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Text Chapter 477 Crossing the Mara River

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    Good luck seemed to have come. On the afternoon of the 18th, Ye Wei returned to Tromso as scheduled and wandered around this city that never sleeps, known as the "Paris of the North" until the early morning. Suddenly the whole city burst into exclamations of joy, and the night sky  A colorful aurora appeared.

    The aurora is swaying and dancing like a veil, gently caressing the world, turning the whole world into a dreamlike illusion.

    Ye Wei looked up, his eyes unblinking, it was so beautiful, more beautiful than any special effects.  He opened his hands and felt like he was embracing the aurora. Integrating this magnificence, he felt that his soul had been sublimated and he would never forget it.

    Maybe this is an illusion of traveling, but it is also the feeling that traveling gives, and it is also the new opportunity brought by the feeling.

    But he didn¡¯t dilute her. He missed her even more. He really wanted to stand hand in hand with her under the starry sky surrounded by aurora and smile brightly together.

    We spent the 19th at the beach on the outskirts of Tromso, including camping at night.  At 5 pm on the 20th, we flew back to Oslo, and at 6:30 am on the 21st, we flew directly to Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, Africa.

    This trip was intensive and we had to spend a lot of time flying around in the sky. When the plane landed at Jomo Kenyatta Airport, it was 20:15 local time on the 21st.

    After getting the visa on arrival at the airport, Ye Wei left the airport under the leadership of the tour guide Abu Onji and two bodyguards who had already found him, and began his journey to Africa.

    Having heard that he was going to travel to Africa, Brian and others were very nervous. Although Kenya is a country with a relatively stable political situation, the security situation is average, just like staying in downtown Los Angeles at night or in Brooklyn, New York.  , being robbed is a small matter, but being killed is a big deal.

    People with business interests were even more shocked. His life was now worth a lot of money.

    CAA strongly urges him to hire a team of bodyguards before he can travel. It is best to follow a camera team to film him visiting children in slums, just like Angelina Jolie.  Lionsgate even proposed a detailed promotion plan for "Soul Surfer"'s African trip, and his travel expenses could be reimbursed, including a luxury suite in a five-star hotel.

    Ye Wei didn¡¯t agree and didn¡¯t like that.  That's not a tour, that's a show. He's here to travel. It's an emotional journey and safety protection is enough.

    I didn¡¯t go out that night. Let alone Kenya, I couldn¡¯t go out and wander around at night in Santa Monica.  He stayed in the senior suite of the Intercontinental Hotel in Nairobi, playing with his laptop, sorting out the photos and images taken in the Arctic Circle, and doing some work on the lovelilyjane website.

    This is a static website that displays pictures and text. He tried his best to make it simple but elegant.

    It is a part of "The whole world is full of lilies". It started in early July. Each of the many pictures on the website is either a lily or contains lilies, flowers, plastic flowers, paper origami flowers, pictures.  Flowers appear in tlb's post-production studio, the mobile set of "World of Dirty Words", and everywhere in life.

    He didn¡¯t appear, and neither did anyone else. It was all lilies.

    This time we have added a new batch of pictures, all taken in Oslo, Tromso, and Svalbard. The most amazing one is naturally the one of the polar bear "sniffing" lilies.

    Thinking of that rainy night in New York, Ye Wei didn't know what he was doing, but he felt better after doing this.  Things were going to be okay, that spoke volumes to him.

    On the morning of the 22nd, accompanied by the tour guide and bodyguard, Ye Wei first went to the nearby post office to send postcards, first to family and close friends, and finally to the lily: "August 22, sincere greetings from Africa."

    I spent a morning traveling around Nairobi. It is the capital after all. This city is not lagging behind. It has the same high-rise buildings, many parks, and beautiful scenery in many places.

    At noon, I had a local delicacy called "Mukam", which is mashed mung beans, mashed potatoes and corn kernels mixed together, and then eaten with beef and soup.  What Liz didn't quite understand was that he was also a foodie. There was nothing he couldn't eat, only something he couldn't eat enough. But he couldn't live without Chinese food, and everyone in the school knew it.

    After lunch, Ye Wei got into a specially designed Land Rover jeep and headed to the Masai Mara in the southwest.

    This special car has four rows of seats, one row higher than the other. There is a windshield in front and stable steel pipe guardrails on both sides, making it easy to watch animals in all directions.  The car was equipped with a driver, with Abuwonji sitting in the passenger seat, Ye Wei sitting in the middle of the car, and two bodyguards like Tyson and Mutombo sitting in the back.

