黄金周

Hey everyone! Welcome to a new episode of "Straight Talk Chinese." I'm Tian Tian!

Hey everyone, I'm A-Jie.

A-Jie, I literally can't sit still lately, you know why?

Looking at how pumped you are, it must be that the May Day holiday is coming up.

The one who really gets me is definitely A-Jie! Less than a week until May Day Golden Week, are you ready to "go wild" somewhere?

My preparations are already done.

For real? Where are you going this time? Is it Dali to see Erhai Lake, or Zibo for BBQ?

I've got enough snacks, a few good books, and plenty of sleep.

Wait... you mean you're not going anywhere?

That's right, I'm just staying home. Not going anywhere.

Oh my god, that's a five-day long weekend! Don't you feel like it's a waste?

Going out is the real waste. Wasting energy, wasting money, and wasting time standing in lines.

Come on, the fun of traveling is exactly in that lively atmosphere!

For someone like me, an introvert, that kind of liveliness is called "suffering."

But I've already booked tickets to Changsha! I'm gonna try tea from Tea Yanyue and stinky tofu!

Changsha? Are you sure about that? I saw on the news yesterday that Orange Island in Changsha is already about to burst from crowds.

I know it's gonna be packed, but I'd regret it for the whole year if I don't go.

So did you manage to get tickets? Train tickets these days are even harder to get than during Spring Festival travel.

Don't even get me started. I started trying to grab tickets half a month in advance, and I still had to pay extra to get them.

See? Already step one is this hard, and you still have the motivation.

That's the extrovert drive for you! As long as I think about going to a new city, I'm fully recharged.

Then let me ask you, did you book a hotel?

I did... but the price really broke my heart.

How much did it jump?

Rooms that are normally three or four hundred yuan, they're asking one thousand two hundred during May Day!

Triple the price, to get an experience where you have to stand in line for three hours everywhere?

When you put it that way, it does hurt to spend the money.

Right? So staying home, I could buy so much good food with that 1,200 yuan.

But the view from home is always the same. The outside world is where it's exciting.

The outside world is indeed exciting, but during May Day outside, you can only see the back of other people's heads.

Ha, that's such a vivid metaphor.

Last May Day when I went to West Lake, I couldn't even see the water.

So what did you see?

I saw the shoulder of the person on my left, and the umbrella of the person on my right.

Then you just didn't pick the right places. You could've gone to some off-the-beaten-path cities.

In today's China, where are there even any off-the-beaten-path cities anymore?

Feels like you're right. The moment Xiaohongshu recommends a place, by the next day it's packed.

That's exactly why I don't go out. Everyone's just "checking in."

I think "checking in" isn't a bad thing either. It shows there's ritual in life.

But I prefer "chill vibes."

A-Jie, have you noticed that the "shifted workdays" these days are really giving people headaches?

Don't even get me started! That's what I most want to complain about.

Five days off, but then we have to make up two Saturdays and Sundays.

Yeah, it feels like we have to work six days straight both before and after the holiday.

That "borrowed" vacation always feels unstable.

That's the so-called "Chinese-style holiday," designed to boost consumption.

Even though the shifted workdays are exhausting, if it weren't for these five days, I probably really wouldn't have a chance to travel far.

Actually, I think if holidays were spread out more, people wouldn't all crowd at the same time.

I wish that too, but these days everyone's schedule is out of their control.

So, I choose to use these five days to "recover" myself.

So how are you gonna spend these five days at home? Besides sleeping.

I'll take walks in the park downstairs. Get up early, fewer people.

So that's "City Walk," huh?

Something like that, but I prefer calling it "just wandering aimlessly."

I hear "special forces tourism" is popular these days too.

I know about it. Visiting four cities in one day, sleeping at bath centers or McDonald's at night.

I tried that kind of travel once, and my legs were dead the next day.

That's not traveling, that's "boot camp."

But for college students on a tight budget, that's the only way.

I get it, but I've already passed that age.

