I'm Off

I leave early tomorrow morning. I just have to finish up packing and I'm ready to go. It's been a great trip, but home is certainly welcome. 2 1/2 weeks is longer than you think. I haven't been as good about updating as I would have hoped, but we've done so much lately I haven't had the chance to. This trip has been tiring. Since last time, I've visited a few more cities, learned to use chopsticks (better, at least), visiting a breathtaking Taroko Gorge, went biking up a hillside, visited another college campus, and explored Taipei some more. To sum it up, below are just a few general reflections.


Observations
People:
Everything here is different, so observations are abundant. The most important thing I have observed, I think, is how helpful people are. I once had a friend tell me, “People are nice everywhere.” It is nice to really feel that in a place so foreign, so far away from home. It is nice to know that even in Taiwan, when you don’t speak the language, people still generally open their arms to you. In some ways, not speaking the language allows one to really feel the kindness of the people. It makes those interactions at the grocery store, at a restaurant, or out on the streets seem less like daily business and more like people helping people get through every day. Without the kindness and generosity of complete strangers, inventive facial expressions, and warm-hearted hand-gestures, this trip would have been quite frustrating. Even though I don’t speak the language, I have not yet felt much beyond a mild hesitation when approaching a new situation. I had confidence that any situation would be worked out with a little persistence and a lot of kindness. So far, so good. It's a nice reminder that people are good everywhere, and we're all doing what we can to get through to the next day.
Food:
Well, the food is not my favorite (not to say there aren't foods here I enjoy), but the way food is eaten in Taiwan is at the epicenter of the very collectivist culture. Because I am choosier than most when it comes to food, it can be a challenge to enjoy the family style meals standard at Taiwanese restaurants. The giant round tables, complete with lazy-Susans and several dishes, and no one dish of my own, speak to the way people live. People share tight spaces, do not seem to do a lot independently, and are very family oriented. It was surprising to me to learn that this doesn’t just mean that families and friends eat together regularly, but that they share dishes. Instead of ordering your own plate of food, several things are brought to the center of the table, and those surrounding have a little bit of each. Furthermore, each time we eat I am surprised at how few utensils there are for the group dishes. Each person generally just picks up food from the lazy-Susan with their own chopsticks. This is such a stark contrast to America, where we eat alone or in small numbers often, and don’t eat family style much anymore. My family, for example, only eats family style on holidays; even at nightly dinners, we each fill our own plates or are served individual plates and individual portions. Additionally, at American restaurants, we would almost never see a family-serving style. It is difficult enough for many of us to agree on a restaurant to go to, let alone the parts of an entire meal. This style of eating sums up the person-to-person part of Taiwanese culture in one very visible daily occurrence. It highlights family ties, collectivism, and respect for tradition.
A Contrast:
Even with close family ties and a respect for tradition, the excitement and availability of parts of Western culture are interesting. From Christian churches to McDonald’s, KFC to Coke, and clothing, too, daily-life in Taiwan is filled with influences from the West. The influence strike a unique juxtaposition against the culture of small, local business, night markets, and street vendors. The Taiwanese people are so attached to traditional culture, but seem to enjoy and yearn for Western life and pop culture at the same time. Few people wear noticeably eastern clothing, but instead wear traditional American brands, large worldwide names, or locally made shirts with often hilariously mis-written/translated English phrases and words, such as "THIS IS A REALLY MANY." Furthermore, we’ve met so many people here who are either dying to visit America, or already have and want to go back because they prefer it there. The balance between love of country and enjoyment and influence from another is truly intriguing. The interest in Western culture goes so far that locals ask to get their picture with you just because you are American. This blows my mind, but in reflection, I think it may just be a reaction to the homogeneity of Taiwanese culture. While sometimes amusing, I love the innocence in the interest and the desire to experience and ask questions to learn about something different than their own. This is such a difference to American culture in which we are, generally, extremely careful about how we ask questions and how we discuss similarities and differences.
Overall, I’ve loved observing the differences between a collectivist culture and an individualistic culture. I’ve found the differences most important in daily rituals. I think this has been good for me because we tend to focus on larger traditions, like holidays and events, when we begin to learn about other cultures. It has been good to experience how small cultural differences, like how we eat, and how we use utensils, help to describe larger meanings and philosophies of the two cultures. While I’ve enjoyed learning about the culture of Taiwan, it has also been a nice reflective look into our own culture.

I'll update pictures when I get a chance. Goodnight for now!