Wasel Safwan’s trip to China 707

United Arab Emirates – Abu Dhabi
www.waselart.com

On 23rd September, 2010, my family decided to go to Mubazzarah Green Park here in Al Ain city, and my flight was at morning of 24th. I was planning to go by myself to airport. I went with them to the park at evening time for dinner, and lovely family gathering too. My dad thought my flight was on the next day and not as in few hours from now. He was really kind, as always. Though he was wearing his pajamas, he decided to drive me to Dubai International Airport. He always does this, he loves me a lot, and he cares about my reputation and my goals in life more than anybody else. While we were driving to the airport, we had nice chat and he told me about his experience in Shanghai. We both had a lovely conversation and he was happy for my next achievement which is EXPO 2010 Shanghai, at the UAE pavilion.

He did not come out of his car because he was wearing his pajamas and there were no time, I told him kindly to stay in his car. I got down, came to his window and kissed his head and he gave me his lovely wishes.

Now I am heading to far-east Asia, and it will be my first time to land in China. I had my nice check-in, not strange for the high quality service from Fly Emirates. In the plane, sitting on my right was a gentleman, Jay Sarraf. During this flight, he told me about his experience in China – a nice and peaceful country. He is a successful business man and he kept telling me about his son, Cyrus. I told him about my dad, and he understood the love of a father to his son. We had peaceful chat.

At the Shanghai Airport, I was received by an Arab who had my name on a placard. Mr Abdullah Al Aidaroos was waiting for me there, too. He was wearing his kandoora, we greeted each other by nose, and told me “see, I came by myself to welcome you”, but later on I realized that he came because his boss, Mr Salem Al Amri, who apparently had been on the same flight as me.

They sent me by a luxury car to an Intercontinental Hotel. The corner of my room 707 was a fully two walls of glass and other two walls were solid, where the bed and toilet are located. I had perfect panoramic view of the Huang Pu river. It is as if you have huge LCD screen but natural one, and big boats are moving right in front of you. When I was lying in bed, when I opened my eyes, what I saw was big boats moving slowly – lovely in the morning and at night. I could see the skyline city from the Expo site to the downtown of where the Oriental Pearl Tower is located. The Nanpu bridge was to my right and Lupu bridge to left with strong robes and concrete flying all over, and the whole of that is colorful rainbow lighting – all over what you see, speed move of light, and quiet at same time. I was blessed to have this room. Actually at the reception, the Arab guy told them that Wasel is an artist, so they decided to give me a good view, and that’s what happened. Other VIPs who I have been talking to, they had good furniture as I do, but they did not have the view which I had, I say: Thanks to Allah.

Usually when I check-in a hotel, I would clean the table and remove the ads papers or magazines, put my drawing book, and keep empty space. I loved the idea of sitting there at night and just draw. When I checked in, I put my stuff in my room and moved to EXPO. I did not want to rest, I wanted to use my time fully.

The EXPO 2010 Shanghai was huge, 5.28 square km. I was told that this district was a residential and factories area, they had been removed in order for the EXPO pavilions to be erected. Even the hotel I was staying was built for it. All that I saw in this city will be removed at the end of the event, which is end Oct 2010 – after hard work of 8 years, since 2002, when they won the bid at the International Exhibitions Bureau in Prince’s Palace of Monaco.

China did very well, and I am now walking where my dad once walked as he shared in his stories and experience in Shanghai. I text him and say “I am there.. I am here..” and he knew the places I was referring to.

The pavilions looked astonishing. Each country’s pavilion seemed to have a particular motif or theme to it. Some built it as in environmental manner such as Indonesia Pavilion. Others built it with soccer theme, such as Brazil Pavilion, and another used spiky look which almost make you feel you go inside a three dimension software inside your computer screen but no, you are inside it with your body and soul, this is United Kingdom Pavilion. Some wanted to show how high class Muslim families are living such as Brunei Pavilion, and some hired foreign designers to design their pavilion, such as UAE pavilion. The Expo was very well organized. People queue up for two or three hours to enter one pavilion. You need two weeks to be able to see most of the Pavilions, even if you have VIP pass. Each pavilion got a story to teach you something. There were many new countries I never heard before such as the Portuguese-Chinese people, Macao. China Pavilion was one of the biggest – there were escalators crisscrossing the sky. I was waiting in queue to see what was going on in one of the rooms inside the pavilion. It was one archeological piece, and that was what everyone were waiting for! I kept laughing, but I knew there is history behind it. Well, Welcome to China!

