The best times are on the road

Travel blogger Guo Ziying stands in front of a 100 strong group of listeners, warmly recounting a few highlights of his worldly travels. He often pauses to smile, a smile where the corners of his mouth quirk upwards in amusement, a smile which his audience clearly finds contagious. His face and energy both emanate youth, regardless of his years. \'The Best Times are on The Road\' is Guo\'s new book. It chronicles his traveling experiences, his crisp photos complimenting the text. Guo is well aware that he has been fortunate in having had the opportunity to travel to more than forty countries across the globe. (He worked as a journalist and in the travel industry for a decade or so, and traveled independently as well)Indeed, as China develops and more Chinese citizens exit the country\'s borders, general interest in what lies outside continues to grow. This thirst is particularly evident during the Q and A period of Guo\'s talk; an uncountable number of hands consistently stretch towards the ceiling as people vie for the chance to ask Guo a question. Eyes gazing upwards, Guo philosophically muses about his experience. \"Travel is based on change, on difference, on distance. Distance between your own culture and another totally different culture. It [forces you to] get through.\" The book draws from his extensive blog writings which also have a strong focus on his photography. Guo shoots everything from idyllic landscapes to wildlife to life\'s overlooked curiosities. But mainly he is drawn to people. The bright colours of Guo\'s photos are about nothing less than vibrancy of life itself. His subjects\' expressions and postures always reveal something about one\'s inner life. Guo\'s photos shape his experiences, but he also shapes them. In fact, he bluntly states that his pictures do not reflect reality. He finds himself particularly drawn to images of beauty and happiness. He believes he can create a kind of Shangri-La this way. Images of poverty and pain are best left to other photographers, he says. In fact, his camera is such an integral part of his experience, that traveling without it is refreshing. The one time he had his camera and wallet stolen, he was able to enjoy new freedom to focus on meeting people and viewing the world without the aid of a camera lens. \"There is a Chinese saying: when you lose your horse, it can be a good thing,\" he quips. Indeed, changing one\'s perspective is one of his reasons for traveling. Every place he\'s seen has given him some new perspective. Before, his impression of the world came largely from his middle school geography classes, the content of which--he believe--was far too limited. He and his peers had no idea that someday they could personally visit the very places which they were studying. With comical boldness, Guo states that it could be best to throw away the contents of those oversimplified lessons. \"Most of us have gotten away from those middle school geography lessons,\" says Guo, with a hint of pride. \"We have to learn it ourselves. From our travels.\" And what can he say after visiting so many countries? After viewing the Gallup polls ratings of happiness in different countries, Guo finds some truth in its results, but he also finds that many of its conclusions don\'t align with his own observations. His own gauge of happiness is simply the number of smiling faces that he saw, and the friendliness of the people. \"[Regardless of some countries\' low rankings] I think that Myanmar people and Cambodian people and other Buddhist countries have the same spirit and character. Based on the spirit of Buddhism, [you should] tolerate people, hug your enemy, look inside of your heart, commit to some meditation everyday… In some countries you have to be a monk for five years of your life, like military service [in other countries]. That\'s why they look happier than other countries.\" But ultimately, conclusions are hard to reach. \"Every country has its own character, it\'s own stories to make them happy,\" Guo ponders. \"In the end it\'s a mystery.\" Having traveled to so many countries, Guo had countless opportunities to meet people. Guo jokes that as a journalist he learned the way to talk with people, jokingly calling it \"some kind of professional sickness.\" Basically, you don\'t worry about offending people, and you don\'t hesitate to ask the questions you want to ask. In Egypt, Guo researched the death of King Tut, and was delighted to hear different local opinions about its cause. (Accident? Natural causes? Murder?) Guo is fascinated about such conflicting opinions. As a photographer, he understands: \"These things can go beyond what can be seen with the eyes.\" The people he\'s met and the roads he followed have ultimately led him to a place of particular importance. Home. It wasn\'t a fish who discovered the water, thus leaving China one gains perspective on it, good and bad. Guo\'s speech becomes hushed as he describes a sweet boy in Myanmar who was virtually begging for his cheap made in China electric fan. Guo painfully refrained, giving instead a smile and a healthy tip. \"Every summer I buy this same fan. But you can only use it for three months, two months, or even one week! I do not want to give this kind of fan to a lovely, smart and sunny boy in Myanmar. I want to give him some gift I can be proud of. I don\'t want to give him rubbish.\" Nonetheless, Guo\'s love for China remains unrestrained, bolstered even by his time away. \"More travel makes you love China more. When you visit Europe, when you visit North America, when you visit Africa… you will want to go back to China after 15 days… Chinese people find the difference between Chinese culture and western cultures. They can\'t feel at home in a western culture. Something is fixed in their genes. They can not change it. \"In my heart, I think there\'s only one place for me to live, to spend the rest of my life. This is Beijing. Because I am a Chinese guy. I have no plans to live in other places. I want to die here in Beijing.\" The Best Times are on The Road can be purchased at www.dangdang.com or www.amazon.cn. (Chinese only)