A Taiwanese and an Indonesian family reconnect in the Javanese countryside.
The News Lens
Date: 2017/11/23
By: MuYi
Vivian Lee
Anny, from Indonesia, had lived with my family for three years as a domestic helper, but
Credit: Mu-yi Lee
her contract was coming to an end and she was finally going home.
Today, we went to wander through Taipei together one last time. At Taipei 101, we watched planes take off from Songshan Airport and sat by the window, reminiscing about our three years together.
In the three years since she left Indonesia, Anny had fallen in love, broken up and fallen in love again. I had graduated from university and was just entering the working world. We often had to rely on Google Translate to communicate, but had nevertheless become receptacles for each other’s thoughts and feelings. There were so many small moments between us over those short three years, and the day that we had to leave each other had come sooner than we expected.
We made a deal. In March, my mother and I would go to Indonesia and meet her,and let her bring us to her hometown. It felt so far from Taipei, physically and culturally. Anny kept pestering me with advice; to dress conservatively, not to wear short skirts. I thought, “Of course I know this. You’ve lived with us for 3 years and dealt with our culture, we should be capable of experiencing yours.” [FULL STORY]
