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惬意的自然环境
在飞机尚未抵达温哥华之前，我已对温哥华有了一种莫名的期待。或许是因为看过一部电视剧《别了，温哥华》的缘由。
抵达温哥华，大概是当地时间中午十二点多。我拖着行李箱从温哥华国际机场出来，迎面扑来一股清新的泥土香，我原本近乎混沌的头脑被唤醒了。空气的清新程度，在随后的生活中得到了多次证实。譬如，经常伏案码字的我，累了打瞌睡，此时只要打开窗户，深深吸上那么一两口气，户外的清新空气瞬时就可将昏睡的头脑催醒。
从机场开往学校的时候，我发现沿途矗立着大片的树林，朋友告诉我那是原生态的森林，不远处则是连绵不断的雪山，小松鼠在路边蹦来蹦去，全然一派原生态的美丽自然。据了解，温哥华市政府近些年一直在致力于绿色城市的建设，他们每年都会种植大量的树木，且限制树木的砍伐，这些政策措施都维系着这个城市的环保。
“冬天是不是会挺煎熬的？听说加拿大冬天都很冷的。”我问道。“不，温哥华的气候很舒服的。”我从好友KEKE的讲述中了解到，温哥华尽管属于北半球的高纬地区，但它是典型的温带海洋性气候，靠海，有暖流经过，所以冬天不冷，夏天还不热，气候四季宜人，非常适宜人居住。“我在温哥华已待了好几年了，这里的空气特别好，在国内经常发烧感冒的，来这还真没感冒发烧过呢。”KEKE微笑着跟我讲着。
温和的阳光，暖暖地晒在我们的身上。我在KEKE的陪同下享受了温哥华的第一顿晚饭。一看时间，已近八点了，然而阳光依旧不错。
“对了，你以后出门最好戴上一副太阳镜，涂上防晒霜。空气好，紫外线比较强烈，直射，小心晒成小黑脸哦。”KEKE向我叮嘱道。“没那么夸张吧。”我心里这样嘀咕着。后来的日子里，我才意识到好友的这些嘱咐真的很有用。有一天，我随朋友徒步旅行，脸上既未涂防晒霜，也没戴太阳镜，结果晚上回家后发现脖子和脸蛋已是黑白分明的两截。
热情的城市居民
受益于好友一路的导航，我顺利地抵达了自己的住所。之后，KEKE还驱车前往超市帮我买了很多生活必需品，包括大米、油盐酱醋、蔬菜、水果等，东西很重，他逐一帮我搬到了住所。“赶紧休息下吧，调整调整时差。有什么事情，尽管联系我！”这一天，一切都很顺利妥当，我感受到了温哥华人情的暖意。
KEKE是我师姐的一个朋友，在来温哥华之前从未谋面过，仅仅是通过几次电邮。可他却像接待认识多年的老朋友，周到细致地帮我安排好了很多事情。我觉得自己很幸运，也愈发感受到了这个城市的人文温度。
“好好休息了，坐了那么久的飞机，确实有点累了。”嘴巴里轻声嘀咕着。我这才发现自己忘记购买被褥被单了。“这可怎么办呀？”房东很友好，一个中年妇女，她似乎发现了我的这个小麻烦，轻声敲门说：“如果你不介意，这个你可以先用着。”她将家里刚洗过的被单和床单递给我。“谢谢你！”心里一阵暖意，这简直就是雪中送炭啊。常言道，人在异国他乡挺不容易的，孤苦一人，无依无靠。可我初来温哥华，就一次次地体验到了“异国他乡，人情洋溢”。
在温哥华访学将近1个月的时候，我觉得自己还是有必要买个手机。考虑到仅在温哥华生活一年之久，我决定从别人那里买个二手手机。出发之前，我与卖主约好下午两点在市中心SEAR商店门口碰头。不知何故，我在那里等了她一个多小时，还是没有等到，“那位朋友该不会出什么事了吧。”我决定找个公用电话联系下她。“打扰问一下，请问这附近有公用电话亭吗？”我向路人问道。“你笔直走，左拐弯，大概再走10来米路有一个公用电话亭，可以去看看。不过有点远。”
正当我起身走过去的时候，旁边一个老人主动凑上前问：“你是要联系你朋友吗？拿我的手机联系吧。这边的公用电话很多都是坏掉的。”我接过他的手机，连说“谢谢”，并拨通了电话号码。“谢谢你！”我拿出几元加币给他，这是用人家手机应付的酬劳。“不用，我很乐意帮助你，孩子！”他摆摆手，示意不要这个钱，寥寥数语显示着真情。
