a moment to stop and soak it in

Wrinkles on a face, like the rings tracing inside the trunk of a tree, give us an idea of a person's age.  Graying hair  and slow movement suggest that a person has ventured into the latter portion of their life.  

But these cues can tell us nothing of an individual's unique story.

Perhaps by looking closer to the weathered face and thoughtful outlook of this man sitting outside the Antique Market in Beijing, China one might suppose he has lived a life of hard work and low luxury.   Beyond that, however, it's hard to tell.  We can read the history books to learn that he and others of his age have lived under the political rule of Mao Zedong and his Communist Party of China.  This was a China closed off to the rest of the world, with no influence or trade from anything other than within Chinese borders.  This was a China which experienced horrible famines and "cultural revolutions" in which academics, artists and anyone who opposed communist ideals faced severe persecution.  

This is the same China that years later, under the rule of Deng Xiaoping, set forth on a wildly turbulent ride with the opening up of the Chinese economy to the outside world.  With a bit more money in his pocket these days, this man now also regularly encounters "foreigners" such as our photographer Marc Elias out of South Africa.  Upon seeing the mass of tourists scouring the market and remembering the not so long ago days in which this couldn't have be dreamed of, perhaps the man needs a moment to stop and soak it in.  Perhaps this man is taking this moment to enjoy a long drag on his cigarette and reconcile the level of change he has witnessed in his lifetime.

like a well-oiled machine

It's a typically hot muggy summer day in Beijing, China.  A visit to the state-owned company Sinopec--the world's largest petrochemical dealer--is daunting and yet revealing.

Precision and efficiency are continually revitalizing the traditionally poor quality image of Chinese production.  Global expectations are increasingly sophisticated and the Chinese are aiming to respond accordingly.  The enormous plant boasts of employees who show hard work, discipline and commitment to the company's success in the world market.

Days are long and pay is low.  Yet there seems to be a sense of pride in the air as workers believe in the promise of a brighter future.  Like a well-oiled machine, it is companies like Sinopec who are at the heartbeat of the ever-growing Chinese economy.

bittersweet, but nevertheless beautiful

True friendships may ride ups and downs and ins and outs along this roller coaster of life, but the power and comfort of a forever friend stays with you always.

Sometimes, if I close my eyes and reflect on the short and yet long years I've spent on Earth, the faces of special friends from different spaces and different times in my life present themselves out of nowhere. 

I sometimes flash to this heavy-eyed, somber face of my cherished friend sending me her love as I bid farewell and parted from the Paris bus station many moons ago.  Having studied and grown together for a year abroad in Spain, and then coming for a short visit in France several years later, my friend and I share a lot of soul and spirit despite the distances.  Remembering this moment, not knowing when our lives' journeys would next intersect, I remind myself that life is bittersweet, but nevertheless beautiful.