ricochet

I had the roughest day yesterday. Woke up sincerely depressed. Not the gee I feel-bad kind, but the I should be on prescription meds kind. I was really in a funk all day long and just couldn’t shake whatever it was that was keeping me down.
Then I went to church today at the usual non-denominational place on ZhongGuanCun and, wow, talk about a sermon that spoke to me. I mean, the preachers and singers were saying specific things that related to my life. It was like Allah himself was behind it. I sometimes thought I was hearing things but it was just that good a sermon. And the music rocked today. There was 1 edgy song that the band played that was also sung in Chinese. It was a bluesy rocker that kind of cut through the flowery sunshiney atmosphere directly and so I liked that song best.
I was alone in church this time since I went to the earlier 9 am service. I like that service better than the 11 am. I also like this church because they check your documents to make sure that you are a foriegner and not a Chinese national so it’s a legal church that I don’t have to be afraid to go to. Been to those other kinds of churches and I’m not comfortable with that.
The walk home was nice because the air was clean and it wasn’t too cold. You could see the western mountains on the horizon. Looked like California on a winter’s day.
On the way back from church I saw some old church friends and said hello but didn’t talk long because I visited with my tutor. He’s this incredibly talented artist who paints and writes Chinese art and caligraphy and he’s only 25. His work looks like it was done by someone much older though. Click here to view a picture of 2 of his most recent paintings (currently an unfinished black and white) and click here to see a finished color painting. My tutor has painted these at my request. This is going to be my little brother’s wedding anniversary gift in May.
I feel genuinely better now after the inspirational church service. I wish it was warm enough to run already. Can’t stand being bundled up and indoors all the time.
Time to make my usual weekly telephone calls to the family back home now.