Travel Reflections: Shanghai Stopover
After leaving Taishan, I flew to Japan from Shanghai International Airport within two days. Therefore, I decided not to return home and instead went straight to Shanghai for a couple of days to rest before meeting up with classmates. As an intermediary station on my trip, Shanghai has been visited many times since then, but each time I traveled from the Hongqiao to Pudong using the secondintereCity train. It always felt like drinking from a fountain that was drained too quickly and ended up being a waste of life. At that time, I was determined not to drink anymore, though this determination couldnt last for long. One morning at about five o’clock in the morning, while half-asleep due to overindulgence, I mistakenly checked whether driving was considered alcohol intoxication. However, as I gradually began to fall asleep again after struggling with sleep during the night, my liver felt like it was working overtime. My liver, youre working too hard!
After dropping off my car in , I took the high-speed train to Shanghai and spent nearly five hours talking with an old classmate from university there. It was very pleasant. Maybe because Ive grown accustomed to being in Shanghai, she seemed to dress more elegantly even if she was wearing flip-flops. It was raining lightly in Shanghai after a small rain shower, so the streets were quiet at night. The streetlamps cast a dim yet warm glow, and the trees dotted along the sidewalks cast shadows that stretched out like rivers winding through the night. We talked endlessly about all sorts of topics, much like the flowing rivers of conversation itself. There are many kinds of bars, clothing stores, and coffee shops on these streets, most of which I would love to visit but often think, I just have to go there eventually. Although I can imagine that the alcohol served in those places wouldnt be very good, its impossible not to feel a bit overwhelmed by the sheer number.
In this rainstorm, people dont come out much and are all close to each other. I suddenly remembered my childhood days when I used to go out with friends during rainy weather, running through the streets shouting together about something simple in the dark. Back then, it was so carefree without any worries. My friend B once took me hiking after convincing me I shouldnt drink too much and said I needed to go out more often. I thought going out for a couple of hours was enough, but instead, it ended up taking longer than expectedso long that I felt like I had an appointment at some sort of time management center. After midnight, we disappeared into the music school building where students were learning to play, and later, we left one by one.
The next day after sleeping in, I went to have a trim done on my hair and finished reading whatever was on my bookshelf. That night, I had an appointment with a fellow translator whos been very nervous about her new translation of this book. The book has some historical and cultural background that she mentioned; just before going to bed each night, I took the time to look up some related historical materials myself when I could find them. As a student, I get really nervous whenever were in touch with people who are knowledgeable about literature or history because Im just a layperson with little knowledge and interests.
Our meeting was scheduled in a , but since I couldnt resist the thought of going somewhere else, I got there half an hour early. When I found our location, I wandered around aimlessly for quite some time before buying two paperbacks onmy way to Shanghai. I tried to recall whether or not Id read these books before, though Im pretty sure theyre new to me. These kinds of writers have a certain charm about them that you cant help but want to read more. However, the prices of real books are just too high for someone like me whos already got a full-time job and works hard every day. There were also some childrens bookstores on the way; Im not exactly a style snob, but seeing these kinds of books with colorful covers made my head spin even more. One thing to be cautious about is that most of the paperbacks are bound in plastic, so you cant just flip through them easily like paperbacks. Fortunately, there are some exceptions.
When we met, I felt like I was going to talk about the book, but unfortunately, I didnt have the patience or the energy to do so because my nervousness had gotten the better of me. So we just ordered food and talked instead. It turned out to be a good decision. Im not really a foodie, though; this kind of food isnt exactly what Id eat every day either. On the way back to the hotel in Shanghai after our meal that night, I couldnt help but think how tired I looked. My body was getting heavier and heavier as the day went on, and my mind was just a mess. Thinking about work made me feel like Ive become some kind of robot by nowI just do whatever is necessary without thinking twice or worrying about whether its okay to do so.
The next morning after waking up refreshed, I had to go get cleaned up at the hairdresser and finish reading whatever was on my bookshelf. In the evening, we were supposed to meet a fellow translator who works in an English literature field; shes very famous among her peers because of some historical notes she added to this new translation. Just before going to bed each night, I would read through some historical materials related to the book when possible. Unfortunately, I ended up with a bad cold again after not sleeping well last night and was lying in bed for hours without being able to get up properly.
In the morning, after struggling with my foggy mind for quite a while, I decided to go buy some breakfast somewhere nearby. It turned out that this little shop on the corner had just what I neededthats all we usually have when traveling these days. The staff were really nice, but since I couldnt really talk much English, it took me a while before they could understand me.
After our meeting at the , we went to the music school building where students were learning to play instruments. At about ten o’clock in the evening, we were ready to leave and head back to our hotel, which is right next to a small childrens bookstore. Ive always loved flipping through used books when I was younger, but now that Im an adult, it seems like such an odd thing to do.
