2014-11-02

【Aiden in English】

        I've traveled the world multiple times, seeing things that most of my peers only dream of and experiencing things that most of my friends won't even understand. Yet, through my travels, I have never paid much attention to the wonders right under my nose. I have never considered a trip to Mexico because I don't put the USA's neighboring country on my priority list. Oh, why can't I be any stupider?

        Due to National Election Day, my family was taking a four-day getaway to Cancun, Mexico. When Mom unraveled the plans for the trip during the plane ride, I realized that these four days were going to be packed. I was extremely jealous that my sister and grandma got to chill all day in a five-star resort called the Beloved Hotel of Playa Mujeres while Mom and I were dehydrating in the Yucatan desert in the middle of nowhere. On the bright side, I am technically learning, so I'll be excused from school for Fall break.

        I was so anxious to see what the five-star resort had to offer. However, I was left with an hour's wait at the reception due to the incorrect information that Expedia had generated. I had to walk around the fancy entrance and watch my sis wander about while Mom got all serious and seemed like "You pay, or I sue". After a while, Grandma and I switched positions, and I finally took a break from babysitting. By that time, Mom had already spoken with Expedia's manager. Mom had entered my sis and my age on the website. Expedia's data system made an error, saying that we were infants at two. If that were the case, I would probably be the smartest infant the world had ever seen. That little mistake changed the price by a whole lot. And when I meant a whole lot, I meant at least $400 differently from the same room. Mom was ensuring those bucks weren't coming out of her pocket. It was not the way to start this getaway.

【紅霞譯】

        我一直馬不停蹄地浪跡天涯，見識了許多同伴夢寐以求的東西，嘗試過廣大朋友渴望體會的經歷。然而，我胸懷世界卻偏偏沒有將視線聚焦在眼皮底下的美景奇觀，直白地說，我並未把鄰國墨西哥“月球的肚臍”納入本人出行計劃上來，哦真夠傻的，何苦捨近求遠呢？

        藉助十一月初美國中期選舉日之秋風，我家老少三代南下墨西哥直搗坎昆“蛇窩”，開始為期四天觀光渡假。飛行途中，當媽媽部署行程方案，我意識到這四天所肩負的任務艱巨、使命光榮、責任重大，禁不住妒嫉身邊的小妹，打心裡羨慕同行的外婆，她倆隨意賦閒五星級度假村──女士海灘的寵兒酒店吃香的喝辣的玩歡的，飽享悠然自得；而我得汗流浹背，跟着媽媽在前不着村後不着店的尤卡坦“富饒之地”荒漠上來回奔波。當然，從樂觀的角度來看，我盡可開拓眼界，為歡度秋假找出翹課逃學的理由。

        我巴不得趕緊見識一下這個五星級酒店套房，但出乎意料地，我反被卡在登記接待處，白白耗掉了個把鐘頭。原來媽媽使用的“億客行”網站出現了故障，結果害得我陪着妹妹在酒店大廳里東遊西盪，而媽媽不得不進行交涉，氣氛十分嚴肅，大有“要麼你承擔後果，要麼我找你算賬”之勢。過了一會兒，多虧外婆前來接班，我才暫時卸掉做保姆的差事。就在此時，媽媽已跟“億客行”主管經理交流了意見。預定酒店時，她肯定輸入了我和妹妹的實際年齡；然而，“億客行”數據庫卻顯示兄妹倆同為兩歲，如果真是那樣，恐怕我將成為全球最聰穎的嬰孩。因為年齡不同，酒店的收費區別很大，這裡我所說的“大”意指驚人數字，同樣的房間兩者差額至少超過400美金，媽媽希望確保這筆費用不該由我們支付，以這種方式拉開逍遙遊序幕，完全不是我們所期待的。

Today in History(歷史上的今天):

2012: “桑迪”過後的萬聖節(Halloween Post-Sandy)

PHL to CUN (飛往坎昆的費城“兄弟情誼”機場)

Walt Whitman Bridge over the Delaware River, Philadelphia

(費城——橫跨特拉華河上以美國自由體詩之父命名的沃爾特·惠特曼“軍隊領袖·白人”大橋)

US Airway 805 from PHL to CUN

(全美航空公司805次航班·從費城到坎昆飛行途中 11-02-2014)

Balcony @ Beloved Playa Mujeres 

(心愛女人灘度假村·陽台 11-02-2014)

All-Inclusive @ Beloved Playa Mujeres

(心愛女人灘度假村·全包服務 11-02-2014)

Aroma Italian Restaurant @ Beloved Playa Mujeres

(心愛女人灘度假村·香氣意大利餐廳 11-02-2014)

Mexican Guitarrón @ Beloved Playa Mujeres

(心愛女人灘度假村·墨西哥大吉他 11-02-2014)

Crosslinks(相關博文):

Mexico(出遊墨西哥)

航游加勒比海(Caribbean)

6th Grade(初中一年級)