My mom stood in line at Starbucks and I waited behind the next counter over to order two egg croissant sandwiches without cheese. The person in front of me finished ordering their sandwich and then, moved down the line to pay. I began inching up closer to the glass to see whether I should get sausage or bacon in addition. It was a tough call, bacon or sausage? Which one would go better with the butter croissant, but then a woman came up and stood too close next to me.

She had a mask over her face. Flashback to being in Shanghai on those days when the smog would enwrap you in a thick layer of dirty air. The woman was short and her eyes darted back and forth when she looked back at me. She didn’t say anything, but I knew something was off.

My first thought was to wonder if she was going to cut me in line. In China, when someone jumped in front of me in a line, I took it as a reminder to be more aggressive. But here? In Houston, at the airport, about to board a domestic flight, I felt like I was back in China. Any person not familiar with the culture in China would not be familiar with this.

Without thinking I said “我可以帮你吗?” Can I help you? She turned rather slowly to face me. I was worried that I offended her and she didn’t speak Chinese at all. She smiled at me. She told me that she came from Taiwan, traveled alone and was meant to meet family soon.

Our conversation from there on took place in entirely in Chinese grabbing the attention of everyone around us. At 6:30 a.m. trying to buy breakfast, she was so surprised that I spoke Mandarin. I listened as she explained to me that she only wanted a bowl of hot water for her packet of ramen. I translated that for the woman at the register and then, I told the woman from Taiwan that it would cost 53 cents. Sidenote, why do airports now charge for hot water?

I gave up my place in line to help the woman find the exact change for her food. She was nice and she made me miss being in China, speaking Chinese, and meeting foreigners who aren't used to American norms.

After the woman left, I stood in line again and finally ordered two croissant sandwiches with egg and bacon. Bacon seemed like the right choice. I paid for the sandwiches and walked over to my mom who was waiting by the wall, holding two Starbucks cups. She had a confused look on her face as to why I took so long. I gave her a sandwich in exchange for the tall blonde roast.

I told myself on the plane coming home from Shanghai that I would never be rude to a foreigner and I would never laugh at their backwardness, as it appears to us, with others.

I looked down the terminal but by then, the woman from Taiwan disappeared into the crowd of other travelers just waiting to board a plane. I took a sip of my coffee and remembered that in China, I was the woman from Taiwan.