Jonathan Biddle – Made in Taiwan

Tag: Friends

  • Hong Kong Sevens

    The Hong Kong Sevens – carnival of the Rugby world – landed in Hong Kong the same weekend as me, but I managed to assemble my own team to compete with anything they had to offer.

    As is customary when I visit Hong Kong, I seem to gather an improbable number of friends and family members together in one place at the same time – belying perhaps how quiet life really is these days. On this trip in question, my Mum & Dad were travelling back from New Zealand, Anke, Lars and Linnéa were en-route to/from Taiwan, Sam from England dropped by for a beer, and of course Tanja & Michael were on hand to provide the floor and great hospitality. Adding to the melée were Geoff and Kipp (designers from HK) and Kai (designer from Germany). So, that sorted dinner out then.

    We managed to squeeze one of most activities into 72 hours – hiking for those craving nature and escape, shopping and urban safari for Mum & Dad who spent the last six weeks staring at mountains and sand flies, and for myself a great window to spend some time with the team. Well, multiple teams, it seems. Intense and exhausting as ever; but brilliantly exhilirating all the same.


    Michael in the house / on the bus.

    Mum on a boat – we headed out for hiking in the really rather remarkable national park. Minutes away from Hong Kong, and you are dropped in wilderness (almost).


    Dad in wide-angle mode.


    Hellooo!


    Okay, so maybe wilderness is stretching it a bit. But we did see some Scouts.


    Tanja and Kipp chat on the beach.


    Anke, radiant.


    G’day Mum! Oh – you mean they don’t say that in New Zealand?


    First of about 500 shots of Linnéa in the sea (for the first time?). She seemed to enjoy it almost as much as us!


    Legless.


    Soaring


    Lunch in the surf shacks.

    On Sunday, we spent the day cruising the stomping grounds of Tanja & Michael: up in the north of the city near the flower, bird and fish markets. I visited there a few years ago, so it was great to go back, and indeed it’s nice to know they live in such a vibrant area. Always fun to walk around. And so we did, indluging in a bit of light retail therapy on the way (or I did at least).


    Bag o’ fish?


    Out like a trout (funnily enough, at this precise second, I am listening to Mr. Scruff’s ‘The Fish Song’)


    Geoff checks the LASER-ETCHED FISH. Yes, those are Chinese symbols on the side! I’ll try that with the cats.


    Miffies!


    Airing the house


    Shoes for a dog … or twins!


    Bird’s life


    Widescreen


    Apartments for sale


    Wherever you go in Asia (or the world?) you’ll always find groups of men doing improbable things with their spare time. Is life with their wife that hard? I supposed throwing yourself off a mountain on a bike is much the same.


    Forever amazed by the scaffolding.


    Linnéa seems as bemused as me.

    The story of a British Industrial Designer in Taiwan…

  • A.L.L. (Anke, Lars & Linnéa)


    Hi guys!

    It has been a really busy, really brilliant couple of weeks of having friends and family converging on the region. By luck / design, Markus has been here (need to work out what photos I have of that … seems so long ago now!), Anke & Lars have brought Linnéa on her first world tour, and even my parents have been traveling through HK on the way back from New Zealand. The fun hasn’t stopped though – fear not – Gerhard and Klara will be trucking through in just a matter of weeks.

    But first, Anke & Lars, and their little bundle of ice-cool baby style, Linnéa.


    Wulai ho! The river has been narrrowed, I think. The hot springs remain, and the diving board is removed much of the time (like all areas of water in Taiwan, people tend to throw themselves and die at alarmingly regular intervals).

    Since the guys left the island, the amount of hiking I have done has dropped significantly. I can’t be too worried as I am in the mountains most weekends on my wheels, but none the less it was great fun to jump into Mattieu’s car (pretty much the only forriner that I know that has one) and jaunt down to Wulai; world capital of the crazy hot spring.

    It was more or less impossible to stop taking photos of Linnéa, but for that I am not sorry; she was an utter delight for the whole time. Great work, guys.


    Back on the trails – feels good.


    Linnéa – stop it!


    Tongue-tied.


    Butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth.


    It was amazing to see her at this age – prodding, probing, testing, fondling … and just occasionally falling over (usually when Anke walked over to Lars and I).


    Okay, I’ll stop for a while.