那一天，不知是凑巧还是咋的，整整一个下午，那个卖主一直没有等到。所以，有了前一次的经验，我决定就向路人借用手机，“您好！可以借用下您的手机吗？我想联系一下朋友。”那些路人均非常友好地借给我使用。而当我在结束通话后要付给他们费用时，他们都说“不用，很乐意帮助你”。这样的类似情景发生了至少三次，且每次都是随机的借用。或许，这已不是简单的个案了。这似乎应该说明些什么了：“良好的人文环境……”为期一年的访学生活，温哥华的城市居民，其温和亲切，平易近人，对于不同族裔人群所表现出来的友好和热情给我留下了难以忘却的印象，也难怪乎查尔斯·狄更斯将其称为“充满希望的福地”。
校园里的特写镜头
2010年5月20日，中午十二点左右，我到学生服务楼买了一片匹萨，打算找个座位阅读电脑里的一些资料。由于手提电脑快没电了，我需要找个靠近插座的位置来使用外接电源。我打量着靠墙的一侧，琢磨着哪个沙发座靠近插座些。
正在这个时候，坐在沙发上的老外主动跟我讲话：“您是在找什么东西吗？丢了东西吗？”我当时觉得挺奇怪的，他怎么会这样问我呢。我回答说：“不是，只是想找个靠近插座的座位学习。”我选择坐在了他旁边的位置上。在跟他交流的过程中，我发现了一个事情。原来这个老外是在等待一名失主，他在这边座位上捡到了一个钱包，里面有若干钱币。“哦，原来是拾金不昧的好学生！”我心里被震荡了一下，由于这个老外下午还有课程，他不得不离开这幢学生服务楼。在离开之前，他拿出一张纸，写上了这样的几排字“I foundawallet with NoID,Have call me if it’s yours between 12:00-2:00 or after 9:00.”再加一个签名。我说：“你赶紧上课去吧，我下午没课，我接替你在这里等失主。”我想，是一股特殊的力量在牵引着我们。
一天傍晚，我骑着单车经过校园的一条小道，不远处，一个头发花白的老妇，背着一个双肩包，手中拿着一本书，悠然徜徉在校园的小道上。我震惊了一下，“哦，终身学习，原来在加拿大已落到实践的程度了。”近些年，我一直很关注国际教育的思潮，知道终身学习的理念正在全球范围内盛行。然而，这就是我第一次看到老年人在校园学习情景时的感慨。“国内的终身学习，与西方发达国家相比，差距实在还是比较大啊。” 访学期间，我又有幸认识了在英属哥伦比亚大学学习的老年人。比如Jack，我在学习中心认识的一个朋友，现正在修读英属哥伦比亚大学的环保课程。Jack告诉我，英属哥伦比亚大学早在90年代就开始向老年人开放很多课程，比如他现在修读的环保课程就是完全免学费的，唯一需要花钱的就是自己要买些与课程相关的书籍。Jack希望自己组建一个团队，能够创办太阳能发电公司。他谈到了自己的创业梦想，也跟我交流着他的实施方案。他的具体年龄，其实我并不清楚，出于对别人的尊重，我自始至终也没有问过他的年龄。然而，花白的头发、脸上的皱纹以及言语中的丰富经历，告诉我他至少已经60多岁了。一个年已花甲的老人，那样富有激情地实践着他的人生梦想，我真的有所触动了。当问及创业理由时，他说：“我希望自己依旧能为社会创造些价值，比如太阳能发电，绿色环保。”
梦想，在这个老年人心中没有停滞……而这，不是一个特殊的例子，我碰到了太多类似的个案。对此，我不禁无限感怀。在这里，每个人都找到了自己的座标，每个人都活出了自己的精彩。温哥华，一个让梦想起飞的地方，一个令梦想实现的地方。
链接：
作者毕业于华东师范大学，曾经在加拿大英属哥伦比亚大学做访问学者一年，还多次走访和考察美国纽约、洛杉矶等多个城市的世界著名大学。
My Impressions
of Vancouver
By Zhao Fengbo
I was looking forward to seeing Vancouver before my flight reached the city on the other side of the Pacific Ocean. The pulsating eagerness in my heart could probably be ascribed to “Farewell, Vancouver,” a 2004 television drama I had watched.
