Widen our horizons, gaining a larger international view of the world, translated…
I’d gone hiking to the mountain regions in eastern Burma, the Indian guide took me across a rundown shack, the two older ladies inside passionately welcomed us in, and, we’d entered into the shack, and drank teas that burned on the lightly lit up fire. The children who were curious, following from behind the adults joined in, a couple of older girls, with a young boy, with snot running from his nose, over twenty pairs of eyes, shone in front of me, I’d smiled at them, they’d, smiled back at me too.
I’d said a casual greeting to them in English, the kids became shy, but, their grins got wider. They’d replied to my inquiries with their smiles, and, used gestures too quickly that I can’t catch, and so, I’d started, photographing them, used the camera lens to capture them in the moments. From the photos, the interactions of the children, I can tell that they were, related to each other.
The guide and the two older women chatted in Burmese, there wasn’t a joyous atmosphere, I was curious at what they were talking about, the guide only told me, that this space was a child care center set up with the money collected from the local villagers, and the two older women were hired by the village people, to look after the children, and offer them some education too. I’d carried a ton of questions, but the older ladies just smiled toward me awkwardly, and told me to have more food, more tea. The Indian guide continued carry on in conversations with them, in their world of worries.
As the sun set, I’d slowly, lost my vision, can no longer see what’s right in front of me in this village without power, with the foreign tongues, speaking into my ears. I’d gone on so many trips, and this was the very first time I’d ever felt, so lost, like I was so helpless, and upset, locked up, as the only person, in a fortress. I’d cried aloud inside, “I want to know what they’re talking about.” the longing echoed through the mountains, but I’d still, forced that smile on my face, and started, photographing the children, until we’d left that shack, did I complain to the guide.
He’d said three time, “My friend, I’m truly sorry, I should’ve, translated for you.”, then, carried on talking about his own problems of love, or how he’d wish he could save up the money so he could leave this country. My curiosities toward this country, most of the times, he’d not wanted to answer to, he was more passionate about my country, along with the rest of the world outside, it’d made me feel, that I’d become, the guide, and he, the tourist I was, guiding.
It’s awkward, really, and yet, this showed the differences and similarities that the two of us shared: we both wanted to understand the world, but, I had the ability to come in, and he, without the means to get out. It’s just, that inside this tower of different tongues, we don’t hear enough stories, and can’t get in contact with the outside world. Too little, that we not only couldn’t understand others, we can’t even, see ourselves clear.
Using the means that Taiwan has right now, it’s not at all difficult, for the younger generations to travel abroad, a lot of people are even, willing to fly out to Africa, to add to their sense of “international views”. I’d always asked, “if you’re willing to fly overseas, for millions of miles, to understand foreigners (or maybe, this will be the only contact you will have with them ever ), why not listen to the stories of the newly migrated workers next door, why wouldn’t you start a conversation with the foreign workers on the streets? The world is right before you, it’s just, that you choose, not to see it”.
When the politicians and the media accused this enclosed island, to NOT be able to connect with the world outside, but, it’d set up this model which the international relations fitted to. And so, we thought, that our country was, isolated, the society, closed in, but actually, we’re, the ones, locking ourselves up. No matter how many foreign trade agreements we’d signed, no matter how fluent we are of another language, how many trips we take, we can’t “connect” with the world. The real problem is, we wanted to talk to the world, but, have NO idea, where the world is!
So, this points out the problems of international relations of a whole country, to the problems that the people here are experiencing, when they travel abroad, because we became so unwilling, to accept ideals that are different than our own, that, is why, we’re still, living as hermits in this modern day world here…