    We stayed overnight in a sweet little hotel, and the next day considered what to do. Somewhat as a joke over breakfast, I suggested we ride the cable car at the waterfall, and see what was up there. No foreigner I have ever met has been up there; most of us avoiding it, assuming it was a Taiwanese tourist trap. Everyone I know just rides past it on the way to waterfalls / hiking / camping.

    We were correct about the tourist trap; stuffed toys, haunted houses, boating lakes, cross-bow firing ranges etc. But it really was a bit of a magical feeling up there: completely absurd, but set in a wonderful environment above the valley. So, I hate to say it, but it comes recommended!


    The Waterfall.


    Boating lake at the top of the waterfall.


    Bye bye guys! (see you in Hong Kong)

    Now, I need to get posting the other stuff, and exporting the photos of Linnéa … A.L.L. have been chasing me!

    The story of a British Industrial Designer in Taiwan…

  • Goodbye Year of the Pig

    It’s a little bit late to celebrate Chinese New Year, but these pictures have been sitting on my hard drive yearning to be posted. After living in Taipei for so long, it’s rare these days that I get a ‘holy shit!’ moment. But happen they do, and in this case, we had three of us with our jaws on the floor screaming a mixture of expletives, ‘gnarrrly duuude’ (Moshe), ‘crazy scheisse eh! (Georg) and ‘goodness gracious me!’ (yours truly).

    It seems at one of the temples we ride past on our ‘Gas Plant’ ride to the south of the city bids farewell to the year of the Pig with a rather special … what’s the word … not quite sure what it is. It’s one of the craziest things that I have ever seen anyway, and I’ll let the pictures do the talking.


    Sorry for the crap quality – cam phone.


    Yum


    Completely spherical!


    Check out the Mohalk hairdo … I still can’t believe they managed to stretch the skin out like that. And I don’t want to ask how they keep it so perfectly spherical.

    The story of a British Industrial Designer in Taiwan…

  • Happy New Year

    A belated new year to you, beloved reader.

    I don’t know about you, but Phil and I managed to find ourselves at an exceptionally gay, techno-cabaret night at London’s Cargo club. It was a riot, but 6′ 6″ hairy, mulletted men in leotards dancing cabaret for the bells was a little more ‘alternative’ than I had expected as a start for 2009. Down the pub next year, then.


    ‘Voulez vous couchez avec moi, ce soir?’ ‘No thank you, kind sir.’

    The story of a British Industrial Designer in Taiwan…

  • Hong Kong Welcoming Comittee

    After a taxing week in Shanghai on business, I busted down on a whim to visit Tanja and Michael in Hong Kong, who had moved a few days earlier. A perfect blend of hanging out on boats, swigging beer, munching great food and generally catching up, I look forward to the coming months and having the guys a bit more local – I’ll be there in time for dinner!


    Yes, Taipei has a bit of scooter fume pollution – but we happily lack the haze drifting over from Chinese factories. Perhaps one happy side effect of the economic slow down is an improvement in air quality there.


    Michael strutting off.


    Would you trust this tailor?


    Matching the trends I am seeing in Taipei regarding Chinese character grafitti … calligraphy with a spray can.

    The story of a British Industrial Designer in Taiwan…

  • Markus & Evelyn

    Wish I could be there, chaps … hope you have a splendid day in Darmstadt … and this is my 400th post!

    Congratulations!

    The story of a British Industrial Designer in Taiwan…

  • Formoz Festival 2008

    Markus, clearly pulling the wool over the eyes of his client in Seattle, chose the best weekend of live music on the island to return for a few days of business. It kicked off in fine style with an impromptu photo session with insane just-graduated Masters students in one of the local “Re Chao” restaurants, and ended with a ballistic scooter ride through Typhoon rain to return Markus back to his hotel.

    In between? Another great Formoz Festival, underlined by 1976 in the final, main stage headliner slot – totally wonderful, since they were the first band I got into when I first landed here those four years ago. Is it really four years?

    They, or rather the weather, got their timing perfect, with showers arriving on queue to launch the crowd into raucous displays of solidarity, under umbrellas and spot lights. My phone has only just recently switched back on, in fact, after it drank too much. Much like me, in fact. A super night – come back more often, Markus, and bring Michwel next time!




    Not very impressed by local microbrewery slops

    I managed to flex some contacts and blagged my way into the event for free, claiming I was a journalist for Taipei Times (it’s true!), which I feel bad about and all – well, a bit. I did manage to get chucked off stage by security, though, which makes me feel cool and smooth.


