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Things you might like to give serious thoughts
May: I do agree what you said the other day
about what we should do. One needs to set aside a little time out of a tight
schedule to go out with or have casual conversations with assorted friends even after marriage
especially for women to relax.
Anna: Yep, absolutely! If we can do that, we can gain some of ourselves
back, like identity, not only focusing on our work and our family, but
something we’re interested in. The topics we pick up could be everything, no
limits at all. It’s only between very close friends, of course. Hey, do you know who are babysitting my
daughters now?
May: Your mother or your husband? I guess it’s your husband.
Tell me I’m right.
Anna (laughing): No wonder you’re one of my best friends. Do
you know why there are only two of us today?
May: Why? I thought there should be more before I joined
you.
Anna: You know the 2016
presidential election does hurt the feelings of people, especially between
friends, who belong to different political parties and insist so willingly
loyal to their party. I think I leave our good friends alone to devote themselves to being political party volunteers. I know you are not one of
them, neither am I.
May: Oh, you said the right
thing. People in Taiwan are very friendly and warm, which is a great and appreciated
assess to the eyes of the foreigners. But, now it’s unpredictable
how our friends might react if political issues are brought up even with our
good friends because that might cause irritation. I found safe topics with my colleagues
now are gossips.
Anna: Talking things like that
seems more entertaining and welcome. However, a couple foreign friends, who have
stayed in Taiwan a long time, still can’t understand how crazy and stubborn we
become when things are involved with politics. Have you talked about this with your
new friend, Doris?
May: You are totally
right. The other day I met Doris after hours and had a light dinner. She said
she is fond of our cultures, planning to stay here more than a year. She
mentioned she has a full support from her parents. Suddenly, the bonds between
parents and their children in Taiwan occurred to me. I explained a little.
Actually, I complained things I admit.
Anna: So, did you tell her
that you were expected to be obedient to what you were told since you were
little? And, you didn’t form that habit either to save a little money for a
rainy day as they encouraged you to do. I guess you did not.
May: No, I just told her
one of my stories. I told her that my parents didn’t approve it when I decided
to move out after I found a full-time job. They kind of blamed me to have grown teeth, and wondered if I decided to live with my boyfriend
before marriage. Living together wasn’t absolutely an option to their daughter.
I didn’t mean to do it either. They were so suspicious. When I told Doris about
this, she was surprised the reaction of my parents to this. She was curious
about if living together is unacceptable in Taiwan.
Anna: Time changes and so
do things. Think about what you said was more than a decade ago. We don’t
exactly know how the twenties now are thinking or doing, do you? It’s hard to
say, right? I remember one of my students, who performed very well on academic
performance and in extracurricular clubs. She looked plain but elegant with a
slender figure. Do you know what she did, which made me sick for almost a month
during the winter break?
May: What did she do?
Anna: She went to New York to
meet her online boyfriend. They never met in person but decided to stay with
him, of course, his family. I questioned what if he wasn’t the one she expected
after meeting him at the airport or after that? I was trapped in doubt about
how a young lady was so decisive to fly such a long way to meet a so-called
boyfriend in secret. Her facial expressions seemed innocent, and she lightheartedly
answered there won’t be anything to worry about. The most astonished was she
wanted me to promise her to keep this between both of us, not leaking this to
her parents. They thought she was to join a one-month English program. I made
two international phone calls then nervously to check if everything was okay. I
was so angry about this.
May: Wow! It was
unbelievable. A student of that prestigious university would do
that. It’s really terrifying. If I were her mother and found out that, I
would have a heart attack! Ha! More than one I believe.
Anna: Yes, I hope my
daughters won’t do that to me. It is undeniable that talking about sex between
parents and children seems uncomfortable even for me. The thing, shown in a
Western movie to prepare a condom for a teenager, can’t be expected to happen
in Taiwan. You can tell your friend. However, the way my student dealt with her
boyfriend was a matter of her attitudes toward “love,” and it is nothing about
which school one goes to. It’s quite personal, not applied to others. It might
not be appropriate to impress this on Doris.
May: Yes, you’re right
I agree. I’m considering showing Doris something nice, cultural and positive. It
might make her thrill at and unforgettable.
Anna: What about taking her to
visit one of the most famous temples during so-called-ghost lunar July, next year in Taipei? It
doesn't matter if she is or isn't an atheist because it is very unique, isn't it? That might allow her to experience of the
ghost month.
\
May: What an excellent
thought it is! I’ll surely inform her of some traditions most people follow
especially then, which are ingrained such as not swimming or playing on
the beach or hanging clothes in the evening to avoid the ghost spirits
lingering around.
Anna: Yes, she must be
stunned with an open mouth if you tell that, especially the elderly in the
family would give their children a good-luck charm against evil. By the way, is
she an outdoor person?
May: She is! She is invited
by those guys to do a lot walking this weekend. She thought I'm going to be
busy doing house chores.
Anna: So, what are you up
to?
May: You know, like you do,
I enjoy shopping at that mall and watching a movie with my husband and my boys.
I'm not going to waste money having a facial treatment after exposure to too
much sunshine on my skin. November is still not a friend to me. I think not to you either.
I believe that Doris will find out sooner or later we’re not like her, a westerner,
who appreciates the suntanned skin instead of the fair skin, which we prefer.
Anna: Is she a moviegoer? Did she know how much for a movie
ticket?
May: Hmm. I think she went once. But, I can't recall if she
gave it a comment or not about the ticket price.
Anna: Compared to that in her country, it's very cheap only
costing NT$ 250 or so and a half-price offered to senior citizens (65 Years old and beyond in Taiwan) and a special price to students
if she noticed.
May: Anyway, I do enjoy the time today we can make it to
share things together.
Anna: Yes, we’re very lucky. You know that it’s not everyone
able to do as we’re doing.
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