The Chinese only arrived in large numbers after 1600, when the Dutch East India Company established trading posts and forts on the island. After they defeated the Dutch in 1662, they gained control over the island and stayed until the end of the 19th century when the Japanese took over. They also left their mark on the island, remaining in control until after World War 2, when they were succeeded by Chiang Kai-shek and the Kuomintang.

How can I begin to write about my trip to Taiwan except to use the Portuguese word “Saudade”? “Saudade” is a word that envelopes so many emotions: nostalgia, longing, yearning, love, friendship, desire, etc. No other language has a word like it. Taiwan was once called “Formosa”, another Portuguese word which means “beautiful.”

I was last in Taiwan when my husband, Richard, served in Vietnam between 1968-1970. Our family was not allowed to go to Vietnam, so I went to Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, with my two young children. We were 180 wives with no husbands.

Since then Taiwan has changed so much that I did not know the place, but all for the better. It is a wealthy and vibrant island with hard working, polite people. They especially stress the importance of a good education for its youth.

I wanted to see my older sister, Amy, because her third son Michael had written to tell me she had been ill. It had been many years since I last saw her, as well as her three sons and their families. I did not want to linger over my decision for fear I might change my mind. I booked my ticket and left four days later. None of my family members could go with me, so I was quite nervous about flying half-way around the world alone. I had never gone anywhere without Dick, even on short trips. I closed my mind and refused to think negative thoughts, especially about the typhoon that was pounding the southern part of the island causing devastation and death.

I finally arrived in Taipei on China Air Lines around 9 PM. I was on the road for over twenty hours and was so tired that I did not even remember when my nephew Michael picked up my luggage, or the drive to my sister’s apartment.

Amy had surgery last year. She was fine, although she still had some breathing problems and coughed constantly. It was wonderful to see her again, and we made up for lost time. It was especially exciting to be speaking Chinese. Amy had thought of everything to make me comfortable. She even gave me a cell phone to make overseas calls and pocket money to spend. She also had a full-time maid and a chauffeur.

The next night a French banquet was given in my honor so that I could meet the family and Amy’s close friends. I had forgotten about all the protocol – the exchanging of gifts and the toasting that was exchanged back and forth before the meal was served. The liquors of choice were mostly “Johnny Walker Blue” and “Chivas Royal Salute.” I sipped on my half glass of white wine while I noticed with admiration and total awe the amount of liquor being consumed. It brought back memories of when I was a child in Beijing, and the many banquets my parents hosted with their Mahjong games. My mother was considered the perfect hostess and could drink to and toast each guest throughout the long meal – but I never remember seeing her drunk. My sister certainly was as perfect a hostess as my mother.

While I was there, my oldest nephew Ricky, along with his wife and family, were vacationing in Massachusetts. Their three daughters have all graduated from the best schools in the United States and Europe. They were returning the day after I left Taiwan, so I was sorry to miss them. Amy took me to see their home located in Yangmingshan, a very exclusive area of Taipei. The houses and land there were amazing. The kitchens were equipped for either western or Chinese cuisines.

I took a tour of the manicured grounds and petted the three horses in their stables. Their youngest daughter currently lives in Amsterdam and competes in horse shows in Europe. I was very impressed with everything.

My second nephew, Andy, is the CEO of several companies. He and his wife, Bonnie, have two children. Tiffany, who is 22, has a perfect figure, creamy white skin, and is very beautiful. I thought of Scarlett Johansson when I met her. She was leaving in two days to go to Hongkong and Shanghai to look for a job. She took me to the night market – a very popular tourist attraction. The market sold everything from shoes to trinkets and served every kind of food one could desire. Their son, Ian, is twelve. He told me he has too much homework, but it’s necessary because the education system is very competitive. Andy takes time on weekends to play tennis and be with his family, because during the week many of his evenings are spent hosting overseas business guests. The whole family has luncheon and dinner together every Sunday.

Bonnie, my niece, and I had a delightful day together. She is very pretty and full of life. She speaks perfect English, and worked as an airline hostess for China Air Lines for seven years. She took me to a famous Chinese restaurant for lunch, where I ordered many dishes that I remembered from my childhood: drunken chicken, red-braised pork with skin that melts in your mouth, little steamed buns filled with pockets of succulent meat and juice, and specialty dishes from many different provinces. These are called “Shia Fan” dishes, which means dishes that make the rice go down; they were so delicious, so well seasoned, so amazing that I wanted to remember the flavors forever. For desert, I ordered rice flour balls stuffed with black sesame paste.

