Smile Writing Contest

Nostalgia

It is in middle of May, several months since I went back home. I look through the window and observe the bright stars. My soul leaves my body, travels thousand miles of sea, and reaches my home. It is early morning in Guiyang, the sun in the east slightly shows his head up. My parents are asleep, but I don’t come for them. I come for the haze of my hometown. The haze is a name card of the city, an unforgettable scene.

On this date, my hometown is best for tasting the haze. I usually invite some friends and have a healthy breakfast while enjoying the haze. The sky shares the same color as the ground. The vague skyscrapers in distance are covered by the color of mystery. They are like mirage on a desert, creating a scene that every building is floating in the sky. On the street, I can hear every sound of car horning and little boy peddling, but I cannot capture any movement. It feels like I walk into a tunnel connecting to the world of illusion.

The haze in Beijing moves slowly but with an imposing manner. It has too short of history, however, an expert definitely can feel the difference. It is like the debut of an actor shouting to convey his emotions, but the audience notice his lack of experience. Shanghai has totally different taste of haze. It feels restricted and serious, just like their fast pace of life. I don’t like it because there’s no pride hidden in that haze. I have visited Zhengzhou for once, the haze there is full of modern civilization. It is full of metal. Tasting that haze gives the story behind steel pot and cement stairs. The haze of my city is out of fashion nowadays. It seems powerful, but it is only the taste of dirt. It does not have the layers of tastes that reveals themselves gradually, like those types of hazes in other cities. I believe many people can identify where the haze comes from when tasting it. It is a skill that can be developed to professionalism, like the wine tasters in France.

The poets in ancient China like to compose their work under the bright moon. They think the bright moon can evoke their emotions to write poems. This is wrong. The haze nowadays does better contributing in composing. Appreciating the moon is now guessing the moon. It definitely creates room for imagination in order to produce better pieces. If the native children intend to put the stars and moon into their paper, they can listen their elders saying “long long time ago”. The haze contributes a lot in inspiring imagination to them.

Not only art, the haze is also beneficial to daily life. The privacy is strengthened. Nobody needs to put the curtain down at any time. It feels safer and less exposed to the public. Such privacy does not exist in where I am living now. If the haze is heavier, even the thieves are not able to steal, but they may get lost. According to the data, the crime rate has decreased in last two years, which indicates the contribution of haze to public safety.

There are only fog in where I am living. It is too light of smell and ugly of view. It is also very rare, only three or four times in a year. Sometimes I feel uncomfortable walking down the street. I feel that I am separate from nature. I still cannot get used to it after leaving my home for three years.

I wish I can pack up now and fly on a plane, in this best season, to taste my home.