Lawrence Today magazine, Fall 2002
By Rebecca Neubauer, '03
"I'm going to get my picture taken with a geisha!" I would confidently tell anyone who asked about my upcoming trip to China and Japan. Ever since the first time I read it, Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden has been my favorite book. I immediately thought of that world of white make-up, elegant kimonos, teahouses, and dance and music training that has so fascinated me, when I spotted Gion, the geisha district of Kyoto, on the trip itinerary. Aside from this, when I awoke at 4:30 a.m. on the morning of March 21 to leave for the 11-day trip, I wasn't sure what to expect. I was about to see two countries very different from my own or any country I had previously visited.
The highlight of our time in Xi'an was our visit to the Terra Cotta Warriors Museum. The warriors were placed around the tomb of the first Chinese emperor to protect him in the afterlife. More than 8,000 soldiers have been uncovered in three excavation pits. Each soldier is different, and it is amazing to think of the number of workers and hours it must have taken, especially given that the tomb was built around 200 B.C.
In Beijing, we climbed the Great Wall. Merchants offered the opportunity to have your picture taken at the wall, while dressed as a warrior or princess and posing with a camel. We also visited the Forbidden City, the home of the Ming and Qing emperors beginning in 1420. Within miles of the splendor and grandeur of the Forbidden City, I saw the poverty and poor living conditions that many Chinese suffer. As a government major, I see a sharp contrast between the world power China's leaders want it to be and the poverty of its people. While I recognize that every country, including my own, has many people who suffer from poverty, it is hard to understand how a country can spend millions of dollars on nuclear weapons, the 2008 Olympics, and other means of increasing its international prestige, when its average citizen must work two days to be able to afford a Big Mac Meal at McDonald's.
Our visit to Japan seemed to be timed perfectly with the peak of the cherry blossom season, for every tree was laden with the beautiful pink blossoms. Our hotel in Kyoto was a traditional Ryokan. The floor was covered in tatami mats, and beds were made for us on the floor at night. We removed our shoes before entering our room, and there were cotton kimonos in the closet for us to wear.
On Mount Koya, we stayed in a Shingon Buddhist monastery, where we attended a morning prayer service -- something very different from the Lutheran services I am used to. The monks chanted their prayers without pause. The room was dark, and the smell of incense hung in the air. I felt as though I was intruding on their meditation, as I looked on with the curiosity of an outsider rather than as a follower.
I never imagined I would so enjoy a spring break where I was up almost every morning before 6:00 a.m. The days never seemed long enough to see all that we wanted to. I ate everything from Peking duck to rehydrated tofu and from Chinese dumplings to sushi. And I did get my picture taken with a geisha.
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