Listening to rain and watching clouds in a foreign land

Author: Ge Zhaoguang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-09-01
Features: I haven't had the leisure to sit quietly listening to the rain and watching the clouds in years. I've always been busy, though the tasks are mundane, it's hard to avoid them. What's hard to avoid for someone like me, a worldly person, is the mundane. I only remember from childhood lying on the grass gazing at the flowing clouds and leaning by the window quietly listening to the rain tapping the eaves. Such a life has long been missed; in the hectic pace, the mood to savor and enjoy quietly has been lost. There's a charm to being in a foreign land, and there are benefits to being unfamiliar—it's always fresh. Whether it's Europe, Japan, or the United States, there are always lakes, forests, springs, churches, small towns, local customs, and encounters with different civilizations. It's like talking to strangers, broadening one's knowledge and enriching one's experiences. So, though I always think of my hometown when I'm in a foreign land, returning to my hometown is no different. These diary entries about visiting, teaching, and living abroad may seem like essays or, but the reason is simple: these days away from home were actually when my life was most comfortable and my mind most relaxed, often giving me time to read other books and think about other things.