Weekly Report #48 - Inner Mongolia Trip, Chiang Mai Nomads, Restarted Weekly Report and Life

Preface#

This article is a record and reflection on life from 2023-09-17 to 2023-11-07.

It has been a long time since I last wrote, nearly a month and a half. The events of the past week or two have been dense, with many things I wanted to document, yet I could never find a few hours to complete the weekly report. I thought I would have time during the National Day holiday, but after a trip to Inner Mongolia, I went to Anaya to celebrate my 100-day anniversary with my senior; the journey was joyful but also exhausting. Before I could recover from the trip, I rushed to catch an early flight to Chiang Mai for an event, where I met many online friends I had never met in person and conducted my first English workshop. Then I returned to Hangzhou to see old friends, attended a friend's wedding, and had a reunion with high school classmates. During this time, there were also some unexpected health issues with elderly family members, and my parents often had to travel back and forth to their hometown, gradually becoming unable to take care of my cat. So, I arranged for my cat to be transported back to Beijing, and fortunately, the journey went smoothly, allowing us to be together again. Meanwhile, I was still somewhat dissatisfied with my work status and focus, and it took nearly a month of gradual adjustments to get back on track. There were many, many things.

This made me deeply realize that cultivating a habit takes a long time, but breaking it often happens in an instant. Life and love have gradually become more concrete, but the desire to express has become erratic. Fortunately, starting this week, there will be a relatively stable living state and routine, everything is back on track, so I will use this weekly report as a boundary to pick up the blank month of life again.

Chaoyang Beer Festival#

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Much of September was spent in Beijing. On weekends, besides regular dating, I also thought about participating in some fun activities. While ordering at a restaurant, I overheard the staff discussing a beer festival at Chaoyang Park. I checked the event details on Xiaohongshu and decided to go, bringing along some sandwiches I made myself.

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The atmosphere was lively, with the DJ dressed like a rugged guy from the northwest, and the joy spread to everyone present, who began to dance on the lawn. A friendly foreign girl came over to greet us, and we witnessed a guy trying to flirt and get contact information, while we enjoyed the show from the front row.

After having a couple of craft beers, I wasn't drunk, but I felt a bit tipsy on the way back, which opened up the conversation. We talked about many interesting things in each other's lives, and when we saw the moon, we lay on the bridge for over ten minutes, competing to see who could come up with more related idioms or poems. It was ordinary yet enjoyable, relishing the long-lost sense of relaxation and simple happiness.

Trip to Inner Mongolia#

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It wasn't a deliberate arrangement; by chance, the trip during the National Day holiday was set for Inner Mongolia, specifically Ordos. On one hand, I wanted to see the vast desert (as a southerner, I had never seen one), and on the other hand, it is my senior's hometown. I thought I could stay for a few days and see the place where she grew up. In the previous article, I mentioned that I cut my long blue hair for a reason, and this was one of those reasons.

We set off at noon, and the three-hour high-speed train ride from Beijing was quite comfortable. However, I felt a bit nervous and unsure during the journey. I happened to film a lot of videos with my newly purchased Sony ZV1 Mark II, which should have interesting material, but it’s all on the SD card, and I haven't had time to organize it yet (~~let's focus on restoring the weekly report frequency before considering the vlog~~). The climate and scenery in Inner Mongolia are indeed quite different from Jiangsu and Zhejiang, being dry and windy, but the sky is vast and the clouds are high, presenting a kind of clean beauty.

My senior's parents came to pick us up, and we chatted along the way. Since I couldn't understand the dialect of Dalad Banner very well, there were some words they couldn't explain in Mandarin either. All four of us are English majors (my senior's parents are English teachers, and although my senior and I have since changed careers, we both have an English major background), so we ended up explaining dialect in English, which created some interesting memories.

