2019-07-19

【Aiden in English】

        And we're back. China beckoned re-adventure, and I answered the call. Well, technically, my mother answered and dragged me along. The story went a little like this.

        "How was your day, Aiden?"

        "Alright, nothing much."

        "Any big news in sports?"

        "Yeah, a lot of stuff has been happening."

        "Cool... So in July, we're going to China."

        "Okay... wait for what?!"

        And now I'm here, suffering in the unforgiving heat. Summertime is not fun for those who dislike humid air. There was an unbelievably evil tease to open the trip. Upon landing in Beijing, a layover stop for our final destination, the pilot claimed the ground temperature to be around 79°F/26°C. What a preposterous claim, I thought to myself. Yet, the air felt relatively mild compared to summer China weather.

        Little did I know, Beijing was like a match. Nanjing was the match with gasoline. Instantly, someone cranked the oven knob all the way up to the "well-done" selection. The term "baking in your juices" didn't do justice to the perspiration on my face.

        With great pain comes great reward. Luckily, Chinese food offsets the tremendous nuances of this trip. I am terribly excited about the serious munching I'm about to do. China is really the dream world of the eatery. Its streets are bakeries and malls are buffets. The air is a mix of rich aromas from frying oily pastries and smog, neither of which are healthy. Each meal is a feast. If I'm leaving not ready to hurl, I'm doing something wrong. 

        This trip across the globe spams 11 days and only 8 days in China on land. That's barely enough time to grow accustomed to jet lag. However, I have dedicated myself to the art of sleeping while in a noisy situation, so no matter the screaming children on the airplane I shall be able to rest up. Returning to China is always exciting, and this summer's schedule unfortunately only allows a week of leisure. I'm not sure if I can name a better way to spend it with friends than stuffy my face with the best cuisine in the world.

【紅霞譯文】

        我們又殺了回來。中國在向世間勇於冒險的人們招手示意，我響應召喚。且慢，確切地說，媽媽心有所向，我捨命陪君子，中間出現過這樣一段小插曲。

        “兒歌，今天過得怎樣？”

        “挺好，沒啥稀罕事。”

        “體育方面有何動向？”

        五花八門的事情一樁接着一樁。

        “太棒了……七月份咱回國得嘞。”

        “還成……等一下，你說什麼？！”

        現在我飛抵國內，正飽受酷暑折磨，對於厭惡潮濕氣候的人來說，暑假的日子一點都不好過。途經北京轉機時，飛行員聲稱地面溫度約有華氏79度/攝氏26度左右，簡直不可思議，與華夏地區高溫天氣相比，空氣質量倒沒多大問題。

        不知咋整的，北京像根火柴，而南京則是火上澆油的柴禾，有人把烤箱旋鈕劈里啪啦地轉到“全熟”檔，用名詞“肉汁外流”尚不足以描述我臉上掛滿的汗珠。

        俗話說，苦盡甜來。幸好中華美食能將本次旅行所經歷的悲憂哀愁一筆勾銷，我吃嘛嘛香，中國真是吃貨的夢幻之地，街道上點心鋪琳琅滿目，商城內自助餐比比皆是，空氣中到處瀰漫着油炸糕點與煙熏火燎的濃郁芬香，雖說兩者皆無健康可言。每頓飯都是盛宴，開拔時若沒吃頂了，那我肯定虧待了自己。

        本次跨洲行程定為11天，在國內僅僅逗留8天而已，根本沒工夫去適應時差。然而，我一向致力於嘈雜環境下寢息休眠藝術，任憑飛機上孩童狂吼亂叫，本人照睡無誤。回國總是令人亢奮，可惜今年夏天只能擠出一周時間度假，我不知道是否有比跟朋友湖吃海喝天下最佳美食更為愜意的方式。

Today in History(歷史上的今天):

2018: Livorno Port, Italy(意大利里窩那港)

2018: Florence—Ponte Vecchio over River Arno, Italy(意大利佛羅倫薩—阿諾河老橋)

2018: Florence the City of Lillies, IT(意大利佛羅—翡冷翠)

2018: Florence—Public Arts, Italy(意大利佛羅倫薩—公共藝術)

2018: Florence—Piazza della Signoria & Bargello Natl Museum, Italy(意大利佛羅倫薩—領主廣場與巴傑羅美術館)

2018: Florence—Piazza del Duomo, Italy(意大利佛羅倫薩—聖母百花大教堂廣場)

2018: Florence—Santa Croce, Italy(意大利佛羅倫薩—聖十字大教堂)

2018: Pisa—Home to Galileo, Italy(意大利比薩—伽利略故鄉)

2018: Pisa the Leaning Tower, Italy(意大利比薩斜塔)

2017: Best of the Rhine, Germany(德國萊茵河—美味佳餚)

2017: Rüdesheim the Chief Wine Industry, DEU(德國呂德斯海姆—酒城)

2017: Rhine—Trechtingshausen to Bingen, DEU(德國萊茵河—從隼堡到女先知)

2017: Rhine—Lorch to Niederheimbach, DEU(德國萊茵河—從死亡島到桑內克堡)

2017: Rhine—Kaub to Bacharach, DEU(德國萊茵河—從皇宮城堡到維爾納禮拜堂)

2017: Oberwesel—Schonburg & Ochsenturm, DEU(德國上韋瑟爾—申堡與牛塔)

2017: Loreley—Father Rhine, Germany(德國蘿莉萊女妖石—萊茵河之父)

2017: Rhine—Bornhofen to St Goar, DEU(德國萊茵河—從鼠堡到貓堡)

2017: Rhine—Spay to Boppard, DEU(德國萊茵河—從雷司令到葡萄種植園)

2017: Rhine—Koblenz to Lahnstein, DEU(德國萊茵河—從德意志之角到防禦重鎮)

2017: Marksburg—WWII Only Survivor, DEU(德國萊茵河上二戰獨存的馬克堡)

2017: Braubach—Marksburg Castle, Germany(德國布勞巴赫—馬克城堡)

2014: YMCA Camp─Dodgeball-2(基督教青年會夏令營─躲避球之二)

Crosslink(相關博文):

China(出遊中國)