Taiwan Years

I had the pure pleasure of having the opportunity of leaving the U.S. to live in Taiwan. Those four years held the most pain, emotionally, that I had ever had to endure; yet it also gave me the ability to see how the other parts of the world lived, and this was a gift I will hold close to my heart forever.

In the mid-80's, boarding the plane to meet my then-fiancee; saying goodbye to my mom was really tough for us both. She was my best friend and I hers. I did my best to stop crying and find my way to the seat. The next 14 hours gave me not only lunch, dinner, and breakfast, but a scene I would not soon forget. This leg of many plane flights to come was just the beginning of a set of norms that I would come to know well, be able to ignore, and also use myself.

Staring, is not considered rude in the Chinese culture. In an elevator for instance, the person on either side of me would have their heads turned totally to the side to stare at me. After all, a taller than most on the elevator blond and green-eyed Caucasian lady, was a sure-fire reason (although there was never one necessary,) for the staring to occur. After I began modeling there, and my face was recognized, wow, was it wild!

Since I was living there, not staying for a few days on a tour; I needed to learn how to converse with the Chinese-speaking public. For me to shop, go to the open markets, to pick out the best fish for dinner, to ask our houseboy to fix something. This was my life for 4 years. My hubby decided he would just let his secretary translate for him, and set up all the utilities for us. He had no interest in learning the language. I, on the other hand, was in it for the entire experience. Heck if I was going to wait for a translator, or be one of those that used a dictionary but had no idea of how to put the words together kind of foreigner!

Most of us ex patriots were viewed as slightly spoiled, never really trying at anything much, using the driver and car the companies provided for their Overseas workers type of people. Little did I know that soon I'd be squatting with the rest of the shop I was in, bargaining with the best of them, all in Chinese! I still can sit like that, although with needing my 3rd knee surgery and arthritis in the other, possibly more, I opt for the standing position thank you.

Taiwan gave me many things. My marriage. We flew back to the beach to get married. Another 14 hour trip with my wedding dress that was designed for me in Taiwan, and it was the latest design, that I saw maybe a year or more later in the states. We had access to the European designs way before the states even started putting them in their windows. I modeled dresses once for Chloe, that were one of a kind. I was so startled when the designer saw how much I loved one piece that was going to go for production there in Taiwan, and gave me the piece. I wore it to my 10th High School reunion, I wore it till it started really showing it's age!

My dress that clear day of my wedding, was truly a show-stopper, the headdress with many pearls that were coming towards my face, on pieces of translucent wire. Very different than the U.S.'s traditional veils of that time. Having our wedding night full of returning his son to the airport an hour away, (I know, why couldn't THAT have been pushed back one more day?) I only wanted to sleep! Luckily, so did my hubby! We had about 2 days alone at the beach, fully jet-lagged, then packing up to go back home. Quite the whirlwind wedding! We never had a honeymoon until the first of many times we HAD to leave the Island, for visa purposes, to our favorite destination--Hong Kong!!

There in Hong Kong was the chance to really relax and let others come to us! In the hotel we came to stay in nearly every time we stayed in HK, we had personal attendants for each room, which overlooked Hong Kong Harbor, greeting us with a plate of fresh fruit and orchids, champagne and an offer to ring them anytime we needed anything. We had the lovely chance to see one Chinese New Year's celebration, and the amazing fireworks blasting over the Harbor, ships docked everywhere, those ships that could find a place, had an awesome view too.

Sitting in the elaborate lobby, with bellhops paging anyone with a message, with a name written on a chalboard they would carry around with bells on it, the carrier not saying a thing, it being our responsibility to raise a head if you heard the bells. Once, when we were in a silly mood and there with our best friends from Taiwan, we girls got the idea to make the men laugh--we paged them as "Senator (my hubby)", and "Ambassador (her hubby)". It did get a laugh from them, but a few curious looks from those around them.

I have so much to write abut those years. I did mention Taiwan gave me many things I hold close to my heart. The one holding the top spot and always has, is my son.