NIKDAUM.COM - News » Taiwan

Leaving Taipei, Arriving Shanghai

Nik — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:39:45 +0000

The last two days in Taipei messed with my sense of time. On Wednesday, our commercial shoot began at 6PM. It lasted until the sun rose the following morning around 6. The whole night was spent watching the action unfold on a blocked off section of sidewalk. In the morning, I felt myself falling into the feeling of falling asleep around 7, and I woke at noon. That evening, the shoot began again and lasted until 7AM. The hardest part was finished, but there’s still a lot to do before the spot makes it on the air.

The master of the telephones.

Taipei seen outside the window of a Hong Kong style diner.

Garlic and spicy fried frog. Very good.

Greens.

Rice cake with filling.

Black sesame porridge.

Milk tea in a quaint pot and tiny mug.

The street on the edge of the shooting location as dawn breaks for a second full overnight of shooting.

Taipei Tower at dawn.

Camera.

Ramen.

I was sad to leave Taipei.

Shanghai isn’t far from Taipei by direct flight, but ours went through Hong Kong. After the second all-night shoot, we made it back to the hotel at 7AM. After a celebratory breakfast, we checked out and were in the van to the airport. Our flight left Taipei at 10AM. We landed in Shanghai at 5. By the time I made it through the swine flu and immigration checkpoints and took the long ride home from the Pudong airport, I was over 35 hours without sleep. J. expected me to be home on Saturday, so she was surprised to see me at the door. I went to bed at nine, ready for a night of crazy dreams and paralysis.

In the morning, we went to the fabric market to check on my suit. They are making one adjustment to the back, but otherwise it looks great. J. picked up a woolen winter coat, and I was fitted for a coat of my own. Neither of us will have a winter coat advantage in numbers.

Afterwards, we went to lunch and walked home. The air temperature is wonderful but the quality is horrible. Everywhere looks smokey and smells of a campfire. The air leaves a dusty feeling on my skin. It couldn’t be a starker contrast to the clean island air of the day prior.

Chickens.

Sugar cane.

Firework smoke to celebrate a wedding procession.

Greens.

Beijing style duck rolls.

Taiwan style fried chicken.

Strawberry smoothie in front of J.

Rock with a string tied to it.

The casual girls of Fuxing Road.

Condom dispenser on fence.

Rusty counter and bubbling pots.

Street sweeper.

J. and a blue wall.

Guard sitting in plush chair.

Bike repair in an alley.

Bike tires.

A children’s photography class in the park.

Kids in the park.

Old men playing cards.

Flowered arch getting made on the sidewalk.

View down an alley.

I’m glad to be back with J. Two weeks has felt like a long time away. She is in top form: sniffles, a twitchy eye, and the smell of an old mule that has pooped on itself in an open sewer next to a sulfur mine. Oh wait, that last description refers to my socks.

The next two months are the home stretch to my stay here. They will pass quickly.

Tuesday in Taipei

Nik — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 04:38:47 +0000

On Tuesday morning, I ate breakfast in the lobby and went out for a quick three hour walk. I didn’t know where to go, so I headed in the direction of the Taipei Tower. Reaching it, I decided not to try going to the top. Instead, I wandered through the neighborhoods north of Xinyi Road. I got a little turned around on all the non perpendicular streets and ended up walking pretty far away from the hotel. Despite my keen navigation sense, I keep getting lost on the last leg of the walks. I made it back to the hotel with just enough time to shower before heading out to the production company office for the rest of the day.

Shadowy entrance to a parking garage.

BW view of scooters on the sidewalk.

Under construction or abandonment.

Dr. Sun Yat-sen Mermorial Hall.

Meditating in yellow.

Two incredibly old people in wheelchairs getting pushed around the park. One of them kept making a low, rumbling grunt in response to his caretaker’s stories.

The arching roof.

Dr. Sun, I presume.

Stoic guard.

The changing of the guard.

The view outside the door of the memorial hall.

Vending machine.

Iron fence.

Old woman in wheel chair.

Onions outside a restaurant.

A man stands in his rice and grain store.

Scooterists at an intersection.

Food & beverage. Food & beverage. Food & beverage.

An old exhibit at the convention center is sent to the landfill.

The mind boggling ugly architecture of the convention center.

Confused construction worker stairs at me on Xinyi Road near Taipei Tower.

An unusually located public garden on the main street near the convention center and tower.

A bumper crop of boots on a stick.

Stray dog in Korean Mission parking area.

Gas canisters.

Pig feet and pig meat greet me on the street.

Seen through an alley fence.

The entrance to a street market.

The market.

Golden eggs.

One vendor’s sad selection.

Old women picks some cuts.

Sweet potatoes.

Our two hearts beat as one. These captain beef hearts were hung at dog-accessible level.

Fried noodles and rice.

Water roots and a scale.

Jumbo cucumber with markings.

Live Pasta. It’s Live!

Junk.

Marinating meat.

An oddly park patrol car at a small police station.

Junk collector’s vehicle.

The driver’s seat.

Alley garden behind apartments near the production company.

Colorful bike.

Jungle tree.

Tiled garage.

