For many people my age, the time period after graduation is a tumultuous time. Many are plunged into the work force, unsure if the career path they had chosen is the correct one. Some take a short break, and choose to use their unemployed time to rest and reflect on what to do next. For those who decide to do the latter, doubts about our choices and our future can sometimes usher in. Various thoughts swirl in our heads; on one hand, we aren't ready to join the workforce and we know that it's okay to take a short break, but on the other hand, we feel left behind by our peers and everybody else.
This is exactly what I felt when I graduated earlier this year. To be honest, I graduated with barely any post-graduation plans. I had been so focused on finishing my undergraduate thesis and graduating that I wasn't able to think or consider what happens after. It felt like my college journey ended so abruptly since I was so unprepared. I knew that I wasn't ready to work yet, but I also didn't want to idly wait.
Something that I've always wanted to do was to go on exchange to another country, but I never had the time to do so while I was studying. With all my newfound free time, I decided to go ahead and apply for RTM's Travel Worker program here in Taiwan. Going here was a complete leap of faith. So many uncertainties were involved, as Taiwan is only the second foreign country I've been to, this trip is my first time travelling alone, I didn't speak any Mandarin, I didn't know anybody here at all, and most of all, I would be putting my career path in the Philippines on hold. Coming here was a gamble, but now, through my experience in Lukang, I don't regret a thing.
I stayed for only an entire month in Lukang, but the memories, adventures and joyful moments that I experienced are enough to sustain me for years to come. Events that didn't seem to be that special while they were happening, are now some of my favorite memories from Lukang. The most memorable ones were the Taiwanese traditions, priceless experiences, and good people.
Traditions
I love learning new things, and in Lukang, there were many Taiwanese traditions that I was able to observe. One of them was getting to see how incense sticks are made. Incense sticks aren't as common in the Philippines as they are here, so it was my first time to see how they are made. They are made through covering sticks in incense powder several times, drying them, dipping them in color, drying them again, and packing them. I also saw how incense coils were made, both by hand and by machine. Making incense sticks is an intensive and time-consuming process, since the sticks are all dried out naturally in the sun. Relying on the sun can sometimes result in delays in production, depending on the weather. The powder itself can also sometimes be harmful or irritating when inhaled, so the experts always wear face masks when handling the powder. There's a lot of risks that these dedicated masters take in order to create their product using the traditional way.
I also got to experience the end of the Ghost Month, and the celebrations for the Mooncake Festival. The Ghost month is a cultural tradition that is directly linked with religion here in Taiwan. They say that during the ghost month, both good and evil spirits (our ancestors included) roam in the land of the living to visit us.
Lots of rituals are done to welcome the good spirits, and even more are done to ensure that the towns are protected from the evil spirits. These rituals involve chanting in the temples of various gods, placing bamboos with written warnings strategically throughout the town, setting off fireworks, holding festivals, distributing paper horses where the soldiers of the gods can stand guard, leaving offerings for the spirits, and many more. I was able to witness all of these rituals in Lukang, but I'm sure that there are plenty more that I wasn't able to see.
The Mooncake Festival is a national holiday that the Taiwanese celebrate through having a barbecue with their loved ones and playing a simple dice game. Having a barbecue with co-workers, friends, or family is a Mooncake Festival tradition that can only be witnessed here in Taiwan and nowhere else in the world. This tradition actually has very surprising origins. The Mooncake Festival and barbecues started to become associated with each other all thanks to a very famous barbecue sauce commercial. Upon further research, I found that it was a mix of the popular barbecue commercials, and multiple sales on barbecue equipment from big supermarkets in Taiwan, that started the trend of having a barbecue during the Mooncake Festival.
Another form of celebration during the Mooncake Festival is the dice game. It's rules are very simple; all you have to do is roll a certain amount of dice (the specific amount can vary), and based on the combination of the dice that you rolled, you can win different kinds of prizes, or no prize at all. This is actually a game that I have already played in the Philippines with the Chinese side of my family, but here in Lukang was my first time to see the game played with the entire community of a town. It was so exciting to see so many people testing their luck with the dice, and winning giant mooncakes as prizes.
Notable experiences
Outside of the traditions that I got to learn so much about, I also went through priceless experiences. One of them was visiting the Liar Fake Music Records store and talking to the owner. He creates music records, and each one has its own unique story of how it was made. Listening to the owner tell us about the stories was so engaging and memorable. My visit to his store was really life-changing, and one that I will never forget. It is a place that I would highly recommend to everyone who plans to visit Lukang.
Another priceless experience was being made into a dough toy by a traditional expert. We visited his store to shoot him for a video, and for this video, he was going to do a demonstration of how he creates toys and figurines out of dough. He asked us what we wanted him to make, but since it took us too long to decide, he decided for us and went straight to work. As he kept working, I slowly began to realize that he was creating me! I realized this because he slowly started to form my features, my glasses, and the clothes I was wearing. I felt incredibly honored to have been made, and the end result was super cute. It's something that will surely make me smile every time I see it.
However, the most unexpectedly enjoyable experiences were the ones I had with the people of Molly. Spending time with them was always precious, whether it be just playing board games, or hanging out at the dorm living room. The most surprising one was spontaneously going to the harbor with them on one of our last days in Lukang. The feeling was serene, and the view was beautiful. Those little moments are ones that I will always treasure.
Good people
The best thing about my entire stay in Lukang was definitely all of the people. The Taiwanese people I met were all incredibly friendly and hospitable. Even if I couldn't speak their language, they did their best to make me feel comfortable. I was so very lucky to have been partnered with Journy, my assigned partner to Lukang. She saved my life so many times, and looked after me even if she didn't need to. We were both also very lucky to get to work under Jasmine Humanistic Environment Education Center (or Molly for short), where everybody welcomed us and took good care of us.
We also got to meet restaurant owners, store owners, traditional experts, and so many other people in our stay in Lukang. Every single one of them was so great, and I am thankful to have met all of them.
On our last day, Journy and I bought some souvenirs to bring back home. We went to some stores of the experts that we met throughout our stay. At almost every store, the owner gave us a goodbye gift from their merchandise. Our incredible co-workers from Molly also gave us goodbye postcards and sweet messages. I will really miss them.
Looking back at it now, it is all of these things that made my farewell with Lukang bittersweet. Despite it being a risk, I will never regret my decision to join the Travel Worker program, as it brought me to Lukang. I will forever look back at my time in Lukang with fondness.
References:
Jones, E. (N.d.) Secret sauce: The surprising origins of Taiwan’s Mid-Autumn Festival barbecue craze (神秘的烤肉醬—令人驚訝的台灣中秋節「烤肉瘋」由來). Taipei Times. Retrieved from http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2018/09/25/2003701075/1
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