Chengde

What to do on Laba? Today, I ate dumplings, climbed a mountain, and pickled Laba garlic. The mountain was named “Sengguan” (Monk’s Cap) by Emperor Qianlong. Although it doesn’t look like a cap from afar, with the name in mind, it somewhat resembles one. The path up the mountain was quite wild, but fortunately, there were enthusiastic locals to guide us. We fumbled our way up to a fire access road halfway up the mountain (which was essentially just a flatter dirt road that cars could drive on). Along the way, I chatted with my grandpa on and off, and bickered with my younger brother on and off. It’s truly amazing that I didn’t drink a single sip of water during this process. ...

《About me writing a long passage, then accidentally hitting “paste” after selecting all, causing it to be overwritten》 Ah, I wrote so hard! Let me think… the beginning was “Another day of not doing proper work, followed by a dog head emoji.” And the end was “Starting today, go to bed early.” How did I connect these two? …It seems it was about how staying up late is essentially a form of escapism. Although there are many things that should be done, when “sleep” becomes an “urgent and important” event, one can directly skip other things and close their eyes (peacefully). ...

Sidebar: It just so happens that by yesterday, “Sojourner’s Diary” had exactly 26 entries, which can be extracted using a1z26… (The mysterious obsession with 26 for decryption enthusiasts) Today I tidied up the accumulated items here in Chengde, finding a pile of clothes and shoes. Now I can wear something different every day! Although I’ve never been keen on new clothes, in winter I always switch to my classic blue skin (but I really love that one, come on). ...

My family once told me that my 19th birthday held special significance. —Because today, my Gregorian and lunar birthdays would fall on the same day. Well, that’s the simple reason. This day didn’t feel particularly special; the important thing is I stayed up late again… This morning, I had Northern-style lamb soup; followed Grandpa to climb the surrounding mountains, taking a rarely-trodden wild path; ate Grandma’s big steamed buns and a freshly made cake from outside, happy all evening; attended a training session that was completely outside my knowledge base, feeling bewildered, I decided to take it easy and learn. But it seems, that was all for the day? ...

Actually, this isn’t a late-night show… but it seems I used to like writing everything at night. I should really change this habit and have a healthy routine. Today I arrived in Chengde, and to my surprise, it hasn’t snowed here at all. I had hoped to have the chance to play in the snow these past few days, but the weather forecast says it will be sunny for the next week… ...

What should I write today? I repeat this question every day because every day in Chengde brings new experiences. So today, why not take a look at what I’m best at: “eating”! The main reason is that I went to the city center today, and the result of “wandering and eating” was that my performance at dinner was less than ideal… But undoubtedly, my stomach hasn’t been idle for a moment since I returned to Chengde these past few days. ...

I’ve written so much, yet I haven’t described my current situation (though most people who would read this probably already know). It just so happens that today I’m in the mood to do some chronicling, haha… To summarize, I’m currently on break between studying abroad, and I expect to return to Malaysia for school at the end of January. The education system I’m in is the Australian VCE—you can look it up online. My “Gaokao” (college entrance exams, so to speak) will be in October next year, which means while my former classmates are liberated, I’ll still be toiling away. As for my studies… same as always, I suppose. ...

Although I have relatives from the North, I am a Southerner to my core; and being a Southerner means—having an obsession with snow. So, when I saw it snowing outside, my heart leaped with an innate excitement. Regardless, I still had to bundle up in layers upon layers before heading out. Grandma, considering that my brother and I would basically be having “intimate contact” with the snow, specially put a pair of disposable gloves over our regular gloves—this later proved to be a brilliant move. ...

Warm was the April of my departure, cold is the December of my return. In life, one’s character can be glimpsed through small details. For instance, what one wears while traveling. Obviously, in Malaysia, where it is summer all year round, short sleeves and shorts are sufficient for daily outings; but what if your destination is Northern China? This is exactly why one should bring a padded jacket when going to Malaysia (for the return trip). ...