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Saigon, May 24, 2013 Chaos! Organized chaos so it is called. Hundreds of thousands of motorbikes buzz around in a noisy background of bicyles, tri-cycles, cars, people, animals, stuff…. Yes you’ve heard it right, animal and stuff! Every 5 minutes you could catch a glimpse of a motorbike or a bicyle covered in “stuff”, anything from plastic and bamboo homewares to doors, windows, tables, chairs, gigantic glass panels, and even toilet seats…. Dust, noises, smoke, horns, and the constant pressure of going somewhere make this place a perfect spot for meditation practitioners, those in search for the highest level of accomplishment. Isn’t that right? Peace and tranquility can be found in the most chaotic condition, because it can only be found from within…. As I groove around the streets of Saigon, smiling eyes live on…. #vietnam #meditation #perspective #peace #life #saigon

Hắn hối hả lên máy bay, bước từng bước nặng nề với hai cái túi xách to đùng. Nhét vội nhét vàng hai cái bao nhựa vào khoang hành lý trên đầu xong, hắn rơi tự do vào cái ghế bé xíu so với cái thân hình gồ ghề của hắn. Mặc cho cô nàng bên cạnh líu ríu nép mình vào nửa cái ghế kế bên, hắn chẳng thèm đến xỉa. Chẳng còn gì phải lo, hắn rút ngay tờ báo vừa mới lấy ở cửa lên máy bay, lật xoàng xạc qua từng trang, dường như chỉ đọc lướt qua mấy cái tít giật gân cho có. Lật qua, lật lại, xoàng xạc, xoàng xạc, thi thoảng lại rung đùi, thi thoảng lại hít mũi một cái rõ to. Máy bay cất cánh. Bữa trưa nhanh chóng được phục vụ. Từ Hồng kông đi Thượng Hải không cơm thì mì, làm gì có món nào khác. Cơm là chắc rồi. Phải hơn hai tiếng nữa mới đến Thượng Hải, đói bỏ sừ. Khay vừa đặt xuống, hắn chĩa ngay lấy cái nĩa nhựa, chớp lấy hộp cơm, hất cái nắp đậy ở trên ra. Cơm chiên! Hắn cũng không kịp nhìn xem có cái gì trong mớ cơm chiên đó nữa. Há miệng rõ to, hắn cắm cái nĩa vào một đầu hộp và cứ thế lua lia lịa từng mớ cơm một. Không quá một phút, hộp cơm hết sạch. Hắn hãy còn chép miệng thèm thuồng. Bao nhiêu đó cơm thì có bỏ bèn gì so với sức ăn của hắn chứ. Cô nàng bên cạnh chỉ biết mở to mắt nhìn, vẻ sợ sệt hiện rõ trên khuôn mặt hãy còn ngơ ngẩn, chưa kịp hoàn hồn sau cái cú lùa cơm 1 phút của hắn. Cô tự hỏi không biết hắn có kịp nhận ra mình đang ăn cơm chiên. Hắn có nhận ra hương vị trong trẻo của nắng trong từng sợi cà rốt? Hắn có nhấm nháp được hương vị dạt dào của gió trong từng hạt đậu xanh xanh? Và hắn có cảm nhận được những hạt sương tinh khôi trong từng hạt bắp non mơn mởn? Tại đây, trong giờ phút này, hắn không tồn tại. Khi ta vội vã lướt qua thời gian, không kịp dừng lại, không hề tỉnh thức để nhận thức từng hành động và suy nghĩ của mình, phải chăng ta đang cho phép cuộc sống của mình bị vô minh đánh cắp? #triếtlý #hiệntại #hạnhphúctỉnhthức #tồntại #cuộcsống #vôminh

On the plane, May 22, 2013 It’s 5pm when I board the flight from Hongkong heading to Saigon, Vietnam. After the hustle bustle of China, I find the flight quite unusual with just myself among empty seats. We pull out as scheduled but gotta wait another 20 minutes before getting a signal to take off. Obviously the morning storm in Hongkong has created quite a situation here with plenty of delayed flights patiently waiting in line. After a while, we find ourselves up in the air without any drama. 30 minutes after take-off, we suddenly get sucked into a turbulent area. You know the feeling when it gets all bumpy and rocky and sometimes you find yourself fallen…. At that very moment, all that you think can be controlled in this world turn meaningless. At that very moment, one learns that it is a fine line between life and death. Nothing, nothing is permanent…. What if the plane crashes?, I ask myself. What if I die today? Would I have any regrets? I have definitely lived and loved to the full extent. I have certainly made a lot of mistakes along the way. And surely I have hurt some people in this lifetime with my absolute ignorence. What has been done cannot be un-done. But how I live my life in the present does matter. The present will soon become the past and the future is one’s present. No regrets! At least I have been living in mindfulness. No worry about the past. No expectation for the future. It’s all about the present. It’s all about this very moment. As I take a deep breath, the captain informs us that we would get out of the turbulence in another minute. Sometimes that one minute defines who you are. One is all. I am the universe! #death #future #present #perspective #mindfulness #life #universe #past

