Here’s what I got up to this month!
Places I Went
Shanghai, China
Shaoxing, China
Beijing, China
Best on the Blog
Bangkok, Thailand – this was the first blog post about my Spring Festival travels.
Best on Instagram
Books I Read
India Becoming by Akash Kapur – This book I actually didn’t finish. I really disliked it, actually. It was a book I encountered in India, because it’s about the state I visited. I really hated the perspective of the author. I just found him so annoying for whatever reason. Perhaps one day I will try again, but for now I am giving this book a pass.
Tibet, Tibet: A Personal History of a Lost Land by Patrick French – This book, unlike the other book I read this month, is fantastic. It’s one of my favorite books full stop. I have been recommending it nonstop to anyone with even a passing interest in Tibet. This book is written well and laid out really well. It combines autobiographical elements, travelogue, history, political discussion, and cultural survey. I think this is a great introduction to Tibet or a great continuation of an ongoing interest.
Inspiration
I’m struggling a bit with inspiration at the moment, to be honest. I came back from over 5 weeks of traveling and started back at university at the beginning of the month. I feel more drawn to reading and traveling than I do to studying, so I don’t know if that’s an issue with inspiration or motivation. Perhaps I’m having trouble with both.
Highlights
One highlight of the month was staying in the same place for more than three consecutive nights in a row for the first time in a long time. It was nice to be back, wear makeup and jewelry, wear different clothes, see my friends, and have a routine. I definitely missed those comforts and stability.
I checked off a bucket list item this month. When I was 17 and I got the passport I have had for the past three years, I decided that I wanted to renew it because the pages were filled before it expired. It was valid for 10 years, so I figured it would take me most of that time. I had no idea that before the passport was three years old I would have to make plans to replace it. I now have a new passport (with double the pages!). It’s really exciting and it makes me feel very grateful for all the travels and experiences I’ve had in the past three years.
The other highlight was planning the rest of my trips for the semester. I planned trips for this month and for further out. I am excited about what’s coming up, which is keeping me excited about learning and being in China.
Challenges
Probably my biggest challenge this month was having my phone stolen in Shanghai. It got nicked out of my pocket on the subway during morning rush hour on the way to apply for my new passport. Luckily, it was my cheap Chinese phone and not my American iPhone (yes, I had two phones). I was able to replace the SIM card really easily and it wasn’t a huge monetary loss, but I felt really violated and upset by the whole thing. I have replaced the phone, which I had been planning to do anyway, but it was trying.
The other challenge was coming back to Hangzhou. While this was a highlight, it was also a challenge. I liked having a routine again, but I don’t really like my routine in Hangzhou. I came to the conclusion over my holiday that I actually don’t like living in Hangzhou. I dislike the commute and travel distance, noise, pollution, etc. that comes with living in a big city. I can’t wait to go back to my routine in Edinburgh where I can walk everywhere and can enjoy relative peace and quiet.