Knowing that I am from the south, they wanted to cater to my taste, so that evening we went to a fishing village to eat Yellow River carp. In the following days, we met some relatives and friends, and while there were a few drinking sessions, I could indeed feel the overflowing warmth and hospitality. We visited the morning market and enjoyed a lot of beef, lamb, and local snacks, which truly satisfied my imagination of the northwest.

A few days later, we returned to Beijing. I was happy but also quite tired; perhaps because I had been cooped up for too long, seeing so many people and doing so many things was a bit exhausting. However, I recorded many interesting things and precious memory moments, and maybe I can look forward to the vlog a little.

~~In the end, I still didn't manage to go to the desert. Why did I go to Inner Mongolia again?~~

Trip to Anaya & 100 Days#

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After returning to Beijing and resting for a day, I drove to Anaya in Qinhuangdao on the 6th, just in time for our 100-day anniversary. Anaya is quite an interesting seaside community/resort. I think compared to digital nomad communities like Dali and Chiang Mai, the artificially created bourgeois atmosphere here is stronger, with duplex buildings, large lawns at the entrance, and families playing on them. Occasionally, someone rides a bike by, and there are foreign runners, creating a cinematic feel.

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The hotel balcony offers a direct view of the beach, and just a few steps away are the popular "Anaya Auditorium" and "Lonely Library." However, my senior and I didn't join the crowd there; the library might indeed be quite lonely, but surrounded by tourists queuing for photos, it still felt oddly out of place. Nowadays, it seems that "getting a good shot" is its greatest value. What attracted us more was a row of swings on the beach, swaying back and forth while watching the waves crash against the shore, which was very pleasant.

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In our relationship so far, there’s a feeling of both distance and closeness, as if we just got together a few days ago, yet it also feels like we've been together for a long time. However, 100 days still has a sense of ceremony. My senior secretly bought balloons in advance, and we took Polaroid photos to commemorate it. Love is indeed a wonderful thing; even the smallest daily moments can become especially precious.

Chiang Mai Nomads#

I confirmed long ago that I would go to muChiangmai, a Web3 digital nomad co-living event as a mentor. For details about the event, you can check my online neighbor Ivy's article "Coder Residing in the Ancient City Wall: muChiangmai Memories - ivyheretochill," which details various experiences over a month. I only stayed for a short week, and most of the time I was working in the hotel, so I will share more about life itself. This time, I tried to continuously update small essays in the Telegram channel "Yu's Life" to avoid forgetting, and I will compile them here.

Arriving in Chiang Mai - 20231008#

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After more than three years, I returned to Chiang Mai. The last time was during the pandemic when I sent Ni to Australia, needing to transit for 14 days in a third country. This time, I mainly came to attend a developer event, and since I had quite a few work tasks, I didn't have any plans for sightseeing. I simply packed my luggage and set off with just a large backpack.

I chose a midnight flight, and by the time I arrived, it was already morning. The visa-free entry was very convenient; I just passed through with my passport without any extra procedures. After exiting the airport, I took a Bolt taxi to the hotel, checked in, freshened up, and took out my computer to start working. Since I wasn't very hungry, I only thought about going out to explore after finishing my tasks later in the evening. I stayed near Thapae Gate, which was quite lively, and randomly chose a nearby restaurant for my first meal, which was surprisingly good.

Actually, compared to trips that are meticulously planned during holidays, I prefer places like Chiang Mai that don't give too much of a foreign feeling. There's no need to switch roles or adjust my mindset like on vacation; I can still work from home during the day as before, and in the evenings, if I feel like it, I can explore street food at small shops. Changing the environment adds some color to life while also reducing the sense of intrusion into daily life.

Kindness Hidden in Life's Corners - 20231009#

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Today, I didn't have any special plans either. I worked in the hotel, and around noon, I thought I should go out for a stroll. I chose a local restaurant called "Sailomjoy Restaurant," and based on my impression of Thai cuisine, I ordered stir-fried water spinach and rice noodles, which were delicious. I felt I still had some luck when it came to randomly selecting food.

