姜曼 作品集/MAN JIANG-portfolio book

姜曼 作品集/MAN JIANG Portfolio Book 目录/CONTENTS 

P2: 南威尔士：一个男孩、诗人和酒鬼的故乡- 《人物》/South Wales: home of a boy, poet and drunkard, Portrait

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P11: 他们用 27 分钟量遍江泽民全身-《博客天下》/27 minutes sitting with Chinese former president Jiang Zemin, Blogweekly

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P22: 我的秘密自由-《人物》/My Stealthy Freedom - freedom of Iranian women, Portrait

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P30: 问地球 30 人|马希赫•阿琳娜嘉德：想请总统戴上面纱过日子-《人物》/Global 30 Interview: Masih Alinejad wishes the president a life with hijab, Portrait

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P37: More than loss of a young generation - Welsh sheep farming, Life360

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P41: Tracking the scenes: through the screen & streets - Welsh film tourism, Life360

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P47: How does a “blue” gay app surf the wave of pink economy? - Life360

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P52: Gay dating Apps: friends, sex, love and what else? - Life360

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P56: A key to heaven‟s door – life story of a woman and her guide dog - Life360

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P62: A Welsh traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, Life360

VIRTUAL REALITY TRAVEL PROJECT/虚拟旅游系列深度报道

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P64: Virtual travel: journey to the impossible

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P72: Augmenting cultural tourism with mobile technology

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P77: Alternative pilgrimage: “being there” means a lot

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P83: I‟m a running snail

All text copyrights owned by Man Jiang 1

本文首发于《人物》2015 年 1 月号

到处走走 | 南威尔士 一个男孩、酒鬼和诗人的故乡 2015-01-17 人物

文|姜曼 编辑|赵立 鲁韵子

英国的秋天，总是伴随淅淅沥沥的小雨，它们可以肆意流连南威尔士长 达一两周。这样的天气让人烦躁，而当地人早就习以为常，阴雨绵绵的 气候，似乎还特别浇灌出他们心中别具一格的浪漫情怀，雨中漫步的比 比皆是，撑伞的屈指可数。

这样飘着雨的早晨，我走进拉恩小镇圣玛丽教堂前的墓园。在一大片黑 压压的墓碑中，毫不费力地找到了那个显眼的白色十字架。雨珠晶莹， 顺着黑色刻字的纹路缓慢下滑。我摸了摸，微凉。

这里沉睡着威尔士诗人狄兰·托马斯（Dylan Thomas，1914—1953）。 他被认为是继奥登之后，英国的又一位重要诗人，是威尔士的代表性人 物之一。摇滚教父鲍勃·狄兰的姓氏，就是为纪念他而改。

我把一束白菊摆放在十字架前的一堆鲜花旁，心中默念「生日快乐」— 再过两周就是狄兰的百年诞辰。站在墓前眺望四周，牧场像暗绿色的地 毯，随山势起伏铺张，远处的羊群则变成一个个灰白色的小点，像散落 在地毯上的毛线球。我听不见风的悸动，却能感觉到秋的寒意见缝插针 地在草地上穿行。灰色的云层压着树梢，在更远的地方它变得明亮温柔， 咧开嘴让阳光倾泻下来。

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像威尔士吸食鸦片的人，在天堂半睡半醒

乘火车沿南威尔士沿海干线到卡玛森郡，然后驱车 20 分钟，就到了拉 恩镇，狄兰结婚后定居在这里。

诗人曾把拉恩描述为「威尔士最奇怪的小镇」。20 世纪 30 年代的拉恩， 是一个被威尔士语包围的英语小镇，主要居民是威尔士人后裔，混杂着 欧洲其他一些国家的血液。镇上居民安守一方乐土，没有乘风破浪的雄 心，豪情大多贡献给了镇上的酒吧。端着酒杯，敞开怀聊八卦、发牢骚 的画面，是威尔士小镇最普通的生活日常。在狄兰眼里，安享这份平淡 的拉恩人「像威尔士吸食鸦片的人，在天堂半睡半醒」。

即使是 19、20 世纪席卷欧洲的工业化浪潮，也没有为拉恩带来产业性 的转变。近年来拉恩致力于发展文化旅游业，外来游客渐多，但当地人 生活如故，仿佛现代化、全球化的巨手在这里失去了魔力。

我拜访了狄兰的老粉丝、拉恩镇长鲍勃·斯蒂文斯（Bob Stevens）。这 个土生土长的 68 岁威尔士农民，带着他 18 岁的小狗「皮皮」，开一辆 老旧的银灰色小车来接我。车里灰扑扑的，狗的味道很呛鼻。

他把我载到狄兰最后的居所船屋（Boathouse）。这是一栋白墙黑顶的 三层小楼，紧依塔夫河畔的矮崖而建。当年，好奇的邻居会透过窗帘， 偷偷瞥一眼穿紫色居家服的托马斯夫人，或者看看她的丈夫，那个会只 穿一件睡衣和一层外套，就一路小跑下山，去公用水龙头接水的「作家」。 3

狄兰有时在船屋写作，更多的时候则把自己锁在不远处海边的写作棚里。 每每写下几行诗，他总喜欢大声朗诵出来，过往的行人听了，以为里边 住着一个疯子。

在这种舒适、自然的写作环境中，狄兰写下了许多晚期名作，如《十月 的诗》（Poem in October）、《在约翰爵爷的山岗上》（Over Sir John's Hill）和《不要温和地走进那个良夜》 （Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night）等。而他最著名的广播剧《牛奶树下》（Under Milk Wood）， 则是以拉恩和拉恩人为原型的创作。

如今船屋被用作游客中心，设有书店、餐厅、茶室和艺术展馆，保存着 狄兰的诗歌朗诵音频和视频，以及他使用过的家具。沿着一人宽的木质 楼梯下到底楼，还没出门，潮湿的泥土味就扑鼻而来。底楼门口是一片 空地，小木桌上还留着尚未干透的雨水。鲍勃点了一杯咖啡，把皮皮拴 在桌角，面对我坐下来。

他说，读狄兰的诗就知道，60 多年过去了，这里的景色几乎和当时一样。 越过围墙看出去，远处卡马森湾的海岸，在云雾里慵懒地铺开，平静而 壮观。对面则是狄兰姨妈安·琼斯家所在的小镇。童年的夏天，狄兰会到 她家的农场度假，那里背靠羊齿山（Fernhill），农场用栅栏或矮灌木隔 开，像颜色深浅不一的格子衫，中间散落着大大小小的农舍。《羊齿山》 里,狄兰把自己想象成「苹果镇的小王子」，在幽谷灿烂的星空下，马车

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迎送。「很久以后我像君王一样拥有森林和绿叶/沿途长满雏菊和大麦/ 河岸上微风吹拂洒落的月光……」

两年前，鲍勃在拉恩建起了「狄兰·托马斯生日步道」，长约 3.2 公里， 起于船屋，经过古堡，沿海边的林荫小径，一直延伸到约翰爵爷山。狄 兰曾在他 30 岁生日那天独自走过这条路，并创作出《十月的诗》。

「我起身/在此多雨的秋天/走出户外，过往的岁月纷至沓来……苍茫的雨 落在小小的港湾/淋湿了海边那座蜗牛般大小的教堂/它的触角穿越云雾 和城堡/猫头鹰般棕黄……」

最近，有不少世界各地的粉丝前来「朝圣」，重走狄兰走过的路。每到 一个诗中描绘过的景点，他们都会停下来，对照指示牌上的诗句，看诗 人看过的风景。

「这是我迈向天国的/第三十个春秋，伫立于此，夏日的正午/山下小镇上 的片片叶子，沾染十月的血色/哦，愿我心中的真情/依然被吟唱/在这高 高的山巅/在这交替的岁月……」鲍勃用他苍老的、如风裂的石头般的声 音，为我朗诵《十月的诗》。

两个舌头的大海 从卡玛森乘火车往东到斯旺西，随处可见穿着「防寒衣」的马匹，爱坐 着吃草的奶牛，和肥硕的威尔士黑脸羊。这里以牧羊业闻名，300 万人 口，养了 1100 多万只羊。 5

在海山相映的景致中，在那个比早期基督教更早的、英语还未出现的时 代，凯尔特人关于大海的神话故事开始代代传诵。他们是不列颠岛上最 早的居民，是威尔士人的祖先。

狄兰的威尔士曾是一个经济滞后的南方「大农村」。工业发展带来频繁 的港口贸易，将它引向与外部世界联系的窗口。大量英格兰工人涌入， 威尔士人纷纷放弃民族语言，掀起说英语的潮流。盎格鲁撒克逊文化如 潮水般，冲开凯尔特民族古老的传统之门。

如今，和苏格兰人一样，不少威尔士人也觉得自己不是 English，而是 Welsh，但他们似乎并不想从不列颠的领土上分割出去，虽然英国国旗 上唯独没有威尔士国旗的痕迹。

不同于苏格兰的是，自工业革命以来，威尔士对英格兰的依赖越来越重。 但苏格兰公投却也唤起了威尔士对自主权更多的诉求，威尔士自由民主 党领袖科斯蒂·威廉姆斯（Kirsty Williams）在一次电视讨论中说，公投 对威尔士来说是「一个很好的争取更多权力下放的机会」。

走在斯旺西街头，随处可见双语的指示牌，公交车上也有鼓励学威尔士 语的广告，但这种语言的主导地位早已不再，威尔士 300 万人口中，近 200 万人只说英语,生活方式也和英格兰趋于同化。

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和大多数当时的南威尔士小孩一样，狄兰从小只说英语—带着一种像嘴 里包着一颗梅子的威尔士口音。父亲拒绝让他学习威尔士语，甚至否认 这是他们的母语。在国家由传统农业社会向现代化转型的进程中，两种 文化在这位父亲的脑袋里震荡冲突，折射出那个时代的人对身份定位的 疑惑。唯一清晰的共同目标，是竭力摆脱工农出身的家庭背景，设法跻 身中产阶级。

正如北岛所总结的，狄兰「生来继承的是分裂的国家、分裂的传统、分 裂的语言和分裂的社会」。而斯旺西是当时南威尔士的缩影，用狄兰自 己的话说就是「两个舌头的大海」。

在给初恋女友帕米拉的信中，狄兰这样描述在变化的国家里长大的自己： 「我在格拉摩根郡的郊外初见日光，在威尔士口音的恐惧中和铁皮烟囱 冒出的浓烟里，生长成一个可爱的婴孩，早熟的儿童，叛逆的男孩，病 态的少年。」

狄兰不愿强调自己是威尔士人，他给自己的定位是：「我代表的是一株 叶兰，一条马路，早晨的咖啡，夜里的酒吧……」当作品被贴上「威尔 士」的标签时，他说：「我从来无法理解这种民族主义的说法……」

相比之下，生于南威尔士长于北威尔士的诗人 R.S.托马斯 （1913—2000），同样在英语的环境下出生，却在《想起就令他心伤》 中，把英语文化的影响形容为「接受他们/肮脏的喂养，吮吸他们的话语

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/和母亲受感染的/乳汁。」在托马斯心中，威尔士王子不是查尔斯亲王， 而是威尔士独立时期的末代王子 Llewelynap Gruffudd。不过，就算是托 马斯，也不对威尔士的独立抱有任何期望。

狄兰曾说，如果不是生在威尔士，他可能不会成为一名诗人。小城之小， 迫使他把思绪的触角向内伸展，去探索生与死的真谛。但是他又时常为 之恼怒，觉得自己如井底之蛙，思想受困。

19 岁，狄兰离开斯旺西前往伦敦。伦敦是唯一能把他从贫困中解救出来 的地方。但都市生活的节奏与现实压力常让狄兰不堪重负，于是他只好 不断往返于威尔士的缓慢安逸与伦敦的速度激情之间。

1949 年，狄兰在一档广播节目中说：「（我）像一片被风吹落的叶子， 迷失在伦敦。我还是原来的那个我吗？我还是记忆中那个在威尔士过着 安适散漫的生活，像睡神桑德曼一样快乐的我吗？」

据和狄兰一起闯荡伦敦的朋友 Fred Janes 回忆，他们在伦敦的生活紧张 而拮据，冬天甚至得用所有衣服把自己包起来，坐在床上取暖。有一次， Fred 出去理发时狄兰不辞而别，直到一个月后，Fred 才在斯旺西再次 见到他。

第一， 我是威尔士人；第二，我是个酒鬼 去伦敦之前，狄兰在斯旺西城堡街的《南威尔士邮报》找到一份记者的 工作。在报社对面一家名叫卡多玛（Kardomah）的咖啡厅，他结交了 8

一群有理想的艺术家，比如画家弗农·沃特金斯、诗人查尔斯·费舍尔、 作家丹尼尔·琼斯、艺术家默文·利维等等。

在查尔斯·费舍尔笔下，这是一个「充满时代荣耀感的小角落」。他们是 有名的「卡多玛帮」，时常聚在一起聊天，从宗教到死亡，从斯特拉文 斯基到毕加索，从爱因斯坦到葛丽泰·嘉宝。

1941 年，城堡街在德国空军的闪电战中被炸毁。如今，这里已看不出战 争的痕迹，但附近几条街仍是艺术家聚集地。残缺的古堡和城墙坐落在 写字楼和商业街之间，像一位安睡在嘈杂都市的老者。

二战后，卡多玛在城堡街隔壁的波特兰街重新开业，如今虽几易其主， 但店里一直挂着狄兰的肖像。店员对战前的故事知之甚少，只叫我去博 物馆和狄兰·托马斯中心看看。1995 年，斯旺西在市中心建立了狄兰·托 马斯中心。诗人百年诞辰之际，街上随处可见中心的各种活动海报。

从市中心乘公交车，沿海岸往南 20 分钟，就到了狄兰年轻时常光顾的 渔村曼布尔斯。

公元 5 世纪初罗马人离开不列颠后，大量基督教传教士来到威尔士，建 了很多教堂。在曼布尔斯，每走一个街区，都可能看到一个不同的教堂。 沿纽顿路往坡上走，会看到圣灵基督教会，狄兰常来这里，据说他有时 候一个周末要去 3 个不同的教堂做礼拜。教堂旁有两个小酒吧，选址恰

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到好处：山路陡峭，爬得口渴脚酸时，一杯啤酒，一把藤椅，足以让人 流连忘返。

教堂与酒吧的奇妙共存，朝圣之旅伴随着酒精安抚的环境，大约赋予了 狄兰独特的生命特质：他是生活中的酒鬼，也是艺术世界的圣徒。正如 他在一次朗诵会上形容自己的那样，「第一，我是威尔士人；第二，我 是个酒鬼；第三，我爱着人类。」

狄兰的朋友曾说，他们都很喜欢狄兰酒后所显露的温暖与机智。在第三 杯到第八杯之间，他非常健谈，妙语连珠。而在三杯之前他通常闷闷不 乐，八杯后则暴躁不安。

一个女演员在回忆录中写到，某次狄兰与卓别林、玛丽莲·梦露共进晚餐， 结果还没开饭他就喝醉了。生气的卓别林把狄兰赶走，说伟大的诗歌不 能成为发酒疯的借口。狄兰走前，在卓别林家门廊的植物前撒了泡尿， 以作答复。

而酒精最终夺去了诗人的生命。1953 年 11 月 4 日，狄兰在曼哈顿格林 威治村附近的白马酒家，干下 18 杯纯威士忌和两杯啤酒后，陷入昏迷。 9 日，在纽约一家医院里，他永远地停止了呼吸。这期间狄兰的朋友、 苏格兰诗人鲁斯文·托德正在纽约，他赶到医院，见到了戴着氧气罩的狄 兰，后者留下的最后一句话是：「一个人一不留神就到了 39 岁。」

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本文刊于《博客天下》[私人订制]专刊

他们用 27 分钟量遍江泽民全身 本刊记者| 吕昊 本刊特约撰稿| 姜曼 本文原标题：《藏进人生百转千回，酸甜苦蜡》

百年来，杜莎夫人蜡像馆充当着政治晴雨表的角色，见证了历史与名人的 迭代更替。江泽民是第一位，也是至今唯一一位亲自到杜莎夫人蜡像馆进 行量身的中国领导人。1999 年 10 月 19 日，时任国家主席的他在前往白金 汉宫会见伊丽莎白女王前，把私人行程的第一站定在了位于伦敦马里波恩 路的杜莎夫人蜡像馆。

布拉德·皮特和安吉丽娜·朱莉夫妇对面，维多利亚靠着贝克汉姆的肩膀。

约翰尼·德普单手插袋，表情严肃的脸上，吻痕隐约可见。

不远处，乔治·克鲁尼跷着二郎腿坐在沙发上，每天在他身旁坐下的不下 百人，游客们十分享受依偎在“男神”怀里的短暂时光。德普的吻痕也是 他们干的。

这是伦敦杜莎夫人蜡像馆再稀松平常不过的一个早晨。10 月中旬，“卷 福”本尼迪克特·康伯巴奇的蜡像也被搬了进来，这位因主演迷你电视剧 《神探夏洛克》而广受好评的英国男演员如今身穿黑色西装站在展厅右 侧，一如既往地抿嘴，面带微笑，淡定应对眼前一大波影迷袭来的局势。

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每年，杜莎都会主动邀请名人量身定制蜡像。如果对方无法前往位于伦 敦的工作室，制作团队就会带上装备，飞遍世界各地会晤真身。

