Start of Thailand!

07 Nov Start of Thailand!

Overwhelmed again. Alone again. At least I have this older woman who has for some reason taken me in and translates things for me. She is the smallest woman I have ever met. I do not even know her name but at this point I am prepared to take a bullet for her. I just already know she has a wonderful heart, inner beauty surrounds this woman I swear. She is the smallest speck of kindness I have experienced in this huge, loud, busy bright airport. This is worlds away from mine. Anyway I think it’s pretty fair to say I won’t be visiting China again unless she is by my side.

Hello! My name is Mae and I am currently exploring Thailand with the World school project. I wrote the excerpt above when I was wandering through the Nanjing airport on a layover. It was incredibly overwhelming and all I could do to calm down was write this silly poem about my experience with a elderly woman I met in Vancouver and then again in Nanjing and finally in Kumming. She was adorable with brets in her hair and little glasses. Her husband and her were heading to Kumming for a tour that she was so excited about. This is a gorgeous part of traveling, it gives us a desperately alone feeling that causes us to reach out like we never would otherwise. I don’t even know this woman’s name but she was the only thing I recognized in this Chinese mess of panic, the only voice that spoke my language, so selfishly, I followed. I told myself I needed her. She become the only important thing to me. As humans I believe we do this in so many areas of our lives. Fear focuses us more than anything, we panic and latch on to the only safety we perceive. It is hard to identify what we are latching on to in our everyday life but it becomes extremely clear when we are forced out of our comfort zone, into the unknown, alone and scared. But what is life without growth? One of the requirements for life is the ability for movement and yes I know the actual definition is mere locomotion of cells but in a more general sense I take this us a mandate for human kind, for growth, experiences, well rounded ness. Most creatures on this planet are here for survival alone but for some reason or another the human race has been blessed with more than mere survival. We have feelings and the ability to change, learn, explore. It is my hope for this generation that we will optimize this ability and begin to become a more understanding and loving world. Because at the end of the day how can you walk through a new city, stumble through their language, share a smile with those on the street, and not fall in love with their view of the world?

In Bangkok to heal a broken heart. Not the city of love nor light yet for me the city of hope. A dire sense of new birth fills my body and sometimes it is a little painful, a little tearful but I know this is a process. A wonderful process of growth that will hopefully end with a full and whole heart again.