湖边小雷-lakeshore
Readings & Translations
【小镇意境】 01 （奔向无处） Title of the works: 01 A Story of a 
【小镇意境】01（奔向无处）
-An overnight escape to the town – Niagara-on-the-lake
A Story of a Small Town
Pitching the story,
“Do you know the ‘Niagara-on-the-lakes’?” what to see the next? people will say to you at the falls, It is Very English. Takes about 10 minutes, you will enter this unique town, see the life, culture and the tradition totally differed from the modern life in the city.
“A Story of a small town” is a journal based on the memory of a short trip . It consists of some elements of his random thoughts and feelings in separate titles to give readers the fresh impression with narrative description of a visit to a small town called “Niagara-on-the-lakes” bordered southern Ontario Canada.
The story is personal. Readers can feel as the author see, how an immigrant, brand new to the country, sees from his eyes at the town. It might attract the people who want to know how the new comers see the new land, and its life of a small town. From the perspective of their own culture back ground.
The writer is a bloggerist just moved to Canada in 2004 from China.
213 words
Wednesday, April 02, 2008 John Lakeshore
【小镇意境】01 （奔向无处） An overnight escape to the town – Niagara-on-the-lake
An overnight escape to the town – Niagara-on-the-lake
City-dwellers are crazy for running out of the towns and cities, speed their vehicles, or by fastest means, yet, returned with a dream of going out hopefully very soon again.
Me, too! Out of no where and all of sudden, decided to give my self a treat to go out with my other-self. Actually, not sure what I am looking for, and attracted by an "overnight escape" from where I belong, the most successful "slogan" and "clichés" in the hospitality business, as I thought.
Off, we rode, at about 120Km, on the high way, speeding away from the town I live…..
Those on top of the questions list you encountered with when or where ever in life, the one like: where you find hard to dig out.
At second level, I would like to put it this way, that people escape for a time being from their life, setting off they go as they can choose to some places they may think can give them hints for the life essentials.
Human are luckier than others, they can choose to escape from their life, no matter they like it or not. There is argument then, animals travel too, even greater in distance. However they are not act on same instinct as men. Some times, people may be puzzled been asked why you here and there? In avoiding answering it too complicated, they give their stories vague, something bigger or in too much details.
The temptation of exploring the mysteries of a nice small town has been growing ever since (daily?) on my mind. Niagara-on-the-lake, the name itself is already quite alluring; it is so unique to spell the name in that way. - A country church in the country road
Just after we get off the highway, we caught sight of a country church in the mid of the field. The moment I pulled my car into a parking lot, I noticed it was a country church, with nothing else around in fields in miles sight, but not very tall, as people may imagine. A business looking like place for small conference was in the mass of greenness. The plain looking church looks small, and with a stand on a stone base says a place for people do the Sunday worship, and times for opening. A summer landscape in its deep green stretched out endlessly, under the sunshine, to my vision can reach, till the edge of the land and sky. Three elderly women, and an aged gentleman just walked out from Sunday Worship maybe, with happy smiles in the eyes, very kindly looking at me. Then an old lady in her 70's appointed me the way leads to the town.
- Wineries At roadside Next moment, I was embraced all the way into the vast green on both sides of the road feeling like sailing on a sea, so green and deep.. Winery industry is as old as this small town, the legend traced way back into history. Nothing can be disvalued with those famous one from France, as people would say when wine is in topic, however, with the local pride of the specialty about this wine is revealed by its name, made from carefully picked grapes when frozen, this wine is so rich in flavor and so expensive to the table.
As drove by, my mind was fascinated by the legacy of the Ontario wine industry. If you stop at one of wineries, more then often will be offered to have a free wine-taste in their roadside MART, normally colorfully decorated and nicely displayed in their home-traditions told from generations back. It well showcased of the wine story.
I could not wait any minutes longer; I drove back on to the road with this Niagara-on-the-lake on my mind.....
A Friendly conversation with an elder-man, in Town People varied in choosing their destinations for a vacation or a night escape from their daily life. There are places like Shanghai, the famous economical town developed from a fishing village, and ancient capital like Hong-Zhou in China late became tourist place with Lakeview. Among them, I belong to those who love smaller places.
Traveling to a smaller place lands you chances of having a comfortable conversations to know unknown stories left in my mind, even stronger the impression, and more human than only scenery pictures.
People never forget their stories. Guess this is what history is about. For me, the most remembered stories are not from text-books or books of history, but from the people's talks, interesting ones are always my desire on trips. I was lucky this time too, I met an old man met just few minutes after I parked and walking towards to the town.
Few steps away form the parking-lot I sighted an aged gentleman standing along the side walk. From his move, I guess him about 70-80 of age; I spoke to my self, right now, the chance to start a conversation with him; "Good afternoon, Sir, Such a lovely day, isn't it?" I started with my planning in my mind.
"We from far distance to see this famous town" this is my breaking introduction,
"This is our first vacation in Canada; I use this as to give our background;
"From how far did you come from?" He asked,
"From China" I was waiting his next question, not to my big surprise,
He followed with this: "Which part of it?"
"Shanghai, the city in the mid part of China, East Coast…"
Then I changed the topic with my purpose, "Sir, Why people come from far away to see this town? Could you please, let us know the biggest story that made this small town so famous?"
The War and the Town - -"The biggest story of the town is this town was a capital of "lower Canada Place" during the war between Canada and America in late 17th" And since then, the town became so famous, and people lived here and reserved same style as much as it was, and so…"
"Yeah"? I was thinking something……., "But our city changed a great deal, the city, and the country, China is becoming a number two car-market now in the world". He nodded to agree.
"Oh I knew the place; I had been to this city when in 1979…." He said, "There was no Taxi, in the city…'
"That's important year," I said, the moment I was searching what to mention
What we talked later really surprised me. What he said to me made me feel he had quite closely related with my home country, it is still among one of the interested focus of attention in his mind.
The "Red Army Route" there was a young lady doctor that we worked with was trying to tour the road of the "Long-march' that well-know as it is in the history of modern China. At this moment, I was little too excited to catch the rest part of conversation or I found no way to carry the conversation further as to discuss more. Red Army" did Long-march in the past. I told him that we were raised from hearing the stories, about the famous Canadian doctor "Bethune". - What he said remind me something deep in my mind. My mind was buried in curiosity of his interests and stories of the town.
"I lived in Toronto, and came weekly for the week end…. My neighbor in Toronto is still in Beijing working for "CPC" business of investing in China…" Why he stopped the conversation all of sudden? Puzzling, and I was in lost. He looks very kindly, and very intellectual with a pair of glass on in his 70's and the way he speaks fast still, and with a strong accent, maybe British, I hate myself can not remember his name, his voice is still in my mind when I looked him turning to his way back…slowly.
It is so nice start for a warm afternoon, and the conversation I had in the first moment of entering this ancient town even related to a topic so faraway and distance back in the history. Thinking the histories both the used-to-be capital of Canada and talk with a local Canadian elder asking about home country really made it fascinating.
Shanghai, 1979, Niagara-on-the-lake, China, Red-Army, Doctor白," and his voice was repeating in my mind, aimlessly, as I walked along the roadside towards the street of the Town……. Guessing this is the secret of the trip exciting for the people with bicultural back ground.
To be continued……
1,791 words English journal 2007, E-writing,
约翰雷K Shaw
Posted to 北美文学社 美语世界 于（ 2008 初春 三月 十九 ）
Edited from version written during February 2007
