Hot humid air, bustling streets
filled with the smell of roasted meat, exhaust from mopeds and the beautiful
cacophony of everything that makes a city a city - vendors shouting out their
wares in Mandarin, the occasional angry beep of a horn from a frustrated
driver, the rumble of the train above, strands of Taiwanese pop drifting from
various stores... this was my first impression of Taiwan.
As a Canadian who grew up in
quiet suburbs and open plains, stepping off the plane was a real shock to me. I
had never in my life seen such imposing mountains on the horizon; large lush
green giants like sleeping Buddhas that sheltered cities in their valleys and
protected from typhoons and wind. Neither had I ever seen so many people so
densely packed into a single area. Everywhere I went, there were people, people
and people. Young, from the infants strapped to their mother's back, to the old
- bent over elderly stooped with age and with wise wisdom and kindness in their
eyes. I saw the rich who frequented in the heart of downtown Taipei the high
end western malls with brands like Chanel, Gucci, Versace dotting the grand
halls and I also saw the poor - probably the most pitiful example was of a tiny
old lady, back hunched over at an extreme level with age, face lined with
wrinkles and wearing worn and faded clothes, selling sweet smelling flowers to
passerbys on a little stool in the middle of the pedestrian pathway.
Taiwan was a whole new world
compared to Canada with amazing sights to be seen, exotic dishes to be tasted
and people from all walks of life crossing my path every day. But the one
aspect that most attracted attention and held my fascination was in the
culture.
Taiwan's culture was at once
foreign yet familiar. Mixed with mainland Chinese culture as well as Korean and
Japanese influences (from the colonization era) coupled with Western
commercialization, Taiwan was … unique. In a way that beautifully preserved the
essence of its Asian roots while welcoming globalization and outside influences.
Perhaps it has something to do
with my Chinese heritage, but I felt instantly at home there – I was thrilled
at the sights of the distinctly kawaii
and Japanese influenced fashions that the young people wore, the songs of Deng
Li Jun (a Taiwanese singer) floating from stores, and the way people carried
themselves – the old and middle aged with quiet dignity and responsibility, the
young adults trendy and cool (there
was no other way to describe it) with their k-pop inspired clothes and a sense
of purpose in their stride, the schoolchildren in their uniforms giggling with
friends. The music and media – large billboards featuring Asian models with
flawless skin and doe eyes and hip Korean boy bands with their whimsical hair
colors, synchronized dance videos and edgy clothing – brought life and color to
the otherwise cold, modern and corporate world of downtown Taipei. In the past
month, I had grown to appreciate Taiwan’s unique sense of music and taste with
help from my students and my EA and, judging from the amount of Taiwanese style
clothing I’ve brought back to Canada, I won’t be losing Taiwan’s influence
anytime soon.
The social customs and courtesies
such as leaving the priority seats empty for the elderly, pregnant and disabled
even when there were no other seats and people were forced to stand as well as
the courtesy of always – always – sticking by the right side of an escalator
for those going up stationary and leaving the left side for those in a rush all
fascinated me and compelled me to abide by those customs as well. I noticed
many unfamiliar customs present in day to day life there – people when giving
or receiving a gift or purchase always used both hands to take/give the object
(when explained by my EA, this was to symbolize their gratitude in that they
take/give the object with their complete focus and attention), and also the
habit more common in the older folks of how they would slightly bow after
meeting someone as a way of saying hello or goodbye. These small gestures all
gave the overall impression of extreme politeness and hospitality – an
impression that was later proven correct on the numerous occasions that we were
greeted and treated with kindness and warmth.
People (including my Chinese and
Culture teacher Penny) say that Taiwan is one of the most hospitable and safest
places in Asia – I at first took it with a grain of salt as many other countries
boast the same thing and I was quite used to a polite public (Canadian raised
after all).
