FYI South November, 2005
The last Tuesday of every month the upstairs of the Greek Restaurant undergoes an incredible metamorphosis—at six o’clock in the evening it’s is the same comfortable, dimly lit dining room as usual, with perhaps, a few Taiwanese diners enjoying a quiet supper. Around eight-thirty the first foreigner climbs the stairs, looks around confusedly at the diners, then at his watch, and, after realizing he’s arrived too early, he leaves. About nine o’clock he returns with a small group of his friends, purposefully enters the room, and sits at a large table in the back. This group sparks a steady stream of foreigners, gradually building to a near stampede of pale faces, khaki shorts and Birkenstock sandals. By ten o’clock a pungent mix of cigarette smoke and Mediterranean spice wafts through the air, the walls vibrate with English chatter, and every table in the room is covered in appetizers, wine, and Coronas.
Then the music starts. Solo acts and small groups take the stage one after another, playing two or three songs apiece. Nervous amateurs stutter through homemade ballads, seasoned musicians play proudly, excited for the opportunity to show off for a live audience. Good or bad, the audience always cheers, whistles, and stomps with enthusiasm. Everybody’s friends here, and nobody is going to be allowed to feel unappreciated—not at Music Night at the Greek.
Music night at the Greek was spawned from circumstances encountered by a Canadian English teacher named Kian as he searched for his place in the Tainan music scene. Kian found the Tainan music scene lacking in Western acts, so he started searching for venues where he could try out his folk-rock songs with a small live audience.
Many restaurants were interested, but wanted a large commitment. They wanted him to play for long periods of time and several times a month. As Kian put it, “I consider myself an amateur. Two hours is a long time to play.” When Kian discussed his problem with other foreign musicians, he found he wasn’t alone. He solved this problem by starting Music Night at the Greek using the North American open-mike concept.
For the uninformed, an open-mike is like a KTV with instruments instead of karaoke. Everybody comes to a certain bar on a certain night to show off his or her musical talents. Performers must sign up to play and, when his or her turn comes, play for everyone. Music Night is similar to an open mike, but more organized. Anyone can play at Music Night. The just have to sign up in advance through Kian.
Music Night has only been around for four months now, but has been a success since the beginning. The only failure, in Kian’s eyes, has been the events inability to attract Taiwanese locals. “We’d really like to see more locals come out—to watch and to play,” said Kian. “But it’s difficult to promote among locals when you don’t speak Chinese.” Kian hopes to remedy this problem, in part, through this article.
Xpat Magazine December, 2006
The Rundown
There are two permits you must apply for in Yushan National Park – a park entry permit (which is issued by the park) and a mountain entry permit (which is issued by the police).
First you should apply for the park entry permit. Yushan is a very popular destination, and the number of people the park allows to enter is limited. So, when there are more applications than spaces (which is normal), the park holds a lottery for entry permits. I recommend that you apply for your park entry permit one month in advance so that you will be entered in the lottery.
Only if you win the lottery should you apply for your mountain entry permit. You’ll be pretty much guaranteed to get it. It’s just a bit of paperwork, but it’s a bit of a hassle as the police don’t have the application available in English on their website. To obtain the application you will have to contact them (information below).
Accomodations
If you wish to stay in the park you should also make reservations at Paiyun Village. Paiyun Villiage is a hostel inside the park on the trail to Yushan that holds 90 people. If you wish to stay there you must check ‘Paiyun Villiage Accommodation’ on your Park Entry Application. The cost is NT$220 per person and must be paid in advance.
There’s also a campground at Paiyun Villiage that holds 40 people. Reservations and a Park Entry Permit are necessary to stay there. The Paiyun Village Accommodation Services Center can be contacted at (049) 234-8257.
For more information on how to apply, contact the Yushan National Park Headquarters between 9 am and 4:30 pm at:
(049) 277-3121 ext. 242
300, Jungshan Rd., Sec. 2, Shueili Shiang, Nantou
or visit the Yushan National Park applications web page at: http://www.ysnp.gov.tw/en/park_entry/parkentry.html
Xpat Magazine September, 2006
On Jan. 29, 2004, the largest whale ever recorded in Taiwan exploded on a busy Tainan city street drenching cars, storefronts, and bystanders with rotten blood and entrails. It was awesome.
Two weeks prior to this event, a boat struck the whale, severing its spinal nerves and rendering it paralyzed. During the following weeks it drifted into shallow water.
The mammal was nearly dead when it was found beached on Jan. 24 and died before help arrived. It took 13 hours, three large lifting cranes, and 50 workersto load the 17-meter (56-foot) behemoth onto a trailer bound for
the Sutsao Wild Life Reservation Area for an autopsy. According to the Taiwan News, more than 600 local spectators, including food and drink vendors, braved the chilly winter weather to watch the operation.
