SOUP Magazine

[SOUP] HEADPHONE CITY

WELCOME TO MOROCCO

ISSUE NO. 1

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HIDDEN AWAY IN HONG KONG

Made in Taiwan

From designing state of the art cell phones to wedding rings for Taiwanese celebrities, British industrial designer Jonathan Biddle speaks candidly about his tour of duty in Taiwan

DON’T THINK JUST SHOOT Ten Rules to Lomography There are No Rules

FEELING PECKISH? A Quick Guide to Taiwanese Convenience Store SnacksJanuary 2008 SOUP

EN 10 0 IN GL % SI IS DE H

THE SHOPKEEPER LIVES Resurrection of One of Taipei’s Landmark Restaurants

[ISSUE ONE]

Ingredients 03 EDITOR’S NOTES: FROM THE KITCHEN A word from the editor.

04 LOCAL SPOT: YONG KANG STREET Check out this hidden away location.

06 SNACKS: FEELING PECKISH?

Take the plunge and try something different.

08 FASHION: HANDMADE ZAKKA Zakka Fashion and blogging, Taiwan style

10 PHOTO: TAIWAN Photo eassy of Il Formosa.

14 COVER: DECONSTRUCTING JONNY A look into the life of a British industrial designer.

20 LOW TECH: DON’T POINT JUST SHOOT The ten rules to lomo photography

30 DRINKS: AFTER HOURS Cocktail recipes.

[SOUP] MAGAZINE soupmag.net

26 TRAVEL: THE OTHER SIDE OF HONG KONG The backstreets of Hong Kong

ONLINE DIRECTOR James Li

34 FOOD & DESIGN: WOOLLOOMOOLOO

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF John Hung

Eggs benedict.

SENIOR EDITOR Gareth Grifiiths

40 TWO WHEELS: MEET MY DREAM How to build your own bicycle.

CONTRIBUTORS Hui Min Tsai Ben Sand Whit Hood-Lewis Gareth Griffiths CREATIVE DIRECTOR James Li DESIGN DIRECTOR Matthew Regan PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Akira Lo PRODUCTION MANAGER Kevin Guo MARKETING DIRECTOR Akira Lo SALES DEVELOPMENT Maggie Chen SUBSCRIPTIONS subscribe@soupmag.net

2 SOUP January 2008

42 CHALKING IT UP: WHAT’S YOUR FAVRITE TOY? The word on the street.

36 REAR WINDOW: NELSON BILODEAU A peek into your apartment.

46 LOCAL ART Local artist and student takes on Taiwan.

48 REVIEWS Understanding Comics, Paletine, Eureka, Dolls.

From the Kitchen Welcome to Soup. The name is short and contains only one syllable. Good. Hopefully it will be a simple name to remember.

Deciding on the name Soup though was not so simple. It was indeed a lesson in determination and patience repeated over again. Not unlike the weekly chore of mowing the lawn. Around the discussion table, the topic of hey-guys-we-still-need-a-name would eventually come up and rear its ugly head. On cue people would delve into the creative spaces of their mind for that flash of inspiration. Or not. There is always a quiet discomfort when one proposes a name and it is met with a chorus of nods and tightly closed mouth smiles. Followed by silence. Nonetheless, it is jotted down for the record.

As arduous as this task was. Assigning a name to a magazine does not even compare to the responsibility of naming a person. Having sweated over this four letter word, it is unsettling to imagine the mental stamina required to name a brand new person. To arrive at a name that will be carried for a lifetime and remembered for many more. The importance of this is almost too much to shoulder. I remember a classmate called Admin. She was a quiet girl. We all thought nothing peculiar until one day the teacher was taking roll call and noticed that someone had scrawled -istration beside her name. Naturally, the teacher was infuriated and ranted about this act of graffiti until Admin herself spoke out and said ‘but sir that’s my name’. When all other names blur into the past, Admin is a name that will never be forgotten.

In a bid to make this magazine mildly unforgettable we churned out eighty pages of text and images that will appeal to the masses or at the very least kill some time for the masses. Every month Soup will spotlight a foreigner living in Taiwan, unveiling the life of one of the many of ex-pats and re-pats that have chosen to live in this country. Each hailing from a different country.

Each with their own colorful story. Each wonderfully entertaining and likeable.

A positively riveting read. The other seventy-nine and a half pages will be devoted to advertising. Dig in. [•]

January 2008 SOUP 3

Local Spot

Yong Kang Street 永康街

1

Gourmet eateries, quaint boutiques and art galleries make up a small stretch of what is known as the Yong Kang Street area in Taipei. A diverse group of people from locals to tourists regularly sift through these narrow lanes. This marks it as a prime spot to watch the masses while enjoying a quick bite. Wander through armed with this little map and pop into one of the shops shops that makes Yong Kang world famous in Taiwan.

Din Tai Fung

2

No. 194, Xinyi Road Sec. 2

信義路2段

Lane 4 永康

街4巷

Check Out: Steamed Pork and Crab Dumplings

永 康 街 Yo n g K a n g S t.