The restaurant was quite busy at noon, and I chose a corner table to eat alone. A guy with a very authentic British accent came over with a plate and pointed to the sauce on my table, saying, "May I?" After adding it, he smiled and said, "Thank you! Enjoy!" My mood instantly lifted.

I remember when I first moved into a narrow, dark rental in Hong Kong, it felt quite oppressive. I would come home late from the library every day, and when the light in my room broke, I didn't bother to fix it. I mentioned it to the landlady, and when I returned home that night, I found it had been repaired, with an apple and a note left on the table that said, "Light fix." It seemed that the time spent in that rental, along with my entire life, became brighter with the repaired light.

I also recall attending a concert in Beijing earlier this year. While navigating through the crowd to find my seat, a rather handsome guy said to his companion, "I love his hair! It's cool." It seems that foreigners are more generous with their words to express kindness towards others and the world.

I feel like I've always appreciated and been grateful for these small moments of happiness hidden in life's corners. When making personal plans, I added a line for "random kindness," hoping I can bring some change to others, even if just a little.

Random Memory Links - 20231010#

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Today, I also spent most of the day indoors. Around four o'clock, I was quite hungry, and since I had a group meeting in the evening, I left a bit earlier to find food. Suddenly, I craved Western food, so I chose an Italian restaurant called "Pulcinella da Stefano," just a few hundred meters from the hotel.

After entering, I randomly picked a corner seat. As I glanced at the menu, an inexplicable sense of familiarity washed over me. I suddenly remembered that three years ago, when I visited Thapae Gate, I also ate at this restaurant and found the "Milan Braised Beef Shank" quite novel. Sure enough, I was even sitting in the same spot as today; it was quite magical.

I always thought that I had traveled to many places and changed a lot over the years, but there are often moments that randomly link me to past memories. Some may be inconspicuous objects or tiny feelings, yet they give me a sense of time flowing slowly.

However, one should never order food when very hungry; one will definitely over-order. I will try to make an effort to go out for lunch tomorrow.

Small Essays and Compilation - 20231011#

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Before the National Day holiday, I had put the weekly report on hold due to busy work tasks. After the holiday and the trip to Chiang Mai, when I finally sat down to write again, I had lost the mood to record at that time. However, the pressure of not updating had built up significantly, as if it was something weighing on my mind, and I didn't want to just rush through it.

In fact, the mood for sharing is time-sensitive, just like waking up from an interesting dream. It fades away in an instant. I suddenly saw @strrlthedev's "Gap Year Wrapped - Timeline" and thought that I could record some things daily or over a period of time, write small essays, and then compile them into a weekly report with some overall reflections on the weekend. This would reduce the pressure of recording the weekly report while capturing some interesting thoughts, treating the channel as a sort of preview, haha.

By the way, to supplement yesterday's record, it was a day of failed attempts to go out and eat normally. I still worked in the hotel and only had one meal, but it was still very delicious, called "Kat's Kitchen," serving Thai food.

Coworking - 20231012#

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Although the main purpose of this trip was muChiangmai, it was my first time going to the PunSpace venue in the afternoon. The event organizers and friends from OpenBuild warmly welcomed me and explained some event details. It turned out to be a large public workspace where everyone works together, with good internet and environment, and a strong technical atmosphere. I wish I had come here to hang out a few days earlier; it felt quite efficient, and I also met online neighbors like ivyFanshao and CaptainZ! So happy!

I have been working remotely for over half a year now. Although the time arrangement is very flexible, sometimes I find myself in a low-pressure state after being alone for too long. It’s not about emotions; it just seems like my perception of the world diminishes, like waking up from a nap to find that it’s already dark outside. So sometimes I actively seek changes, like when I was in Hangzhou, taking an hour-long subway ride every Thursday to work with everyone in Liangzhu Village, changing the environment to feel the flow of life.