这是一个奇妙的地方，现实中，你很难遇见戴安娜王妃和 Lady Gaga 站在一起，更不可能看到迈克尔·杰克逊用他“躲开吧”的招牌动作 （取自其反暴力歌曲《Just Beat It》）指着隔壁的希特勒，身边还站着 一排模仿他的游客。

希特勒穿灰色军装，表情冷酷，拳头紧握的右手举起来高举。在他身旁， 丘吉尔一手拄杖，一手叉腰，眉头微皱，嘴唇紧闭。奥巴马带着招牌笑 容，和默克尔、普京、曼德拉等各国政要站在一张浅棕色木质书桌后， 等着与来自世界各地的游客合照。

百年来，杜莎夫人蜡像馆充当着政治晴雨表的角色。早在美国前总统小 布什离任前，奥巴马的蜡像就已完工，总统交接仪式后，它迅速取代前 任，占据了展厅的重要位置。

而中国领导人中，从毛泽东、邓小平、江泽民、胡锦涛，到正在香港分 馆展出的国家主席习近平等，都在杜莎占有一席之位。

“我不知道他们是怎么约到（江泽民）的，不过我们确实拥有一个很强的 公关部。”负责制作江泽民蜡像的高级蜡像师斯图尔特·威廉姆森告诉《博 客天下》。尽管已经离开杜莎 10 多年，斯图尔特仍然记得，江泽民身

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后庞大的安保队伍让量身现场的气氛变得有些凝重。

江泽民是第一位，也是至今唯一一位亲自到杜莎夫人蜡像馆进行量身的 中国领导人。1999 年 10 月 19 日，时任国家主席的他在前往白金汉宫 会见伊丽莎白女王前，把私人行程的第一站定在了位于伦敦马里波恩路 的杜莎夫人蜡像馆。

用 27 分钟了解他 这是中国国家元首第一次对英国进行国事访问。每个人都严肃并小心翼 翼。一名随行负责人几次走上前跟翻译沟通，他面色紧张、不停环顾四 周，似乎很担心安全问题，还要确保主席的行程不受耽误。“他对翻译说， „我们只有 27 分钟‟，十分精准的时间。”斯图尔特回忆，他不得不请江泽 民与其他三人挤进一间只容得下四人的窄小电梯，以便更快地直升到蜡 像馆顶楼的工作室。

在那里迎接他们的，是比平常人数多出一半的蜡像制作团队。对蜡像师 而言，量身是最重要的资料采集方式。为了做出精确传神的作品，摄影 师会从不同角度拍两三百张照片，收集多达五百项包括身体部位和服装 配饰等细节的数据。

江泽民走进工作室，在为他准备好的椅子上坐下来。平常分步进行，持 续近两个小时的各项量身，在浓缩的 27 分钟里同时推进：一个摄影师

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负责给头部拍照，另一个摄影师负责身体，斯图尔特手里拿着形似两只 蟹脚的专用卡尺，测量头部的长宽和五官之间的比例。

负责肤色的年轻女蜡像师手持调色板，站在江泽民身旁，仔细调出不同 部位皮肤的颜色。发型师则拿着头发样本，认真研究江泽民的发质和发 色——黑色头发在他们以往的工作中并不多见。负责眼睛制作的就挤在 江泽民身旁，手里端着一盒眼球模型，一颗颗举到他的眼旁认真比对。

斯图尔特至今仍记得 15 年前那短暂的 27 分钟。房间里的每个人都处于 高度紧张的工作状态，一刻不停歇地走来走去，能听见的只有相机连续 不断的快门声。

江泽民尽量满足了一切关于测量的要求，始终平静、沉默——他几乎不 怎么说话，却特别提到了自己的眼镜。

“他戴着一副巨大的黑框眼镜，并嘱咐我们蜡像上也要戴一副一样的。” 斯图尔特说，“于是我们向他保证，不仅是眼镜，连度数都会做到一样， 他就放心了。”后来，团队咨询随行负责人，找到了那副眼镜的制造商， 定制了一副复制品。

摄影师专门拍下了江泽民的服装。一位来自伦敦著名高定地标萨维尔街 的裁缝专门负责蜡像的服装制作，他翻开一本厚重的、有各种布料样本

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的书，用手指摸了摸，很快找出对应的款式。

27 分钟内，斯图尔特对这位来自中国的 73 岁老人的认识，从“只知道是 中国最高领导人”，到完全熟悉了眼镜度数、身高、手掌大小和指纹特点。 他甚至还特地数过江泽民眼角有几条皱纹。

“最好的雕塑作品是有现场感的作品，蜡像也一样。而这样的感觉恰好来 源于对这个人的实际接触，你能从中感知他真实的一面。”斯图尔特说。 普通人所看到的国家领导人，往往是作为政治人物的“公众形象”，而他 更想把自己观察到对方生活中的真实一面也加入到作品里。正如江泽民 的蜡像，面带微笑，双手握在腹前，亲和的同时带着身份散发出的距离 感。 每一天都是崭新的 至今，曾在伦敦馆内展出的约 400 尊蜡像共使用了 1.09 吨蜡原料，相 当于 16000 支家用蜡烛。无所不用其极地追求细节逼真、高还原度，使 杜莎夫人蜡像馆持续闻名于世。

伦敦馆现任高级蜡像师斯蒂芬·曼斯菲尔德告诉《博客天下》，每尊蜡像 需要一个 20 人的团队花费 4 到 6 个月时间制作，耗资约 15 万英镑。这 些钱都花在了一个个追求极致的细节上。

“我们希望蜡像看起来就像他们本人一样，有一个良好的形象，这也是他 们所希望的。”杜莎对蜡像真实感的要求很高，无论服饰、身材、面部轮

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廓，还是皱纹的数量、头发的卷度，甚至是一颗痣的大小、形状与位置， 都必须尽可能还原。

斯蒂芬穿灰色毛衣、深色牛仔裤，走路时钥匙带从裤兜里掉出来，在腿 边一甩一甩。他从游客缝里挤过，站到英国首相戴维·卡梅伦和伦敦市长 约翰·鲍里斯的蜡像中间，准备跟他们合照。卡梅伦穿着深蓝色西服和白 色衬衫，庄重正式。西服来自卡梅伦私人的服装制造商，青色领带则是 他亲自指定的。

和卡梅伦一样，鲍里斯穿着深色的西装，扣子解开，两手叉腰，他的裤 腰绷得略紧，甚至可以看到还差半厘米才拉到顶的拉链。他身体稍往后 仰，凌乱的金发看起来像早晨起来忘了梳头，咧开嘴，露出两排洁白的 牙齿。

光这一口牙齿的制作就花了整整 4 天，每颗牙齿从上到下都有颜色渐变， 形状也各有区别，因此得分开制作，完成并磨光后一颗颗嵌入粉红色的 牙龈里。

蓝绿色的眼睛也是“长”在眼眶里的。每只眼睛都用水彩手绘而成，用优 质的红色丝线仿制出毛细血管，连眼球的透明度也与真人一样。

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除了头部细节，身形同样重要。蜡像身体的“骨骼”是用报纸包裹的钢和 铝，“血管”是铁丝网。鲍里斯的裤腰绷得很紧，因此腰部皮肤会有凹陷 的压痕，这种细节也通过手工雕刻体现了出来。

拍照前，斯蒂芬请来一位化妆师为卡梅伦整理发型、补妆。“游客们喜爱 近距离接触蜡像，有时出于好奇，也会摸摸他的脸、扯扯他的头发，看 是不是真的。”他说。

事实上，蜡像的头发、眉毛、睫毛和胡须等，都用真人的毛发制成，需 要定期洗护、造型，用的发胶与洗发水也十分讲究。植入全部头发要花 费 6 周时间，每一缕头发都是根据真人头发的长向，用特殊的细针一根 一根植入。

每天早上 7 点半，专门的清洗团队会进行详细检查，在开始营业前确保 每个蜡像都能以最整洁的姿态展现在游客面前。但一天过去，蜡像们大 都“略显疲惫”，要么妆花了，脸上多了唇印，要么发型变得杂散。

斯蒂芬不太担心鲍里斯，他抓了抓鲍里斯蜡像的头发，刻意把它们弄得 蓬松随性。“他（鲍里斯）看起来很老练，很聪明，从来不会在意太多，” 斯蒂芬半开玩笑地说，“人们都知道他的发型总是像被风吹过一样。” 女王陛下请闭嘴 为自己的蜡像捐献服装已成为杜莎夫人蜡像馆的传统，这些衣服让蜡像 更具真实感和熟悉度。碧昂丝蜡像的衣服是她母亲专门设计的；法国服

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装设计师让·保罗·高提耶的蜡像穿着他自己品牌所产的苏格兰短裙，当 意识到有成千上万的游客会往裙子底下偷看的时候，他随即给“自己”加 了一条内裤。

连上世纪 40 年代英国知名的连环杀手约翰·乔治·海斯，也特意把自己留 在伦敦万滋渥斯监狱死囚牢房的衣服，作为遗物赠给了杜莎夫人蜡像馆。

如果没有本人捐献的服装，制作团队要么自己做，要么直接向这些人物 的服装制造商订购复制品。有时，工作人员还会把给蜡像买的新鞋子拿 来穿一穿，人工“做旧”一番，以体现真实观感。

美国著名歌手贾斯汀·汀布莱克的蜡像穿着一身白色西服。高额干洗账单 证明，他是馆内被游客拥抱最多的蜡像。而蜡像馆每年在所有服装上的 开支，就够贾斯汀一人未来 30 年的干洗费。

并不是每个蜡像都必须穿最好的衣服，鲍里斯就穿着一条破裤子。这位 市长在骑自行车去量身的路上，裤脚被剐了一个口子。后来，他把当天 穿的那一套西装送给了蜡像馆。

斯蒂芬说：“鲍里斯不会过多担心自己的着装，这样的性格让人觉得他是 个随和、平易近人的市长，所以很多人都喜欢他。”因此，斯蒂芬保留了 裤脚的那个口子，以增强蜡像的故事性。

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“我们试着让蜡像的每一个细节都变得有意义，试着用他们去讲一个故 事，使之变得更加有趣，而这样的细节，大多数时候都来自本人的言 行。” 斯蒂芬说，“这是艺术与娱乐，传统与现代的完美结合。”

1802 年，41 岁的杜莎夫人从法国带着自己制作的蜡像到英国巡展。随 后的 33 年里，她穿梭于大不列颠岛，向充满好奇的英国人展示越来越 多的蜡像作品。在那个没有电视和网络的时代，新闻主要靠口头传播， 杜莎夫人蜡像展成了多数民众了解名人的重要方式。 老百姓乐在其中。从那些只在头版头条中出现的大人物的蜡像身上，他 们能了解到最新的国际动态，包括法国大革命、拿破仑战争等等。以写 实手法制作的政治风云人物，以及恐怖屋里的惊恐蜡像等，都被人们广 泛流传。

1835 年，杜莎夫人在伦敦贝克街建立了固定展馆，即最早的杜莎夫人蜡 像馆。49 年后，蜡像馆迁至如今总馆所在地马里波恩路。

杜莎夫人不断更新、推广蜡像作品，保证它们能跟上时代步伐，这样的 态度一直传承至今。杜莎夫人蜡像馆一般每年制作 40 至 50 尊蜡像，偶 尔也会升至 100 尊左右，以折射当下的社会潮流和名人动向。展出的各 国领导人的蜡像会随着政权的交替而有所变化，而撤展的蜡像则被永久 地保存起来。

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每一尊蜡像都在伦敦西区总部的工作室完成，然后运往全球各地的分馆， 由分馆的维护团队专门负责定期维护。随着真人年龄的增长，杜莎也会 制作新的蜡像来替换旧作。从 2 岁时的第一个蜡像至今，88 岁的伊丽莎 白女王已拥有 23 个蜡像。

200 年来，杜莎夫人蜡像馆制作的名人蜡像不计其数，他们与全球娱乐、 商业、政治名人都建立了良好的关系。斯图尔特说，这种关系建立在信 任的基础上。

如今，蜡像们不断拉近着自己与游客的距离，特别是在这个自拍盛行的 年代，设计蜡像造型需要考虑什么样的姿势才适合和游客合照。为了找 出一个好看的表情，量身时斯蒂芬甚至曾用手扯过贝克汉姆的脸，“因为 他似乎习惯了摆出一张模特脸，看起来不够自然”。 “蜡像们不再是以往那种被拦在安全绳后面„只可远观，不可亵玩‟的展览 品了，”斯蒂芬说，“曾有球迷专门来展厅亲吻贝克汉姆的脚趾，以求好 运。”

而斯蒂芬的同事史蒂夫，为了捕捉女王“将笑未笑”、亲和与庄重并存的 表情，成了英国唯一一个敢“让女王闭嘴”的人。“我想请女王陛下微笑一 下，可是她笑的时候嘴咧得太大，我就说，„能否请您把嘴闭上，女王陛 下？‟”史蒂夫说。

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“并不是每个人都能轻易见到国家首相，或者当红明星，”斯蒂芬说，“我 们所做的是把卡梅伦从他唐宁街的家里，把布拉德·皮特夫妇从好莱坞的 红地毯上，甚至把罗斯福、丘吉尔和希特勒从上个世纪„搬‟到蜡像馆里来， 让大众能够真正接近他们，与他们互动。”

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▎本文首发于 8 月号《人物》 ▎

女性 | 我的秘密自由 口述|马希赫·阿琳娜嘉德

文|姜曼 编辑|张薇

一个出生在伊朗的女性，恐怕终身都要按照《着装法》，穿一辈 子罩袍，戴一辈子面纱。而马希赫·阿琳娜嘉德（Masih Alinejad）， 渴望能拥有自由选择穿什么的权利。 5 月份，身在英国的阿琳娜嘉德，在 Facebook 上发起了一项名 为「我的秘密自由」（My Steelthy Freedom）的活动，晒出了 包括自己在内的伊朗女性摘下面纱的照片。无数伊朗女性给她寄 出了自己摘掉面纱的照片，保守派人士也不失时机地对她进行了 一轮舆论攻击。 通过邮件和电话，阿琳娜嘉德接受了《人物》记者的访问。这是 又一个「我在伊朗长大」的故事，她和她的国家，始终隔着那层 想揭又揭不掉的面纱。 不戴面纱的女人都不知羞耻？ 1976 年，我出生在伊朗北部格米克拉（Ghomikola）村的一个宗 教家庭，有 3 个哥哥和 1 个姐姐。1979 年革命爆发时我 3 岁， 正是这场革命，孕育了如今的《着装法》—在伊朗，女性必须按 照《着装法》要求，把自己从头发丝到脚指甲盖都遮起来。

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我父亲是 1979 年革命的忠诚支持者。那时没有网络，信息单一， 和大多数养鸡种田的普通农民一样，他支持并相信自己的政府。 在革命前，女人们有选择穿什么衣服，戴不戴面纱的权利。如今 我们没有选择，只能遵守法律。 在我的家乡，作为一个女孩生下来，就意味着以后要穿一辈子罩 袍，戴一辈子面纱。7 岁起我就穿上了罩袍，没人告诉过我怎么 穿，为什么要这样穿，你脑袋里自然就明白。整个家庭、社会都 要你遵守这个规范，强迫你成为一个你不相信也不认识的人。 少年时我曾看到过西方女人和革命前的伊朗女人的照片，她们不 戴面纱的装扮简直让我震惊。而从小到大，政府、保守派、强硬 派和原教旨主义者总是告诉我们： 「不戴面纱的女人都不知羞耻， 她们会出卖自己的身体。」 传统的观念不让你接受更好的教育，那么你就不会意识到你所拥 有的权利。因此，我曾经相信他们说的那些，以为戴上面纱就是 贞洁的体现。 在父亲面前我总是戴着面纱。我尊重他，也会满足他对我的期望。 童年时我和爸爸关系好，常常和哥哥们一起帮忙干农活，放学路 上，经常都能看到爸爸在村里的大街上推着车卖鸡和鸡蛋。 后来哥哥们上了大学，我和姐姐却只能像大多数女人一样，在窗 帘背后过日子—待在厨房做饭、洗碗。可当我躲在家里的小厨房 读了越来越多的书，对自由和权利的意识也越变越强。 23

那时我穿得和其他女人一样规规矩矩，但一些隐秘时刻，我开始 喜欢脱下面纱，露出头发。这种事不能和父母提。 记得哥哥们曾对我说：「如果我们可以出去骑自行车，可以拿驾 照，可以去海边游泳，可以做任何想做的事情，那你也可以。」 于是我开始向父亲争取我的权利，但他从不接受，这让我们的关 系变得有点僵了。 如果我在父亲面前不戴面纱，他可能连话都不想跟我说，可我想 让他知道，不喜欢戴面纱并不意味着不爱或不尊重他。 露出一小绺头发，国会议员气疯了 18 岁，高中未毕业，我就结了婚，这在我们那儿也是一种传统。 我丈夫和大多数中东男人一样，以男性为中心。婚后，每次回家 看望父母，我仍遮掩着自己。 那时我和几个朋友都爱读卢梭和维克多·雨果的书，我们一起创办 了一份简报。那时女性着装的概念在人们心里根深蒂固，我们怀 着理想主义谈论自由，却从没想过去挑战《着装法》。 现在，我已经记不得在简报上写过什么，但简报创办没几周，我 和朋友们就被抓去了巴博勒（Bābol，伊朗北部城市）的监狱。 在监狱第五天，医生检查出我怀孕了。这让我免于服刑，取而代 之的是缓刑 5 年并剥夺公民权利，我因此没能高中毕业。

