You know dada, during my stay at Hangzhou in china, when I needed to get away from all the chaos of managing hospital shifts and classes, I used to go sit on a by the west lake and just watch the sunset.
That last image made me wish there was such a bench there. Well, there were a lot of benches and that area used to be swarming with people. But on the side of the lake I used to sit was usually empty, no people around. Neither were there benches. Maybe that's why that part was always so empty :)
perhaps it was a blessing that there was no bench by that lake, maybe that's why you have that solitude. Hangzhou is a populated city, and I think perhaps it is not easy to find a place to yourself over there.
I enjoyed that bench... I think quite simply that bench was certainly one of best memories of this trip.
It is quite densely populated. But finding solitude was never an issue for me ;) I knew places! I had an e-bike and I used to venture out on it looking for places people don't frequent, like the part of the lake I mentioned :)
There is something about the ambiance of the bench, I can't quite put my fingers on it. Maybe reminds me of simpler times, who knows :)
It did remind me of simpler times. You know I have a quite strange and bizarre life. I am not complaining, mind you! I won't have it in any other way. However, what I have saying from where I started and where I am not in my mid life is so different that I had no idea that I will be here looking back when I was a young adult.
So often, I do miss the simple things of life, which I can still get today... but I have to put effort into it. Earlier it used to come naturally :)
I don't wanna go all emo/cliche by saying this, but I do think when it comes naturally we often tend to just go with the flow, and only begin to actually appreciate it when we have to put an effort for. I know I'm saying this now, but I'm sure 15 years from now, I'd be craving for what right now I'm thinking to be a not so simple time :)