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Published: April 13th 2012
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Statue of Maitreya
the 3 level statue from a single sandalwood tree Today is one of those 'special' days that things just seem to go wrong.
I couldn't wake up early though I'm supposed to do an early visit to the Summer palace. I figured I lost 4 pcs of clothing, My knit top was torn, my right foot/leg is consistently painful and I took wrong turns over and over thus not making it to my intended destinations.
This sounded pretty nega but you know I have accepted it that this is just one of those off days you have. I have learned to let go of these things easily lately, well except for my right foot which doesn't stop hurting so I can't forget the wrong decisions I have. I could have pretty well just took a taxi but I feel it was more stressful trying to explain where I'm going and demanding to use the meter compared to walking some over 1 km more in the wrong direction. Or I could have just asked somebody on the street for directions once I realized that my guide say Exit C and when I got there it was exit C1, C2, and C3 - are you kidding me? That is where
What caught my eye
and I stared at too long I started my 2 hours walking aimlessly.
But as I always tell my friends that if a bad thing happens to you that there are a hundred other things much worse that didn't so you should still count yourself lucky.
Another funny thing today is that I saw three street fights (an old storekeeper vs a middle aged lady, a taxi driver and another guy, and some traffic fight I can't see clearly but I know it is a younger lady and some guy). I don't understand anything but there was a lot of hitting and shouting. I looked for about a minute or two and moved on because 1. there is really nothing I can do there 2. I don't understand a thing 3. A crowd is starting to build and it's a dangerous place to be in a crowded place and your attention is diverted to the fight but someone else's is on your pocket.
Now where was I? hahaha, I was thinking of just writing the highlight of my day but got sidetracked by other mundane day to day living. If anyone got tired of my ramblings they will not be able to read
the good parts following.
For today the best part was seeing the Statue of Maitreya which is a Guinness World Record holder for being carved out of a single tree. It says it is 26 meters high I don't know how to estimate metrics but that was about 3 floors high. It was so difficult to make it fit in the pictures. Most pictures are from my phone, they do not like theflash being used inside the temple. I like how this mommy who told her teenaged son that for just seeing the statue in person is already worth the trip to China. Too grand to say if you haven't seen the other places and things in China, but that is a very honest and raw appreciation of something you see for the first time. I was personally starting to tire of temples and relics. If I were a Buddhist this would have been such a wonderful experience like Bisita Iglesia for my Catholic friends that no matter how many you get into you don't tire because this is as if you are doing a pilgrimage.
Another thing that caught my eye is this ornament on top of
Smoky look
from all the incense burning one of the Buddhas. I couldn't stop staring at it. It was really pretty. I'm not quite sure what it was - some dragon carvings and a ball in the middle. I was staring too much til I realized that this monk was already looking at me. I have been there for quite some time staring all the way up while everyone just moves a long. I feel like saying, yah, i know I'm a weirdo. Since I try not to know everything about a place, I have learned to spend/waste time only on the things that I like seeing no matter if it does not hold any historical meaning or guidebook worthy mention. This is going for things that I like with little outside influence.
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