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2000 年，我和丈夫、儿子搬去了德黑兰，第二年，丈夫和我离婚， 并带走了儿子。 在德黑兰，25 岁的我从日报实习生做起，后来成了国会记者，又 因报道国会议员的腐败行为被议会除名。 有一次采访一位国会议员，在走廊里，他突然转过身对我说，姐 妹，整理一下你的着装。我愣了一下，从头到脚检查了一遍也没 找出什么问题。于是他说：「你头发露出来了。」我才发现自己 一小绺头发从头巾里掉了出来。 于是我说：「我很奇怪，这么一小撮儿头发对您那强大的宗教来 说，怎么就那么碍事了？」他气疯了，捏起拳头就气势汹汹地朝 我走过来，我拔腿就跑，他追了过来，好在被其他记者拦住了， 我才得以逃脱。这已经是 8 年前的事了。 直到现在，在伊朗，就算你是外国游客，也要遵守《着装法》， 即使是在气温高达 40℃的夏日街头。为了降温，有些人会穿一件 轻薄的长外套遮住身体的大部分，再穿上长裤，然后用一条纱巾 把头包起来。 在一些比较隐蔽的地方，有些女人会偷偷松开外套和面纱，但有 时警察会设路障一个个排查，一旦抓住，可能是口头警告，也可 能罚款甚至拘留。

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我们需要的仅仅是选择穿什么的权利 2009 年，由于得不到人身保障我被迫离开伊朗，旅居英国，还把 儿子也「偷渡」了过来—他爸爸丢下他去了德国。我在牛津布鲁 克斯大学读了新闻传播的学位课程，过着单身母亲的生活，学习 的同时兼职做记者。 在英国的前 3 年里，我都戴着一顶大黑帽子，遮住大部分头发。 这是为了表达身处异国对伊朗传统文化的尊重，这是我自己的选 择。3 年后，我决定不再戴它，这也是我的选择，但这不意味着 我不再尊重我们的文化。 一切缘于一张我在伊朗拍的照片。照片里我取下面纱沿着马路开 车，享受着迎面而来的风，吹起我那被重重的头巾闷了很久的头 发。 前不久，我把照片发到脸书上，很多伊朗女人看了，都羡慕地说： 「你能生活在一个不用强迫你戴面纱的国家真是太幸运了。」 于是我问她们是否也曾偷偷摘下面纱、拍过这样的照片？愿不愿 分享自己的心声？然后，铺天盖地的照片开始源源不断涌进我的 邮箱。 5 月 3 日，我在脸书上创建了「我的秘密自由」主页，把收到的 照片和她们的心声发布出来。为了分享者的安全，我匿去了她们 的名字。

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在大街上、政府建筑旁、地铁站等等公共场合，她们勇敢地摘下 面纱。每一个勇于分享的女人，都在向她们自己的自由迈出一步。 在一张照片里，一个女人在伊朗街头笑着把黑色头巾抛向天空， 她写道：「我想要的是自由选择的权利，不是一块纱巾！看啊， 摘掉了它，我还是一个普通的人类！」而另一张照片里，来自德 黑兰的一位女性写道：「我们的自由总是与恐惧相伴。」 一个月后，这个页面就有了近 50 万粉丝。反对强制着装的妇女 们活跃于社交媒体，追求自由选择着装的权利，很快便掀起了一 场针对已有 35 年历史的《着装法》的激烈争论。 现在我每天大概发布 8-10 张照片，之后会考虑建立一个专门的 网站来发布它们。我们需要的仅仅是选择穿什么的权利，不管我 们选不选面纱。正如我最喜欢的一张照片：一个戴着面纱的女人 手拿一张标语，上面写着「我支持戴面纱，但反对强制人戴着它」。 我没告诉父亲关于「我的秘密自由」的事，他生活在家乡那个小 村子里，有他的尊严和坚持，我不想触犯他的信念，更不想伤他 的心。 我只想做伊朗的女人们希望我做的事情，就是让这些不可能出现 在伊朗电视上的女人说话，并被社会听到。而我已经被来自伊朗 和全球各地的女性的支持震撼了。

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在「我的秘密自由」里，她们勇敢地摘掉面纱 我想要的，是不再秘密的自由 我们女人们渴望展示出揭下面纱后的伊朗，保守派和强硬派却总 是试图用权力的枷锁把我们的头发锁在一块纱布之下，然后用虚 假和偏见的新闻混淆虚实，创造出一个与事实相悖的平行世界。 「5 月 31 日，马希赫·阿琳娜嘉德因受到精神药物的影响，褪去 了自己的衣物，在伦敦被 3 个男人当着自己年幼的儿子的面强 暴。」（YouTube 上，这条新闻只有语音播报，和一张人工制作 的图片—大本钟下，一个戴着黑色鸭舌帽的女人用双手捂着脸， 似在哭泣）。 我就这样被伊朗国家电视台的一条两分钟新闻「强暴」了。而我 本人，马希赫·阿琳娜嘉德，38 年来，从没有服用过任何精神药 品，更没有被恶意侵犯过！ 紧接着，电视名人、某保守派评论员在脸书上说：「马希赫·阿琳 娜嘉德是个妓女。」他写道：「说她是异教徒那是抬举，她只是 28

企图把那些还不是妓女的年轻女人拉成一伙，都变得和她一样声 名狼藉，从而满足她自己的心理（或经济）需求。」 伊朗 Tasnim 通讯社的一个评论员甚至说：「强暴不戴面纱的女 人是男人的权利，因为那是她们自找的，这种情况下男人也不必 为自己的冲动负责。」 他们完全不懂强暴对于一个女人可能造成的伤害，不知道这对女 人来说不是个玩笑。 现在我要用他们最恐惧的方式来回应他们的诽谤：摘下面纱，在 伦敦地铁站里—就是他们说我被强暴的那个地方—优雅地录下一 首《我的故乡》，让所有人看到真正的我，健康的我。 这首阿富汗歌曲唱的是被夺去自由的阿富汗人民对故土的热爱和 思念。我是一个失落的流浪者，人在英国，心脏却为祖国跳动着。 和千千万万伊朗女人一样，我想要的，是不再秘密的自由；是在 西方、在中国的女性都拥有的，做自己的机会。 希望终有一天，我能够回到我的故乡。

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本文首发于《人物》12 月号年度特刊

问地球 30 人 | 马希赫·阿琳娜嘉德：想请总 统戴上面纱过日子 2014-12-21 人物

采访 | 姜曼 编辑｜吴达 张薇 刘鹏 插画｜程老湿

新年到来之际，这个星球依旧冲突频仍，问题丛生。保持冷静，我们在 地球上寻访到 30 个知名人物，与他们进行了一次认真而有趣的对话。 他们是学者、歌手、球员、小说家、电影导演、企业家、性少数派和扑 克牌手，其中既有世俗意义上的成功人士，也有人们视线以外的寂寥者， 看上去差距很大。这份名单唯一的共同点是：他们的人都有审视的价值， 他们的故事都充满令人沉思的魅力。正因如此，我们有闻必录，希望你 一旦开始读，就愿意读到最后一个字。

问一个摘掉面纱的伊朗女性马希赫·阿琳娜嘉德：想请总统戴上面纱过日 子 2014 年，她为伊朗女性的着装自由而战。身在英国的阿琳娜嘉德，在 Facebook 上发起了一项名为「我的秘密自由」的活动，晒出了包括自 己在内的伊朗女性摘下面纱的照片。

人物 ＝ P 马希赫·阿琳娜嘉德 ＝ A

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P：由于在 Facebook 上发起「我的秘密自由」活动，过去的几个月里， 你被伊朗官方声讨。能否告诉我们你近况如何？ A：这段日子我真的过得不容易。有好几次我都决定停止这个活动，因 为他们（反对者）对我和其他活动参与者的人身攻击给我带来很大的压 力。伊朗的宗教领袖和星期五祷告信徒们用很难听的话骂我们，甚至鼓 励年轻的穆斯林和巴斯基（伊朗民兵组织）民兵攻击街上的妇女，这真 是太可怕了。一些人认为，这种恶劣的行为把妇女推向了更多暴力的险 境。

前不久发生了妇女在伊朗的大街上被人用硫酸泼脸毁容的事件（被袭击 者多为年轻伊斯兰女性，穿着时髦紧身衣，戴薄质头巾）。我必须说， 尽管背后的原因还没核实，但很多女性都认为，硫酸事件的肇事组织就 是伊朗的极端宗教主义分子。听到这个消息时，我的心都碎了。这个事 件发生时，我刚搬到美国，虽然有时差，但我总是会在伊朗时间的早晨 醒过来。上周我接到 Facebook 首席运营官雪莉·桑德伯格（Sheryl Sandberg）的邀请去她们公司，就妇女反对《着装法》作演讲。

我以为大多数女人都会因此害怕、沉默、重新回到那层面纱之下，但我 错了。她们勇敢地走上街头，大声抗议，和她们肩并肩的还有不少支持 抗议的男人。男性的支持和参与，是长久以来争取妇女权利道路上的一 大步。在硫酸事件后，妇女们反倒变得更勇敢，因为她们不想再受伤害。

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P：2014 年最让你欢喜的场景？ A：2014 年对我来说是艰难的一年。如果是指工作上的话，当我看到伊 朗的许多女性把她们（摘下面纱）的照片分享给我时，我最高兴。

至于个人生活中的快乐时刻，我爸爸终于肯和我说话。他是一个小乡村 的宗教信徒，对政府宣布的所有事情深信不疑。在 5 年的「冷战」后他 终于给我打电话， 我泪如雨下。 我记不清具体是哪一天， 但我在 Facebook 上分享了这件事。我们两个在电话里都哭了起来，他甚至作了一首诗念 给我听。那首诗是用我们家乡的方言念出来的，我家在伊朗北部的一个 乡村。那首诗以我的名字开头，大意是：我亲爱的女儿，你可知你是我 的掌上明珠、心中牵挂，五载悠悠岁月，流逝的是时间，沉淀的是亲情。

可惜作为一个宗教徒，他依然希望我能放弃现在的工作回伊朗，不要再 去谈论和妇女解放等有关的敏感话题。他说到这里时我立刻打断了他， 我说：「爸爸我爱你，让我们换个话题，聊聊彼此现在内心的感觉吧。」 我试图不在和政治有关的话题上跟他争论，这毕竟是我们 5 年来的首次 通话，我甚至可以清楚地听到我的心跳声。

P：如果让你给自己国家的最高领导人挑一件新年礼物，你会选什么？ 为什么？ A：我会买一条面纱，作为「礼物」送给他（伊朗总统哈桑·鲁哈尼）， 并请他戴上这面纱过日子。如果可以送他两份礼物的话，我还要买一本 32

他写的书，在他戴着面纱的时候，为他朗读书中关于伊朗伊斯兰革命的 一小段。鲁哈尼写道：「革命之后，我们在强制女性穿戴面纱方面做得 很成功，但有些女人还在抱怨《着装法》。」他用 nagging（唠叨，抱 怨，挑剔）这个词来形容那些女人对《着装法》的抗议。所以我倒想看 看如果让他戴着面纱过一辈子，他会不会唠叨（笑）。革命之前，我们 有选择穿什么的自由，但革命后一切都变了，而他们还认为《着装法》 是革命带给伊朗女人的「礼物」。

P：2014 年你做过哪些原本认为「我绝对不会这么干」的事情？ A：我又结婚了（阿琳娜嘉德在伊朗有过一次婚姻）！因为过去的人生 经历我一直坚信自己不会在婚姻上妥协，坚定地认为不要再婚，但我还 是结婚了。在长达 5 年的恋爱后我们结婚了，这是我过去从不认为自己 会做的事情。我的伴侣改变了我的想法。他是一个执着、不会轻易放弃 的人。过去 5 年我住在伦敦并且把我所有的时间都奉献给了工作。但是 他改变了我，让我明白即使逃离祖国成为难民，我也应该对美好的事物 怀有希望。

P：2014 年读到的最让你印象深刻的一本书？ A：是伊莎贝尔·阿连德的《一如昨日》（The Sum of Our Days）。我 喜欢这本书因为作者是以自己的亲身经历—爱女离世—为故事蓝本。 《一 如昨日》讲述了一个悲伤的故事，充满了她和女儿长长短短的对话，但 我就喜欢她这种通过描写日常生活启发读者感悟的方式。

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P：如果让你采访自己，你会问什么问题？ A：不得不承认在我的祖国，记者并不是轻松的差事。当你选择拿起笔 杆抨击政府时，必然时刻处在政府的压力之下；当你谴责政治人物或者 政治活动者、积极分子时，又会受到不同组织的攻击。我的个人邮箱因 此充斥了大量的威胁邮件，Facebook 上也有很多攻击留言。所以如果 让我采访自己，我大概会问「你如何在这样的情况下保持动力、不言弃」， 或者「每天当你醒来时会怎样鼓励自己坚持下去，不放弃希望？」

有时候我真的考虑过结束这种抗议生活做回自己，因为作为一名女性很 难面对那些恶毒的人身攻击言论。但我也会时时提醒自己，告诫自己现 在的生活如何得来不易。

P：如果在 2014 年末，你有机会在伊朗全国人民面前作一次演讲，你会 讲什么主题？ A：虽然争取妇女权益对我来说至关重要，但如果能向伊朗人作演讲， 我最想提到的是 2009 年伊朗大选时的受害者。我曾在 2009 年大选后采 访了 57 名受到迫害、虐待致死、被关进监狱或最终枪毙的人。这 57 人 并不只是一个简单的数字，他们是活生生的、曾对国家和未来怀抱美好 希望的人，他们为促成国家改变、发展而走上街头。他们都遭遇了什么？ 全部被捕、虐待、枪毙。我想通过谈论他们唤醒人们的记忆，而不仅是 把他们埋葬了事。

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P：如果让你选一个 2014 年度人物，你会选谁？ A：我会选古哈尔·艾希吉（Gohar Eshghi），她是一名被杀的伊朗博客 作者的母亲，非常平凡、普通的一个伊朗家庭主妇，年老，没有受过教 育，不知道如何作国际演讲。但我之所以选择她的原因在于，当伊朗政 府杀害了她儿子以后，她成为儿子精神的传声筒，开始勇敢发声。丧子 之痛不仅没有打倒她反而使她更强大，她化悲愤为力量发出震耳欲聋的 呼声，一字一句均是肺腑之言。所以我选择她，她是千千万万个拥有丧 子经历的伊朗妇女的代表，那些惨死政府刀下的亡魂因为她的发声得以 被人了解。

欧盟国际事务与安全政策的高级代表凯瑟琳·艾什顿（Catherine Ashton） 在伊朗接见了这位平凡的母亲，她的儿子因为谴责政府被杀。她的儿子 只是普通的伊朗市民和博客写作者，死前寂寂无名，而后因为她母亲在 国际上的呼声为人知晓。

P：2014 年是你离开伊朗的第 5 年，5 年来伊朗有什么大的变化？ A：最大的变化是社交媒体的发展。人们无法通过官方媒体说话，他们 学会了怎样运用社交媒体发声，这就是所谓的「公民新闻」。这是伊朗 社会一项伟大的变化。在任何游行集会中，人们都拿着手机，通过文字 和照片传播活动的细节。我所期待的，则是通过有秩序有组织的「公民 新闻」增强群众的力量，而不止于「脸书兵团」或「虚拟兵团」，希望

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这种力量能从网络转为现实的行动。伊朗政府有子弹和枪，而伊朗人民 有手机和社交媒体。

P：如果 2015 年有机会回到伊朗，你最想去哪里，见谁，做什么？ A：天哪，说到这个问题我的心跳都加速了！毫无疑问，我想见我的母 亲！毫无疑问，我会从机场乘出租车直接奔去我家乡所在的那个小村子。 整整 5 年，我没有见过我母亲一面，没有触碰过一次她的手掌（流泪， 沉默）。所以我最想的就是回家。我想吃她做的饭菜，不管她做什么； 想给她一个大大的长久的拥抱，就像没有任何人会把我们分开一样（笑）。

我总是在梦里回家，但这些梦最后总是都变成噩梦，我常常梦见有人在 我身后追着想要逮捕我。但如果我真的有机会回家，我只想跟我的妈妈 聊一些简单无聊的小事。聊聊后院养的鸡，看看父亲农场上的牛，所有 那些简单的，我 5 年来日思夜想的生活琐事。人生中总是有那么多平凡 的细节，你可能不会注意到它们，但当你失去它们的时候，思念的感觉 告诉你，它们原来如此重要。

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以下为英文杂志《Life360》刊发作品 English portfolios published on Life360 magazine

More than loss of a young generation February 26, 2014 by Cassie Jiang With on-going financial problems, it’s harder to make a living from sheep farming than it was centuries ago. The country is losing its young generation to carry on this traditional industry

There are more than 500 sheep on Geoff Thomas‟ farm When driving across the countryside of Wales, you may enjoy the sight of groups of sheep grazing on green hills. You may come up with a piece of bucolic song praising the pastoral life of sheep farmers and humanity in rural communities.

Looking through the history of Wales, sheep farming has existed for over 2000 years as the major source of income. It has been a traditional lifestyle and part of the Welsh culture.

However, the idylls and bucolic can only be found on Sunday night television or in a citizen‟s mind now, no more in sheep farming itself, yet who, or what, are disappearing from the hills together with the cozy life?

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Not enough young farmers As recent statistics show, farming is ranked as one of the least desirable careers for young people, on which Prince Charles expressed his concern on his birthday to a magazine.