    After a 6-hour drive, leaving Nairobi and gradually moving away from human settlements, Ye Wei began to have a definite feeling of "I am in Africa."  On the boundless grassland, some umbrella-like albizia trees stand alone, and various wild animals can be seen from time to time, such as zebras, elephants, antelopes, rhinos, etc.

    It was also difficult to walk on the rutted road, and the jeep was very bumpy. Ye Wei did not take any photos along the way, and waited until he arrived at the Masai Mara National Park.Gotta shoot.

    We are still in the annual great migration of animals in Kenya. Every year from June to September, millions of herbivores migrate from the Serengeti in Tanzania to Maasai in Kenya for water and green grass.  pull.  On the way, you will pass through the Mara River. There are crocodiles and hippopotamuses in the river, and there are lions and other predators along the river. This is the "Mara River Crossing".

    It was already past 6 o'clock in the evening when we arrived at our hotel, Mala Serena Lodge, just in time to take pictures of the sunset on the grassland, which was another magnificent shock.

    Lying on a bench on the hillside outside the lodge at night, Ye Wei looked at the bright stars, feeling only peaceful for a moment.

    On the morning of the next day, Ye Weiyi drove to the edge of this year's migration section of the Mara River.

    Countless ant-like wildebeests, zebras, and bison have already gathered, rushing across the Mara River in groups. The earth is trembling, and the roaring sound reaches the sky.  There are human vehicle base camps on both sides of the river, and photographers and tourists are watching and taking pictures.

    Ye Wei also held a SLR camera with a telephoto lens hanging around his neck, but after pressing the shutter a few times, he just stared at the spectacular and cruel scene.

    Horses and cows were constantly being attacked by ferocious beasts in the river while crossing the river. A hippopotamus opened its mouth wide and bit a zebra in two. The blood stained the river surface red, and the tragic screams could not be heard.  Another horse or cow fell down due to exhaustion, was trampled by its companions behind, and sank into the river.

    The cows and horses that finally crossed the river were pounced on by the waiting lions.

    Ye Wei looked at it, his face gradually turned red, and he couldn't help but retched.  There is death everywhere, there is blood everywhere - naked predators of the weak, there is no right or wrong, only life or death, what a bastard nature, what a bastard world this is

    The water in the Mara River must be bitter, too bitter.

    His eyes were moist when he saw it, and tears fell down his face. His body and mind seemed to be torn apart by something. Life is so small, and it seems that this smallness can never be changed.

    Suddenly he cried out in pain, and he cried and shouted: "Ah, ah!! Ah!!!" Abu Onji and others around looked at him, and they were all a little stunned.

    "I won't watch anymore." Ye Wei took a deep breath, stopped crying, turned around and walked towards the jeep over there, unable to bear to watch any more.

    For the rest of the day, he wandered around the vast grasslands of the national park, watching and photographing elephants, lions, spotted deer, giraffes and other fauna and grassland scenery.

    At 11 a.m. on the 24th, Ye Wei and the others took a small plane back to Nairobi at the Ozhimbo runway. Although the safety was not good, they could overlook the African Rift Valley from the air.  Looking at the desolate and majestic Great Rift Valley through the window, he suddenly remembered Hemingway's "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" and couldn't help but laugh at himself.

    But I am not "Harry"!  Before I came to Africa, I had defeated myself, but I hadn¡¯t gotten her back yet.

    We returned to Nairobi at noon. In the afternoon, we took a Hummer off-road vehicle and took a truckload of supplies to the Ruai slum in the eastern suburbs. The Nairobi sewage treatment plant is right next to it.

    Ruai and Nairobi are completely like two worlds.  The potholed dirt road is already dilapidated, and domestic garbage can be seen everywhere. Surrounded by low-rise bungalows, there is almost no one that is not dilapidated at first glance. There is a faint smell in the air, and sometimes it happens randomly.  When a gust of wind blows, there is a pungent stench, mixed with all kinds of pollution.

    "This is the real Kenya," Abuongi said.

    Ye Wei was silent. He had seen many photos of slums before. However, when he was actually exposed to this environment that was even worse than "City of God", as a child from a middle-class family who grew up in Brentwood, Los Angeles, he was once a child.  Overlord, anything he said made him feel despicable.