Có những hạt giống chẳng hiểu do ai gieo từ bao nhiêu đời trước, cứ một mực nhẫn nại nằm yên trong lòng đất lạnh. Rồi một đêm xuân nọ, khi cả năm thành tố cơ bản của vũ trụ tình cờ hội ngộ tại một ngã rẽ định mệnh, trong một phút ngẫu hứng đã vẽ nên một bức tranh ân ái, lãng mạn và hoàn mỹ. Đêm nay, trong cái ánh sáng lung linh của một đêm xuân lạ thường, sợi tơ mong manh giữa sống và chết, yêu và ghét, bình yên và giông tố, hạnh phúc và đau khổ trong một phút nhẹ dạ bỗng trở nên hết sức nhập nhòe. Đêm nay, tinh túy của trời đất vội vã tìm nhau trong một bản giao hưởng ánh trăng, và hạt giống đã rung rẩy nảy mầm. Nó nhẹ nhàng len lỏi qua từng xớ đất khô cằn rồi len lén thẹn thùng chạm nhẹ vào cái không khí bàng bạc của đêm xuân. Hạnh phúc – bao năm gieo mình trong lòng đất lạnh chỉ để vỡ òa trong cái hạnh phúc ngắn ngủi này. Trớ trêu thay, chẳng có cái gì trong cái vũ trụ bao la này là trường tồn cả. Hạnh phúc cũng chỉ là những đoản khúc rộn ràng nhưng ngắn ngủi. Nó vụt qua rồi chỉ để lại một cái bóng đổ dài trong hành trình vào vô tận. Đêm đã sâu. Tia sáng cuối cùng của đêm trăng rồi cũng như bị ai đó nhét vào đốm mây vần vũ. Hạt giống hốt hoảng chơi vơi tìm kiếm cái tinh túy của tạo hóa đã vỡ vụn giữa đêm xuân. Cứ như thế, nó bước từng bước dài xuyên suốt cả cuộc đời để kiếm tìm. Những nấc thang thời gian vẫn đổ dài vào vô tận. Những hàng mộ lặng câm. Vài chiếc lá vàng vô tình xào xạc rơi vào hư vô. Rồi một buổi sáng tinh mơ khi cuộc đời của hạt giống đã cằn cỗi như cây cổ thụ của thời gian, nó chồn chân, mỏi gối dừng lại bên đường. Bức màn sương của buổi sáng tinh mơ trong suốt, mỏng manh bỗng thảng thốt vỡ tan. “Hãy dừng lại nghỉ ngơi”, có tiếng ai đó khẽ rơi trong gió. “Đường đi tìm hạnh phúc không thẳng về phía trước cũng chẳng ngoằn ngoèo ở phía sau, chẳng cheo leo trên núi cao hay trầm sâu trong lòng đại dương câm lặng, chẳng trong quá khứ, chẳng phải tương lai, mà cũng chẳng e ấp ở một nơi nào đó trong giấc mơ hoàn hảo”. Hạt giống bối rối nhìn quanh. Hình bóng mỹ miều, quý phái của một con chim công trắng muốt thoáng qua rồi chìm vào màn sương man mác. Đâu đó trong bao la vang vang lời ca thánh thiện, “Đường đi tìm hạnh phúc ngược vào trong lòng hạt giống. Hạnh phúc chẳng ở đâu xa để kiếm tìm.” Những tia nắng đầu tiên của buổi sáng vỡ òa vào không gian. Một cành hoa dâm bụt đỏ rực nhịp chân suy tư bên hàng dậu. #bìnhyên #cuộcsống #Hạnhphúc #đaukhổ

Pudong International Airport, May 22, 2013 Totally exhausted, I board the 11:00 Cathay Pacific flight heading home. It’s now 13:15 and I am still on the grounded plane without a distant idea when we will take off. That’s pretty common for any flights in and out of China. Always prepare for the worst! Today’s delay is not at all iritating to me. My time is spent reading the first few pages of a book that a China friend of mine gave me as a present last night, Lunyu by Confucius. I of course get right onto the first few pages, excited to learn more about the teachings of Confucius, the great philosopher and educator of ancient China. One sentence immediately catches my attention, “Never worry if others do not understand you. Worry if you don’t understand others!”. My mind travels right back to a conversation I have in Najing with 2 local friends when one asks me what I think about Chinese people. Having experienced numerous bad experiences in China, I rightfully reply, “I am not talking about you two, but most Chinese main-landers carry no manner.” Silence takes over the car as we move forward…. We discuss further about the lack of foundation in the Chinese educational system later that day but never go back to the “manner” topic. Sitting on the airplane now, reading Confucius’s teaching, I suddenly feel very ashamed of myself for judging others based on my personal background and up-bringing. How could I expect people to think, know, and act the way I do? How could I impose my culture upon the people of China? They surely irritate me to some extent and they definitely will irritate anyone else who have been so adapted to an orderly environment. However, if I am to think twice about this matter, how on earth could I blame them? You don’t know what you don’t know. When certain behaviors are widely accepted, you grow up being implanted with those concepts as normal standards. They obviously are ignorent of the fact that they do sometimes annoy the hell out of me…. And yet these great China friends of mine have done their best looking after me on this trip. Pieces of the same puzzle simply do not match. After all, it seems to be because of one’s perspective towards a matter…. My China friends know it all starts with education to change a society and they know it takes a few generations to do so. They do not know how, how long it takes and when it will happen. Yet they all live on with hope. For now, I tell myself to learn to understand them. “Never worry if others do not understand you. Worry if you do not understand others!” 不患人之不己知，患不知人也。 #confucius #understanding #china #perspective #life