Sheep farming- which still accounts for 20 percent of the agricultural output-is losing young generations to take up this industry as well.

Griffiths Edwards, a Welsh sheep farmer, tells BBC that he is going to give up his farm next year. This 83-year-old is no more able to do farm work now. He had hoped one of his two children would take over from him, but the farmâ€&#x;s poor income makes that unlikely.

The number of sheep farmers is dropping substantially, says John Lloyd, the Wales regional form er Chairman of the National Sheep Association.

Family farming used to be the main form. Some family farms have lasted for several generations, but their next generation is not going to stay on the farm.

The same problem is troubling the Thomas family, who run a sheep farm in Tonypandy.

Geoff Thomas is now the only full-time farmer on his 300 arces farm, which was built by his parents in 1951. Geoff works almost on his own every day, sometimes it would be dangerous, says his wife, Julie Thomas.

Julie and Geoff are now working on their Caerlan Farm in Tonypandy 38

Their children Rachel Blakemore and Rhidian Thomas grew up on the farm. Rachel now lives five miles away and is expecting her first baby. Rhidian has got a job as an engineer, and works part-time on the farm to help his farther.

When asked about passing on the farming to his son, Geoff, 63, wearing a blue working jumpsuit with some dirt and smell of sheep on it, says, “He enjoys the farm, but I cannot generate enough income to employ him full-time now.”

Not enough money “There‟s no money in the job, sheep farmers are facing a series of financial troubles,” explains Mr. Lloyd, who is a farmer himself. “I‟m 59 years old, and I‟m still younger than the average age of a sheep farmer, the average age of sheep farmer is 60,” he says. “It ought to be 40 to 45, but there‟s not enough young farmers coming through to replace.”

“Sheep farming has always been difficult, but nowadays you have to spend more money than the old days, in forms of license, vehicles, insurance and other modern things we didn‟t have centuries ago.”

Bad weather also arouses diseases which cause loss of sheep and money shortage, he says.

A report of the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution, a charity organization supporting farmers, shows that in the first nine months of 2013-during which the sheep farming was recovering from the previous year‟s loss brought by terrible snow, the amount of grants paid out to farmers is three times as many as it was at the same time last year.

The past few years have seen a gradually recover in lamb meat price from the previous 10 years. However, subsidies from Europe, which used to be a major financial support of Wales sheep farming, are getting less and less.

Farming and farmers: heart of the culture The value of sheep farming is far beyond economy. It‟s about the culture, including Welsh language and rural communities.

“The half of Welsh language is in farming,” says Mr. Lloyd, “losing the farmers, Welsh language would lose its heart.”

Julie did her thesis on the culture of family farm. She says that the rural culture and communities are strongly tied to farming.

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“The family business gets handed down from generation to generation…it‟s our value here, we could name all of the farmers around, our parents knew their parents, and our kids know their kids.

Rhidian grew up on their farm, the sheep and dogs are more like his pets “It‟s the lifestyle we choose even though it‟s hard work and could get rough, we like farming.”

She and her husband are going to join a dinner party in a neighbuor‟s after work, enjoying talking with the farmers nearby. They are glad that their son Rhidian is going too.

However, they would hardly know whether their grandchildren would do as what they do in the future.

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Tracking the scenes: through the streets September 15, 2014 by Cassie Jiang

Three girls travel for hundreds of miles tracking and framing shooting locations, both in the real world and a virtual one

The Fangirlsâ€&#x; sceneframing of the wedding in Sherlock Homes season 3.

While Tiia Ohman and Satu Walden are travelling around the UK to trace the filming scenes of their favourite movie heroes, on the other side of the earth, Geng Liang, a Chinese girl, is sitting in front of her computer and doing the same thing with them, but in a virtual world.

The internet technology now has made the virtual reality very close to the real reality.

People are enabled to travel in a virtual world, even travel in space. How does it feel to travel through the streets and through the screen? Life360 bridges Tiia and Geng to exchange their experiences.

Tiia is a professional photographer, Satu used to work for an event organizer.

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Tiia Ohman shares her and Satu‟s exploring experience of traveling and sceneframing.

1. Tell us something about yourselves and your jobs. I‟m a professional photographer, Satu used to work for an event organizer back in Finland. Sometimes I just forget where we‟re going or when we are leaving, stuff like that, then Satu will be there telling me.

2. What do you enjoy most about sceneframing? We‟ve gone to places that aren‟t mentioned in tourist guides, but then they turn out to be these amazing, mind-blowingly beautiful locations. And we‟ve met such interesting people – both fellow fans and locals in small cities.

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3. What’s the most impressing scene for you? There‟s this scene on Doctor Who where (Dunraven Bay, Wales) the Doctor comes to say his last goodbyes to Rose. It (the beach) is huge, beautiful, looks like another planet with all the strange rock formations and everything. We were both speechless and cried a little.

4. What does your works mean to other people? My favourite is that I get to take photos- which is my life‟s passion – and then tell people about our travels, and maybe a few of them get to go to places they wouldn‟t have known of otherwise.

5. How do you interpret “Virtual travel”? Of course, it‟s not the same thing as actually visiting these places, so I really really hope she (Geng Liang) can make the trip some day. Maybe we‟ll get together and tour the locations together!

6. What are the similarities and differences between you and Geng Liang? I can kind of imagine her being excited about spotting a filming location, the same as us. It‟s a weird, happy feeling that can‟t be explained. But of course, actually standing there in the same spot is a totally different thing.

7. What do you want to say to her? We‟ve seen your pictures; that‟s so cool! It seems to us that people will notice if something you do comes straight from your heart 43

and theyâ€&#x;ll support you through it! Maybe weâ€&#x;ll see you on the road some day, somewhere!

Tracking the scenes: through the screen September 15, 2014 by Cassie Jiang

Three girls travel for hundreds of miles tracking and framing shooting locations, both in the real world and a virtual one

Comparison between the scene on TV and on Google Earth and Street View While Tiia Ohman and Satu Walden are travelling around the UK to trace the filming scenes of their favourite movie heroes, on the other side of the earth, Geng Liang, a Chinese girl, is sitting in front of her computer and doing the same thing with them, but in a virtual world.

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The internet technology now has made the virtual reality very close to the real reality.

People are enabled to travel in a virtual world, even travel in space. How does it feel to travel through the streets and through the screen? Life360 bridges Tiia and Geng to exchange their experiences.

Geng Liang works as a chemistry researcher.

Geng Liang talks about her “detective” scene tracking of Sherlock Homes on Google Earth.

1. Tell us something about yourself and your work.I finished my PHD program in Chemistry and work as a researcher. Sometimes I‟m geek, passionate abo ut delving things which are not quite useful but interesting. I might be somewhat a goof-off.

2. How does it feel to track the locations via the screen? I feel a detective in myself when tracking those clues and inferring the position of the actors on Google Earth, and never forget the signs on the walls and window frames! At the same time it enriches my knowledge of the culture and history of the country, the cities and buildings. Somebody said “a place without a story feels icy”; the stories move and drive me there, virtually.

3. What’s the most impressing scene for you? The house in Penarth where the drugster kills his brother-in-law and throws his body on top of the train (In S1E3), because I spend several weeks searching Google Earth inch-by-inch.

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4. What does the Guide book mean to other people? People are using it as a travel guide, and those who can‟t travel to Britain could use it to search on Street View. It‟s really enjoyable and different; you may feel “oh, this is reality.”

5. How do you interpret “Virtual travel”? The technology like Google Earth and Street View make the travel possible for people who can‟t travel abroad. It‟s cool, but it can‟t replace a physical travel or offer real experience.

6. What are the similarities and differences between you and the Fangirls? The difference is I‟m not in the UK, and similarity is if I were there I would definitely travel like them, too (laugh).

7. What do you want to say to them? I can hardly access their website in China, that‟s a pity! I may ask them what are the feeling and experience of really being there and taking those creative photos.

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How does a “blue” gay app surf the wave of pink economy?

May 19, 2014 by Cassie Jiang

“Blued” is the name of China’s most popular gay social app, which outpaces its world-wide famous competition in China’s domestic market, and aims to expand internationally. Geng Le, the CEO of Danlan business which launched Blued, talks about his surfing the wave of pink economy Open up Chinese social media platform Weibo, under the topic of #no more homophobia#, you‟ll find over 79 thousands posts showing their supportive attitudes towards the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender).

“I am a CEO, of course I‟m not homophobia!” This is posted by Geng Le, the CEO of Danlan- China‟s biggest gay web portal.

As 17 May IDAHOT (International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia) approaches, a new wave of supporting the LGBT is catching up with the issue of legalizing gay marriage in the UK and the USA. Recently, Geng has just finished his visiting scholar tour to America. He‟s visited big cities like Washington, New York and San Francisco. As the funder of Blued-the most popular gay social app launched by Danlan in late 2012, he investigated the social pattern of local gay communities and how they use social media.

14 years ago, Danlan was a small site called “the light blue memories”, ran by Geng alone; two years ago, Geng was a policeman who has worked for two decades; Now, he‟s become the leader of 33 staff of whom 30 are gays.

It happens so rapidly, just like the rising of pink economy (refers to the economy based on the market of LGBT people). 4 months after Blued lived, they‟ve received an angel investment of RMB3 million/£300,000, and this February RMB10 million/£1000, 000 A round.

Now they are preparing to expand their business globally. “My dream is to go to list on NASDAQ, and announce to the world that as a Chinese gay IT company, we can make it!” Geng says.

This is not bragging without feasibility, but quite a possible future for such a “surfer” in the wave of global pink economy. According to Angie Dai, a finance assistant in a TMT (technology, media and telecommunication) investment company, the LGBT have strong consumption ability and willingness.

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There‟s less stress from marriage and children, but more from emotion and social isolation, so they tend to spend their money on personal image building, tourism, or entertainment, etc.

“The increasing pink economy is a reflection of the rising concern about the LGBT,” says Angie, pointing that gay marriage is legalized in more and more countries, “both the governments and the public start to realize their (LGBT) physical and mental demands.”

Currently, gay specialized business covers from nightclubs, restaurants to tourism, entertainment and so on. Social media is a new and subdivided IT area which is capable to meet mixed demands of the LGBT.

Serve the 5% with more than sex, friendship, or love Same in America, Robyn Exton, CEO of the UK based lesbian dating app Dattch, is busy with their launch in Los Angeles on 9 May. As one of the 17 startups in the Wayra London incubator cohort, Dattch has closed £100,000 angel round last year in September. It is now available in the UK and the USA, according to Robyn, open their gate to Australia and China is just a problem of time.

However, it is not simple to adjust to China‟s market. As announced, in China, Blued now has in total 4 million registered users, which is around 1.5 times that of Jack‟d, one of the most world-widely used gay dating app based on geolocation.

Open up Jack‟d; you get a “menu-like” photo page of men closet; you can choose anyone to view his profile and start a chat in three minutes, then set a dating point and meet the closet guy within twenty minutes or less.

Although some people tend to seek friendship and hopefully true love, such apps are widely considered as casual hookup tools with a purpose of “to get laid”.

“Sex is a natural demand of people, and gays don‟t repress it,” Geng says. He believes that as long as it‟s on a legal and moral level, it is people‟s right and privacy to seek sex, friendship or true love via the social media platform. And the app is just a tool.

Geng used to be a Jack‟d user and doesn‟t deny that the initial version of Blued used the former for reference. “But we‟ve changed in our way,” Geng says. Although started from dating, they don‟t want to end up here.

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There are 5% of the whole global population are LGBT, in China, the 5% means around 70 million. In Geng‟s mind, Blued is designed to serve the 5% who are not well served by the general public social media.

“And we tend to make the service deeper, more comprehensive and sound by offering social functions and information feed; we could also develop mobile games and cooperate with e-commerce to enable online purchasing, etc.”

The investigation in America impressed him, “they haven‟t got a gay app which is operated in a real social network way, and the market hasn‟t been completely developed.” Geng starts to consider their international stategy.

Prevent AIDS with new media Danlan has always engaged in promoting public benefit for the LGBT both on and offline. As a representative of the NGO, Geng got to meet with China‟s then Vice-Premier (now Premier) Li Keqiang and Maria Miller, the former Culture Secretary of the UK, to discuss anti-AIDS and rights of the LGBT. He was also visited by Michel Sidibé, UNAIDS (Uniting the World aginst AIDS) Executive Director and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, on topics of environment, internet and AIDS. The launch of Blued starts to expand their AIDS prevention from PC to mobile device.

With a log-in rate of 30%, Blued has 1.2 to 2 million users active daily. People carry their mobile phones with them every day, so the app gets chance to contact them directly.

According to Geng, they use Blued to spread knowledge of safe sex and AIDS prevention, and push notifications of AIDS testing, “it‟s personal, helps to protect their privacy.”

They also invite some “pop icons” in gay community to share their stories about how they come out of the closet, or how they fight with AIDS, to encourage others.

Last month, Geng was invited to share their experience of preventing AIDS and promoting public benefit via new media on the meeting held by UNAIDS, WHO and GFATM in Geneva.

During the meeting, the representative of Uganda mentioned the difficulties of AIDS prevention brought by law and homophobia. They cannot even equip the anti-AIDS staff with computers, he said.

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However, Geng believes that their effort in public benefit can also help promote their business. Recently, they‟ve published a booklet on the theme of IDAHOT and plan to hand it out for free.

In China, although the law is not sufficient enough, as economy develops, the society is getting friendlier to the LGBT. “People need to be educated, including the public, the government and even the investors,” says Geng, “and they are being educated.”

During the first several years, Danlan website was considered as “against the social morality” and suffered from governmental banning and blocking.

Public benefit affairs help Danlan and Blued build a good brand image, and gain the trust and support from the government. In return, their business is gaining more recognizing, “many investors contacted us for cooperation, but currently we don‟t lack money,” he says.

Moreover, they are going to spread Blued to the world, starting from Southeast Asia and then to the western countries.

The future trend for all?

Whereas the users habit varies from countries to countries due to political and cultural difference. The business mode of Danlan may not necessarily apply to all the gay dating apps.

Without enough offline infrastructures, Chinese LGBT turn themselves to the internet, especially mobile apps which are more private, Geng adds, “most of them (Americans) use the app just to get to know people and meet them offline, but Chinese users expect more.”

In developed countries like the USA and the UK, people get gay bars, Facebook and more opennesss, they don‟t rely on mobile social that much. The most famous gay dating apps, Jack‟d and Grindr, have always focused on facilitating dating, and they are doing well currently.

Geng has visited the staff of Jack‟d during his tour in America, according to him, Jack‟d has never planned to get listed. “They can make money, then why put themselves so tiredly?”

However, Geng view Danlan as not only a commercial business, but also an organization of social undertakings. He also believes that the listing of Danlan would raise more concern for Chinese LGBT, both in China and around the world.

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“We‟ll never forget the responsibilities for the LGBT people; never forget where we are from.” Geng says.

On the wall of their office in Beijing, there hangs a big photo of him with 7 other gay men; they are the original 8 persons who created Danlan. They stand together, half naked, with a rainbow flag-which stands for LGBT-wrapping up from their waists. The laughter on their faces seems as bright as the colour on the flag.

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Gay dating Apps: friends, sex, love and what else?

May 19, 2014 by Cassie Jiang The straightforward attempt of hooking up with a guy nearby or simply seeking sex via a gay dating app is not surprising in the gay male world, although some people find it jarring and tend to find friendship and hopefully, true love. However, can and should the apps offer anything more beyond these?

John Wu, a 24-year old Chinese, realized he was different from other boys till high school because he was not that into girls. In the last summer before graduation, he finally poured his loving heart to his deskmate-a boy. After that, the guy never spoke to John again.

Being a gay in China, John found, was hardly anything he could spoke of in real life, so he turned to the internet and downloaded Jack‟d-a global gay dating app for men. “I found true love on it!” He says, as it is unbelievable. “But I‟m a super special case, not typical; you know, it‟s just a tool of making friends and seeking sex,” John says, “and I think I‟m the only one in the world who use it to practice IELTS (by chatting with a New York guy)!”

Such apps like Jack‟d and Grindr are similar in function of GPS navigation. Open up the app, you get a “menu-like” homepage with a range of photos of men closet to you; you can choose anyone to view his profile and start a chat in three minutes, and set a dating point and meet the closet guy within twenty minutes or less.

Although some gays find it jarring and tend to seek friendship and hopefully true love, the apps are widely considered as casual hookup tools with a purpose of “to get laid”.

However, lesbian specialized app Dattch differs itself from the gay male apps with less focus on GPS navigation function. Robyn Exton, the CEO of Dattch, believes that women are less likely to meet offline right after a “warming up” chat online.

Recently, Robyn is in busy with Dattch‟s launch in Los Angeles on 9th May. She expects 50 to 100 thousands new users out of the total 280 thousands lesbians in this area.

Currently, pink economy, referring to the economy based on the LGBT (lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders), is rising rapidly around the world in a range of areas including tourism, nightclubs, restaurants, entertainment and so on. IT is a new and subdivided area which is capable to meet mixed demands of the LGBT people.

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Like most social media, the dating apps tend to accumulate users at the first step and then make money from advertising and charging for certain service or functions. Grindr has an Xtra version which charges for 0.69 pounds, money made from the LGBT is called “pink pound” in UK. However, how does a dating app maintain a user when she/he gets a relationship and doesn‟t need casual hookups anymore?

Robyn says, Dattch is not only about dating, but building the community. By the game of “Would You Rather”, which lets users to choose preference between two girls or food, drinks, a cat or anything, Dattch enables match-ups and offer topics for girls to start up. And a blog section is designed to offer news and personal stories to enrich their online experience.