The whale was being transported through the center of Tainan when it burst amid throngs of spectators showering all with blood and cetacean innards.
Professor Wang Chien-ping of the National Cheng Kung University performed the autopsy. “Because of the natural decomposing process, a lot of gasses accumulated,” Wang explained. “And when the pressure build-up was too great, the whale’s belly exploded,” he added
“What a stinking mess,” said one resident. “This blood and other stuff that blew out on the road is disgusting, and the smell is really awful.”
The whale eventually made it to the Sutsao Wild Life Reservation Area where over 100 Tainan residents came to see it. According to the Taipei Times newspaper, most of the visitors were jealous Taiwanese men who wanted to experience the size of the whale’s 1.6-meter (five-foot) penis, that looked like “a thick water pipe”. How these men actually experienced this beast’s admirable genitalia, and whether any charges were laid, is unknown.
Throughout the following year, Professor Wang completed a bone and organ presentation that remains on display at the Tai Jiang Cetacean Museum.
Photography courtesy of Kevin Lin
Xpat Magazine December, 2006
When Kevin Lin, a postgraduate student and Taiwan’s most famous endurance athlete, agreed to an interview with Xpat I was stoked. Kevin is an internationally renowned ultramarathon champion. He races distances measuring in the hundreds of kilometers through extreme climates such as deserts and arctic snowfields. He was recently commissioned by Matt Damon’s movie company, LivePlanet, to join a team of three endurance athletes that will run over 4000 miles across the Sahara desert in less than 80 days (more than two marathons per day). If you mention his (Chinese) name to your Taiwanese friends they will undoubtedly nod in recognition. This was going to be a groundbreaking interview for Xpat – our first real celebrity.
But, when it came to actually scheduling the interview, Kevin’s phone was always busy or went unanswered. After a few brief e-mail attempts to pin him down to a time and place it became clear that between training, shooting the movie, and writing his thesis, Kevin would not have time to meet the editor from little ol’ Xpat.
In a last ditch attempt to save the interview I e-mailed Kevin a list of questions and received Kevin’s reply a few days later. When I read his responses it was clear that he written them while standing in line at 7-11 waiting to buy a Supau.
So, it didn’t turn out has great as I’d hoped. But nonetheless, here it is for your perusal: the Xpat exclusive interview with Taiwan’s Ultramarathon Man – chinglish and all.
Xpat Magazine: How old are you?
Kevin Lin: 1976/11/19
XPAT: How long have you been running ultamarathons?
KL: Probably….over than 10yrs.
XPAT: How many ultamarathons have you run? Where were they?
KL: Ha……too many….
XPAT: What did you place in each?
KL: I won sometime. But I took 2 or 3 place usually.
XPAT: What’s your current ranking?
KL: I did first place in 4 desert event in 2006. Gobi3/Acatama1/Sahara2/Antarctica3
XPAT: What’s your daily training routine?
KL: (Run) 150km~280km per week.
XPAT: What do you usually eat in a day?
KL: Ha….I can eat any thing. No special foods for me.
XPAT: What’s your favorite unhealthy food?
KL: Probably….COKE
XPAT: Why did you start running ultramarathons?
KL: I love to see the world and to feel all different body system. Include psychology and physical.
XPAT: I’ve heard that you were scheduled to start production of Running the Sahara in October. Have you started working on the movie?
KL: Yes I do. The live planet was came to TPE to filming for me last month. And we also filming in Chicago city in Aug 2006.
XPAT: What is Running the Sahara about?
KL: This is 3 man from US and Canada and Taiwan man to run the 6500km in Sahara in 3 month. www.runningthesahara.com
XPAT: What will you do in Running the Sahara ?
KL: RUN…..and RUN and RUN….ha….In fact that we will take care and make donation for local children.
XPAT: What are your personal goals with making Running the Sahara ?
KL: Finish and to write thesis on my master degree.
XPAT: I’ve read that Running the Sahara is also going to discuss the Sahara desert and the people that live there. Can you tell me a bit about this?
KL: Hnnnn. Actually I don’t know. This is movie secrecy. I can not talk to much this movie. Because I have contact with liveplanet.
XPAT: When will you start the run? How long will it take? When do you expect to finish?
KL: 11/1. and 80km per day. We hope can finish it before 2/1.
XPAT: Are you doing anything special to train for this ultramarathon?
KL: No. just living health and keep to exercise everyday.
XPAT: Is it possible that you may die on the trip?