Hangzhou Train Station, May 19, 2013 Having experienced a horrible train ride from Guangzhou to Guangxi before, I vow to stay away from train rides in China as much as I possibly could. But when the best mode of transport from Hangzhou to Shanghai is bullet train which costs you 128 yuan first class in comparison to a hired car for 2.800 yuan, it sounds like a phobia that you just have to fix in this lifetime. OK here we go again. Phi is moving forward to Hangzhou train station. There are always millions of people at any train stations I’ve ever been to in China, be it Guangzhou, Guangxi, Nanjing, Hangzhou or Shanghai. Well, in the land of 1.3 billion, a few million does not count. To get where you want to be, the only way is forward. You may step on a few people on the way, but cruelty is a widely practiced concept of any China survivor. And on I walk, wearing a cruel face, taking the determined steps, keeping hunter’s eyes on the prey – gate 8 towards Shanghai. People stand, sit, lie down, walk, run, carrying all sizes and shapes of bags in hundreds of colors. Some people talk, most shout and yell on their phones, to one another, and to whoever else they need to communicate with. Shouting is Chinese for communication. It does not necessarily depict any evil intention. It’s just the Chinese way of making sure they get their ideas across. But I have a train to catch and to get there, I force myself to practice see no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil. In actual fact, I would keep my mouth shut so that no one knows I am a foreigner. That alone could save me from a lot of trouble. Level 1 of the fighting game, I got through the security checkpoint and then the screening device without any problem. Level 2, I found gate 8. There are 3 look-alike queues in front of the gate, so I stand in one of those. People are all over the place. What are they standing around for? OK, I need to stay focused. See no evil! As I check my ticket for cabin and seat number, people start jumping the line. Out of nowhere, youngs and olds, males and females, good-lookings and messy-lookings, they all push in and I find myself getting down the line pretty quickly. Should I say something? Should I shout? Should I knock someone down? Lesson number 4: do no evil! “If what one has to say is not better than silence, then one should keep silent”‘ said Confucius once. It does at least keep me out of trouble today. The heat and the stink of human sweat fill the place. One could stir a war here just by stepping on somebody’s toe. It’s getting unbearable…. Level 3, this is the make it or break it. 2:45PM, 15 minutes before the train leaves the platform, the gate is opened. The sea of people turns into a tsunami. No queues does matter any more. On they march with the sole purpose of getting on that train. The train will wait for no one. If you miss it, you miss it. No one cares. No excuses. No explanation. No complaints to lodge. It strikes me once and again how priviledged I have been even in the little things I have taken for granted living in the West. All people have on this land is a dream for the future. The past is insignificant. The present is forgetable. There seems to be no other way out apart from marching forward, at all costs. People push people forward and I am therefore pushed forward. You know it when you are there at the ticket control gate. All I see is people. The concept of personal space is something unheard of. And itdefinitely is a huge disadvantage when you are tiny. Keeping people from stepping on you undoubtedly is the noble task. It’s like meditation in a way. Your mind resides on one thing and one thing only, getting through that bloody gate! Phew! I finally get through. Level 5 of the fighting game, now comes the long staircase. It has 3 levels and obviously there is no other way but walking down the steps with my 20kg piece of luggage and a hand-carry bag. No one cares. Everyone for themselves. Everyone has a train to catch. People