John stopped using Jack‟d after confirming relationship with his boyfriend. Because there‟s no more need for hookups or “one night stand”, and there‟s seldom anything more available on it.

Jack‟d used to run top in Chinese gay dating app before Blued-a Chinese domestic app-took its place. Launched in late 2012 by Danlan-the biggest gay website in China, Blued is now available for IOS, Android and Windows system. Geng Le, the CEO of Danlan, announced that Blued now has in total 4 million registered users with a daily activity degree of 1.2 million.

So what else can they do except helping gays know and meet each other? Geng has researched many similar apps, he said he used to be a Jack‟d user and doesn‟t den y that the initial version of Blued used the former for reference. “But we‟ve changed in our way,” Geng says. “Currently our users have reached one and a half times of that of Jack‟d.” In the latest version, Blued is featured with several functions including not only geo-location, status, “like” and comments, but also a separate information feeding section.

Geng understands that there is indeed a physical need of sex, especially for man. “But what‟s wrong with sex?” He asks. “Some people criticize on others‟ seeking for sex while they are doing the same thing.”

For John, it‟s just a personal choice. “Some people consider it as a moral issue; others take it as physical vent, simply as ordinary as pee.”

In Geng‟s view, it is one‟s right and privacy to choose how to deal with sex relationship as long as it‟s in on legal and moral level. Moreover, the app is just a tool, he thinks, “we offer a social platform, but we don‟t judge how people deal with their own business.”

“However, we don‟t want our product to be a meaningless tool; it‟s lifeless boring.” As a gay himself, Geng understands more about his users‟ emotional needs. That‟s why they add more social functions and the information section to Blued. “People get news 53

on what‟s happening to the LGBT people around the world from here, and they can share their true life stories or read the LGBT themed novels.”

According to Geng, the 13-year old Danlan website sweeps 70%-80% compiling of international LGBT news and has attracted a number of original novel writers.

Supported by this, the information section together with the social functions, are wished to “pursue users to stay here, share their hobbies and pour their emotions here.”

In order to build a positive image, Blued created a cartoon gay couple and share their “warm love stories” to the public. Moreover, public benefit is has always been a part of Danlan‟s social business. On the basis of a huge number of users and highly efficient communication feature, Blued engages in promoting anti-AIDS knowledge and helping government with LGBT service and investigations.

“We have 26 out of 30 gay members in our company; we root in China‟s gay group; we know what they (government) don‟t know, and do what they are not able to do,” says Geng.

Recently, for the theme of 17th May, the IDAHOT (International Day Against Homophobia and Transgender); they‟ve published a booklet on this theme and plan to distribute it to the public for free.

Two month ago, due to the influential efforts in promoting AIDS prevention, Geng was visited by Michel Sidibé, UNAIDS Executive Director and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, on topics of environment, internet and AIDS. He also got chance to meet with China‟s Premier Li Keqiang and Maria Miller, the former Culture Secretary of the UK, to discuss China‟s process of the LGBT public benefit.

Geng says facilitating sex, friendship and love is part of what Blued doing as a social platform, but not the end. “I always keep reminding myself that we‟re not only commercial business, but also a Social enterprise. We have social responsibilities for the LGBT people and cannot forget where we are from.”

However, in terms of the future trend of gay dating apps, Geng doesn‟t think their business mode will become the general trend. It is based on China‟s situation, different from UK where LGBT live in a more open social and political environment.

Furthermore, he says, an app‟s focus and features depend on its identity and concept.

Blued provides a mode, and plan to expand it to the world, that doesn‟t mean it‟s the best. “There would be much competition, and we welcome it.”

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According to Robyn, Dattch also wants to enter China; it might encounter with Danlan‟s coming lesbian app, Pinked. We don‟t know what will happen next, what we know is that the market is there, and the competitions and innovations, too.

Thanks to social media, John was less likely to be refused by a straight man since he got to know where to find the right one. He is now deep in love with his partner, and doesn‟t think he‟s going to use Blued since he is not that interested in the information either. “But if they developed mobile games I‟d like to install again,” he says, and that‟s Blued‟s next plan.

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A key to heaven’s door March 24, 2014 by Cassie Jiang

Born blind, Nicki used to depend on her parents and a white cane. However, two guide dogs stepped into her life, and led her to a new world…

Although the weather forecast had expected some rain, spring dropped with warm sunshine, clear sky and blooming flowers, just like a sweet colourful surprise.

However, due to a problem in the optic nerve, Nicki Cockburn could never see any of this. In fact, she has never seen the colour of spring. Her world has always been dark, just like the colour of her guide dog, Chelsea.

Like Nicki, almost two million people in the UK are living without eyesight. That‟s approximately one person in 30.

Not everyone matches up with a suitable guide dog, only around 4700 of them have found their support.

Nicki was lucky enough, and she trained hard with the staff from the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, an organization responsible for around 8000 dogs.

“She is smiling at you”

It is the first Friday of March, Nicki and Chelsea walk slowly along the street towards the Bute building of Cardiff University, where she finished her MA in Broadcast Journalism last year.

The sun shines on her red coat and smiling face, “she (Chelsea) is smiling at you,” Nicki says. I look at Chelsea, the 9 year old black Labrador, and don‟t see any expression.

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Chelsea is a well-trained dog from the Guide Dogs. For Nicki, she is her best friend.

“She is an extension of me, my eyes which enables me to have the life that I‟ve got,” said Nicki.

More than walking commands, Nicki talks to Chelsea a lot, and often sings for her.

“You need to praise her a lot, re-ensure that what she‟s doing is good, and she will give love in return,” Nicki explains.

“It‟s all about trust, just simple things like putting her head on my lap, sniffing my hand while walking, like she‟s asking me, „mum, am I doing alright, am I being good?‟” Nicki knows she‟s going to be safe with Chelsea, and in return she would do everything that she can to keep her safe and happy.

Nicki and Chelsea

A ke y to a door

Before Nicki got Chelsea eight years ago, she was living with her first guide dog, Vale, a big naughty golden retriever with a strong personality.

57

“Vale did everything at her own pace, if she didn‟t want to do it, she just sat down.”

Nicki recalls that once Vale stole from a shop, “she picked up a pork pie in her mouth and carried on walking through the shop and I didn‟t know until someone told me!” Her laughter doesn‟t hide how much she misses Vale.

People could hardly imagine what Vale had brought to Nicki when she was 19.

Although she enjoys life and talking to people, she sometimes felt frightened going out on her own.

When getting on a bus, the bus driver would shout at her for not sitting down. “I couldn‟t because I didn‟t know where to sit,” she says.

Isolation like this feels like the door to heaven has been closed. It leaves you in darkness, feeling lonely and helpless. You keep knocking, but there‟s no answer.

Just like finding the key to the door which changed her world, Nicki got Vale.

Vale enabled her to go to university for an undergraduate degree in contemporary arts, and even gave her courage to learn running and join a half marathon.

“Vale allowed me to live a life where I had more confidence, more friends, and freedom to be the person I knew I could be,” she said.

While the possibilities increase, there are some problems faced by dog owners. People sometimes don‟t recognize guide dogs as their mobile aids. Nicki has been refused entry by restaurants since they don‟t allow pets.

Mark Perry, another dog owner in Cardiff, was once rejected by a taxi driver because of religion problem. Moreover, he and his guide dog were recently attacked by another dog (Mark was slightly injured), which happened to another lady not long ago and killed her dog. Although lives become easier, security and the access to public places remain current issues.

58

Government and organizations are trying to spread more awareness about the blind and partially sighted through campaigns. Better life is possible with better street designs, less street clutter, less irregularly parked cars, and more considerations from every one of us. However, it‟s easier said than done.

Getting off a train and stepping into another

Having worked with Nicki for eight years, Chelsea is going to retire in the next six months. A new dog will take over, as she did with Vale.

In Nicki‟s memory, the feeling of retiring a dog was horrible, with a lot of tears.

She felt like she was being disloyal to Vale by letting herself love Chelsea. “You have to love the new dog, and you do, you trust it, but it‟s different,” she said.

“If you have two children, you love them both, but for different reasons, in different ways.” When people say “you‟re going to replace Chelsea”, she doesn‟t like it. “I‟m not, because you know you can‟t, you can‟t replace her.”

Apart from retirement, there is also the pain of death, which took Vale away eventually.

59

Nicki knows that these moments are going to repeat at least four or five times in the future, so she is trying to be prepared. “I can‟t control what is going to happen to Chelsea, so I tend to enjoy our life together.”

Life as the ordinary

During their eight years together, Chelsea has always been Nicki‟s support, both physically and mentally. Nicki used to do some work for newspapers and radio stations.

She found a job at the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) as an admin assistant in 2010, and finished the MA Broadcast Journalism program in Cardiff University in 2013.

“I love talking to people, hearing their stories and always want to tell those stories, but if I hadn‟t had Chelsea, I wouldn‟t have the confidence to come down to Cardiff,” she says. Now she‟s planning to move to Cardiff and applying for a job in BBC. It‟s not that easy for the blind to go to University and find a job. The Guide Dogs and the RNIB and other charity organizations help in terms of education, careers, social campaigns, etc.

Mark Perry has never worked, he is now taking a computer course for the blind.

Every Thursday morning, he goes to the course with his guide dog, Jeeves. Mark has light blue eyes, bright and clear like the sky. When they‟re waiting for the traffic light, Jeeves always sits beside him quietly. Despite the sign on the harness, they look like two friends on a morning walk.

So did Nicki and Chelsea when they walked together in the Cathays Park opposite Bute building. They took a seat under a tree; Chelsea lay down and put her head on Nicki‟s feet.

60

Nicki couldnâ€&#x;t see the painting like surroundings of the blue sky, warm sunshine, green grass and colourful flowers, but when I looked at Chelsea, yes, she was definitely smiling at me.

61

Cardiff character: Lynnette Griffiths February 25, 2014 by Cassie Jiang The 10-year journey as a Chinese practitioner has changed Lynnette Griffiths’ life and mind, and now she is helping others live better Instead of wearing white, Lynnette Griffiths usually chooses Chinese Tang suit when working in her Chinese Traditional Medicine (CTM) clinic. “People don‟t like too much clinical stuff,” she says. Every day she works in the surroundings of Chinese tradition since she started her journey as a Chinese practitioner.

Thinking of life now, Lynn feels grateful. It was totally different 15 years ago when she was in her thirties, suffering nerve pain in half the face to back of the head every day. “I used to stay in bed all day, couldn‟t do any housework,” she shakes her head, says. “I couldn‟t even lift a handbag because it would be pulling all on my face.”

After trying everything that western medicine could offer- but didn‟t work-Lynn was introduced by her sister to CTM. That‟s how she met Chinese medicine. “We were so tired and didn‟t have other choices,” she says. She was given Chinese herbs and acupuncture and finally healed by Doctor Pak Lam, who later led her into the study of CTM. Then she decided to develop a career in CTM, “Because I wanted to help people similar to me.”

10 years change much It cost Lynn around ten years to study and practice in CTM, now she has got four diplomas in this area, and has attained the title „Master of Tai Chi and Qi Gong‟. In fact, her families didn‟t quite understand her when she made her decision. “They thought I was crazy because they don‟t know about it, but they ask me for help now”, she laughs, “I had to give my husband cupping for his bad neck this morning; my children also come to me for treatments and food advice.”

Now Lynn is running courses and workshops teaching people Qi Gong, a Chinese traditional way of practice, to help them remove stress and make the body function well.

The practice changes Lynn herself as well, she says, it drives her away from wine and other foods which may lead to her nerve pain again, and that‟s a way she help her patients as well. Moreover, it changes her personality, makes her more self-controlled.

62

Healing people is self-healing Life in childhood was not easy, Lynn lost her mother forever when she was three, her father was a professional football player of Wales, but not paid a lot at that time. It was hard for him to take care of four children including little Lynn, who went through the tough of life before she was old enough to understand them.

Looking back at these years, everything gets better now. Lynn feels like being healed,

by Chinese medicine, physically; and by her patients, mentally, though sometimes it makes her disappointed when people give up the treatment.

She treats people with infertility, creating chances for them to have a baby. Lucas Christopher, 6 pound and 10 ounces, was born last month. His mother sent Lynn his picture and said thanks for her treatment.

“That made me feel good,” says Lynn, looking at the phone screen and smiles, “when healing people, I‟m healing myself.”

63

VIRTUAL REALITY TRAVEL AS A COMPLEMENTARY OF TOURISM: FACILITATING AND EXPANDING JOURNEYS TO THE IMPOSSIBLE Article 1: Virtual travel: journey to the impossible Virtual reality travel is poised to take off as a mass market experience extending destinations across the world and even out of this world. Technology is developing rapidly so are holiday plans about to change forever?

Stars blaze across the sky, a breeze whispers like a choir, a grassy knoll provides a perfect vantage point to just lie and gaze up at this magical moment in a remote international dark sky reserve. But in fact it is all happening from an armchair in a one-bedroom flat on a wet Wednesday evening in Wales after a long day at work.

The trip comes courtesy of a digital virtual reality headset which is simply plugged in and the journey begins.

Virtual reality (VR) is no longer the stuff of science fiction. The industry is creating opportunities for the general public to travel in a virtual world and experience that fun that is inaccessible in reality.

Jaunt is one of those leading the race to the virtual travel market. This VR startup employs exclusive high-tech camera and a VR head-mounted display like Oculus Rift – a headset designed

by Oculus VR Company – to create the sensation of being in another place.

By claiming: “Jaunt will let you travel to faraway places, experience breath-taking natural vistas...”1 on the website, this young startup is creating a virtual travel experience for many travellers who fail – for different reasons – to make a visit to their dreamed destinations.

In April, Silicon Valley-based technology correspondent, Brian Hart, met Jaunt‟s VP of Engineering Tom Annau, CTO Arthur van Hoff, and CEO Jens Christensen in their Palo Alto office. Surrounded by 12 speakers, Hart experienced the demo contents by wearing an Oculus Rift HD prototype.

He then wrote on the Road to VR (a VR news website): “In one scene, I was in a park surrounded

by Shaolin Monks performing a martial arts demonstration. In another, I was a few feet away from Megadeth‟s Dave Mustaine in his backyard as he played acoustic guitar.

“Next, I was perched atop a hill on a clear blue day, with a front-row view of the Golden Gate Bridge and boats navigating San Francisco Bay. Then I was in a church, surrounded by the amazing voices of Oregon‟s iSing Choir. Last, I was aboard a distressed crabbing boat with a first-person 1

Official website of Jaunt: http://www.jauntvr.com/#about.

64

view as action happens all around me.”2 Throughout the demonstrations, Hart was able to turn around in his chair and look in all directions (expect a small circle near his feet).

This was enabled by the technology of Oculus Rift: wide-field – 100 degree plus 3D – view and high resolution display, and position tracking which catches every subtle movement of the user‟s is tracked in real time and create a natural and intuitive experience, just like viewing in a real world.

The only fly in the ointment is that currently the experience is limited in visuals and sounds. But as Nate Mitchell, Vice President of Product at Oculus VR said on CES 2014, they were researching to 3 enable the users to see their hands and reach out to “touch” things in the virtual world .

Two month after Oculus VR unveiled their new prototype at CES in January, Facebook acquired it for $2 billion. Its cutting-edge VR technology builds on techniques developed for the video gaming industry with its highly immers ive contents that allow the user to step into the world in front of his eyes.

Facebook will help to strengthen and broaden the position of Oculus Rift in gaming, but Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, is confident of the future of virtual reality. Zuckerberg and the team of Oculus VR believe VR could transform the way people learn, share, play, and communicate4 .

“After games, we're going to make Oculus a platform for many other experiences 5 ,” Zuckerberg said in the acquisition announcement post on his Facebook on March 25.

Virtual travel is one of the upcoming applications of virtual reality, which could develop as a new mainstream mode of travelling. The acquisition of Oculus Rift will boost Jaunt‟s development of VR content for Oculus Rift and other digital terminals.

But how to make it to another place virtually through a headset?

This Silicon Valley company names its immersive technique “cinematic VR”. In order to reflect the real world seen by human eyes, the team created its own proprietary super camera which shapes like a rotating disco ball. It can record 3D video and capture in all directions.

Coupled with a 3D sound-field microphone, the sounds are also captured with real-world effects, for example, when the sound comes from the right, it is louder in the right ear than the left.

2

Brian Hart http://www.roadtovr.com/ jaunt-vr-virtual-reality-cinema-p latform-6-8-million-funding/

Accessed on 30/07/2014.

3

Video material: Oculus VR Unveils New Prototype at CES

http://www.forbes.com/video/3033837259001/ Accessed on 30/07/ 2014.

4

Facebook Buys Oculus Rift For $2 Billion

http://kotaku.com/facebook-buys-oculus-rift-for-2-b illion-1551487939 Accessed on 30/07/ 2014.

5

Mark Zuckerberg‟s Facebook https://www.facebook.co m/ zuck/posts/10101319050523971, accessed

on 30/07/2014.

65

The video is then reconstructed as high quality virtual reality and edited into cinematic vision and storytelling. Once reappears on an immersive device, the virtual reality becomes as real as reality.

Until now Jaunt has not released any product to the market, nor the distribution and price. But in order to gain the most immersive experience, the user might need to purchase Oculus Rift first at around £300.

6

According to Nicole Relyea , community manager of Jaunt, to date most Jaunt content is more involved with the entertainment industry including concerts, sporting events, filmmaking projects and more.

