story:a violist at the metro

A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that thousand of people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

Three minutes went by and a middle aged man noticed there was musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried up to meet his schedule.

A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping continued to walk.

A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work. 

The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.

In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition. 

No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars.

Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston and the seats average $100.

This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by theWashington Post as part of an social experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people. The outlines were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context?

One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?  
'You are only as free as you are in your heart'

something to wish for

First day of this new lunar year, it was snowing hard in the morning when I was still in bed, awaken already but not up yet. The bed was so warm and I was a little bit sleepy after a late night. In spite of the snow and rain, my mom still insisted on going to a temple to pray, after she had a shower again 'to purify'. Among her wishes for the whole family, I clearly knew that  a big part of that would be about me. Although I kept denying doing that out of my will, and she was very aware of it, she  still dreamed some  surprise.

I didn't go to join the crowd and smoke in temples, but I did sincerely pray in my heart, something more possible to occur: wishing my parents great health in 2009.

Dec 19 half a day in Chengdu

Although I've been to Chengdu many times, I hadn't come to these two sights: Kuangzhai xiang ( Wide alley and Narrow alley), which have been transformed into a chic area and Shuandu ( fun capital alley) . So on Dec 19, I came and enjoyed myself here very much on my own, before I was going to meet my two friends at Chengdu airport early morning next day, on Dec 20.

Dec 20 flying over Himalaya to Nepal

Dec 21 Exploring Katmandu,capital of Nepal

doves flying over holy cows

deity couple attracted by secular life? 

 day of our trip to Nepal started with Durbar square, flanked by many centuries old temples and palaces. Despite of their  UNESCO world heritage status, instead of being separated and so-called protected, happily they are still within average people's reach, locals and tourists. They are  leaned  against, sit on, or  lied down. Together with the neighboring  bustling  streets  of motorcycles and cars, their breath  can be easily felt.

Eat as locals do, which is our strong faith when we travel. However, at sight of this Nepalese set we tried to try at a fancy food court, we hesitated so much.

Dec 22, Pashupatinath and Boudhanath

Boudhanath stups and two Tibetan monks

big eyes of wisdom and nose-like number one sign, sybomlic of unity

stupa

This morning for application of Indian visa,we left our hotel early around 8:30. By taxi, it was only about 15 minutes away. When we got there, there was a long quene already in front of the gunmen-guarded place. After showing our passports and passed the security check we entered the waiting room before the office working hour of 9:30. In the open space, a little bit chilly,we finished our first application form. The telex form. From this embassy, before issue of a visa, applicants had to follow two steps: telex back to the applicant's country to check the authenticity of identity ( what's the point? ); five working days later, return to apply for visa officially. At 9:30 am, all the three windows were open, No.1 for telex and visa application, no.2 for payment, no.3 for Indian and nepalese applications.

It was slow. And we waited more than 3 hours till the number came to no. 31,( two before us) a couple of a Swiss husband and his Thai wife. The man, while waiting shared his life story with me, was not so lucky though,even after careful explanation of his case, disappointedly were rejected. Then, all the rest, with sunken hearts, were amassed to the window and the young ambassodor autograhied on our number note and told us to return next morning.

It caused us trouble, particularly, wasting one more day cause our program to be all delayed afterward. Anyhow, we went to the other most famous temple in this capital for that day, namely Pashupatinath and Boudhanath.
for Boudhanath and Pashupatinath.

Thick smoke from cremation pyre
cremation ceremony

Two sadhu watching silently the cremation

policemen, concerned over the troubled holiest Hindu temple in Nepal after power transfer of its priests.

Dec 23, coming to Bhaktapur

The square
fine wood carvings inside a musuem

sex and the city, Nepalese version

The square, viewed from the cafe, near the sunset

windows in fine carving of peacock designs
fruit and vegetable vendors right in front of a temple,
vegetable stand

Bhaktapur is famous for pottery crafts of practical and decorative uses.

One of the three ancient cities in Kathmandu valley, the other being Kathmandu and Patan. Arriving here in early afternoon by taxi (charged 500 rs), we wandered inside its narrow alleyways, ancient temples, local market, potter's square. Compared to the always crowded streets full of all vehicles, the town blocks most traffic out from entering, thus creating a much quiet place for visitors to explore around.

We left Kathmandu in the afternoon, after our appearance at Indian embassy. At 9:30 the ambassador who signed on the note slot, did take our applications at first before others. We seemed lucky. After answering easy questions , A. and I paid 300 rs each for telex, and we were reminded to return one week later for more visa application.

Dec 24 morning at Bhaktapur

Our guest house Pagoda has a perfect location, just meters away from the very center of Bhaktapur so it was easy for me to wander around this morning and got impressed by ancient buildings around the Durbar square in morning mist, and seemingly every local people, never missing the morning pray in traditional costume at the temples, and those trading at the morning vegetable fair.

