Mark Moran - my official artist profile -alivenotdead.com

Beijing/Shanghai - Travel Day (12/6): Dropping, Shopping and Hopping

As soon as I woke up I packed up one of my suitcases and came to the realization that I would have to leave my nandao (which I barely used this whole trip) in Beijing. So I asked Wu Di if he could hold it for me and after updating my blog I headed out to Shi Cha Hai to drop it off. I also grabbed a small snack in the hotel shop and then caught a taxi for San Li Tuan’s Ya Xiu shopping complex.

Ya Xiu - San Li Tuan

While there I got a jacket, some DVDs, a backpack and, most importantly, a big suitcase (a nice one, actually) to put the rest of my stuff in. After shopping I rushed back to the hotel and got to work packing the rest of my things.

I knew that my bags would be overweight. Usually those types of suitcases are meant for holding lots of clothes, which don’t weigh as much, and my suitcase would be holding lots of “things” which are much heavier than clothes. But I decided that couldn’t be helped and bit the bullet.

By this time in the day it was already almost 5:00 and I needed to head out to the airport, but I decided to catch one last bite to eat in the hotel (a cheeseburger, which was quite good) and then said goodbye to my roommate and caught a cab. Around 6:45 I showed up at the airport, checked in for my flight and made my way to the gate for my 8:00 departure.

The flight was actually faster than the 2 hour advertised flight time and I landed around 9:40, caught a cab back home and arrived safe and sound in my apartment before 10:30. Zhu Wen Jun was there waiting for me and after hanging out for a bit she headed off to meet up with some friends.

There’s nothing quite like spending 3 weeks away from home to make you really appreciate it when you get back. I was actually excited to be back in my place, even though there wasn’t necessarily anything exciting here waiting for me. It was just nice to be back in my “home”.

A friendly (and much bigger) face greets me back home

It makes me think that over the course of the last several years I haven’t really had a stationary “home” for more than a year at a time (give or take). And while I think it would be nice to settle down in one place, it seems like my fate is such that it isn’t something I will get to experience at this time. Perhaps it is my genetic wanderlust that provides this constant focus on relocation, but in any case, I will continue to try to make the most out of any situation or location in which I might find myself.

A few other things before I finish up the last of this trip’s blog entries …

I managed to upload Wu Di’s music video to youtube.
You can check it out here.

Since this is the last travel entry I will probably not update my blog as often as I was during my travels. Maybe every few days or so, or when something interesting happens. But otherwise you will not be innundated with entries at the same frequency as you have been over the past 3 weeks.

Also, for those of you who would like an easier way to find my entries I have copied over my RT Vine sticky here with the complete list of entries for this past trip:

Wushu, Weddings and Wind Chill

Jinan, Shandong : Training with the Shandong Wushu Team

Day 1 (11.13): A False Start in Shandong

Day 2 (11.14): Hao Jiu Bu Jibbengong (Long Time No Basics)

Day 3 (11.15): Will YingWen for Wushu

Day 4 (11.16): Filming Wushu and Tech Gunk

Day 5 (11.17): Wushu Testing and Lots of Walking

Day 6 (11.18): Wushu Lessons and Organization

Day 7 (11.19): A Relaxing Day

Day 8 (11.20): Jumping Nandaos, Kiwiman!

Day 9 (11.21): Back Pains, Rest and Visitors

Day 10 (11.22): Good Will Editing