my culture

culture (n.)

• the way of life, especially the general customs and beliefs, of a particular group of people at a particular time;
• the integrated pattern of human behavior that includes thought, speech, action, and artifacts;
• the attitudes and behavior that are characteristic of a particular social group or organization;
• 文化

As I am preparing to go back to America for the summer after residing in Taiwan for the last year, I have been reflecting on culture and preparing myself for reverse-culture shock or reentry shock.

One of my students remarked to me a few months ago, “you are eighty percent Taiwanese,” an observation prompted by a certain dish I was eating for lunch. This actually caught me by surprise because he had also commented on the multiple American products that I had in my bathroom shortly after I had returned from the States last year. In addition, as part of poking fun at their teachers at the “Thanking Teacher Banquet” my beloved students also awarded me the “rejects her own nation” award. When trying to explain it, a student said, and I quote, “you have been melting into our culture; you do many actions that are much like a Taiwanese.”

So, have I?
Have I rejected American culture and adopted Taiwanese culture as my own?

Well, yes and no.

I have concluded that I belong to a small group of people who are “third culture” people. I am not fully American and not fully Taiwanese (as far as culture is concerned).

I am a milkshake.

A milkshake is made of ice cream and of milk.  Once shaken, it is no longer milk and no longer ice cream . . . it is something altogether new.  That is me.  That is my culture.

And, if I say so myself, milkshakes are pretty tasty treats.

Oh . . . as long as I am a milkshake, I wanna be a chocolate one (with whipped cream and chunks of chocolate on top!! :)

ha. . . i thought of another example. . .

My milkshake example is from the American in me. And the next example is from the Taiwanese in me.

I am a 獼猴桃冰沙.

Peel a kiwi. Throw kiwi in blender. Blend. Throw in some ice. Blend again. And what do you have? The world's best icee! A nice blending of fruit and ice . . . but again something new--no longer ice and no longer a kiwi--a mix of both. YUMMY!!