The Number of Steps
I have found enlightenment watching the sunrise on Huangshan and peace among
the mountains of Shangri-La. I have been humbled standing at the feet of Leshan’s Giant
Buddha and amazed at the beauty of Lijiang’s history. I have camped out on the beaches
of Putuoshan, on the streets of Chengdu and at parks in Lijiang.
Most people would describe my weekend excursions as crazy and spontaneous.
And I would definitely not argue with them. There was many times where I would fall
asleep sweating from the heat and wake up cold and wet from the morning dew. I took
half-day long bus trips, day long train rides and hiked for hours to stop and breath the
fresh air just for a day before leaving to another destination. Showers were infrequent,
wearing a different pair of clothes was a rarity, and I always managed to get lost.
I feel as though my clearest memories were when I was lost and confused. With
another CET student, traveling all over south China during Fall Break, I do not remember
a single moment when we knew where we were going or what we were supposed to do.
We often joked that maps were only for tourists. We were “journey-men”. Signs on roads
did not represent direction but opportunities to explore. We used every opportunity to talk
to the people and learn a little more of China. We saw aspects of China that did not exist
in Shanghai. We ate foods that looked so weird that we had to take a little taste. It is these
moments that I’m sure we both will remember for a very long time.
Everywhere I went, I met people curious about me. I shared my history and in
turn, they shared a little something about themselves. I remember climbing Huangshan
for hours with a couple Chinese tourists, joking in Chinese. There is no doubt sitting in a
classroom learning Chinese is important. But I believe I have discovered the difference
between a learned Chinese-speaker and a traveled Chinese-speaker. I have traveled across
the vastness of China. Yet I still have trouble creating coherent sentences in class. I have
spent nights staring at the stars in China’s rural country-side. Yet talking to the villagers
is still quite difficult. Through these travels, I have “lived” in China.
Shanghai is truly an amazing city. It is the conglomeration of the traditional and
modern into one metropolis. There are definitely enough things to do in Shanghai on the
weekends. But China isn’t only Shanghai. Go to Xian and you will see China’s past. Go
to Beijing and you will find China’s present. But Shanghai is the window to China’s
future.
I am getting ready to say farewell to China, possibly for the last time. I will
remember the blue camping bag I lugged everywhere, the gray tent I pitched many times,
and the China book I relied on to get back home. I will remember China not by the
number of words or phrases I managed to memorize but for the number of steps I took to
cross that plain, climb that mountain and find a little piece of peace.
So open your China book and pick a place. Stick to the plan. And open your eyes.
I promise you won’t regret it.
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