Hello, China!
Late one night several weeks ago, I received yet another cryptic email from someone purporting to be very far away who was offering me some fantastic fortune that I just couldn't pass up. Instead of the typical "congratulations" from the "Royal Bank of Nigeria" insisting that I urgently wire my bank account information to claim the $400,000USD miraculously bequeathed to me, however, this particular email came from China. And--much to my surprise--there was no mention of my social security number, my personal financial information, nor my taken-for-granted willingness to help my "dear friend" in need.
As I read on, my cynicism gave way to intrigue, and before I even had a chance to digest the email in its entirety, I couldn't help but lean over to my wife and say, "Honey, I think I just got invited to China."
Indeed, here I now am in China, with SDMoM's new board Chair, Bill Mayer, or "Chairman Bill" as I have come to dub him affectionately throughout our travels. We are on our way to Kunming (a small village of five million), where I will be serving as a juror for the UNESCO-sponsored Humanity Photo Awards, a biannual international competition designed to celebrate the diversity of the world's cultures through the medium of photography.
Intent on super-sizing our adventure in this super-sized and utterly fascinating country, Bill and I booked a layover in Beijing where--despite arriving without our luggage--we hit the ground running. Our first stop: the Great Wall.
Surely one of humankind's most stunning achievements, the Great Wall ranks among the most extraordinary experiences of both our lives. I found myself somewhat unprepared for its powerful and uplifting grandeur. The Wall's mind-boggling beauty, engineering, and strategic insights--so difficult to get my arms around through text books and documentaries over the years--finally sank in for me as we walked its age old path through mist and sun high above the hustle of Beijing and a world away from everything.
Much to our delight, the way down offered two options: a sky-tram reminiscent of our very own San Diego Zoo, or a toboggan run reminiscent of a makeshift bobsledding track my 8 year-old son might try to assemble. No offense to our world famous neighbor in Balboa Park, but the decision was a no-brainer. Winter Olympics, watch out!
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