… it must be, because the Taipei Municipal Government says it is.
Tag: Taipei
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Workmen
I awoke to the sounds of diggers in the street this morning. This is not an especially strange occurence here in Taipei, but I was still rather surprised to see that they had dug up the entire street, with zero warning and no pedestrian access to the street! My door is third on the left.
I looks like the boys just tied the cable onto the digger and pull backwards, peeling the cable out of the ground!Even more surprising was returning a few hours later to discover they had glued it all back together again!
Am I on the same street? (about 10 hours later)I also had a marvellous day enjoying the chilly, sunny weather – two weather types that are not commonly seen together here. I cruised through MOCA, and onto meet Jade at DiHua St. festive market – the equivalent of a Christmas market back in Europe. The street was totally packed and defined the word ‘RiNao’, which is the Chinese appreciation of busy, bustling places with lots of shouting, music, food and flashing things. My particular favourites were the ever more improbable piles of shredded squid and nuts with the sellers up on stools shouting at people to buy them.
“Get your lovely shredded squid here!” -
We Come in Peace
OK – one for Thomas in Berlin at Stylewalker, following up the last Grafitti Taipei post …
Not sure about the quality, but for once there is certainly a political message and I am pleased to see an Asian theme. To fill everyone in, last year the Chinese government offered Taiwan their most precious of gifts – the gift of the great big cute Panda. Taiwan did not accept it, which is just as well really. Taipei Zoo is not a good place for… well… anything.
WE COME IN PEACE
Bunny wabbits -
New Year’s Resolution
Usually when I return to Taiwan after a period away I take picture of the exactly the same things. This usually comprises the industrial-scale freeways, traffic and the professional quality lighting that Taipei occasionally seems to conjur up.
The motorways never fail to impress me – more like transportation cathederals. Mark my words, if Taipei is ever hit by a meteor these will be the only things left standing.
Tom – an old friend of Rich’s comes back to Taiwan and enjoys the widescreen view from Toby’s rooftop
New Year’s Resolution, provided by Sony Bravia (I couldn’t resist this joke) -
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Taiwan is encircled by an all-encompassing reality distortion field. Sometimes, this invisible force does untold things to my well being and sanity. And, sometimes this same unseen flux does amazing, delightful things…
I spent the last few days rather anxiously looking at my enormous bike case with the weighing scales lurking nearby and the pile of luggage I am expecting to take on board with me – comprising all my clothes, presents and electronic ephemera. Surely, surely, I was going to get slapped with some almighty overweight charge; 1100 NT per kilo, or about 18 quid.
After arriving a good few hours early, I sneakily put my extra hand luggage into a locker for an hour (cost 100NT / 1.60 GBP) and went over to the check-in desk, enquiring about an earlier flight. The lady clearly took a shine to me and was fascinated that I was carrying a bike in a suitcase. I manoeuvred with maximum enthusiasm through the standard catechism – “where am I from, what do I do, why do you have a bike, how long have you been in Taiwan, are you single etc.” – and was rather horrified to see I was a full 8 kilos overweight.
Keeping up the smiles and conversation, I watched with delight as she waved it onto the belt, only to promptly jam the x-ray machine with its massive girth. Maintaining eye contact at all points, I also managed to bag myself the early flight, which means I will have an extra hour of Gin and Tonics in Hong Kong airport – the one vision I have had for the past week of grind at work.
Roll on Christmas, and thanks be to the Reality Distortion Field of Taiwan!
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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? -
Voting Time in Taipei
For all the problems with Taiwanese democracy, it is quite the most vibrant and passionate group of voters I have ever encountered. Perhaps we just need to give them time to adjust and develop a healthy dollop of voter apathy, but for the moment they are resplendant in their suits communally shouting ‘down with this sort of thing!’ or ‘don’t stop doing this sort of thing!’ at the top of their lungs.
As horrified as I am at seeing a small truck dressed up as a tank – or rather, horrified that someone would deem this appropriate for a political campaign – it is pretty cool. I even saw one of the candidate’s posters the other day where the guy was holding a baseball bat, ready to strike. Amazing.
“YOU HAVE 20 SECONDS TO VOTE”
I forgot to post much about the huge political protests aimed at Chen ShuiBien (the President) over the past few months, but this was perhaps the most impressive image of all that I saw. The people have spoken. -
Bali Escape
Feeling the need to escape the bullshit of Taipei for at least a few hours, Nick, Grace and I took up the MRT as far north as it goes and hopped over to Bali on the boat. A feast of sights, sounds and smells it was more than worth it (and we caught James Bond in the evening which we all agreed was rather good).
Mesmerised by a calligrapher selling is wares
… but he’s not tracing, honest.
Nick and Grace on the ferry
“Cool Smoke”
Get them young -
Luxy (not again)
Just for the record:
On the loose
The Helen & Jonny Show
The bright lights of Taipei -
Urban Underground
Some pics from the weekend…
A walk in the park – Rich and I have a beer in Sun Yat Sen
A pretty cool street art exhibition in Shilin Night Market – very nice to see, since the guys here have a shop, exhibition space and dance studio over three levels. I have been waiting for an underground movement to begin to claim these places as their own … and it is a theme that continues.
Rich, Nick and I rocking it up at Luxy – our first night out together in ages, since we have all been jet setting off around Asia for the last couple of months.
Campo – this is really developing as a very nice design / art / music conglomeration. I was delighted to see they were using the HuaShan arts district – Taipei’s old cigarettes and alcohol factory. The design style is very Taiwanese and over-cute, but it is developing … but the most pleasing thing to see is the way they are renovating the buildings, but without completely polishing it.