Jonathan Biddle – Made in Taiwan

Month: December 2005

  • In the Bleak Mid Winter

    The mountain biking in Taiwan this past year has been one of the major highlights, and a regular feature on schedule. I started riding at about 14, and my main riding buddy has always been my Dad. Many of our most memorable rides have been found in the gap between Christmas and New Year when the Peak District seems to deliver crisp, cold, clear weather.

    Somewhat contrasting the sub-tropical riding of Taiwan, today was one of the coldest mountain bike rides I have ever experienced. Starting at Chatsworth House, we ascended through fields of snow and frost, with the rock-hard mud punishing any mistakes. By the top of the first climb our extremeties were aflame with cold and both of us felt nauseous as our lungs attempted to return to the car. And you know it is really cold when your water bottles freeze, dishing up rather unwelcome Slush Puppies.

    You have never tasted a more welcome pint of beer and pub fireplace, I assure you.


    Dad Braves the elements


    Old skool bikes – the lack of suspension was a real surprise


    The boys on tour

    The story of a British Industrial Designer in Taiwan…

  • Christmas in England

    After almost one year away, it is fantastic to be back. As a contrast to last year, which felt more like coming up for air, this year I feel much more confident and relaxed to be home. Much has happened in the last year, so I can only guess what is likely to happen in the next twelve months.

    Mum!

    Wandering back from the pub after a swift jar on Christmas Day

    Grub’s up – home cooked food after a year away tasted so sweet


    Dad gives Mum the lowdown on her present – the new GPS device – on a Boxing Day stroll in the local fields


    I’m dreamin’ of a white Christmas


    Grandpa works it for the camera


    We are family

    The story of a British Industrial Designer in Taiwan…

  • Anke&Lars

    George and I prepared a belated housewarming brunch to say farewell to Anke and Lars – two of the first friends I made in Taipei, and a pair that I will miss in the coming months.

    I’ll miss their vitality, enthusiasm to entertain at their apartment and ability to make me feel lazy! Some of the most memorable times in Taiwan have been with them … but who knows, after their move to Shanghai perhaps we will be sipping tea on their balcony sooner than expected.


    Ludvig, George, Martin (obscured), Marta, Anke, Lars, Michael, Tanja and Moi in our wee garden

    See you soon!

    Postscript:
    In the series of ‘no, this is their real farewell dinner’ dinners, this really was the final farewell dinner. It was very nice to be surrounded by the guys that have made the Taiwan experience what it is, and a few bottles of wine certainly did not hurt matters one jot.

    Xie Guang Ling!
    The story of a British Industrial Designer in Taiwan…

  • La La Shan

    4 metres into the ride and all is well …

    The ride of the year … 2 weeks of planning and avoiding bad weather were very nearly ruined 100 metres off the first climb when, losing a touch of balance / direction / control I veered off a cliff, landing 15 foot from the path, downwards.

    … then my world shifts by 15 ft. Checked all the bits were attached. Took a photo.


    Blurry, in more ways than one : “I’m okay!”

    Luckily, the sound effects of splitting bamboo helped break my fall and I landed, frozen in motion with my bike suspended 7 foot in the air, caught on the branches. Luckily – very luckily – I escaped with little more than an hour of mild shock and a rational fear of going near the edge again. Several handfuls of peanut M&Ms; later, however, and I was feeling a bit better.

    This improvement was sadly checked by three and a half hours of the hardest, most gruelling, demotivating hike-a-bike that I have ever endured, the slippery singletrack only broken by trees pushing into the queue in front of us.

    To cut a long and cold story short, we made it up to 8 Km by 12:00 (our designated cut off point) and started on the tough walking descent … but how much psychology is important! Our spirits returned with our energy and we were hopping over the trees without looking back once.


    Motivated by the bright sunshine and dancing girls, Team 7-11-7 discuss race tactics

    7 Km of epic singletrack descending through Bamboo forests, with the distinct feeling we were in land of the giants, and being watched by bands of lycra-clad ogres.

    And with steam whisping off our disk brakes as we return to the final bridge, there was no question we will be back next year. But time with better weather, felled trees, and a nice parking spot at the top of the trail with 16Km of some of the best descending available snaking out in front of us.


    Back at base (after a rather shaky bridge ride)

    Our trained maintenance crew inspects the bikes for water ingress

    The story of a British Industrial Designer in Taiwan…

  • Ryan’s Wedding

    Weddings in Taiwan share some attributes of their Western counterparts – distant family feigning recognition, uncles and brothers ending up with their shirts hanging out of their trousers, and kids running around chairs until they knock their heads of some piece of well-placed wood.

    There are, however, acute differences. The couple usually has their official family wedding several weeks before. There is an elaborate system of ceremonies, particularly focusing on the bride and her family, as far as I can tell. Perhaps I’ll cover that in more depth one day (though I cannot predict exactly how much detail at the moment, if you catch my drift).

    The larger affair that I was at had 50 tables populated with every person they have ever met. The idea then is to fill each table with food and booze, leaving only the food remaining at the end. Specifically, it is the primary aim of every person in the room to drink the groom under the table – not difficult when he has to knock back a glass of whiskey at every table. By the end, Ryan had a small crowd of only marginally less drunk minders propping him up and guiding him to the next table, their faces full of joyous expectation, ready for the moment of marital vomit.

    I returned home at 3:45pm totally hammered – some sort of new record I think.

    Johnnie Walker is massively popular in Taiwan – especially at this wedding, it seems.


    The aftermath – you can see the dream of the western wedding, but through an Asian lens

    The DEM crew stagger home
    The story of a British Industrial Designer in Taiwan…