Hong Kong

The rains have continued aided by tropical storm Pabuk. The storm added to much chaos toward the end of the working day two days ago, but from a perspective of someone who wasn't going anywhere and had no appointments to keep, it was a fun storm to watch. Just like being on the Oregon coast in the winter to watch a storm, it is nice when you don't have to be in it. The rain here is like being in a lukewarm shower, very similar to swimming in the water here. Not as warm as a place like Thailand, but pleasant.

The day the first storm warning was issued I decided to go to Lantau Island (the largest island here and the island where they've built the new airport) and see the world's largest cast bronze seated Buddha. Here is a link for you to see photos. (Wikipedia to the rescue again.) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tian_Tan_Buddha

Lantau also has 100 km of hiking trails. This is something that not many people appreciate about HK- there is a lot to do outside away from the dense urban environment. I was interested in doing some sea kayaking but found out that a person needs to take a series of courses and get an i.d. that approves you for kayaking, plus a HK i.d. card is needed to rent a kayak... being protective of people's ignorance and lunacy I guess.

Being at the Tian Tan Buddha I was reminded of the diversity of this region. This statue is of a Buddha, around the island are many monasteries, including a Trappist monastery. Throughout HK there are cathedrals, temples, and mosques. According to my friend who teaches here, most of his students are Christians of one type of another. It was an amazing statue to see and there were many, many people on that extremely hot day.

My health is improving, though I've had a bit of a relapse today... maybe being out all day yesterday was a bit too taxing. I spent most of the day shopping throughout Central and in the Tsim Tsa Shui area. I spent the later part of the evening in the Temple St. Market. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_Street,_Hong_Kong and http://www.temple.street.hk/)

This place starts to open up at 2 p.m. and closes somewhere between midnight and 2 a.m. It is a bargain hunters dream and almost anything made inexpensively/cheaply in China could probably be found here. There are also plenty of "regular" shops. A friend's brother owns a shop/storefront here: Mandala Arts Trading Co. Bhim, the owner, sells Nepalese, Tibetan, and Indian arts. He has good stuff and is located at 143 Temple St. (That is a plug for a new friend making a living for him and his family.)

Part of the reason for shopping is that I'm returning early to the U.S. on August 16. I've decided that if I'm going to hang out, recovering my energy, that I'd rather do it with my family and friends in Oregon during the summer. I gave some thought to going to Koh Samui (an island) in Thailand, but decided that is for another trip. There are some other things that have crossed my mind too.

Many of us accumulate things in our lives. Our rooms are filled with things of importance, nicknack's, family hand-me-downs, and art/crafts. Occasionally, people go through purges and clean their closet out... only to have some gremlin replace it with other collectibles. I've noticed that for many people in the middle of their lives that the momentum to accumulate starts to wane and I'm at the stage where collecting things seem to be less and less of interest. It doesn't mean that accumulations stop, but it has shifted in importance.

There are other people who collect experiences. My last real alpine climb was in Bolivia and the man I climbed with seemed to have no interest in the aesthetics of the climb, just interested in adding another alpine climb to his lifetime list... not my style or of much interest to me. There are people who collect travel experiences: they have very little material goods but they acquire the experiences of movement. This accumulation is not as easy to see, but in a way, it has a similar quality as the person who accumulates tangible objects. This too has taken on less importance to me, though I still enjoy it. So, as I looked at my present situation, it seemed more fun to go home and spend some time with Susan, my friends, and my community.

The whole purpose of this trip for me was a pilgrimage to Tibet and when that was interrupted it became an opportunity to view my motivations, interests, and future plans. It was another chance to see where my mind was in the midst of all this. I could "tough it out" and stay until my return ticket or I could choose to do what most appealed to me... and it turned out that comfort, community, family won out.

