Trip to South Korea

Hello everyone on the internet. What's new with you all? Oh, not much here, just class and all that and updating my blog. . .and oh yeah, I'M GOING TO KOREA THIS WEEK!

In fact, I'll be leaving today (Tuesday) at 2:30. I'm staying until Sunday, and have two tours planned to the De-Militarized Zone between North and South Korea as well as the boarder city of Panmunjom.

Lots of fun coming up and lots of pictures too. I'll update again tonight after I arrive.

The Taiwan Museum of Drinking Water

Yes, once again, I found myself at a weird museum, though, this time by myself. If you'll recall, I took a trip back in March to the Taiwan Nougut Museum. While this trip was similarly themed (they are both odd museums) this trip was much more fulfilling.


The museum is housed in a turn of the century pump house used by the Taipei city Water Department, and it was nice to see a building that wasn't big and blocky and covered in tiles.



Here's an exterior pan of the building







As far as museums go, it wasn't anything spectacular. Inside the building was lots of pump equipment and machinery and such with brief explanations of how things worked and some plaques about the history of the Taipei Municipal Water System.





Interior Pan








Around lots of the equipment were signs like this one, advising one to not hit their head!

At the back of the museum there were stair to a loft sort of area and a neat switchboard set in marble!




I even took some artistic black and white pictures!



And did my best not to pull any switches (and not get caught).



After leaving the museum, I did my tourist duty and bought a bottle of water at the vending machine. It only seemed right. . .



So, overall, the trip was lots of fun, and really interesting. More adventures to come, until then.

Zai Jian!

Taipei Jade Market and the Museum of Drinking Water!

Hey everyone! It's been a while, I know, but I've recently been on two interesting trips. The first was to the Taipei Holiday Jade Market and the second was Part Two in my two-part series on weird museums in Taiwan.

The Taipei Holiday Jade Market was really great. It's a massive jade market located under a highway overpass.

Inside it's like a big flea market where, I assume, if you new enough Chinese you could barter your way to a good price.







I, luckily, was with my friend Joy Lin and she was able to at least tell me how much things were.

I saw lots of bracelets, and necklaces and even some tea pots, but what I was looking for was a jade cat for my mom.



Joy told me that they would probably be hard to find because most of the popular animals that are made from jade are from the Chinese zodiac and there is no cat in their system. There is however, a tiger which would work for me.

We looked around a little more, and I did find a pair of jade cats, but they cost NT$8,000, or over US$200!

We also came across a table that had older and dustier looking jade pieces. The guy had vases and some animals, one of which I thought was a cat, but turned out to be some kind of Chinese mythical creature.



While I also couldn't afford this jade animal (NT$80,000 or US$2,500!!) the table-owner told us a little about jade. He explained, in Chinese, that good jade will look dingy and flat, but that you can shine a light through it. Also, if you run a brush over it can be polished and will shine a little bit.

So, in teh end I did not find cat, but I would definitely like to go back some time and look again.

Part two coming soon. . . .

A Letter to Taiwan

Dear the Country of Taiwan:

Today the high temperature is 90 F (about 32 C). Could you please turn on the air conditioning? It would be much appreciated and help me out big time.

Thanks!

-Nate

Chiang Kai-shek Memorial v. 2.0 Part 2

Military uniforms worn by CKS.





Changing of the Honor Guard at CKS Memorial Hall. They pass through the main hall.



The grounds around the memorial have lots of little paths and gardens. Very nice after being in the city all day. I say down next to a small lake and bridge to relax.



Well, that's about it for the pictures. Until next time,

在見！

Chiang Kai-shek Memorial v. 2.0 Part 1

Some of you may recall that when I first got here in February I made a trip to Chiang Kai-shek National Memorial in Taipei. You may also recall that I didn't bring my camera. Well, today I went back, with a camera, took pictures and . . . wait for it. . . . . . video!!!!!

Also, this time, I toured the museum part of the memorial. It was a great trip overall, and a wonderful day to boot. Much less overcast than it has been and the pollution wasn't bad either. Coming into 西們 on the bus I could actually see mountains in the distance!

So, here are pictures and video. Not much of a narrative this time, but nothing wrong with pictures, eh?

CKS Memorial Square. The Memorial Hall is the white building in the distance.




Panorama of the CKS Memorial square from on top of the Memorial Hall.



Panorama of the CKS Memorial Square from opposite the Memorial Hall.



Statue of CKS in the Memorial Hall.



Dome of the Memorial hall. In the center is the white sun of the Republic of China flag.



As I said, I went to the actual CKS museum as well. It was neat, but different from a US museum. There didn't seem to be any sort of narrative to the exhibits. Mostly it was just a lot of "Here's some stuff that Chiang touched/wore/read/sat in." Moreover, the pictures around the exhibits were just that pictures of Chiang doing different things with no context.

The pictures did have sort of a chronological order to them, but if someone was unfamiliar with the early Republican history of the Republic of China (ROC), or Chiang Kai-shek generally, they would be totally lost. I, however, knew a good amount can could catch the general theme of things.

All that being said, here are some highlights of the museum!

One of two cars owned by Chiang Kai-shek.



CKS's other car.




The highlight, I think, of the exhibit, was a recreation of CKS's Presidential office complete with a waxwork of the man himself poised and ready to sign legislation at any moment!



More pictures in the next post. . . .

Taipei Museum of Modern Art Part 2

When last we left our intrepid hero he was wandering for days around Taipei in search of the elusive MOMA. Nearly collapsing from thirst and hunger, he reluctantly returned to school and vowed to one day find the museum. . .

Ok, it wasn't quite that dramatic, but I did shake my fist at the city on the bus ride home. Today, though, I did set out again to find the museum. I had a map, and directions and pictures of the buildings around it. . . and still wandered for an hour.

I did, however, have the common sense to ask around to find it. I went to a Family Mart nearby and stumbled through some Chinese when from behind me I heard "What d'ya need, mate?" Yes! and Australian just so happened to be in that same market, and was able to point me in the right direction.

"Oh, I'm looking for the Museum of Contemporary Art," I said.

"That's just back the other way. Make like a kangaroo to the crossroads, hang a left, and you'll see the building."

"Thanks," I said leaving.

"No worries bloke," he said untying his dingo from the bike rack in front of the market.

My memory is a but hazy, but I'm pretty sure that's how the conversation went. The interesting thing about it is that this is the second time it has happened! On our trip to the National Palace Museum an Australian guy helped us find the correct bus to the museum. I suspect that Taiwan imports Aussies to help poor lost Americans find their way.

So, I walked back to the main intersection turned left, and still couldn't find the place. Despondent, I found my way back to the Taipei Bus station, which is also connected to TPM, and walked around a bit thinking I'd soon be headed home. Luckily, after some walking, I happened upon this sign;



I followed some more signs into an elevator, and up to a city street. Down another street and viola! There it was! I found the museum in all its red brick glory!




Just to make sure I was in the right place, I took a picture of the sign out front!

The artist on exhibit at the MOMA was David LaChapelle, an American artist who's early work was with Andy Warhol. Generally, his work is pretty shocking, fairly crude, by very interesting.

Below are three of his more tame pieces. For more info, Google "David LaChapelle, deluge." That's a pretty accurate representation of most of his work.

Last Supper.



Cathedral.



Archangel Michael.



Overall the experience was lots of fun. I'd definitely go again (but with better directions!) and think I might when the exhibit changes in May.

That's all for now, I might be headed out again this week, but until then,

再見！