Day 2: October 30, 2012 - Tuesday
I didn’t get to sleep well last night. Probably because of excitement or I was still scared about the mysterious way our door opened---twice! Waking up early is nothing new. We force ourselves to wake up doubly early to make sure our roommate gets up and that we have enough time to prepare for breakfast.
After a sumptuous meal, we had a press conference very much NBA-esque. It had backdrops, multiple photographers covering the event, and multiple VIPs who had their own turn in addressing the students.
Most of them decided to speak in Chinese and it was difficult to understand what they were trying to say. We tried to make the dialogue much more lively by responding with an occasional and resounding Hao! or Ni Hao!
We were given the opportunity to tour the Huawen neighborhood in the afternoon. There were many different convenient establishments which surrounded the school. Sadly, the nice basketball court on the far end of the school is off-limits as it is for the middle and high school students of the university.
For me, the highlight of this day would have to be the experience I had in Wang Fu Jing. We had to commute via bus or the subway to one of the busiest and most lavish shopping districts in all of Beijing. Getting there was not the problem but rather trying to find your way around the place. In a place where directions are absolutely hard to come by and in such a wide place, trying to find for a simple Nike store could take a long long time in the freezing evening.
Each and every one of us was given the opportunity to freely roam around the place provided that we were with somebody and that we made it back by nine. Everyone stormed off the lace and went their own way and so I decided to go again with my ever reliable roommate, Ted.
We had more than three hours to goof off and explore the entire place. We ultimately decided to journey towards Nike and it would be one journey that I will never ever forget. Something that we can always look back to. Something worth remembering, reminiscing.
The main reason we were there is that we were both enticed to buy different products. I was on the lookout to whatever caught my eye’s attention while my buddy was looking for a back pack. We were both greatly disappointed in the first Nike store. On top of its rocket-high prices, the stock availability was horrendous. It had a wide selection of bad things to choose from. Pretty ironic, right?
Then we decided to go find another one. After asking one of the employees for directions, we followed it word for word. Unfortunately, it brought us to the middle of nowhere in the Makati of China. Skyscrapers surrounded our view along with its very modern design. With the wind blowing hard on our faces, we decided to push through. What did we have to lose?
With a stroke of luck, I was lucky to be able to get an internet connection and with Ted’s phone, we were able to Google the different locations of the different Nike stores in the Wangfujing district. With a map application, we followed it. Initially, it brought us nowhere. It brought us to places that we’ve been to, places we don’t want to go, and to dead ends in the middle of nowhere.
We dug deep. In desperate need of divine intervention, we needed the monkey offour backs.
We went for broke. We had to consult with different maps and the GPS that was guiding us. After a long 30 minute walk, we found it---the promised land.
Inside the store, Ted apparently found his crowned jewel; the thing he was looking for the most but he had to make a decision: the more expensive and unique one or the cheaper and common one. We took around another fifteen minutes debating on which he should buy and he finally made a decision. He’d settle for that bright yellow backpack, also known as the more expensive one. Later, did he know that both would cost almost the same price. He made the right decision.
This journey of us was something meaningful because it showed us different facets of life. First, is how we go about our decision making process. We are supposed to be the ones making our decisions and take full responsibility for it. There are a lot of things you have to consider in making a decision because life has its own way of making things difficult. It creates different scenarios where it’s basically a toss-up. But we have to learn to take the good with the good and the bad with the bad.
Second, the Filipino adage “maraming namamatay sa maling akala” is something which we have to overcome. Like in our story, we presumed that the price of that bag is much much higher than its actual cost. We trusted the incompetent sales lady who didn’t seem to care about her customers---and we paid dearly for it. Instead of presuming, ask and make sure that what you are doing or about to do is correct. We have to take the initiative and go out of our way and ask whether or not we’re doing the ‘right’ thing.
Third, experience is always going to be the best teacher. It creates different memories in your mind and your mind saves and records it accordingly like a VCR. It has the capacity to store different events and allows you to re-use what you’ve learned. Something similar to deja vu, when the same situation arises, you would instinctively know what to do.
Fourth, if there’s a will, there’s a way. Persistence truly pays off. If we set our minds to it, our bodies will follow. It isn’t just going to instinctively follow. You have to will yourself to do these things. It’s those small things that matter. The difference is what sets great people apart from the ordinary. It is because they chose to pay particular attention to these things.
Lastly, nothing beats true friendship. These are the people who wholeheartedly accept you for who you really are. They are the ones there who will help you get back up once you fall. These are bonds that will not be broken; something that is bound to last forever.
We were lost but we managed to find our way back. It wasn’t easy but it was indeed fulfilling. Journeys such as this build character and resilience and at the same time, tests our diskarte. As we stumble, we must always stand back up.
Chinese class begins tomorrow, I hope I survive.
Notes: Colder weather yesterday...
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