rush down the steps, leaving me and my personal struggle to drag down the luggage un-noticed. Cabin 5 it is when I reach the train. Looking at the ticket, mine is cabin 16 which is at the very top of the train. Shouldn’t that be cabin 1? Any way, I have 5 minutes left to get on the train. Man, this is just like Amazing Race China. I finally get on, just in time as the train moves away from the platform. If someone needs to have a crash course on China, I would recommend the dramatic last 15 minutes before a train ride. Forget the thick books with lots of data analysis. It all happens out here amidst the heat, the stink and the sweat…. The train ride is quite smooth. Nothing much too see but some funny looking rows of identical town houses and apartment blocks that probably house millions of Chinese future time-travellers. The guy sitting next to me must wonder by the look on his face why I carry a smile on my face…. An hour goes by quickly. An announcement is broadcasted as we approach Shanghai. “Thank you for your understanding and support”. Sure, I understand! Level 6, getting off the train. As the train pulls over, down pour waves of people. I step aside to wait. I am already in Shanghai and I have some time to kill on a Sunday. May people stay safe rushing down the staircase. Not long afterwards, the platform turns desserted. Jeez, the Chinese never waste a second in their life. I now have the whole platform for myself. I can now take my walking meditation steps down the escalator. No drama. There are 2 taxi gates, one north and one south. The north gate is right there on my right as I get off the escalator. Knowing the Chinese who would take the best shortcut to heaven, I convince myself to take the South gate. It’s a bit of a walk but maybe I can stay away from the crowd. As I get out of the station and reach the taxi stand, I find myself stupid to even think there would be less people on the South side. There is never less people anywhere in China. I am right at the pick-up point and there is a long queue going for it. That’s OK. “Let’s find the end of the queue” I tell myself. And down I walk in search for that end, sporadically looking at the faces of the people who are already in the queue. What do I see? Worry, uncertainty, and lost. It’s a long way to the top! I find the end of the queue when I almost lose hope. There must be 9999 people in the line. There are 2 long hand rails with a single person space in between to keep people in line but it does take a while for you to reach them. I figure that I’ve never been that thrilled in life standing in between the rails. For the first time in China, I can define my own space. It is definitely mine. Just when the thought becomes comforting, the lady behind pushes her bag forward and it hits me hard on the back. I turn my around and give her a Kungfu Panda look. As my eyes hit hers, she looks away, pretending nothing ever happens. See no evil! I finally get on a taxi heading to a hotel in Pudong, feeling left behind in this China’s forward march every where I go. A smile is on my face as I remember some funny verses shared by a local friend. The Young and Brave, march forward! The Young and Brave, march forward to the front! But Sir, the front line does not know where they are going… No drama, kid! Wherever we go, we are still marching forward! #shanghai #china #travel #perspective #journey #hangzhou #life #train

Hangzhou, May 19, 2013 For the first time on this long journey I have a day off to stop and admire the beauty of China. And I am in the right place, Hangzhou, and at the right time, May when the weather is so accommodating. Drizzling rain now and then, like a pretty lady changing her outfit, only spices up the beauty of Hangzhou. As ancient Chinese people used to put it “Above is Paradise, below is Suzhou and Hangzhou.” Suzhou is definitely my next destination, but for now, I will give Hangzhou my entire presence and appreciation. Like any other tourist destinations, Hangzhou has a lot to offer. But for a nature and peace lover like myself, the selection is quite simple, the West Lake, Lei Feng Temple where I can have a different view of the West Lake, Longjing Tea Plantation, and of course Zhejiang Museum of Arts. A famous poet in the Song Dynasty in China, Sushi (and it’s not Japanese sushi) used to compare West Lake to Xishi, one of the four Miss China’s in ancient time. The poem has four verses but the last two verses basically go like this: One could compare West Lake with Xishi With