I know the trip isn't over yet, but today may be the highlight. I was painting in the village and, as always, people stop and look. An old man stopped and asked me my name. I told him and asked him his. By then we had exhausted his English, and my Chinese vocabulary consists of about 6 phrases. ("How are you? Thank you. Good. Very good. How much does it cost? I don't want it." I'm very popular at parties here...) The man disappeared and then came back with some calligraphy he had done and some newspaper articles that I assume were about him. I asked if I could take his picture, and he said, "No!" very firmly. Okay.
I assumed that was the end of it, but a little while later he was back to invite me to his home. It seemed that he was going to show me his studio. Remember, all of this was conducted with no common language. I decided to go with him. On the way he told me that I could take his picture. Then he made a hand motion that signifies money, and I thought, oh no, I just got suckered. Some people here do want money to take their pictures. But he made the hand motion and then said forcefully, "No!' I wasn't sure if he wanted me to argue with him and offer him some, but I took him at his word.
He took me across his courtyard and into a small room. It was crammed with statues and had calligraphy hanging on the walls and it was very dim, except by the window where he had his calligraphy desk. I began taking pictures and then asked him to sit at his desk and do some calligraphy. He wrote two very large characters and then wrote their translation beneath: OK!
He showed me many of his possessions and even let me into his other room, where he had his bed and his few belongings. After a while I told him I needed to get back to painting. He walked with me back to my easel and returned home. I thought that was the end of it.
A few minutes later he came toward me carrying two wooden fu dogs, from his collection of things. Before he got to my easel, he held them up and made the money sign and again barked, "No!" I held out my hands and he gave them to me. Wow. I was speechless. Such generosity.
A little later he came by again, this time carrying a large envelope on which he had written his name and address in Chinese characters. He wants me to send him copies of the pictures I took of him in his studio. You bet I will.Those fu dog statues will always make me think of generosity and of the ability for human beings to connect in spite of barriers.
It'll be hard to top that.
