A Growing Family

One of the most precious aspects of our trip to Taiwan has been the opportunity for me to meet more of Dave’s family. I have to admit that I’ve never really understood Dave’s connection to Taiwan. In my family, both my parents’ parents and siblings are all in the West; I think of any family connections remaining in China as distant and mostly irrelevant. But the story of Dave’s family is different: his father is one of 7 siblings, and he’s the only one to come to the US, while his mother is one of 12, only 5 of whom moved to the US.

Here’s Dave catching up with his mom’s oldest sister, who is 90 years old.

I’ve never experienced hospitality of the sort that Dave’s family offered us over the past week. His uncles and aunts took over a week away from work or their regular schedules to drive us around the entire island. (In New York, even taking a weekend to show visitors around is considered an imposition, right?) They reserved hotel rooms, chose well-known restaurants and ordered the most special delicacies, thoughtfully arranged an itinerary that would introduce me to the best of Taiwan, planned group meals so that we could see as much family as possible, etc. etc. I had no troubles with jet lag because I could nap in the back of the car in between stops, while Dave’s uncles drove us from place to place. Even cousins Dave doesn’t know that well welcomed us at each stop and made a big effort to show us around. I was amazed at their generosity.

It’s a testimony to the warmth of Dave’s family that even I felt comfortable after a few days – despite limited shared background, an insurmountable language barrier, and my general awkwardness. And now I think I know Dave a little better, too. It wasn’t quite a honeymoon feeling, given that we were never alone and were sharing a hotel room with his parents. But my world, and my heart, are a little bigger now. I can’t wait to go back!