or without make-up they are both gorgeous I am fortunate enough to appreciate West Lake at three different times of the day, one late afternoon around 4pm, one late morning around 11AM, and my last one on one with her this morning around 6AM. When Sushi wrote that poem, what he described was the view of West Lake during clear beautiful weather and that amidst the drifting rain. 4PM amidst the drifting rain, West Lake is quite moody. One could only spot a slender, fragile, and graceful shadow of a pretty lady sitting behind a silky white curtain, immersing in herself in a sad love song fanning out from her pipa (琵琶). She would ignore you. She is totally in her own world. And the passer-by would find himself lost. The whole world suddenly turns empty and the moment becomes eternity. 11AM on a clear sunny day, West Lake puts on her best make-up, getting ready to receive her visitors, gentle smiling eyes, majestic posture, subtle shyness as she moves forward. Like a windmill, the visitor’s mind gets all entangled as she approaches. The moment is timeless. Two encounters, none personal. She is here, yet she is not. One could feel a thousand-mile distance between us. I decided not to give up, so I asked a local what would be the best time for me to visit her. Mr. Wang told me 6AM when the disturbing traffic was still asleep. 6AM on a misty early morning, West Lake quietly sips her greenish Longjing tea from a white pearly cup. No words uttered as I approach and silently sit down next to her. The white silky mist reserves our intimacy. It is the feeling of having a soulmate beside, nothing said yet everything said. We bid adieu to each other as I leave Hangzhou for Shanghai, knowing I would return one day just for that moment of truth. #xihu #china #travel #westlake #xishi #hangzhou #sushi

Nanjing, May 15, 2013 “How would you describe Nanjing people?” I asked Yibin, my Nanjing’s friend. “I would say people here are more hospitable, friendly and honest” said Yibin. Though I know Nanjing used to be the capital of the Ming Dynasty, I would not take anything for granted and expect too much from modern China. Glorious history and admirable ancient arts and culture never seem to prosper in today’s material world. 2 days in Nanjing is simply not enough especially when the meetings are back-to-back. Yibin insists however that I visit Confucius Temple. “You can’t say you’ve been to Nanjing without visiting Confucius”, said Yibin. That makes perfect sense and I’ve always been eager to pay respect to the great man who a few thousand years later still spreads his profound knowledge around the world. That is called Greatness. When we leave this world, how many of us can be remembered? It’s never been the wealth, the power, nor the struggles to get to the top. It’s always been the knowledge, the love, the kindness willingly shared. Success is what one achieves for oneself but greatness is what one achieves for others. The walk-way to Confucius Temple is masked with earthly desires, food, drinks, clothing, accessories, gifts, dry goods, even dry salted ducks on display racks along the walk-way. Man I was thinking more of literature and culture related stuff like books, brushes, calligraphy, Chinese paintings…. “Do you think it hurts Confucius to see this?” I asked Yibin. “Definitely” answered Yibin without a blink. “But there are a lot of Chinese people here, and they need to eat, drink, and shop. Simple as that!”. Fair enough! Being a great man, I am sure he wouldn’t mind the little things. The actual examination site of the Ming Dynasty is closed today, so we only get to enter the small newly-built museum in the area. There is no one here except myself and a few old Chinese couples sitting along the resting area. People are obviously busy shopping outside, millions of them. I notice a minibar display of sodas, iced tea, water, and soymilk outside the Great Emperor Kangxi’s calligraphy display though there is no service staff. Have a coke on him if that makes you stop and appreciate the Emperor’s philosophy. I am sure he wouldn’t mind either. There is very little to see, so I make my way out after 20 minutes. The walk-way is still packed. People are still eating, drinking, and shopping…. Yibin makes me stop for stinky tofu which I have learned to accept as I travel across China. This whole destination looks and feels more like a night market than anything. I walk on, feeling for Confucius. He must have been all lonely like I am now amidst the sea of people coming here every day to take photos, shopping, and getting a tick on their travel list. We learn to love them any way. “Wherever you go, go with all your heart”. #mingdynasty #confucius #nanjing #culture #china #travel #perspective #love #arts #life #knowledge

