(no subject)
This is what I meant to write...
There are very few moments in my life that I can remember that had such a profound impact as to completely alter in some way my perspective on life altogether. These past ten days in China will forever be one such moment.
I could speak of the crazy simple things; surprisingly, I got used to the squatty potties, the horrible tastes and the horrendous smells, the prayers I prayed each and every time I entered a moving vehicle, or wandered in the general vicinity of one (even the sidewalks are not safe in China...that is to say, there are no real sidewalks at all). These, however, are general cultural ambiguities.
They speak of a place, and not of a people.
And it is, in the end, the people that left the lasting impression. I think, in a land of nearly one and a half billion people, it must be very simple to feel forgotten. I know entirely too many (most of those I met) feel unappreciated. And, sadly, they are superficially valued, and not at all as loved as I would like them.
I was ultimately humbled by the sense of utter loneliness I saw in the faces of those I met, passed in the street, found watching me with a curiousness and a hunger that transcended language barriers. I was not humbled by the loneliness, which I knew should be there, but by the honesty in its presence.
I think in America, and maybe even in many other western cultures, we have become so very good at hiding what we truly feel. If we are not happy, confident in ourselves, and completely secure, we try so very hard to convince everyone around us that we are, until it all too often exhausts us.
The Chinese are exhausted, too, from living in a society of sadness. They are so tired of being lost. For ten days, in hindsight too few days, I was able to shine a light into the lives of a terribly beautiful people. I left a few realizing that they were understood and valued beyond understanding, that they could shed their sadness and embrace a love that nurtures and protects, forgives and exalts; I felt an intense joy as I witnessed them journey from disregarded to celebrated and adored.
I have family in China, now, and that is my best souvenir.
I wish I could share specifics, because only then, I fear, you could truly comprehend how this trip has left me both broken down and lifted up. But it is a dangerous place, and I am not at liberty to do so.
If you know me at all, I hope this comment should suffice: halleluiah.
Some random innocuous pictures for you. My camera died near the end, however, so I took many more on my friend's camera. I will add those (many of which are of the Great Wall) when I am able to download them. Also, I may just create a secure section to upload more unambiguous pictures so that some of you can share in all the sights I have seen.
01.
Our (very early) departure.
02.
Over the North Pole; we went across Russia, Siberia, Mongolia, and the Gobi Desert, too. Nifty.
03.
One of the infamous squatty potties. I wish images could convey smells. You cannot imagine...
04.
Some foodstuff we found at the market -- cow utters, pig hooves, and penises. I did not partake.
05.
Some food I did eat, and the way we ate it, which is right off the plate. I liked this. Very much.
06.
A Chinese knot hanging from the rearview of a cab that caught my eye.
07.
A young boy fishing. It reminded me of the watermen around here.
08.
Beautiful old women practicing Tai Chi.
09.
A broom maker. This is one of my favorite shots.
10.
The first in a series of pictures of some of the most adorable children I have ever seen. This boy was a character.
11.
A little girl in the park. The tubes in her hand are a type of candy. I meant to get some to try, but I forgot.
12.
He eventually smiled. And gave me his flower.
13.
So, small children in China do not often wear diapers, especially in the summer. They wear pants with splits in them. And they pee whenever and wherever they like. Then again, so do the adults. We have pictures to prove it.
There are very few moments in my life that I can remember that had such a profound impact as to completely alter in some way my perspective on life altogether. These past ten days in China will forever be one such moment.
I could speak of the crazy simple things; surprisingly, I got used to the squatty potties, the horrible tastes and the horrendous smells, the prayers I prayed each and every time I entered a moving vehicle, or wandered in the general vicinity of one (even the sidewalks are not safe in China...that is to say, there are no real sidewalks at all). These, however, are general cultural ambiguities.
They speak of a place, and not of a people.
And it is, in the end, the people that left the lasting impression. I think, in a land of nearly one and a half billion people, it must be very simple to feel forgotten. I know entirely too many (most of those I met) feel unappreciated. And, sadly, they are superficially valued, and not at all as loved as I would like them.
I was ultimately humbled by the sense of utter loneliness I saw in the faces of those I met, passed in the street, found watching me with a curiousness and a hunger that transcended language barriers. I was not humbled by the loneliness, which I knew should be there, but by the honesty in its presence.
I think in America, and maybe even in many other western cultures, we have become so very good at hiding what we truly feel. If we are not happy, confident in ourselves, and completely secure, we try so very hard to convince everyone around us that we are, until it all too often exhausts us.
The Chinese are exhausted, too, from living in a society of sadness. They are so tired of being lost. For ten days, in hindsight too few days, I was able to shine a light into the lives of a terribly beautiful people. I left a few realizing that they were understood and valued beyond understanding, that they could shed their sadness and embrace a love that nurtures and protects, forgives and exalts; I felt an intense joy as I witnessed them journey from disregarded to celebrated and adored.
I have family in China, now, and that is my best souvenir.
I wish I could share specifics, because only then, I fear, you could truly comprehend how this trip has left me both broken down and lifted up. But it is a dangerous place, and I am not at liberty to do so.
If you know me at all, I hope this comment should suffice: halleluiah.
Some random innocuous pictures for you. My camera died near the end, however, so I took many more on my friend's camera. I will add those (many of which are of the Great Wall) when I am able to download them. Also, I may just create a secure section to upload more unambiguous pictures so that some of you can share in all the sights I have seen.
01.
Our (very early) departure.
02.
Over the North Pole; we went across Russia, Siberia, Mongolia, and the Gobi Desert, too. Nifty.
03.
One of the infamous squatty potties. I wish images could convey smells. You cannot imagine...
04.
Some foodstuff we found at the market -- cow utters, pig hooves, and penises. I did not partake.
05.
Some food I did eat, and the way we ate it, which is right off the plate. I liked this. Very much.
06.
A Chinese knot hanging from the rearview of a cab that caught my eye.
07.
A young boy fishing. It reminded me of the watermen around here.
08.
Beautiful old women practicing Tai Chi.
09.
A broom maker. This is one of my favorite shots.
10.
The first in a series of pictures of some of the most adorable children I have ever seen. This boy was a character.
11.
A little girl in the park. The tubes in her hand are a type of candy. I meant to get some to try, but I forgot.
12.
He eventually smiled. And gave me his flower.
13.
So, small children in China do not often wear diapers, especially in the summer. They wear pants with splits in them. And they pee whenever and wherever they like. Then again, so do the adults. We have pictures to prove it.