Zen in China

Three hours sleep last night ... midnight to 3:00 am. Stared at the ceiling. Finally got up at 6:00, got ready, and headed to Starbucks. Closed, so I wandered around a bit until it opened, and in the process found "Zen" in China ... in the form of beauty, massage, and nails (see photos).

Turns out my day was bookended by references to Buddhism. Late tonight, while walking along the harbor waterfront I watched couples strolling and lovers embrace ... until I noticed four crimson-clad monks walking in my direction. We passed each other and I kept walking, but the thought of talking to them turned me around and, after catching up, I approached one and tried my best Mandarin: "dui bu qi ... ni hui shuo ying wen ma?" The response in English was clear: "what are you trying to ask me?"

"Oh," I said, "you speak English?" And thus began a pleasant but brief exchange with what turned out to be Tibetan monks from Nepal, the birthplace of Buddhism or, at least, the historical Buddha.

I didn't catch their names, but told them mine, asked for a picture, and gave them a business card. I knew leaving my camera in the hotel room was a mistake, but I had my cell phone, and one monk kindly offered to take a photo of me with the others, which turned out to be a little dark. But alas, I botched storing it in my cell phone and now it's gone the way of a sand mandala. Impermanence. It seems somehow fitting.

I had already been getting some attention as I strolled along the waterfront, as had the monks. And in talking with them I was caught in the moment. But as we parted I realized that others didn't quite know what to make of "laowei" and the Tibetan monks warmly greeting each other and exchanging pleasantries.

Between the bookends: In addition to spending some time at the conference today, I saw a collection of scroll paintings at the Hong Kong Museum of Art. As I rode up the elevator to the exhibit floors I was greeted by Guanyin herself. My favorite scrolls? Those by Yang Shanshen, who is identified with the Lingnan school "founded" by Gao Jianfu who advocated a synthesis of Eastern and Western styles. I loved "Bamboo and Plum Blossoms" which I inadequately photographed ... no prints were available. I never tire of seeing bamboo, whether painted or in real life. Why is that?

My other larger than life question concerns beer, at least by way of analogy. At one point in my life, over several years, I sampled beers with systematic precision to find what I truly enjoyed. And now I routinely drink my favorite, Guinness.

But how and where to live? I've tried to imagine what it would be like to live an urban lifestyle and perhaps even in Asia. Finding what's "best" won't be as easy as sampling beer.