Meet Nice(?) Strangers in Foreign Places
I used to be quite shy, especially when I was a kid. Going up to strangers usually isn't my thing, but I carried an unfamiliar excitement to meet new and different people on my trip. There are too many great people that I met during my trip, but here are some of the ones I wanted to write about.
Hi, it's nice to meet you stranger. You will help me? You will impart your insights to me, a total stranger?? Maybe we're not so strange after all. :)
First Stranger: During my 15 hr layover in the San Francisco airport on my way to Hong Kong, I couldn't contain myself. I was excited, but also a little worried. It's the first time, where I am traveling completely alone. I had to carry around my check-in baggage and stay the night.
Remembering my dad's words, I did not want to be alone. I also was just too jittery (with excitement). Thank goodness for wifi. I found a nice little desk, in what seemed like a cubicle, where I plugged in my laptop. A girl sat near me, and I started talking to her. She was going to spend the night at the airport too. I learned that she was a Filipino raised in Singapore and doing missionary work in Cambodia. She gave me a Cambodian bill:
She taught me a lot about her work in Cambodia. It's really nice what you can learn from strangers.
Hong Kong: Basically everyone I met started as strangers; students, distant relatives, teachers, etc. However, after living in Hong Kong for a couple months, I made lots of friends from all over the world (including the U.S. ;) )and I learned from their different lifestyles and cultures.
Hong Kongers showed me around HK and would tell me about cultural insights of Hong Kong, China, and any other thoughts. I could also practice my Cantonese Chinese a whole lot more when I talk to them.
My relatives always were warm and friendly, and are always inviting me for dinner and celebrations.
I visited my taekwondo teacher's friends in Hong Kong, and they welcomed me to their home and even allowed me to stay over that night after we talked until it was really late. Even though it was the first time I met them, they made me thing so much more about my direction in life and the significance of cultural differences.
Macau: My dad's best friend welcomed me and my friend. He picked us up from the port and took us to eat dimsum with his friends and family. Afterwards, he walked around with us for the whole day to show us Macau. He showed me the house my dad grew up in, and I was super happy.
Taiwan: Taiwan has to be one of the friendliest places I have ever been. It reminded me of my trip to Toronto, Canada. Anyways, Taiwan people were so friendly to strangers. I met so many nice people who were willing to talk to me, and were very keen on helping me practice Mandarin.
I went on the wrong bus with this other exchange student (I met at the airport). I didn't have enough change on me. Then the people on the bus helped pay for us and gave us directions to get to the high-speed rail. Almost everyone in the front of the bus waved goodbye and good luck to me when I left.
One taxi driver in particular made a lasting impression on me. I took a taxi to the airport by myself when I left. The taxi driver told me a lot about Taiwan and his life. He even showed me his family album!!
Japan: I got lost a couple times. Yeah, I am terrible with directions. However, I got by with my very elementary Japan (I learned a little from Japanese Coach on my ds, and I can read a lot but I really can't speak very well). Talking to strangers made me realize how scary it is when you can hardly communicate with others because of a language barrier. However because there are nice people everywhere. People have always helped my friends and I.
When we got lost in Osaka, I went up to many people to ask. Each of the people I asked were super nice and willing to help even if I couldn't understand everything they said. One elderly lady was so sweet, and another man took us to the station himself.
Seoul, South Korea: I met my friend in Hong Kong, and we were classmates. I took up her offer, and stayed at her house in South Korea. We haven't known each other for that long, but she was kind enough to give me an incredible experience in Korea. I learned about her lifestyle, the korean lifestyle, and more about her in general. She took me around the different places in Seoul and we would just talk and talk.
Talking with people of different cultures and backgrounds opens the doors into different perspectives and experiences. The people I met truly helped define my study abroad experience. They made my journey so much more different than anyone else's.
