Turn the Safety Off

Wei showed me off at the party. I felt like a mess. I traveled all day long, spending 12 hours straight, worrying from bicycle to ferry to subway to taxi to bus to plane. The only thing I wasn’t riding was the back of a panda to make it on time. We didn’t arrive back at the house until 4 am or so. Early in the morning, we went to a charming breakfast place called Grandma’s (first time I’ve had an egg breakfast on this trip) and headed to the Forbidden City. I was so privileged to be there, but must admit the sites themselves are traditional, full of heritage, meaningful, but completely lacking nature’s pure beauty and grace that I so happily indulge. I mean, it was cool to see the Emperor’s concubine chambers and where the queen slept with the same old Chinese silk from hundreds of years ago, but I noticed how quick I was to zip through the temples, and find a coffee shop in the park, just to take my espresso and lay in the grass, taking in the city air.