Back to Your Childhood

Have you ever wanted to be younger? Well, being in foreign country can make you feel that way. Talking about the country with remarkably different culture, for instance Western people living in Far Asia and vice versa. Doing that, you will probably find out yourself facing interesting experience called culture shock. How come you can feel younger? Perhaps you can already guess, I can see several steps. Let's start from the beginning.

Childhood. "In the beginning was the Word...", but what if the word is spoken in the language which you don't understand? That throwing you back to your very first childhood. With different conditions though. You have no comfort to suck in the language little by little from your parents and the others. Your in the middle different language environment right now and you want to understand right away. You wish, but just now it's the start and one can have the same trouble as me not to be able talking even with a kid (happily, not a problem with communication). They are saying you can achieve the same level of Chinese language as 6 six years old children after one year of study. It doesn't sound so bad, does it? :-) (in fact, it freaked me out when I heard that first time)

OK, let's assume you can speak and what else do you like to do? Make some friends, right? Socializing. This is another part. It needs some time to figure out how it works between guys and girls, older people and youngsters, classmates, roommates, teachers and students, ... And what's the concept of society in generally (the Face, importance of Chinese family, ...). What to do and what not to do. I'm not saying you're necessary thinking about all these consciously. Though sometimes you need it consider, to stop and try to make a note, recall, or verify. Dealing with the different culture means that many of your previous experiences and ways how to act in common everyday life situation is useless. However, even though I'm trying to avoid of any misunderstanding and thought actually I've been doing well, this isn't a case. I already made some mistakes, and felt guilty afterwards. Unintentionally of course, but still it happened. My thoughts are also wondering about something else -- I'm a foreigner and it's expected from me to act as a foreigner and perhaps this can excuse something. What happen if I try to adopt to the local environment and act by its standards? First though is fine, everything seems good. Though it can also cause another misinterpretation because of the foreigner not acting as a foreigner. A lot of riddles already :-)

And what does make you feel teenager again? Dating. Need to say, this part is based on the real experience of the others and my observations. Many differences in that topic -- the purpose of the game is the same, unlike its rules though. And how can you play the game if you don't the rules? :-) Badly... First thing -- one of most favorite question is "Do you have a girlfriend?" (it's coming after "Why did you choose Taiwan?" :) ). They're just curious and I was told that many people think you will be more happy if you have a partner, so they won't hesitate to introduce some their single friends. Girls here seems to tend to have always a boyfriend and when they aren't quite satisfy with him, they will change him for another one in the first good opportunity. Among others, girls looks to be always nice to you. They're polite, smiling and you, treating you really nice. That it is so nice that I'm everytime confused. Although I think I'm not so bad with reading body language and guessing girls' thoughts about me back in Europe, I'm definitely lost here. I have no idea what are they actually thinking about me. This whole thing without getting any readable feedback (it means there is some, I just don't see) makes you feel like you're driving fast in the fog, which is really uncomfortable feeling. Better to slow down? It didn't help? Should you stop the car?

And where are we now? Still in your teenage years. You got some other extra "years" to live ahead. Enjoy...


^.^ k. (this time "k." stands for a kid ;-) )


Soundtrack: UNKLE - Back and Forth