National Treasure(s)

As much as Jonathan may protest, I think another long post is coming up. Connie and Ken are at a golf tournament so I don't feel like a rude guest sitting on the computer when they're away.

It's been so amazing to eave hostel/hotel living and be back in a real house. I'll always think back on those two weeks of pure independence fondly but I'm a social butterfly and living with other people is always my first pick. Connie and Ken know my Dad through his work but they've also known me since I was basically a baby. With that in mind I am happy that they're not even close to treating me like a child and our evening discussions have revolved around Chinese culture and politics. It's also great to have their expertise at my disposal for the best recommendations on places to visit and what food to eat (especially since they lived in Sichuan, home to some of my favorite foods) So I bought them some flowers today to say thank you for everything.

More about Hong Kong!
* Throughout the city I was retracing my steps and finding all the places I used to love or frequent often. They included the US consulate and the Helena May library right across from the Peak tram. I spent many hours at that intersection going to my first ballet classes and having lunch at the women's club.

Hong Kong park was another well visited spot. I went back to the sandbox where I lost my precious doll "Girl" Nooo her name might not have been the most creative but I remember crying for so long when I lost her that my Dad went out in the middle of the night to see if there was any hope in getting her back... there wasn't. Ahhh the pains of childhood. I also walked through the aviary inside that houses more than 600 species of birds. They zoom around your head and sit on branches right next to you which is kind of scary when they're huge exotic birds that are big and grumpy. All of the animals were easy to see in the rain because they had puffed up their feathers to try to keep dry. Last on my Hong Kong park list was visiting the cool fountain you can get inside! The coolness of being there well outweighs the fact that you have to stand in an inch of water on slippery marble. It's just... so cool!

* The Star Ferry will forever be one of my favorite public modes of transportation. Ever. They're these two decker boats that take you from Hong KOng Island to most outlaying spots. it's just as much fun as a roller coaster because the water is choppy so you go up and down and up and down. ON rainy days (meaning most of the time) the city is misty behind you and the surf creates these massive waves. It's a real thrill... unless you get seasick I guess. Anyway I took three ferry rides.
1st: to Kowloon for my research. Not too notable except it was the first time I had been on a ferry for 12 years so I was taking pictures like crazy and getting some strange looks from the regular commuters

2nd: Star Ferry tour at night! They take you around the harbour to see all the notable buildings in HK and Kowloon while feeding you dessert and soda and THEN they park right in the middle at 8 when the city puts on this show they call a "symphony of lights" Key locations will pipe in music as the buildings on the waterfront will put on spectacular displays of lasers and light that is synchronized perfectly. Ultra touristy, sure but also amazingly impressive. especially since the image is doubled in the black water.

3rd: On my last day in Hong Kong, right before I went to the airport, I took the ferry all the way out to Lantau (an island decently far away from HK Island) just so I could see the scope of the city and the tiny fishing boats and huge freighters that put down anchor by the little green islands that no one has bothered to build up yet. It was a crystal clear day and a wonderful use of an hour even if I was disappointed that I didn't have time to explore Lantau itself, it looked small and quiet and lovely.

* Oh man... the show I saw was so crazy. First of all.. all in Cantonese, Nothing like Mandarin. But I was cool for that and totally ready. What was it about?? Good question. I dunno. Something about choosing between mothers and fathers. I dunno what the choice is about but it was at times very funny and at times very sad and people will be clutching onto chairs weeping. Then there was this male lead who had been/was in a relationship with a whiny singer and... something wasn't working out. I think he had trouble remembering her name... or something. They probably got together in the end. He sang an emotional song and she walked his bike around stage. May have been symbolic. The style was similar to a Chinese TV show so over the top and crazy.

I could have dealt with all of that except there was a constant threat of audience participation so I lived in unending fear. I was the only Westerner in the room and so if the guy was dumb enough to ask me a question it's his funeral but I would have been embarrassed. I don't know a word of Cantonese and if I did I would have pronounced it incorrectly. My plan was to imitate the classic "shy Asian girl" action and just giggle and shake my head, refusing to speak. Thankfully my brilliant scheme was never tested.

