Chanel was busy getting a new sim-card and I had decided that no amount of rain would scupper our reunion! Powering through those on/off showers, I ditched my usual 2019 taxi for a good old walk! Highly triggered but nothing would break my soul! The rain kept on pouring but I was humbled by those sights, that journey for me was crucial to take! Lockdown hotel two? Stop it!
Truly, the weather truly needed to do one, I was not impressed but I decided to embrace that situation because there was no way to change it! I had walked from that McDonald's as mentioned before, clocking 安富街 was a whole mood! I had memories from that corner of 顺义区, I had gotten my haircut at the barbershop before my 2019 National Day trip to Singapore, to only find out that my flight had been pushed forwards a whole 9 hours because of the airspace being closed for a military exercise. Walking down that street saw me walking directly towards my previous employer, I had no plans to walk anywhere near that housing complex because thankfully the kindergarten had moved premises closer to 国展. Truly, it was a whole mood because the time I walked along that path was during my first hotel stay in 2020 during the Chinese New Year holiday. Already something was in the air about 'some drama', three years later the thought still hasn't left my mind. Oh, 后沙峪 no longer felt like home but I love it still!
A home away from home? '后沙峪/Hou Sha Yu' absolutely embodied a sense of overseas 'Hometown Glory' because that outer Beijing suburb slotted into my daily life so effortlessly. No, actually it didn't and that was a complete lie! Getting used to life after my move down the road took a few wobbles before I felt completely settled and before I knew it I had cemented plans to move to a smaller city near to Hangzhou and Shanghai. I had a lot of time to think about my trials within Hou Sha Yu because that ever-changing 'unknown flu' situation forced me into a second hotel because the move wasn't about to happen on the said day. I called the 'Shanshui Trends Hotel' a temporary base for around fifteen days, I found out the next day after check-in that the local police had closed the hotel to any new hotel guests! What in the world was going on?! That hotel allowed me get some wine and whisky delivered, how I needed to block out the world in that hotel room for just a night or two! When would the madness end? It was a mess!
I was hoping to find 'Steak & Eggs' because that was a piece of Shunyi life that really held great memories surrounding friends and food. I walked past the Wumei supermarket, that basic supermarket had been my go-to because that was before I was ready to commit to online food shopping completely. Things looked normal as I passed that local supermarket, also the McDonald's looked as if they had resumed their 'indoor dining' services because I remember being told that it was takeaway only during that CNY 2020 moment. The rain had so kindly eased off during that part of the afternoon, yes I had really spent the longest time in Shunyi because I had time to kill! Walking towards that familiar shopping complex had me in my feelings, the weather already made it look like a ghost town and that wasn't something we were about to repeat in 2023! No, no, no! For the longest moment I thought 'Steak & Eggs' had closed down because the former location stood empty, that was concerning for me to see! Oh, really?
Aside from that search, I had many memories comeback from those almost 'Pandemic' nights at a former friends place. She had lived in one of the loft apartments, I marveled at her new-found rented apartment with much to be desired within regards to my one-level apartment. Just like that friendship, Beijing also left my life because I was advised to return to the United Kingdom, already in that moment I knew my new Ningbo apartment needed to be like that loft! I had found a little craft beer house to have a beer at, the day had me feeling waterlogged, I needed a little something to pick me up! Just as Chanel called me with her location, I picked my head up and looked out of the window to see 'Steak & Eggs' still operating but in a smaller location on the upper floors. All was right with the world, that former favorite location had weathered the 'COVID' storm and now in Ningbo I have my very own loft apartment! Waving goodbye to that former regular hangout, I made my way to 'Shine Hills' to see Chanel! Beijing, stop playing, B!
It honestly didn't feel real, I was about to be reunited with my dear friend, Chanel! Where and what on earth was 'N Beer?' Stepping out of that DiDi taxi felt strange, it had been a hot minute since I had rocked up to Shunyi's own 'Shine Hills!' Chanel found me outside 'N Beer' looking all dazed and confused, she wasn't surprised because I am like that anyway! That reunion hug was one forever friends encounter when they haven't seen each other for a long time! It was so lovely to be reunited with Chanel in that moment, we had been separated for almost four long years! Like no time had passed, we chatted away and spilled copious amounts of tea because that beverage was piping hot! Ordering some tacos and a beer was the one, it was such a beautiful moment getting to hear about Chanel's recent summer holiday. Chanel and her friend had both traveled to Indonesia and Vietnam, of course a spot of drama had cropped up! Keeping it so real, Chanel told me about the visa drama her friend had experienced in Vietnam! Such chaos!
Both of our Lockdown experiences had been very different, Chanel expressed to me how she plans to make her exit plan from a certain Asian country. I expressed how being back in that certain Asia country had been a lot to deal with, both of us agreed that we have our designated plans for the future. It was like no time at all had passed, our conversation flowed like it had always done during our weekend boozy outings for Margaritas and Mexican food. I wasn't mad that the rain was still pouring down heavy, that meeting with Chanel had me captivated! I had really missed my friend and she felt exactly the same! Here's to genuine friendships, we will forever be in contact and being apart for such a long time has cemented our friendship strong. Making my way back to the city felt correct, the weather had taken it out of me, I was feeling tired. Chanel ordered some food to go, we said goodbye to each other and parted ways. Sure, Beijing felt like home but not in the sense it had during 2019, I felt an everlasting connection.
N Beer, Who?
Desperately Seeking Adventure