She then took me to a massage parlor where I had an hour-long massage. I was totally satisfied with my day, but Bonnie had one more surprise for me. She was taking me to her favorite hair dresser to get my hair done. Before the girl washed my hair, I had another 15 or 20 minute massage of my head and shoulders. Bonnie was finally satisfied and I was ready to go home and take a long nap before the big dinner that night.

Michael, the youngest son, is an attorney-at-law for Baker and McKenzie. He is not married and lives close to Amy, so he came over every morning to have breakfast with us. What a charmer! I felt fortunate to see him so often. He is a gourmand and usually ordered the dishes and wines for the banquets and luncheons.

Michael and his friend, Gogi, who is a very well known fashion designer in Taipei, picked me up one Saturday morning and took me to the flower and jade market. I have never imagined so many variety of flowers, especially orchids. Then we went to the jade market, where I admired the great variety of jade, rings, pendants, and statues. These two markets are several blocks long and are only open on Saturdays and Sundays – during the week they are transformed into parking lots.

We also visited “Taipei 101,” the tallest building in the world. Visitors can watch the multimedia show before riding the world’s fastest elevator to the 89th floor. The elevator has a high pressurized speed of over a thousand meters per minute. The observatory is equipped with high power binoculars, drink bars, image services, and prerecorded multimedia guides in eight languages. Visitors can observe the detailed structure and the heaviest wind damper which weighs 660 metric tons. Looking out the window one can see all of Taipei and its famous landscape. To reach the 91st floor one must take the steps from the 89th floor. You will feel the strong winds and see up close the spire to the building’s 508 meters high sphere. You can watch a theater film that shows the building’s construction and last New Year’s celebration with a fireworks display which eminated from all parts of the towering structure.

I also took a day-long tour of Taipei and surroundings with six other passengers - two from America, two from Australia, and one from Japan. We visited some of the must-see historical sights. The first was the Chiang Kai Shek memorial park. Around the park, a 1200 meter corridor is built. A Chinese window taking the form of a lantern is seen on the wall every 4.5 meters. There are two ponds that take up 3000 square meters. It is surrounded by stones and landscaped with artificial hills, stone-paved paths, and arched bridges. In the ponds a great number of bright-colored carp swim back and forth. With an area of 250,000 square meters, the Memorial Park is a paradise for animals, plants, and birds. One can see the butterflies flying among the flowers and bees busily collecting honey.

We then moved on to Chih Fu Temple. The main god of this Temple is the God of the Land, Taiwan’s most popular god. This god has evolved into human form and understands all the hardships of the human being. He has the power to influence people and is always ready to help when needed. He has a healthy face, silver hair, kind eyes and laughing lips. The day to worship the “God of Land” is called “Ya,” which means to “welcome fortune.” It is held on the second and the sixteenth days of the lunar month.

The best visit was saved for last – the National Palace Museum. It has a permanent collection of over 650,000 Chinese artifacts and other pieces of art – the largest collection in the world. In 2008 it was the world’s 15th most visited museum. In 2001 the museum underwent a major overhaul that cost $21 million, making it more spacious and modern. The displays are rotated once every three months. If you were to see all 650,000 pieces, it would take you more than twelve years.

Finally, my trip came to a close. I’m now back in Tucson with my loving family. I am again enjoying the glorious sunsets, the majestic mountains, and the quaint cacti. I will be playing tennis and duplicate bridge, cooking and baking, and enjoying the friends I love.

This simple life is good for my soul. I can truly say I would be satisfied if all my worldly goods consisted of a good tennis racket, a bridge table, an efficient stove, and a comfortable bed on which to lay my head.

I will always treasure my memories of Taipei and keep them stored in my heart to relive and savor: the distinctive food specialties of each province, the toasting before the banquets, the red envelopes with money for tipping, the gifts that are exchanged, and the protocol for each event.

I will also remember the kindness of my family and friends, the polite waitresses and service people in their neat uniforms, and the emphasis on education. I have fulfilled all of my senses – from the exotic fruits and vegetables, the variety of sea food, fowl and meat (especially the exceedingly tender and flavorful kobe beef),  the beauty of orchids and other strange flowers, and the exquisite art and paintings.

I was also very impressed that everyone spoke Mandarin, which has unified all the Chinese people.

What a journey! What a vacation! What memories!

Thank you, Taiwan.

