Following the foot trail of Asian fortune tellers

Italian born TizianoTerzani’s A Fortune Teller Told Me documents how he dealt with still fulfilling his journalism duties in Asia, whilst refusing to fly during the year of 1993. Terzani’s fortune took him on the journey of a life time across Asia by any means possible, other than air. It is one man’s journey delving into the myths of fortunes combined with his life obsession of Asia. This is literary journalism in the first person, at its best.

Full of questions, mental growth, Asia, Buddhas, history, politics and the rise and fall of countries, Terzani brings together his passion for Asia and his journalistic skills to deliver this sentimental novel. It probes and questions, through a want and need of a deeper understanding of Asian life, belief and culture and personal fascination of deeply traditional Asian beliefs.

Born in 1938, the journalist was known for his extensive knowledge of 20^th century Asia which is extremely evident within the book. As mentioned, perhaps more than once, Terzani was one of the few westerners to witness the fall of Vietnam’s Saigon to the Vietcong as well as the Khmer Rouge taking over Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Pehn in the mid 1970s; a time when roads in Asia were unbeaten and journalism was real.

It is one thing for an Asian to explore their own land, but when a Westerner is able to open one’s mind and accept other cultures with a willingness to learn and experience, their reflections and journey is more than appealing. His philosophy is not too heavy, neither is it preaching. He follows the natural flow of Asian life and Buddhism by not enforcing his beliefs upon the reader. Yet, there is still western cynicism and hints of sarcasm inside making for enjoyable light laugh here and there.

Whilst living in Hong Kong, Terzani left his fate up to a single fortune teller. He advised Terzani under no circumstances to fly during the year of 1993. Without giving away the full extent of the plot, Terzani adheres to this fortune, and luckily so; a helicopter he was supposed to be on crashed with no survivors. However, Terzani’s fortune is not really the focal of the novel.

Even though Terzani accepted the wisdom of the first fortune teller, it didn’t cease him seeking out the ‘best’ and most well known fortune tellers throughout Asia. From sourcers, shamans and soothsayers -Terzani saw them all. Starting with merely dipping into Chinese culture and wisdom, mixed with equal parts of curiosity and fun, it seemed Terzani was hooked. He took what he called, ‘the first step into the unknown world’ of his beloved Asia, which he claims turned out to be one of the best years of his life; he was ‘reborn’.

Eventually, after taking the Trans-Siberian railway, Terzani realised he had enough of constantly seeking his fortune and avoided the fortune tellers pointed out to him on his way home – back to reality.

A Fortune Teller Told Me comes fourth in Terzani’s list of English published works, after Giai Phong! The Fall and Liberation of Saigon, Behind the Forbidden Door: Travels in Unknown China, and GoodnightMr Lenin: A Journey Through the End of the Soviet Empire. As evident from the titles, Terzani covered the major acts of Asian modern history, and had something to say about it too. He went on to write four more publications in Italian, before his death. His first book, Leopard Hide(1973), documents the end of the Vietnam War while GiaiPhong!documents Vietnam’s capital being taken over by the Vietcong which he witnessed for himself. Yet, this didn’t all come without its perills. Terzani almost faced death at the claws of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. Held up against a wall at gun point, he saved himself with his little knowledge of Chinese.

The novel gives a fair and truthful account of the recent histories and brutalities many Asian countries have faced, largely at the hands of the Chinese. Long reeling sentences make up the detailed paragraphs which are full of punctuation. Commas, hyphens and semi colons bring the character voice of Terzani to life on paper.With striking phrases such as naming Singapore’s shopping obsessed Orchard Street as the Bethlehem of a new religion, or that air conditioned air is apparently the only type of air Singapore can breath- he notes the important changes between an Asia he once knew, and one he is coming to know again.

At the heart of the novels focuses on following Terzani’s physical journey, through Asia by foot, boat, train – any means other than air, and of course his mental journey; questioning fortune and mental strength.

Impressively, he reached Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Singapore and Malaysia overland – each a journey in itself in the middle of the 90s with minimal roads between each intriguing and separate country. However, when it came to getting to Indonesia and Japan, the glory days of foot passenger boats were already over, even in the 90s. Here Terzani reaches a difficult point, and about time too. Finally, he talks his way onto a cargo ship, heading in the right direction.

Terzani tears into the largely myth like act of ‘fortune telling’, like a wild dog tears into meat. He wants to understand it, but still ignores and often discredits the fortune tellers’ words as generic sentences the person wants to hear, accepting vague words and placing them in your life to suit you.

He interrogates fortune tellers with questions that assimilate with his life, much the same as letdown religious people do in their time of need. He asks ‘if fortune tellers could not foresee the destruction of the Khmer Rogue coming, then they must be frauds’.

