Epiphany

Yes, I recently had one on the Silk Road, no less!!  But first a short biology lesson.  This dog and these ducks illustrate the phenomenon in the animal world of imprinting--simply put:  many animals bond with the first moving life they experience.  Thus, ducks will follow a human etc.  The story behind this picture includes a young girl's science project.  She videotaped the progression of these animals' attachments from egg hatching to adulthood.  Interesting.

THIS is the first image (cleaning gals on right at the ready to board the plane) I had of China when I landed here in 1997

which I think explains my imprinting problem

quite completely.

BUT,  it doesn't explain Teri's (whom I met on the Silk Road)!!!!!!!!!!!  YES, THERE ARE TWO OF US!!!!!!!!

Together we commiserated  over this burn victim broom,

paused to encourage a shy broom,

observed two wild out-on-the-town mops just fresh from having their hair colored,

ooh-ed and ahh-ed at bundled newborn brooms (no sign of fathers looking through the glass),

cheered on a working class mop,

tsk tsk-ed at mops who have inexplicably "lost their head",

complimented these mops on their choice of accessories,

tiptoed past this guy basking asleep in the sun,

cautioned this broom to hang out with better friends,

and envied this broom who sweeps up shards of terra cotta warriors every day.

WE think we're funny and oh, so clever.

Our club is small, and membership interest seems to be limited.

But we're dedicated

and oh so happy to have found each other...

Sweeping Up

Legal Disclaimer:  No brooms or mops were harmed in the photography for this blogpost.

Do you remember one of the closing scenes in Fiddler on the Roof when they must leave Anatevka?  Golda slips back into their cottage at the last moment to "sweep up".  She just can't leave without doing that.

That kind of sentiment is not lost on me.

I have no explanation for why I needed to come clear to China to  discover that I truly feel so passionately about mops and brooms.

But I did.

Number of pictures taken of my Swiffer at home:  0.

But in China...

I

find

mops and brooms

completely irresistible.

Whether they're resting in bamboo,

or trying to "work it" in a market,

or just valiantly striving to clean up China,

they are charming

humble, and

completely photogenic to me.

And for that,

I have

no explanation.

If I approach it philosophically,

perhaps I, like Golda,

feel the need to calmly perform routine rituals before the cosmic door closes. (gasp!!  Is Madd speaking euphemistically about death???  How dark!!  She's losing it!!!)

Or maybe they are just plain beautiful.

How do you get down off an elephant?

Mike and Norma Kneese

looking like they've taken an elephant to work every day for the last 25 years!!

Still Blasting From the Pasting

Contemplative young Buddhist monk in temple in Cambodia

More Cambodia

and a little more...

And back in Chengdu, yet another death in our neighborhood.  When you die there, these giant mylar memorials are delivered.  Your friends come and pay your respects by walking around and reading the streamers which we suspected carried sentiments and condolences.  Not to be disrespectful, but they reminded me of JiffyPop...

 Sometimes the wind caught ahold of them!

Continuing on in a funerial theme--we peeked in here on our way to church one day.  I think the mahjhong tables are for the family who sort of "hold court" in honor of their loved one--a viewing of sorts without the body--just a nice picture, flowers, and oh, I saw some snacks.  Refreshments!!

I don't know if you decorate your own tent or if that's contracted out. 

More of the JiffyPop on sticks.  The little pile of sunflower seeds in the right hand lower corner tipped me off that I would get along just fine with this group.

Posing with Ronald, John, Kevin and Harry in my classroom.  Yes, we wore coats!!!  Brrrrr, howdy...

 Spring Festival mid winter interruption of China to love on me some of these.

If two are in a selfie, is it an ussie?

Or a we-ie?

Will pick up my needles and create this someday...ahhhh....

And a Happy Birthday to this superior 7 year old.  Harrison is one of the kindest people I know.  He speaks gently, and I have never seen him be anything but a lovely gentleman.  It doesn't hurt that he has those eyes...

Home...

Just a T-shirt away...