I'm a bit behind on my blogs, but I was invited to a Taiwanese 'imu' party a few weeks ago. 'Imu' is the Hawaiian word for a steam pit oven. Many cultures across the world have a similar method or tradition of cooking food. The concept is simple. Dig a hole in the ground and line it hot stones from a fire. Cover the stones with grasses and plants. Wrap your food in paper or cloth and place in the hole. Cover the food with more grass and plants and then bury for several hours. The food comes out incredibly tender, moist, and delicious.
So, a teacher's father owned some land across from his house in the middle of Wuci. Several teachers from Wuci and surrounding towns met there on a Sunday to have the 'imu' party. They met around 9 AM, but I didn't get there until noon due to my rather late Saturday of dancing. It was like a picnic you might see in the U.S. The kids played baseball or games, the men gathered in a circle and drank and talked about work or politics, and the women gathered in a circle and talked about the kids and the men. I can't understand much of what is being said around me, but I've realized how much of our communication is non-verbal. I have always been observant of these non-verbal ques, but I have really honed my skills since moving to Taiwan. I've also come to realize that ignorance is bliss when it comes to politics. I'm not saying that I don't have an opinion, but it's very different when it's not 'your' politics. I think this kind of distance from politics is a healthy perspective that I hope to bring back with me. In any case, I found myself playing the referee a few times during the day. Throwing myself between teachers and saying simple things like, "Don't argue...food, drink, sunshine, playing kids...life is good." I don't think it helped much, but you do what you think you can.
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