Having two small children, I have had the opportunity to see the world through their eyes. Also, I have had the opportunity to re-discover the world through their other four senses as well. It's wonderful. You forget how much of your own existence is dictated by the sensory perception of your youth.
The first eight years of my life were spent in San Diego. We lived near the cliffs and terraces and canyons bordering the ocean. Having moved from the area at such a young age, I had no way of knowing how much I could remember as an adult just by using my sense of smell. I was driving with a friend on a leisure trip one time as an adult, when we drove along the 52 through some of the canyons on our way to La Jolla. The air coming through the vents sent me flashing back in time as a series of images I didn't think I had came rushing back to me...all of them from my childhood in San Diego. It was powerful. The air was a mixture of ocean breezes clinging to the damp moisture from the dew strewn vegetation of the canyons. My emotions zipped through me, weaving a mental tapestry of childhood feelings and images.
However, not many of these moments have occur ed in my life as my sense of smell is, let's say, not my most powerful sense. I could be burning the water out of a pot on the stove and not know it until the metal melted. So, it came as a surprise when I got off the plane and jet way in Hong Kong and immediately felt compelled to stop...and...take a deep breath of air. I'm not sure what struck me first...the air felt different and/or the air smelled different. Both, I imagine. But, I immediately thought, "This doesn't smell like home."
After all the times I have passed through LAX or my local airport, I never once stopped to consider how much even the airports can feel like home. Hong Kong smelled different. It smelled foreign. There were undercurrents of rice and stuff like saimin and other "foreign" foods. Even though the airport was completely void of people at 6 am, you could still smell the activity of a busier yesterday. So, imagine that...my somewhat useless nose was the first sensory impression I had when arriving in Hong Kong.
Since arriving in Shanghai, it seems the input of my surroundings is less of a mental change in atmosphere and more of a sensory one, which again reminds me how much we rely on our five senses to learn. Shanghai offers different sounds, sights, smells, tastes, etc. It's a sensory feast and I can't wait to see what I learn from it. I know my kids have GOT to be growing by leaps and bounds from being here even such a short time. It'll be fun to watch them grow in new ways as well! :)
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2 comments:
You go mama!! Take many pictures along the way!! I can't wait for you to show and tell us about what all you have seen and learned:)
Enjoy ~~ Have Fun ~~ Learn Lots!!
What a wonderful endorsement of an airline! After reading it, I want to make sure JK and I take this airline when we come for Christmas. Did you say it was China Air? I agree about Hong Kong and it's airport. Hong Kong is one of my favorites too. But then I'm partial to island life.
In most places in the U.S., caucasions are in the majority. I can remember feeling strangely out of place when I first moved to Hawaii. Here, caucasions are a definite minority. I found that being in the minority opened up new ways of thinking and expanded my comfort zone. The kids will bloom in their new environment, I'm sure.
JK asked me if you were interested in taking some little side trips from Shanghai while we're there. I'm not sure exactly what he has in mind. I think Brandon might like to see some of the places with us, but Ryan may be too young to enjoy it much. Maybe we could do a weekend tour and Allen could join us too. There's nothing JK likes to do more than plan all the exciting things to do on a trip. I get to take advantage of that all the time. Now you'll be able to benefit too. Should be a ton of fun! Too bad it will be Winter. Brrrrrrr.
I talked to Ellie and she wants me to fly to Shanghai with her next Spring! She says we absolutely MUST go in the Spring. So I might be seeing you in December and January, then coming back in April for your birthday!! If the flight is as wonderful as you say, I just might be able do it. When I flew to Hong Kong a couple of years ago, it seemed like an awfully long flight. I don't remember which airline we took.
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