Night on Earth

It takes a serene late night/early morning cab drive, …
— riding thru an empty city, passing closed stores and train stations, early risers mixed among night owls and insomniacs, after enjoying a fun night out with friends, satisfying the tummy with good food, hearing pretty much every kind of English-accent there is, laughing at portraits altered with iPhone applications, celebrating a friend turn 455 years old as the candles on his birthday cake read, running for a cab in a sudden downpour, learning about an old German punk rock song with lyrics “keiner ist kleiner als meiner” and annoying the cabbie with it, shaking the paw of a Golden Retriever as he begged for a piece of sweet bread — and being successful at that –, marveling at a friend’s white t-shirt as it turned colorful after he rubbed against the blackboard-wall that had the menu of the restaurant-turned-night club written on it, mixing beer with liquor but apparently in the right order, having enough room to shake the bootie, but even more room to sit outside, sharing stories of life and culture, walking along the deserted roads in total security, spotting a rat run around in a 7-eleven, admiring ambitions and dreams, killing and/or unintentionally stepping on cockroaches, realizing the city is just a village, appreciating creative minds, observing seniors power-walk next to the street — he wearing iron-pressed pants and holding his shirt in his hands –, hearing the morning birds announce the new day as the bats were screeching their farewell, —
… to be remembered that soft, slightly melancholic classical music, the radio was caressing the inside of the cab with, is a beautiful thing.

Taipei: Ghost town on command

Last week my friend Jon and I took advantage of a bright patch in the otherwise rather rainy weather and went on a bike ride on parts of the new, pretty bike paths along the river. I got to borrow a fixie bicycle and off we were.

A fixie is a bicycle with just one, fixed gear. Whenever the wheels are turning, the pedals are turning and thus your legs are pedaling even when you’d prefer to take a break. And, oh yeah, there are no breaks. So when you want to slow down you simply have to overpower the forward momentum of the bike by pedaling slower or do some far-out trick to block the back wheel altogether.
Some models do have a “chicken break” to help block the front wheel for emergencies, but everyone who has ever rode a bicycle knows what the front-wheel break is for: to have you and your bike make a synchronized somersault ending with your head sandwiched between the pavement and bicycle saddle.
Anyhow the simplicity of the bicycle is quite fascinating and the legs do get a good workout. I do however miss the coasting so much…

We did a good ride one way, took a small break, and were on our way back again as we spotted some heavy, dark clouds heading our way. It sure looked like rain again.
Suddenly a loud siren went off! Having no idea what the alarm meant, we started to observe the environment. We could neither see any smoke, nor spot anyone break out in panic. The dark clouds looked heavy, but didn’t seem like they’d hold an alarm causing power. Maybe it was some false alarm or a test.
The alarm eventually stopped, and we kept going, towards home, hoping to beat the looming rain.

We had to leave the bike path and get back into the busy streets of the neighborhood. The first crossroads with traffic lights came up. The light was red, but there was no traffic, so we bolted thru. Awesome, I didn’t want to initiate one of those complicated break maneuvers anyway.

The next bigger crossroad came up. Green lights, but still we were alone. A little strange, but sure nothing to complain about; if only traffic would always be so light.

As we got closer to the big roads a strange feeling overcame us. Jon suddenly asked, “Where is everyone?”
The roads were empty. There wasn’t even a scooter cutting the corners. Just one empty, silent street and no soul to be seen, as if we were the only ones left in the city. While that was awesome in itself, it was also kind of discerning. What did we miss? That alarm earlier, what could it have told the people who understood what it was singing about?

We got to the next big crossroad and there it was: all the traffic that wasn’t on the street, parked along the street. Buses and cars huddled along the pavement. Scooters standing and people sitting on the side of the street, slightly bored but calm.
Among the parked traffic was a police car. A police man emerged from the car and waved at us, signaling that we need to stop and sit down on the side of the road too. To our English question what was going on the police man simply answered with an embarrassed “Eeem… No”, and he turned away and got back into the police car.
We sat down in the shade of the nearby bus shelter and were joined by a cat that wouldn’t stop meowing. We had no other choice but to sit it out and speculate what the reason could be for this traffic ban.
Once in a while a police car drove by slowly, but other than that it was like everyone was watching a ghost town.

