China is developing at lightning speed. The never-ending cranes, construction sites, and new cars on the road are but a few symbols of its growth. Yet one of the most compelling aspects of living here is the ever-present connection to history. I mean old history.
Hosting friends in town last week was the perfect opportunity to visit Xi’an, in Shaanxi Province. Xi’an was once part of the Silk Road trade route. Today people flock there for college and to work in industries such as machinery, electronics, textiles, and national defense. Its prime tourist attraction is the Terracotta Warriors. Read more…
Beijing’s leading English bookstore, The Bookworm, is in the midst of its spring literary festival. Author events are among my biggest pleasures in life. I bought a bunch of tickets and am learning a ton.
Today I saw former Wall Street Journal correspondent, Leslie T. Chang, speak about her book Factory Girls: From Village to City in a Changing China. Named one of the New York Times 100 Notable Books of 2008, Factory Girls documents the true stories of young women who leave home to work in China’s factories.
Leslie’s goal was not only to expose the injustices facing factory workers, but to paint an emotional, human portrait of how they adapt to their starkly new realities. I was deeply impressed by her intelligence, compassion, and grounded demeanor. She spoke of migration as a combination of terror and liberation, loneliness and adventure. She also touched on the workers’ underlying search for meaning—something we all share.
Full disclosure: I haven’t read the book, but plan to after seeing Leslie speak. If you’re interested in China’s trajectory, you might enjoy checking it out as well.
I love this passage by David Ault. When I read his words, they put my life into perspective. They help me take a step back from my personal struggles, and see the gifts that are bombarding me from every angle. Today I wanted to share with you:
In Someone Else’s Eyes
In someone else’s belief, you are rich and free.
In someone else’s eyes you are smart, capable and daring.
In someone else’s world of existence you have it all.
In someone else’s level of experience you have already reached their understanding of nirvana.
Whatever your story is, you are as blessed as you are willing to recognize you are.
~David Ault
Welcome Year of the Rabbit! February 2nd marked the highly anticipated lunar New Year’s Eve here in China. I awoke to the boom of fireworks (which I still hear outside my window, days later, as I type these words). I jumped out of bed feeling excited. Dan and I had been invited to share a traditional celebration that evening with the family of his wonderful colleague, Shao Jun.
We headed out late morning in search of gifts for Shao Jun’s family. The quiet streets surrounding our apartment gave the sense of being in a small town instead of in China’s capital. Masses of Beijingers had already left the city to celebrate the holiday with family in their hometowns. Read more…
Happy New Year! I want to let you know about a radio interview I did a couple of weeks ago, which is now available online. The program is called “Beyond 50 Radio” and is based in Portland, Oregon. On the call was Daniel Davis, the show’s host, as well as Devin Decuna, the co-host and college intern.
We discussed some of the common characteristics and challenges of Generation Y, such as the myriad choices we face, the “quarterlife crisis,” and the tough job market. I also offered stories and tips for 20somethings and their Baby Boomer parents. My hope is that you hear something useful for yourself or someone you know. Please feel free to share your own thoughts too.
Click Here to listen.
For me, December is the most reflective month of the year. There’s just something powerful about the lacing together of endings and beginnings. Last year at this time Dan and I lived in coastal California. (I can still hear the sea lions barking!) On New Year’s Eve we created what will hopefully become a yearly ritual.
We grabbed pencils and notebooks, lit tea candles, and posed three questions to ourselves and each other. What are you most grateful for this year? What do you want to leave behind? What do you wish to invoke in the New Year? Then we dropped into our sagging couch and quietly scribbled our thoughts. Reflections complete, we read aloud to one another. Read more…
When I woke up this morning, my muscles ached all over. Instantly I flashed back to yesterday's intense running and weightlifting workout. But even though my body ached, I felt happy. These physical sensations were reminders of one of my greatest passions: running.
I hobbled to the living room and sat, heavy, watching Beijing awaken in the early morning light. As I sank into the couch, my mind drifted past running to other things that are, for me, bottomless wells of fascination and delight. One by one these little joys danced before my eyes. They baited me with life's simple pleasures – to which I can always return (if only in my mind) for inspiration.
Here’s a small sample of my personal passions: Read more…
In an earlier blog I reflected on how to uncover your shadow. The shadow is where your blind spots reside—those parts of yourself of which you are largely unaware, but that influence you from behind the curtain. Today I'll build on the previous theme and explore how to integrate the shadow into awareness. I've found that certain attitudes support the unfolding of this powerful inner work. Three that are especially helpful are compassion, curiosity, and courage.
Compassion: A great deal of power lives in the shadow. So try not to label your shadow as a "bad" thing. It's simply those parts of yourself that you don't yet see clearly. This can encompass everything from your buried talents and dreams to your addictions or personality reactions. Read more…
Last week I joined a doctor and nurse on a trip to southern China. The purpose of our travels was to deliver health care education to the village of Reshui. (Fun fact: Reshui is in Hunan Province, which is home to the mountains from Avatar.)
On Sunday we boarded the evening train and settled in for a 19-hour journey. My travel companions included: Gail, a Canadian doctor who has worked extensively in postwar Bosnia and with the Inuit population in northern Canada; Susan, a Chinese nurse who lights up any room; and Susan's father, a retired farmer with wonderful stories about China's culture and history. The train was packed upon arrival. Adults paced the aisles with toddlers. Families huddled around card games and bags of peanuts. Staff members bellowed sales of ivory charms and fake cigarettes. I climbed high into my bed as night fell and drifted into fitful sleep.
Below is a photo of Beijing West Train Station: Read more…
A few weeks ago Dan and I piled into a van with friends and headed to the Great Wall. I had been really looking forward to our visit, which we purposely postponed until fall to avoid the intense summer heat. The wall was originally built to protect northern China from invasions by various nomadic tribes. Today numerous sections are open to tourists; our group opted for a lesser-crowded part called Mutianyu.
Although we awoke to rain, the fog had mostly lifted by the time our van pulled into the site's parking lot. We meandered past colorful booths and food stands to buy our entrance tickets, then hopped on a chair lift up the mountain. Views from the lift were breathtaking: The wall snaked high above, mountains blanketed below, and villages hummed in the distance. Read more…