Man collecting plastic for recycling.

A park full of tai chi on a windy afternoon.

A colorful view.

Street side discussions.

A ceremonial furnace on the sidewalk.

Chicken hearts on a stick at dinner.

Prawns.

Grass jelly!

The frog logo of a chain store that only served crushed ice desserts.

I ordered a big bowl of crushed ice with grass jelly and sweetened condensed milk. Very good.

I’m glad I’ve had some time to explore Taipei on this work trip. It has been a long time coming, but on Wednesday we actually get to start shooting. From there, my adventures will be solely professional.

A Sunday Walk in Taipei around Noon

Nik — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:09:16 +0000

On Sunday around lunch time, I took a taxi to the Huajiang Waterfowl Park near Huajiang Bridge along Danshui River. The ride cost NTD$185 ($5.75). The weather was overcast and breezy along the river. The park was mostly unmaintained wetland grasses in the broad river. A bike path and pedestrian trail hugged the bank, the city blocked by a flood wall and elevated highway. There were few birds out that day, mostly herons and ducks. All along the muddy banks were thousands of small, skittish crabs. A healthy number of people were biking.

I walked the path from Huanjiang Bridge up to Dadaocheng Wharf. From there, I cut into the city. The neighborhood was full of dark empty shops, herbalists, shrines, and markets. People looked at me, wondering why I was wandering around in what to them must of been an area of low tourist appeal. But to me the sights were wonderful.

Around 3PM, I found a subway stop and took the train home for a cheap NTD$20, ate some lunch, bought some pastries, and came back to the hotel to write some emails before meeting up with coworkers.

Some photos:

Old man sits at stairs at a plant on a pedestrian overpass.

Disrepair.

Cluttered machine shop.

Narrow covered sidewalk.

The bridges to cross the highway to get to Huajiang Waterfowl Nature Park along Danshui River.

Bird watching boardwalk.

Rustling grasses and a distant bridge.

A black and white view of the bridge.

Lost keys.

Power line on a raised pedestal.

Even the signs are in tile in this town.

Purple flowers.

A heron stands on the muddy banks.

Two bikers stop and look at the river.

Dog in a basket.

A fishing hole.

Relaxing by the river.

The pedestrian footpath along the water.

Painted signage.

Flood gauge.

One of the thousands of small crabs on the bank decided to eat a leaf.

Stairs over the flood wall.

A utility trailer for garbage truck maintenance.

A decorative planter left undignified in the river.

Another heron.

A wild pack of family dogs.

Cattails.

A man lines up a shot in croquette.

Floating platform with steam-shovel in foreground, plane in background.

Man rests on both bike and rail.

The entrance to Dadaocheng Wharf. A massive green door can be closed during floods.

Sharp metal playground.

Herbs.

Herbs.

Old facade.

More herbs.

Empty market.

Hand painted cow over butcher counter.

Meats.

Man in a bakery coated in flour.

Fish with expressive, glassy eyes.

I don’t want to know…

Produce in the shadows.

Tea kettle and scale.

Security guard sleeping behind high counter.

Lanterns along a narrow street.

Flower-covered shrine.

Wall sized ad obscured by tiled building.

Lady in small kiosk watches TV.

An arch with many layers of chipping paint.

Two boxes and a poster on a red door.

Box on a brick wall.

Pedestrian walkway in three shades of green.

Old building blocked by old fence.

Shanty with cat door.

Bike covered in bags.

Incense.

Green wall and loudspeaker.

Underground book mall between subway stops.

Oh thank goodness, cinnamon rolls enter my life again!

Dinner was expensive and Japanese, but for all the raw fish and pomp it was the warm pillowy cinnamon rolls that left the greatest gastronomical impression.

One Saturday in Taipei, Taiwan

Nik — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 11:21:36 +0000

Saturday morning in Taipei, I went for a solid four hour walk. My meandering route took me south from our hotel near Ren Ai Circle through Da’an Park and to the park along Xindian Stream. The sky was clear and the air balmy. I tried to stay on the smaller side-streets whenever possible, through narrow alleys, along the edges of highways, past little restaurants and barber shops, shanties, abandoned vine-covered buildings, markets and parks. Everywhere were tea stands and a great variety of tiled surfaces.

Some photos:

Parking lot markings.

Alley.

Water bottles.

Tree lined street near a government building.

A cat looks at his owner inside a restaurant.

Lady with back brace.

Orchids for sale in a horticultural market under Fuxing overpass.

The market under the train tracks.

Sprouts.

Busy intersection near Da’an Park.

Path in the park.

Taipei Grand Mosque.

Classy building.

Pedestrian walkway.

Statue inside a school courtyard.

Green tile, orange ceilings.

An old apartment wall.

Man making steamed buns.

Gate and wall.

An abandoned hoop in a blocked off government property. Like everything left unattended in Taipei, plants are growing out of it.

Government building.

Neat little lane of homes in the shadow of the Shuiyuan Expressway.

Egg shells.

Red door.

Abandoned machinery.

Colorful wall and door.

Jesus is Lord.

There once was an old lady who left her shoe on a shelf outside.

Window with netting.

