Wandering

When I was watching Stephen Chow's film "Journey to the West: Conquering Demons" before. There was a song called "300 Children's Songs" that could subdue demons, but it felt so nonsensical that I couldn't understand it at all. Want to awaken the true nature of demons with childlike innocence and kind thoughts?

Many years later today, I happened to listen to the children's song "Let's Row the Boat", which I had heard countless times when I was a child. My heart gave an instant jolt. I immediately understood why "300 Children's Songs" could subdue demons and also knew exactly what kind of demons it was. In the clear voices of children, I will recall my carefree childhood. For a moment, let go of the obsession of wandering for half a lifetime and striving to rise to the top. Back on that dam slope where the gentle breeze was blowing and the fragrance of all the herbs was wafting...

Back to the era when I was still the successor of communism...

I can't remember exactly when I started to like cycling. But almost every time I drift to a new city, I would buy one, from the permanent island tour to the fixed flight to the popular P8 and K3P folding bikes...

It feels more pleasant and suitable to explore by bike. Because cities are huge, taking a taxi or the subway to a place would waste a lot of time on the way. But cycling is different. You can freely move around different streets. Different weather, different times and taking different paths will bring different feelings.

In Beijing, I like to wander through hutongs. For instance, the roads in Beiluoguxiang are very narrow and it's very convenient to ride a bike. One can feel the atmosphere of the common people. When thirsty, stop and drink the Arctic Ocean. In Shanghai, I enjoy cycling along the Huangpu River, where the river breeze is accompanied by the scent of grass in the small woods. There are boats on the river in the distance. Also, Urumqi Road and Changle Road. Riding slowly on the sunlit road, one can see many beautiful girls and individualistic boys...

A few years ago, I even took the National Highway 318 to circle Taihu Lake once.

I think I might just love the feeling of the wind blowing on my face while riding on the road...

It will be the Spring Festival in a few days.

Now it feels like this is just a short holiday, and I don't have much anticipation for the Spring Festival. I didn't buy any new clothes and didn't make any special preparations for this festival.

The Spring Festival Gala that I was looking forward to on New Year's Eve before is not so much anticipated now. Most likely, sketches and crosstalk are either Internet memes or the output of values for a harmonious society. Before, I would fall asleep to the smell of firecrackers. From the first day of the lunar New Year, I started visiting households to pay New Year's greetings. Now I just play games for a while and then go to sleep. I don't want to visit any relatives either. I don't like being educated, compared or advised. I just want to wander around this familiar yet strange city alone, taste the flavors of my mother's days, think of my younger self, and breathe in the air of my hometown. Let go of the past year's self and then cheer yourself up...

Looking forward to a peaceful and healthy New Year.

On the second day of the Lunar New Year, I drove to visit the USS Bruvis.

I'm not one to join in the fun. It's just that the Spring Festival nowadays is really boring. The singing Spring Festival Gala, the familiar yet strange city. Apart from childhood memories, everything else is so unfamiliar. All that remained were my mother's dumplings, the clean air and the sky where stars could be seen, which made me feel that my hometown was still there. 

The Brevis is a Panamanian cargo ship that ran aground on this beach due to a major typhoon. After getting off the car, his figure could be seen from afar. Leaning quietly against the beach, the hull of the ship had been eroded by seawater and was covered with rust. There aren't many people by the seaside in winter. Only when I got closer did I realize his enormity. I looked at him, feeling the bitter winter sea breeze blowing on my face and body. The sound of the waves is very loud. After looking at it for a long time, it feels like only that big ship, myself and the sea remain. The breathing slowed down, the eyes were filled with blue, the ears were brimming with the sound of waves, and then the heart gradually became very, very quiet...

A very long time passed... .. Suddenly, I felt a bit sad. A storm ended his life. For the rest of his days, he could only lie on this beach, waiting to be torn apart.

The time I spent in Beijing passed by in a flash. I didn't feel it was fast during that period. Ten years later, many scenes still surface from time to time. An event, a person, or a food can all bring memories back to that period of time.

Chaonei Market is located on Chaonei Street within the Second Ring Road, near where I live. Back then, it was just an old alley, but now it has been transformed into the office buildings of Chaonei SOHO. At that time, I lived in one of the small courtyards. Entering the door, there is a deep path. In front of the house, there is a special tree, which is slanted.

I remember back then, I was very busy with work, the house was very small and there was no space to cook, so I basically just looked for food nearby. One time, when I was strolling to the second floor of Chaonai Market, before I could get close, a pleasant aroma wafted towards me. I left upon smelling it and found it was a pastry stand. The freshly cooked pancake has a golden crust with a hint of oil, looking multi-layered. It's crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with countless chopped scallions on it. Every time I'm hesitating about how many to buy...

"How many young men are here?" "Come on..." Um... Half a sheet

So, during those days, I would often go to the pancake stand at Chaonai Market. Usually, I would buy half a pancake and have a bottle of beer, and that would make for a sumptuous dinner. That smell seems to be already in my memory.

I especially like and am grateful to Beijing from 2005 to 2010. Because Beijing was full of inclusiveness at that time, it gave me ideals and youth. Make yourself feel that you still have some value. It was also at that time that I made the magazine "Drifting".

And the two words "drifting" have now become the awe and obsession deep in my heart.

So all these years have passed. I still want to do something about drifting. This has nothing to do with any commercial value or model. It's just a pure desire to carry on the ideals of my youth.

After some thought, I realized that I could set up a 24-hour convenience store. It's called Drifting Convenience Store. Sell some simple food and drinks to offer some warmth and a place for solitude to the wandering people in the dead of night.

When Xiaoshu was about four years old. I asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up. He said he wanted to be an astronaut. So I bought him a Lego version of the Saturn V and spent four days assembling it. I gave it to him as a gift. I hope he can have the opportunity to achieve his small goals.

If I were to go back a few years, I would think that being a scientist might be a bit more achievable than being an astronaut. However, in recent years, with the development of aerospace technology, followed by China's lunar exploration and the launch of its space station. spacex's Falcon rocket and Marcos' Mars occupation plan. It suddenly made me feel that there might be a chance to see another moon landing in my lifetime. The generation of Xiaoshu is sure to witness, and perhaps even witness, humans landing on Mars. So, it seems that becoming an astronaut is still possible.

The next few decades might mark the beginning of the era of interstellar voyages...

Over the years since I came out, I have visited many cities. It's not about traveling; it should be considered as "living abroad".

In fact, it's about working in different cities to earn money. Some people say that those in the Internet industry are called "Internet migrant workers", and I think this is definitely true.
When I was young and wandering around, I was particularly eager for a stable life. So I always bought a lot of things, especially kitchenware, POTS, pans and bowls. Although I didn't cook much in daily life, I felt that being able to cook and eat at home was a symbol of stability and gave me a stronger sense of home, even though my cooking skills weren't that great. So when it comes to moving, I get quite flustered. There are big and small packages, all kinds of cardboard boxes. Sometimes there are so many that even one truck can't carry them all. It feels extremely troublesome.

Nowadays, I have long been accustomed to such a "dynamic" life. On the contrary, staying in one city makes me feel uneasy, and I have less and less control over things. Eventually, I try to get things done with just a backpack and a suitcase.

Life is not easy. I hope I can keep this mindset. Sometimes, doing some subtraction might make things easier.