November 26, 2005 - 15 Hours and Counting
It’s been a while since I’ve flown on a non-U.S.-based airline. And, for the most part, the differences on EVA Air have been welcomed. The flight attendants are tri-lingual, giving me a fighting chance at understanding them. It is always interesting to see which language they start with first when they address me. There must be something that tips them off because more times than not, they start with English, even though they’ve addressed others in Mandarin or Taiwanese first. Perhaps my inability to speak my native tongue proficiently is so obvious that I don’t even have to open my mouth.
The other pleasant differences are the meal choices. I had a nice beef and rice for dinner. The rice was sticky and the beef had a hint of curry. For breakfast, the choices were omelet vs. congee. Of course, I had the congee which was quite refreshing.
Even though this fight has been quite long (I’ve peed at least 10 times), I have to say I am in some ways in apprehensive about arriving in Taiwan. It has been almost thirty years since I have been back to Taiwan, despite most of my family still being there. I have trouble even identifying the exact number of aunts and uncles I have. I’m sure I will be able to recognize the uncles. They should all look familiar…like the one uncle I have in the U.S. But, that’s a lame way to relate to family.
Embarrassment is perhaps what I fear the most right now. I’m sure everyone will be polite and reassure me that I’m still part of the family. I’m sure my relatives will expend much energy to feed me and make me feel at home. I’m sure a few will speak to me in English instead of my “native” tongue. And, I’m sure that I will continue to feel bad.
In my heart, I am looking forward to seeing them. I miss Grandma, especially, even though during her visits to the U.S., we tend to just sit and smile at each other. But, those smiles, I believe, communicate the most important things.
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