Sneakers drying on a car.

The park along Xindian Stream near Yong Fu Bridge.

Taipei Tower in the distance, seen through the colorfully painted Shuiyuan Expressway.

Yong Fu Bridge.

Shuiyuan Expressway.

Cyclists on the bridge.

Decorative duck decoys!

Abandoned homes near the river.

Warning sign.

Turtle and dragonfly.

Kingfishers were having a feast on the numerous fish in a creek.

Can you count the number of Kingfishers perched on rocks in the photo? Answer: 9.

Graffiti on weirdly shaped walls.

More graffiti.

Decorate red things.

Striped poles.

The locked gate to nature.

Meats for sale.

Stray dog crosses overpass.

View from the overpass.

Local restaurant.

Everyone has a different window treatment.

The main road through National Taiwan University reminds me of LA.

Interesting wall.

Track.

Rollable hoops.

Restaurant table.

People eating.

Unnecessary pipe decoration.

Blue door and patched together wall.

The mysterious red gate.

Food stalls.

Dueling weathered buildings.

Check out those knockers.

“Burger” with pork and kimchi from Mos Burger.

After some work in the hotel lobby, three coworkers and I took a cab to bustling Shilin Night Market. The place was packed with youth, cheap food, and scooters. It felt like Thailand on steroids. Unfortunately, we only had time for a quick meal and some ice desserts before needing to head back to the hotel to deal with work again. I want to make it back to the market on this trip, as we only saw a sliver of it.

Ethnic singers at the night market.

People eating.

Fried bread.

A floury surface.

Oily omelets.

Yuck.

More diners.

More diners at a grilling counter.

Congealed blood and tofu.

Squid.

Taiwanese sausages cause self-esteem issues.

Signs and grime.

Our dinner: Beef filet over pasta with egg and pepper gravy.

Prawns.

Claw games.

Jumbo granola bars.

A popular jelly drink.

More signs.

My iced dessert, delicious.

Toppings.

The variety of desserts at the stall.

The pipes above.

Fried crabs.

Work lasted past midnight and my belly was unsettled by the food. But regardless, I fall for this city more by each passing day.

In Taipei, Taiwan

Nik — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:09:00 +0000

Beautiful Taipei: land of colorful tile-covered buildings!

I arrived on the island yesterday after a two-leg flight that passed through Hong Kong. From the clean, but well-worn and ugly airport, our van took us immediately into town to the production company’s office. There were many fires that night, and few were extinguished as the team worked until around 11. Still smoldering, the team went back to the hotel and checked in. I blasted the grease of my hair with a torrent of scalding hot water. After nearly crying with joy over the speed and un-firewalled freedom of the internet here, I went to sleep.

In the morning, I woke early and walked around the neighborhood before work emails started rolling in. I feared this a luxury I’d only be able to take once on this trip, so I needed to make the most of it. Even at an early hour the air was warm and humid. But immediately I was in love with the city. Little narrow roads are where it’s at: restaurants, makeshift gardens, weird old people walking around. Everywhere are colors, well-worn buildings, and scooters. Hopefully, I’ll get to see more before I go. I’m here for a week, so it would be a shame otherwise.

Some photos:

Scooter against a chipped wall painting.

Chicken in seasoning waiting to be fried.

One of the many underground garage entrances.

Green tile.

Small, empty restaurant.

Brick apartment towers.

Cable junction.

Construction worker with handbag looks at me with hostility.

Street.

Barriers.

Corner.

Casual street-side restaurants.

Spiral staircase amongst numerous draping power cords.

Kitchen.

Red scooter hides in the shadows.

Kitchen under tarp.

Handsome boy in convex mirror.

Blue ornate gate to shanty dwelling.

Garden.

Various buildings with Taipei Tower in the background.

The Dorkmobile.

Roots.

Vines.

Foam.

The contents of truck 4970.

Green washing machine in alley.

Diners stair at moving LED signage.

Mural covered electrical boxes.

Belt cart.

Spigot and colorful buckets.

Every apartment is unique.

The strutting WALK dude.

Weird buildings.

A hidden walkway.

Sidewalk kitchen.

Rubble garden.

Another rubble garden.

Mail.

Central Clinic.

Pedestrians outside Central Clinic.

A wall of signage.

Red-railed stairwells.

Alley.

Red trim.

Prison style windows.

Tile patterns on a shopping building.

Blue tarps on a new building.

Couch and bucket.

Man at a sink.

Arch.

Warning: magenta plant!

Big, blue building.

Two cones, one pole.

Steamed buns for sale.

Medical supplies spilling into the street from a store.

Scooterists.

Red trim.

Brushes for sale.

Graffiti face on parking garage.

Balcony bars.

Red door, tile wall.

Fried snacks including squid and chicken.

Stinky tofu and cabbage.

Strawberry Shortcake cheers the delivery of thick soup.

Vegetables and rice desserts.

Spicy chicken and peanut stir-fry.

Yucky congealed blood and delicious tofu on the side.

High grade, Taiwanese milk tea with pearls.

The desk of a stressful production.

Until the next set of crappy photos…

Work! Taipei! Yay!