Cinematic Moment: From China with Love.
Nothing can really prepare you for the first steps out of the safety of an airport and into a truly foreign place. You can read books, buy quickie guide phrase translators, and do your homework online. Go for it. None of it counts when you are staring in the face of a country with customs, tradition, even laws you don't fully understand. A social faux pas at home may be embarrassing, but ultimately something to laugh off: In a foreign country, it could brand you for the remainder of your stay. The punishment for breaking most mid-range laws in the states is some light jail time, maybe house arrest. In this new land, the punishment is death. And the clincher? You have no idea what anyone is saying. (*Cue Law & Order theme*)
I consider myself a fairly seasoned traveler. I have the airline security check down to a fine art, much like Clooney's character in Up in the Air. Shoes undone, computer in hand, liquids pre-packed in ziplock and handy, cotton clothes, no metal, sans jacket. An understanding of the rules makes me comfortable. At least enough to see which I will choose to break. This is why our recent trip to China threw me for such a loop. For Westerners, the is nothing more foreign than the East. The lack of dairy, the currency exchange, the treatment of animals we would call pets, the government, alphabet, toilets (and toilet training for that matter. Can you say "cut a hole in the toddler's pants and let him or her go anywhere?") food, dishwashers, medical care, internet censorship...the list could go on for pages. That is not to say that the differences are bad in any way, they're just, well, different. And the dissimilarities have me more intrigued with a culture than I've ever been.
Take, for instance, the pride of the Chinese in their history and growth. They are a nation on the brink of unbelievable progress and success, yet they are proud of each small step to a degree that is humbling to a Westerner. They respect their elders and the idea of loyalty. On certain holidays, the children bow to their parents and grandparents, a way of saying thank you for taking on the job of parenting. Then there are the things passed on for generations, be it a fable or story of a Buddha or simply a tradition such as the art of preparing tea. I was so mesmerized by the beauty of brewing tea in China--the meticulous pressing of the leaves, mixing of different flowers and mushrooms, giving the first tea to the copper frog for good luck and prosperity--it seemed like liquid poetry. I probably drank 3 gallons of tea while there and I couldn't stomach the stuff before we went.
We walked the Great Wall, with its uneven steps covered in snow and ice, hiked to the top of a mountain to burn incense to the goddess of Mercy, Guan Yin. We ate with the locals out of shared bowls, throwing our germophobic caution to the wind and perused the Forbidden City, where thousands of years of dynasties lived and reigned. I saw Chairman Mao's Memorial, where he still rests, encased in a crystal coffin. We stood above the tombs of the Ming Dynasty, learned to say everything from "I don't need it. It's too expensive" to "One coke with ice, please" in Cantonese, and laughed at our own awkwardness when children began to cry upon seeing us. There were strange aquatic creatures, sweet potatoes cooked over garbage cans, acrobats, pearls, 5 star hotels, what felt like -2 star hotels, the coldest temperatures in a century, string pianos, rock bands playing hooked up to car batteries on the streets, filthy water, 3 hour long massages...We took as much in as possible.
Writing a post like this is not typical for me. Usually I try to capture tiny moments, but I would have had to divide this into 1,000 smaller posts about every other hour spent there. So instead I can only give you the feeling really. Of course the trip didn't go exactly as planned. Nothing ever does in life (and I firmly believe the difference between happy and unhappy people is their ability to recognize that.) But it was the most incredible experience of my life. If you get the chance, travel as much as you can to places that captivate or even intimidate you. You may leave, changed.
