DC Crosswalks, July 19

More than 40 seconds / DC Metro StationI remember the heat and the haze. It was like walking in an oven preheated at 350 degrees. Our Beijing girls had their umbrellas out, hiding from the sun. Some held their purses over their heads. Others, like me, walked the streets with our sunglasses on. There were 4 UT representatives guiding 28 Beijing friends. Maybe if the sun hid behind the clouds for just 30 minutes, our walk would have been better. Or maybe if we each had a cold, wet towel to throw over our heads, my frustration would have been better hidden. But there was none of that. There were only my sweaty fingers fiercely pointing towards the right direction and my eyes constantly dodging for oncoming cars. My peers and I had to keep the group together and in check. But it was hard. A group of 28 could lengthen and cover almost four blocks of DC if it wanted to: one broken link right behind the other. And that is exactly what happened. DC crosswalks were grateful enough to give us 40-60 seconds to cross an intersection. But it was clear that the Chinese used this opportunity to take pictures of the Capitol and the White House and the pigeon roosting on the nearby lamppost. I remember telling them to hurry and in response, a few of them would run. I wanted to keep this flow of runners going, but soon they would stop again to take pictures in the middle of the road. 350 degrees flew up to 500. Fallen strands of my hair stuck to the back of my neck. I was hot and furious, but they were excited. They always ran towards me smiling, high on adrenaline from almost getting hit by the car probably. As an immature photographer, I could understand, but in this heat and rush, it definitely took time. It could be thrilling sometimes, I know.

I remember sitting down with Kitty looking at these pictures later that day. Some were blurry and others were out of focus.  It was rough, but I found it all beautiful and well-captured. Kitty pointed at the screen and explained where each was taken. I wanted to shout “I know!!! I remember so clearly because there was a taxi coming at you from 8 feet away!” But nevertheless, it was a cultural collision that became a cultural interrelation. I felt joy while flipping through these pictures with her. I felt like as long as the walk may have seemed that afternoon, these pauses she captured were all well worth it. These snapshots will always remain, and the harsh heat will soon die with the season.