好的,贴篇本人的英文散文,不,中式英文散文,2005年作品哦!
Suburban
Author:Sha Yan
When I was living in US, I lived in small cities such as Albany and Santa Clara in California. They are different from city of San Francisco, they are the Silicon Valley Satellites. San Francisco is not a big business city. It is more…, more tourism like city. I liked the metropolitan cable cars from downtown to Fisherman’s Wharf. So I liked Golden Gate bridge seeing from the Pacific coast. San Francisco has a lot of sight for me to see.
I worked in both Berkeley and Milpitas and did not live too far. It was about fifteen minutes drive on the freeway from Santa Clara to my company in Milpitas. Silicon Valley are made of these small towns; and it adapts livings of many high-tech professionals like me rather well in these setting. I enjoyed small city living, suburban living. It avoids the crowd, the traffic and many environmental aspects like large sound of the major cities. Even in the city of San Francisco, the traffic is a big problem. And the pollution and the large sound of the city would not make you appreciate the living.
I have lived in North America for fourteen years and spent much of my time living in Montreal. Montreal has population of nearly three million and its high way facility are among the worst in North America. Even though its living condition are among the best in the world, it is still a crowded and polluted city. And many times, the sound of cars driving around in the city, especially in the downtown area, is annoying. I happened to spend more time living in the suburban area, also the satellite of the city; and I quite enjoy the living in my area. It is the peacefulness and quietness of the environment that I liked the most.
These areas of my living in North America were converted from farms some time ago, before I came to this place. Both Silicon Valley and Montreal country side were farms before. When I was driving in the local roads in Santa Clara, I can see the clear trace of its past. They were some large lands which have not been yet utilized. I can imagine there were corns grown in the farms sometimes in the past. And in Montreal suburb, especially extending to East part of the town, you can see the same. Both in Silicon Valley and in Montreal, there were residential areas with some areas planned from industrial usage.
I enjoyed suburban living. Mainly the environment aspects of the living make me appreciative. In these places, not only you get away from the crowded downtown area and its traffic, the quietness and the fresh air of the suburban area also keeps you a refreshing mind. You can think more, play more in these quiet and peaceful places; then you can appreciate more of your life. They are like country but not the country. It is the living in the place reminds you the beautifulness of life. And more than often in one’s life, it is the life itself has the importance.
Living in suburban area is like drinking fresh water, refreshing and clean. Even though some areas of the suburb is full of plants and businesses. The planned residential area is clear of pollution with ease local traffic. In these days industrial world, the pollutions of the air and water were of our urgent concern. And many of these pollution were caused by the car emission, industrial pollution and water mistreatment. Well, you can not get rid of the pollution, even in the suburb, but you can definitely control it. With our control of the pollution with our industrial standards, the suburban living can be more and more enjoyable.
As I woke up in the morning and brewed me a cup of coffee, sit down in front of my notebook computer, checked my emails and started to write, I took a deep breath and let the fresh air running through my lung. My mind and body was relaxing and refreshing. The air, the water were clean. Enjoyable, I thought. With clear thoughts and refreshing mind, I started to think of living beings and the environment, and many many more of life’s aspect and expectancy. Appreciate it, I would. For the living of my life in these suburban area and my life in general. If it is not your life in concern, what else it can be? I thought. |