Currently,peopleingrowingnumbersareseekingtomaketoursinothercountries.Asisvividlyindicatedintheabovechart,thenumbersofforeign-travellingpeopleinXcityhasreachedtomorethan120,000intheyearof2005,comparedwithabout12,000in1995andlessthan40,000in2000.Fromthechart,wecanalsopredictthatthistrendislikelytocontinueinthefollowingyears.
Thereasonsfortheincreasingoftravelingabroadareobviousasfollows.Firstly,asthedevelopmentofpeopleslifestyleandeconomy,theyarerichenoughtoaffordtogotravelabroad.Secondly,theworldhasbecomeasmallvillageastheinformationageandinternetimprove.Thirdly,moreandmorepeopleareinterestedinthecultueofothercountries,thereforetheyareeagertovisitthemintheireyed.
Aswecanseefromthechart,thistrendmentionedabovewillbringlotsofbenefitsforus.Foronething,travelingabroadwillhelpconnectourworldcloselyandenhancethefriendshipbetweencountries.Foranother,touristscanlerangreatamountofexperiencesandcultures,whichwillbeunquestionablybeneficialforourcountriesdevelopment.
Lifehasmany,"thefirst"isalwaysunforgettable.Today,I'mexcitedtotellyouaboutmyfirsttriptobritain.
Lastsummer,myfatherandmotherdecidedtotakemetoEnglandforatrip.Onthatday,wewereontheplaneinHongkong,andmyfathertoldmewehadtoflytoHollandfirstandthentransferthere.Ontheplane,stewardessstewardessisverypolite.Shewillbringusfoodanddrinkforus.WepassengersarelikeGodandenjoythethoughtfulandmeticulousservice.Ontheplane,Iwaseating,drinkingandsleeping.Iwasveryexcitedinmybrain.I'mlookingforwardtomydestinationsoon.
Aftermorethantenhoursofflight,theplanefinallyarrivedatHollandAmsterdaminternationalairport.Afterwegotofftheplane,wewenttoEnglandbyalovelylittleplane.Don'tlookattheplane.It'sverysmallandinside.Ifeelveryluxuriousandcomfortable.Duringtheflight,ourplanewasunsteadyintheairbecauseoftheresistanceoftheairflow.ButI'mstillhappy.BecauseI'llsoonseemyfather'sfriend,uncleMikeandhisfamily.Afteraperiodofflight,oursmallplanefinallylandedatLiverpoolJohnLennonAirportinengland.Mymomanddadcouldn'tspeakEnglishwhenIwasoutofcustoms,andIwastheonlyonetoactastheirinterpreter.It'sverytroublesometogothroughcustoms.Toverifyourpassports,weneedtocoverchapterafterchapter,andalsotopickupourluggage.Afterallthecustomsformalities,weweretiredout.
Wedraggedthetrunkoutoftheairportanddad'sfriend,uncleMike,hadbeenwaitingforusoutside.Suddenly,dadaskedUncleMike,"whattimeisitforyouinEngland?"
UncleMikeimmediatelysaid,"it'sseveninthemorning."!Youhaveworkedhardalltheway!"
Aftergreetingeachotherforawhile,acoachwith7peoplecoulddriveusstraighttouncleMike.UncleMike'swifeisGrace,anativeofHongkong,veryfriendlyandfriendlytopeople.Ihastentocallheraunt.Atthispoint,achildrandownthestairsfromthetwofloor.HeturnedouttobeuncleMike'sson,Kevinmike.ThelittlemanlookedasbigasIwas.Afterseeingus,hetookmebythehandand,likealittleguide,showedmearoundeveryroomofhishouse.Finally,heledmetoaroomandsaid,"myfriend,thisisyourroom."!Youlivehere!"Thelookofhisfacewaslikealittlemaster.Onthemorningofthesecondday,afterbreakfast,myfatherdroveMikeuncle'scar,tookmeandmymotherinLiverpoolCity,tookabigcircle,andvisitedthewholecity.Hereiswhatisforeign,citystreetsareclean,tidy,littleanddaintybuildingsarealsoverybeautiful.Thesmallyardofeveryfamilyisfullofbrightflowers.Thewholecityisquiet,freeofnoiseandfreshair.TheBritishpeopleareverypolitetopeople,andeveryoneseesuswithasmileandregardstous.Itmadeusfeelveryhappy.Thethirdday,wedrovetothesuburbs.Therewesawlargefieldsandsawranches.Onthefarm,thereweregreengrass,strongcows,whitesheep,andstronghorses.Wealsosawflocksofchickens,ducks,geeseandcutepuppies.Ourdayisonafarmtoeatlunch,weeatthedeliciousFrenchfriesandfish,therearemanyunnamedforeignfood,reallyletmyappetite!
Onthefourthday,wewenttoacathedralinthecityforworship.BeforeIwent,IaskedmymothertobuymeaNewJersey,soitmadememorelivelyandenergetic.
