Happy Birthday to me!
My third birthday in Taiwan, and for you stat fanatics out there, I am 28 years old.
Thanks for all the cards, gifts and cash pay offs! 🙂
Tag: Festivals
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Hogmanay in Scotland
New Year’s Eve 2006/07 became probably the most memorable, unusual and special one on record – against odds stacked against us by a well-timed Scottish typhoon.
Princes Street was shut, and against a back-drop of cold, confused tourists, drunk revellers and whispered reports of people being hit by flying Portaloos our team gathered in the warmth of a very characterful Scottish bar. We were certainly ready to dig in for the night, but with a couple of hours to go my old flat-mate Jenny called us up and said they needed people for some bash the BBC was laying on, now the scenes of the street party had to be cancelled.
News that there was going to be free alcohol meant the decision was already an easy one for us. However, this was not going to be your common or garden Hogmanay party, but the party at the very centre of Scotland’s celebrations at Edinburgh Castle.
Our party had soldiers guarding the gates. Our party had swords and battle scenes painted on the walls. And our party combined free Champagne with national Television coverage. The magnificent seven were at the very beating heart of Scottish culture – in the front row of the crowd for the annual Hogmanay festivities. I doubt there is any point ever celebrating in Edinburgh ever again, because we have done it now. It cannot be improved or embelished in any way – next year should certainly be spent down some local pub instead.
Princes Street revellers
Umbrella graveyard
Team Hogmanay Ho! (Check the BBC wrist band bling $$)
How many megapixels has yours got?
Could this be the midnight canon?!
Jenny – the star of the night! – THANKS!
Becca gets blurry in the bar after(math)
Smooth criminal
Whoaaaaaaa!Update:
Craig’s family have seen us. His Gran punched record as soon as he saw his face. And his uncle saw us on TV while on a boat. In Sydney Harbour. In Australia.
!!!
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Simple Life
This weekend I went to ‘Simple Life’ – an urban music festival at my new top location, The HuaShan Arts District. Somebody is clearly doing their job exceedingly well, as I have written about that place several times of late.
The term ‘Simple Life’ applied to this festival is perhaps pushing it a bit. Sponsored jointly by Muji and 7-11, well over half of the site was filled with a craft market, a Muji museum, food stalls, mini 7-11s and clothes shops. It really hit the sweet spot in that Birkenstock-clad, excessively worthy yet cute style that is such the rage here. Why brave the elements when you can do what you love best – buying cute crap.
Cute crap mart at the Muji standStrangely, there was also a reading room. An entire hall of the exhibition was taken up with the real Camper warriors all nodding in agreement at the speakers extolling the virtues of ‘sustainable’ lifestyles, all while munching on their 7-11 boiled snacks.
But I did get to see my favourite Taiwan rockers, 1976, bring the house down, even though everyone behind me (several hundred people) could not see over my shoulders. They’ll learn.
1976 – notice all the blinky camera and phone screens as people record the concert … when do they expect to watch this again? -
Yuanshan Festival of Rock
Posted rather late – so some photos of an awesome weekend of music, in one of the finest gig locations I have ever seen – at the old Taipei zoo location near the Grand Hotel.
Very special – doubly so since Andres, Nelson, Marta, Dean, Christina and others joined us. It was the second time I saw The Super Furry Animals live, and was blown away by the sure footed swagger of Dirty Pretty Things – half of the Libertines.
So, finally, some music!
Magical mystery cones – Peter rugby tackled one later on, much to the ire of the management. A case of not quite knowing how to handle foreigners in a rock festival mood.
Shoes
The star of the show
Blurry
Beer from a tea pot. No, it made sense. Apparently.
Quite the most fantastic location for a concert. The best location since seeing Mogwai in Wulai -
27
Blimey!
I’m 27!
The detail I will remember will surely be racing around town attempting to arrange a last minute emergency Visa for China, but realising there was less than 6 months on my passport … hence an emergency application to the Hong Kong Embassy – a result of the diplomatic status of Taiwan in the international community. Hopefully, I’ll be on the plane next week!