In the evening, I went to eat at a restaurant I had visited the first night, "Airniversary." Previously, I had Thai food there, but today I tried a completely different dish: steak dipped in Thai sweet chili sauce and an oversized coconut (a fascinating way to eat), which was unexpectedly delicious.

A Small Bug Fixing Day 🤡 - 20231013#

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I woke up from a nightmare around 5 a.m. and thought I might as well get up to work. Just then, a colleague in the U.S. saw me online and asked me to help fix a bug. Since I wasn't very familiar with this repository, I spent the day setting up the environment and debugging, while also attending a quarterly meeting and doing some other work. It dragged on until now, and I finally resolved a pesky bug after a whole day 🤣

During my break, I had some mango sticky rice, which was delicious!

A long week has come to an end, but since I have a project deadline next week, I will work over the weekend to catch up on the weekly report and prepare for Monday's workshop. Busy times ahead.

The Lost Book Shop - 20231014#

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I visited a street-side used bookstore called "The Lost Book Shop." True to its name, it had a very vintage feel. The first floor was narrow but orderly, and after climbing a staircase, there was a spacious second floor. As a fan of Maugham, I loved the cover design and binding of this series. I regretted only bringing a backpack and not a suitcase, as I couldn't carry much. After much deliberation, I chose a few books I hadn't read, along with "The Razor's Edge."

Eating Well Today - 20231015#

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I decided to go out more over the weekend. As a southerner, I couldn't resist the temptation of seafood. I found a very local restaurant called "Maadae Slow Fish Kitchen" on TripAdvisor, where the ingredients were fresh, and the sauces were unique. After eating, I took a walk and went to "The Lost Book Shop" again to buy some Maugham books. In the evening, I went to a local restaurant called "Nun's Restaurant" for curry noodles. After finishing, there was a heavy rain, and while hiding from the rain at 7-11, I ordered a sweet pancake from a street vendor, which was a bit sweet but tasted good.

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It probably started with a Japanese drama mix I saw a long time ago called "Eat Well Today." I feel that due to my habits, I can't say I eat regularly, but I have a special sense of ritual when it comes to food, and I like to document and savor it.

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"Whether in moments of health, illness, satisfaction, or loneliness, please eat well. Both body and mind will be healed." — "The Woman Who Eats"

Remembering an English Workshop | Goodbye Chiang Mai - 20231016#

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Since graduating from Hong Kong, I haven't spoken English for long stretches. This time, to challenge myself (and get free accommodation), I applied to be a mentor at the muChiangmai event, mainly needing to host a two-hour Solidity workshop. However, I was so busy last week that I only started preparing on Sunday night. After eating well, I went to sleep until 1 a.m., then got up to revise the PPT and write the demo until after 6 a.m., took a short nap, and continued revising until the afternoon.

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The workshop was held in a small conference room. There weren't many people, but it was full, and the atmosphere was great. I was still quite nervous, feeling that my English was a bit clumsy, but at least I managed to cover everything I wanted to explain, which was a small challenge. Afterward, I went with online neighbors to explore the Chiang Mai University night market, probably having my last meal in Chiang Mai before rushing back to the hotel for a group meeting.

I have a flight at 6 a.m. tomorrow, so I plan to go to the airport tonight to catch up on the work and weekly report I missed during the day. Goodbye, Chiang Mai.

Snapshots of Life in Hangzhou#

Reunion with Old Friends#

I might have stayed longer in Chiang Mai, but Xiaoyu returned from Japan, albeit only for a few days. The last time we met was even before the pandemic began; time really flies. We met in high school 12 years ago, and now we have been friends for over a decade. As we grow older, friends become fewer, but those who remain are incredibly precious. Even after years apart, there’s hardly any sense of estrangement. We had a meal together, went home to see my cat, and shared many thoughts, reminiscing about many small past events. It was wonderful.

