It provided me some time to reflect, to study about faith, and to FaceTime a dear friend who I'd lost contact with for the last year.
We talked about friendships and what has changed between us, and why we hadn't spoken in so long. I felt love and forgiveness and gratitude for good, selfless men in my life. They do exist, and this was another reminder.
We traipsed out the door into the dirty city of Tainan at 8:00 am, waiting for the bus in what already felt like 90* heat with 80% humidity. My headband began to feel like earmuffs as I regretted putting it on, thinking it would keep my hair off my face.
We entered the hospital on our first clinical day and experienced what we had been told we would experience for months. On the streets, people stare. We usually just smile and wave, saying, "Ni hao." But now we were all in our neon blue polo shirts, and walking around a hospital. We were a complete spectacle to these humble Taiwanese people. People began taking pictures of us, there were comments on how pale we were, and the nurses and hospital staff orienting us to the floors we would be working on continued to be embarrassed when they felt they were messing up their English.
There was one girl, named Atun. She came from Indonesia 2 years ago. She is my age, but looks like a 14 year old. She left her entire family and came to care for an elderly woman 24/7 at the pay of $20,000NT (or $500 US) a month- she can hopefully pay for an entire house in Indonesia in two years. She was my friend instantly.
I realized how the only difference between her and I was the fact that I was born in different circumstances. I have endless opportunities, I clearly have always had plenty of food, and I haven't ever lived in any type of physical discomfort, let alone needing to leave my family and my country to work in conditions without worker's rights in order to pay for their subsistence.
The rest of the day we enjoyed our time as a spectacle of women in bright blue polos as people openly stared at us on the street and filmed as we walked past. This place is dirty, tropical, and happy. There are advertisements everywhere that say, "Taiwan is happy" and "Wellcome to Taiwan!" The people are gracious, providing meals and telling us how beautiful we are. When they find out we are from the United States they clap their hands- and I feel silly for the excitement that comes with some sort of privilege I never earned.
I saw a woman in a wheelchair a the hospital. Her caregiver asked for a picture with us. After the picture, we turned and this little old lady was speaking to us. I was drawn to her- we all were. I knelt down and grabbed her hand, willing myself to be able to speak her native Taiwanese tongue. There is so much I could learn here if I only spoke the languages- that's why I learned Spanish as a teenager. One day, maybe Chinese will be next. As I held this little old lady's hands, I felt the love of God for her and I rejoiced in His ability to know each and every one of our circumstances and abilities and pains and joys. I rejoiced that I could touch one of His daughters in a faraway land and learn simply by looking into her blind, aged eyes.
God is good.
Excited before clinical started!
These girls are my sisters.
Officially Asian now. I totally love peeing in these toilets.
Made some new friends- the people are so gracious. Not only did they feed us, the people at this hospital had the nursing director of the entire hospital give us our tour. They have gone above and beyond to make sure we enjoy our stay! I want to be a better person because of them.
I just enjoyed how awkwardly long my arms looked in this. This is at the hospital in Tainan City.
Overlooking the countryside at the hospital in a rural part of Tainan. It's about an hour bus ride to get here- it's beautiful here!!!
Our dear friends who were too shy and filmed us from far away. That's Atun in the pink.
Atun and I after we learned we are the same age- she commented on our height difference. I am amazed at her bravery. She loves the woman she takes care of like she is her mother. She came to Taiwan with only 3 months of language training in Chinese.
At the hospital in rural Tainan.
BABBBBBBBBBIIIIIIESSSSSSSS I LOVE THEM
Also fully Asian because of this.
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