* On Thursday I met up with the Kents, old family friends from our apartment complex Bamboo Grove. Not only was it nice to have a quiet lunch, it was so wonderful to chat with someone who shares my childhood memories because I rarely get that chance! Nicholas jumped at the chance to talk about Postman Pat, the Adventures of t Bag (yes, it's real! Don't laugh), and playing on the Bamboo Grove jungle gym. After lunch we went to a record store for a while and then his mom drove out to their home in Stanely after stopping by the buildings we both remembered. PPA (my preschool) and our apartment building. it was surreal to see them again. I was dropped off at Stanley Market to see the beautifully serene beach and the crazy, narrow markets. I took a bus to the Primary school neighborhood but the ignorance of local taxi drivers foiled my efforts to actually find it though I did see kids in my old uniform in Stanely!

Now a little bit more about Taibei!

* I arrived here Friday evening and pretty much crashed, continuing my laziness up until Saturday afternoon. However on that day I made it to Taipei 101 (as previously described) and the City Hall Discovery Center which was the cool little museum about the history of the city. They showed the evolution of the City Walls under Japanese colonization and even outlined the theatrical evolution of the region (I saw scenes from Eat Drink Man Woman!) My mom would have loved it because they had one entire exhibit where they compared old pictures of roads to new ones and showed the process of modernization. That same day I went to two bookstores that were just incredibly useful as well as the Sun Yat Sen memorial hall (just to say I had been. There really isn't anything too noteworthy inside)

* That night Connie and Ken took me to a really delicious sichuan restaurant. You knew it was authentic because we were turning red and our eyes were watering from all the spice. Keshi women bu pa la, la bu pa, haiyou pa bu la as the hostess said. There was also an exotic mockingbird outside that was shrieking and trilling like crazy. Totally cool.

* Yesterday I went to CKS Memorial hall where there were guard and rifle teams rehearsing everywhere. I didn't know there was much of a marching band culture in Taiwan but I guess there is. I passed by the President's House on my way to the 2.28 memorials (also to say I've seen it because it is rather pretty) When I came home, Connie and I tried to hike Elephant mountain which was cool because that was one of my favorite things to look at up at Taipei 101. We got to the top band wanted to do the other "4 beasts" but it started pouring and we were afraid of thunder. Luckily we made it to an authentic local temple before it really slammed down but by the time we gave in and walked home we were soaked to the bone. It was really really fun though (especially to see all the lizards!) We had Mexican food for dinner (or as close as can be made with ingredients here) and I desperately want Chipotle now. Or guacamole. Mmmm.

* Oh MAN you guys. The museum today was beyond fantastic. have you noticed that fantastic is my new favorite word? it is. And it totally describes this place.

Got there at 9:50 for the 10:00 tour. Perfect. The guide had wonderful English and the hour tour gave a very good foundation to the museum and all of the special treasures.

I got a snack from the tea room overlooking the grounds. The one time I'm adventurous it backfires because I had no idea how to eat my food... I think it was kinda Japanese influenced. It was delicious but I don't think I followed culinary protocol and was probably laughed at.

I spent the next 3 hours or so making my way through Chinese art history chronologically. It's almost sad to think about how often Westerners ignore Chinese contributions when they've been perfecting these art forms for 8000 years. Before the Roman or Mayan civilizations even began forming. Yes, I bought into the propaganda okay? Hush. But generally I do believe that we like to ignore Eastern contributions and history and focus on ourselves. My favorite objects.
* An intricate ship carved out of an olive pit. There are 8 people on the boat with expressions you can see with a magnifying glass and the screen doors are artistically designed and can open and shut. All on a little vessel smaller than my thumb.

* I adore porcelain. All of it. it's colorful and cheerful and has stories I enjoy. Some of the pieces took 72 applications of different glazes to reach completion.

* The little pearl ball with 7 concentric balls on the inside that are just as thoroughly patterned and can be spun around.

* The little boxes the Emperor used to store miniature versions of his art collections so he could play with them and admire them without labor. They all have secret sequences to unlock them and compartments with screens that slide. Then there's the fact that all of these amazing artifacts have been shrunk down in the first place

As someone who has been to countless museums and who lives in a city of them I was very very impressed. Everything was accessible to English speakers too, which is always nice.

Well I'm behind on my paper journal so I'm off to see to that. Props to anyone who even tried to get through these posts. I... like detail just as much as the Chinese I guess.