Resilience in Broken Things [Vietnam / Taiwan]

[Taiwan - Xiao Mei]

Spring was Mei’s favorite season. A time of renewal, healing, and second chances, when most of the flowers were in bloom in her hidden courtyard, a soft sprinkling of white, pink, and lavender throughout the green. The courtyard was an important part of her personal home that overlooked the sea, but was still nestled close enough to all the happenings of Taipei. It was a city that she was very proud of, beautiful with its layout of nature inter-meshing with the industrial layout. And at night, it was sparkling with its many lights, a blend of Chinese, Japanese, and American influences over her culture were very apparent in the architecture, the items being sold in the market, the food selections, and the various languages being spoken. Of course, the men who had pushed their influence over her throughout her life would still have their proverbial fingerprints all over her city. The shopping was rather extravagant and there were lively night markets. A secret foodie wonderland, she had once lightly joked, but it was the truth. Stalls upon stalls of small bites to eat between the shopping opportunities, many of which were boutiques, Mei’s favorite kind of shopping. The perfect place to bring her sister for the early evening, she’d decided.

She was dressed simply today, in jean shorts, strappy sandals, a flowing pale peach colored top, hair hanging freely, and a white coat hanging over her shoulders as she moved around frantically to gather everything she needed before heading out to meet her sister at Teipei’s main station where the light rails transported incoming and outgoing traffic to the main airport. She typically met Thi there whenever she was staying for an extended period of time at her home. During these visits, Mei typically liked to treat her to home-cooked meals, plenty of shopping opportunities, and sharing late nights playing games, convincing Thi to allow her to fix up her hair or paint her nails, or perhaps even having a few drinks and talking way past midnight. Whatever they ended up doing, Mei enjoyed these moments no matter what.

Finally finding her book bag, a section of the thick fabric covered in tiny pins from her most recent trips while visiting Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore, a few of her other favorite travel hubs. Before leaving the house and locking it up behind her, she’d also grabbed a small, handheld yarn doll that she’d made for Thi the week prior. Mei knew that it wasn’t customary for a host to give gifts, but she couldn’t help herself. She did it to express her happiness that her sister was coming to see her. This particular creation was in Thi’s likeness, wearing a miniature representation of an áo dài. Of course, Mei had styled it in a cutesy fashion, with over-sized dark spots for eyes that were dominating most of the face, without a mouth or nose. The yarn strands representing her long hair was tied back, as usual. The small doll was tucked in the crook of Mei’s arm as she held her bag close to her side, quickly making her way down the main street.

Once she made it to the station several minutes later, a smattering of crowds all moving quickly around her, she waited close to where there were many benches of other people likely also anxiously waiting for loved ones to arrive. She was one of the few that remained standing, frequently scanning the crowds that would leave in droves from the incoming light rails from the airport.

tag // Vietnam - Nguyen Thi

[Vietnam - Nguyen Thi]

Thi was patient as she waited for the light rail to take her from the airport to the station where she knew her sister would be waiting. In fact, some observing her and knowing who she was meeting might have made the mistake in thinking that she was lacking in enthusiasm. But they would be incorrect - she merely saw no reason why she should draw attention to herself by making any sort of a fuss. Besides, extreme emotion - even if it's positive - disrupts one's inner harmony. Yao had taught her this when she very young and, while he certainly wasn't right about everything, in this he was correct. So she was excited, but not too excited as she watched the world fly by through the window.

Though another reason for her patience was simply because the plane flight and now this short ride on a fast train seem so trivial to her. She'd been alive for a long, long time - much longer than most nations and still far more accustomed to the technology of the past than she was to all these modern inventions. Not that she doesn't know how to use and take advantage of them, but when the miles fly by within minutes instead of hours or days it's difficult to be bothered by the wait.

Another symptom of her age was in her choice of clothing. Though this was an informal visit - she wouldn't dream of angering Yao by visiting her sister in any formal way - she was still dressed in an áo dài rather than any of the more modern and probably Western-inspired styles the younger nations were wearing these days. She'd decided what she'd liked and that is what she will wear. Then again, she didn't go to the extreme of snubbing modern fabrics and designs completely - if something was obviously an improvement, she would use it. Aware of the season herself, she'd chosen a pale green áo dài, worn over a pair of loose, white pants. Though perhaps in an attempt to not be too overdressed the áo dài was rather plain and simple, though it was cut very traditionally - full length, with a high collar, and long sleeves. Though she was a tropical nation, she always did prefer to combat the heat with light, loose fabrics rather than by exposing a lot of skin.