Classmate's Wedding#

This was probably the second wedding I attended, and also the second time I couldn't be a groomsman due to my long/blue hair, haha. It was my high school deskmate's wedding. He has always been a calm and meticulous person, so of course, he arranged everything very well for such a significant life event. It was a good opportunity to gather with my male classmates from high school. Since there were very few boys in the liberal arts class—8 boys and 40 girls—we formed a deeper bond. Even after graduation, we managed to meet up a couple of times a year until the pandemic. Even though we have scattered since then, we still keep in touch, and after the wedding, we went to the next event.

Changes in Life and My Cat#

Some events happened at home this week. My 80-year-old grandmother was hit by a car while walking in her hometown and spent eight days in the ICU. Fortunately, her life was not in danger, but she fractured several ribs and had some lung issues. According to the doctor, she might find it very difficult to stand again. Having spent my childhood in my hometown and growing up around them, I have also experienced the passing of my grandmother and various health issues with my grandparents over the past two years. I realize that I have reached such a time, feeling sad yet powerless.

My parents and relatives have been shuttling between Hangzhou and their hometown in Jiangsu, taking turns to care for her in the hospital while discussing future arrangements. Previously, since I was always traveling between two cities, my cat was taken care of by my parents and my sister at home. However, due to this incident, I didn't want to add to their worries, so I contacted a familiar transport company to have my cat transported back to Beijing, covering over 1200 kilometers. Fortunately, the weather turned cooler, and I was more concerned about the journey as time went on.

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Everything arrived smoothly in Beijing, and I went to pick her up. Since she had stayed at my senior's house for a while, she didn't show much stress. After a day or two of adjustment, she gradually got familiar with my senior's cat, Fanfan. I didn't expect to live this intermittently with two people and two cats.

Now I can spend more time with my cat, and I will share more daily moments.

Adjustments in Life and Mindset#

Since late September, I have been somewhat dissatisfied with various aspects of my life, even reaching a point of frustration. I often felt that my work state was not good, whether in terms of efficiency or focus. After several discussions with my team leader, I gradually got back on track.

My input has stagnated; the list of books, articles, and movies I want to read has grown longer, yet I often find it hard to regain the focused state I once had. Sometimes I even find myself dazed for a long time; the weekly report is not lacking in content to write, but every time I open the document, I feel anxious, as if I haven't read much, and my learning progress is unsatisfactory. I always feel that what I share is somewhat superficial.

There are many negative emotions stemming from anxiety, depression, and unease, and I seem to be someone who doesn't have much of an emotional outlet. I can't find release from physical and mental stimulation through exercise or games; I can only force myself to continue consuming content, in a repetitive cycle. Going to Chiang Mai was more about giving my life state a chance to adjust. Although relying on the environment seems like a convenient option, it has proven effective.

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After returning, I seem to have regained some motivation. I started working out with my senior twice a week (early 7 a.m. during the week and afternoons on weekends), and I can feel the improvement in my mental state brought about by a healthy body. I also began cooking for myself, discovering that I quite enjoy the process of following cooking videos step by step, which seems to have become a special way to relieve stress.

Thanks to Xiao for the Yangcheng Lake hairy crabs, which made for a nice addition to my meals!

Input#

Although most interesting inputs will be automatically synced in the "Yu's Life" Telegram channel, I still want to list a selection here, as it feels more like a newsletter.

Books#

Building a Second Brain, continuing to read.
Elon Musk, still looking forward to this biography; I've only flipped through a little.
Don Fernando, looking forward to Maugham's sharp critiques.

Articles#

Videos#

Series#

Class A for 3 Years: From Now On, Everyone is a Hostage, also found on Netflix's homepage, downloaded to my phone app to pass the time on the way. It starts with high-IQ crime, but the subsequent logic feels quite shaky and really juvenile.
Westworld Season 1, I downloaded the beginning to watch on the plane.

Music#

Sick Enough to Die (Feat. Mellow) by MC MONG