BEYOND THE BOOKS
NEWS AND NOTEWORTHY EVENTS
A Barrier-Breaking Cab Ride By Joseph Jiménez ’16
A
S I STOOD ON the side of
The “What ifs” quickly
the road waiting for a taxi, a
multiplied as I paced back
latent fear began to surface
and forth. I wasn’t on the
in my mind, riddling me
streets of New York City, after
with all the possible ways this could
all. I was two miles from my
go wrong.
summer host family’s home in
What if I get in the
Shangri-La, China.
taxi and I’m unable
“You should probably
to properly
just walk,” I thought.
communicate
But by then it was
where I’m
too late — a taxi had
headed? What
pulled up right beside
if I wind up in
me.
a completely random location
a foreigner speaking Chinese. I repeated myself, and we started our short journey. The cabbie began talking and
I hesitantly opened the door and gave the
even farther from
driver my address. He
where I am now?
looked back and asked me again, appearing in disbelief that I was
told me how rare it was to see foreigners in this part of town. “Do you understand me?” he asked. “Yes,” I responded. “I’m here studying abroad and understand the language.”
way. “There aren’t the same amazing
He was amazed by my level of
mountain or river views at home in
proficiency in Chinese, and by the
the city,” I explained to the man I’d
simple fact that I was studying his
learned was named Longwei. “China
native tongue. He then asked me
is a beautiful place.”
about my background. I explained that I was born in New
Soon, we arrived at my house and I paid him the fare. As I was getting
York and that this was the first time
out of the cab, he left me with very
I’d ever been outside of the United
thoughtful parting words.
States. He commended me for my
“One day, I want to be like you
bravery in diving into a culture much
and travel to a country far away
different than my own.
from my own,” he said.
“I have never left China,” he said. “I’ve been here my entire life — more than 40 years.” Our conversation continued, turning to my life in New York and
“You will be so happy you did,” I said. What had been a somewhat terrifying prospect minutes before evolved into a connection —
my experiences thus far in China.
between a stranger and me — that
He asked if they were similar in any
I’ll never forget.
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