Serendipity while Cycling: Meeting Yema along the highway outside Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China and cycling together towards Tibet.
[Letter from Yema, who is behind the Great Firewalls of China and cannot read this post directly, we correspond through email. I received a touching email from this Chinese intellect and decided to share on the Korean-World. I will get back to the Crazyguyonabike journal I started for the HimalayasX2011 expedition, and update for my friends in China who cannot for political reasons, read Blogger or Wordpress, or Western social media like Twitter, Facebook, etc. What is important to note, they have Weibo.com and QQ.com and other social media that is thriving in China, in case you wanted to join. Google Chrome browser will translate while navigating the site, I tested in weibo.com/cycleagain and found another cyclists in China who rode with me in Yunnan Province.]
Dear Brian:
I’m glad to hear that you are living a happy life with your family especially that your wife accepted your adventure and loves you dearly. Your two kids are also very lovely! A good father makes a good child. There is no doubt that you can educate and cultivate them well, but always remember to be patient!
I visited one of your sites once, which I think is very wonderful. However, I think it’s a pity that you didn’t write more details vividly about your trip. One of my favorite writers Ernest Hemingway once said, If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast." Parallel, cycling is also an unforgettable as well as moveable feast, among which exploring the world by bicycle is the greatest. Thus, why not put down on paper what you see and what you feel during the exciting expedition? Sadly, I didn’t write even a word about my trip to Tibet, but I’m planning to turn my experience into short stories one day. By writing down the things that moved us, our lives may also be enriched.
I admire your NW2012 very much; I hope I can read more about it next year besides the great photos. I am interested in why people are crazy in doing all kinds of things, can you tell me why you are so tirelessly travelling all around the world?
I’m sorry for not having replied your letter much earlier. These days I’m very busy in preparing for The National Entrance Examination for Postgraduate which will take place in three months later. The examination is very difficult. I took it last year but failed. However, I don’t want to give up, for I have always been dreaming of attending the Peking University for further education since I entered high school in my hometown. I will major in Chinese Literature, and I want to be a writer as well as a scholar. I must try my best, for I will not be admitted to this university unless I’m crazy and keep getting better.
Heir also loves your message very much! I’m planning to write a letter to you every Saturday or Sunday. For one thing, it’s a great pleasure to be in touch with you, sharing my life with you. For another, I want to improve my English by writing letters to you. Benjamin Franklin, Ernest Hemingway, Raymond Carver, these three are my favorite English writers. I want to be as great as them and write as good as them. I would appreciate it very much if you can be my English teacher and help me command the English language with skill and gift.
At last, the following websites maybe also helpful to you and your students who want to improve their writing skill:
If there are any errors in my letter, please tell me. I’m looking forward to your reply.
Thank you。Best wishes!
Yours truly
Yema
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