15 minutes later the alarm went off again. The police man blew his whistle and waved to us, saying “Ok.” Within seconds the traffic was back and the city came back to life. We pedaled the remaining 1.5 blocks to safety, slightly amused by having driven down some empty streets. Tho, for a minute there it was eerie.

It wasn’t until later in the afternoon that we were told the alarm was just a test to practice a possible air strike from China, in which case everyone should seek shelter inside the next basement. The test was announced with drive-by speakers earlier, but to someone who isn’t fluent in the Chinese it doesn’t make much of a difference.
Quite the impressive and extensive practice, that turns the outside of Taipei into a ghost town for 30 minutes…

I have silently turned 35

Age does sneak up on us like a ninja in stealth mode. Two days ago, unnoticed by the majority of the world, I started counting my 35th year. I don’t know if 35 is a special number, but for all I know it’s the oldest I’ve ever been.
The media response to my outcry to see my “real” birth certificate has been far below my expectations — expectations that were fueled by the Obama birth certificate discussions and therefore might have been a little high. So, I’ll just have to stick with the assumption that I am in fact 35.

Despite this “high” number I also assume I’m not yet old enough to be a wise crack and to call every other man “son” — tho, it is tempting. I did have my share of lessons; some were learned, some forgotten… I mean, who can really pick up on all the life lessons anyway.
If you’d ask me for the meaning of life, I’ll respond with “42” and you’ll know I’m just paraphrasing the “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”. But despite the lack of answers to real questions, I did come up with some philosophies that would look great printed on a Hallmark card, in a golden, elaborate script font over a picture of blue flowers. Such as “Be nice and nice will be.”, “Do what you gotta do; No one does the doo-doo for you.” or “We’re never forgotten. We just get lost once in a while.” (Call me, Hallmark!)

So what comes with 35? A 365 day countdown to 36, I suppose. But those are many days and sure are meant to be spent in another way than just counting.
To begin the year with good friends and a nice dinner sure makes for a good start. And after that it’s simply best to “keep calm and carry on”. Taking life as it is, knowing that change A-Ok and accepting that we drive ourselves thru this life adventure of ours; these sure are advantages we have in our parts of the world, but many of us have forgotten. It ain’t easy, but sure makes for a good way to pass time.
And I’ve have been challenged to gain 10 kg. As a guy who’s never had the biggest appetite and with cooking skills that might just barely surpass the ones of Jamie Oliver at the age of 2, I don’t know how to do that! But as it were, we never stop learning — even when we’re already 35 years old.

So “To the next 35 years”… I guess it is still a reasonable thing to say. Until then, we’ll just keep on going, and going, and going….

Taiwan Bye-Bye… ;(

Soon my stay in Taiwan will be over. As with most vocations, it’s gone by too fast. Taiwan has so much to offer — 11 days sure doesn’t do this lovely country justice. But I’ll take with me all the great memories of this modern city, the traditional culture and my best friends.

And those memories are a plenty:
Enjoying the view from the top of the second highest building of the world.
Being part of a beautiful wedding.
Having two of my friends realize that they were friends as small kids.
Floating over the forest in a gondola, up to Maokong mountain.
Seeing traditional as well as new, contemporary art.
Or simply forgetting the afternoon plans while sitting on the balcony of the Red Castle cafe in Danshui.

And most of all, being so well taken care of and looked after. I could not be more thankful for the hospitality of my friends and their families. Great times! Thank you! 🙂

Getting to taste some of the nastiest delicatessen I’ve come by so far (yeah, I’m talking to you Stinky Tofu and Pig Blood Cake) on the other hand was… well… nasty. But I’m willing to look past that as it sure was to my friends’ entertainment and neither bite did me any harm (as far as I can tell).

Well, tomorrow evening my backpack and I will head back west, on a 4 hour jump to Thailand. May the temperature shock be my biggest struggle when getting there.

“Sorry, all our guardian angels are busy.”

… Please hold the line.”

If you ever feel down on your luck, rest assured that your guardian angel is helping to look after one of these scooter drivers.

Preferably after the ones that cut off the parking bus on the right side.