Sunday, September 30, 2012

Cleeeeeeeeek!

I've come down with my first fever and case of the body aches. It's hard to say whether it's from the food, the layover, the "massage" or all of the above. I quote massage not because there was anything happy about the ending or any other part of it, but because I have bruises on my back.  In any case, it's been a slow painful day.  I'm hoping I'll feel better in time for our flight to Thailand tomorrow evening.

Yesterday was a great day though.  We kicked it off with a champaign brunch then wandered about the city. There are a lot of Chinese people here.  Roughly 30 million in the quaint little town of Shanghai. And I don't know who said they all look the alike; I'd say they have a spread that's pretty comparable to the Americans.   However, no matter what they look like, they certainly don't wait to leave China to become camera happy.  I noticed that all it takes to start a crowd in China is for one Chinese person to take a photo of anything.  Once this happens, no matter how uninteresting the picture is, others will follow suit.  I would imagine from the confused looks on their faces as they snap the shot without reason, that they're only doing so in hopes of inadvertently catching Bi Fang flying in the background.

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Empty Pockets

I made it to Shanghai.  But not without my first set of curve balls. I realized on my second layover at the San Francisco airport that I had left my bank cards at home.  After an hour on the phone, I managed to have them sent to my brother.  They are supposed to arrive here a week from Monday, at which point I'll be alone in Thailand.  I guess I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. 

At Shanghai's Pudong airport, I was greeted by Fabrice who, true to character, was holding a makeshift sign that said "Mercier."  He led me to a cab. There I found a white plastic bag with two oversized bottled beers on the back seat.  When in Rome...  On second thought, I doubt that's a cultural thing.

We spent the first two nights exploring the local food and nightlife.  I haven't seen anything terribly shocking yet but there's definitely a different feel. It appears that traffic lights are merely loose guidelines here which makes for an exciting cab ride.  And with all the silent, lightless, electric scooters zipping around, l feel like I'm surrounded by ninjas.  They seriously appear out of nowhere at night.  Sadly enough though, the most foreign feeling I get is having empty pockets. It's crazy how attached we get to our phones.  And I don't have a wallet since I have no money or cards, and there's no need for identification around town.  I find myself checking my pockets easily a few times an hour.  It puts a smile on my face every time though because I'm reminded of why I left.  It's really quite nice to just be, and it forces you to pay more attention to your surroundings.  Makes me realize how much life just passed me by when I was glued to those things. 

Chapter 1: Purpose

Welcome to the accounts of the newest chapter of my life.  I sit on the plane that's taking me from a life of routine and habit that was dictated by time and questionable responsibilities, to a life of spontaneity and aimless exploration driven by impulse and curiosity.  For the first time in my adult life, I'm beginning to taste what it is to be free.

Over the last several years, I've developed what feels like a negative outlook on the society that I've come to know.  I credit this in large part to the development of my spirituality which, still in its early stages, is challenging me to question everything.  Through my own experience and observation of others, I've gathered that sustainable happiness is the result of one simple thing: a sense of purpose.  Furthermore, I find that this sense of purpose can almost always be attributed to either progress, on any level, or love.  However, our society all but breeds this lasting happiness among individuals.  The inter-competitive nature of our struggle for "success" is counterintuitive to me.  And success itself has become synonymous with financial stability, a concept that makes as much sense as nailing jello to a tree.  How can a fabricated measure of success inspire the kind of sustainable progress- or love-driven purpose that humans naturally crave to be truly happy? I feel like our true purpose is being replaced by false securities only capable of providing temporary happiness.  I realize that this interpretation may not necessarily be an accurate representation of the way things are, but it has become my reality and was a primary motivating factor in my decision to take off. 

I maintain a very positive attitude on life and have complete faith in our existence. I'm off to live with purpose. I have no plan; I trust that life will lead me exactly where I need to be. I intend only to love and make the most of everything I encounter. I often feel like this opportunity is unmerited; however, I'm grateful enough for what I've been given to do something meaningful with it. 

Like a pixel in an image, my purpose is defined by my surroundings.

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

No Wrong Way

"Whether or not you find your own way, you're bound to find some way. If you happen to find my way, please return it, as it was lost years ago." - Norton Juster