My first visit to Dr. Norman Bethune's tomb happened to fall on the first day of this year. A few times earlier, I had asked friends to take me there on our outings but we never seemed to have the time to work it into our schedule. This time, as a result of a minor scheduling conflict, there I was on Jan 1st. I'm hoping that it will be a good first step in 2009.
Bethune's story is one of the loops in the weave of my story with China. When I was in High School, I saw a play about his life and death in China. That play and his story stuck with me. Perhaps it served as a link of contact, a point of reference in the back of my mind, when I first attended the Chinese church in 1983. Since 1983, 白求恩 has been an instant point of common reference between myself and most mainland Chinese. I am a Canadian. So is 白求恩. My genuine admiration, my response to the mention of 白求恩, becomes a connection between myself and my new Chinese friend.
Visiting his tomb, I have a better understanding why almost everyone, from cab driver to student, will mention 白求恩 upon hearing I'm from Canada. Certainly Bethune had ideological reasons for coming to China but 白求恩 loved the Chinese people.
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