in the blue

My last post was about one of the oldest buildings in Taipei; this post is about one of the newest. I snapped this picture of the Mitsukoshi department store in Xinyi district a few days ago. Mitsukoshi has expanded a lot over the past ten years, but I can remember how impressive it seemed even before it underwent renovations, added new properties, and generally swankified. I always love walking around here, even if I hardly ever buy anything. On the weekends it's a fabulous place to people-watch, as puppeteers and musicians come out to perform on the sidewalks that run between different segments of the massive shopping complex.

in the red

The Honglou Theater (紅樓劇場) in Ximending was built by the Japanese in 1908. Originally a market, it has functioned as a performance space and teahouse since 1945. I have actually never seen a show at Honglou, but I've walked by the building many times--I'm excited to have a whole year here to check it out. While I'm at it, I'd love to learn a little bit more about the aesthetics of Japanese colonial architecture and urban planning. There are a number of structures in Taiwan dating from the colonial period, some repurposed and some still serving their original functions. The Presidential Offices in Taipei were designed and built by the Japanese (they are aesthetically similar to Honglou); that they endure as the headquarters for Taiwan's executive branch is testimony to the complicated past and present of this island.

Oooh, Taiwan Review came out today with a new article about Honglou, check it out!

slim shady

Although Taipei 101 is no longer the tallest building in the world, it's 1) still pretty tall and 2) way taller than anything else in Taipei. I took this photo from the observatory at the top of the building. Because it is the single skyscraper in a sea of fairly low-rise buildings, it casts a very well-defined shadow.

found in the park

Phoenix flowers that fell from a tree.

food glistening food

Although I've only posted a few times so far, it's possible that you have begun to notice a bit of a food bias on Sweet Potato Island. There's a very simple reason for that: Taiwanese food is not of this world. The variety, the freshness, in some cases the intentional stinkiness. It's difficult to describe in words. Photos will have to suffice. Pictured above is one of Taiwan's most famous dessert inventions, the mango ice. In its standard form it consists of shaved ice drizzled with sweet condensed milk and topped with fresh mango, mango ice cream, and bits of fruit jelly.

The best Taiwanese food often lurks in the basementiest of places. My friend Nellie's mother took us to a subterranean market to try some of her favorite tian bu la (a kind of fried fish cake served here with a sweet sauce and some fresh marinated cucumbers).

This is a meaty sausage served in a rice sausage bun. I will say no more.

guess I picked the wrong day to wear my hot pants

I spotted this sign at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial today. My friend Nellie remarked later that it sounds like they're trying to keep a very particular kind of person away. The kind of person who wears all these things at once.

dumplingology

Din Tai Fung is one of the oldest dumpling houses in Taipei, and probably the best loved. Until today, however, I had never enjoyed the pleasure of a DTF soup dumpling. Oh, how much time I have wasted! The crab xiaolongbao were particularly delicious. The image above shows the dumpling lab, where all the magic happens.

On the way out I spotted Din Tai Fung's character mascots. If one were to open the steamer basket guy's head, do you think there would be a brain inside? Or maybe dumplings with mini brains inside?

u bike, i bike

It seems like every time I come back to Taipei there's a new public works project that makes me feel as giddy as a schoolgirl. The Ubike project has counterparts in Amsterdam and at least a few other cities, but that doesn't make it any less cool. Basically, you can pick up a bike at one of 11 stations in Taipei, ride it around for as long as you like, and then return it when you're finished. What I think is unique about the Taipei program is the price--the first 30 minutes of each session is free and each additional 15 minutes is US$0.35. A bargain!

attack!

I spotted this giant, menacing creature outside Taipei Main Station. Part of the Taipei Flower Show, it has become a favorite hangout spot for the local riffraff.

transformers: more than meets the eye

These streetside transformers in Neihu feature an idyllic seaside scene. I wonder who painted them...

embracing sweet potato island design

As an undergraduate, I once had an impulse to curate a small exhibition featuring items that had been made in Taiwan. In fact, I even went so far as to begin collecting things to display. Ebay was my first hunting ground, and the search terms "made in Taiwan" turned up all kinds of interesting objects. My favorite was a ceramic urn shaped like an out-sized walnut with a little squirrel perched on top--I bought that and it now lives on my kitchen table. This issue of "The Reader," a magazine which I believe is published by Taiwanese bookstore giant Eslite, is dedicated entirely to Taiwanese product design. It might have been the catalog for my little exhibition.

chiang ching-kuo, iconography mao-style

I found this postcard featuring an image of Chiang Ching-kuo, son of Chiang Kai-shek, at a bookstore in Taipei. The Chiangs bequeathed Taiwan a complicated legacy--they are at turns admired and despised. I thought this image, which imagines Chiang Ching-kuo as a pop culture icon, was interesting.

after arriving in Taiwan, first things first

I purchased this strawberry mini donut at 新光三越 and snuck it into a movie theater to enjoy in lieu of popcorn. I absolutely love Mister Donut, a chain that came to Taiwan via Japan, and that came to Japan via the United States. One of the American founders of the company was a friend of my grandfather's. True story!

preparing for departure

In a few days I will be departing the United States for a year of fieldwork in Taiwan. My research actually concerns music, but I have visited Taiwan many times over the years and am always struck as much by what I see as by what I hear. Although I'm sad to leave my home and family behind, I look forward to exploring a great deal in the coming months. I will do my best to share the beautiful things I discover on the Sweet Potato Island.