Transience
:: Apr 1, 08:01 AM

Introductions and endings are less defined in my interactions here in Beijing. Yesterday I took a day-long tour with five other tourists who were visting Beijing from rural China. One couple in their seventies took me in for the day as if I were their adopted daughter. I met them in the minivan at 7:20 A.M. along with my tour guide.
“I thought you were Chinese. I might have spoken to you in Chinese if I met you on the street,” were Grandpa’s first words later translated to me as I introduced myself to the tour guide in English.
When we arrived to our first destination at the Summer Garden Palace, Grandma took my arm just above the elbow with her hand making sure I didn’t get hit by cars. This was my introduction to Grandma. She was very talkative to me after this, although I could not understand a wrod. Thereafter, I was in every one of their pictures. In front of the garden gate, in front of the crane monument, in front of the peace gate, in front of the longetivity stone… and more! About two 24-exposure rolls of films worth of more.
“Who’s this?” their real daughter may ask in two weeks. Although, she probably won’t even ask.
As the day came to a close and the minivan pulled into the hotel parking lot, I was bracing myself for a tearful goodbye. But all the bracing was a waste as just like any other stop, it was chaos followed by the tour guide hurriedly ushering those of us staying at the hotel to pile off quickly.
I caught a glimpse of Grandma and Grandpa as I shuffled around the minivan and turned around to see if they even cared that I had left. Both Grandma and Granpa were waving their arms ferociously through the glass window.
I teared up after all.
Chinese movies are oozing with drama, but what I sense is that in everyday life, there is a common acceptance of transience in Beijing. As a result, there seems to be less tension projected to each other personally. If there is, it’s released and fizzles into the air where it belongs.
We may meet in an hour or never again. This is the time we had. The end.

1. Hi, Yoko! Impressed by your composition from Beijing. Life is filled with meeting people and parting with them. It took me back to my days in Iowa when a total stranger will come up to me and offer a ride, cookies, or anything to make a foreign student’s life comfortable. I met and parted with so many of them. Each time, saying good-bye was hard because I never knew if I’d meet them again. In Japanese there is a saying, au-wa wakare-no hajime nari,to meet someone is the beginning of parting. So, I invented this phrase to comfort myself. Wakare-wa saikai-no hajime nari, to part is the beginning of meeting again!That helped me every time my tears welled up. You may never meet those grandpa and granma in Beijing, but their image will stay with you forever. Now that counts. That becomes your true asset in life.
   Good luck on your journey! It’s such a pleasure to read your journal. Take care!

   — bebe-oba    Apr 2, 01:41