Onthefifthday,ourmaintaskistogoshoppinginthebigshoppingmallinthecity.Iboughttwobeautifulcupsanddecidedtoreturntomycousinandcousin.Mymotherboughtanewcaptainarmbandforme.Onthesixthday,myfamilywenttothezoointhecityandwespentawholedayinit.Here,Isawthegiraffeforthefirsttime,sawthebigrhino,sawtheelephant,sawtheboaconstrictor......Ithinkthezoohereisverydifferentfromthezooinourcountry,mainlyinthestyleofthebuilding.Reallyletmeeyes!
Theseventhday,Ididnotgoout,butstayatUncleMike'shome,andhissonplayingtrampolineandgameconsoles.Alltwoofusareboys,andourpersonalitiesaresimilar.Wehavenothingtosay,talkabouteachother,andenjoyourselves!Fromtimetotimetheroomburstintoourhappylaughter.
Ontheeighthday,wefinallyfinishedourtriptoEnglandandleftthebeautifulEnglandforHongkong.Thetwoofusarereluctanttopart.EspeciallyuncleMikeandmysonKevinmikeleftE-mailaddress,sothatwecankeepintouchafterday.MomanddadhavealsoinviteduncleMike'sfamilytocomeandvisitusinHongkong.
WearrivedinNewYorkonascorchingafternoon.Freshoutoftheairport,Ifeltahotaircoming,andwetookoffourcoatsandletsweatandfreedomflow...
Anhourlater,wearrivedatthehotel,loweredtheluggage,andwenttosleep.
AssoonasIgottosleep,myparentscalledmeupandgotintothecarandheadedfortheport.Wewenttothestatueofliberty,abouthalfanhour'sboat,andheardsomeoneShoutingexcitedly:"see!Iseeit!"Asolemnstatuestoodonasmallislandbythesea.Thenameoftheislandislibertyisland.
Thestatueofliberty,whichisabout93metershigh,hasastatueoflibertyinitsheadandafreetorchabouttenmetershigh.ItwasagiftfromFrancetotheUnitedStatesforthecentenary.ItsymbolizesthefreedomoftheAmericanpeople.Hereyeslookedstraightahead,solemnandkind.
Thenextday,wegotupearlyanddroveourrentalcartotheWallStreetcopperbull.WhenIgottothecoppercow,Iwaitedandwaited,soitwasnoteasyformetohavetime.Irushedin,anddadtookthecameraandsnappedalotofphotos.AfterwatchingtheWallStreetbull,wewentstraighttoWallStreet.IlookforwardtogoingtoWallStreet,becausemydreamistobetherichestpersonintheworld.OnthewaytoWallStreet,myheartwouldjumpoutexcitedly,myfatherpretendedtoshakehishead,andthensaidsadly,"it'sverykindofmoneyworship!"
WallStreetisastreetwithsomeveryoldbuildings.Gostraightandyou'llseeastockexchange.IthadanAmericanflagonit.Itwasbeautiful.
Backatthehotel,webrushedourteethandclimbedintobed,andwefellasleep.Mymothercalledmeupinthemorningandwenttothemetropolitanmuseumwithoutagoodbrush.
Themetropolitanmuseumdoesn'tseemlikeabuilding.It'slikeasculptor.Thecarvedobjectsaremagnified.ThefirstflooristheEgyptianpavilion,wheremanyofthestonesarekeptwell,andsomearecoveredwithearth,whichisthoughttohavebeendugout.It'snoteasytoseetheEgyptianpavilion.Wecan'twaittogetuptothesecondfloor.Doyouknowwhy?Becauseit'saChinesepavilion!Onthelaststep,wearetootiredtoasthmahush,Iturnedaround,wewillshineatthemomentimmediatelystrengthincreaseranpast,thatisaplate,embroideredfullofbeautifuldecorativepattern,lookclosely,isadragonandaphoenixcoiledonaplate.Everyonestaredatit,lookingforward,lookingdown.Afteraboutanhour,wefinishedtheChinesepavilion,notwithoutadmiration.Amongthem,oneofmyfavoriteitemsisapieceofsquare,carvedwithagiantBuddhainsideandoutsideareallsmallBuddha,surprisedtoseethatitem,thought,thoughthowgoodhisownage,ancientalsoasgoodasyourself!
Thetimepassedquickly,andsuddenlyitwasdark,andeveryonewasreluctanttoleavethemet.Itseemedlikealongtimeago,Iwokeup,lookedatmywatch,didnotknow,alookofsurprise!It'snineo'clock!Iquicklywokemyfatherandmother,andmyfatherandmotherlaughedandtoldme,"wecangetuplatetoday,sodon'tworry."Afterhalfanhour,everyonehadaleisurelybreakfastandembarkedonatriptoBoston.