Nanjing’s Bullet Train Station, May 15, 2013 Life always has its own way of sorting you out. For a rather non-artistic person as myself who used to think of a horse yet painted out what my friends refer to as “some kind of carrot or sweet potato”, of all the people on earth I had to meet my Lingnan master at an art exhibition and has followed him ever since. One could consider this a new journey in life where the 50% passive Chinese blood suddenly seems to take over. The more I learn about ancient Chinese history, culture, and arts, the more I feel belonging to this glorious land of ancient civilization. The most startling thing, however, as I travel across the homeland of my beloved mother, is the feeling of being left out, like an outsider standing on the roadside watching millions of people rush by, not one sharing any interest in my passion and love for this country’s history, culture and arts. Conversations are built around brands, wealth, oportunities, and relationships, the kind that could take you somewhere in your fight for a better material life. Stuff like calligraphy, Chinese arts, history and culture get you nowhere, thus putting people off just by mentioning the topics. Though the passion only gets stronger every day, I almost give up my hope on sharing my interests with a China friend in my so-called a normal conversation…. After all, I know I am abnormal in the land of money and power. Taking the bullet train from Nanjing to Hangzhou today, I get to spend more time chatting with Morrison who keeps me accompanied as we go from one province to another in search for business partners. Why a Chinese calls himself Morrison I really have no idea, but after coming across names such as Ferrari, Porsch, or Minnie, Morrison does not sound too bad. As the conversation matures, I get all emotional learning that Morrison carries a deep knowledge about Chinese ancient history and culture being a young chap. According to him, ancient knowledge is slowing finding its way back amongst the younger generation in China. Though what he shares need to be further verified, it is to me the best news ever for China. It is probably time for this country to start travelling back to the past in search for their hearts and souls and build a moral foundation for the country’s future. “To put the world in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must first put the family in order; to put the family in order; we must first cultivate our personal life; we must first set our hearts right.” ― Confucius It suddenly turns chilly and foggy today with scattered rain as we board the train, but the sun for once rises in my heart…. #calligraphy #nanjing #culture #china #perspective #arts #life

Xianyang International Airport, May 14, 2013 There seems to be a queue at the airline check-in counter. Practicing good global citizenship, I stand in line. First time flying Hainan airlines as China Eastern Airline decided to cancel their flight a few days ago while I still need to be in Nanjing for a scheduled meeting today. A 50-year-old China man behind suddenly cuts past and elbows his way forward. That’s ok. He’s a lot older than me and I can learn to respect the seniors. Out of nowhere, a 40-year-old looking lady makes her way forward. That’s ok. Ladies first. Being one, I can relate to that. It’s finanlly my turn to check in. Being a foreigner, I gotta wait for the bag to be screened through security before I can leave the check-in counter. Without a second wasted, the airline staff shouts out “next” as soon as he asks me to wait. Without a second wasted, a young 25-year-old looking guy pushes me aside, handing his ticket and ID card over the counter. I make an awkward jump sideways to secure my personal space. That’s ok. He may be late for his flight. It happens to us all once in a blue moon. The bag seems to go past and the check-in staff signals an ok for me to move forward to customs. Here comes another queue. Well, that’s part of life. You queue up to get your share of service. Everyone seems to respect order here and slowly wait for their turn though occassionally someone makes a quick move and rushes to a different, seemingly faster-moving line. That’s China. Take it or leave it! Placing my ipad and carry bag onto a plastic