I remember his question well.
One morning I walked to our neighborhood post office in Taipei to take the language exam I liked to call “mailing a package.” I got in the line leading to a clerk with whom I was familiar, practiced and prepped for answering what he would ask me—things like “Where is your package going?” or “What’s inside the box?”
Instead, he glanced at me and said nonchalantly, “Have you eaten?”
What? Did I look gaunt and hungry? Was he prying into my daily schedule? Was he inviting me to share a snack? Was the post office a food-free zone and he’d seen some crumbs on my shirt?
While I remember the question, I don’t remember what I said in return. As he’d caught me off guard, my guess is that my reply was incoherent at best (F for the exam). It wasn’t until later that I found out that “Have you eaten?” is simply a local way to say Hello, particularly among the older generations. (“I’ve eaten” or “Not yet” suffice for responses, with no need for elaboration or fact checking.)
I wish I could say that was the only time I was confused by a greeting in Taiwan. Yeah, I wish.
For the rest of this post, go to A Life Overseas. . . .
[photo: “HI sparklers,” by Julie Lane, used under a Creative Commons license]
Clearing Customs 