Concrete Jungle

Well, here I am alive and well. A few months into this adventure and it feels like a warm afternoon after a cat nap.
I recently introduced my Chinese co-workers to the film 180 degrees south, if you haven't seen it I would advise it. I had seen the film several times but I was blown away by the concept of adventure- that is something that is in the mind as daring, full of the unknown and that something is then put into action. Action is the most important and potent ingredient to any adventure.
Yvon Chouinard says in the film, "The word adventure has gotten overused. For me, when everything goes wrong, that’s when adventure starts”. I pondered this for a minute. So when you are on the biggest road trip of your life and you get a flat tire and have to change it in the pouring rain at 4:00 AM this is actually when the adventure begins. Frustration may be the natural emotion but if you think- damn, what an adventure I believe Yvon's definition of adventure will overtake that negative aspect.
These days I am pretty busy with school, Chinese classes, learning a new culture, and how to operate in a big city. I would be a liar if I didn't confess that the mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina weren't in my heart everyday. But, if one isn't willing to allow a journey to happen it never will. The aspect of achievement isn't what I mean, I think it is the entire process that is an adventure. It is the miracle of existence. Pretty rad. I am reminded of the words of old Bilbo Baggins when speaking to Frodo before his biggest adventure. "It's dangerous business Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.”
Wisdom is all up in them words. I am learning that the city is different, to say the least. I am not akin to taking buses, subways, trains, and taxis. I can't put the sunroof down and blast reggae music- so I am making due...SIDENOTE: there is a Chinese reggae band you should check out,Long Shen Dao (Way of the Dragon). The thing I am most interested in about the people in Beijing is communication. There are literally people everywhere, all the time. But as I observe from a straw hat and a tie-dyed tee shirt (thanks Lauren Coakley) I notice that nobody is really talking or even looking for that matter. Iphones and Samsung tablets invade the human necessity to talk to one another. Headphones are in ears- the sounds and sights of this city can be ugly so maybe what is happening is an escape. At any rate, I am turning some heads and giving the biggest grins I can! I hope y'all are doing the same.
That's all I have for now...I will leave with another quote from Yvone. Peace friends! Love!

"Real adventure is defined best as a journey from which you may not come back alive, and certainly not as the same person."

Waiting On Bus 111

Either on a mountain in the Appalachians or standing at a smoogy bus stop in the center of Beijing my mind is clear and my aim is true.
I was thinking about stillness and experiencing that it can be found anywhere, but it doesn't come easily. I see a lot of fighting- competition and greed. This is evident in this world. Most plainly in the United States of America and in this Middle Kingdom.
I believe and hope that it will vanish in the blink of an eye.
Just as the river flows, everything changes. This is impermanence.
Have you ever doubted your path?
Have you ever doubted peace?
From time to time, I do too-
but that is why we are here.
We are here to remind one another of the connectedness of this task.
Get out of bed and give a hug-
turn off your iPhone and turn on a smile.
Come one and all
If you have love you will reach the station.
We will sit under the mango tree completely drunk on the wine of The Beloved.
Love of Thee.

So Much to Say

After watching 'Never Sorry' and learning about Ai WeiWei I typed a few pages out about freedom and what it means to me. I deleted it all and decided this was more in line with the truth of the topic. "A small act is worth a million thoughts." -Ai WeiWei
I originally had this titled, "8th of September".

Drinking coffee from the top of the building
smoking and listening to the commotion of the city.
The cat sleeps on the pillow and my clothes are across the bed,
asking to be put away in a separate drawer.
But the recycling needs to be taken out.
The sky is crying and our clothes need to be thrown in the wash.
Van Morrison speaks of warm love being ever-present, everywhere.
In Saṃsāra you have to watch with a clear mind and not be disturbed by the crazies.
Take a drink and continue the soft whisper of your soul catching fire-
again and again
because we could very well do the dishes but it is nice outside.
The fire truck shakes the house in the morning
and we kiss one another without lips
and we talk to one another without words
and we understand the cycles of the moon without ever needing to see it.
We make love on the couch and we use everything we have
until it is gone.

Here to Love

I think a lot, but I write not so often. Tonight I am listening to Ben Harper's "In The Lord's Arms" and gazing out of my 22nd floor window in Wangjing Beijing. Walking the streets of Beijing is an experience, one I would suggest to everyone. I feel as if Beijing is 'post' something. The hazy pollution that permeates the atmosphere most days reminds me of a slow moving killer, stalking the people and keeping them indoors. There are buses; cars, taxis, and people, people everywhere. In the capital city there are 20.8 million people that the government claims, not to mention the tourists, migrant workers, and anyone else that went under the radar. Regardless of the number of people that are living here I am one of them, a part of the whole. As I walk the streets I meet the gazes of curious Chinese walking to work or to the market...just people going about their normal day. But as they stare for an extra second on the street I have been attempting to be mindful and send a little prayer of love to them. While I remain oblivious to most things around me I can be sure to send love and light to those around me...and there are a lot around me. Goethe said, "he who cannot draw on three thousand years is living from hand to mouth." As I attempt to learn the Chinese language, the culture, and the people I am making sure to remain mindful of this quote and refrain from living hand to mouth. I want to avoid floating in a vacuum. More than anything I feel that this blog will be to keep my thoughts straight, to get them out. If you want to hear of my travels, my growth, and my attempt at humor I would happily oblige you. As the title reads, I am here to love... not sure about much else. Peace friends!