Curiosity

Child searching for the perfect toy

First, I walked into a lane filled with toy vendors and streams of parents walking to and fro with their young children. I thought there was some sort of carnival, but it turned out to be a children’s hospital. These toys were the ones that would make the young ones smile and laugh while they sat in the doctors office. There’s nothing sweeter than that.

Yellow Wall at the end of the lane

Then I walked into another lane following a steady stream of elderly women into the courtyard of a Buddhist Temple. The women were gathering for lunch, and I was greeted with slight bows and smiles. Wishing that I had the ability to communicate, I decided to linger and search for visual clues for why everyone was there. They were laughing and socializing with their friends in a way that reminded me of every Christian church I have ever visited. If my grandmother lived in Shanghai, this is where she would spend her Tuesday afternoons. As I lingered longer, a sprightly woman with short blond hair approached, and then another, and then another. They were very animated and curious so I pulled out my phrasebook and tried to communicate. I eventually deciphered that they were offering me lunch, and I graciously accepted. One of them took me by the arm and led me to the serving line and requested my lunch for me. I found an unoccupied table and continued to observe while the women slowly migrated into the main hall. When I finished, I followed them in and participated in a Buddhist chanting ceremony. It was a peaceful and exciting experience for over a hundred women of Shanghai, including this tall blue-eyed American.