By: Brandon Leynaud
Upon arriving overseas into Hong Kong I had a lot of time on the long fifteen-hour flight to really contemplate the journey I was about to step foot in. At first I worried, thinking about little things that could go wrong and the “what if’s” such as “what if the kids don’t enjoy the camp” or “what if I couldn’t contribute enough”, but as I kept thinking to myself I imagined all the new experiences and knowledge I’ll learn along the way. I thought to myself even if, under the extremely unlikelihood, all my “what if’s” happened, there was no way I was going to leave China the same person and this understanding of personal growth excited me.
Once I stepped off of the plane into Hong Kong and met Hailee and Amanda, all my negative thoughts were pushed back by everything happening around me. Nothing was in English anymore and we weren’t sure where we were supposed to go. We actually got spit up and for a while, I was just wondering around the airport and looking at the different attractions that I normally wouldn’t see in the states. At one point I came a crossed was a giant rubber duck made out of cans and water fountains gave out hot water, which I found kind of strange. At another airport in Kunming, the luggage carts all had TV’s on them and there was a smoking balcony in the men’s bathroom, again something I’ve never experienced. Everything new I found in China drifted my mind further and further away from worries to excitement.
When we all arrived in Shangri-La (minus Max and Lynee, whose flight both got canceled early on and would arrive a day later), we already built a bond together from discussions during delays and layovers that we’ve been adding to every day. One of our first conversations we had as a group was during our layover in Kunming over dolphin milk followed by a debate on which milk we think would taste the worst/best. So the awkward first meeting phase didn’t last very long.
The first five nights in Shangri-La we planned for our upcoming English/sports camp for the local kids. During the days we’ve used our time to explore the local and Tibetan culture. We took a two hour trip to a nunnery the CERS helped preserve. We traveled on the literal edge of the mountains occasionally crossing back and forth over the Yangtze River. Another day, we visited a local house in town that’s walls were covered with amazingly detailed woodwork and traditional Buddhist painting and tapestries that each had their own unique story. My favorite journey so far has been our journey to the local monastery. The monastery laid on top of a hill overlooking the town of Lingan. After climbing the stairs up to the monastery’s door we were greeted by a swarm of chickens, pigs, and birds that people have brought up to be liberated. Dr. Bill, our resident encyclopedia, along with Drolma, and her husband pointed out and explained the meanings behind each deity in the artwork and what they symbolized. It was an incredible experience not many people get to see.
About halfway through our Shangri-La journey. The founder of CERS and one of Time’s top 25 Asian Heroes, Wong How Man visited us before adventuring off on one of his many expeditions. He told us all about his famous journey to find the true source of the Yangtze River. When asked what it takes to be an explorer, How Man told us of when he was a kid in Hong Kong. He saved up enough money to buy a bike not so he could get places faster but so he could explore the city. He reminded us of the innocent kids we all were at one point and the fearlessness we had to discover new things. His camera man, Xavier, told us that How Man still has that kid in him. We were told it doesn’t take going on long journeys to parts unknown to be an explorer, something as small as biking to a new part of town for pure adventure can make you an explorer. Exploring is a personal feat that is both internal as it is external. How Man’s speech made me look back at the last 14 days and realize that every doubt I pushed aside and every new thing I learned from the places I’ve visited to the people I’ve meet have helped me grow. As I am finishing this last week in China, it saddens me to leave knowing there is still so much to experience here but at the same time, excites me in finding my next new adventure and the new people I’ll get to experience them with
Upon arriving overseas into Hong Kong I had a lot of time on the long fifteen-hour flight to really contemplate the journey I was about to step foot in. At first I worried, thinking about little things that could go wrong and the “what if’s” such as “what if the kids don’t enjoy the camp” or “what if I couldn’t contribute enough”, but as I kept thinking to myself I imagined all the new experiences and knowledge I’ll learn along the way. I thought to myself even if, under the extremely unlikelihood, all my “what if’s” happened, there was no way I was going to leave China the same person and this understanding of personal growth excited me.
Once I stepped off of the plane into Hong Kong and met Hailee and Amanda, all my negative thoughts were pushed back by everything happening around me. Nothing was in English anymore and we weren’t sure where we were supposed to go. We actually got spit up and for a while, I was just wondering around the airport and looking at the different attractions that I normally wouldn’t see in the states. At one point I came a crossed was a giant rubber duck made out of cans and water fountains gave out hot water, which I found kind of strange. At another airport in Kunming, the luggage carts all had TV’s on them and there was a smoking balcony in the men’s bathroom, again something I’ve never experienced. Everything new I found in China drifted my mind further and further away from worries to excitement.
When we all arrived in Shangri-La (minus Max and Lynee, whose flight both got canceled early on and would arrive a day later), we already built a bond together from discussions during delays and layovers that we’ve been adding to every day. One of our first conversations we had as a group was during our layover in Kunming over dolphin milk followed by a debate on which milk we think would taste the worst/best. So the awkward first meeting phase didn’t last very long.
The first five nights in Shangri-La we planned for our upcoming English/sports camp for the local kids. During the days we’ve used our time to explore the local and Tibetan culture. We took a two hour trip to a nunnery the CERS helped preserve. We traveled on the literal edge of the mountains occasionally crossing back and forth over the Yangtze River. Another day, we visited a local house in town that’s walls were covered with amazingly detailed woodwork and traditional Buddhist painting and tapestries that each had their own unique story. My favorite journey so far has been our journey to the local monastery. The monastery laid on top of a hill overlooking the town of Lingan. After climbing the stairs up to the monastery’s door we were greeted by a swarm of chickens, pigs, and birds that people have brought up to be liberated. Dr. Bill, our resident encyclopedia, along with Drolma, and her husband pointed out and explained the meanings behind each deity in the artwork and what they symbolized. It was an incredible experience not many people get to see.
About halfway through our Shangri-La journey. The founder of CERS and one of Time’s top 25 Asian Heroes, Wong How Man visited us before adventuring off on one of his many expeditions. He told us all about his famous journey to find the true source of the Yangtze River. When asked what it takes to be an explorer, How Man told us of when he was a kid in Hong Kong. He saved up enough money to buy a bike not so he could get places faster but so he could explore the city. He reminded us of the innocent kids we all were at one point and the fearlessness we had to discover new things. His camera man, Xavier, told us that How Man still has that kid in him. We were told it doesn’t take going on long journeys to parts unknown to be an explorer, something as small as biking to a new part of town for pure adventure can make you an explorer. Exploring is a personal feat that is both internal as it is external. How Man’s speech made me look back at the last 14 days and realize that every doubt I pushed aside and every new thing I learned from the places I’ve visited to the people I’ve meet have helped me grow. As I am finishing this last week in China, it saddens me to leave knowing there is still so much to experience here but at the same time, excites me in finding my next new adventure and the new people I’ll get to experience them with