AWCH Seven Years in Asia

When I heard that the theme for the next issue of Currents was Asia, my mind raced. Should I contribute an article about mountain biking through the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal, contracting dengue fever and surviving a stormy long-boat ride in Krabi, Thailand, or describe the majestic tea plantations surrounding the hill station of Darjeeling, India? After some thought, I decided that while my travel experiences were rich and colorful, it was my time as a resident of the region that leaves the deeper imprints and binds me closer to that region of the world.

It was 1989, and I was applying to graduate schools. While waiting to hear from the various admissions boards, I quit my job and went to Taiwan to study Mandarin Chinese. I first lived with six other people and a hapless dog in a cage in a small apartment. Two of my native flatmates took me under their wings and introduced me to, among other things, the gregarious nightlife of Taiwan’s bustling capital, Taipei. Many a night we would whiz through congested traffic on mopeds, dance into the wee hours of the morning, stop by roadside stalls to eat “to dofu” (stinky tofu), or visit the various night markets to shop or catch a live show. One of the most famous in town took place at “Snake Alley”, where live snakes would be ceremoniously slit lengthwise and then hung up like curtains to drain. Buckets below would catch their blood which the show masters would then offer to spectators as an elixir to strengthen sexual potency.

Unexpectedly, I found a job with an American training consultancy and decided to stay beyond my original three-month plan. The return to the corporate world opened my eyes to the economic miracle of the island nation. Taiwan and its people were becoming richer; some of them overnight in a “Beverly Hillbilly” sort of way. I recall an anecdote told to me by a friend who worked at one of the western banks: one day, an elderly man in tired-looking clothes and dirty flip-flops came in to open a savings account. He had around NT$ 3,750,000 (local currency) or USD 150,000 in CASH - all stuffed into large plastic garbage bags! The teller recognized the man as the vendor who sold beetle nut, a mild narcotic substance that the locals would chew and then spit out (usually on the sidewalks!), outside of the building in which the bank resided. Unsure of where the money came from, she alerted my friend and other bank management. They subsequently discovered that the man was not only a successful beetle nut vendor…he was also the fortuitous owner of the land on which their gleaming new twelve story building stood!

Taiwan’s economic boom was not unique in Asia in the late 80’s and early 90’s. Malaysia was also propelling itself economically onto the world stage. I arrived at the beginning of 1991, and at the time, the first Gulf war was going on. Anti-Americanism was high in this primarily Muslim nation, and shortly after my arrival, it climaxed with a shootout at the American Embassy in which one of the guards was wounded. Living just behind the embassy, I wasn’t sure what was in store for Americans like me, but after the war ended and things settled down, I discovered a multi-faceted country and a successful melting pot at that.

If you have ever watched CNN International and seen the advertisement for Malaysia, you’ll know that the tag line is “Malaysia…truly Asia”. At the end are four smiling women in various ethnic dress. What you may not know is that one represents the Malays which make up roughly fifty percent of the country’s population. Another represents the Chinese which account for around thirty percent of the people. The two remaining women represent the Indians and the Orang Asli, the indigenous people of Malaysia, respectively. Despite different languages, religions and traditions, the different groups live, for the most part, harmoniously with one another. Interestingly enough, because the country was previously a British colony, the British culture also wields its influence in society. The country’s parliamentary government is fashioned after the British system, and English is a dominant language, especially in business. Even the notion of afternoon tea is quite common in the larger cities.

I continued to work as a training consultant in Malaysia. Through my various business trips, I was able to see much of the country, not only peninsular Malaysia, the mainland, but also East Malaysia, which include the states of Sabah and Sarawak on the island of Borneo. It was during a business trip to Sabah that I took the opportunity to hike up Mount Kota Kinabalu, Southeast Asia’s tallest mountain at 4100 meters. I presented a bit of a problem to the obligatory local guide that was appointed to me. His discomfort in leading me was obvious, perhaps because I was a female traveling alone, or more accurately said, I was an Asian female traveling alone – and wearing hiking shorts at that! Whatever the case, he didn’t speak to me during the two days we hiked together and insisted that we stop every twenty minutes because he thought I needed the rest. Nevertheless, I took the opportunity to observe the other hikers on the mountain, most of whom were city folk from peninsular Malaysia. To me the cool mountain climate meant a respite from the scorching, humid weather at sea level. For them, it felt like scathing cold – and they wore their thick down jackets and covered their faces with ski masks to guard against it!

My three years in Malaysia was a tapestry of daily adventures. The biggest one came, however, when I was offered a job in China. It was early 1994, and I went to work for a Malaysian company that was setting up an exclusive business club in Beijing. The club would be replete with five-star restaurants, first-class business services, an art gallery and yes, karaoke rooms, where big business deals could be signed while singing romantic ballads shown on a TV screen. The site of the club was none other than one of the revered villas of China’s last empress dowager, Cixi. After four months, it became apparent to me that the operation was too mired in warring interests and corruptive management to advance further, so I left and luckily was able to return to my previous training company.

One of my most memorable times in China included a trip to Wutaishan. It is an area marked by five peaks, each crowned with a sacred temple, and considered to be one of the holiest places outside of Tibet for Buddhists. While visiting the eastern peak one day, we were approached by an elderly lady bearing freshly-picked wild mushrooms, famous from the area. Misunderstanding her intentions, we brusquely told her that we weren’t interested in buying any and then walked away. Instead of following us like most peddlers in Beijing would do, she sat down slowly and after a while, began to cry. When we finally asked why she was in tears, she explained that she had just wanted to give us the mushrooms, to simply share her food with us. Out of ignorance, we had turned her kindness away. By rejecting her, we had crushed the essence of her Buddhist being. I’ll never forget how small and heartless we felt after understanding swept over us.

This encounter is but one of hundreds of encounters and experiences from my years in Asia that I hold dear to my heart. There were learning experiences, there were trials, there were tribulations, and there were deep friendships formed. Asia – it’s the region where I spent the most fascinating seven years of my life, where I indulged in the rich cultures of the three countries I lived in as well as those of neighbouring countries I was fortunate enough to visit. Even after ten years, I still feel strongly tied to Asia and I guess I always will be. Aside from the seven years, it is also the region of my birth (Taiwan), the place where I met my husband (China), the destination of our honeymoon (Myanmar), and even the location of my business interests (Malaysia). It is also where, given the right conditions for my family, I would gladly return to live.