這對母親和女兒的對話必須用一半日語和一半英語 當然他們回話主要是用日文 我發覺比他們知道更多日本的大詞和術語 因此 我必須解釋 並經由使用他們的電子日英字典來證明 頓時出現了小小的自豪感 在我的日文完全生鏽的年代
一年後 我又從一次長程的商務旅行回來了 在美國洛杉磯的門口階梯上 發現了一個大包裹 是Miki 從在東京寄來的聖誕節禮物 我長久遺失的首次愛丁堡記憶回來了 我遲來的聖誕節禮物！
註：這篇文章整整花了我2個月的時間來完成由英文翻譯成中文的版本 如上 在此為延遲感到抱歉
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