LONG HOURS

7:00 am - Breakfast; 11:00 am - Lunch; 5:00 pm - Dinner. Sleep in between eating hours. This was my daily schedule for the past three days. My mom, sister, and I spent a couple days at a Taoist Senior Center with my grandpa. During our stay at the senior center, time seemed to move slower than a snail. As we awaited our next meal, we would spend our time sleeping or mindlessly scrolling through our smartphones. This experience left us all with plenty of time and contemplation.

Day 1:

We arrived at the Senior Center and settled into our room. This facility was very different from any that I had visited before. In America, I had volunteered at a local senior center, where I spent some time with the senior citizens and observed the surroundings. That center was very gloomy, dreary, and overall pretty depressing. The place had a super small TV, was understaffed, and the few staff there were not very friendly. In addition, the elderly were tossed around like animals and generally ignored.

In Kaohsiung, Taiwan, the Taoist senior center had a very serene and spiritually calming type of vibe. There were five floors: Floor 1 was for recreational activities, Floor 2 was where the elderly resided, Floor 3 was where we resided and would later become open to more seniors, Floor 4 did not exist (the number 4 is considered bad luck in Taiwanese culture), and Floor 5 was left for the senior center staff. The place had some cute gardens, pretty decorations, and was filled with kind staff that were eager to assist and entertain the elderly. The food was light and vegetarian, but very delicious and fulfilling. Because the senior center was located on an isolated mountaintop, the air in the center was also very crisp and clear. Though the center lacked cellular service, its main problem were the flies. Everywhere you went, flies were ready to attack.

Day 2:

After we spent some time with my grandpa in the morning, my mom told my sister and I to get ready for a hike. I thought it would be a good idea, I mean I needed some exercise anyways. So, we hiked up the numerous beautiful temples and observed the beautiful culture within the architecture and structures of the temples and pagodas. Although the fresh natural air and livid greenery were quite pleasant, the physical result of the hike was not so pleasant: mosquito bites.

Day 3:

I woke up with my legs full of large, red polka-dots (of random size and assortment) that were not only physically unattractive, but also very itchy and uncomfortable. My sister and I scoured for different types of ointments to alleviate the pain and then went back to spend time with my grandpa. The senior center staff were very kind to lend us numerous different balms and sprays to alleviate our discomfort. We spent more time with my grandpa, strolling around the building, playing games, and chatting about life.

During my time at the senior center, I found that the staff at the Taoist facility were very caring and treated the elderly like they were blood-related relatives. In contrast, the staff at American and city (Taipei) facilities often treat the elderly like forgotten pets. Though American senior centers seem very different from Taoist Taiwanese ones, there was one similarity that I found between the two centers: the people and their interactions. Some elderly are very lively and mobile, while others are more reserved and less mobile (some immobility resulting from physical ailments). I remember one woman at the Taoist senior facility who would shout "Welcome!" (in Mandarin of course) every time that we saw her. Although she had severely fractured her hip, she was able to recover within a year due to her persistent attitude and upbeat personality. There was another woman we met who had some memory loss, but was quick to greet us whenever she saw us. Moreover, the senior center living quarters were separated by gender, revealing a stark contrast between the two sides (well, besides their genders of course). The women's side was typically more lively, full of chit-chat, laughter, and TV-watching; the men's side, however, was typically more sullen, quiet, and not very active.

By observing my grandpa and those around him, I realized that each of the seniors' individual conditions were heavily impacted by their mentality. My grandpa had always been extremely healthy, eating a ton of food and doing Tai-Chi every morning. After my grandma suddenly passed away in November, my grandpa was unable to cope with his loss and became a bit depressed. His depression resulted in a number of physical problems, such as back pain and some weakened bodily functions. After we spent a couple days with him, he became visibly stronger and happier. Similarly, the seniors that seemed the most healthy were the ones that were the most vivacious, friendly, and happy. Ultimately, I found that genuine happiness and belief and persistence for good health results in physical well-being.