Hot Topic: Travel and Adventure
Published August 02, 2007
Not to scare you, Mat, but to help prepare you for your journey let me inform you that almost everything you now know is wrong: the rules of the road, the way you shop, when Monday Night Football is on. You will try different foods, different medicines, and different ideas and might even embrace them. You’ll learn that what our government told you about the Chinese people is wrong and you’ll teach them what their government told them about Americans is wrong. You are becoming an ambassador without having to pay off any politicians.
Leaving America you leave behind the notions about the importance of the individual, being number one, thinking you are singular and special. Here, you can isolate yourself pretty well from the world, keeping the ego gorged and bloated with delusions from a false sense of self-worth and distracted from your potential by a great many things.
Not to imply there won’t be moments of uniqueness on your trip. Many times you will be the tallest guy, the only white guy, the guy who doesn’t know what
people are saying. However, in China you are only one person out of 1.3 billion, a grain of sand on the beach, a tiny piece of the puzzle we call the cosmos. Your awareness of your place in the universe will be forever altered. Hold on tight and enjoy the ride.
It’s been a pleasure knowing you. Can’t wait to meet you.
Author’s note: Sir Fleming has been swamped (or should I say "ticked") with other projects, but he managed to croak out the following sentiment:
And I agree, this Brewster-goes-to-China incident has really brought out the best in the Mondos, my eyes have suddenly turned to liquid at the thought of the tender words spoken by the poets of Mondo.
- Hot Topic: Travel and Adventure
- Published: August 02, 2007
- Type: Opinion
- Section: Culture
- Filed Under: Culture: Education, Culture: Personal History, Culture: Travel
- Part of a feature: The Hot Topic
- Writer: Mary K. Williams
- Mary K. Williams's BC Writer page
- Mary K. Williams's personal site
- Spread the Word
- Like this article?
- Email this
Save to del.icio.us
Comments on this articleComments
totally our pleasure Sir Mat. You just better stay in touch or you'll have to answer to me.
You won't like me when I'm angry.
(I don't turn green tho)
What a beautifully written send off (by all involved.) I'm a little jealous that I don't have the guts to go anywhere seriously foreign like Mat is and get a nice farewell like this. I will, however, be going to San Diego at the end of the month, if that counts. Oh, okay, fine, I'll be coming back 5 days later. But still, if you all feel moved to write, please feel free.
In all seriousness, good luck, Mat. As others have pointed out already, you're in for quite an adventure. I'll have to keep my eyes peeled for any updates you may be tossing our way. Have fun! (And tell them to stop making lead-painted toys as it's wreaking havoc on gift-buying for my daughter's second birthday in a few weeks.)
Thanks Tom. You folks sure are making me all weepy eyed.
I'm lucky in that my sister and her husband have been there for several years now and will be able to hold our hands as we adjust. They also landed us the jobs and have bought us furniture already, etc. etc. It is good to have family.
Shortly after we made our final decision to go we watched the news and started hearing all those reports of bad shrimp and what not coming out of China. Made us want to rethink going, but in turn we decided just to be vegetarians until we can figure out what meat to eat.
Mat, like any good country, they export the bad stuff and keep the good stuff for themselves. Dig in.
Add your comment, speak your mind
(Or ping: http://blogcritics.org/mt/tb/67117)
Ah geez, thanks fellas (and gurl) we're mostly packed and ready to go and excited and nervous, and scared, and really ready to go so we can stop sitting here waiting for Monday to come.