Travelling is Working

¨I travel every year for 2 months. You need to travel. It makes you very healthy and powerful, too..This time I am in Nepal…Before I travel to Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Cambodia and many more...I love travelling, meeting people and making friends every where..you know..it is very good….¨, says Duchen a Chinese Traditional Painting whose original plan was to travel for 1 year.

After Nepal, she will travel to India, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt and Morocco (probably). It is a six months journey around. She said that her budget is very tight but we must not back-off. She says, ¨You must always have a sunshine in heart even at bad times.¨
This was her first time that she had requested her close friends to contribute some yuan to complete her travel. She says that it is not a big amount but collectively it is a big amount. More than 30 of her closest friends had sent money to her.
Our conversation was quite difficult. It is because I do not know a single Chinese word (laughing). However, we managed to understand each other. We spoke about travel, language and culture. She used simple, understanding and key words that I could understand her easily.

¨Are your parents also artist?¨, I asked slowly.
¨No, My parents are no artist. My mother work in newspaper and my father in government. I do painting from my childhood. My father and mother always support me. They says, ¨You want to be an artist, okay you be an artist. You want to travel, okay you go travel.¨ You know they love me and care me very much.¨
Sometime, not everyone can be as lucky as Duchen, isn´t it? Most of our parents want us to continue the legacy but not Duchen´s parents. We laughed a lot because Duchen is a very cheerful and optimist person. After every word, she stopped because she chose to speak the perfect sentences. She spoke very slowly but perfectly.
¨So can you tell me about your tattoo?¨
¨Well..it is my first tattoo. I am very happy. And I am the first person in my family to have it.¨

¨Where did you get this idea?¨
¨Today morning my boyfriend messaged me. He wrote me a letter in Chinese…It is a very big one. It is in a traditional Chinese paper…The last two sentence means - no matter…. the edge of the sea or horizon of the sky..if your heart is in peace..everywhere…is your home town..¨, Duchen said smiling.
¨I feel like we are made for each other. We have a different connection. We communicate a lot..understand each other and know each other. His letter is very wonderful and touching. I am happy that I met him. His words and feelings made me have a tattoo. However, the main reason to get a tattoo is to gift myself a new year gift. ¨, she added.
¨Why this tattoo specifically?¨
¨You see…it is very simple and easy to draw…less money, too (Laughing). Also, I design it. The person holding the heart is me and my heart. It means no matter where you go or where you are, you must be strong and be positive even at bad times, also. I am very positive person. Being positive brings you good things and happiness, you know?¨, she replied in much happiness.

¨How did you meet your boyfriend?¨
¨…it is very interesting story…one day I go restaurant with friend. He invite me for dinner after work. There I met my boyfriend co-incidentally. My boyfriend is a musician. He was an editor in the television. Now he changed his job. He is now a businessman. He makes more money now. He also a loan officer (real estate) and makes Chinese Jewel….Chinese Jewel (traditional Stone) very expensive. We have factory in China. He also..(how to say)..from my home town..¨, she said. This time she giggled and laughed a lot. It was very happy moment.
Duchen is very interesting and friendly person. I am glad I met her in my journey as a writer. We talked a lot about travel experiences and cultures. It is always nice to meet people from different language and culture. I find it very educative, fascinating and productive then sitting home watching movies.
She also educated me that travelling means not on a holiday. ¨You travel 5 days a week. Then you take rest because you work for 5 days. I plan then I travel. So I am working, not travelling, you see, right??¨, she shared in the most fascinating and surprising way I could not imagine. Now, you see how good it is to meet a person like Duchen.

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