Passion begins at home
The friendliness of the people of Taiwan has been an eye-opener for the Mosaic fellows, and for Mwangi, no moment was more so than stepping into her host family’s home for the first time and being overwhelmed with food as a welcome.
Lychees, guavas, all kinds of seasonal Taiwanese fruit were on offer. Breakfast has been no less overwhelming, with Mwangi’s host mother cooking eggs and congee, and then going to a nearby breakfast shop to buy some dumplings and soymilk “just in case.” The near-constant feast has been wonderful, Mwangi says, but also makes her want to scream “stop feeding me already!” at times.
Mwangi’s host father, Wang Lu Pei, has hosted several foreign students before, and so this time he was prepared with an itinerary covering central Taiwan’s sights, hoping to give his “foster daughter” an enjoyable stay.
Visiting the Changhua Big Buddha and Wuqi Harbor, as well as the Gaomei Wetlands, the new family bonded and created great memories. While visiting the “Highway Garden” in Changhua’s Tianwei Township, Mwangi spotted the type of roses her father loves so much, and so to help ease that burst of homesickness, Wang laid on a lavish seafood dinner for her, knowing she comes from Baltimore, a city famous for its seafood.
While they may have only known each other for two short days, leaving is still difficult. Mwangi hugs the Wangs tightly, promising to visit “Mom” and “Dad” again next year.
“Our door is always open,” replies Wang.
From rural villages to Aboriginal communities to big cities, from the intellectual arts to the martial arts, the Mosaic fellows experienced the best of Taiwan and took away wonderful memories.