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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.
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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
3 comments:
Taipei had changed a lot since I visited 15+ years ago. I got impressed by my recent trip even though same city and same places.
yeah, Taipei is worth of visit again.
What impressed me about Taiwan is not any its modernization of infrastructure, it's the hospitality and tenderness of its people. I know they may not think or even like my idea, but I kind of think that they in fact inherited the real Chinese culture which the shore opposite had brutally destroyed.
yes, yes, I agree.
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