A NO THER HOME
APRIL 20, 2014
1
Typeset in Filosofia Grand OT Illustration, Photography, and Layout by Jordan Hu
introduction
2
Starbucks at Danshui
Introduction What is a home? I have always associated the word “home” with a location that you are comfortable in, maybe even a bit too comfortable. This magazine is a documentary of my one-month stay in Taiwan where I was able to explore the entirety of Taiwanese culture by myself. The inspiration behind this magazine first developed by an observation of nature. Towards the end of my senior year in high school, the sudden realization that I have not explored enough dawned upon me. Growing up in a middle-class household in New Jersey, I would consider myself to be sheltered. Naturally, I became accustomed to this comfortable lifestyle, and as a result, I was never willing to try anything new. At one point in my life I questioned if I had a disorder called “Agoraphobia.” Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder where one is afraid of leaving a safe environment. Of course, this was never a serious question as I knew that I didn’t really have it. It was merely just an afterthought having reflected back on my life up until that point. The word “Agoraphobia” reminds me of the natural habitat of snails. Snails are creatures that are afraid of leaving their home, or “a safe environment.” Instead, they take on the burden of bringing their home with them wherever they go. As a result, snails are never able to travel far or see much of the world because of their inability to let go of their comfort zone. During the end of my senior year, I believed I was similar to that of a snail. Aside from attending college, living in Taiwan by myself for an entire month was one of my first steps towards leaving that shell. Through my photography, I was able to document my journey and the different things that I came across.
another home
APRIL 20, 2014
3
TAIWAN: A SECOND HOME
4
Poverty
Taiwan; a Second Home by Jordan Hu
Taiwan has always been considered as a second home to me. The funny thing is that even though I consider Taiwan as a home, I always felt slightly awkward saying it. Simply by the way I look, dress, and speak, residents are able to immediately distinguish that I am not one of them and that I’m quite obviously from the States. However, the residents of Taiwan are extremely friendly and take a huge interest upon recognizing I am from the states. Being identified so easily as an American is just a part of the entire experience in going back to Taiwan.
another home
APRIL 20, 2014
5
Typhoon days
Being in this country by myself has given me ample time and space to just me and my thoughts. I’ve always been a person that tends to think quite a lot but I think twice as much when in a different country. I would say that the atmosphere and simplistic lifestyle in Taiwan is a place ideal for thinking and reflecting.
Simplicity.
TAIWAN: A SECOND HOME
6
The overall atmosphere is peaceful and relaxing. If I were asked to say a single word that describes Taiwan, it would probably be “slow.” It seems as if somebody had pressed the slow-button on the residents of Taiwan. Even though the people here live a routined life, it seems that they are still able to partake in enjoying the simplicity of life. I’ve always believed that “hustling” through life was never the right way to approach things.
We Feel. We Breathe. We Experience. Wheel
The atmosphere in Taiwan is similar to the feeling I get when working in cafes. A hobby of mine is searching for random cafes to work in. I’ve always felt that the most successful cafes are the ones with a relaxing and comfortable atmosphere. At a decent cafe, I am able to just sit down, slowly sip my coffee, and do my own work without being bothered.
Perch
another home
APRIL 20, 2014
7
If I were asked to say a single word that describes Taiwan it’d be
TAIWAN: A SECOND HOME
8
Urban
APRIL 20, 2014
9
Little do people realize, but photoalbums contains lifetimes of history. Through photoalbums comes a line of history that you wouldn’t have ever expected to even exist. Photoalbums is a documentation of time and space. In Taichung, I asked my grandmother if I could browse through some of the photoalbums that she had stored away. The intent behind browsing through these photoalbums was to discover something about my family that I didn’t already know. I remember as I started to rummage through the scrapbooks and photo albums, my grandmother began to narrate without even being asked about each photograph. It seemed as if she could talk on for days but at times, I caught moments where her voice began to drift away as she was talking about a specific photograph. The first photograph that I stopped at was of my older cousin, Selina, when she was just a toddler. (I wasn’t even born yet when this photo was taken) A few days prior to my departure to Taiwan, my sister and I met up with her for dinner in New York City. I haven’t seen my cousin in 10 years and she just so happened to be visiting NYC for a day and would be going back to school in San Francisco the next day. It was just really interesting catching up with her and what she’s been doing the past couple years. Looking through my grandma’s photo albums and seeing pictures of when she was younger, it felt as if I was watching a movie showcasing fragments of her childhood.
at
re Still a T
Different
Time
C
IH LL
D
TAIWAN: A SECOND HOME
DD H
lasts for a s e c o n d and then it’s G O N E
enj oy y o ur c hi ldh o o d whi l e i t la s t s . . . . b e a c us e i t o nly
enjoy y o u r c h i l d h o o d w h i l e i t l a s t s . . . . b e a c u s e i t o n l y
10
O OD
N OS T AL -G I A ee
Carefr
Polaro id
H Childhood
There are two other photographs that I found in the photoalbums that I was really attracted to. The first is of my mother when she was younger and she appears to be sliding down the snow. I found this surprising because my mother never participates whenever my family goes to Vermont to snowboard. This photo is also interesting simply because of the juxtaposition of her now and her then. I love this image so much because of how it captures such a care-free and joyful moment from a different time. The other photograph is of a very nicely composed photograph of my grandmother and grandfather when they were younger. Even though the image was slightly deteriorating, I thought it was a beautiful nostalgic photograph. This was also the smallest photograph in the photoalbum.
another home