Earthquake report at the USGS click for info
I was just on the phone to Jo in London. I started brushing my teeth when the whole world started spinning and shaking. That felt like a nasty one! Why does the earth insist on moving?!
(sorry the maps do not fit the window! it is too late at night to sort it out properly)
I almost shat myself…
This is one of the strangest places in Taipei. Christianity has a long history of ‘travelling’ around the world destroying other cultures, and it would seem the Las Vegas sect has rolled into town with this one. I really need to go in and check this out, since it must be pretty cool inside to match the over-blown exterior.
I have actually spoken to a couple of people about Christianity – people who grew up as Buddhists. It is always fascinating to hear their views, and their perception of it. The thing that people seem to be looking for is answers, and in my opinion Christianity does not give them. Further, they see it as a benign, safe religion – and all I see is torture, war and destruction.
Still, people are entitled to their views.
Jesus saves lives …. (props to Lars for the pic)
Lorenzo and I caught some rays near Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall – one of Taiwan’s most precious national monuments and most ugly of buildings. Lots of kites and families (and not the free single women we hoped for). Still, the ridiculous hedges made us question humanity itself.
Hideous Taiwanese Fire-Spitting Thunder Donkey of the southern mountains
Lorenzo arrives in Style (with SYS building behind)
The very nice grounds of the National Taiwan University (NTU) – and still no girls to be seen
Later, we went to eat Stinky Tofu with Ji-Ru … it smells like camel sweat, but actually tastes quite good
Lorenzo and I had crept out for a sneaky Sunday night pint (if they served them in pint glasses) and we got the call from Markus that a Typhoon was heading for the island and that work was cancelled. Obviously, this was goood news so we continued to drink until we kind of hung out on a street corner watching things get blown around and seeing scooter drivers crashing. Things like that. Anyway, took some photos.
It’s raining, it’s pouring
I had my first real earthquake today. I have felt a few tremors up to now, but this was the real deal. It was at lunch time and I was in the cafeteria – underground – and even then it felt like I was on a boat. Side to side but also up and down movement… somewhat akin to a boat docking with a port I suppose. Very strange and serene, more than scary.
In Taipei, it was 4.0 on the Richter scale, and 7 at its epicentre.
Mogwai, Scottish rock gods, blessed the island of Taiwan with their unique blend of intense riffs and ballistic delivery. I don’t really think the island knew what to expect – we certainly didn’t.
This was no ordinary location -Wulai. Admitedly, I have now been here a rather large number of times recently, but this is because it is cool and because I like it. When Mogwai came last year they clearly though the same thing and departed a high profile Japanese tour for a low-profile Taiwanese festival in the middle of nowhere.
The only flat piece of ground in Wulai – between the mountains and the volcanic hot springs – is the local school perched on the edge of the ravine. Mogwai played the local elementary school yard, complete with running track, kids’ toilets and artwork on the walls. It was kind of like some severely mutated parent’s evening. But with rock music.
Mogwai – Scottish Rockers (they ain’t the bay city rollers)
First of the inevitible drunk self portraits (beer was a frankly ridiculous 30p a time – cue epic hangover)
The laser sword is the ultimate symbol of authority in Taiwan – with it you can get anyone to do anything. I had quite some fun bossing people around with my one.
Myself, Tanja and Michael (at the hip hop gig in the school gym…)
A well-chosen location, near the hot springs. We have no idea why they like building concrete everywhere. But still they continue, no doubt inspired by China’s 3 Gorges damn.
Ele in Taipei!
The Moon Festival is one of the biggest annual festivals in Chinese culture. It is a centre-piece of the Lunar Calendar, but mainly seems to involve the entire island making barbecues. The whole place is full of smoke (I am convinced you could see it from Hong Kong) as people cook food in the streets, on the roofs, in the parks … but it is a really nice festival where family comes together.
Full moon … on the roof with my Chinese teacher, a couple of her students, Ele, Tanja and Michael
Barbecue on the balcony
Warp Factor 10
Rebels without a cause
When we get models made, since we do not have our own workshop (gripe no. 274), we outsource it to one of a number of model shops in the local area. When Aken, Sandie and I went along we met with the boss and chief modeller and went about explaining our concepts with diagrams and explanations and gesticulation. However, although Sandie was doing a perfectly good job of translating for me, as soon as the boss (Lau Ban) found out I was English and studied at Cambridge he insisted on getting his daughter to translate for me. This was not too bad, until he kept interrupting with random and rather derailing questions such as… “do you like Taiwan?” …. the model conversation would continue…. “do you like Taiwanese people?”…. “er, yesss….” he pauses again….. “do you like Taiwanese girls?”
I freeze in terror, with his daughter puppy dog eyeing me, the boss probably expecting to break open the family scotch, Aken with his hand on my knee asking the same questions earnestly and Sandie in the corner almost tearing herself in two with laughter… and then there is me, stuck in the middle, unable to work out what to answer – answer “yes” and I probably need the next flight out of the country, or answer no and insult everyone (including the tough looking modellers) in the room. I opted for silence and squirming, only escaping to leave to go back to the office.
There was no escape.
We were offered a life in the boss’s wife’s car… and of course our friendly (and now rather creepy) daughter jumps in, eyeing me in the mirror. I am still waking up in cold sweats, expeciting her pathetic face at my window with glowing eyes.
And of course Sandie made sure my whole office knew all the details, which of course continued the torment!
I had a great weekend that helped me recover from a stressful and frustrating week learning Pro Engineer software at work. I best not speak about that, as all I will do is get angry again! Anyway, Tanja – Michael’s girlfriend – planned a big surprise birthday party for him in the wilds near Wulai (see earlier posting).
Although the game was given away slightly by Michael insisting on riding deep into the national park, Tanja did a great job of keeping the lid on a dozen people arriving on over laden scooters (beer, cakes and two people on each bike meant lots of sparks from the floor hitting the road on every small bump).
Anyway, here are some photos that Tanja took prior to our arrival, just showing the rather beautiful countryside that Taiwan boasts, and the reason why the Portuguese named the island ‘Formosa’ … ‘Beautiful.’
The sun peeps out from behind the clouds:
The Wulai river valey:
The waterfall near our illegal camp ground:
Here are some pics of the party…. lots of scooters, not quite enough beer (midnight run to 7-11 required) but plenty of food… and awoken by 30 keen Taiwanese who set up their breakfast sets next to our tents. Okay, we admit – camping and fires were not allowed, and that was exactly what we did!
We are drunk – we take no responsibility for our creative ideas
Anke, Tanja and Michael – clearly entertained by one of my jokes
Michael & Louisa
Tanja’s head provided light, heat and warmth for the whole gang