KL: Maybe.!!!! I know that running 6500km in the sahara desert is very serious project. We all try to image and prepare lot of thing to avoid accident. So, we have very strong goal to finish.
XPAT: What would be the most likely problem that could lead to disaster on this trip?
KL: Probably virus and local robbers and mine.
XPAT: Have you ever encountered a dangerous situation during an ultramarathon before? Can you tell me about it?
KL: Dehydrate. Because I lost my route.
XPAT: How does your girlfriend feel about the risks of running ultramarathons?
KL: Ha… I don’t know.
XPAT: What do you consider to be your greatest victory?
KL: Yes. This will be human victory.
Xpat Magazine June, 2006
In Xpat’s never-ending endeavor to bring you cool, cutting-edge, flip-your-wig-back art, we present this interview with Taipei’s Museum of Contemporary Art. MOCA is one of the most progressive museums in Taiwan supporting innovative and unusual art from sculpture to multimedia to interactive installations. We recommend stopping by. You’re guaranteed to see at least seven things you never imagined you’d see in your life (or even thought existed).
Xpat: How long has MOCA been open?
MOCA: Since May, 2001.
Xpat: How big are you?
MOCA: Total 1,350 ping.
Xpat: How many visitors do you receive annually?
MOCA: About 74,000 visitors.
Xpat: Wouldn’t it be funny if I asked a girl those questions and she answered that way?
MOCA: No.
Xpat: How many exhibitions do you host at one time?
MOCA: One or two.
Xpat: How long does a typical exhibition run?
MOCA: Two to three months.
Xpat: Do they ever get tired?
MOCA: Excuse me?
Xpat: (sniggering) I’m sorry, I couldn’t help myself. I’ve been waiting to pull that one on you for weeks.
MOCA: That’s ok.
Xpat: What exhibitions are currently running?
MOCA: The two exhibitions that we have now are: 50 Years of Italian Fashion, and A Glimpse of Contemporary Art in Taiwan. They end on June 4.
Xpat: You don’t say? Have you run any pop-art exhibitions in the past?
MOCA: Yes, occasionally. For example: Fiction, Love, and XUltra New Vision in Contemporary Art
Xpat: What exhibitions are next?
MOCA: Slow Tech, from June 24 to Sept.3.
Xpat: What is contemporary art?
MOCA: It’s hard to define.
Xpat: Sort of like the term ‘vicissitude.’ That’s pretty hard to define, too. It means “the quality of being changeable,” but most people don’t know that. Even most English teachers don’t know that. Actually I didn’t know that either, but I was just fiddling with my electronic dictionary here…
MOCA: Huh? Are you drunk?
Xpat: No! … uh, not really…um…. What are some of the best exhibitions you’ve hosted?
MOCA: We appreciate every exhibition.
Xpat: Who are some of the most prominent contemporary artists?
MOCA: We appreciate every artist.
Xpat: Who are the most prominent contemporary Taiwanese artists?
MOCA: We appreciate every Taiwanese artist.
Xpat: Would you say that MOCA is an appreciative institution?
MOCA: Yes.
Xpat: What different mediums of exhibitions do you host?
MOCA: We host exhibitions including painting, sculpture and interactive installations.
Xpat: What’s MOCA’s mission?
MOCA: … (deep breath) Facing the current trends of globalization and post-modernism, MOCA has intimately combined the fields of architecture, design, fashion and multimedia art. The spreading domain of Asian art does not wander aimlessly, cover its face, or fawn on the rich and powerful, and it is willing to be relegated to the sidelines. It is only willing to change with time, and to give form to ideas.
Our exhibitions range from ones that fill the whole museum to small installations. By collaboration with international and local curators and artists, we hope to reflect a vision that is both global and regional.
Xpat: That’s awesome. Care for a shot of Jager?
MOCA: No. I’m going home now.
Xpat: Thank you very much for your time.
MOCA: Boo hway. (translation: no problem, chuckles).
The Museum of Contemporary Art, Taipei City, Taiwan
39 ChangAn West Rd., Taipei 103
Tues~ Sun, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Admission: NT $50
Tel: 02.2552.3720; Fax: 02.2559.3874
www.mocataipei.org.tw
My dedication of the third issue of Xpat Magazine to my father in the letter from the editor.
The story of the string of misfortune on my arrival in Taiwan that resulted in my founding Xpat Magazine.
I'm a professional travel writer and photographer with a passion for eco-friendly outdoors adventures. I post adventure travel stories, photography, tips, suggestions, and deals. If you're a fan of exciting and socially responsible travel, be sure to like me on Facebook and follow me on Twitter so that you don't miss any updates!