A-Jie, if you absolutely had to go out, what transportation would you choose?

I would absolutely not drive.

Ha, you're scared of traffic jams, huh?

I have a friend who got stuck in a traffic jam for twelve hours during last May Day.

Twelve hours! So he basically had lunch and dinner on the highway?

Exactly, and he even posted on social media saying the highway turned into a parking lot.

And some people even did square dancing or played badminton on the highway.

That scene was really absurd.

So you think high-speed rail is the best choice?

Provided you can actually get tickets.

I grabbed a red-eye flight this time, three in the morning.

Three AM? So what time do you need to leave for the airport?

I'm planning to go straight after work on Friday and sleep at the airport overnight.

Tian Tian, you really are a beast. Even more hardcore than hardcore.

For a whiff of that stinky tofu, I'm going all in!

The crowds in Changsha might make you question your life choices.

I'm not afraid, I have an itinerary.

An itinerary? Most itineraries these days are ads.

I'm looking for the kind recommended by locals, those "hole-in-the-wall" spots.

Those small places have long lines now too.

You're making me waver a little.

My suggestion is, if the line is over two hours, just go to a supermarket, grab some snacks, and head back to the hotel.

Then wouldn't my trip be a waste!

Actually, the meaning of travel isn't about what you eat, it's about stepping out of your usual environment.

You're right. Even just lying down in a Changsha hotel is more refreshing than lying down at home in Hangzhou.

That's the psychological effect at work.

A-Jie, if you had money, would you still travel during May Day?

If I had money, I'd travel on regular weekdays instead.

Peak avoidance, that really is the ultimate form of travel.

Back then, plane tickets are cheap, hotels you can pick freely, tourist spots have no crowds.

But what if you don't have vacation days, only these statutory holidays?

Then I'd rather do a "digital detox" at home.

Ha, you always circle back to your detox.

Because I feel like the world is too noisy these days.

I feel like the world is too stuffy these days, need some liveliness to wake it up.

This might be the biggest difference between extroverts and introverts.

A-Jie, are you worried about not being able to get food deliveries during May Day?

I'll go to the supermarket ahead of time and cook for myself.

Wow, you even cook for yourself?

Cooking is also a form of relaxation.

I can only make instant noodles.

Then if you can't get a table in Changsha, you might really have to eat instant noodles.

Don't curse me! I will definitely get some good food!

Then I wish you all the best, may your phone battery stay at 100%.

Thanks! By the way, A-Jie, do you think the Golden Week holidays are still necessary?

They're necessary, because a lot of people can only go back home to see their parents during this time.

Right, it's not just traveling, it's also family reunions.

Even though I don't go out, I support everyone going out. That way the economy gets better.

Ha, you're such a kind introvert.

Because when you all go out, my residential area becomes quiet.

So that's what you were really after!

It's killing two birds with one stone.

So do you think May Day is good for blind dates?

A blind date? A blind date in the middle of a sea of people?

Yeah, a lot of parents take advantage of the holiday to set up their kids to meet.

I think that's way too awkward. What if you run out of things to talk about? There's nowhere to escape.

Ha, everyone's packed together, so you really can't run.

So the best thing to do during May Day is just do what you love.

Exactly. Whether it's squeezing into the crowds or lying flat at home.

As long as you don't feel like you're cheating yourself.

A-Jie, would you recommend some books you're planning to read during May Day?

I can recommend you a few books about "solitude."

No way, an extrovert like me would cry reading those.

Then I'll recommend some books about "food culture." You can read them on the high-speed train.

This is better! I can have a culinary tour through books first.

Are you planning to post on social media this time you go to Changsha?

Of course! I'm definitely posting a nine-grid!

Even if all the photos have crowds of people?

I can edit them! There are so many apps now that can erase strangers from photos.

Ha, this kind of "self-deception" tech is really powerful.

That's "visual digital detox."

Learned something new. You're really good at using new buzzwords too.