Visits

The driver grins and waves at me as the big yellow truck pulls into our driveway. There’s always a lot of construction work along the busy road we live on so it’s not unusual to see such a truck. Loops of cable, tools and other gear filled the back end. A cherry-picker is mounted on the back, the kind used by workers to service power lines. I figured he was just using our driveway to turn around. But no, he’s parking.

Two neatly dressed young men get out and amble over to the porch. The driver smiles, shakes hands and says something to me in Chinese when Peiling comes out of the house and the conversation starts.

They are indeed workers from the power company. Their job is to patrol the lines everyday looking for potential problems. But the power grid in Taiwan is built strong, to withstand typhoon conditions, so on a nice day there’s not much for these fellows to do.

They are here because they’ve seen our picture in the newspaper. A few days earlier, Peiling and I happened to meet several journalists who were visiting the farm club in the next town over. The reporters sensed a good story in a middle-aged woman who started a farm with her sister and American husband. We took them on the nickel tour of the farm, they snapped a few pictures, and next morning, there we were in the paper.

Our new friends, the linemen sit and chat for a while. They sample Alicia’s tomato juice and talk a bit about the weather and their job. Soon, their curiosity satisfied, the big yellow truck roars away amid more smiles and waves. It never hurts, I think, to have friends with the power company.

That one newspaper article created a steady stream of visitors over the next several days. Long-lost relatives, organic food enthusiasts, more journalists and even total strangers dropped by to satisfy their curiosity about Grateful Growers.

I’ve found such visits are an important part of the social fabric here. Hardly a day goes by that some friend or neighbor doesn’t drop by the house or farm to say hello, discuss the price of produce, explore the greenhouse or drop off a small gift. “We brought you some (bananas, beans, lemons, etc.) we picked this morning.” No need to call ahead. Shout your presence through the screen door, or like most folks, just walk right in.

Our most frequent visitor is Cho Yuan. He has citrus farm on the other side of the river and was a big help to Peiling and Alicia when they were getting started. Cho Yuan is either related to or friends with most of the local movers and shakers. He’s a great source for contacts and information. Getting things done efficiently here depends heavily on who you know.

Cho Yuan is always smiling and friendly to me even though our conversations don’t go far beyond “hello and ni hao?” Last night Cho Yuan dropped by with his wife and son bearing a small sample of coffee beans and some chicken feet.

We’ve also spent many pleasant evenings visiting at Cho Yuan’s, eating, singing karaoke (not me) and drinking tea. The first time we dined at his place, Cho Yuan presented me with the leg and thigh of a beautiful freshly roasted chicken. I didn’t appreciate the significance at the time, but he was giving me the prime cut. Chinese consider breast meat dry and tasteless and much prefer the dark, bony parts of the bird.

Tea is another important component of hospitality in Taiwan as in all of Chinese society. Almost any gathering, whether in a home or business will include the small, simple ritual of brewing and serving tea. For me, aside from good old southern iced variety, tea is an acquired taste. But after dozens of tea drinking sessions, I’m coming to appreciate the clean, slightly bitter flavor of high quality tea.

During my time in Taiwan we’ve called on the local school principal, the pastor of the aboriginal church, our town’s doctor, agriculture professors, and other organic farms, not to mention so many of our neighbors that I can’t remember them all. Without exception they’ve been welcoming and sincere. Each visit brings new light to life here in Taiwan.

This week is sure to bring more visitors. If you’re in the neighborhood why don’t you stop by? Don’t bother to knock. Just come right in.