But I experienced firsthand how
welcoming Taiwan was for foreigners one night when Christine and I were lost
after the Shilin Night Market due to faulty instructions from confused street
vendors that led us to the Jiantan MRT station instead of the meeting place at
Shilin MRT station. It was dark and rather late into the night, the road we
were taking in an attempt to get back on track was dimly lit and nearly
deserted save for the cars whizzing past us on a nearby road and the occasional
sketchy looking person passing us by. Needless to say, I was quite unnerved and
had thought to myself that wandering lost in a foreign city at night time was
exactly the way how every horror anime started. We were walking along that path
underneath the highway bridge as per Ms. Pratt’s phone instructions (we had
called her to inform that we were lost a little while earlier) but the path
seemed dark, dangerous and endless and I was wondering if the instructions were
correct or not as there was no progress made in finding familiar sights.
And then, it seemed like an angel
had come down and helped us and showed us the truly selfless and kind side of
Taiwan people.
She wasn’t a conventional angel –
no wings, no glowing aura, no graceful presence and certainly wasn’t someone to
stand out in a crowd.
She was quite old, tiny and
hunched with age and shuffling with small footsteps in front of us, appearing
not to notice us at first. Spurred on by the overall unease of wandering an
unfamiliar area and feeling unthreatened by her tiny form, I approached her and
asked her for instructions on how to reach Shilin station, half expecting her
to shy away from two foreigners like us. On the contrary to my expectations,
the lady grinned in a grandmotherly type of way, greeted me kindly in Mandarin
and surprisingly, in choppy words of English, and told us that she would walk
with us to the station together, going out of her way (literally) to help
people she had never met before. And thus we walked and talked, sharing and
comparing our different cultures, talking about our lives and yes, even comparing
the weather, for a good while before finally reaching the brightly lit area of
the MRT station where we regretfully had to part ways. We thanked her
profusely, she thanked us back although she had no reason to – we were after
all saved by her – and then after a considerable amount of bowing and thanking
and blessing, she retreated, shuffling into the night. I doubt I would ever
meet her again but that night, she provided comfort and a sense of safety and
she changed my entire perception on Taiwan for the better. I was astounded by
the lengths she was willing to go to help us out – most people would be content
to simply give instructions to the station, not offer to show the way there as
well – and I still feel blessed to be graced by her presence and to be aided
through Taiwanese hospitability.
In addition to the signature
Taiwanese welcome to foreigners, I’ve also experienced the depths to which they
express gratitude and friendship in their culture – I will never forget the
looks on my students’ faces as I said goodbye for the last time on the last day
of class. I will never forget their hugs, their tears and their earnest pleads
for me never to forget them and I won’t forget the feeling of my heart breaking
as I realize that, once I am back halfway around the world, I most likely will
never encounter these bright and brilliant individuals again. I was at once
shocked and heart warmed by the numerous gifts they gave to me reflecting
Confucian values of gratitude to one’s teacher – various trinkets, snacks, cards,
a dress, jewellery that they bought or made themselves as well as an
unforgettable notebook that they made for me filled with notes addressed to me
from everyone in the class – as well as the lifelong lessons and memories
instilled; all the times we’ve laughed together, learned together, explored the
world together. All the times where each party’s horizons were expanded upon,
when vocabulary was learned and when we all discovered how big and beautiful
the world truly is.
This month has changed me…
Taiwanese culture has changed me and now, I stare in culture shock at my own
Canadian bubble, unable to ever see it as the stationary benchmark in which to measure
up other cultures up against again. I’ve learned so much about Taiwanese
culture, so much about how differently but also similarly people act, dress,
express themselves, eat, communicate and more. I’ve learned so much about how
big the world is… and on how much Taiwanese culture has changed me in return.
This is a journey not only of
teaching and sightseeing, but of personal growth, a broadening of the mind and
of horizons and an intrinsic shift in one’s own perspectives. This is a journey
of a lifetime, and one that I am glad to have undertook.
No comments:
Post a Comment