M-whY

So for me, the people I admire most are thse who do what they love for a living (provided they don't hate it after it becomes work). Just as worthy of respect are those who make the effort to realize their dreams, no matter how far-fetched they may be. Quitting one's job to do so is bound to give parents fits - I know, I went through it - but while you're young, capable, and free of obligations... why not roll the dice and see what comes up?

Tim, a friend of mine from high school, is one of those who realized he wasn't quite ready to climb the corporate ladder just yet, leaving behind a job at a prestigious company to venture into uncertainty. He happened to be in Shanghai, and we arranged to meet in front of one of the many shopping malls.

"Oh shit..." he grinned, as we shook hands in front of KFC. Being bad at keeping in touch with people, I hadn't seen or talked to him since high school graduation seven years ago. It was pure coincidence that I came across his email several weeks ago.

"What've you been up to!?"

Now I think I've had a fairly interesting life the past year. Tim's is arguably more compelling. While 'bumming' around in Shanghai, he discovered his passion in life, music, and is now working his way into the industry. He caught a break several months ago, earning a spot on China's version of 'American Idol', the country's first ever reality TV show. With talent that I never knew he had, he had managed to make it to the final five before being eliminated.

"I'm kinda hungry," he said, and so while he had some fried chicken, I listened to some tracks he had written and recorded on the mini Ipod. To fit his music into a genre, it'd have to go under rap, and I'm not brown-nosing when I say it pretty good. It wasn't the stereotypical American hip-hop about violence, drugs, and bling-bling. That sort of stuff would never fly in a place where the government believes that music should be 'healthy'.

We caught the subway to Three on the Bund, one of the old historical buildings that has been converted into, among other things, a restaurant/bar. Outdoor seating was full - what else would you expect on a cool saturday evening? - so we took a seat indoors. Tim filled me in on what other high school classmates were up to. Most are very successful in the conventional sense, but I wasn't jealous or anything. I'll get mine in the future. Right now, I'm having the time of my life.

"So did you ever think you'd be travelling the world at age 25?"

"Not really, I mean, I've always wanted to do this, but I didn't know if it would ever happen." No where in my life plan was the line: Age 25, be in China on a backpacking trip.

It was a low-key evening, just two friends catching up, sharing stories, and commiserating in our uncertain futures. Despite being fourth runner up on China's highest rated TV show at the time, it hasn't been 'Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous' for Tim just yet. Only the winner gets a guaranteed record deal; The other contestants still have some work to do.

"Do you ever think about what you'll do if you don't make it? Like, you can't still be doing this when you're 30 right?"

"Yeah, but I try not to think that far ahead." Like me, he was taking things one day, one week, one month, at a time. At our age, this type of mindset is forgivable. (I have to admit though, now that my trip is more than half done, I sometimes wonder what I'm going to do when I finish.)

The lights on the Bund went off at around 11:00pm, so we finished our drinks and headed out. "I'm still kinda hungry," said Tim, and we went off in search of a 24 hour McDonalds. Two guys walking down the street at this hour attracted a lot of pimps trying to lure us into shady KTV joints.

"Paying for sex isn't as big a deal here as it is in the States," commented Tim, verbalizing something I've noticed since arriving in Asia. It's still looked down upon, but there's no 'loser' stigma attached to it. Nevertheless, we ignored them, because as Tim so eloquently put it, I'd like to think I have enough game left in me that I don't need to resort to prostitutes.

A couple people caught sight of Tim, and recognizing him as that guy from TV, begged to have their pictures taken with him. Tim acted as if this stuff happened all the time, prompting me to ask him if it really was the case.

"Yeah, sometimes people recognize me..." he admitted. If that was the case, then I too needed a picture. Just so if he ever becomes a mega-star, I can say 'Hey, I knew this kid back when he was a starving artist.'

Thanks to everyone for their support and comments! Knowing people are reading keeps me motivated to continue the updates!