Of course English is a little easier than the Romance Languages because of the neuter gender. The word “it” made English so much easier than French, Spanish, Portuguese, etc. After all, why should “the sun” be masculine and “the moon” be feminine? Chinese has no grammar at all, which makes it easier to learn, although the tones may cause some difficulty.

Lest we forget how difficult it is to master the English language, I am going to invite you to join me in laughing at attempts to write in English from around the world.

In an elevator:

• “Please leave your values at the front desk.”

In another elevator:

• “To move the cabin, push button for wishing floor. If the cabin should enter more persons, each one should press a number of wishing floor. Driving is then going alphabetically by national order.”

At some hotels:

• “The flattening of underwear with pleasure is the job of the chambermaid.”
• “Special today, no ice cream.”
• “Not to perambulate the corridors in the hours of repose in the boots of ascension.”
• “English well talking. Here speeching American.”
• “Coolers and Heaters: If you want just condition of warm in your room, please control yourself.”
• “Ladies are requested not to have children in the bar.”
• “Take one of our horse-driven city tours. We guarantee no miscarriages.”
• “You are welcome to visit the cemetery where famous composers, artists and writers are buried daily, except Thursday.”
• “The manager has personally passed all the water served here.”

Menus in restaurants:

• “Salad a firm’s own make; limpid red beet soup with cheesy dumpling in the form of a finger, roasted duck let loose; beef rashers beaten up in the country people’s fashion.”
• “Our wines leave you nothing to hope for.”

In dress and tailors’ shops:

• “Ladies may have a fit upstairs.”
• “Drop your trousers here for best results.”
• “Dresses for street walking.”
• “Order your summers suit because in big rush we will execute customers in strict rotation.”
• “Ladies, leave your clothes here and spend the afternoon having a good time.”

In a dentist shop:

• “Teeth extracted by the latest methodists.”

Well that is all. As I said: “English is difficult!”

This article was first published at JustOneOpinion.com on January 27, 2009. It is presented here in exactly the same text and format for the readers of my own site. - Chi Newman

China is a vast country in Asia, bordering the Pacific Ocean. Many of China’s largest cities are along the east coast, where the land is low and flat, and easy to plant rice in the paddies, rice being the main staple in China. Farther inland, snow capped mountains tower over the landscape. China’s major rivers are the Yangtze and Hwang He, which is also called the Yellow river. They both flow eastward into the sea.

China has a population of several billion people. However, the government is trying to control population growth, limiting each family to only one child. It is a necessity, but it also has disadvantages. The only child often gets very spoiled, and it’s no fun not having a sister, brother, aunts or uncles.

There are many dialects in the Chinese language. Mandarin, which has four tones, is the official dialect, now called the people’s language. Every child who goes to school is required to speak Mandarin, which has proved to be a good way to unify the country.

The Chinese write with characters or symbols, instead of letters. Each character stands for a complete word or idea. There are more than 40,000 characters and no letters in an alphabet, as is true in most western languages, including English. If one knows the alphabet, he can read English. In the Chinese language, you have to memorize every character. Don’t get discouraged, however, because learning to speak Chinese is not that difficult.

Writing, on the other hand, is a different story. We have no grammar in Chinese. We have no gender, tense, case or participles. For example, the verb “eat” never changes. In Chinese we say “I eat now, I eat two days ago, or I eat tomorrow.” We use the word “ta” for “he”, “she” or “it.” For example: “Ta” is my father, “ta” is my mother, or “ta” is my dog. That is why you might hear a Chinese person who hasn’t yet mastered the English language say: “She is my father”, or “he is my mother.” We just use more modifiers in each sentence.

I once taught an American from Knoxville, Tennessee, to speak Chinese. He learned it in less than a year. Many years later, I called him and asked if he still remembered how to speak Chinese. He said “No”, but sometimes he would carry a Chinese newspaper and pretend to read it, just to impress people.

China’s capital is Beijing. It is a beautiful city with many palaces and famous buildings. For thousands of years, China was ruled by dynasties, or powerful families. Members of the same family ruled until it was overthrown, then another dynasty or family would follow.

During the Qin dynasty, the emperor wanted to protect the country from invaders and began construction of the Great Wall, which extended at one time for about 1,500 miles.

In 1275 Marco Polo arrived in China from Italy and remained for many years. When he returned to Italy, his reports about China excited great interest, for he brought back many exotic goods never before seen in Europe. China, which means, “Middle Kingdom,” believed it was the center of the universe. Today, people from all over the world are interested in China for its culture, art, cuisine, and technical development.