    There are many church and charity orphanages, shelters and schools in Ruai District.  They were going to the "Merciful Savior Children's Home", an orphanage founded in 2002 that mainly accepts orphans and street children from infants to 20 years old. It currently has more than 50 children.

    Arriving at the orphanage, the director Mugani, teacher Ms. Serena and others warmly welcomed her.

    Ye Wei got off the off-road vehicle, stepped on the dirt road, shook hands with them and talked, looking around, his mood became heavier.  The so-called orphanages are one-story mud-brick houses with iron roofs, including dormitories and classrooms, which seem to collapse at any time. The best thing is the iron windows and iron doors for safety.

    His eyes stopped at a group of teenage children in the distance. They were playing a "football", a ball-shaped object made of cloth strips.

    Kenyans like to play football. He can see children of different ages playing football in any settlement these days. Athletes are a promising way out for them and one of the few joys in life they can get.

    ??At Ms. Serena¡¯s suggestion, ?We also brought some real football, the "Team Star" ball for this year's World Cup in Germany.  The World Cup ended on July 9, and the Italian team defeated France to win the championship.  This time he wanted to build a movie screening room for the orphanage, but the director said no, not even anything too expensive, otherwise it would cause trouble for the orphanage and it would be snatched away by nearby gangs in a few days.  Even orphans suffer.

    Soon, all the orphans gathered in the small mud playground to meet this "big shot". To them, he was nothing like a movie director or a Hollywood star, but each of their faces was filled with friendly and happy smiles.

    "Hello, Mr. Ye." They said loudly in English, English and Swahili are the national languages ??of Kenya, "Welcome to the Merciful Savior Children's Home."

    "Hello." Ye Wei smiled, looking at the little girls at the front who were younger than Duoduo, he couldn't help but sigh: "I brought some food, clothes, stationery, books and sporting goods. I hope you will like it.  ¡±

    The children suddenly cheered, but the teenagers were relatively quiet, especially those of his age. Some boys had expressionless faces, while girls smiled forcedly.

    They already know that they will never be like him, that they will never have that kind of educational opportunity.

    Ye Wei said sincerely: "I don't know, I can only feel that your growth must be very difficult. Maybe the strength I understand is just a joke to you. For you, it is difficult to study hard and change your destiny.  Believe and realize, but that is indeed a rare opportunity for you, so Dean Mugani asked me to encourage you, I just want to say"

    He scanned the crowd, "Listen carefully to the teacher's words, learn, believe, and work hard. Life will be better, maybe in your generation, maybe in your descendants."

    At Ms. Serena¡¯s signal, the children applauded, but the teenagers still made no move. He even felt a trace of hateful boys¡¯ eyes.

    ??Probably everyone who comes to visit will say this, but it is the truth.  Of course they are miserable compared to children in developed countries, but compared to the skinny and hungry African children still living on the streets, they are happy and have not zero chance.

    Ye Wei cares more about what the children think, like three-year-old Nancy Kevin Bocca and less than two-year-old James Catioca. Their dark eyes sparkle only with innocence.  They can have a better future, both materially and spiritually.

    After his speech, he taught the children to play football, draw, and sing, and the teenage girls gradually joined him.

    ¡°What is a movie?¡± When he talked about movies, he was asked by more than one child.  There are many cinemas in Nairobi, but these children have never seen a movie.

    Ye Wei really wanted to take the children to the city to watch a movie. It would be best to have fun for a whole day, but after careful consideration, he rejected it.  This does not give them happiness, but deprives them of their happiness. The life of the people in the city is already a hundred times better than theirs. Taking them to the city will open their eyes, but it will only make them live in pain every day.

    But another idea came to mind.

    On the afternoon of the next day, the 25th, Ye Wei came to the orphanage again with a film screening team. He had signed a contract with the screening team. They would go to the orphanage once a month for screenings, and the expenses would be paid from his donations.

    Ms. Serena prefers to replace these screenings with food. He disagrees with her idea: "Food is admittedly the most important thing, but we cannot rely solely on food to solve poverty and backwardness. Education is the first priority. The power of movies can help  into the hearts of children.¡±

    That day, the screening team showed a performance of "Bambi" (1942) in the playground of the orphanage. It was his idea.  "Bambi" was one of his childhood favorites, and it is still one of his favorites today. It was earlier than "The Lion King" and is more inspiring to children who have been living in trouble since childhood.

