Being a photographer and a traveler, I am always fascinated by places and people that remind me the beauty of simplicity.
When I decided to take a long vacation, I thought of going somewhere and doing something I would really enjoy. Not Haiwaii, no cruise, no resort. And it has to be far far away from home.
So I thought of Nepal.
The person who introduced me to Nepal was my friend Wayne. About three years ago, he quitted his IT job in the bay area, and decided to do something that could make an impact in others' lives. Three years later, his non-profit org NEIO is well established and has been helping the nepalese children build better schools in rural villages where resources are utterly limited.
After hearing many stories of his journey, I knew someday I would love to experience it myself. I have a strong desire to help these children with whatever I can offer. Living with the poor and spending time with them is a true gift. That's why we often end up receiving more than what we can possibly give.
And Tibet.
Two years ago I had an opportunity to visit a remote village in Qinghai province, China. I was told that most people in this village were tibetans. As I strolled along the street, I was fascinated by lots of random occurance. Kids playing with rocks. Old men chilling by the staircase. Women washing dishes outside home. A nomad leaning against a brick wall. And.. a pregnant cow walking down the street. Next, a pig crossing the street. Oh, a goat napping on the sidewalk. As I kept my pace, the cow went ahead of me, and slowly vanished from my sight heading back "home". All these mental images kept flickering in and out of my mind even months after I came back from the trip. What fascinated me was this traditional way of living, where all living creatures live in harmony, where men's needs were few and their desires limited.. and that both were easily satisified by the abundance provided by nature. It's Utopia. It does exist, at least from my little snapshot of experience there.
(note: after the trip, I became a vegetarian overnight, and basically lost all my desire to consume meat)
Click here for the blogpost about that village.
I know I'll enjoy visiting Tibet more.
Stay tuned I'm sure I'll have lots of wonderful images and stories to offer after this 6-week trip.
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For my brides and grooms... I'll make sure I come back one piece and show up at your wedding. If I already shot your wedding, I'll make sure I deliver your images before I take off on Aug 27.
For my potential clients.... I will have very limited to no internet access during Sept/early Oct. My office manager May will take care of replying all my emails, and I'll gladly offer my personal attention to you as soon as I come back on Oct 12.
Thank you! I'm excited!
