How I Learned My Lesson
In Taiwan it is the custom to never wear shoes in the house. Most people leave their shoes outside their door and have slippers that they wear inside. I usually remove my shoes when I go into my apartment as well, after all things stay cleaner and it's more comfortable that way, but it's not that important to me so now and then, for example if I'm just home to grab a quick bite to eat between classes, I don't bother.
Such was the case on Saturday afternoon. I had just sat down for lunch when I heard my doorbell ring. It was the first time I had ever heard my doorbell, actually, so it was a bit startling. I opened the front door to see a tiny little old Taiwanese woman shuffling towards me. "um... Ni Hao..." I said uncertainly to the stranger. She launched into a angry sounding tirade in Chinese, gesturing wildly and incomprehensibly. I gave her my best helplessly confused foreigner look. "Wo ting bu dong," I insisted "I don't understand." She stopped for a second and stared at me, then started the scolding again.
A younger woman, maybe her daughter, came tentatively up the stairs. "I don't understand," I told her, hoping she spoke English. Apparently not, because she just stood there looking embarrassed while the old lady tried to push her way past me to my apartment. "uh.. excuse me..." I said, stepping in front of her. Who was this person?
I noticed that she seemed to be pointing to my feet frequently. "Xiezi", I heard her say a couple times. OK, I know that one, she's talking about shoes. Maybe she wants me to take off mine? But why should she care? She pointed at my neighbors line of shoes outside their door and nodded vigorously.
Eventually, the situation became clear to me. How, I do not know. But as it turns out (I think...) these people live below me and do not appreciate the sound of me walking around in my shoes. Probably the grand total of walking in shoes that day had been to go from my main room to the kitchen and back again, but whatever. I quickly pulled my shoes off and set them neatly beside my door to demonstrate my willingness to comply. "Ok, Ok, Hao, Hao" I said agreeably. She nodded and the women turned to leave, the younger one throwing me one last embarrassed look over her shoulder.
That will teach me to ignore local customs.
Such was the case on Saturday afternoon. I had just sat down for lunch when I heard my doorbell ring. It was the first time I had ever heard my doorbell, actually, so it was a bit startling. I opened the front door to see a tiny little old Taiwanese woman shuffling towards me. "um... Ni Hao..." I said uncertainly to the stranger. She launched into a angry sounding tirade in Chinese, gesturing wildly and incomprehensibly. I gave her my best helplessly confused foreigner look. "Wo ting bu dong," I insisted "I don't understand." She stopped for a second and stared at me, then started the scolding again.
A younger woman, maybe her daughter, came tentatively up the stairs. "I don't understand," I told her, hoping she spoke English. Apparently not, because she just stood there looking embarrassed while the old lady tried to push her way past me to my apartment. "uh.. excuse me..." I said, stepping in front of her. Who was this person?
I noticed that she seemed to be pointing to my feet frequently. "Xiezi", I heard her say a couple times. OK, I know that one, she's talking about shoes. Maybe she wants me to take off mine? But why should she care? She pointed at my neighbors line of shoes outside their door and nodded vigorously.
Eventually, the situation became clear to me. How, I do not know. But as it turns out (I think...) these people live below me and do not appreciate the sound of me walking around in my shoes. Probably the grand total of walking in shoes that day had been to go from my main room to the kitchen and back again, but whatever. I quickly pulled my shoes off and set them neatly beside my door to demonstrate my willingness to comply. "Ok, Ok, Hao, Hao" I said agreeably. She nodded and the women turned to leave, the younger one throwing me one last embarrassed look over her shoulder.
That will teach me to ignore local customs.