My First Few Days in the Other China
My first time in Taiwan was in February of 1990. I was hoping to find a job teaching English there. And, after teaching in the P.R.C. (People’s Republic of China), I was curious about the R.O.C. (Republic of China).
Feb. 21, 1990
It has been an inelegant beginning — waking up on a tatami mat on the floor among ten sleeping boys, all young enough to be my sons. But I awoke with excitement, enthusiasm, and only a trace of nausea and exhaustion from the long flight.
So, I’m here and my luggage is here. As I look out into the grayness of a cloudy Taipei morning through a filthy window and listen to a cat yowl, I remember a sensitive and gentle conversation I groggily overheard between young English teachers. Most of this hostel is not for tourists, but for foreign English teachers. I respect and admire these young people very much, but I hope to have a room to myself tonight with no smokers.
Feb. 23, 1990
I’m recovering from jet lag in a very strange little room with a large platform bed, a small desk, a mirror, a fan, a small window looking out at the temple next door, a picture of an elderly ascetic-looking Chinese man looking down at me, a small postcard of a seductive nude, and a large poster of a dove of peace and love on a very thin wall. There is a strange charm to this place, but I wouldn’t call it ambience.
Taiwan is, on fast observation, a mixture of Tokyo’s shopping, modern Hong Kong but less intense, and old-world China. The people here are better dressed, better fed, and more relaxed than in mainland China. Foreigners are strangers here, but not oddities. American goods are everywhere mixed in with goods from the rest of the world. Well-frequented Buddhist temples are everywhere.
I miss my China even more acutely here. The geographical distance from China may be less than 100 miles, but mail takes three weeks to get from here to there because of the political complications between China and Taiwan. There are two political parties in Taiwan in hot disagreement that erupted in unusual violence and rioting just in time for my arrival.
It’s hard to believe so much rain can be in the skies. It rained all night and shows no signs of wearying.
Feb. 27, 1990
My first impressions of Taichung are good. Virginia, the lady from SERVAS with whom I stayed a couple of days in Taipei, is from Taichung originally and she confirmed that it would be a good city to find work in. It’s a bustling city that is both very Chinese and quite westernized. As in Israel, it’s probably a veneer of western culture that doesn’t go very deep. Prices are high, and the level of English is very low. They definitely do need English teachers in Taiwan. Even the students studying English are totally tongue-tied.
Virginia is herself an interesting mixture of Chinese and western styles and values. She was born in Taiwan, but to parents who had fled from mainland China. She said she had suffered from prejudice against mainland Chinese settlers. She and her husband believe strongly in helping family members, so they willingly help to support their parents and siblings. She promised to keep in touch with me to see how I’m doing in her hometown.
I haven’t really seen the beauty of Taiwan yet. For one thing, I have yet to see it in the sun. From what I can tell, cities here seem to have a uniform drabness and dreariness and deterioration. On the other hand, the streets are very lively and interesting. I’ve been applying for teaching jobs at several booshi bans, which are private, illegal language schools that are here in profusion.
To be continued…
Tags: Taichung, Taipei, Taiwan; teaching English in Taiwan, Travel
