49 Being Born in Space

在太空中诞生

Taipei |

Taiwan

Chinese

Behind the scenes

We often become more aware of what truly matters when we step away from the noise of everyday life: in silence, through meditation, or simply by changing perspective. Astronauts often describe a similar experience. Confronted with the vast hostility of space, they observe the Earth from a unique distance and speak of its fragile beauty suspended in the void.

This idea came back to me in Taiwan, as I passed by a building dedicated to space research. I then imagined a piece of fiction: that of a person born in space, discovering our planet for the very first time.

Faced with this blue sphere full of water and life, everything would seem miraculous. Perhaps enough to remind us that preserving the Earth and its ecosystems is one of the most important responsibilities of our time.

Echoes of the world

In Taiwan, Chinese writing uses traditional characters, whereas mainland China uses simplified characters introduced in the 20th century to make learning easier.

In the text appears the verb “to listen,” written 听 (tīng) in simplified Chinese. In traditional script, as used in Taiwan, it is written 聽 (tīng) and contains many more strokes.

In this older form of tīng, one can find the elements for “ear” (耳) and “heart” (心). A poetic way of suggesting that listening is not only about perceiving sounds, but also about paying attention with both mind and heart.

Perhaps this is also what astronauts feel when observing the Earth from space.

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