Tainan wall

I don't usually post images related to my fieldwork, but I like this shot of a graffitied wall in Tainan. I was there for a Typhoon Morakot benefit this past weekend.

until victory always

There is a deep and abiding love for Che Guevara in Taiwan, which the people here express in a variety of ways. This shop in Taipei Main Station has transformed the Marxist Revolutionary into a Lego-type figure. You can buy clothes and accessories emblazoned with Lego Che dressed as a variety of characters, including "Uncle Sam Che" and "Alice in Wonderland Che."

no pain no gain

One thing that has always amazed me about Taiwan is the inexhaustible number of brands here. Every time I think I understand the lay of the land in terms of retail, something pops up that I've never seen before. And of course every new business has to have some kind of mascot. I like the character that represents this bakery in Zhongshan station. I think the croissant on his left side looks like it could be a deadly claw.

Taipei or Tea-pei?

I tend to be faithful to my beverages: diet coke, crystal light lemonade, and tea. The way I see it, only one of those potent potables is not slowly dissolving my insides. Might as well drink up while I'm here!

sunday morning

View from the dining area out the window. When sun shines through the plants the whole room turns green.

mos definitely

I think the first meal I ever had in Taiwan was at a Mos Burger--I can remember getting off the plane and in the next instant devouring a rice burger and some takoyaki, with a side of fries and a tall sweet tea. Several years later, Mos Burger has become my comfort food.

cheer up Taiwan

I couldn't get a clear shot of the display on this bus headed to Luodong, but if you click on the picture and look closely you'll see that it says "Cheer up, Taiwan." This isn't actually the best translation of the characters, but I still kind of love it.

pavement on pavement

Walking around campus the other day I noticed this inscription on a crumbling wall. I recognized the text from the song "Shady Lane" by the American band Pavement--it was on the album Brighten the Corners, a college favorite of mine. Pavement was never hugely popular in the states, so it's a bit surprising to have come upon these words here. Funny, the kinds of things that make their way around the world.

made from the best stuff on earth

This dragon fruit was the best part of my day today.

deaflympics 2009: because the deaf community loves chickens on unicycles...

...and being told to "hear the dream."

good fortune

I saw this table-top fortune teller at a teahouse. Put a coin in the slot over your zodiac sign and it dispenses a tightly rolled slip of paper that tells you all about the days to come...

beware the vampire piglets

These stuffed pigs with pointy teeth are clamoring to get out of the claw vending machine they inhabit.