37. Back to Norwich 回到诺维克 (Norwich) 1979

{jcomments on}

At the university in Norwich it was the rule that the first and third year students stayed on the campus and the second year students had to find a room in Norwich. Before I left for the summer holiday I found myself a nice room in a student house near the university. But when I came back this room was taken by someone else and I had no place to stay. Luckily I could temporary share a room with a friend. Only this was very awkward when Barbara came on Friday night, staying with the three of us in one room. Therefore I tried to get a room elsewhere as soon as possible. The only places available where rooms in the countryside, far away from the student life. I found a room in a student house about twenty miles from the university. The students in this house were very much living on their own, there was little contact between them.

I am a person who needs people around me, sitting alone in a room in the middle of nowhere makes me restless and very unhappy. Therefore I tried to avoid going to my room. I started to spend even more time with Barbara in London. I went to London on Tuesday afternoon, came back early Thursday morning and went again to London on Friday afternoon and returned to Norwich on Monday morning. This made life easier for Barbara; she didn't have to travel to Norwich any more. We drove together our car from London to Cambridge. But it also meant that I virtually had no social life any more in Norwich. I was therefore very pleased when I got the news that I could get a room at the campus after the Christmas holiday.

Barbara's mother wanted to go to Hong Kong and China for the Christmas holiday to see her family. She asked Barbara to come along. Of course Barbara was very pleased and also wanted to go. Although it meant that we would not see each other for about four weeks, it was an opportunity she did not want to miss. We were so used to each other now, that not seeing each other for such a long time should not be a problem. Also Barbara wanted a change of hairstyle, she wanted long curly hair, and apparently that was the Asian fashion that time. So that Christmas holiday I went to my parents and Barbara went to Hong Kong. I was wondering what Barbara was going to look like when she came back.

回到诺维克(Norwich)
诺维克(Norwich)大学有个规定，一年级和三年级的学生住校，二年级学生在校外Norwich找房子。在放暑假前我已经在离大学很近的一个学生公寓里找到了一间不错的房间。可我回来时发现别人把它租走了，于是我就无家可归了。所幸的是我可以临时和一个朋友同住。只是Barbara周五晚上过来的时候，和我们三个人待在一间房里非常尴尬。因此我得尽快找个地方。 当时只在郊区有空房出租，离学校生活很远。我在离校20英里的学生公寓里找到一间房，那里的学生基本是各自独立生活，彼此几乎没有往来。

我是一个喜欢群居的人。 独自坐在房间里会让我觉得不安与不快乐。因此我尽量不回房间，开始在伦敦和Barbara待更多时间。我周二下午去伦敦，周四上午回来，周五下午我再去伦敦，周一上午回Norwich. 这样安排Barbara就不需要来回奔波这么辛苦。 我们可以一起开车去剑桥。但是这种安排也令我在Norwich几乎没有什么社交生活。所以当我听说可以在圣诞节后在校园内找到房子时开心极了。

Barbara的母亲计划圣诞节放假回香港探亲。她让Barbara同行。 当然Barbara很开心可以回去。尽管我们会有四个星期不能在一起，这次旅行是她不想放弃的好机会。我们已经对方如此熟悉，分开段时间应该不是什么问题。Barbara计划把发型变成长波浪，这当时在亚洲很流行。 那个圣诞假日我回父母家，Barbara去了香港。我很想知道他回来以后是个什么模样。

(Thanks to Natalie for the translation)

Barbara的名信片
Dear Robert,

I have been very busy in these days. Today we all visit to Macau which took us an hour by Fast Boat. Here is very famous of is casino. Anyway, missing you! Dear. I can't come home before 15th. Please don't annoy with me & phone me on 16th evening to London.

Love,
Barbara

亲爱Robert,
这些天我很忙。今天我们去了澳门，做快船一个小时就到了。这里的赌场闻名于世。 我无法在15日前回来。请不要生我的气。 16号晚上打我伦敦的电话。

爱你的Barbara