Dec 24, Unkai resort at Nagarkot

The view of Langtang range of Himalaya

check the names of the peaks of Langtang range at Nagarkot
my room at Unkai

a huge sized spring roll, with fried noodle stuff

Nagarkot,a village located 32 km east of Kathmandu in Bhaktapur district,at an elevation of 2,195 meters, is considered one of the most scenic spots. It is renowned for its sunrise view of the Himalaya including Mount Everest as well as other snow-topped peaks of the whole Langtang range,

Dec 25, sunrise on Christmas

merry Christmas

Far away from city life, staying high on hills, excited by great views of ranges of snow-capped mountain peaks, I had a very special Christmas day in Nepal at Nagarkot, with two friends, A. and Y.

Yesterday we met three travellers from China, while wandering in Bhaktapur square. We were a little bit disppointed to know from them that the weather there was so hazy and it was not likely to see the sunrise and snow mountains very well. But still we left for there around noon time even though we loved this old town in Kathmandu valley, Bhaktapur so much. It was almost immediate when we entered it and grew even more in the morning haze, walking though narrow alleys, appreciating fine carvings on those century- old houses and the life seeminly unaffected at all by time and modern world.

After about twenty minutes' walk out of its eastern city gate and one hour's local bus ride, we then walked about another twenty minutes before we shouted excitedly on the half way by the grand view of snow mountain. Yes, on the half way before we arrived at our Unkai resort, the one with unblocked great view of the terraces and mountains.Those white snow capped mountain peaks up high in the distance, blue mountains in the middle and those hills with green pine forests and terrance seem to divide the sky into three levels.

We had some pretty quiet and dark (no electricity) Christmas Eve and we woke ourselves up early in the morning for the sunrise.We didn't expect much though. And together with us, another Japanese young man were all there on its open platform waiting and praying ...

In the beginning, it was a small cresent moon but quickly, pink glow filled half of its eastern sky. When the sky became brighter and brighter, we hurried to press our camera shutters again and again. We were very lucky really. We did see the gold glow on its highest mountain peak and other three. All lasted about 5-10 minutes after a full morning sun rose. And another 10 minutes, heavy haze blew around into the valley and covered everything.

This year our Christmas seemed a little quiet, no parties to go and no shopping for gifts. And three of us didn't exchange any gifts but, seeing the sunrise and snow mountains, is of course the best gift we can have for today, really.

Dec 26, coming to Pokhara

We didn't feel very Christmas-ly, because we had to rise early this morning in order to catch a bus at 7 to Pokhara. The young man from the agent did come and wait for us till we finished most of the breakfast box the hotel had prepared before at 6:15 am we left International. But we were surprised to know that we were picked up, not by a car, but by him and walked to the bus station.

But too late to complain now. Unlike the seven minutes he guaranteed, we walked 15 minutes at least, out of the maze of Thamel's narrow alleys till we came to the royal palace where long lines of buses were parking. After passing many new and clean coaches, we were guided to a Swiss travels bus, not new besides fairly dirty seats. But the good thing was the bus was not full at all, and the driver was careful.

Thick haze over terraces of fields

three locals on the road

a popular breakfast stop

scenery on the way to Pokhara

scenery

It was going to a long drive about 7 hours. We stopped in the middle way twice, for breakfast, and for lunch till it came to a shabby station at last. Lots people held the hotel boards for business. We became their heated target, since only six of our bus came to this final terminal. The other three were one European couple with their tour guide. Our heads were exploding by their overly warm and high pitched introduction of their places.

To run away from them we at first decided to walk to the lakeside, only three kilometers away. But concerning that A. had strained her ankle, we still followed a man charging 80 rs, calling himself a taxi driver to a car. He soon turned out to be one of them, intending to take us to his place, Angle guest house. We insisted on getting off at Hotel Meera, and spent about 20 minutes next in finally finding a nice but a little pricey family-run place, with decent rooms and TV, hot water and breakfast. 800 for my friends and mine 700rs for me.

From the clean streets and hotels, we agreed Pokhara was a popular tourist destination in Nepal after Kathmandu. Its fame has resulted from its lakeside ambiance and its proximity to one of the best trekking locations in the world, the magnificent Annapurna range as well as well as its mild climate, clean air, and snow-capped mountains reflected in a sheltered lake. The first Western tourists to discover Pokhara were hippies in the early 1970s. Here they discovered the perfect venue for doing the things they were best at :getting stone, eating ,growing their hair ,talking and starting into the middle distance while looking cool.They came for a week and stayed for months. The world has changed since then (and os have the drug laws and visa regulations), but Pokhara retains something of the laid back, hedonistic style of that time.

After some rest, we walked to the lake.

To be honest, the scenery was very similar to the lake in our city,except those snow mountains in the background. The famous Fish Tail now was behind the clouds. We tried some local foods at a local stand and took a boat ride to a small island in the middle of the lake.

cows roaming freely