Part 1: The train to the past and present.
I knew I would find Adventure in China, but I never thought it would be that epic… it went to the point where I slayed a dragon; It will make sense in my upcoming posts, but today I will write about the beginning of my trip to Beijing and what I have done on my first day.
It has been a very long time since I have traveled by train. The sense of serenity as we moved toward our destination gave way to my thoughts to speak to me. I was glad I had my notebook with me to fill its half blanked pages.
When I arrived, I was still full of energy and ready to explore. So my first walk in Beijing was through the streets of Qian men (Front Gate). The streets were a trip to the past, a gate from the ancient ways to the new ones. As a stranger to the new land, I walked, I could do nothing but walk. As I stride through the paradox, I was reminded by William Blake’s Poem; Auguries of innocence “To see a World in a grain of sand, And Heaven in a wild flower…. Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand, And Eternity in an hour.”
The architectures of the buildings housed the spirits of the past while the living dwell in the modern shops below them. I was guided to this location; China’s oldest cinema, the birth place of the now ever-growing Chinese movie industry.
I have then moved on to Shi Cha hai streets. The night life over there is magical. I loved every minute of it. The street was filled with cafes and bars with artists performing at every corner, and restaurants and attraction at every location, serving Islamic food, Western food and traditional food too. I walked around until my legs couldn’t paddle on the ground anymore. So I decided to fuel my body with a mix of traditional and Islamic food; the famous Chinese hot-pot… absolutely delicious.
As I left the place, I came to an epiphany, a sudden thought emerged through the sea of diverse people.
“It is not about eliminating others’ ideologies… it is not about who gets to survive at the end… life is about coexisting together… there will always be good and bad, but their shouldn’t be wars… I believe we one day won’t fight against each other… but instead fight within ourselves to accept one another.”
Have a blessed day my readers.. I will post to you more about my magical trip very soon.
ahamin 
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