West Meets East©

By Caroline Patrick BorNei

Certified Red Ribbon Professional of the International Feng Shui Guild

Caroline is traveling in China once again and will bring you up to date on her new travels soon. Please enjoy these rerun series of her past journeys to Asia.

Between Two Worlds, Part 4

The scenic beauty of Taiwan stimulated the artist in me as our two tour buses traveled around the lush, productive island. I photographed everything of interest for future paintings and art workshops. The important location of Taiwan has always been of interest to invaders since it is so near China, and it has been occupied by other countries throughout its history, more recently the Dutch and Japanese. These influences could be seen in the architecture of buildings, plants, churches, temples and native people’s features. As the days passed, the camaraderie of our Feng Shui group took on a spiritual Chi, which can’t be explained but only witnessed. Even our tour guide, Tony, surrendered to our dedication and passion for learning everything we could about Feng Shui. His perfection with scheduling soon dissipated, and he quickly understood where our priorities fell. If Professor Lin wanted to stop and see his friend, the Governor of Taichung, the bus detoured to the government building. Television cameras recorded the unplanned event for the evening news. We learned flexibility. Flexibility is truly where magic lives. Embracing this Wood Element quality allows the spirit and body freedom to bend and flow without “breaking.” Illness is avoided and fear takes a back seat. You grow in wisdom and vitality. Each day held adventure, Feng Shui on-site education, laughter, tears of joy and, at the end of the day, five-star hotels!

We continued up and down the coasts, visited museums and temples, sailed aboard a large boat on Sun Moon Lake, saw historical sites, tasted tea at Luyeh Tea Garden, toured the ruins of the Neolithic Age, experienced Kenting National Park, went site-seeing at Siaoyeliou and Sansiantai, tasted exquisite foods, shopped at night markets, enjoyed performances of local Indian tribes and experienced the healing mineral baths high in the mountains.

While some students took precise notes of places and things, I wandered off with my camera, “seeing” things in a different way. Many Taiwanese were bilingual, but I am not gifted in the art of languages. Sign language was my main communication, and I innocently enjoyed bartering for trinkets and gifts, but learned this custom wasn’t as popular in Taiwan as in China.

I soon found my limits of communication when trying to make a hot deal! The year of the Fire Pig was coming quickly, but I was looking for jade tigers, horses and other zodiac animals instead of the Pig as I shopped Snake Alley, a famous area, where snakes are actually cooked as a special addition to the cuisine. I had difficulty finding the other little charms. A very diligent woman merchant kept close watch over her merchandise as I looked for the special totems. She persistently insisted I needed a pig and poked several of the little pudgy creatures in my face. “No,” I said over and over, pushing her hands away, continuing my search for tigers and horses. It was evident she had an overabundance of pigs and I was just the perfect tourist to unload her wares. Finally I was able to secure a few tigers and horses, some miniature gourds on red string, pocket Baguas with the I-Ching symbols, and some Chinese coins woven together, all symbols of good luck, fortune and protection, great little gifts and giveaways for friends and clients.

Ready to make the purchase, I put on my serious, “I don’t really know if I want these items” face and proceeded to barter. Quickly I found this tiny person could care less about my deal and wanted the items put back on the table…. Pronto! Seeing I was only getting into trouble with a local on her territory and could have landed in her city jail, I agreed to her cost, as it was very affordable to start with, but from the beginning, I was assuming barter was the customary procedure. I promptly smiled and began laughing at her feisty attitude, while acknowledging out loud, “You are good, you are very good!” She replied with a frown, and realized I received very little change for my paper money. Suddenly, out of the blue, I leaned over and gave her a big hug, and instantly she stiffened like a board. Her little body felt like a metal pole in my arms. Next and without thought, I found myself pushing her body at arm’s length looking deeply into her eyes and then just as quickly pulled her body to me a second time, trying to get a response. My affectionate approach did not melt my “new friend’s” heart. I bid her farewell and rushed to catch up with a friend who had long ago tired of my attempts to make a new friend and was shopping at the end of the alley. Several minutes went by when suddenly I jumped sideways to keep out of the path of a woman on a bicycle yelling at me. Holding my arms upward as if I was expecting a hold-up, the same little old lady dismounted her two-wheeler. I quickly shouted, “I didn’t steal anything!” Her tiny fists opened and two small rosewood animals appeared. She took my hands and forcefully placed the tokens in my palms, motioning that they were a gift for me. A huge smile came from her lips, “You good” the lady countered, bending up and down, up and down in a greeting bow. We laughed with one another in mutual understanding and admiration of how tough it is for women throughout the world in retail. I stared as she rode quickly back to her “store” to keep vigil.

The world is very small, and it gets smaller each day. This is one story among many I will treasure and hold dear. Meeting the people of other nations with mutual human needs gives me pleasure. I may not be a good note taker, but I value each trip with His Holiness Grandmaster Lin Yun, as there is a surprise around every corner. Soon I hope to journal and share many more of these experiences in a book called Between Two Worlds.

Greetings to all,

I am opening new a new office in Portland and closing down the office in Mt. Vernon, WA and will be in residence by September 1st.

Much of my work has expanded to Arizona, Colorado, Oregon, California and other locations, which makes Portland a pivotal location for travel, teaching, speaking and the arts. MILEPOST 5 is a community for Creating and is 15 minutes from the airport.

I will be traveling to Canada, China and Arizona in-between the relocation, so the phone number above is the best way to stay in touch for now (also email) ... temporary phone is (503) 208-2906. For teaching schedules, please go to www.moongateschool.com.

Thank you for your continued support, stay focused and let the OX of 2009 plow the fields of opportunity, but decide now what you want planted now.......for 2010 and in the future.

Blessings and good Chi,

Caroline Patrick BorNei Certified Feng Shui Consultant

Red Ribbon Professional of

the International Feng Shui Guild

www.fengshuiartistry.com

caroline@fengshuiartistry.com