The team who worked at UAE Pavilion were kind. On the day I arrived, they arranged Beryani dinner which was cooked by Italian chef. It was an Italian-Chinese-Emirate meal, haha. We said “in the name of Allah” and ate. We had fun. I did not really enjoy being with them because I felt I was in UAE, haha. I asked them, “where is China? I want to leave you folks! hahaha” And that was what I did. Next whole week, I decided to see Shanghai. The UAE Pavilion management was kind to extend my stay. They had no idea how much I enjoyed my 707 room. My first art piece in China was produced there.

I did not enjoy the towers much because it is something similar of where I came from, United Arab Emirates. But I enjoyed talking to people who spoke a language I didn’t understand, no one speak English, so it was fun. If you need a break and live inside a real world, go to China. No matter what you hear, you can translate it the way you want, and you go ahead in your plan and everything will be sorted out. You live in the central heart of “Made in China”.

I enjoyed walking in old market town. I wanted to pray, I followed my heart to find a Mosque. I kept squeezing without a map! What shall I do, “I feel it is near” I said to myself with confidence. I saw a gentleman, shaven head, holding prayer beads, wearing orange kandoora, “Ohh I will follow him, he is going to Mosque”, but he was going nowhere. I stopped him, but could not communicate. Later on I realized he was a Monk. But, I could find my place, and I prayed in an old Mosque called Fuyoulu. “Salam alikum, brother” a young guy said and I looked back and shook hand. He was a tourist from Malaysia, Shiekh Omar Hisham. We kept going around the city, we had fun, we almost kept laughing for two days. He was helpful because his wise father sent him to Chinese school.

On Oct 1, I took CRH train to Beijing, it moves as if you are on silk railway, you scarcely hear the “tik tik”. “Is this all made in China?”, I asked a gentleman who was travelling in the same cabin as me was in. “Yes, of course” he said proudly, “we have a saying in China,
we could have everything in the world but we could not have the FIFA world cup”.  When I arrived to Beijing, I had no address, no map, and no translator. My first food in Beijing was when I bought corn for breakfast from a nice old woman by using sign language.  I arrived at a market whose name I do not know. There were vegetables, books, fish, home accessories - all on same table.  The ground was wet from rain, but it was a roofed market, You do your shopping by walking which is hazardous as there are motorbikes driving for shopping too. It is a strange place, everyone is looking at you. It was my first time to see them and it was their first time to see someone who does not look Chinese! I left the market and was tired at this early morning and I was walking around with my shoulder bag and three leg size paint-brushes.

I started to know China, not what I used to know before. China is power, China is able to control the world. I am serious. Not because of technology, but the history which I rarely read about. Even the roots of Ottoman Empire came from China! They still have these cities where Chinese speak Turkish, where the Turkish language originally came from! Sa’ad Ibn Abi Waqqas, was wise when he moved to China during the reign of Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty in 650 AD. Today, because of his move, I see beautiful art life which not only influence the calligraphy of Chinese in unique style, but even the whole world if you know what I am talking about. For example, today, Malaysia is an Islamic country because of his move. We are westernized in many things in our daily life so we hear the word “Socrates” but in China they are forever Chinese-ized. They have their own “Confucius” who pioneered Modern China. He influenced billions and I never heard about him until my feet smelled China sand. When I reached the Niujie Mosque, I remembered “Smurf”, a cartoon I loved to watch in my
childhood. In my perspective, they shaped the same and even the accent was lovely to hear. I just sat there to listen. I almost became Chinese. This mosque was built in 996 AD and it has unique Chinese architecture with dragoons decorated on its exterior edges, the Muslims respected the Qing Dynasty law and which was tolerant enough to permit Muslims to build a mosque. It makes one feels how Islam can fit in any national environment.

The NMC, UAE National Media Council, was generous to me. I was paid daily salary above my accommodation. I did not spend from my own pocket. I wanted to use the money in the right way as much as I could. I think helping others was a good thing I did during my stay in China. I never looked at what color or faith they followed. All I wanted was to make them happy. When the lady came to clean my room in the hotel, I told her to take all the money on the table and the clothes too. I do not know her, but I was extremely happy to see her face full of happiness. I believe we have to appreciate what we have in our hands and we should share with others.

When I was at Forbidden City, “the floor was worn down and the color of the signature vermeil walls has faded due to expose to great amount of carbon dioxide exhaled by visitors” said Feng Nai’en, the Palace Museum’s assistance director. It is a huge palace, the emperor used to have hundreds of wives. Each wife had a room of their own. If a man is hired to work in this palace, were required to be castrated so that they could not sample the ruler’s treasures, no one touch my wives! Haha. But when you have too much, you are out of balance, so, one of these emperors ended up committing suicide. The tree which he hang himself is still alive – and he left forever. After that I reached the Great Wall, I put my head through the slats of the crenellated wall to enjoy the breeze blowing on my face. The power which could build this wall is gone and now we buy tickets to walk on it. Only Allah who was watching them – all I could do was to call for prayers “athan” loudly to spread it with the soft blow I am receiving from the breeze. I ran between the crowd, went inside a room, as if I already know this place, put my bag down, took my orange book and put it on the window and there we go, another art piece to make. Sorry! I cannot draw realism, I only followed my own lines and dance with it.

