love

how do we acknowledge all the people, plants, places, and animals that touch our lives... no matter how briefly?

kendal is my best friend here. we support each other through all the beauties and challenges of being here in shenzhen, china. and we travel together. and we live together. and more! an amazing woman with so many inspiring gifts.

richard was my bus guru who can help me find my way home from any random small anywhere in shenzhen, and also has a great sense of humor and insatiable curiousity about the world and her people.

we hiked with these people for a day who, once they got over kendal's sandals and my skirt, were actually fun hiking partners (okay but they never got over the skirt and sandals). but i told ridiculous jokes, they told ridiculous jokes, and we all laughed a lot, and i feel like mountain people anywhere are among the best people ever, always.

how about all the people who came before us that we don't usually see anymore but certainly carry a presence? oh yeaaaahhhh :)

frederik entered my life for a whirlwind three days of excellent english, the best introduction to shenzhen that anyone has given me since i've been here, and comprehensive questions and insights covering everything from life and love to computers and digits.

and there's so many more people not pictured!!!!!! :)

感恩. infinite gratitude.

happy mama's day

everyday mama's day, everyday papa's day
everyday a day to celebrate earth,
everday a day to celebrate sky,
everyday to celebrate LIFE!
happy birthday EVERYDAY!
love like dandelions everywhere shyed into corners, exploding onto pavement,
and motherwort flowers surprise surprise everywhere underfeet (feet themselves, acts of love)
LOVE unnoticed but always apparent, and ALWAYS PRESENT

感恩. infinite gratitude.

rainy days

thanks dave for the facepaint/ pastels
thanks trees for the paper
thanks sky for the inspiration you (always how i love you) bring
and heart... well, we've still got some talking to do

sprouts

this photo is especially for my mama... who taught me most of what i know about food, sprouting, and other important things in life. :)
here, in china, this batch, was my first time successfully sprouting any yummy things... small mung beans, green beans. utterly delicious. two handfuls of beans, in water soaking (changes of water) for 4 days, and then sprouting for another week... lasted for about 1.5 weeks of continuous delicious utterly ALIVE sprouts. pictured here are the final two handfuls of yummy sprouts that me and frederik feasted on, in a traditional gazebo atop a small hill above shenzhen, china

在上海跟三阿姨和uncle

shanghai with the aunt and uncle that i haven't seen since before i became vegetarian, so many many years ago! when i was half my current size and less than half my current age!!!
spring sakura blossoms are so beautiful and smell so good... i think i still like the taiwan sakuras in the mountains the best though :)

incoming storm

thick air wet heavy
storm soon
storm comes riding on thick clouds heavy with rain
heavy with messages (are you listening?)

small shelter in big forest with even smaller girl
(little girl old woman)
sleeping under it
big boom bam wake up wake up to
i am sorry
(never endingly so)
to this raped earth and desecrated skies waters fishes birds
everyone
especially
two legs walking hands crawling
markets and buildings rising as
animals birds falling

clouds heavy with rain
incoming on heavy grey skies
clouds heavy
rain coming
thick with messages from afar
so far that we cannot hear?
so far from deep inside the very
souls of our feet
depths of our hearts
rising
the cries of mamas
desecrated and raped
the cries of

i am here
you too
we are here

what are you DOING?
what HAVE you done?
where do we GO from HERE?

addendum

do you know what "completely alive" even feels like, oh "normal" person???

office work: enlightenment

working in an office for two weeks has helped me gain enlightenment around this part of my being:

 

I'D RATHER BE DEAD THAN PARTIALLY ALIVE

 

almost done. our final program is the last week of may. 2.5 more weeks of office hell. and then, never again. i say the same about the city. only ___ more days, and then never again.

 

we'll see, right?

well,

 

I'D RATHER BE COMPLETELY ALIVE THAN PARTIALLY DEAD