tray, I patiently wait for my turn to pass the screening device. A 15-year-old looking girl walks straight through. Man, I did not see that coming! The airport security agent does not seem to mind that. She checks the girl out and lets the kid move forward. That’s ok. Why the rush? I have plenty of time before boarding. Having figured out where gate 17 is, I walk backwards to a cafe that catches my attention on the way in, Hand-made Coffee it is called. The place is packed, so I walk right through to the back of the store and find a table in a left-over corner. It’s in front of the kitchen entry. No wonder no one wants it. That’s ok. I just need a caffeine fix for the morning and I’ll be right. A few China men slurp their noodle and gobble down their tea, looking all stressed out. Perhaps they would rather be somehwere else…. It’s boarding time. As always, I would wait for everyone to board before making my move. No drama. 19F it is. It’s a window seat though I’ve requested for an aisle seat at check-in. That’s ok. My life wouldn’t be any remotely different without an aisle seat. Getting past two middle-aged, broad-built China men, I seat myself down. Soon enough, I find myself having half a seat. The man on my left really makes himself at home. His right arm occupies the arm rest and his elbow literally knocks me from the side. That’s ok. I am built for half a seat. Why biting more than one could chew? I would share my airline meal with him if I could. I don’t need it and he is probably triple my size. The guy scares me though. He lures the whole pack of fried rice down his throat within 5 seconds. What if he chokes on it? I get all worried for him for a moment there but I must be delussional. He must have done this all his life. I must have failed to notice a mastery aura around him. Just wonder if he tastes anything in his fried rice. Can he taste the sun in the green bean? Can he taste the rain in the fresh looking carrot sticks? Can he taste love and care in each grain of corn? It has been a test to my understanding and practicing of loving kindness. How do we learn to love others despite being disadvanaged or upset in such challenging situations? For me, it is still a long way to the top…. #people #Heart #nanjing #xian #china #perspective #life

Xi’an, May 14, 2013 I was totally thrilled to make this trip to Xi’an, the capital city in thirteen Chinese dynasties which in total lasted over 1100 years. This is where the much broadcasted Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses were found. These sculptures depict the armies of Qin Shi Huang (秦始皇), the first emperor of China. The figures, dating from 210BC, were discovered in 1974 by some local farmers in Lin Tong district, Xi’an, near the Mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. Such rich and worthy history! The first impression of Xi’an, however, was that of a dark, suffocating, care-slacking kind of feeling from the airport to the hotel. The airport itself was dark and gloomy, kinda like you are on your last life in a warrior computer game. It took us more than an hour from the airport to the Crowne Plaza Hotel, supposedly the landmark of the city as the the driver put it since it is the tallest building in Xi’an. Along the way, greyish redish run-down residential buildings line up in odd orders. The whole thing paints a saddened, tragic mood to the city skyline. I wondered if I was in the right city, the glorious ancient city of China; the past unseen, the future unknown, the present perplexing…. Xi’an reminds me of Cairo and Bucharest. Like Cairo, it’s a heritage city with thousands of years of history which can really make you stop, put aside all the earthly monkey thoughts to simply appreciate the glory of past civilizations. However, Cairo seems to be trapped in the glory of the past without any forward direction into the future while Xi’an marches forward at the light-year speed without a single nostalgic expression of the much admired by-gone era. Like Bucharest, Xi’an hosts some of the most amazing architectural structures with thousands of years of history, but one would never understand how these gorgeous masterpieces could be disgracefully placed amidst the skinny, miserable-looking, multi-storey residential boxes. The past and the present host an awkward relationship though they somehow learn to co-exist. Another day dawns upon Xi’an as I leave this city with mixed emotions of belonging to the past yet failing to fit into the now of this historical city. The future is unknown. All I know is that my future depends upon my mindful living in the present. Just like the ancient people of Xi’an created today’s amazing Xi’an for us to admire, from the bottom of my heart, I pray that the people of Xi’an shall be mindful of their present to help Xi’an live on as the cultural heartbeat of China. #china #mindfulness #perspective #xian