It was about 12 AM local time when I reached Vancouver. As I stepped out from the airport dragging the baggage, the fresh air made me take a deep breath. It was so enticing and enlivening. My head was cleared immediately. The freshness of the air in Vancouver is something real, physical and convincing. During the year I stayed in Vancouver, taking a deep breath of the fresh and crisp air was always a great relief from my daily routine.
On my way from the airport to the school, I found the streets were lined with woods. To my surprise, I learned that these were original forests. Behind the woods towered snow-capped mountains; squirrels could be seen along here and there. I was informed that thanks to a series of policies of the city government, Vancouver now gives priority to forestation and does its best to maintain the green coverage. Would the winter be gruesomely cold? My misgivings vanished when my friend Ke Ke’s replied that Vancouver enjoys an ocean climate with a mild winter.
My first dinner in Vancouver was pleasant. Ke Ke and I dined in a local restaurant. When we walked out of the restaurant, it was already eight o’clock in the evening, but sunlight was still strong.
Ke Ke cautioned me against the possible harms of sunlight in Vancouver, warning that I would need a pair of sunglasses and use sun cream whenever I would go outside. I did not take his warning seriously at first. I soon paid for my carelessness. At the end of a day’s hiking with a friend, I found my face and neck had two distinct colors.
Ke Ke was a friend of my classmate. Before I came to Vancouver, we had established contact through email. But he made all the necessary arrangements for me. He picked me up at the airport, drove me to the school, and helped me buy all the necessities at a shopping mall. When I found I had forgotten to buy bed sheets, the mid-aged landlady seemed to have known my difficulty in advance. She came to my door, knocked and offered to lend me a set of sheets if I did not mind. I was touched by the friendliness and generosity. Before a month had elapsed in Vancouver, I decided to buy a cellphone. After all, I would stay in the city for another 11 months. I decided to buy a second-hand cellphone and made an appointment with the seller. We had arranged to meet in front of Sears in downtown at two o’clock in the afternoon. I waited for more than an hour but the seller did not show. I tried to use a public phone to call him. I asked a passerby where I could find a public phone. Someone gave me detailed information on the nearest public phone. An old man offered to let me use his cellphone saying that many public phones in the downtown were out of order. I made the call and offered to pay, the old man declined saying he was very glad to help. Unfortunately, the seller did not show up that whole afternoon. I asked a few passersby if they would be so kind to let me use their cellphone to make a call. They all agreed to let me use their phones and they all declined my payment. I was deeply impressed with the generosity and kindness.
One day in May 2010, I went to a student service on the campus. I wanted to find a seat where I could use my notebook computer while recharging it. Someone asked me if I had lost something. It turned out that he had found a wallet and had been waiting for the owner to turn up. The owner did not come back. As he needed to take a class in the afternoon, he wrote a small note: “I found a wallet with no ID. Call me between 12:00-2:00 or after 9:00 if it’s yours.” I offered to wait there on his behalf in the afternoon in case the owner would turn up.
Then one day I was biking on the campus when I noticed an old woman with silver hair walking on a path. She carried a backpack and had a book in her hand. I was shocked when I realized that she was a student of the school. She stood for the practice of lifelong education in Canada. I had been paying attention to the trends in international education and known that lifelong education was all the rage over the world. It was the first time I spotted a golden-age citizen on the campus. China had a long way to go in lifelong education, I concluded.
I got to know a few old students at the University of British Columbia. Jack was taking an environmental protection course at the University of British Columbia. He told me that the university had opened some free courses to senior citizens since the 1990s. The course he was taking was free but he needed to buy some books. Talking about his purpose, he said he hoped to form a team and start a solar energy company. He even talked about details of his future entrepreneurial startup. Out of respect, I did not ask how old he was, but he looked like in his 60s.
