Thursday 26 June 2008

The Men Who Hold Up The Mountain


Yesterday I watched a documentary on the porters of Huashan, one of China’s five sacred Taoist mountains, which is about 2200 metres high.

These porters carry loads of provisions like cold drinks, tea leaves, beer, etc up the mountain for the tea-shops and hotels there. The loads, which can weigh from 50 kg to 150 kg, are carried tied in bundles and hung from both ends of a long bamboo pole which the men carry on their shoulders. The documentary features a few porters, each with his distinctive style of climbing the mountain.

The first man, in his late forties, sings at the top of his voice as he slowly climbs up the steps of the stone stairs. He has lost a few front teeth and has scars on his body as a result of accidents while climbing the mountain. Due to poverty, his wife had left him so he has brought up his two children on his own. To make more money, he carries loads of 140-150 kg and has earned enough to build his own house and send both his sons to university. They are working now so he is saving the money he earns for his old age when he can no longer work.

The second, an amiable man in his sixties, appears to be talking to himself as he climbs. Actually, he is a movie buff and he is re-enacting the movies that he has watched. He can sing, too and when he meets his friend, the “singer”, they would perform a duet or sit down to have a chat. His grown-up children want him to stop but he loves the mountain too much. They have given in but insist that he carries a load of no more than 60 kg.

The third man, also in his sixties, is a self-taught flutist. He plays the flute with both hands with the pole balanced on his shoulder while he walks. He plays well and claims that tourists climbing the mountain have told him that his music helps them too. When he reaches a steep slope, he would keep his flute and start singing. He has managed to send his children to college too, and they are now working in the city. Talking about his far-away children brought tears to his eyes (and I thought tough mountain men don’t cry!).

The fourth man is a wiry 75 year old with long white hair and a weather-beaten face. He is rather taciturn and does not reveal much. He carries a 50 kg load and shouts loudly as he climbs; with his wild long hair, you could have mistaken him for a mad man!

These men do not have an education or other skills to get another job. They took up mountain-porterage because the only qualifications needed are stamina and a strong pair of legs. Yet they know how to divert their attention from pain and suffering by singing, enacting, playing music, shouting, etc. They also exhibit extraordinary camaraderie. A shout by one of them would elicit a chorus of responses; it is as if they are shouting encouragement to one another. They would also happily share a song or have a chat when they meet. If one of them were to be unable to carry on because of a fall or some other reason, the others would willingly help carry his load without asking for money even though their earnings are meager.
These men, with furrows on their shoulders, scars on their bodies and sinews in their legs as a result of all that climbing somehow know the meaning of friendship and compassion. We have a lot to learn from them.

Sunday 8 June 2008

Life Is Not A Prison


This is an updated version of a reply I made last year in response to a poem done by a depressed youth on her feelings of total hopelessness.

Life is not a prison
So tell me why you shout
And ask God to listen
When others are about

Climb high to view your dreams
Ride on the wave of hope
If you fall, get up again
No matter how steep the slope

We all need a window
To see the road ahead
The future may be scary
But it’s not what we dread

It is painful to watch
Those who lock themselves away
Joy, love and happiness
Grow slowly day by day

Strong is good, weak is bad
Be it false, be it true
The strong also have weaknesses
The weak have strengths too

Norms are set by society
With guidelines to follow
These are for everyone
Us and every other fellow

For most, life’s a routine
And at times can be boring
Resolutely, we carry on
No, we are not pretending

Sometimes there’s pain, sometimes joy
As we go on life’s ride
Sometimes happy, sometimes sad
There is no need to hide

Can you see what life’s about?
It’s not just about ourselves
It’s about love, hope, compassion
For us and everybody else

There’s light at the end of the tunnel
To help you find your way
Hope at the end of the path
To pull you through each day






Tuesday 3 June 2008

Have You Ever ........


Have you ever sung with a sparrow
By imitating it’s “tweet”
Though the bird looks a little baffled
Boy, it is a great duet

Have you ever climbed up a tall, thin
And gangly papaya tree
To have it slowly bend down to earth
Because of the weight of thee

Have you ever pulled the pony-tail
Of the pretty girl next door
While deep inside you can’t decide if
You like or dislike her more

Have you ever tried to catch the wind
As it passes in a rush
Try as you may, chasing it about
It is always air you grasp

Have you ever sat on a tube and
Go sliding fast down a hill
Even if you fall and tumble down
Gosh, it is still such a thrill

Have you ever tried to speak to one
On whom you have a huge crush
And end up tongue-tied and stammering
Your face coloured red with blush

Have you ever played in the puddles
That’s left by the recent rain
And then return home, wet and dirty
To mama’s dismay again

Have you ever listened to a song
While playing your air guitar
Darn it, at times I do more than that
I conduct an orchestra

Have you ever felt like Peter Pan
Flying high up in the sky
It’s all because the girl of your dreams
Smiles sweetly when passing by

If we have never done the things we do
Would I still be I, and you still be you