Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles

It’s a beautiful movie, like all of Zhang Yimou’s that I’ve seen. The movie is about fathers and sons and the role ancient art forms can play in today’s fast-paced world. Both are themes that I love (perhaps because they’re quite Shakespearean). But the title seemed especially appropriate for my current situation. It’s strange, the fact that here, surrounded by the biggest city I’ve ever seen, I could feel so entirely alone.

I’ve always taken for granted how easy it is to connect with people when you speak their language! I even made two very cool brand new friends during my scant four weeks in Missoula between college and leaving for China. But here, I’m forced to resort to asking people what was their major in College and whether they like to drink coffee (day 1 of Chinese 1!) instead of being able to talk about their hopes and dreams and doubts and fears.

In one scene of “Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles” the Japanese main character sits in a teahouse surrounded by a lively and animated conversation in Chinese. He reflects on how isolated he is because he cannot understand what they are saying. I’ve never been much of a talker in large group contexts which used to make me feel isolated. But, oh, how lucky I was at least to be able to understand!

Ok, enough complaining. It is very good to have a mission. Without one, what would I be? My mission right now is to learn Chinese. Because without that, in this country, most of the doors are shut.

And so I make my way towards bed so I can wake up at dawn to meet a teacher for a trial Chinese lesson before my first day at work. Wait, work? Aha! There’s another mission. Language learning is empowering, whatever language it may be. And is not my goal in life to “empower people”?

Also, who says you still have to be alone at the end of thousands of miles?