The sun was blazing hard; the smell of the soccer field mixed of dirt and moisture were crawling into my nostrils. It was at lunch break and the field was full of activities. There were soccer matches going on, not to mention the huge crowd of people frolicking with one another. It was a scene of merry. Just at one of the corners on the field, tension due to cultural differences was beginning to rise as the air filled with hostility.
Out of a sudden the African kid launched himself at me and began throwing fists on my body. I returned the favor and a fight broke out. Minutes later we both lay on the ground panting hard. ”You know if I were in Africa I could kill you with my thumb you know.” The African kid threatened me, sounding resentful. I was so exhausted as to move a finger than to retort back. “My name is Anushree by the way, which means the great warrior. A name given by the leader of our tribe in honor.” On hearing that, I gathered all my strength and snorted. Anushree must have missed it since he continued with his story.
“In my hometown, we were given names that often contain a meaning, or a figure that our elders hoped us to become in the future. You may think of us living like barbarians or a primitive life in the Dark Age, but to tell the truth some of our technologies are even more advanced than yours. News of civil conflicts may have filled your ears but we are actually a race of peace. We have great safaris and some of the best sceneries in the world. Somehow, Anushree had gotten to his feet and was now beaming proudly ate me. I couldn’t say that his words didn’t make any impact on me. For what he said didn’t have much in common with the mental image of Africa that I had in mind.
But after hearing Anushree’s big talk about his culture, it’s my turn to give him a lecture about ours. Hospitality is the nature of every Taiwanese, how we treat each other, including the foreigners with respect. We’re a race of honesty and politeness. Our culture is a combination of many others, the Minan, the Hakka and so many more. With such variety of customs and traditions, they enriched Taiwan and gave birth to a culture of specialty. And don’t even let me start on our cuisines, drinks and night markets, for they’re delicious and popular all over the world.
The bell rang, signifying the end of recess. We both got up from the ground and slapped the mud off our butts. African culture does sound a whole lot different than ours, and a little bit intriguing. Just before leaving, Anushree gave me a gentle pat on the shoulder and said: “Hey, I would like to pay Taiwan a visit some time.” I broke into a huge smile.
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