Los Angeles Day 3

I wish I had a car and a Californian license so that I could drive myself to West Hollywood, Long Beach, Santa Monica, and around the city and town...

It's been not so exciting and interesting, since I've spent most of my days tagging along with my cousin. Staying at his lab, grabbing some food with him, speaking Chinese with him, and meeting all his Taiwanese friends. It's actually what I was assuming, but I never expected that it would be that indoor and so inside the comfort zone. Restaurants and areas we've been visiting are mostly Chinese and Taiwanese places. Mandarin Chinese is so visible and audible. We even had our lunch at a Taiwanese restaurant near San Gabriel. Bubba tea at Tian-Ren Tea Shop. This was totally out of my expectation. I didn't expect to experience Taiwan that often.

I've been thinking what's the point of getting inside one's cultural comfort zone when one's abroad, or living in a multi-ethnic society. Perhaps it's because of the cultural coalition with other cultures, it makes people tend to stick with people from their own culture, so it brings comfort and ease. I rarely speak American English now. It's so weird. It feels that I've never been outside of my culture and country. Well, but national boundaries scarcely exist under globalization. It's merely a view of perception.

But I can't fit in my cousin's friends. Their topics, their majors, their lives are so different. They talk about computer science, mechanic engineering, PhD lives, songs and entertainment culture from Taiwanese artists, Japanese animes, dramas music, and other Taiwanese grad students.

Frankly, I barely listened or immerse in Taiwanese entertainment culture while I was in Taiwan. I've been listening to Western and independent music throughout my life. I'm so culturally inclined to American and Western culture. While they talked about animes and Jap. artists, I felt so exclusive. Maybe it was due to my jet-lag so I felt tired. But their lifestyle is so different from mine, and I've found it difficult to find a topic to fit in. Isn't that odd? Feeling unfit among a group of people who come from my home country.

Met one of my cousin's friends at the dinner table yesterday. She noticed my leather wristband and asked me where did I get this and if that was a "rainbow" pattern on it. I replied that it was gift from friend. Not really answering her question cause there were others on the table too. If she asked me privately, I would answer differently. My radar caught her curious noticing throughout that night. Yet I was too tired to fake myself to be a social person. Instead, I spoke little and observed more, unless their topics hit my zone.

Planning to visit Hollywood and Santa Monica tomorrow. Yay! Let the rainbow rise!