在飞机尚未抵达温哥华之前，我已对温哥华有了一种莫名的期待。或许是因为看过一部电视剧《别了，温哥华》的缘由。
抵达温哥华，大概是当地时间中午十二点多。我拖着行李箱从温哥华国际机场出来，迎面扑来一股清新的泥土香，我原本近乎混沌的头脑被唤醒了。空气的清新程度，在随后的生活中得到了多次证实。譬如，经常伏案码字的我，累了打瞌睡，此时只要打开窗户，深深吸上那么一两口气，户外的清新空气瞬时就可将昏睡的头脑催醒。
从机场开往学校的时候，我发现沿途矗立着大片的树林，朋友告诉我那是原生态的森林，不远处则是连绵不断的雪山，小松鼠在路边蹦来蹦去，全然一派原生态的美丽自然。据了解，温哥华市政府近些年一直在致力于绿色城市的建设，他们每年都会种植大量的树木，且限制树木的砍伐，这些政策措施都维系着这个城市的环保。
“冬天是不是会挺煎熬的？听说加拿大冬天都很冷的。”我问道。“不，温哥华的气候很舒服的。”我从好友KEKE的讲述中了解到，温哥华尽管属于北半球的高纬地区，但它是典型的温带海洋性气候，靠海，有暖流经过，所以冬天不冷，夏天还不热，气候四季宜人，非常适宜人居住。“我在温哥华已待了好几年了，这里的空气特别好，在国内经常发烧感冒的，来这还真没感冒发烧过呢。”KEKE微笑着跟我讲着。
温和的阳光，暖暖地晒在我们的身上。我在KEKE的陪同下享受了温哥华的第一顿晚饭。一看时间，已近八点了，然而阳光依旧不错。
“对了，你以后出门最好戴上一副太阳镜，涂上防晒霜。空气好，紫外线比较强烈，直射，小心晒成小黑脸哦。”KEKE向我叮嘱道。“没那么夸张吧。”我心里这样嘀咕着。后来的日子里，我才意识到好友的这些嘱咐真的很有用。有一天，我随朋友徒步旅行，脸上既未涂防晒霜，也没戴太阳镜，结果晚上回家后发现脖子和脸蛋已是黑白分明的两截。
热情的城市居民
受益于好友一路的导航，我顺利地抵达了自己的住所。之后，KEKE还驱车前往超市帮我买了很多生活必需品，包括大米、油盐酱醋、蔬菜、水果等，东西很重，他逐一帮我搬到了住所。“赶紧休息下吧，调整调整时差。有什么事情，尽管联系我！”这一天，一切都很顺利妥当，我感受到了温哥华人情的暖意。
KEKE是我师姐的一个朋友，在来温哥华之前从未谋面过，仅仅是通过几次电邮。可他却像接待认识多年的老朋友，周到细致地帮我安排好了很多事情。我觉得自己很幸运，也愈发感受到了这个城市的人文温度。
“好好休息了，坐了那么久的飞机，确实有点累了。”嘴巴里轻声嘀咕着。我这才发现自己忘记购买被褥被单了。“这可怎么办呀？”房东很友好，一个中年妇女，她似乎发现了我的这个小麻烦，轻声敲门说：“如果你不介意，这个你可以先用着。”她将家里刚洗过的被单和床单递给我。“谢谢你！”心里一阵暖意，这简直就是雪中送炭啊。常言道，人在异国他乡挺不容易的，孤苦一人，无依无靠。可我初来温哥华，就一次次地体验到了“异国他乡，人情洋溢”。
在温哥华访学将近1个月的时候，我觉得自己还是有必要买个手机。考虑到仅在温哥华生活一年之久，我决定从别人那里买个二手手机。出发之前，我与卖主约好下午两点在市中心SEAR商店门口碰头。不知何故，我在那里等了她一个多小时，还是没有等到，“那位朋友该不会出什么事了吧。”我决定找个公用电话联系下她。“打扰问一下，请问这附近有公用电话亭吗？”我向路人问道。“你笔直走，左拐弯，大概再走10来米路有一个公用电话亭，可以去看看。不过有点远。”
正当我起身走过去的时候，旁边一个老人主动凑上前问：“你是要联系你朋友吗？拿我的手机联系吧。这边的公用电话很多都是坏掉的。”我接过他的手机，连说“谢谢”，并拨通了电话号码。“谢谢你！”我拿出几元加币给他，这是用人家手机应付的酬劳。“不用，我很乐意帮助你，孩子！”他摆摆手，示意不要这个钱，寥寥数语显示着真情。
