quiet, quiet

in this city, one month can feel like a year. heck, sometimes one week can feel like a year. it's the breakneck pace of life, the overload of stimuli and information, the constant whirl of activities that stuffs a schedule so full, it feels like it's going to bust at the seams. that's how life often feels here.

i have a horrible habit of not resting. rest usually comes right at the verge of a meltdown, when both body and spirit are gearing up to go on strike. and even then there are the logistics of arranging time to rest. i actually need to make an appointment for myself to relax. oh, the irony.

that's why last weekend came as a surprise when my colleague and i went on a business trip (begrudgingly on my part, i must admit), and i ended up resting more in those three days than i have all month. a well-known international chinese ceramics artist is currently exhibiting his works at our gallery. he is based in jingdezhen, the porcelain capital of china (of the world, really) and invited us as his guests for the international ceramics expo that was taking place last week.

i really wasn't sure what to expect. this artist is a small, wiry man with a constant scowl on his face. he is also a skilled artisan with an eye for beauty and a penchant for perfection. he has some absolutely brilliant ideas (of his own accord, and actually, i agree as well) that he proselytizes persistently. spending three days with him....hmmmm.

i pictured the trip being a constant schmooze-fest: talking up art with who-knows-who and who-knows-what, rubbing elbows and dropping names, handing out business cards until my fingers cramped....well, i suppose that was worst-case scenario. thankfully, it was nothing like that. from being picked up by the airport by the artist's driver to flying back with an inner mongolia band who plays american bluegrass (with band members named 'tom' and 'jerry)---that's a whole other story in itself---the trip was refreshing in so many ways. though the artist did keep us hopping with a pretty busy schedule of meeting people and visiting various sites, there was also a lot of downtime and flexibility in our schedule.

we stayed at the artist's own "village": an area he founded for ceramic artists from around the world to come and study, create art, exchange ideas, etc. the area is absolutely gorgeous, set in the hills of the countryside, surrounded by trees and bamboo. the inn, restaurant and ceramic studio were housed in old farm houses that the artist had purchased and renovated, still keeping intact the original architecture with all its beautiful nooks and crannies. i think the artist even 'feng shui' the place, and whether that stuff is all malarkey or not, there was definitely a sense of tranquility as soon as one stepped onto the property. and the food--oh, the food!--my mouth salivates just remembering it. fresh fish, tons of veggies, little oil and salt but bursting flavors....yummmmm.






we stayed at the artist's inn and i slept so much and so well....that really deep, restorative kind of sleep from which you awake like you were reborn. we also spent a lot of time with other artists, some of whom we work with, and that was refreshing to me on many levels as well. it's so easy to get caught up with the business side of running a gallery, where artists and their works become commodities. to really know the artists as people, to understand their philosophy of life, their passions and inspirations, to see their studios and meet their friends....at the end of the day, these sort of human interactions and connections are what really matters.

the trip wasn't just refreshing, it was rehumanizing. it took the parts of me that were being mechanized and reinvigorated them with flesh and blood. i was able to just be.

now's the tough part...how to make this a discipline and consistency in the frenetic life i lead in shanghai....


cups of coffee: 1

mood: rested