This type of unequivocal, friendly treatment holds true not only when I am traveling, here, but extends to all parts of my life in Taiwan. One rainy afternoon, when I was taking out the trash (the garbage truck comes twice every day) a stranger decided to share her umbrella with me and walked me back to my building. (Fun fact: turns out that she lives in the same building as me, and yes, we greet each other now whenever we get on the elevator at the same time). When I cannot figure out how to print something from the 7/11, I can easily ask for help and am met with friendly people who will guide me through the steps. Taking care of logistical tasks at banks and post offices requires more advanced Chinese and scares me, but my experience of people's kindness here puts me at ease There is always someone willing to help me if I let them know I need a hand. Street vendors from the morning markets also make an effort to chitchat and talk to me.
One of my biggest concerns living in Asia is that people will have certain expectations of me and treat me a certain way because I look Asian and blend in. However, I do not entirely feel comfortable because I am still learning the language and figuring out how to navigate and live in a totally new environment. This struggle sums up what it means to be Chinese American: both of my identities will come into play. In Taiwan, I feel comfortable blending in with my Mandarin-in-progress. When people realize that I cannot fluently speak the language, I do not feel embarrassed because there is no harsh judgement.
