Chechira

Lhasa in Tibet, you as a foreigner must be with at least one local. This is funny, but this is a regional rule. This rule is somehow made by a foreign government called China. Other foreigners who are staying a same hotel with mine, they travel great historical spots in the city of Lhasa with a local tour guide. I’m so interested in these assets, but I just got out of the tour , and visited an orphanage today. I was lucky. I succeeded to find a local who are teaching at Tibet University when I was in Xian. She positively cooperated with my project, and introduced me the orphanage.

Kids age from 1 to 12 are living in this orphanage. They are impressively strong minded. They quietly close their eyes and join their hands at the same time to express their thanks their own got. This huge “family” believes Tibetan Buda. But a thing I loved is that some kinds age around 5 years old couldn’t keep closing their eyes because the foods smelled so goodJ  Who has experienced to wash a couple of dozen of bowls, chopsticks, pots, pans with a cold running water in the environment in where you need to ware more than three layers? And elder kinds were the first to bring delivered heavy bags of rice.

Because I’m unusual for them, they stared at me. I smiled at them, they shyly smiling back to me. They loved to do Origami. I regretted myself that I didn’t study Tibetan language, but their curiosity and smiles were the language between us today. I just asked them to make one origami and write own dreams for each, but once one of them found where I have rest of origami papers, the origami party was started…

”Hey, you already made more than two!!”  One boy endlessly asked me how to hold origami.



“Chuji, this is my dream!!” One girl brought me three origamis, and wrote same dream three times.

“Chuji, she says he doesn’t know what his dream is yet, and I think his dream is this. Yea, I think.haha” Another elder girl deputized writing her younger sister’s dream.



“…….” A quiet boy brought me a tousled paper because he lost directions. He bravely came to me because he wanted make his dream come true!!


By the way, these communications were all wordless. All were done with gestures and smiles. I met so beautiful lives in this orphanage.

“I experience many things I dislike too. But let’s make our best in each of our lives. Your dreams will become true. Make this World better together!!” Right after I told them in English, they gave me their first English vocabulary

“YES!!!”

They waved their hands until they can’t see us. I still regret I should’ve had more times to play soccer with them. I should’ve have stroked their heads and kiss. I still wanted to make origamis even a little bit longer with them.

I taught you guys just a way to make origami, but I learned a lot lot lot of things from you guys today. 10years later, 20years late, let’s shake and move the World together my brothers and sisters. Your brother Chechira (They pronounced my name like this)is always with you!!

Go for it!!  Chechira,

Principal of this school. He supports his kids with his gains as a painter. His partner also supports the kids as a Tibetan musician. His dream for his kids is to make their own dreams come true as Tibetans.

Be manly,

I arrived in the holy city Tibet!! My transportation from Xian to here took 34hours, and I could experience the hardest bed in my life ever on the train. I was really curious how the outside-view from the window changes time by time, but I was knocked down by the weak oxygen before seeing the changing of the great continent of China. All foods in my stomach came out on the train because of my mountain sickness, and the weaken Chuji even couldn’t find an own camera which was put across my shoulders. “Hey!! Someone stole my camera!!” High altitude even takes your calmness as well as oxygen. While I was gathering information I need in my journey in Japan, many mountaineers and travelers gave me advice to take medicine for the terrible sickness, but I was just like “It will be dangerous for unmanly guys”.

Thanks Chuji for being wild…

I take rest a half day, and begin my activities later on. I will visit schools in Tibet today. I wanna see the World.

I thank all people who wish my safe back.

My journey might be dangerous, but it only happens for unmanly guys… I hope… 

Everyone has a dream.

My origami project is proceeding day by day. Although the current Chinese politic is encouraging its people to be anti-Japanese, all origami holders looked so happy to cooperate with me. I ask them to write their own dreams on wings of crane they held because, as you know, a thousand origamis is believed to make your dream come true. “make origami and write own dreams” this idea one day pop up in my brain, and I immediately decided to use this idea as the main project in my journey. Now, I’m thinking that this idea is making the holders much happier as well as myself. I am the top of the World whenever I see that they are smilingly writing their own dreams after holding their own one which they unused to do. No one is in a huff when they write own dreams.

One day I asked women at my hostel in Xian to cooperate with my project. They always silently do their job such as laundry and cleaning rooms. They didn’t say even good morning to me until they make origami. I almost forced them to make one instead of a promise that I will help their job later on the day. “….Umm, I don’t have a dream…” I didn’t understand their Chinese, but it looked like they were shyly saying that. “Are you guys done? I would like to take your photos with the origamis” I asked them. “Heeey, he’s saying he wanna take our photo!!” One of them called their folks just like a teenager. Until them, they only show me millions of favoritisms. “Chuji, I discounted laundry fee. Don’t quote anyone” “Chuji, it’s so cold today. Wear one more layer” “Chuji, I got good oranges. Put some in your bag.” I couldn’t believe people are get so closed this much in a short time. Now, they love Chuji.

Dream. Dream is a world one is willing to go sometime in one’s life. Someone is enthusiasm to see a dream. Someone else is curious to see a dream. Someone else is palpitating it’s heart to see a dream. Everyone is different to see a dream, but writing  this dreams makes the one different. And talking about own dreams might be much more efficient to make friends than unnatural smile…

Go for it!! Chuji,

Walking sponge

　I met Japanese business people in Xian today. Two are running their own IT business, and the other is running his own Chinese restaurant. I could easily see why they are successful in this foreign market. They were so powerful and positively facing their days. My origami project processed a little bit because of their help. The restaurant guy will gather his people for the project. So many thanks!!

I mainly asked them current affair of Chinese businesses, especially middle size-city like Xian unlike Beijing and Shanghai. (Xian is already so huge though!!) According to what they said,

Chinese business people treat human relation importantly more than cash. Since their histories have experienced many unstable kings and governments, they tend to focus on people around themselves.

They are creative and flexible, and always looking for profitable business ideas.

You have to tell them everything because they have less “common understanding” in between. Yet they understand and do once you told them what you want them to do.

So quick to make a decision. This might be why many Japanese businesses are still struggling in the Chinese market.

This is also what I have been feeling in China. They are so tough and smart. They know how to survive where they need to survive. Smartness is always same between nations, but they are somehow so street-smart.

This is what I wanna learn. I will absorb like a sponge. Yes, I’m a walking sponge. Can’t wait to see more “new world” in further destinations.

The Japanese business people gave me some financial supports for my journey, and taught me much more things than I wrote above. Oh you are so happy Chuji, don’t forget their kindness.

Go for it!! Chuji,