那一天，不知是凑巧还是咋的，整整一个下午，那个卖主一直没有等到。所以，有了前一次的经验，我决定就向路人借用手机，“您好！可以借用下您的手机吗？我想联系一下朋友。”那些路人均非常友好地借给我使用。而当我在结束通话后要付给他们费用时，他们都说“不用，很乐意帮助你”。这样的类似情景发生了至少三次，且每次都是随机的借用。或许，这已不是简单的个案了。这似乎应该说明些什么了：“良好的人文环境……”为期一年的访学生活，温哥华的城市居民，其温和亲切，平易近人，对于不同族裔人群所表现出来的友好和热情给我留下了难以忘却的印象，也难怪乎查尔斯·狄更斯将其称为“充满希望的福地”。
校园里的特写镜头
2010年5月20日，中午十二点左右，我到学生服务楼买了一片匹萨，打算找个座位阅读电脑里的一些资料。由于手提电脑快没电了，我需要找个靠近插座的位置来使用外接电源。我打量着靠墙的一侧，琢磨着哪个沙发座靠近插座些。
正在这个时候，坐在沙发上的老外主动跟我讲话：“您是在找什么东西吗？丢了东西吗？”我当时觉得挺奇怪的，他怎么会这样问我呢。我回答说：“不是，只是想找个靠近插座的座位学习。”我选择坐在了他旁边的位置上。在跟他交流的过程中，我发现了一个事情。原来这个老外是在等待一名失主，他在这边座位上捡到了一个钱包，里面有若干钱币。“哦，原来是拾金不昧的好学生！”我心里被震荡了一下，由于这个老外下午还有课程，他不得不离开这幢学生服务楼。在离开之前，他拿出一张纸，写上了这样的几排字“I foundawallet with NoID,Have call me if it’s yours between 12:00-2:00 or after 9:00.”再加一个签名。我说：“你赶紧上课去吧，我下午没课，我接替你在这里等失主。”我想，是一股特殊的力量在牵引着我们。
一天傍晚，我骑着单车经过校园的一条小道，不远处，一个头发花白的老妇，背着一个双肩包，手中拿着一本书，悠然徜徉在校园的小道上。我震惊了一下，“哦，终身学习，原来在加拿大已落到实践的程度了。”近些年，我一直很关注国际教育的思潮，知道终身学习的理念正在全球范围内盛行。然而，这就是我第一次看到老年人在校园学习情景时的感慨。“国内的终身学习，与西方发达国家相比，差距实在还是比较大啊。” 访学期间，我又有幸认识了在英属哥伦比亚大学学习的老年人。比如Jack，我在学习中心认识的一个朋友，现正在修读英属哥伦比亚大学的环保课程。Jack告诉我，英属哥伦比亚大学早在90年代就开始向老年人开放很多课程，比如他现在修读的环保课程就是完全免学费的，唯一需要花钱的就是自己要买些与课程相关的书籍。Jack希望自己组建一个团队，能够创办太阳能发电公司。他谈到了自己的创业梦想，也跟我交流着他的实施方案。他的具体年龄，其实我并不清楚，出于对别人的尊重，我自始至终也没有问过他的年龄。然而，花白的头发、脸上的皱纹以及言语中的丰富经历，告诉我他至少已经60多岁了。一个年已花甲的老人，那样富有激情地实践着他的人生梦想，我真的有所触动了。当问及创业理由时，他说：“我希望自己依旧能为社会创造些价值，比如太阳能发电，绿色环保。”
梦想，在这个老年人心中没有停滞……而这，不是一个特殊的例子，我碰到了太多类似的个案。对此，我不禁无限感怀。在这里，每个人都找到了自己的座标，每个人都活出了自己的精彩。温哥华，一个让梦想起飞的地方，一个令梦想实现的地方。
链接：
作者毕业于华东师范大学，曾经在加拿大英属哥伦比亚大学做访问学者一年，还多次走访和考察美国纽约、洛杉矶等多个城市的世界著名大学。
My Impressions
of Vancouver
By Zhao Fengbo
I was looking forward to seeing Vancouver before my flight reached the city on the other side of the Pacific Ocean. The pulsating eagerness in my heart could probably be ascribed to “Farewell, Vancouver,” a 2004 television drama I had watched.
