~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This time I made a little breakthrough that my visit was no longer confined to Taipei. I stayed a few days in the Yilan County and it was quite an interesting experience. It's nice to ride through acres of rice fields, hearing old-fashioned local folk songs on the bus with DJs speaking their local dialect. Actually I quite like their local folk songs, sound like the old style Japanese songs.
train going through acres of rice fields
I lived in Luodong town as I planned to "sweep through" its night market every night. I soon regretted my choice. Obviously a porn business also operated within my hotel ....
Luodong town, with casinos and barber shops
National Center for Tradition Arts - It's a place specially designed for tourists (so it made me think of Ngong Ping 360 in my hometown) with shops selling traditional handicrafts or food. Having said that, as I was indeed a tourist, I think it is still worth-visiting.
interesting shops for tourists
Plum Blossom Lake - I guess the name was due to the shape of the lake that it looks like a plum blossom. I visited it on a rainy day (in fact, it's so rainy for my whole staying in Yilan), there were not many tourists and it made me the sour misanthrope very happy. I like its transquillity, misty air and of course the cute bear bear cafe.
atmospheric in the rain
Below is a beautiful red-bricked cafe in Yilan town opened by 黃春明老師. I got this information from the shop manager and of course as a philistine, I did not know much about Mr. Wong so I kept a dump look and only took interest in the book 大便老師 on the bookshelf . It was only when I went back to the hotel and did a google search that I realized Mr. Wong was the author of 看海的日子and 兒子的大玩偶. Oh I've seen those movies! What a uncultured person I am! The deco, the menu and the food were said to be designed by Mr. Wong, and it is quite a comfortable place.
red-bricked cafe
Memorial Hall of Founding of Yilan Administration - beautiful Japanese architecture and garden.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As usual my purpose to go to Taiwan was to see a concert and that was no exception for my trip in the last December. I think my longing to see a Spiritualized gig must be dated back to the time of Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space and I like their early stuff very much. Jason Pierce didn't disappoint me. That was exactly what I was looking for. It was amazing how the music and the visuals together would transcend you to, well, yes, the space. I had a few moments of doubt and reveries if I had taken something to feel the way I felt. Of course that's only the magic of sounds and visions.
Spiritualized @ Neo Studio, Taipei, 9 December 2012
