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On-the-Road Dairy

It’s Nov. 5 and I had a bumpy time in the past few days. I decide to put things down on the road in my Motorcycling Dairy, a collection of articels that have been written by many people in this world (they are still few people compared to the so-called maintream life, though)

Nov. 2

Rode out of the house in Shunyi District, Beijing. I bundled everthing and left pretty a lot in my room, telling my grandma house owner that I’m leaving some luggage in her house and will come back in the next spring. The grandma nodded her yes, smiling as always. Just out of the lovely yard, I fingered my Gopro on the helmet and told her I was filming her. She smiled again and waved me goodbye. I set out on the bumpy village lanes. Soon, I got on the tarmac leading out of the city in the southeast.

However, the cool on the right-knee soon turned out to be a stinging pain, and the idea of going back even crossed my mind. I should have tested my double-layers of kneepad. But there was no going back. I was thinking getting a custom-made cotto quilt for bikes. I had thought about getting it much earlier but dropped the idea as I dealt with many things. Hesitation and procrastination coud kill me. I know, after all, it’s a lack of self-identity and meaningfulness deep in there and I can’t crack it overnight. Luckily, the temperature rises as it approaches noon and I came to have a good time on the bike. Looking back from now, I realize how many ups and downs I got through in a day. This is also the hardest part: even though you’ve predicted possible challenges ahead, you feel still fucked up and the world’s end when they come out in reality.

Stopped at a Shanxi Noodle. Going to the toilet, recharge Gopro and phone, lunch, fill up my flask with hot water, and ordered online a quilt, as mentioned above, to be sent to Shijiazhuang, where my university buddy works. Several hours later, at a gas station, I checked the map and decided to stop at Baoding, a city less than 200km from Beijing. I knew I cound’t make it to Shijiazhuang within just one day.

This is route plan is right, but I chose a shitty hotel. The hygiene was appalling. The map showed that the hotel has a 20-sqaur-meter room at the lowest cost, but when I checked in the owner said the original room is just out of commission. I had to settle with the cramped, windowless and terribly-lit room, without a bathroom. It’s is an imprudent choice. However, in retrospection, a low-cost budget for a long trip is nothing wrong, but I shall be more careful with booking in advance. This would require a more fine-tuned timeframe. Now before I reach warm southern climates I still have to rush, because the temperature is dropping. I would not have to rush that much with the quilt, though. When into the roving across south China, I think 150km per days is reasonable. I rode about 216km on Nov. 3 and felt like shit when I arrived at my friend’s home. Besides, such a distance consumed 5 hours, I guess. It will not do when I roam the south. 150km that requires less than 4 hours will allow me a relaxing schedule.

So in the small room, I handled some EOG leftover issues, which would still be a lasting headache. But afte that I knew I cound’t sleep but went on writing the letter again. It is an excrutiating experience. The painful memory, compounde by my tiredness, tortured me. Stopped at a total of 3000 words I shut closed PC and climbed onto the bed. A mosquito hummed and hovered around my ear, a mosquito in such a season! Filthy! At around 2 a.m. I woke up and struggled for a while and then finally dozed off. What a night. But light has come regardless and I had to head south on. upon leaving, I reimbursed the hotel owner 5 RMB, cus I lost the room key as soon as he gave it to me. I might’ve been able to get away with it but “it’s pointless” so I paid for it. I mean on a trip, you have to make choices every moment literally. I won’t say now life is like this. Now I hate generalization and “framework thinking”. It’s just a trip and I need only handle it on the spot.

Nov 3.

Came across at least 3 three serous car crashes. Once I passed by a man lying motionless on his side on the middle of the road, with cars’ parts scattered around.

The stream of cars may slow a bit but never cease. On other occassions, a mail van (seems so) was flung upside down on the road. Also, I saw a three-wheel car crashed amost half and collapsed on the road. It’s so terrifying. Even I had several times of close calls. People along this stretch of road were just driving crazily. Cars would change lanes without a signal light on; three-wheel cars from the villiages just popped out without even having a look back. North China might disregard even more “rules”.

In Shijiazhang, I reached the school my friend works in. It has awe-inspiring buildings. My friend does pretty well here and rented a spacious and well-adorned house, where I am now in it typing these words. When I hit the pillow in his house, I felt finally I wound up. At night, the images about being on the road are broken into fragments and showered me in my dream. All change too fast.

Nov. 4 Nov. 5 Rest. My friend lives only ten minutes by foot from his school where he works. The routine is I stay in the house and he would come back have dinner with me. At night, we got out for some snacks on the streets. The sizzling sound and smokes arise under the light at street snack stalls are a typical life in North China and now I realize again how customs vary in this country.

I’m still waiting for the quilt. Hopefully it will be delivered soon I may set out again tomorrow. These days of stay here is important for me, or I may flake on the bike some time on the road.

To a large extent, I find “into the wild” “wild activities” fascinating is because you can really concentrate on caring for your body or other problems, without overthinking of things too far ahead, which in modern life often incurs anxiety beyond repair.

Still on the road, still disoriented.

Last night I played Society again, a bgm song from the fim Into the Wild. Like planning trip routes, individuals must plan life routes. Fear and meaningfulness could be the worst enemies, while freedom and human connections could also be a balm to the soul. Now I no longer saw only negative sides of life, but perhaps feel more nonplussed, as my “shit-plus-perfume” theory indicates that any change for good stinks even more. Never know what’s ahead but I’ve gotta write more and think more and absorb more.