7

Current VR experience is not widely used for personal travel. In our survey based on 100 young people between 18 to 45 years old, which examines people‟s experience and expectations of virtual travel, only 20% of the respondents have tried virtual travel via immersive device like Oculus Rift.

That being said, people are showing an interest in the possibilities of virtual travel. According to the survey, 58% expect sightseeing and experience of the destinations where they are not able to arrive 8 physically for real.

Jaunt saw the potential market. “Virtual travel is certainly an application of our technology9 ,” says Relyea. The idea of their system came from a travel experience after Tom Annau, one of the founders, returned from Zion National Park.

Could he recreate that amazing experience again for a short jaunt, at any time, from any place?

Then he started thinking of looking at a 360-degree, 3-D image in a viewer like the Oculus Rift.

Thus, the idea was born.

Although standing on the cutting-edge, the technology is not perfect.

Alice Mrogan, a 14-year-old girl, and his father David Morgan experienced Oculus Rift at Cardiff Science Festival in July.

David felt a little dizziness although it was not a problem for him, and he thought the kit was a little heavy.

Alice also had a slight headache after using it, and she felt she was too immersed into the virtual world. “I put it on and soon off,” said Alice, “because it was too realistic, if I wear it for long, I might forget where I am10 .”

These are the actual problems and potential impacts concerned by both Jaunt and Oculus VR teams before they release the products to the public.

6

Interview with Nicole Relrea, email, Cardiff – Californ ia; 06/ 08/ 2014, see Appendix 2.

7

Survey: How do you like v irtual touris m? See Appendix 1.

8

Ibid.

9

Interview with Nicole Relrea, see Appendix 2, Question 3.

10

Interview with A lice Morgan, in person, Cardiff, 16/08/2014, see Appendix 3.

66

Another controversy lies on how virtual travel will sit with real travel.

According to Relyea, virtual reality acts as a complementary which makes impossible journeys possible.

“There are potential therapeutic applications for people who can't travel, like someone stuck in a hospital bed. It also makes it possible for people who can't travel for w hatever reason to be able to 11

see the world .

“Maybe you can't take a week-long trip, but you could spend 5 minutes or an hour in VR experiencing the other side of the world; many people can't travel or can't travel on the scale that they'd like to because of time, money or physical limitations,” he says. “But virtual travel allows you to go whenever you want12 ,” Relyea says.

As Babak Parviz, Creator of Google Glass commented on Jaunt‟s website: “The confluence of various tech trends have positioned us at a point where it may become possible to truly create the experience of being in another location 13 .”

According to our survey14 , in terms of ideal virtual destinations, around one third of the respondents would choose to „go‟ to actual sites on the earth which are either inaccessible or too expensive; 16 participants want to experience virtual space travel; and the rest even dream of virtual time travel, which even an advanced companies like Jaunt is not contemplating yet.

Actually, the name “Jaunt” origins from Alfred Bester‟s 1953 novel, The Stars my Destination, which introduced “jaunte” to mean teleport. Based on this, Stephen King then produced The Jaunt, a short story about a family preparing to be "Jaunted" to Mars. Allure of space in such 15

science-fiction stories always stimulates people .

“It's definitely been in our imagination,” says Relyea. “There's nothing about the camera that would prevent space filming; it's just a matter of time and resources16 .”

To date only 545 people have ever travelled to space for real17 . Even though British commercial spaceflight company Virgin Galactic is planning to provide suborbital spaceflights to space tourists, the US$250,000 ticket18 price is only affordable to the super wealthy.

11

Interview with Nicole Relrea, see Appendix 2, Question 5.

12

Ibid, Question 7.

13

Official website of Jaunt: http://www.jauntvr.com/#about.

14

Survey: How do you like v irtual touris m? See Appendix 1.

15

Jaunt: the story behind the name

http://operativewords.blogspot.com/2014/06/ jaunt-story-behind-name.ht ml, accessed on 30/07/ 2014.

16

Interview with Nicole Relrea, see Appendix 2, Question 6.

17

Astronaut/Cosmonaut Statistics http://www.worldspaceflight.co m/bios/stats.php, accessed on

30/ 07/ 2014.

18

Official website of Virgin Galact ic http://www.virgingalactic.co m/booking/, accessed on 30/07/2014.

67

Dr. Aaron Knoll, a researcher from Space Centre in University of Surrey, has been dreaming of travelling to space since childhood. He believes that he‟s not the only one who has this dream.

“But if you‟re not an astronaut, and you don‟t happen to be sitting on a mountain made of money, then this is simply won‟t happen by sitting around and waiting 19 ,” Knoll wrote on Kickstarter (an international funding platform for creative projects), where he and his team mates launched their virtual space travel program named Virtual Ride to Space (VR2Space).

Virtual space travel is increasingly achievable, but Knoll believes that this situation may reduce people‟s expectation of space. “It's funny because if you were to ask the question to somebody live in the 1960s or 1970s that „do you think your children will get to go into space‟, most people would say „yes, of course‟, with the love of technology they will have the opportunities.

“Nowadays even though our technologies might be better, the public perception is less. So if you ask an average person the same question, they would say „no‟,” Knoll says 20 .

An important mission of their project is to intrigue ordinary people‟s interests in space. “Getting the idea that space is a real thing to more people, is valuable in terms of human progression,” says Knoll. “If we think 500 or 1000 in the future, we might be living on many planets, so eventually 21

that (virtual reality) might become reality .”

Bearing this in mind, Knoll is working on the possibility to make that virtual space travel accessible to the public at an affordable price.

The VR2Space project aims to collect video footage from the edge of space, and reconstruct virtual immersive content to give the rest 99.999992% people a virtual taste of being an astronaut via Oculus Rift.

VR2Space collects raw videos by panoramic cameras attached on a high altitude balloon which flies to the edge of space. Once the raw videos are gathered, the equipment will be collected by a recovery parachute, and then the data will be applied in immersive recreation.

On August 8, Knoll showed us a raw video they have collected in a test flight. The video presented the view of 30 km-high space with little atmosphere. The sun was shining up in front of the sight and the earth was a little bit lower – just like a huge ball in blue and white.

The camera moved slowly and the view changed with. The video was quiet since the thin air carries little sound, “that‟s what the space is like, silent 22 .” said Knoll.

19

Virtual Ride to Space, Kicks tarter,

https://www.kickstarter.co m/projects/1592839372/virtual-ride-to-space-vr2space, accessed on 30/ 07/ 2014.

20

Interview with Aaron Kno ll, in person, Surrey Space Centre, Gu ildford; 08/ 08/ 2014, see Appendix 4,

Question 6.

21

Ibid, Question 26.

22

Ibid, Question 13-15.

68

Knoll says the virtual space travel experience on Oculus Rift will include high-quality 3D visuals and a soundtrack which may overlay music on top of actual audio recorded by the cameras. Or users could add their own music playlist to make the travel experience more unique and personal.

But still there is a long way to go before it actually enters the customer market. Knoll says maybe it is just a step to experiment how much public interest there is in going into space.

They launched two Kickstarter campaigns to rise funding for the project. The first one didn‟t quite meet its goal which was £30,000, mainly because the price, £50 charged for the content software they were creating, was too high.

The feedback from the pledgers on Kickstarter showed there were a lot of enthusiastic people about the idea. Savan Chhaniyara 23 , another team member who is specialized in planetary robotics, says that those backers have given them a lot of technique and promoting advices. The media exposure also brought in investments from a software company that saw the potential of the project.

The success of the second campaign enables the team to work on two improvements: increasing the altitude that cameras can reach and reducing the number of required cameras from 24 to 12.

Backed by the investment, it pledged for £5,000 to drop the software price to £6 to attract more backers.

But to actually get the VR experience, the user will also need to purchase the Oculus Rift, which again prohibits it from the general public.

This situation inspires Knoll‟s team to prepare a B-plan by offering smartphone version at £5 and PC version at £4.

The smartphone version uses the same software with Oculus Rift, but the user will need do buy a Google Cardboard at around $20/£12. This transfers an ordinary smartphone into a virtual reality headset to get an almost same experience – but with lower resolution and less sensitive position tracking) than Oculus Rift. Similarly, the PC experience is not perfect as it will be less immersive.

The pilot were completed, and scheduled to fly in late August. “Hopefully by early 2015 w e‟ll be able to have them offer it to the public 24 ,” says Knoll.

Knoll also expects the possibility to send the cameras higher, as well as oppositely deep down under the earth in the future.

As he says, “you can imagine sending it down into the earth, or down under water like into the Mariana Trench-something deep under the ocean, or inside the volcano, down into ice caves…

23

Interview with Chhaniyara Savan, in person, Surrey Space Centre, Gu ildford; 08/08/2014, see

Appendix 5.

24

Interview with Aaron Kno ll, see Appendix 4, Question 21.

69

areas where human can‟t travel 25 .”

“There are all sorts of interesting places that human would like to see but are very difficult to 26

actually get to. But we can send our eyes and ears with technology and experience it,” Knoll says .

He is positive about the possibility to replicate a past experience in human or earth history to create a virtual time travel.

As Parviz indicates, the VR technology is likely to create virtual destinations beyond our current imaginations.

But either a virtual jaunt to an unreachable place, or a virtual ride into space, can they replace a real travel?

In our survey27 , 66 out of 100 respondents hold a negative attitude. Only 5 consider using virtual travel which is more economic and less time-consuming than real journeys. While 29 believe that it may bring opportunity to the unaffordable or inaccessible destinations.

The irreplaceable elements raised by the respondents include human senses and emotions, improved ability of problem-solving, and adventuring in real travel, separation from normal life, control and self-decision making during a journey, companionship building, human face-to-face 28

communication and cultural understanding .

A respondent highlights the “real interaction with local people which includes misunderstandings arising from language and cultural differences 29 .” This interaction inc ludes both verbal and non-verbal communication like facial expressions, voice, touch, body language, etc.

The virtual travel researchers and developers have not brought the technology to such simulations.

“In a virtual reality environment, a user has control of the sight and hearing, not other environment, sensational touch, taste or smell, etc.” says Knoll. “These are very hard to recreate virtually.”

Sceptics and controversies of virtual travel also arise in terms of the physical and mental impacts it might have on people – as the Morgans‟ feedback showed, and some people think it will waste a lot of time – a symptom which already exists in VR gaming.

“I would hate a virtual travel option; it would ruin the economy, affect communication skills and kill true discovery30 ,” a respondents write in our survey.

All the generations had doubt about this technology, says Chhaniyara. But he sees a deeper value of

25

Ibid, Question 22.

26

Ibid.

27

Survey: How do you like v irtual touris m? See Appendix 1.

28

Ibid.

29

Ibid.

30

Ibid.

70

virtual travel technology in terms of its application in tourism industry.

Travel providers will be able to build new platforms to market their products.

“We used to get the leaflets, then emails, and then Youtube videos”, says Chhaniyara. “this (virtual reality) might be the next generation of marketing media via which people can actually see what it 31

would be like being there .”

Chhaniyara believes it helps people to plan the tour in advance by a “test-drive” in virtual destinations. “Virgin Galactic for example; they are trying to bring people on space tour – at an expensive cost,” he adds. “They can demonstrate that experience (by virtual travel) first in or der to 32 pursue people to buy their tickets .”

In April, global travel search site Skyscanner forecasted in the Future of Travel 2024 Report33 that virtual reality will be able to offer tourists „try-before-they-buy‟ experience via technologies like Oculus Rift.

Also Chhaniyara predicts a potential market for developers and new companies – like Jaunt and VR2Space – creating the virtual travel contents.

These new startups are likely to open up avenue for the stream of virtual travel industry, Chhaniyara says, and followed by the expansion of applications and markets, like Facebook‟s acquisition of Oculus VR. “Big companies like Facebook have their logistics and manufacturing facilities”, says Chhaniyara, “they are spreading globally, so every person will be able to receive that product and experience at 34

the same time .”

Leaded by the global trend of commercialization of virtual reality, the virtual travel market is potential to attract more customers and enable a lower price to extend our destinations where once impossible.

As Mark Zuckerburg says, “virtual reality was once the dream of science fiction, but the internet was also once a dream, and so were computers and smartphones35 .”

31

Interview with Chhaniyara Savan, see Appendix 5, Question 5.

32

Ibid.

33

Future of Travel 2024 Report http://www.skyscanner2024.co m/, accessed on 30/07/2014.

34

Interview with Chhaniyara Savan, see Appendix 5, Question 11.

35

Mark Zuckerberg‟s Facebook https://www.facebook.co m/ zuck/posts/10101319050523971, accessed

on 30/07/2014.

71

Article 2:

Augmenting cultural tourism with mobile

technology th

The 100 anniversary of Welsh poet Dylan Thomas has driven thousands of his fans to Wales.

With the help of an app, they are able to walk through Dylan‟s famous poem, and expand their knowledge of cultural background and senses of view, sound and even time during the travel “It was my thirtieth year to heaven, / Woke to my hearing from harbour and neighbour wood, / And the mussel pooled and the heron priested shore, / Priested shore, / The morning beckon, /With water praying and call of seagull and rook

36

…”

70 years ago, Welsh poet Dylan Thomas composed this world-wide famous piece Poem in October, in his Boathouse in Laugharne, Carmarthen.

“And I rose, / In a rainy autumn, / And walked abroad in shower of all my days, / High tide and the heron dived when I took the road, / Over the border, / And the gates, / Of the town closed as the 37

town awoke .”

It was on October 27, 1944, Dylan‟s 30 th birthday. He woke up in the early morning, walked along the footpath by the harbour up to Sir John's hill, as he wrote, through the roadside bushes brimming with whistling birds.

Dylan is one of the most published English language poets of all time. Born in Swansea in 1924, he first moved to the township of Laugnarne to live in 1937, first in a Fisherman‟s cottage “Eros” before moving into “Sea View”, and finally in 1949 he settled in the “Boathouse”, which was his home until his death in 1953 in New York.

Today, with the assist of an app named Dylan Thomas Birthday Walk, the tourists – no matter Dylan‟s fans or not – can walk into the depictions in Poem in October by following Dylan‟s footsteps.

With the facilitation of a digital map, GPS location and an online information board, the user is able to find history, biodiversity and Dylan‟s background.

Another key to the app is the use of Dylan‟s voice – he made the recording of reading the poem when he was in America attending a poetry recitation, said Lucy Von Weber 38 , Project Manager of South West Wales Tourism Partnership (SWWTP), to Welsh official tourism website Visit Wales. At each point, there is an extract from the poem that is attributed to that particular view.

For example, when the sweeping views across the estuary towards the sands of Cefn Sidan, the 36

Dy lan Thomas, Poem in October, http://www.b igeye.com/october.htm.

37

Ibid.

38

Lucy Von Weber, online video resource: http://www.dylanthomasbirthdaywalk.co.uk/video/8/#v.

72

Gower Peninsula, North Devon and Tenby, Pembrokeshire heave into sight, this is exactly the 39

landscape Dylan saw and depicted in his work as “The woods, the river and sea ”.

“This is absolutely a perfect example of how we could use digital to add to people‟s enjoyment and extend people‟s pleasure and interpretation of the walk,” she said. “The initial mission of the app is 40

to bring Dylan Thomas a little closer to wider audience .”

The actual 2-mile/3.2-kilometre footpath was recreated as Dylan Thomas Birthday Walk two years 41

ago by Bob Stevens , the Mayor of Laugharne.

Stevens talked to Dylan‟s daughter, Aeronwy Bryn Thomas, and took the walk with her. After that, Aeronwy confirmed it was the walk herself and her father used to go on.

The 100th anniversary of Dylan Thomas approaches in this October. Dylan‟s fans are heading to his hometown from all around the world, which drives up the cultural and literature tourism in Wales.

Being the main attraction in Laugharne, the Walk is a cultural and literary landmark of the small town, as well as a hook to drive the tourists here and promote the local historic tourism further.

As the Mayor and an ordinary local who has lived here for 45 years, Stevens feels it is his responsibility to find more opportunities to attract more general vis itors to take the Walk, and learn about Dylan and the town.

“My legacy will be after my days, people will come to Laugharne and enjoy the walk 42 ,” Sitting in front of the boathouse, Stevens expects a positive development of this cultural tour.

He built up a website for the Walk, took the walk with different people as a guide while introducing them Dylan‟s life story and the history of Laugharne. His tourists include Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones, the BBC Weatherman Walking programme, journalists and fans from America and Canada, etc.

However, the creator and only guide of the walk tour is getting old. “I‟m 68 now, so time is running 43 out ,” he says. He had to find a way which can assist every tourist with guidance, relevant information and cultural background to add value to their walks.

He has set information panels which present different pieces of the poem and introduce the background, but the panels are restricted in size for the whole story, and they are easy to worn out.

Digital platform might be a solution, Stevens thought. A year ago, he approac hed SWWTP for create the app. Apart from the facilitations of digital map and text and picture information, what Stevens values most is also the voice of Dylan.

39

Poem in October

40

Lucy Von Weber, online video resource.

41

Interview with Bob Stevens, in person, Laugharne, 13/08/2014, see Appendix 6.

42

Ibid, Question 8.

43

Ibid, Question 3.

73

Stevens believes that the voice is the core element which augments the tourist‟s sense during the walk, and adds value to it.

