Although Sally Teng moved from Taipei, Taiwan to the United States when she was in third grade, she remembers the extra lessons and time spent outside of school learning to write, spell, and speak in English. Currently living in New York City, Sally continues to speak Mandarin and Taiwanese in her everyday life. Both languages are integral to her life and her identity, especially the word 回憶 (Huíyì), the Mandarin word for memories. She tells us,
“It's a word that I use often with my family when we think back to our memories in Taiwan. Every visit brings us new memories of the time we spent with family and time exploring the beautiful island of Taiwan. Memories are what we can use to remember the great things that happened in our lives.”
To date, Sally’s strongest memory of all her trips to Taiwan was when she visited the strikingly beautiful Hualien, a village located on the east coast of the country. Her visit to Hualien marked the first time she travelled outside of the region where her family lived. Still, the village continues to serve as inspiration and a reminder to venture into the unknown, making the foreign, familiar again. Another memory of Sally’s recent trip was a visit to Rainbow Village in Taichung where she saw the work of “Rainbow Grandpa,” a then 86-year-old local who painted the village in an effort to save the community. Now, over 10 years later, his work has paid off as visitors come from all over the world to see his colorful work, reminding us of the power of heritage.
Now, whenever Sally travels back to Taiwan, she makes a specific effort to explore new areas, each time being rewarded by natural beauty, unique experiences, and of course, treasured memories. She says, “在我的回憶裡花蓮是一個很美的地方,” which translates to: In my memory Hualien is a very beautiful place.
This article is part of DIMMI Digest: Roots. Whether or not it comes through in our daily actions, one's cultural background and roots, so to speak, have significance to people all around the world. Much like the roots of a tree, our roots, spreading deep beneath the surface, give us strength, stability, and inspiration as we make decisions throughout our lives. The best thing about our roots? They will always be there, regardless of how often you return to that place you call home.