Shanghai, May 12, 2013 Excited to leave Shanghai for Xian, the much-talked about historical city in Shaanxi province, I rushed down to check out. The driver was already waiting for me in the lobby, looking all stressed out. “Please check out quickly ok?”, said the guy in Mandarin. “Sure”, I replied without a distant idea why. I know I have plenty of time before the flight. After all, I have a flight to catch, not him. Any way, one cannot survive thinking too much in China. Everyone rushes forward and sometimes you just have to allow yourself to be drifted with the flow. After checking out, I hurried out to get on the 7-seater Toyota that Mr. Chen has been the proud owner of for the last 6 years, yet is still in impeccable condition. Mr. Chen has been doing this small transport business for as long as he’s remembered though he only starts owning his vehicle for the past 6 years. He works real hard to keep his family well-looked after and his only daughter in college. I’ve been using him for 2 years every time I am back in Shanghai and we always share pleasant conversations about China on the road. All set and ready to go. I got on. The door was closed. Mr. Chen started the engine. Only then came the 20-yuan drama. A parking attendant walked over and they started a conversation. Just another one of those conversations between a driver and a parking attendant, who cares? And so I did not pay any attention whatsoever, keeping myself busy checking airport name and terminal number. All of a sudden, this conversation got really loud and unpleasant. The driver got off. They started yelling rigorously at each other. The parking attendant took out a walkie-talkie. With a Bruce Willis’s Die-Hard look, he screamed into the poor machine. “Yonghe please come immediately. Yonghe please come immediately”. I guess he was calling a security guard. “Yonghe please come. Someone is not paying the parking fee”, repeats himself numerous times. This was the first time I saw Mr. Chen in action. His face turned red, his voice harsh, his eyes those of prey-hunters making their kills. He as well yelled back, even louder. “You said it was free for 10 minutes. Told you it could just be another 2-3 minutes. 2 minutes over and you want to charge me? What bullshit!”. And on it went, back and forth, leveraging what I think a several-lifetime reservoir of discontentment, anger, hatred, and what have you. 15 minutes went past. The problem did not seem to get any where, if not worse. Conscious of my time to catch a flight, Mr. Chen backed off a bit and asked for how much. “20 yuans”, said the parking attendant. As soon as this number came out of his mouth, Mr. Chen went bezerk. If there were a 30-feet bear standing in front of him now, he would just smash it with the tip of his middle finger, let alone the 16-feet parking attendant. Fortunately then, another car pulled over and the other driver asked for direction to park. The parking attendant in a moment of distraction turned to the other car and moved a bit further from our car. Mr. Chen could not wait for a better opportunity. He quickly got on and off we went, out of the parking area, with a Fast-and-Furious move. “Man, that was close!”, said Mr. Chen. “He gotta be totally dumb to think I would pay 20 yuans for 12 minutes”. Mr. Chen went on for another 20 minutes about the incident, pouring his heart out until he noticed my absolute silence…. My mind was parked on the 20 yuans, a bit more than 3 US dollars. Since when the luxury of time is on sale for 1 yuan or 6 cents per minute? Doesn’t it sound like a cheap long-distance calling card? Let’s not debate the right and the wrong here. They are, after all, very relative concepts. Who gets to decide what’s right and what’s wrong in this world? What’s struck me is the level of intensity and violence such a small incident can turn out to be and the burden of emotional suppression these people carry with them through life, like an overflow waiting for that last drop of water. If only they could learn to journey inwards and find their goodselves, once again…. #lovingkindness #shanghai #china #perspective #journey #mindfulness #life