He used to take a BBC executive with a group of her friends on her birthday. One of the visitors used his iPhone to play out the last verse of the poem in the app. “Everybody was quiet just 44

listening to him ,” Stevens recalls the visitors‟ reflection on the voice. “„O may my heart's truth, / Still be sung, / On this high hill in a year's turning (last verse of the poem)‟; if you listen to Dylan in that exact place, it‟s something spiritual, because he was lonely in America, and he was almost pleading “I hope to get back to Laugharne” – you can hear it in his voice45 ,” Stevens says, he and the other visitors were deeply touched by the this feeling enabled by the app.

This also happened to Sean Williams and his wife – both big fans of Dylans. “It was wonderful, and amazing, lovely – just standing here listening, it makes us feel this was him, he lived here, walked here, he touched this and sat here, and it‟s just overwhelming,” says Mrs. Williams. “And that is a lovely connection to read it, hear it and see it; it has engaged all the senses46 ,” she adds.

With the proliferation of mobile devices at an international level such as smartphones and tablets, the employ of digital technology during the journey to facilitate travel is not new in this industry.

Those devices act as cameras for most with significant capacity. Later, the proliferating application of location technology (such as Google map and Street View) on mobile terminals makes tourists more efficient in reaching their destinations.

In terms of releasing back-up information, barcode and QR code are used for tourists to explore more by scanning with their smartphones.

For example, Monmouth, Wales was built as the World‟s First Wikipedia Town. The project used barcode to link every single site of interest, person, building, artefact, plant, animal and other things to a Wikipedia page. It provided further knowledge of the life and history in the small town in 26 languages, which aimed to increase cultural understanding to travellers on top of efficiency.

However, according to Peter Cole 47 , Regional Strategy Director of Capital Region Tourism, research shows that while these seem a really neat way of transmitting destination information in practice, they are rarely used in practice.

Nowadays, visitors increasingly expect „just in time‟ information on the move as well as apps that provide relevant location, interpretation, facilities and services information, says Cole 48 .

This forces travel providers to ensure all their on-line information is mobile friendly and bring 44

Ibid, Question 13.

45

Ibid, Question 11.

46

Ibid, Question 15.

47

Interview with Peter Cole, email, Card iff – Glamo rgan, 27/08/2014, see Appendix 7.

48

Ibid, Question 1.

74

peopleâ€&#x;s travel experience to a new level.

In promoting Dylan Thomas literature tourism, there are three other similar apps besides the Birthday Walk Tour, showing a considerable market demand. The travel app ac ts as a virtual tour guide, says Megan Farr49 , Project Manager of Literature Wales which supports one of those apps.

With the assist of the virtual guide on a private smartphone, the user can enjoy a more personal and independent tour designed by and for oneself.

Sociologically, mobile devices enable users to share real time experience online while travelling, and possibly build relationship with virtual fellow travellers.

Apart from travel apps, providers are looking to apply more advanced augmented reality on mobile devices, which expands the multi-media platform further.

Augmented reality refers to the mobile technology that provides real time location information by pictures, audio, and video at a particular site as they become visible to the user.

It also allows tourists to experience simulations of cultural and historical events, places and objects by rendering them into their current view of a landscape.

In order to facilitate cultural and literate tourism, and increase the satisfaction and enjoyment of touristsâ€&#x; experience during the travel, the technology can be exploited to recreate historic or film scenes, to the ability to build personalised itineraries, guided tours of cultural sites, multi-lingual delivery of destination information, etc., says Cole 50 .

According to a Trip Advisor survey51 , there are more than 60% of mobile phone users have downloaded and used a travel-related smartphone app, which indicates an important role of mobile technology in terms of augmenting travel experience.

However, the limitations of technology lie in the network connectivity of the mobile devices. Even though the high speed networks like 3G and 4G and public wireless connection are spreading, a number of attractions and cultural heritages may be located in faraway areas with lower network.

For example, Wales and other largely rural destinations lack in wifi and mobile coverage, leading to potential frustrations.

Stevens says the birthday walk project gave up its first plan to enable QR code to add information because of the unstable signal in that area. And the app sometimes may lose connection as well.

Williams says his wife and he had tried the app during the first three days in Laugharne, but failed to activate it.

49

Interview with Megan Farr, Phone, Cardiff – Cardiff, 26/08/2014, see Appendix 8.

50

Interview with Peter Cole, see Appendix 7, Question 2.

51

Cultural tourism and innovation,

http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/tourism/files/pavia-2012/atelier-1/sonda_cultways_en.pdf 75

Another problem with the augmented reality technology may be the cost of developing the application and creating the multi-media contents for the destination, which may lead to charge for the app, says Farr52 .

In addition, she believes the use of the app depends on the demographic of the traveller. “It would probably appeal to people if they want to create their own tour without other tourism operators”, she says, “but it might be limited because some people like to travel on their own and others enjoy 53

being part of a wider group who are exploring .”

There are always critics when technology encounters with the physical world. Some people may feel the digital media is overloaded with information that may distract them from the actual experience within the surroundings and communities.

“Mobile devices are becoming all-consuming with individuals perversely sharing their holiday experiences with virtual friends rather than those who are physically there with them 54 ,” says Cole.

However, Farr believes it can be effective if the technology sits well to engage the environment and the users.

Despite the current issues, cultural tourism projects like the Dylan Thomas walk tour are looking to augment the travellers‟ knowledge and experience, and even their physical and emotional sences.

Being an ordinary farmer who is a little bit technological illiterate, Stevens still believes that one day, with the facilitation of technology, the visitors will be able to stand at the exact place on the 55 hill while listening to Dylan‟s voice, and feel like leaping through time “in a year‟s turning ”.

52

Interview with Megan Farr, see Appendix 8, Question 4-5.

53

Ibid.

54

Interview with Peter Cole, see Appendix 7, Question 1.

55

Poem in October 76

Article 3: Alternative pilgrimage: “being there” means a lot Pilgrimage used to be confined to acts of religious devotion, but now tourists journey thousands of miles around Wales to walk in the footsteps of their more worldly celebrity or fictional idols. CASSIE JANG talks to travellers about why „being there‟ is so important Finnish fangirls Tiia Ohman

56

st

and Satu Walden are 21 century pilgrims – in Wales to track the

locations of some of their favourite fictional heroes.

On the other side of the earth, Geng Liang 57 , a Chinese girl, is an armchair pilgrim - sitting in front of her computer and doing the same thing, but in a virtual world.

The three are all big fans of globally famous films and TV series such as Sherlock Holmes, Doctor Who, Torchwood, Merlin and Harry Potter.

For a long time, Wales has had a growing reputation as a location for feature and TV shooting, which promotes the country to the world as a modern filming heritage.

An alternative “pilgrimage” to worship celebrity, heroes, landmark location or fiction shrines becomes cult to their loyal fans.

Tiia and Satu are in Cardiff, to track down some of Wales‟s most iconic locations.

Photographer Tiia captures the scenes for posterity – from Cardiff Millennium Centre which was turned into the hospital in Doctor Who, to the maze of pathways in Puzzlewood (aka Forest of Dean) which appeared in Merlin.

Geng, a chemistry researcher, is tied to work and cannot afford to travel abroad, so her tracking techniques are digital.

Her “virtual travel” on Google Earth and Street View has been used to create an e-book with screenshots and historical and cultural introductions to those film locations of Sherlock Holmes.

“It‟s exciting that a fan that has never been abroad can see the actual street view of the same scene on TV58 ,” she says.

What are the differences between travelling actually through the streets and virtually through the screen? What is the point of “being there” for real? Tiia‟s and Geng‟s fan-based pilgrimage experiences may give an insight.

Tiia Ohman shares her and Satu‟s exploring experience of trave lling and sceneframing59

56

Interview with Tiia Oh man, email, Card iff – Card iff, 23/02/2014, see Appendix 9.

57

Interview with Geng Liang, email, Ca rdiff – Cardiff, 19/02/2014, see Appendix 10.

58

Ibid, Question 8.

59

Interview with Tiia Oh man, see Appendix 9.

77

Tell us something about yourselves. I'm a professional photographer, Satu used to work for an event organizer back in Finland. Sometimes I just forget where we're going or when we are leaving, stuff like that, then Satu is the one there telling me.

What do you enjoy most about sceneframing while travelling? We've gone to places that aren't mentioned in tourist guides, but then they turn out to be these amazing, mind-blowingly beautiful locations. And we've met such interesting people - both fellow fans and locals in small cities.

What‟s the most impressive scene for you? There's this scene in Doctor Who where (Dunraven Bay, Wales) the Doctor comes to say his last goodbyes to Rose. It (the beach) is huge, beautiful, looks like another planet with all the strange rock formations and everything. We were both speechless and cried a little.

What does your work mean to other people? My favourite is that I get to take photos- which is my life's passion - and then tell people about our travels, and maybe a few of them get to go to places they wouldn't have known about otherwise.

What do you think of “Virtual travel”? Of course, it's not the same thing as actually visiting these places, so I really really hope she (Geng Liang) can make the trip someday. Maybe we'll get together and tour the locations together!

What are the similarities and differences between you and Geng Liang? I can kind of imagine her being excited about spotting a filming location, the same as us. It's a weird, happy feeling that can't be explained. But of course, actually standing there in the same spot is a totally different thing.

What do you want to say to her? We've seen your pictures; that's so cool! It seems to us that people will notice if something you do comes straight from your heart and they'll support you through it! Maybe we'll see you on the road someday, somewhere!

Geng Liang talks about her “detective” scene tracking of Sherlock Holmes on Google Earth 60 .

Tell us something about yourself. I finished my PHD program in Chemistry and work as a researcher. Sometimes I‟m a geek, passionate about delving into things which are quite interesting but probably not that useful. I might be somewhat a goof-off.

How does it feel to track the locations through the screen? I feel like a detective myself when tracking those clues and inferring the position of the actors on Google Earth, and never forget the signs on the walls and window frames! Somebody said “a place without a story feels icy”; the stories of the people, the culture and history of the country, even its buildings would touch you and drive you want to be there for real.

What‟s the most impressive scene for you? The house in Penarth where the drugster kills his brother-in-law and throws his body on top of the train (in Sherlock Holmes, S1E3), because I spent several weeks searching Google Earth inch-by-inch.

60

Interview with Geng Liang, see Appendix 10.

78

What does the Guide book mean to other people? Many people are using it as a guide of real travel, while those who can‟t travel to Britain could use it to search on Street View. It‟s really enjoyable and different; you may feel “oh, this is kind of reality although it‟s virtual.”

What do you think of “Virtual travel”? The technology like Google Earth and Street View make such travels possible for people who can‟t go abroad. It‟s cool, but it can‟t replace a physical travel since it doesn‟t really offer real experience.

What are the similarities and differences between you and the Fangirls? The difference is I‟m not in the UK, and the similarity is if I were there, definitely I would be travelling like them, too (laugh).

What do you want to say to them? I can hardly access their website in China (due to the internet control in China), that‟s a pity! I may ask them what are the feelings and experiences of really being there and taking those creative photos.

Now picking out any film scene which was shot in Cardiff, Geng is able to name its address and the background stories she had stored in mind. But virtual experience keeps alluring her to make a travel for real.

Compared with those who worship it via TV or internet, many real travellers like Tiia are passionate about filming themselves or taking pictures at the actual locations, and speak in spiritual terms about their personal experience.

“There is a great deal of loyalty of fans that follow TV shows, and as such the desire to be involved and ideally become involved is a huge motivator 61 ,” says Stephen O Reilly, researcher from Tourism Research Centre, Cardiff Council.

Fans are tempted by the film locations, even though they probably have few personal ties to the sites. Travelling to be there is like adding meaning and experiencing the scenes of a more in pers on.

“I think „being there‟ is important since it is a memory as well as potentially making history 62 ,” says O‟Reilly. He believes for the fan-based pilgrims, it is a way of building personal relation with their idols and heritages in favourite TV & films, and interacting with fan community through relative events and so on.

Compared to the religious pilgrimage, fan-based film tourism can be seen as an alternative pilgrimage in the sense that both can be seen as travelling away from the daily routine for a certain purpose.

Pilgrims can unravel the meaning and importance of each separate part of the journey as well as the destination by exploring and interacting on their way to the final “sacred” place.

With these ideas in mind, the fans as alternative pilgrims are likely to mix both acts of travel and 61

Interview with Stephen O‟Reilly, email, Card iff – Card iff, 20/08/2014, see Appendix 11, Question 2.

62

Ibid.

79

devotion together.

But no matter for traditional or alternative pilgrims, being there means a lot.

“I came to Cardiff for the Doctor Who Experience, and because I love Torchwood too, I had to go 63 and see the entrance,” Sabrina Kopp , a TV pilgrim from Australia posts on Google Plus after her journey. “I did not expect anything, it's just so lovely; there are paintings and poems and even some tea bags…”

The recent Doctor Who Premiere saw fans come to Cardiff from USA, Canada, Israel, and Italy etc.

And it not only matters to the fans. The driving force of TV and films generates a market of film tourism, which is a vital cog in the promotion of Wales on a World Wide Scale, says O‟ Reilly.

“It allows a wide audience to gain a better understanding of the city”, he says, “in turn generating an interest that may never have existed to visit the city and explore locations that may have been filmed – for example a visit to Cardiff Bay and Ianto Jones Shrine – that plays homage to a 64

character from Torchwood .”

Particular Torchwood locations have become places of cult “pilgrimage” unprompted by any official activity, says Peter Cole 65 , Regional Strategy Director of Capital Region Tourism (CRT) in Wales.

Cole believes with optimisation, this would be a win-win from a destination perspective, because people can get to real places and recognize them easily from how they saw them on screen.

“If we were to start to develop the alternative pilgrimage around people‟s interest, it probably helps to psychologically profile in their motivations for those who are interested66 ,” Cole says.

However, this fan-based film tourism is not well-organised at this moment.

North Wales has developed a trail with a location site, a guide and a movie map website.

Southeast Wales has seen the rise of specialist tours and projects like Gavin and Tracy tour and Doctor Who Experience. Its development is supported by the public and private sectors that are driven by market profits.

“But a lot of it is driven by individuals with their own interests, and (they‟ve) generated a lot of activities through social media,” says Cole. “It‟s fair to say that film tourism is happening, but it‟s 67

been fragmented and opportunistic .”

63

Google Plus, https://plus.google.com/ 114791627324361550438/about?gl=uk&hl=zh -CN

64

Interview with Stephen O‟Reilly, see Appendix 11, Question 1.

65

Interview with Peter Cole, phone, Card iff – Glamo rgan, 22/08/2014, see Appendix 12.

66

Ibid, Question 6.

67

Ibid, Question 1.

80

In order to make it better understood and organized, CRT undertook a Wales Film Tourism Study68 to explore potential market and products.

In fact, film fans who are desperate to be where things were filmed is a limited market of people.

According to the 2013/14 Cardiff Visitor Satisfaction Questionnaire conducted by Cardiff Council, 69

among the 1154 respondents, 3% are visiting because of TV programmes and films .

Talking about attractions these visitors prefer in Cardiff, 5% choose Doctor Who70 .

But Cole thinks it‟s important for both tourism agency and the film pilgrims. When tourists get there, they can use relevant products and services to support their journey. The travel agency that provides these services can then make money.

Also it is important to ensure that people visiting Wales have enough information that may add value to their vis its by linking it to films, locations and film stars.

As Wales has been very active and well organized in attracting location work, there is a confident trickle of new location work – like film tourism – coming in to Wales, says Cole. “And that has direct economic benefits in terms of services, filming support, accommodation, catering and so on71 ,” he says.

Location work projects such as Wales Screen and Cardiff Film Unit indicate

awareness of the

plans to bring more filming production to Wales and to create a „drama village‟ in Cardiff.

Wales Screen aims to market Wales as a location and assist both inward investment and indigenous productions of all shapes and sizes, says Penny Skuse from Creative Sector of Welsh Government.

The project helps create destinations of film pilgrimage by supporting TV productions and films, building idols, heroes or alluring places for the audience.

It is similar with New Zealand – the location of The Lord of the Rings – which was always cult because of the huge fan basis, says Cole, and The Game of Throne – Northern Island is also working hard to attract visitors to its filming locations 72 .

But what Wales needs to do is working hard to make those locations fantastical as in the novels.

Creating trails and contents around, or employing virtual reality so that people can see what it was like during filming, are feasible id eas to build the destinations, Cole says.

If they are better presented and packaged, it is a chance to add significant value to visitors and reinforcr values about Wales.

68

Wales Film Tourism Brief, see Appendix 13.

69

Interview with Stephen O‟Reilly, see Appendix 11, Question 1.

70

Ibid.

71

Interview with Peter Cole, see Appendix 12, Question 3.

72

Ibid, Question 7.

81

Also, the film tourism study indicates that, in order to generate more general visitors apart from film pilgrims, the attracting of films into Wales should consider the content and the natur e of the film, and indeed whether the locations that are used are recognizably Wales 73 .

“For example, you wouldn‟t want to attract location work around films about child murder or some 74

horror subject ,” says Cole. Clear priorities and actions of location work can bring long-term benefits afterwards in terms of developing film tourism as well as raising the profile.

Cole believes the film tourism is a significant component of cultural tourism.

“Wales is a dynamic and contemporary destination rather than old fashion in some people‟s eyes75 ,” he says, finding that a lot of the cultural content Welsh tourism industry has pushed up so far has been historic in nature rather than in contemporary culture.

“It is a very good short hand to say we do have contemporary culture”, he says, “I see it as a part of a heathy mix with the cultural content to push up into the market 76 .”

For the film pilgrims – to whom being there is all that matters – it is a chance to add value to their pilgrimages.

