慢走 mànzǒu ‘Walk Slow’/ Don’t go yet! / Please stay a while longer!
Man Zou is a common phrase in Mandarin that translates literally to ‘Walk Slow’. Used as a farewell, it is a way of reminding one another to be careful and mindful on our journey, and take the time to see things along the way. Walk slowly and you won’t fall. .. from the web page describing the documentary I saw last night on the KCTS9 public television channel.
The documentary is of four American friends (from Seattle) and their Chinese guide set out on a mission to bicycle more than 1,000 miles between China’s two largest cities : Beijing and Shanghai. (They did it in 28 days). I could relate to their experiences in such a heartfelt way : the chaotic traffic, the foods Westerners are just not used to eat, the friendly people (still finding Westerners strange and stare-worthy, especially in smaller towns), and people doing hard, hard manual work without complaining.
.. and here is a picture from Hong Kong airport I forgot to post yesterday. It’s ‘The Dew Drop’ (see me in there?) by artist Lee Chin Fai Danny (2005). The plaque says ‘Nature is all around us. Yet often we look but do not see. Next time you see morning dew, take a look at just on dew drop. See your surroundings reflected there. Look closely and you will see a reflection of yourself. So why not pause and try to look at ourselves, objects and people around us from a fresh perspective?’
