Memories                              1   2   3   Next

Stephanie Ou

Clay beads, a rice paddy hat, a wooden fan…these are some of the items that I will take with me back to the states. Sure, these souvenirs will last for a while and remind me of the good times that I’ve had in Taiwan for the past month. But these items will probably collect dust and eventually be forgotten. What will not be forgotten, however, are the memories of the people I’ve met. I will not forget my aboriginal students, who eagerly soaked up all that I had to teach them. I will not forget Zhang Auntie, who became like a mother to me. I will not forget my fellow teacher volunteers whom I spent almost every waking moment with.

The sun was setting as the bus dropped me off at Ma Jia Junior High School. I glanced around, trying to get a feel of the place that I was going to call home for the next two weeks. In the dim light, I could see aboriginal artwork on the buildings and beautiful mountains behind the buildings. Then I heard the thunderous beating of drums. I turned and saw on a well-lit outdoor stage about 30 kids making the music and dancing. As I walked closer to them, I noticed some quick yet curious glances toward my way. These were some of the students that I would be teaching English to. I was just as curious about them as they were curious about me. A couple days later, I walked into my classroom and again saw those familiar faces with those curious glances. Inspired that they were so interested in what I had in store for them, I began teaching. I taught them English by using songs and games. Their eyes lit up as the day progressed. I felt touched that they really wanted to learn English and that I could help them learn it.

A petite yet strong-willed woman, Zhang Auntie took care of me during my stay at Ma Jia. From teaching me how to hand wash my clothes to taking me out to dinner every night, she made sure that I could survive the two weeks in a rural mountainous town. She welcomed me into her family as if I was her daughter. I spent time with her family and learned much about life. She taught me that oftentimes the people who care about you the most are the ones that you don’t always notice first. They are the ones who humbly hide in the shadows but are there for you when you need help.

Meeting young people my age from all over the US taught me so much about myself. I learned that there are all sorts of people in the world with different personalities and that there is no right or wrong way to be. With this knowledge, I am now motivated to be a stronger more confident person open to learning more about other people. I realize that the more I learn about others, the more I learn about who I am and who I want to be. I feel as though I have grown from spending so much time with different kinds of people.

         This month in Taiwan teaching English to aboriginals and meeting other people has certainly made an impact on my life. There are memories I will cherish for a long time. It has broadened my perspective on life and taught me to be proud of whom I am: a compassionate, open-minded person.

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