During the Ming dynasty, Europeans arrived in China. Catholic missionaries came to convert the Chinese to Christianity. Some of the missionaries gave rice to the poor to lure them into their churches, hence the origin of the name, “rice” Christians.

A two-year-old boy, named Pu Yi, was the last Emperor of China. He reigned from 1908-1912. After the Emperor was deposed, China became a Republic. The first president of the new Republic was Sun Yat Sen.

Mao Ze Dong, a dedicated Communist, overthrew the government in 1949 and became the dictator of Communist China. Before Mao, there were very rich families who owned beautiful mansions. Jade, ivory, gold, and exquisite things decorated their homes. But when Mao became the country’s leader, he theoretically made everyone equal - there were to be no rich, no poor.

Since Mao’s death in 1976, China has evolved into a quasi-capitalist country, in spite of the fact that it is still ruled by the Communist Party. China is very proud of its development and how it has continued to grow in order to deal with its many challenges.

The Chinese grow many vegetables, so the food is always fresh. Rice is the main staple, and is eaten with every meal. We also have wheat products, including items like noodles, dumplings and breads stuffed with meat. Delicious fruits grow throughout China with each region of the country having its own specialties depending on the local climate. Peaches, apples, figs, pears, and citrus fruits are all picked when they are ripe, which is why the fruit is so scrumptious.

Three out of five people in China work on farms. The country’s major farm crops are rice, wheat, cotton, fruits, and vegetables. Many farmers also raise chickens and pigs.

A 2-minute tour of China

www.youtube.com/watch?v=gv2NNUPYN-A

For many Chinese there is work available in factories or in the shipping business. Gigantic ships from all over the world pull into the ports to trade with China. Americans are aware of this since so many of their clothes, toys, TVs, and other electronics being sold  in retail stores are labeled “Made in China.”

Last year some of our Chinese friends came to visit and went looking for some souvenirs to take home. To their amazement, they were unable to find anything that was not made in China. Finally they took back two big bags of “fortune cookies,” which are not seen in China. Fortune cookies were actually invented in San Francisco’s Chinatown strictly for the American market.

The Chinese calendar follows the cycles of the moon, which is why we call it the Lunar Calendar. Chinese New Year usually comes in January or February’s full moon. There are twelve different animals that represent the Lunar Calendar. For example, 2009 is the “Year of the Ox,” 2010 the “Year of the Tiger,’ 2011 the “Year of the Rabbit,” and the year 2012 is the “Year of the Dragon.” The Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Cock, Dog, Boar, and Rat all have their own years as well.

Depending on what “animal” you are, you are supposed to have certain good and bad qualities. Most women won’t tell what animal they are, for it not only gives away their age, but also shows their bad qualities. Certain animals do not get along well with certain other animals, so before they marry many superstitious couples go to marriage counselors for advice.

China is a very artistic country with many fine arts and crafts. The Chinese are famous for their beautiful calligraphy, done by hand with brush and ink. The Chinese were the first to produce silk. Silkworms spin their shiny threads, which are then woven into beautiful fabrics.

One of China’s greatest teachers was Confucius. Among his most important teachings was that he believed all people should show respect for each other. Although there are many Christians in China now, many Chinese still follow the teachings of Confucius. Many others follow Buddhism, which originally came to China from India. Buddha taught unselfishness and kindness to others. The Chinese built many temples to honor Buddha, but many of them were severely damaged or destroyed during Mao’s “Cultural Revolution.” These and other teachings have made the Chinese people who they are today.

China is a budding super power. If Americans would like to learn something worthwhile, they should learn to read and write Chinese. Because so many Chinese admire Americans, they especially love to hear Americans speak Chinese. Frequently, they will invite visitors to the country into their homes to share their meals. The Chinese are a very sociable people and love to give gifts to make their visitors welcome.

I am a proud American citizen, I’m also very proud of my Chinese heritage. Whenever possible, I enjoy telling people I meet about China, the Chinese people, their customs, and other facts about my country of origin.

I plan on sharing stories from my book, Farewell, My Beijing: The Long Journey from China to Tucson, as well as new ones.  I’ll let you know what I am up to and what my friends and I are doing.

I’ll also let you know how my book is selling and share some reviews and testimonials that I’ve received about it.

I am also contributing articles to JustOneOpinion.com, a journal style website with lots of news articles and opinion pieces.  I have permission to post my articles here as well, so be sure to check in and read them.  Please feel free to add your own comments as well.  I’d love to know what you think.