“a property of chaotic systems (as the atmosphere) by which small changes in initial conditions can lead to large-scale and unpredictable variation in the future state of the system”
– Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary
The Butterfly Effect, a phrase used in Chaos Theory, demonstrates how minute and insignificant occurrences could potentially inspire events of colossal proportions. Coined from an 1972 academic paper entitled, Predictability: Does the Flap of a Butterfly’s Wings in Brazil Set Off a Tornado in Texas?, this notion can offer an intriguing approach to explain how simple, yet seemingly unimportant events could also influence one’s life:
And that’s exactly what I hope to do.
In this post – and possibly a few more – I will share an apparently mundane story and how it attributed to new aspirations which altered my life path. Maybe it will motivate you to challenge and reanalyze the way you view past experiences – it sure did for me.
– The Graduation Present –
One random morning in October 2008, I offhandedly asked my mother if we could travel to Taiwan to visit my aunt in Kaohsiung who was diagnosed with breast cancer almost two years prior. Before then, my aunt regularly flew to Los Angeles to visit our family – after her illness, she could not.
My mother agreed and soon chose mid-December for our holiday because the weather would be comfortable, it coincided with my Winter Break, and, if I secured a job after graduation, I would not get many opportunities afterward. Before then, I last journeyed to Asia in 1996.
Ultimately, we planned to spend our first week of our vacation in Taipei and the second week in Kaohsiung. En route to Taiwan, I excitedly anticipated reuniting with my family, experiencing different attractions, and learning more about Chinese and Taiwanese cultures.
And if I knew, I guess I would have been pretty thrilled to meet my butterfly too.
– Taiwan Ho! –
I found Taipei amazing.
The city possessed such a vibrant atmosphere; my head spun just walking down a crowded street – shops, restaurants, apartments, and businesses fought for every inch of space creating a unique and diverse cityscape. Streets and sidewalks hummed with pedestrians and motorists. Nightmarkets, swelling with passersby, emanated an intense swirl of aromas. It overwhelmed my senses. And I loved every minute of it.
After that spectacular week, we boarded the Taiwan High Speed Rail (HSR) and raced south to Taiwan’s second-largest city: Kaohsiung. Although less dense and energetic than Taipei, I thoroughly enjoyed touring around and sharing time with my aunt.
Our final expedition led us to Taroko National Park, a magnificent display of natural beauty and human ingenuity. On the first evening of our trip, we journeyed to the nearby city, Taichung (臺中), for some much-needed food and rest. Our tour guide – an independent cab driver who memorized and recited every last detail of Taroko – led us to a famous dry-noodle restaurant in the heart of the city.
– Butterfly –
百世修来同船渡,千载修得共枕眠
-Chinese Proverb, translated as:
“It takes hundreds of rebirths to bring two persons to ride in the same boat; it takes a thousand eons to bring two persons to share the same pillow.”
We found a large table near the entrance and, after chatting and ordering food, the rest of my party adjured to the restroom. Suddenly, a girl wandered over and gently asked, “Where are you guys from?” with flawless precision.
It turned out she overheard our chatter – completely in English – and felt inclined to introduce herself and discover more about our voyage. We conversed for a bit, and I learned she was twenty-seven and an American-born Chinese (ABC) originally from Kansas City.
I asked her why she traveled to Taiwan, and she replied,
“I teach English.”
To put this in perspective – at that time – I was oblivious such a thing existed: I knew there were teachers; I knew there were English teachers. But abroad? In Taichung? I expressed some perplexity, but quickly forgot the encounter and focused my attention on enjoying the remainder of my vacation.
On December 30th, I returned to Los Angeles and prepared to welcome what would evolve into a thrilling 2009.
– Effect –
Traveling through Taiwan greatly influenced me because I fell in love with the culture. I loved the bustle and energy – whether 11 AM or 11 PM, the cities always buzzed with life. For a week after my trip, I couldn’t sleep because deep inside I knew:
I wanted to live in Taiwan.
With graduation only six months away, I intensified my job search, but my thoughts slowly drifted across the Pacific. I decided to gently expand my hunt for banking work to the Orient, but the situation soon looked bleak – the global financial industry collapsed and the job market vanished. Soon, I confronted an increasing possibility of immediate unemployment after graduation.
Needless to say, I was shitting bricks.
In broadening my search to almost anything financially-related, I suddenly recalled my brief encounter in Taichung – I knew I wanted to work in Taiwan; maybe teaching there could represent my fallback plan? I distributed applications to HESS and TeachAway, a global English-teaching placement organization.
Ultimately, HESS declined my application, but TeachAway offered a curious answer: they had a saturated applicant pool for Taiwan;
What about South Korea?
The rest, as they say, is history.
– Flap Of The Wings –
There exists little doubt, in my opinion, that chance conversation in Taichung implanted the idea of teaching English abroad in my mind. In retrospect, that woman displayed braveness and enormous kindness – a kindness that I, later, tried to reciprocate while traveling. Although I can’t remember her name and didn’t exchange contact information, I hope the last three years graced her as they did me.
Who knew such a little woman welded so much power?
In addition, the sheer force of the Butterfly Effect still astounds me: one of my favorite and most enduring memories in 2008 was standing atop the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall, witnessing an lovely sunset as the city hummed around me. Gazing across the square and admiring the surrounding buildings, I absolutely knew I wanted to return to that site.
In less than two years, I would call that very location my home.
Who knows? If I never met that woman in Taichung, maybe I still would have ventured to South Korea. Maybe I still would have experienced all those new realities and situations. Maybe still, I would have returned to Taiwan – it would be foolish to completely dismiss those possibilities and underestimate my travel lust.
But one thing’s certain: when I recall all those past decisions, exciting adventures, and wild odysseys, they all seem to originate from the same place:
That little restaurant on a random road in Taichung.
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Great story!! Love it
Thanks, Jay! If you have a similar story of the power of the butterfly effect, I’d love to hear it. 🙂