Saving Fish from Drowning - Heal Burma

SAVING FISH FROM DROWNING
with these Buddha-like talents I now possessed, the Celestial Eye, the
Celestial Ear, the Mind of Others. Furthermore, I report these inti­
mate details that are salient only so that you might better judge later
what occurred and why. Just remember: Throughout history, many a
world leader was injudiciously influenced by his malfunctioning
bladder, bowels, and other private parts. Didn’t Napoleon lose at
Waterloo because he couldn’t sit in a saddle, on account of hemor­
rhoids?
At one o’clock, the eager travelers began their downward trek into
the canyon that was the heart of Stone Bell Mountain. They were
slightly disoriented from jet lag, the bouncy bus ride, and retreating
motion sickness. Miss Rong’s version of English did not help mat­
ters. She was trying to recall which English words meant “east,”
“west,” “north,” and “south,” and eventually she translated her di­
rections thus: “Descend shady side, see temple grotto, ascend sunny
side up, return the bus.” Of course, such terms are relative to the
time of day. In fact, they rely entirely on the assumption that sunny
and shady remain constant even after the sun has been completely
obliterated by storm clouds as black as the tumbling seas.
To those who might visit the Lijiang region one day, let me assure
you that winter is an excellent time for travel. It is the dry season.
Even in late December, the days are usually warm and pleasant,
while the nights are brisk but easily managed with a sweater or light
pullover, unless, of course, you are someone like Heidi, who prefers
layers—a down vest with Gore-Tex waterproofing, microfleece leg­
gings, a 30 SPF shirt pretreated with mosquito repellent, a heat-
retaining cap with visor, and a two-ounce Space blanket—in other
words, a compact arsenal of techno-wear to enable her to handle
every impossibility. I am not poking fun at Heidi, for as it turned out,
she was the only one who was suitably prepared for mosquitoes with
voracious appetites for Americans, and for skies that demonstrated
with dramatic effect what might occur during a surprise flash flood.
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