People go to Rome, Jerusalem, Mecca, Stonehedge, and the Ganges River at Varanasi. There is something of their faith that compels them to want to visit, at least once in there life. Then when the pilgrimage is done, it is time to return. Many people mentioned to me that there would be obstacles in any pilgrimage, as in many endeavors. So the question is, does one push through it or does one take it easy on oneself? There is no easy answer for this... there is no operating manual that says when you make this type of plan you stick to it no-matter-what! (Though some of us have cultural or famalial operating guidelines that tell us to stick to our commitments, "even if it kills you.")

I believe we must take most experiences in life for their individual circumstances and take counsel from people that we trust. But sometimes it comes down to what seems to be in the best interest for oneself and those around you. Sometimes people in leadership positions need to make a hard call and just see what the consequences are. Often we are leading ourselves and needing to make choices. So that is what I have done and chosen to return home. Susan asked if I were to never return to China, would I feel complete. (Good question.) Yes I am complete.

There are three books that come to mind and recommendations for you to read, if you haven't already. The first was an adventure/pilgrimage by Ian Baker to an extremely remote place in the world: where India and Tibet meet. I read this prior to starting this trip. It is a very exciting adventure he describes in The Heart of the World: A Journey to the Last Secret Place. If you like an adventure read, this was good. (I found it at the Corvallis library.) It turns out that.... well I'll leave that for you to read.

The second book is The Forbidden Journey: The Life of Alexandra David-Neel by Foster and Foster. This incredible traveler/adventurer/pilgrim was the first Caucasian woman to visit Lhasa, Tibet. But her story is a much more compelling one than that. She died at 100 in 1969 and remembered the Commune revolts in Paris, her father was a friend of Victor Hugo's, and lived a life much different than what was expected of a woman of her time. If you want an amazing read about a woman who lived life on her own terms, this is a great read. I just finished reading this biography today. There are many books out that she has written, but this is a great overview of her life, including the negative sides.

The third book I read on the flight over here and completed just when I returned to Hong Kong. Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace...One School at a Time (http://www.threecupsoftea.com/Intro.php) is the tale of Greg Mortenson. He failed on an attempt at climbing the world's second highest mountain and found himself in a Pakistani village that changed his life. This is the tale of his life to bring secular schools to rural Pakistan and Afghanistan. I wish everyone could read this book, it is a truly amazing story of what he has helped to do to help educate (secularly) girls in rural Islamic regions while gaining the support of religious leaders. I can't recommend it enough.

So why have I brought these books up in the midst of my blog? Well, today I have been contemplating whether I've just given up, quit, taken my ball and gone home because the going got a little rough.

For years I denied that I was an adrenalin addict or that I was a high risk taker... even after Susan pointed out my climbing, whitewater boating, fast bike riding, backcountry skiing..... I never saw myself as a big risk taker because I always compared myself to those at the top of the discipline. There were those people like Messner who climbed to the top of the world without oxygen or the people doing first descents or climbing El Capitan without ropes... now, those people were risk takers. It has taken me years to realize that it is unfair to compare myself to them. They were totally committed to that one activity and I was a dabbler, a dabbler in risky pursuits.

Well, all three of the books document people who have lived their lives to an extreme. They have been extreme travelers/pilgrims/adventurers. In years past I would have compared myself to David-Neel and said that I wimped out, that I didn't do this trip to the extremes that she went. I took the easy way out. But life is short and as I stand in my middle-age (I'm about the same age as David-Neel was when she journeyed into Tibet, early 50's) it is a matter of what do I want to hold to? What am I willing to have high stakes around and what not? It does me, nor anyone else any good if I am pursuing some lofty destination only to be miserable while doing it.

I guess that is what we all need to discover in our lives: what will we stand for and what will we yield to? That is a challenge many of us face: choosing our battles wisely and learning to let go those things that no longer matter.

I'll probably make one more entry before I fly over the Pacific this coming week and then another one or two as I transition back to my living in Oregon. In the meantime, be well and take care of yourself out there.... there are a lot of great questions to be answered.



A NOTE: August 25, at our house, I will be showing a rough cut of my slides. If you're reading this and know where we live it is a good assumption that you're a friend. So please stop by at 7 for snacks... the projector will start at 8.