三江源生态环境保护协会

The last stream of light finally faded, the grassland suddenly dimmed down, I have driven out of 3 great rivers sources.Looking at the faint clouds, I finally realized that I was leaving.

My Dear friends, maybe you cannot understand, when I was alone on the train, the memories of us on the road to Caochi, the 3 vehicles, waiting, helping one another, the songs & laughter, were so warm to me.

I don’t know if there’re other places in the world that have so much laughter & songs…...

After my under-graduate studies, I continued with my post-graduate Degrees in Nanjing University.But I used to be discontented & I cannot allow my life to go on unchanged. In Summer 2006, I suspended my studies & went to Qinghai as a volunteer recruited in the Western Project.That year in Qinghai, I came to know much more about the world, especially the economic condition in the Western part of the nation, outside the University. Though I always feel defeated, though I always feel lonely, I maintain my original ideals because those new experiences & touching encounters supported me.The special cultures on the plateau & Tibetan areas kept attracting me to get closer & closer.When I was teaching as a volunteered teacher in Duoxiu, the Tibetan friends gave me a very beautiful Tibetan name: Gong La Mei Duo

When that year’s volunteer work came to a close, on an accidental occasion, I met Za Duo.At that time, I was particularly fond of the outdoor & was crazily in love with Ke Ke Xi Li.I did not have any idea of environmental protection, Za Duo’s rich experience & talkativeness made him glow.I became curious about 3 Great Rivers sources & Snowland Great Rivers Environmental Protection Association.Za Duo was also interested in my profession thus he invited me to help in the Association, which I immediately agreed.

In July 2007, I was the first time in Yushu & became one of the volunteers of the Association.Then, I had an urgent task: to construct the Association’s web-site before I went to Caochi.But the early stage preparation of the 1st Caochi Culture festival was also my job.I had only 1 week’s time, thus I had to work till late in the night & in the final night I worked till dawn. I slept for only a few hours & when I woke up, I saw Ou Yao with the PC at my bedside.I then complaint that even when I was training in the busiest 4A Advertising Co., I had not worked so much ‘overtimes’.But I then found out, others were having tougher times than I. Working overnight seemed to be the norm & they could only have time for one meal the whole day long.At the Ecological Culture festival, we had to get up at 5 a.m. & then worked till night.When they returned home, their family members commented that they’re all too thin & dark to recognize.

Fortunately the web-site was completed on time & the preparation work properly finished.I was gradually accustomed to the thoughts & styles of these Kang Ba people. Our relationship & cooperation enhanced.

On 12th July, all the Association’s officers went to Caochi to prepare for the 1st Ecological Culture festival.This was the 1st time I was in the pastoral areas for such a long time: lived in tents, slept on the ground, drank their special kind of tea, ate the tough yak meat & had not taken a bath for over half a month.Ke Ke Xi Li is a tough place, we had to solve many problems relating to survival, but I played no role in the sorting out of the solutions, whenever problems arised, I could only gazed at these Kang Ba men who’re heatedly discussing the issues in their own language.Before I had figured out what’s happening, the problem was already solved.

At the same time, cultural hindrance was unavoidable.The language barrier always made me feel lonely.What’s happening? Why they laughed?When had this shifted to that?All these were unknown to me.Such feelings were sometimes amusing, but sometimes upsetting.

A U Gong Qing was always having great expectation on me, always wanted to teach me Tibetan.However, I only had little talent in this aspect, I could only remember 15 single words & also, they probably didn’t understand my Tibetan. The silly me always contravened the local customs. E.g. my balancing power was so poor that I couldn’t walk smoothly between the eating tools on the ground, thus I was always blamed for bouncing here & there.Whenever A U Gong Qing saw me go into the tent, he would eagerly embrace the foods.If there was yogurt, I would be the target of everyone.When A U Jiang Duo saw me, he would then shout, “beware of the yogurt! Mei Duo, beware of the yogurt”……these had become their jokes.

　　 If it was said that I was initially attracted by the charisman of Za Dou to come here, after I was in the Association, his glows gradually faded.I saw not an association full of achievements, but live people bearing tough & routine works.Winner of 2006 CCTV Economic Celebrities- Za Xi Duo Jie is a normal human, busily taking care here & there.There certainly were hazards working 4500m above sea-level.Though the Kang Ba people were born & lived here, the cold & thin air made their lips purple, though due to the white color of their skin & teeth, the lips were not so outstanding. A U Jiang Duo had plateau reaction, his noses bled everyday when he was in Caochi.These youths were truly lovely. Dong Zhou constructed the web-site with me, but due to different styles, we had many disagreements at the beginning. Being hot-tempered, I always got angry & Dong Zhou would always looked at me with his clear bright eyes.His innocent look cooled me down. Za la used to make jokes in typical Tibetan ways.He looked so honest & sincere, he could made people believe in him.In the endthey would know that was a joke.He was still solemn, seemed to say that: I was making jokes seriously.Ou Yao was very popular. Many people would wonder why this handsome guy had to dig garbage pit, set up outdoor toilets, staying all the day in the kitchen, & the foods he made were so delicious.Ren Zen always gazed at me, over half a month, she was sleeping beside me, fighting for spaces on the wet grassland of the plateau in our dreams. To prepare for the performance in the culture festival, we practised hard the Tibetan songs, but I didn’t understand what I sang & maybe others didn’t know either.But I will remember the song in the rest of my life, its name was ‘Longings from afar’. In Caochi I understood the meaning of A U. Tibetans put them in front of the names of male seniors to show respect.But at the same time, I knew its meaning in Guangdongnese:Monster. Thus thereafter, every time I say A U, I would smile mysteriously.Ya Zhuo was originally very glad that I learnt a new word in Tibetan, but when he understood what I knew, whenever I was about to call him, he would always asked anxiously, “don’t call me monster”.Qingshui, volunteer from HK, is an easy lady. She had different responses in those situations.But criticizing these Kong Ba men’s attitude towards volunteers was our common interest.

　　 In Caochi I sat under the holly mountain everyday to watch the pikas fight, to look at the fat dry otters play on the grassland.The herdsmen wore beautiful Tibetan costumes, made funs in their own ways & from time to time looked at me, the stranger, up & down.The splendid Culture festival closed.The next day, the herdsmen dismantled the tents, preparing to leave.They came to bid us farewell. That was a moving scene, people that we didn’t know came to shake hands & bid us “Cai Ren”. In a morning, tens of colorful tents disappeared.It could hardly be comprehended that in this vast empty grassland, hundreds of people had had revelries.I also left Caochi, then 3 Great Rivers sources, & this lovely team.

　　 I discovered, after this month, that I had already been accustomed to drinking the Kang Ba tea instead of water, accustomed to sleeping in the big tent, among the dream talks & snores; accustomed to staying away from the rain with the sleeping equipment, accustomed to their continuously correcting my behaviors that violated their customs, accustomed to listening to the Tibetan jokes that I would never understand & their never ending black humour.

At first, I brought a question to 3 Great Rivers sources: why are these people doing all these not for any return & with great hazards & hardship?I asked everyone this question, until I left, I still hadn’t got a clear answer

But I realize that I have to ask myself this question now, why I left my heart there?

It was due to the low dense clouds, the starry night, or the harmonious & mute grassland?