So as she arrived at the station and stepped out to meet her sister, she very much resembled the doll that was waiting for her. She even had her hair pulled back into a long ponytail, as letting it loose would simply mean pushing it out of the way constantly. Though the mid-sized, wheeled suitcase she pulled behind her was a modern convenience that she was all too willing to embrace - it was so much easier to transport all the things she would need to visit her sister for a few days that way than it would have been a few centuries ago! Especially since the trip would have taken much longer than a few days that long ago. The suitcase was teal with a 'Hello Kitty!' decoration on the front, wearing large sunglasses and holding a pink ice cream cone.

Quickly scanning the gathered crowd, she spotted her sister among them almost instantly. Smiling, her feet moved quickly beneath her as she went to greet her. "Xin chào!" she said happily when she was close, "It is so good to see you!"

[Taiwan - Xiao Mei]

She saw her sister immediately, since her typical choice of traditional clothing made her stand out in the crowd of tourists and locals who all seemed quite Western in their own attire as a whole. But that’s what she loved about Thi, how adamant she was regarding what she liked and how she would never compromise what she liked in order to please anyone else. She was true to herself. And that was something that Mei could respect. Even in her own young age, she did have a handful of occasionally mature perspectives on life. A big smile broke out over her features as she clutched her bag and quickened her own pace to meet Thi in the middle. She did her respectful bow only a quarter before she surged forward and gave Thi a tight hug. It was very typical of Mei to have an almost dizzying combination of traditional and more contemporary, newer habits. Part of it was her young age, and part of it was her disposition to attempt to fluidly meld the new with the old. Not wanting to make Thi uncomfortable with the physical contact in public, she ended the hug quickly.

”Āi, jiě jiě. I’m very happy to see you!” She responded, feeling even more eager when Thi seemed to reflect her happiness for their time together. ”Your suitcase is very cute. Just like you. You look very well,” she complimented. Even though Mei tended to be quite open when offering compliments in general, she was genuine when she gave them. And she did honestly think that her sister was cute, so she always made it a point to tell her. "Here, I made something for you. The perfect likeness,” Mei offered the handheld doll out to Thi, a touch of lighthearted humor with the last statement.

After the gift had been given, she glanced over Thi’s luggage, unsure if there was anything else that she needed assistance with bringing back to her home. ”Would you like me to carry anything for you? At least it isn’t a long way back.” She always asked to be polite and to be certain, even knowing that her sister was more than capable of carrying everything herself. As long as Mei could remember, Thi had always represented a special kind of strength and resilience, especially as a female nation in a world dominated by pompous men who seemed to have a habit of impressing themselves upon them. It was a strength that she wished she could emulate. Perhaps someday, she would.

[Vietnam - Nguyen Thi]

Thi was in the process of returning the bow from her sister when she was practically tackled. "Cái gì!" she said, not going stiff but also not attempting to return the gesture. She laughed lightly as she added, "Ái chà, I must have been away for too long for you to miss me so much!" There was the slightest hint of correction in her tone, as she certainly saw such an unrestrained show of emotion in public to be somewhat embarrassing. On the other hand, the last thing that she wanted to do the moment she saw her sister was attempt to lecture her about the proper way to behave. Especially because it was Yao and Kiku who raised her and are therefore the ones at fault if their sister didn't know proper etiquette. So she simply waited for her sister to finish the silly Western greeting.

But that was followed by a shower of compliments, which was a good way to make her forget about it. Especially the compliment about her suitcase. "Vâng! It's something that Kiku made - I really like it!" she said enthusiastically, "And you also look well - both you and your city. I know that I will very much enjoy my visit." She didn't comment directly on Mei's remarks about her own looks, but the slight yet near instant color that came to her cheeks indicated that she had indeed heard it.

When presented with the doll, however, she blinked in surprise. "Ha! So cute!" she said, taking it and immediately squeezing it. "You made this?" she asked to confirm as she shifted to hold it snugly in her arm. There was a certain weakness for adorable things that ran in the family, and Thi was no exception. In fact to her they seemed to be almost a luxury item sometimes - things that are cute are rarely practical, and she'd spend so much of her life focused on what was practical.

Forcing herself to settle down again, she beamed when her sister asked if she could help - perhaps Mei had been raised right after all. "Không, don't worry about it," she replied as she grabbed the handle again, as she'd let go of it when she'd been tackled, "It is very easy to manage. Shall we go?"

[Taiwan - Xiao Mei]

Although Mei was expecting Thi not to return the gesture, she was grateful that she hadn’t chided her much for it. Hearing the slight correction in Thi’s tone, Mei gave her an innocent enough smile. Of course, her heart ached softly with the insinuation that she had missed her, though she gave no outward indication that there was a hint of sadness with the words. Mei thought it was her responsibility to show her siblings little else but care and consideration, sparing them unpleasant emotions. ”Kiku made that for you?” She looked at her suitcase with a different sort of appreciation. Kiku was extraordinarily different now, far different than what he’d been in the past, so any indication of that change and kindness continued to soften her view of him as the years passed. Mei brightened with the returned compliments. ”I’ll make sure you enjoy it here! I have lots planned, as usual.”