It was about 12 AM local time when I reached Vancouver. As I stepped out from the airport dragging the baggage, the fresh air made me take a deep breath. It was so enticing and enlivening. My head was cleared immediately. The freshness of the air in Vancouver is something real, physical and convincing. During the year I stayed in Vancouver, taking a deep breath of the fresh and crisp air was always a great relief from my daily routine.
On my way from the airport to the school, I found the streets were lined with woods. To my surprise, I learned that these were original forests. Behind the woods towered snow-capped mountains; squirrels could be seen along here and there. I was informed that thanks to a series of policies of the city government, Vancouver now gives priority to forestation and does its best to maintain the green coverage. Would the winter be gruesomely cold? My misgivings vanished when my friend Ke Ke’s replied that Vancouver enjoys an ocean climate with a mild winter.
My first dinner in Vancouver was pleasant. Ke Ke and I dined in a local restaurant. When we walked out of the restaurant, it was already eight o’clock in the evening, but sunlight was still strong.
Ke Ke cautioned me against the possible harms of sunlight in Vancouver, warning that I would need a pair of sunglasses and use sun cream whenever I would go outside. I did not take his warning seriously at first. I soon paid for my carelessness. At the end of a day’s hiking with a friend, I found my face and neck had two distinct colors.
Ke Ke was a friend of my classmate. Before I came to Vancouver, we had established contact through email. But he made all the necessary arrangements for me. He picked me up at the airport, drove me to the school, and helped me buy all the necessities at a shopping mall. When I found I had forgotten to buy bed sheets, the mid-aged landlady seemed to have known my difficulty in advance. She came to my door, knocked and offered to lend me a set of sheets if I did not mind. I was touched by the friendliness and generosity. Before a month had elapsed in Vancouver, I decided to buy a cellphone. After all, I would stay in the city for another 11 months. I decided to buy a second-hand cellphone and made an appointment with the seller. We had arranged to meet in front of Sears in downtown at two o’clock in the afternoon. I waited for more than an hour but the seller did not show. I tried to use a public phone to call him. I asked a passerby where I could find a public phone. Someone gave me detailed information on the nearest public phone. An old man offered to let me use his cellphone saying that many public phones in the downtown were out of order. I made the call and offered to pay, the old man declined saying he was very glad to help. Unfortunately, the seller did not show up that whole afternoon. I asked a few passersby if they would be so kind to let me use their cellphone to make a call. They all agreed to let me use their phones and they all declined my payment. I was deeply impressed with the generosity and kindness.
One day in May 2010, I went to a student service on the campus. I wanted to find a seat where I could use my notebook computer while recharging it. Someone asked me if I had lost something. It turned out that he had found a wallet and had been waiting for the owner to turn up. The owner did not come back. As he needed to take a class in the afternoon, he wrote a small note: “I found a wallet with no ID. Call me between 12:00-2:00 or after 9:00 if it’s yours.” I offered to wait there on his behalf in the afternoon in case the owner would turn up.
Then one day I was biking on the campus when I noticed an old woman with silver hair walking on a path. She carried a backpack and had a book in her hand. I was shocked when I realized that she was a student of the school. She stood for the practice of lifelong education in Canada. I had been paying attention to the trends in international education and known that lifelong education was all the rage over the world. It was the first time I spotted a golden-age citizen on the campus. China had a long way to go in lifelong education, I concluded.
I got to know a few old students at the University of British Columbia. Jack was taking an environmental protection course at the University of British Columbia. He told me that the university had opened some free courses to senior citizens since the 1990s. The course he was taking was free but he needed to buy some books. Talking about his purpose, he said he hoped to form a team and start a solar energy company. He even talked about details of his future entrepreneurial startup. Out of respect, I did not ask how old he was, but he looked like in his 60s.