Yet he is strangely more than happy to ‘slot in’ Cambodia’s destruction into the Buddha’s prophecy, making the fortune tellers correct, and proving they are not frauds. Here is where Terzani slips up; he accepts something he has previously so vehemently denied, in order not to admit that he was ridiculous to take the fortune tellers wisdom of not flying for a year so seriously. It goes against everything else he has questioned throughout the book.

Even the author talks about how even in the glory years of travel and Asia in the 70s, countries like Thailand and Cambodia had already been destroyed, (albeit from the Khmer). The irony being that Terzani is writing in the 70s in these countries, and is still exploring, learning and finding new places. Yet, it leaves the thought, what hope does the reader of today having the same experience on a similar journey, or even the less fortunate future readers. He is condemning the one thing he is highlighting in the same sentence. He is also encouraging travellers and journalists to find their own news worthy story and life journey in another country that needs help, one that has been less ‘discovered’.

It is clear he is a true traveller, when he talks about that ‘sense of relief that fills me when I know that I cannot be reached, that I am not booked or expected anywhere, that I have no commitments except those created by chance’. It is something all travellers wish for, especially in this technological obsessed day and age.

When passion and a voice mixes with a beautiful Buddhist country in need.

Isobel’s perseverance and naturally kind and giving personality is catching. Her recent revelation of hearing about the Tibetan ‘revolution’ by the Chinese in the 1970s caused her to act, and then write this book. The Tibetan’s troubles which had basically gone un-heard of and ignored worldwide rung true within her, which it did with me too.

Isobel asked herself the questions ‘how much of a difference can one person really make?’. Then she answered it, and it turns out, an awful lot. Her experiences, shear passion, triumphs and actions went a long way.

For Tibet, With Love, is writer, activists and empowering Isobel Losada’s account of reaching out and helping a cause she so strongly believed in and was more than passionate about. Isobel restored the faith within the ‘everyman’ in being able to do something, to stand up and say no to a cause we believe in. Upon learning about the 14^th Dalai Lama’s exile, the invasion of Tibet by China under the pretence of a ‘cultural revolution’, Isobel doesn’t simply say ‘how sad, how awful’; she stands up and does something about it.

Starting from her flat in London, Isobel researched, rung, approached and joined in every Tibet contact, charity, organisation she could get her activist hands on.

She used the lines from a prayer to guide her on her lovingly mad expedition;

‘God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,/ The courage to change the things I can,/ And the wisdom to know the difference’.

This features heavily in the book. She sets about using this prayer to her best ability throughout her brave conquest. She begins with:

‘How do I acquire serenity to accept what I cannot change? What exactly is courage and how can I use it to change the things I can? And will I ever have the wisdom to know the difference?’.

Isobel’s inspiring behaviour and attitude is reflected in her writing and tone. She is continually upbeat, even when continual problems face her acting as physical and metaphorical obstacles in her path. Anecdotes and jokes occur often and it is obvious she speaks form the heart. This is more than a warm, entertaining and moving novel.

From visits to Nepal, spending time with monks, meetings with the Chinese ambassador in London, actually going to Tibet and finally cultivating in the best of all, actually meeting the Dalai Lama, Isobel achieves the unthinkable and brings Tibet’s story to the front of western newspapers and the attention of the world on a grand ‘stunt’ like scale.

Throughout the real-life account, the reader is too on a journey, one of knowledge, travel and even spirituality. If the reader has had no prior experience with Tibet and little knowledge, Isobel freely introduces it into the reader’s life, not forcefully, but passionately. Reading it, it seems the reader cannot sympathise with her woe. It may not make you want to jump out of an aeroplane with a huge banner, but it brings light and life to the Tibetan situation in a light hearted way.

The book is not merely one with an attractive front cover, authored by someone who appears to have a little too much time on her hands and a little too much compassion; it provides a wealth of knowledge for how to get involved with the cause and the history behind it. It is truthful, informative and above all, inspiring.

If thought provoking quips and endearing passages on life and the philosophic subjective meaning behind it appeal to you, Isobel has it sussed in her perfectly balanced humorous, political and meaningful writing.

Isobel set out to make a difference by herself. She made a huge difference to me.

After recommending the book to my mother, she struggled to get into it. I feel its down to passion. Since watching a film on the Tibet issue earlier this year, I became fascinated with a country invaded, ruined and forced to exile in the name of a ‘cultural revolution’. Culture and travel is my passion.

I visited India in September of this year (2013). Although I would have loved to have visited Tibet (which I will still call the county this and not it’s supposed proper name of the Chinese Autonomous Region of Tibet), time, money and visas hindered me. The next best thing was to spend time in Mcleod Ganj, upper Dhraramsala, northern India – otherwise known as Little Lahsa. I was lucky enough to see His Holiness the 14^th Dalai Lama and attending his three day teaching. It was about as close as Tibet as I will get to… for now.