    Blurry night


    1976 rule the roost


    Clearly abusing my photography pass, I capture Markus back in his natural environment.


    Antagonising the security staff, who were clearly not as enthused by the music as the crowd.


    And the afterparty – held at one of the old cabaret clubs in Ximending, and just the coolest, coolest venue in Taipei. The crowd boogied their butts off to the grooves of Public Radio and the best dub band I have heard in years.

    The story of a British Industrial Designer in Taiwan…

  • Shanghai Rendez-Vous

    In the spirit of big surprises, it was only fair to jet into Shanghai to see Anke & Lars off before they head back to Germany to pop a sprog. So, an entirely self-indulgent choice for an expensive weekend that was worth every penny to see these guys in their natural setting.

    Michael & Tanja had flown in from Singapore also for a nice weekend and we had just about managed to persuade A&L; that there not going to be any surprises, when I turned up at her door, loaded down with luggage bulging with Taiwanese bullshit that would surely set off multiple airport alarms if only they knew.


    Street racing in Shanghai

    The weekend was structured as a series of alcohol-fueled toboggan rides around the city, punctuated by extended periods of indulgent massage, good food and generally tuning back into the experiences we all shared in Taiwan together – which took all of 3 seconds.


    Taxi rage

    Shanghai is not the most walkable city, so taxi rides in all directions are necessary if you hope to actually get anywhere. The drivers in Taiwan and China do share a certain love of attempting to scare their passengers at every opportunity – usually by jumping red lights or feigning swerves towards static objects or oncoming lorries.

    Where they diverge is in their respective communication and friendliness towards their clients – Taiwanese cabbies are a friendly bunch, and the diametric opposite of their colleagues across the water who verbally maul their passengers. In our case we can hardly blame them – we told him to ‘follow that cab’ that contained the lead group and was piloted by the Chinese Fernando Alonso. Particular skills were displayed in lane changing, cornering, and sudden braking. He also had no clue he was being followed, and knew only that he was in a rush to a vague destination. Our driver, on the hand, knew full well that the only person with the address was in the front car, and he desperately tried to keep up, until he exploded with rage, pulling alongside the other car and battering expletives to the bemused driver, all accompanied by a background soundtrack of snorting belly laughter and the flashing of cameras recording the event.


    Hangover cure no. 163 – great food at a cute little Italian restaurant


    Nice doorways in the area that is being saved, reclaimed and protected by the local design industry – much to the bemusement of the locals who would probably prefer a new shiny apartment building.

    Inevitably, with Anke and Lars and a farewell party, a trip to a hot spring was in order for the afternoon. Now, I am usually (and perhaps slightly inexplicably) slightly ambivalent about these places, but I knew we had our heads screwed on when I saw the neon rising above the skyline. Think Club Med for Chinese people, combined with the very worst neo-classic Gothic / Greek / Holiday Inn architecture, and several thousand locals running around in ridiculous day-glo pyjamas. Welcome to Shanghai, traveler.


    The boys are back in town (but sadly missing Markus, although we all spent the entire time terrified that he would storm in on us … especially while sitting butt naked in the sauna!)


    “I would like to add one thing”


    I can see you!


    Happily detoxed, I was happy to see that retoxing services were also available inside the premises.

    Luckily, Gerhard and Klara had planned a big house party in his place for the middle of the weekend, and in full Easter theme, they had dressed up as rabbit and chicken. As the alcohol flowed, the costume somehow managed to migrate its way round the party, inevitably ending up with Michaell Lars and I, and predictably howling laughter from the ladies.


    The Easter Bunny


    Das Rabbit


    Abused animals

    Luckily, the guys had planned a final Oesterbrucker (or however it is spelled) and this capped off a really great weekend of good food and good people and bad alcohol (I can still taste the Jagermeister, Gerhard). With any luck I should be able to pop in to see the guys again while on business in a week or two, and of course I am sure to see M&T; before too long in Singapore. But what a weekend.


    Preparations


    View from their apartment down to the boats chugging by below.


    Team Taipei (minus Markus) in full effect … with ‘Made in Taiwan shirts that I believe everyone will cherish for eternity.

