Mariachis and Fitting in a Foreign Land...

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I don't think I fully had a perspective on my time in Taiwan until I got back to the U.S. and began to acclimatize back to the world I am used to.

I mean, certainly, there are people in the U.S who every day feel like they are unique (and are) in their environment. I had a conversation with one of my fellow travelers during our wait for our disparate flights here in San Francisco about the difference between the minority-experience in the U.S. and our experience in Taiwan.

It was odd to be the only people like us everywhere we went; but it was compounded by the wall prohibiting all but the most basic communication. Wherever we went, we could not read, write, speak, or fit-in with anyone in our surroundings. You desensitize yourself to it fairly quickly, but it remains a challenge. And when you return to familiar surroundings; languages you understand, food your can recognize; and people who look like you - you understand just how far away from home you have been.

Anyway, I am near home but not quite there. The plans that were made for me include my travel from here to Dallas, then Austin. I am tired and ready to get home. And by home; I mean to Trudy's Mexican food.

I mentioned the mariachis, but did I say that it was Mexico-week at our hotel? That meant that other than the Mariachis there were other touches of home all around the hotel. The extensive buffet in one of the restaurants, for instance, had green chili enchiladas. I did not want to limit myself to the familiar so i was determined to only have local cuisines.

But I had to try it - and doing so made it immediately obvious that the mariachi ambassadors came with a Mexican chef. The funny thing about the "enchiladas" was that they where chopstick-able; about the size of nigiri sushi so that they could be picked up with chop sticks. I had one tiny enchilada. And a margarita. Or two, but come on; how could I let my home team down in such a far away place? 😊

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Photos

They Were Good.
Eliseo requested several songs from them and proceeded to sing along to them. Oh, I wish I had that taped....