Another thing that Mei appreciated about their family was their shared appreciation for all things cute. Mei beamed. ”I did make that! Just for you. Only one of a few mementos I’m sure you’ll collect while you’re here,” of course, insinuating that some shopping would be happening to acquire these additional ‘mementos.’ Mei had always been very proud of the various shopping centers and night markets that she had. Aside from that, it brought warmth to her seeing her sister look so excited over her gift. Even if Mei sometimes didn’t have some of that happiness for herself, despite her frequent smiles, she did find some joy in seeing her siblings happy.

”Yes, we can start to make our way out of here… It does get crowded around this time,” Mei commented as she started to lead the way once Thi had secured the handle on her suitcase. The walk from the station back along the street-way that led to her home wasn’t a terribly long walk, but it was still lovely with nature mixed in with the city layout. ”How have you been? Anything new happening?” She was always curious what her other siblings were up to, and she asked out of genuine curiosity and interest instead of simply being polite. ”Once we drop off your suitcase, I have to show you this cute little tea shop very close to my home. I’m sure you’d like something to drink after traveling?” Of course, Mei made it a little tradition to always bring Thi by a place to get some of her famous bubble tea. Even if the drink itself was very untraditional. Iced and with various flavored milks over the tapioca balls. That ideal; however, was what defined her, striving to be untraditional and innovative.

[Vietnam - Nguyen Thi]

"Vâng, our brother has been very kind to me lately," Thi confirmed. Though if she had known Mei's thoughts on it, she would have corrected her immediately - because in her opinion Kiku had certainly not changed. One does not tame a dragon, the dragon merely decides to behave itself for a time. She didn't believe for a moment that he couldn't be just as bad as he had been in the past, if not worse, if he only decided to be - he was, after all, raised by Yao. Not that she blamed him for that, because she was the same way. Experience had taught her to enjoy the currently good relationship she had with him because she certainly couldn't trust it to last.

But such thoughts were foreign to her at the moment, as they were at odds with her current excitement for this visit with her sister. Granted, she was not necessarily looking forward to every item on the itinerary Mei had no doubt planned, as she and her sister were quite different and liked different things, but she approached such things with a certain spirit of adventure. "I'm sure you will help me find so many lovely things!" she replied with a smile. Shopping was a task that the enjoyed to a certain degree, though it always seemed to take so much time that could be put to better use. But that wasn't the case when she was shopping with Mei, as being with her sister was time well spent.

When Mei began to lead the way through the crowd, Thi stayed close on her heels. There were crowds in her cities, but it seemed like most of her siblings somehow managed to have much bigger ones - especially those that lived on islands. Still, that was simply something that made Mei different from her, and it was entirely tolerable as long as she didn't get jostled too much. Though she appreciated being able to chat with her sister as they walked. "I have been doing very well," she replied first.

But, knowing that Mei would appreciate a better answer than that, she added, "It is difficult to answer - whether or not anything new is happening. Either nothing is new or everything is. I don't like to draw attention to myself by doing anything too dramatic if I don't have to, and anyways I keep my focus on my own affairs. But I have been working very hard to improve my economy and make everything more modern - everyone is always so impressed when they look at my numbers. And all the silly arguing that happened between Alfred and Yao only made things better for me - if the boy does not want to rely on Yao, then he often ends up relying on me instead." Her tone was light as she explained this, indicating that she found the whole affair to be ridiculous while at the same time she certainly didn't mind that it benefited her.

"So what is happening is that I am simply doing better all the time - but I'm afraid that isn't a very interesting answer," she said almost apologetically, because though she attempted to come up with something more to say she had a hard time thinking of anything. She'd fallen into the habit of working herself too hard again, which was a frequent fault of hers, and because of that she simply had nothing to report other than the fact that her work was going really well because it had her full attention. Which means that she certainly needed this trip to pull her away from all of that.

And the offer of tea was certainly a good way to start it, she supposed. "Vâng, a drink sounds lovely!" she replied. Though she was actually more fond of a very traditional cup of coffee than the rather creative 'tea' that Mei had come up with, she didn't come to visit her sister so that she could pretend that she was still at home doing the same things she always did. If she wanted to do that, she would have invited Mei to visit her so that she could take her to her favorite place for coffee. Which she would do later - after all, it was only polite for this visit to be returned in kind in the future.