    The story of a British Industrial Designer in Taiwan…

  • Singapore – Wonderful Lies

    It’s been a week and half since I got back from Singapore, and I can almost certainly say that never in my life have so many things happened in the space of twenty four hours. It was a delight to see how much effort we all put into our time together, combined with levels of sneakiness and gullibility that I suppose only happens when you are good friends.

    The foundation to the weekend was to fly to Singapore to scare the shit out of Markus, who had left Taipei a week before. Personally speaking, I would have been more than happy to shock the crap out of him, have a few beers with the guys for the last time and turn round and go back to Taiwan again. Things began to escalate in the most delightful way when Anke and Lars announced that they were jumping on a plane from Shanghai to reunite the Asus team once more, complete.

    And this is how things started. I landed, waited out the back of their house and stormed the place armed with digital camera to catch Markus’ face (which more or less maintained the same expression for the rest of the weekend) and record the incredible intake of breath when I barged through the back door; I believe Tanja was spinning a tale of a local Chinese man who enjoys running around naked, so Markus was obviously on guard.

    We looked after ourselves, to an extent, and went to bed. Team Shanghai arrived at early doors, and they grabbed a couple of hours in the front room. A huge breakfast was prepared, and once again they waited out the back. Markus had asked, rather wistfully, whether Anke & Lars would be coming, so when they too came smashing through the door Markus was clearly quite moved.


    Anke & Lars wait out the back with a well deserved mug of latte


    Breakfast together!

    And such the weekend began, celebrating Markus leaving the island… and it is at this point that the ulterior plans of the weekend began to unveil.

    Now, we were told to dress smart and hand over our passports. We were not sure if we were heading to Indonesia or Malaysia, but this seemed fairly plausible. The flowers that arrived too, seemed perfectly logical. It was Deepavali in Singapore at the time (the loudest festival in Asia), so flowers were everywhere. And when we arrived at the harbour for our awaiting boat, still nobody asked too many questions (except Lars, who was complaining that Michael had truly become Singaporean, in finally ordering a tour guide).


    “Passports please!”

    Off we launched, beers in hand and the wind in our hair. We plotted a course through supertankers and fishing boats until we were almost at ‘Sisters Island’ and the destination for our picnic. Michael, who had been rather quiet for a few minutes, chose this moment to stand up and make his own announcement – that Tanja and he planned to be married, and the tour guide was in fact the solemniser, and ‘why did he need our passports?’… because we were witnesses! The truth reveals itself!

    Several minutes of wide eyed, wide mouthed wide eveything’d shouting, laughing, kissing hugging, photographing and staring in disbelief elapsed before, upon a small swell Tanja and Michael wed. It really was the most marvelous moment in time, and I am still in awe of the level of planning (and deceit) necessary in bringing us all together.

    Markus, who had arrived in Singapore expecting a quiet weekend of dining and relaxation, carried an expression on his face of shock and awe… someone, well, that expected a weekend of relaxation and instead got an international goodbye party, combined with wedding, punctuated with LIES, wonderful wonderful lies.

    We spent a happy afternoon, on an island shared with some crabby French expats and crabbier Monkeys, sipping champagne, splishing and splashing in the sea and generally feeling rather lucky that we were here together on the beach… in Singapore.

    Photos and word cannot do this justice. Amazing.


    Eye of the tiger


    Anke, as always, entertained by me


    The screaming begins!


    Mr. Handsome


    Mr. & Mrs. Held!


    Yay!


    Markus looks on, knowing he has some unexpected surprises when he gets married!


    Anke is radiant!


    Coupling


    We manage to surround the island and invade!


    Timeless


    Markus and I run into the sunset together


    We play some games with the 2 second timer on the camera


    JUMP!


    Have a nice day!


    Band of Brothers


    The sun sets


    Time for bed … and the surprises for Markus do not stop!

    Some more links:

    My web gallery:

    Michael & Tanja’s Blog
    Their Flickr stream

    The story of a British Industrial Designer in Taiwan…

  • Mr. & Mrs. Held

    I just returned from a weekend in Singapore visiting Michael & Tanja, and scaring the wits out of Markus. It was just about the most amazing weekend ever, and requires a separate post, though I really have no idea how I am going to write it – it was really quite unbelievable.

    The only thing to say right now is; “Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs’ Held!”

    … and thanks for including me in one of the best weekends I can imagine!


    Tanja & Michael on the boat getting married … surrounded by Supertankers in Singapore harbour!

    The story of a British Industrial Designer in Taiwan…