Renewed Perspective

I didn't expect to have any culture shock going to Taiwan or even returning to the US because I've been to East Asia twice before, and I figure it's not new and surprising anymore. However, I haven't been back in at least 8 years, and it's still surprising to see that vehicles ignore the white and sometimes yellow lines (if they exist at all), yet everyone still moves in a non-chaotic fashion. It's still surprising to smell stinky tofu in the open market (and even though I do have a keen sense of smell, I still never quite distinguished stinky tofu from sewage). It's also surprising to see people so kind and polite whenever you're lost or curious about foods or wares for sale. It was painfully surprising that ALL the women were a size 2 or 4, and to suddenly be in a place where EVERYONE is the same ethnicity: white skin and black hair and dark eyes. I vaguely remember these surprising feelings from my previous trip, but they still catch me off-guard. I've lived in various places where I truly felt like the only ethnic person in the bunch, but there were always other people around from various cultural backgrounds. This ethnic diversity was slightly present in Taipei which boasts a huge financial and economic force, but in other cities, it was quite the rarity to spot the lao wai (foreigner). It's strange that we get used to our everyday surroundings, and we don't realize what they are and what we're used to until we're out of that environment.

I came back to an overfed and overweight America--evident as soon as I was in the airport. The food choices in Taiwan were predominantly healthy: fresh seafood, vegetables, fruits, herbal teas, etc. No wonder everyone is so slender, not only do they eat healthy and nutritional foods, but they walk everywhere they go, they don't use microwaves, and they stay away from sugar and soda. The occasional fast food joint was rare in the cities, and of course it was always an American franchise giant.

I also came back to an America that has lost the art of politeness. I even live in the south where it is far more common to encounter manners than in the north, but after being in Asia (even if only slightly longer than a week) I realize that the average American populace just is not polite, but pushy, selfish, and rude.

I came back to an America where almost every adult owns a car. Only the very wealthy families owned cars or homes (which were really apartment flats) in Taiwan--representing status and financial success. I guess it's still shocking to me that I'm back in school and we all talk about being "poor" students. Compared to the rest of the non-western world, the fact that we have college educations, cars, roofs over our heads, some own homes, we are so darn prosperous that it's just insane. No wonder people in other countries strive for the "American dream". We have so much of what they spend their entire lives trying to achieve for themselves and their children.

My purpose in writing is not to "dog" on America, but to point out the differences I saw . . . and how that perspective has changed me as a person. Whenever I travel outside the country, I always return with a different view and appreciation for life in America. This time was a little different. I missed my church, my husband, my friends, and my routine while on my trip. But once I'm back home, I miss the kindness of strangers, the order of chaotic roads sans accidents, the culture that's postured toward a healthy lifestyle from birth to death, and the awesome food. I see students at my school so painfully conscientious of how they look, how much they work out, what clothes they wear, who they're seen with. These traits were just as evident in the Taiwanese people--but it's still different. I don't want to be so concerned with my looks that I fret and worry about it and place it in higher importance than it needs to be. I want to live a healthy lifestyle that doesn't necessarily require hours and hours at the gym (where I'll be tempted to get caught up in fretting about how I look), but that I can eat food that keeps my body fit and well instead of causing it to build up toxins and disease. I want to smile at strangers and offer a helping hand to people in need. I don't want to be the typical American grad-school student living the American dream who aspires to reach an even higher tier of that dream. Rather, I want to be a person that others look to for warmth, compassion, kindness, and a zeal for life. I want to be a leader that's respected not because I can be rigorous about getting work done, disciplined and hard core, but because I have integrity, concern for others, and love for the profession of chiropractic--that I can live a life, by God's grace, that points to Christ example utterly and completely.

This process of renewal and reform really does take a lifetime. For every step forward that God allows me to take, I often back-pedal 10 when I encounter frustrating situations. The times in my life when I thought I was the most mature and collected, I now look back and realize how foolish I was in thinking those things. I pray that when I screw up, that by God's grace, non-believers realize that I'm only human, even though I strive to be better.

For my friends and family who read this, please just give me a wake-up call when my actions are less than what they should be. I hope I can get the opportunity to travel outside the US once a year for another renewal and refreshing experience.