When I was at Beijing Dong Wu Silk Museum, it was late to pray, and I had no language to communicate. I told the employees with sign language that I want to pray to Allah. They understood, they called the manager, got me a silk carpet and space to pray. I prayed for them actually and I decided to purchase a silk from them and present it to my mother. Today, my mother love to hold it in her warm heart. Anyways, after that I reached to The National Centre for Performing Arts, a huge half egg – the other half is underground and the water moves above you. It took years to decide to build this marvelous building. Students from local universities were involved with the design and they did well. China does look at others for sure, and they can copy what you do but also be sure they can go beyond what you can do and do what you never expect. If you read more about Japan and Korea or even if you go to Malaysia and Brunei, you will see how the culture is influenced by the mother China. They all celebrate Chinese New Year, don’t they?

I really had good time, until the day I did a mistake, and crossed the limits with a girl I loved quickly. My parents were worried about me, but my feelings went over. I hurt myself, I hurt the girl and her family, and I hurt my family too. When I met her, I rush into loving her. “Wasel, you are too emotional” my mother always says. I tried to be tough, but that is me. I am trying to change. Well, it is good that everyone loves you, she was nice, and my family was patient. Today, we are friends. Well, through her I had a chance to see more of China. I went to her city in Changchun, and touched the frozen ice on the lake, “Al Ain Oasis desert man is touching ice from the lake of Changchun” I said. Changchun and Al Ain means Spring, but our spring is the water, and their spring is the season. When I was walking in the downtown of Changchun, it was a very strong feeling of déjà vu, that was really strange! I was sure that I have visited this place before!

Chinese are lovely people, they can teach you many things. They drink the tea the way we drink the Arabic Café. Literally, I mean by three fingers and in three shifts. They even used to eat by hands, as they still do in India and Malaysia. Anyways, Let me tell you this story! I was told, there was an Emperor who was worried if the food was poisoned and so he asked his people to use steel chopsticks. If the color of the steel changed, that means it is poisoned. Today, Chinese eat with wooden chopsticks, because Trust is all over their blood.

Three years ago I had lunch with Marcela Kubalova, it was my first time to have “Fondue”, I have been told it is French. Today, I saw the same in China and it is called “hotpot”. When Mongolians used to fight at the Lake Baikal, they had no food, and it was strong cold weather, they slaughtered their horses and made “hotpot” which means to steam. They made their own tools as they were out of nowhere in the cold at that time. That was where “hotpot” came from, Magnolia.

My trip was full of adventures. When I arrived Shanghai Railway Station, I had no idea which train to take and the security knew no English, so, I was forced to speak Chinese quickly which I enjoyed. I took a train, and I followed my sense that led me to Beijing, the same way when I wanted to find a Mosque in middle of the old city, Shanghai. I could develop my sense, that if you need something you really can get it no matter what. If you do not move, you will lose. I kept going to China and Malaysia for around six months and I did not have news of what is happening in UAE or other world. I am sure something was written there on big screens in China but I am glad I understood nothing. It was a good break. When I came back to UAE, Tunisia was changing the political map and followed by Egypt, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Ops! I wonder if I go another trip what changes I will see. We have to know that citizens of Earth are not looking for borders anymore, and the wealth we have can build the Earth as one nation. The more you keep in your pocket, the more stress you have. Today China is ready to do the impossible to convey everything by herself, as my friend Sheik Omar said “.. look at this table, imagine I took the glasses, tissues, keys” he hold everything on his arm from the table and I was the owner of all the things on the table “.. you go back home or join us..that is China, Wasel..” he said and we kept laughing.  He is married now, let us wish him happy life.

My home is the Earth, if we look back at our ancestors, we all are connected somewhere. My fathers ancestors came from Ottoman Empire, which means my great grandfather spoke broken Arabic. But, when I was in China, they asked me “Are you Chinese?”. I thought I was hearing wrong translation, but later on I understand that they were correct! China have 56 tribes, and one of these tribes called “Uyghur”, and when I read more about it, I knew that Turks came from there too and they have some similar features to my cousins and uncles than I do. That is why we share the Altaic languages but now I want to ask you the reader: “Are you made in China?”

Kind regards
Wasel Safwan Al Muaiji