And for those who thought they would never come to Wales, this new location work may change their perceptions by showing both its cultural and business.

73

Ibid, Question 3.

74

Ibid.

75

Ibid, Question 4.

76

Ibid, Question 8.

82

Article 4: I‟m a running snail He dropped out of primary school and lost both his legs at the age of eight. Life seemed valueless because of disability, poverty and unemployment until he started travelling in a wheelchair...

Zhang Qingli goes everywhere in his wheelchair – and he means that quite literally.

This 38-year-old Chinese man spends his life on the road and, having explored most of China and neighbouring countries, he is heading out to tour the rest of the world.

The wheelchair adventurer says: “I‟m planning a long journey from China to South east Asia, the Middle East, South Africa, and then to America and Europe77 !”

And it will be a genuine trip of a lifetime.

“It might take 15 years? I don‟t know,” he says. “I‟m not sure whether I will come back to China or end on the road78 .”

He wears an old white T-shirt and dark trousers which are empty below his knees. Wherever he sits, he looks tied down and cannot move freely – except when he is out on the open road.

At the age of 29, he made his most important decision in life: to travel by a hand-cranked wheelchair.

For the past 10 years, Zhang has made it to 28 of China‟s 34 provinces. He‟ll fit in the other six at some point.

During 2012 and 2014, he even made it to Thailand, Indonesia, Nepal and Laos.

Generally, Zhang can travel 40 to 60 miles a day, by cranking his wheelchair 500 times per mile.

That means it will take him around half a month from „home‟ in Yun Nan, the southwest border of China, to Laos, the neighbouring country, which is only one hour by air.

Perhaps he is the slowest traveller, he thinks. Till now he has retired seven worn wheelchairs, which were all donated by individuals or charities.

He asks about the UK, like a primary school student longing for everything that is so tempting, distant but reachable potentially on his world tour.

“What‟s the summer like there?” “What‟s the time now in Britain?” “How long is the daytime?”

77

Interview with Zhang Qingli, Skype, Cardiff – Yun Nan, Ch ina, 02/ 07/ 2014, see Appendix 14,

Question 1.

78

Ibid, Question 25.

83

“Would you teach me English 79 ?!” …

He is excited to talk to someone who has lived in Britain for a while, and seems to have hundreds of questions.

But he suddenly looks down on the ground and says: “I hope I could go to the UK one day, but it‟ll 80

take quite a long time …”

According to his itinerary, he will cross the border from Yun Nan to Laos, and then on to Thailand-Malays ia-Burma-India-Pakistan-Turkey-Iran-Oman-South Africa-Europe (Portugal and France), and finally to the UK. Having stayed in a youth hotel in Yun Nan for several weeks this summer, Zhang begins to prepare for this global journey.

Apart from visa applications, his biggest worry is money – or the lack of it.

He is trying to raise some cash for the trip by posting articles on social media and tourists BBS where travellers interact frequently, introducing himself and his travel plan to see if anyone would like to help him to realise his dream.

“I‟ve been travelling with the help and support from kind people around the country, and as return I 81

hope to do something for the public welfare during my next travel …” he writes, completing the short article by leaving a contact number.

He is a slow typer as well. It took him half an hour to put down this 350-word post, with several spelling mistakes. He missed out on most of his education as well as a lot more in his childhood.

Destiny took his legs, but dream brought them back.

Zhang dropped out from grade one in primary school. His parents divorced, and he was not getting along well with the step-mother, so he ran away from home with nothing and stayed out for three days. It was deep winter in his hometown, a small country in northern China.

When Zhang‟s father found him, he was ill and frostbitten, which later caused a bone marrow infection in his leg. There were no alternatives but below -knee amputation, says Zhang. Otherwise he could have died.

He lived with his father, step-mother and a little sister. Life became even worse for this young amputee and his poor family. His father, old Zhang, a traditional Chinese farmer, was the only worker of the family; they made a living on farming and 500 Chinese Yuan/50 pounds per month from the government welfare.

Little Zhang‟s disease dried up the family‟s savings. Young as he was, this poor country boy didn‟t 79

Ibid, Question 6.

80

Ibid.

81

Ibid, Question 1.

84

know what it meant to lose both legs forever. He felt upset only because could never run across the fields playing with his friends again.

Due to the disability, Zhang stayed at home and relied on his father, drifting along day by day. As he grew up, he even made money as a newsboy and bootblack in wheelchair in order to reduce the financial pressure on the family.

Maybe that was life-young Zhang used to believe. Living to keep alive - neither hopeful nor hopeless; not happy and not depressed. Just like his lost legs, he was dead to all feeling. At that time he almost resigned to destiny and accepted whatever life threw to him.

“I didn‟t even have a dream. But I do have one now,” he says, excitingly and proudly. “I dream to travel around the world, to each of the five continents on earth82 !” His voice shows no hesitation or fear.

Since he was a teenager he has taught himself to read, write and use computers. One day on television he saw a story about a 70-year-old man riding a bicycle to travel across China.

It inspired him and encouraged him that an old man could make it, so could him, he says, realizing that he could become one of those trendy independent travellers who carry their dreams travelling around the world.

Being a young man with quite restricted knowledge of the outside world, he was like “no aware, no fear”.

“I‟m kind of clear-cut and straightforward,” says Zhang. “If the idea came up today I would work 83

on it right away .”

It took little time for Zhang to make the life decis ion, and he believes as long as he has the courage to experience the real world, people will help him.

In 2005, he set off on his first trip in life with 60 Yuan/£6 in pocket, by cranking his wheelchair to Beijing, the capital of China. The 564-mile journey took him 13 days.

Zhang depended on the help from strangers on the road who admired his courage and perseverance.

He finally arrived at Beijing, and stopped at the Tian‟an Men Square, in front of the The Forbidden City, which he had seen thousands of times on television.

Since that moment, being on the road has turned Zhang‟s life upside down. The opportunities to experience new environment, meet new people, fulfil new goals and new challenges makes life so alive and valuable again.

Interestingly, this is not an exclusive feeling of Zhang. For most individual travellers and backpackers, they are pursued by the eager to experience a different world.

82

Ibid, Question 3.

83

Ibid, Question 7.

85

These people are named differently in tourism researches, such as “explorer”, “drifter” or “wanderer”, but generally defined as a traveller who plans and arranges his/her own trip and carries it out on his/her own instead of being a part of a guided tour.

“They are embarked upon a quest of personal growth – learning about and understanding 84

themselves other people, and other cultures ,” says Jay W. Vogt, an organizational and human development consultant based in the US in his research on travel behaviour.

85

The Independent Travellers' World survey 2014

shows 44% of 300 respondents considered

themselves as independent travellers, and it will continue growing in popularity.

Take China as an example, the UN World Tourism Organisation 2013 reported 62% of Chinese travellers preferred travelling independently, which increased by12% than 201186 .

This journey – drifting from place to place – is less like a holiday of enjoying spending money on food and entertainment, or sleeping in a comfortable hotel and waking up in a loving greeting.

Though these services are reachable by money, individual travellers or backpackers like Zhang aspire to fulfil spiritual achievements.

Vogt views these travellers as pursuing challenges and opportunities to expand themselves in areas valued by adventurous youth; independence, adaptability, resourcefulness, open-mindedness, to name but a few.

When a person feels valueless, lack in sense of social presence or self-recognition, he tends to place himself in some adventurous environment, says Zhaoran Hu, a psychological consultant from Peiking University.

“Some appropriate degree of hazards can strengthen people‟s feeling of self-experience, making they feel exist and alive,” says Hu. “And Zhang is an extreme example of these adventurers 87 .”

For 10 years, Zhang has been travelling alone, with no family, no close friends but just passing – but sympathetic – acquaintances.

He almost lives on individual donations and support from governments and social charities. In China, he often stays in cheap hostels which cost 10-20 Yuan/£1-2 per night. Otherwise hr has to shelter himself in train stations, or sleep on streets or the ground fields.

When Zhang went to Yun Nan in 2012 to apply for a visa for Laos, he spent his last 100 Yuan/£10 84

Wandering: Youth and travel behaviour

http://www.sciencedirect.co m/science/article/pii/0160738376900517 85

Independent Travellers' World survey

http://www.travelmole.co m/news_feature.php?news_id=71383&c=setreg&region=3 86

The Economist, The rise of the independent tourist

http://www.economist.com/blogs/gulliver/2013/ 08/chinese-travellers accessed on 20/07/2014.

87

Interview with Zhaoran Hu, Face Time, Cardiff – Beijing, 15/ 08/ 2014, see Appendix 15, Question 1.

86

on the application. For the following two days, he did not eat anything.

Finally Zhang received 1000 Yuan/£100 from local government and individual donations, and completed his two-month journey from Laos to Thailand, Indonesia and Nepal - with extra support from people he met along the way.

In Thailand, he spent 200 THB/£3.6 everyday on food, and slept on the bench of Seven Eleven (an 88

international chained convenience store). “They've got shower room there !” he says, seems quite satisfied.

Now, sitting in his eighth wheelchair and looking back through the past, Zhang is not sure whether life would be better with a health body or with a disabled body but keeping happy everyday.

If he stayed at home, at least he would have food grown on his father‟s field, a small room, a bed, families and some friends.

If he was not disabled, he might have become an ordinary famer like his father, living a stable life as his underclass peers and following the rules docilely; never dreaming of travelling around China; never knowing what South Asia is like.

But instead, he has done all of these.

Zhang Yuyan, the leader of the civic charity Weilu, is one of the few friends of Zhang. They met on Chinese New Year‟s Eve of 2013 when Yuyan was informed that Zhang‟s wheelchair was crashed.

Her family and she went for rescue, took Zhang home and cooked for him.

“He was browned by the sun; looked a bit older than his actual age, probably because he had gone through the rigors of living on the road89 ,” she recalls her first impression of Zhang.

“Although physically disabled, he is strong in spirit,” says Yuyan. “He is always optimistic, 90

out-going and willing to share those anecdotes he‟s seen during the journey .”

In July, the charity bought him a new wheelchair to replace the broken one, showing their support and admiration.

In front of this wheelchair, there is a red banner saying: “I‟m an amputee travelling around the world.”

“I believe that his spirit can encourage people like him, and raise awareness for those who really 91

need help, and gain more people around the world during his global journey ,” says Yuyan.

As Zhang arrives in a country, he hangs its national flag in front of the wheelchair as well, to show respect and friendliness. He has his flags of China, Laos, Thailand, Nepal and Indonesia as 88

Interview with Zhang Qingli, see Appendix 14, Question 20.

89

Interview with Zhang Yuyan, phone, Card iff – China, 02/08/2014, see appendix 16, question 2.

90

Ibid, Question 3.

91

Ibid, Question 4.

87

keepsakes.

Zhang doesn‟t speak any English; he still feels regrets missing out on formal education.

“It‟s awful and terrible 92 ,” he frowns but soon laughs out again. When he was in Djakarta, he had to use a translation app to find the toilet, which took him a long time.

However, language is just a tool. He does not find it too difficult travelling abroad without it especially as he lacks most of what other people would consider essentials.

His attitude to obstacles in life is the same as on the road. Whenever he comes to an uphill slope, he gets off, walks on a pair of prosthetic legs and pushes the wheelchair in front of him.

He keeps repeating that he‟s not afraid. “You‟re out there alone so you‟ve got no fear; nothing can stop you from going forward93 ,” he says.

“That‟s the way I am,” Zhang continues. “Since you‟ve already made your choice to start the journey, you have to leave all the things behind and clear your mind; you‟ve got to tell yourself you can do anything you want to94 .”

He travels for a dream, and he has got nothing but the dream, which gives him faith to discover the values and beauty of life, humanity, culture and nature.

This year Zhang went to Tibet. He says it is the last pure and holy land of China. In place of formal education, he enriches himself with real experience in travelling.

He has been there for four times, cranking his wheelchair along the 318 State Road, taking two months each time to reach his destination.

Luckily this time, he met a young cycling traveller who tied his wheelchair to the bicycle and gave him a “ride” and saved him some energy.

“When you take first step into the world, you‟ll find a lot of kind people there, willing and ready to help you with the following steps95 ,” he says.

Everything is slowed down in Zhang‟s life. He feels like a snail but it does not deter him.

Sometimes he is like a nomad snail, carrying everything he has and living on the road.

He doesn‟t want to stop travelling and moving back to the small and closed world.

Throughout the past 10 years, he has only been home twice. His father, old Zhang, at his 78s, is living alone back home.

92

Interview with Zhang Qingli, see Appendix 14, Question 4.

93

Ibid, Question 21.

94

Ibid.

95

Ibid, Question 18.

88

“If I had money, I‟d take my dad to travel96 ,” Zhang says. The last time he saw his father was two years ago, when he went home to apply for a passport.

The relationship between the father and son has never been really close. He does not even want to say anything about his father, nor contact other families.

He has never thought about going home. Staying at home unemployed would mean adding to the financial pressure on his father, and returning to a life of endless boredom and idleness.

97

“The travel motivational forces of those drifters usually inc lude „seeking‟ and „escaping ‟”, says Hu from a psychological view.

“In Zhang‟s case, he is seeking the meaning of life, personal growth and recognition; and escaping from the harsh reality of life and lack of love,” she explans.

There might be a lack of love from family since Zhang‟s childhood, due to his parents‟ divorce, which leaves a gap between the father and the son.

According to Hu, travel may bring Zhang more concern from the society and strengthen his presence in life.

And he is not the only one who aspire this feeling.

In late July, a young man called Liu Maiguang contacted Zhang on internet, saying that he saw his plan and wanted to travel along with him.

Having been unemployed for a while, Liu felt confused and lost. He has tried different jobs, but couldn‟t find out the why he was doing it. He wanted to do something meaningful that can change his life from repeating meaningless work everyday.

98

That‟s why he found Zhang: “his courage and spirit is like sunshine, full of positive energy .”

“I want to go with him, maybe that‟s how I find my own life from this world 99 ,” says Liu, although he has never been out of his small town.

He is 29 years old, the same age with the young Zhang who left home 10 years ago. And now he starts to help Zhang make a detailed travel plan and get funding from businesses.

Zhang is quite happy that somebody would like to travel with him, even though they haven‟t met face-to-face. But still he does not have a high expectation about it.

Zhang is used to being alone, and does not even contemplate a family or relationship, which he 96

Ibid, Question 30, notes.

97

Interview with Zhaoran Hu, see Appendix 15, Question 2.

98

Interview with Liu Maiguang, phone, Card iff – Zhan Jiang, 02/08/2014, see Appendix 17, Question

2.

99

Ibid.

89

thinks may bind him.

“Actually he might want a family, at least he wants love,” says Hu. “But he knows in heart that he‟s not able to take that responsibility, so subconsciously he is denying it and rationalizing this denying 100 .”

This year while waiting for the visas to South Asia, a Burmese girl added him on Wechat (a Chinese instant messaging app like Whatsapp), “I told my story to her and she invited me to go to 101

her hometown

…” Zhang says, smiling bashfully.

He never had a girlfriend, but has a lot of online friends who encourage and support him. He enjoys this cultural and experience exchange with his virtual friends.

Perhaps a lot of downsides in the real world would upset him, bringing dangers, scorn, and instability and so on, but on the road he is his own man.

He opens his travel bag, and dumps out a package: two sets of clothes and a raincoat, some basic washing kit, repair tools for the wheelchair, a laptop, two notebooks, several maps, and a passport.

The two notebooks are his most treasured possessions, as they contain hundreds of stamps and postmarks from the local post offices of the cities he has been to, and signatures and encouraging messages from strangers he has met.

He does not have too much space or strength for more stuff, so he seldom accepts objects or gifts from people he meets. But he is grateful that there are always many people willing to give him a hand.

He slightly closes the notebooks and recalls those who have helped him before: the Thai police who invited him for dinner; the Singaporean who gave him a book on Buddhism as a gift; and the Holland traveller Frank Stevens who paid his accommodation fee in the youth hotel, and tried to interact with him even they don‟t speak each other‟s language.

Zhang wants to spread Chinese traditional culture on his way abroad – even though he is not formally educated – and promote the cause of charity by telling his story, conveying positive spirit to people around the world.

In addition, he hopes to gain insights into the foreign public welfare systems and bring them back to China.

Zhang prefers to travel abroad, since he feels people are more welcome and tourist facilities are advancer than in China.

When he had a car crash in Thailand, the car owner apologised to him again and again, invited him to dinner and insisted on taking him to hospital.

100

Interview with Zhaoran Hu, see Appendix 15, Question 3.

101

Ibid.

90

By contrast, he experienced hostility from local people in his home country.

When a similar car accident happened in China several months ago, the car owner ran away and left him on the street. He had to stand and repair the wheelchair since he could not crouch down with the artificial limbs.

But he met considerate people who are willing to help, if it were not for their support, he would have died from starvation long ago, he thinks.

He even started to write a book about his experience. A friend he met on a journey gave him a laptop, encouraging him to keep writing.

He has written 50,000 words now, and is aiming for 200,000 in total, telling his life story and sharing the experience of travelling in a wheelchair.

Then, he checks the website with his post looking for support for the following global journey – still no reply.

A sense of disappointment flits over his face but soon fades away – things will be better; he has made it through long journeys before.

“I‟m a snail, a running snail102 ,” he concludes, with a confident smile on his face.

“As long as there is a road, I go forward; there is a mountain, I climb. If I c an‟t make it in one day, I keep on the next day, the third day…I‟m slow, but I‟m not afraid.”

102

Ibid, Question 21.

91