The Yellow Deck Chairs: A Lesson in Observation from a Manchester Afternoon 曼徹斯特的草地
Original Post: March 27, 2011 | Republished: June 25, 2025
Sometimes, the most profound lessons don't come from the grand halls of a museum, but from the quiet observation of a patch of grass. This was a lesson I learned on a cool March afternoon in Manchester, a memory from 2011 that has stayed with me, not for its grand events, but for its quiet, human details.
The day had been full. We had walked through several large, impressive wings of the city’s industrial museum and then taken the free shuttle bus into the commercial centre. Tired from the walking and unprepared for the bite in the air, my friends and I found ourselves drawn to a large, grassy lawn dotted with what must have been over a hundred yellow deck chairs.
They were scattered irregularly, and the people occupying them were engaged in a slow, silent migration, collectively chasing the last warmth of the setting sun. Some chatted, others napped, all basking in a shared moment of urban tranquility. From our perch on a nearby planter, we wondered how people in such a busy city could be so leisurely.
We soon spotted three empty chairs on the edge of the crowd. We each put on our headphones, a silent agreement to enter our own worlds, together.
This shared solitude is a strange and beautiful form of friendship. Did we have any deep, heart-to-heart talks that day? No. But we understood each other’s thoughts. Did we take many photos together? No. But we remember each other's presence. Did we argue? Yes, sometimes on our trip. But we knew how to leave those arguments in their proper place.
Memory, I realised, doesn't follow rules. It doesn't require objective proof.
After listening to a track, I put my headphones away. I had a personal project I was working on during this trip—an experiment in connection. I approached a pair of women, Sammy and Aleena, who were chatting nearby. They were friends on a break from their office jobs. Sammy, a passionate Manchester United fan, laughed when she learned I supported Liverpool. Still, she graciously agreed to participate, scrawling "United for the League!" on my paper—a prediction that, a year later, would prove true.
Finding people to talk to was easier than I expected. Perhaps my English had improved after visiting a few cities, or perhaps people relaxing on deck chairs are simply more open. After a few polite "No, thank yous," I found my next subjects.
I was initially drawn to a woman of about 30 or 40, who had an incredible, classic elegance. She was with a male friend, Tim. I approached her first, but she gracefully declined with a "No, thanks." Her friend Tim explained that she was a model, and her contract forbade her from being photographed unexpectedly.
Following my nature, I immediately turned to him. "How about you? Can you do me the favour?" He smiled and took my pen, writing a simple, kind line: "Marco is cool." After his friend, 'M', took a photo of us, Tim asked where I was from. A few sentences into our chat, he paused and asked, "Do you know who I am? How did you find me?"
I told him it was completely random. He then revealed that he was actually an actor. I was surprised, but glad I hadn't been too awkward. To this day, I regret not getting his full name, and the mystery of who he was remains.
Reflecting on that afternoon, I was struck by the simple, open curiosity of the people there. But the deeper lesson was in the observation itself. It was in the silent understanding between friends, the polite 'no' from a stranger with a hidden story, and the unexpected 'yes' that led to a moment of surprise.
True observation isn't just seeing what people do; it's about having the patience to wonder about the story behind it. It's a lesson that has shaped my approach to everything since.
Org :
3月27日2011 5:27pm
選這一個地方作我等一編主體的文章是想令大家知道這個運動的做法，如何被拒絕，更甚的，
是我有一個謎，想大家幫我。
這一天，是一個曼徹斯特的工作天，我們到了曼市的工業博物館看過數個大但不太飽滿的展館，坐了市內的免費的穿梭巴士，到達了一片位於商業中心的草地。
三月，英國的天氣有點涼，不習慣溫差的我們沒有預備，加上行了一日，也挺累，我們坐在草地旁的花糟，坐著休息著。
看著草地上坐著的人
那一片草地上，放著百多張黃色的沙灘椅，不規則的放著。大家都坐在太陽的照射的空間下，因太陽正在下山，坐著的人都一路向有太陽的地方坐。
他們有的聊天，有的午睡，
而我們在旁邊的花糟研究為何道城市的人為何可以這麼悠閒，坐著曬太陽，還未有結論，我們就看到在沙灘椅堆的外圍，有三張閒置的，三人決定戴上耳筒....去感受男人的浪漫。
浪漫，可能被濫用了。每個人的浪漫不同，三個男人，各自聽著自己的歌，想著自己的前路，有需要時，互相打一個眼色，自會明白。
整個行程，
我們有談心嗎?沒，
但我們都明白大家的內心；
我們多合照嗎?不，
但我們記得大家的存在；
有爭吵嗎?有，
但我們把事情在屬於它的地方放下。
回憶，並沒有規則，沒有客觀事實，只要過倒自己，有甚麼不可能。
在聽完黃偉民的失樂園，收起耳筒，我就繼續我的活動。
活動的參加者，是一對在閒聊的女仕，她們叫Sammy & Aleena, 她們是一對好朋友，在附近上班，趁這段時間，下來休息休息。
Sammy 是一個曼聯的球迷，可惜我是利物浦的球迷，當然，我並不會阻止她寫”United for the League” 在一年後的今天，我們知道曼聯是贏了19次的聯賽冠軍。我不阻礙她們 girls talk閒談後。向下一個進發。
在這遍草地做我這個活動，找參加者並不太難，
一方面可能已經是第三個英國城市，英文大有改進，
另一方面可能大家都坐左空閒吧，
當然，在找第三個目標前都有數次禮貌的”No thanks”
找了二三分鐘，找到了一男一女，男的叫Tim，女的名字不詳，那女子大約30-40歲吧，我就叫她M 吧。
我起初是對M邀約的，她十分有氣質：有一種女人味，衣著亦有味道。
雖然我對她評價如此高，但她”No thanks “了我，她的朋友Tim 就跟我說她是一位Model ，因合約規定，並不可以被拍照。
以我的性格，當然打蛇隨棍上，”How about you ?Can you do me the favor?”
他在我的紙上寫了一句”Marco is cool”。在寫完，M小姐幫我們拍照後，
他接著問我從那兒來的，在數句後，他問我知否他是誰?為何找到他?
我說我是隨機的。
這時，他說自己其實是一名演員，我當然驚喜萬分，還好我沒有太失禮，
可惜我沒有他的全名，找不倒他是誰，希望大家會幫我找吧。
體會到辨公室英國人的一面，可能是這個區域中國遊客不多吧！
這邊的人對我們還有一種少少的好奇，
並未被我們的同胞影響。