    Even if he wasn't, he would never forget the tenacity of Bambi and his mother in the winter, the scene where Bambi and Thumper the rabbit were sliding and playing on the ice and snow, Bambi meeting his lover Feline, and the scene where Bambi went home to make a big fire.  Searching for Feline in the forest I can't forget how happy, nervous, moved, and longing I felt when I saw it.

    This memory mark will be lifelong, and the power of this movie will also be lifelong.

    Speaking of which, one of the main creators of "Bambi" is the famous Chinese animator and painter Huang Qiyao (tyr-wong), one of Disney's old heroes. He was crowned with the Disney Legend Award (Hall of Fame) and is still alive today, almost 100 years old.  Years old.  When he planned to visit his old man, it would be time to go, and he would never see him again at any time.

    This screening was a success. There were laughter in the orphanage, the children were happy in the heartwarming moments, and nervous about Bambi's fate. When the forest burned, the playground was silent, and the ending was full of hope, and everyone was happy again.

      Looking at the smiling faces of Nancy and other children, Ye Wei suddenly loved movies more than ever before.  Whether in the Arctic or Africa, movies give people power. Classic movies can still give people power 50 or 100 years later. It is an honor, joy and extraordinary significance to be able to make such a good movie.

    He still took some photos of the orphanage and the children and posted them on his blog.

    The mentality has changed. This is not about showing off or not. You can't not promote and lead just because you don't like to be thought of as a show. One person's power is weak. To attract more attention and accumulate more power is always the same.  A good thing.

    He wishes that more celebrities would show off all over the world. Showing off for charity is definitely charity. There is no need for too much charity work.

    But it would be a kind of blasphemy to not take a photo of "the whole world is filled with lilies".

    We will leave Nairobi by plane at 11pm on the 25th and fly directly to Guangzhou, China.  Ye Wei passed away with peace of mind, and his charity for the protection of African children and African wildlife protection will continue. However, everyone has his own life, and in the end he has to work hard on his own.

    ??This is true for a person, a country, and Africa.

    He went to China every year earlier than Duoduo, and he did not go there in 2004 or 2005. Over the past ten years, he has witnessed the tremendous changes in China, from poverty to a world power. People's lives have become better, and all aspects are rising.  , the movie market is getting bigger and bigger, which is a manifestation.

    The West says that China is going to collapse every year, but there are economic miracles every year. These are not the result of charity from others, but are created by oneself.

    How important is civilization?  Obviously the most important.

    His mother taught him since he was a child that "Heaven moves vigorously, and a gentleman strives for self-improvement." Sometimes he would forget, but in the end he would remember it, in those most difficult moments.  He sincerely wishes that all children can have that belief.

    During this trip to China, he will visit three cities: Guangzhou, Chengdu and Beijing. He will return to Los Angeles on the evening of September 3rd and resume work on Monday, September 4th.

    At 17:25 on the 26th, Beijing time, the plane landed smoothly at Guangzhou Baiyun Airport.  Ye Wei entered the country with a tourist visa. After sending a postcard to the post office at the airport, he left the airport alone carrying a travel backpack and pulling his suitcase.

    When you come to China, you don¡¯t need a tour guide or a bodyguard. You can walk alone in the city center in the middle of the night. The security of this ancient civilized country is really good.

    It seems that there is no need to worry about being recognized, not at the airport.

    Ye Wei knows that his popularity is average in China without the Internet, and few people who don¡¯t follow European and American entertainment on the Internet will know him.  His movies have never been released in the mainland market. "Wedding Day" was considered to be too small for the market, and the theme of "The Exorcism Video" could not be introduced. "Little Miss Sunshine" was the closest, and it did not compete with those commercial blockbusters.  This year's three movies and two Bones will definitely not work. "Soul Surfer" has a chance, maybe.

    No matter what, when he came back for the first time after becoming famous, he had no interest in returning home. He asked CAA not to contact him for any announcements. He didn¡¯t want to appear on talk shows or variety shows, nor did he want to be interviewed by the news.  He is here for tourism, not for events and exhibitions.

    Because of the honor of our ancestors, it is a habit to come to Guangzhou. Every time we come, we must do two things. One is to commemorate the site of the Whampoa Military Academy, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall and other places, and the other is to eat!  This is a true foodie paradise.

    When he hailed a taxi outside the terminal, Ye Wei excitedly said to the driver in broken Cantonese: "Master, go to Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street!"

    Staying at a hotel?  Let¡¯s talk after eating!
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