my first crazy act
Three years ago just a week before the American holiday called “Thanksgiving” the wonderful “family friendly”, “we care about the individual” place of work, Cox Communications, ended my contract because they needed to save some money at the end of the year and I had done a good job so my project was approaching completion. The contract was supposed to last until year end and I had planned to look for a new contract in January. They knew as well as I that starting a new contract before Christmas that year would be almost impossible. Not just me, many other families got the same news. Left to wonder, how much should I spend this Christmas? Maybe it will take a while to find a contract next year? I should be careful. Now I need to go home and tell my family. Despite doing a good job it feels like failure. It makes it clear who has the power. It makes it clear where the heart of their business lies.
I struggled. I thought. I didn’t want to let them drag me down into this place. I talked to friends and being good friends they said don’t worry, of course you will start something new in January. Finally, somehow, I thought what would I do if it was my decision? The answer came quickly. Go far away and experience another culture. Alone. Test myself. Challenge myself. I was already curious about the symbols used in mandarin and trying to understand why the Chinese can and do learn to read and write in English but we can’t or don’t do the same with mandarin (for the most part). We can’t even learn to say Chinese names, they have to pick simple American names for us when they come to the United States. We don’t pick Chinese names when we go to China or for use with our Chinese friends. The Chinese families I have come to know all, all, all without fail emphasize teaching their children at least four languages – Chinese, English, mathematics, and music. I live in a state that passes laws to prevent the use of other languages than English. I live in a state that has gutted music education in the schools.
As I write this I am riding on a high speed train traveling from Hangzhou to Guangzhou, China. We are moving at about 305 kph (about 190 mph). This is one of thousands of such trains in China. In the United States there are none. Not one. China will also surpass the United States in the volume of air travel by 2020. Beijing is building an new airport that is expected to be the busiest in the world. So the trains are on top of air travel, not instead of it.
Anyway, just before thanksgiving in 2015, just one year after having both hips replaced and four years after finishing chemotherapy and radiation for Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, I looked to see how much it cost for a round trip ticket to Shanghai, China. A place I only knew from movies. $675 round trip. I thought fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Are you anything David! Do you need to ask mommy? Do you need to make sure everyone is happy with this before you do it? Do you have a life or are you just a placeholder? Can you do anything at all in this life? Did you get your hips replaced so you could sit at home? You’ve spent all these years paying for houses and clothes and soccer and dance and karate and college and dentists and cars and stupid toys that last 2 weeks after Christmas, don’t these people love you enough to let you keep some pride, to let you do something?
I bought the ticket. Oh so many moments of doubt before that trip. Oh so hard to communicate this decision. Oh so much resistance. But I thought if I can’t do this I might as well be dead. I remember telling my family, I could be going to heaven, but I’m not, I’m going to China. People come back from China.
On the plane ride there I remember feeling what a huge mistake I had made. I still wonder sometimes. I am in new territory and I don’t have a map. Of course I had a map of China. Before leaving my daughter asked me why am I doing this terrible thing to her (going to China for 3 weeks) and my wife would not even drive me to the airport. I am sure I didn’t communicate well. It also was not received in the way I might have hoped.
I met an American man on the plane who worked for HP and was on his way to Chongqing to check quality in one of their operations there. He spoke with such knowledge of China, I asked him questions for 10 hours. He seemed to enjoy it also. He explained how the HP supply chain routes products by barge upriver to trains and then products travel by train through Russia to supply all of Europe. I sat there in the glow of nightlights on the plane, and the incessant engine noise, just fascinated by the things he had done, by the things he knew.
I remember the cab ride from the airport to the Hotel. The money was unfamiliar, I knew nothing about the hotel beyond what booking.com had on their site. I was in an older vehicle with very dirty windows, with a man who spoke no English and was completely protected by a metal cage. I was trying to make out where I was through the filthy windows and wondering more than ever what a mistake I had made. All that talk on the plane and then I am sitting in the middle of the excitement having doubts? I tracked the taxi on Apple Maps on my iphone and could see we were on a reasonable route to the hotel.
I stayed calm throughout the trip. I knew I could handle whatever came up, and if I couldn’t, well, then I couldn’t. On that trip I learned a lot about China, and a lot about David. I made wonderful new friends named Alex and Jiayi. Alex helped me navigate the subway and the train station and I went to stay for a week with them in Tianjin. I never could have known when I bought the ticket. I had no plans, no idea, nothing. I jumped.
Well now I am at the end of my third trip to China. I’ve been to Shanghai and Beijing twice, Tianjin, Dalian, Shijiazhuang, Wuxi, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Wuhan, Hangzhou, and now I am headed to Foshan. If you asked me to pick my favorite I couldn’t do it. Each is different. Each is amazing. I found new friends in each. And I have learned more about myself and America than I ever could have imagined.
More to come.
David
david geiger 
4 Responses to “my first crazy act”
Such a wonderful story for you to share! I can’t wait to hear more about your adventures and the people you have met
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Such a wonderful story dad!! I can’t believe you have this opportunity, I really do strive to be like you someday!
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This is so awesome!!! A truly amazing story..I hope I can do this some day.
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This is very inspirational Mr. Geiger, I hope that someday I’ll be able to explore the world as well.
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