Today is the first day of Lunar New Year – the year of Water Rabbit. To celebrate a new start, we went for our favorite drive – the Road of Magpies. The Lunar New Year carries a significant weight for Chinese, no matter where you are. It’s the cultural root; the deep memory of how parents and close family raised you up that imprint that New Year mantra deep into your genes; the connection of who you are and where you came from spiritually. Deep into the mind, on this special day, we need to do something special, meaningful, positive or whatever connects you with the inner self, that something dim and delicate in the corner of your heart that belongs to your own childhood, your original self.
We discovered this road during the Pandemic, a road less travelled. Actually our destination is a National Park. In the park we only spend about an hour and half because it’s a day trip, and the road itself will take three hours to get there. The most important part of the journey is the road.
In just under an an hour, we start to enter the mountains. The road starts to quiet down, happily there is no need to worry about the traffic. The road starts to twist and wind along the mountains, once a while you can see a house or building peeking in the distance. What kind of people will live here, in such remote deep mountains, like Shagari-la. There are not many trees in the mountains, so they become very distinctive, especially in Springtime when a tree is full of blossoms, or Fall with gorgeous golden leaves, become landmarks of the scenery, standing with poise, moving with elegance. Sometimes I wish I could take a picture of these stunning moments from the air, or just with my own eyes, however even without those physical pictures, the scene is carved into my mind, forever belonging to me.
Driving on such a road I like to play my favorite music, let my mind fly free, the music slows down or perks up as if rolling with the twist of the canyons. Once past the giant boulder, the scene suddenly opened up, flattening towards big sky. Music sometimes telling stories of the past, that distant self from far away, with scenery passing by and stories created around. Those ranches or villages hiding in the deep mountains, drawing the human touch even in remote countryside. Sometimes, there are herds of cows appearing on top of the hill moving towards the fence; What a ranch! Made of the whole mountain! At this time, like on a stage, the music perfectly started the show, the charm of music takes you flying across time and space, landing on a time in the past. Driving through the mountain, or open range, high grass move in the breeze like ocean waves, sky and earth join together at the end of the mountain. Anything is possible, everything moves with the rhythm of music, all the emotions become pictures, and you are the viewer of yourself. Loneliness amplifies when no one understands, but with trees next to you, mountains far away, even the old abandoned houses seem to connect with you, you aren’t alone any more, you belong here, that freedom gives you joy of solitude.
It’s interesting, we can often see Magpies on this road, which is quite rare. While in China Magpies are frequently seen, and considered a bird of good luck. But I notice that in the US, I rarely can see them any more, at least in California. In China there’s a saying: if you see Magpies in the morning, good luck is on its way, if in the evening good fortune/money is coming. I rather believe such luck, especially as I see them so often. Surprisingly I start to see them again on this road. Maybe because it’s remote, maybe there’s perfect food supply for Magpies. So the Magpies picked this road. Actually a friend of mine who is a bird expert just told me that only in Central California, Yellow-billed Magpies exist. What a nice surprise! And coincidentally, I’m on this road to meet them.
Whenever I’m on this road, my heart will be opened up like those mountain ranches, my mind will fly like those magpies, no more interruption, as if entering Shavasana mode, empty my mind and quiet my thoughts, only mountains, ranches and chirping Magpies.
Actually there’s a road of Magpies in everyone’s mind, which takes you to the deep spring in your heart and unpolluted land of Shagari-la. Go for a drive, tap into that long time no see, old self.