A fantastic birthday dinner with a really great array of friends -
Valentines 101
I have a love/hate relationship with Taipei 101 – the world’s tallest and most over-decorated building. On the one hand I like the fact that it is unashamedly Asian and Chinese in style, but frankly I think that is no excuse for the heavy handed detailing and curious lack of height perspective as a result of the inverted ‘bamboo’ sections – which somebody pointed out look rather like a pile of Chinese food take-out boxes with some chop sticks stuck in the top. Perceptive.
The one thing I do quite like about it, however, is the way the authorities use the faces of the building to communicate with the world beyond. Major events like New Year’s Eve or Valentines Day become decorated in lighting down the side. It rather opens a conversation, I suppose, with the city.
In Love with 101As a post-script to this entry, I heard an interesting story about Taipei 101. The French free-climber that scales all the major buildings in the world without the aid of satefy equipment, arrived in Taipei to attempt 101. He, very reasonably, asked that if the building could be cleaned before the event – grease and dirt build up is obviously a hazard. The response was nagative. He then asked if it was possible to clean a small strip up the side, and was met with the same answer. It turns out that the building is simply not cleaned! Sadly, I think this sums up the attitude towards the built environment in Taiwan.
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Edinburgh Hogmanay
100,000 drunk revellers descended on Princes Street in Edinburgh for the annual Hogmanay bash, and at the last minute Phil and I decided to join them by taking the train up to Scotland. It was really worth it, since I got to see old Glasgow buddies Craig and Ali, plus Masters pals Andrew and Kyle. Plus, of course, I saw Scotland and recharged my Whiskey batteries.
The street was full of horny Glaswegian girls, drunk Aussies and high numbers of bemuzed looking Chinese visitors. Drunk Chinese conversation of course meant that I lost the group within about 3 minutes – and feverish multiplexed cell phone calls to the guys only made matters worse.
Phil and I on Princes StreetAfter the bells, we retreated to my first proper arty party in over a year and a half – a very nice reminder of life in Glasgow. I also met a nice chap who happened to be sales manager for premium Glenmorangie whiskies and I humored him through an extensive sampling session, well into the morning.
Kids – part of the installation, it seems
Craig looking pensive / drunkA stonking hangover, healed only by the MacDonalds (the only open food hole in the morning) was partially soothed by the wonderful train ride, passing by Durham, York and Newcastle – all bathed in clear winter sunlight. Something you do not get in Taiwan.
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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 Chinese New Year Party (to end them all)
Asus held a truly astonishing Chinese New Year party for every one of its employees from all the sites in Taiwan. Figures ranging from 4,000 to 13,000 were mentioned – I am not really sure myself, but it was really cool to be lumped in with senior management, the Thai factory girls (some of which were frighteningly attractive) and so many Chinese people celebrating. It was held in one of the local schools near my house under a huge tent, and the cooking logistics were frightening.
It is traditional to have a large number of prizes given away. We had about 6 cars, dozens of notebook computers and other Asusish things plus quintillions of NT$ worth of Carrefour vouchers. Can you imagine winning 100,000 NT$ in supermarket vouchers? That is about 3200 US$ ! Lots of Brie.
This went on for some … time. In between the bedlam of people winning prizes, there was plenty of entertainment on tap, including our directors singing some songs in Drag, dressing up as a boy band, a truly awful German magician (who is for some reason head of Fujitsu Taiwan) and lots and lots and lots of Thai dancers with feathers and lasers from the factories.
The food was not too bad, but of the soup and steamed things variety. The highlight of the evening was the lobster. I am sure that in Europe we would dress the lobster with, say, a nice crunchy salad, or maybe a light sauce. Here? Here it is dressed with tri-colour LEDs …. !
“Zulus … Thousands of ’em” (and check out the bamboo roof structure)
Truly impressive levels of investments in the employee’s entertainment
The locals are so easily entertained
The food, ready for delivery
The lobsters, ready to roll (and notice the school running track and steam cookers in the background) -
Christmas in Taipei
The Taiwanese really dig Christmas. I think it gives them an extra excuse to go shopping and certainly to decorate everything with more flashing LEDs. This is the local shop of lights – at any time of the year you will find appropriate lighting systems for Halloween, Chinese New Year, Christmas… or for any family occasion that requires a high degree of fire risk. Observe the restrained point of sale display.
A world of lights