Where Does Time Go? (Part 7) — Case 4: Time Wastage ...

On a sunny weekend afternoon, I drove to visit a friend I hadn't seen in years. As my tires rolled over the asphalt of the Shanghai-Chongqing Expressway, the hour-long drive passed quickly in anticipation. Misaligned Landmarks and Navigation As I exited the highway, I called him, my voice filled with excitement: "I’m almost there. Can you send me your location?" On the other end of the line, my friend’s voice came through with its familiar heartiness: "Sure thing! Get off at the expressway exit, head east along Sichen Highway, turn left when you see the large 'Hand-in-Hand Auto Port' sign, go through one more traffic light, and there’s a sports center with an air-dome structure on the right. My complex is right behind that..." He described it in meticulous detail, down to the newly planted camphor trees along the road. But as I listened, a sense of doubt crept in—Auto Port? Air-dome sports center? These landmarks did not align at all with my memory of the Songjiang streetscape. "Wait," I interrupted. "Are you sure this is Songjiang? This route feels completely unfamiliar." There was a two-second silence on the line, followed by a sudden exclamation of realization and apology: "Oh...