Check out: Tien Tan plums and Silky sweet potatoes

麗水街 L i Shui S

Traditional Chinese restaurant that serves up organic food cooked in clay pots.

3

X in y i R o a d Sec. 2

t.

Tien Tan

No. 5, Li Shui St.

An international landmark praised by the New York Times for its Shanghai cuisine.

5 Ou Wei

No. 6-5, Yong Kang St.

Sells a range of traditional homemade Taiwanese snacks and dried fruit.

Lane 6 永康

街6巷

Check Out: Wasabe Coated Peanuts

ui St.

Stone oven baked pizza and other homemade Italian goodness. Five locations throughout Taipei but Yong Kang is where it all started.

Check Out: Capriccioso Calzoni Stuffed with Italian sausage, green bell peppers, olives, onions, tomatoes, mushrooms and Pecorino Romano cheese

4

街8巷

Lane 10 永康

Thanky

街10巷

No. 1 and No. 6, Lane 6, Yung Kang St.

Thanky serves up top notch pho noodles.

Check Out: Pho Tai -Pho noodles with rare steak

Lane 12 永康

街12巷

4 SOUP January 2008

6

Lane 8 永康

永康街 Y ong Kan g St.

Alley Cats

B1 No.6 Li Sh

Ice Monster

ng St.

Ka No.15, Yong

A thirty meter queue for shaved ice. This is how much people love flavored shaved ice. Try the jumbo mango and join the club.

Check Out: Jumbo Mango Ice. Fresh mangos, condensed milk and mango sorbet.

7

Japanese cafe known for its affordable rice dishes Check Out:Baked Teriyaki chicken

9 Lane 4 永康

街4巷

信義路 2段 Xinyi Road Sec. 2

Cork and leather shoes not made in Taiwan.

Check out: Boston

Rice Cafe

11

No. 7, Lane 8, Yung Kang St.

麗水街 L i Shui S

t.

8

Birkenstock’s

Lane 6 永康

街6巷

Lane 8 永康

街8巷

Lane 10 永康

街10巷

Luh Mien Ou

No. 7, Lane 10, Yong Kang

No. 6, Lane 10, Yung Kan St.

St.

You can choose your soup base and the noodles. Be your own ramen master!

Check out: Soy sauce ramen

A fair trade store with lots to rifle through. Have a look at the world map as you enter.

Check out: Wool bags and silver jewelry

Lane 12 永康

街12巷

Lan Lane 14 永康街14

巷

Check Out: Pita Beirut.

Baked chicken, falafel, hummus, boiled egg, tomato and tahini

Sababa

No. 3, Lane 12, Yong Kang St.

永康街 Yong Kang St.

Quality Middle-Eastern cuisine prepared from scratch.

金華街 Jin Hua St.

Juicy burgers with a twist.

Checkout: The Mofo Burger. Grilled burger topped off with two slices of bacon, cheese, garlic mayonnaise and barbecue sauce.

14

13 California Grill

No.53-1, Yong Kang St.

麗水街3

3巷 L i S h u i S t. , Lane 33

Man can live on bread alone....and pastries.

Boite de Bijou

No. 19, Lane 33, Li Shui

Check Out: Banana Cake and French Baguette St.

ction

, Se e 30

0巷

段3

10

Earth Tre e

No.35-1, Lane 30, Section 2, Shi Shen South Rd.

2 南路

新生

outh

nS i She

2, Sh

12

A quaint cafe nestled in natural forest complete with its own venus fly trap garden.

Check out: Tiramisu

The Green Steps

No. 27, Lane 243, Jin Hua

St.

金華街 Jin Hua St.

Yong Kang Street 永康街 1. Din Tai Fung 鼎泰豐 段194號 No. 194, Xinyi Road Sec. 2 信義路2 se Restaurant) Chine tional (Tradi 天罎 Tan Tien 2.

No. 5, Li Shui St. 麗水街5號 3. Alleycats B1 No.6 Li Shui St. 麗水街6號 4. Thanky (Chen Ji) 誠記 永康街6巷1號和6號 No. 1 and No. 6, Lane 6, Yung Kang St. Snack Shop) 5. Ou Wei 舞味 (Traditional Taiwanese 號之5 No. 6-5, Yong Kang St. 永康街6 冰館 ter Mons Ice 6. 號 No.15, Yong Kang St. 永康街15 7. Rice Café 巷7號 No. 7, Lane 10, Yung Kan St. 永康街10 les) 8. Luh Mien Ou 樂麵屋 (Ramen Nood 巷7號 No. 7, Lane 10, Yong Kang St. 永康街10 9. Birkenstock’s 巷6號 No. 6, Lane 8, Yung Kang St. 永康街8 a abab 10. S 巷3號 No. 3, Lane 12, Yong Kang St. 永康街12 ) Store Trade (Fair 地球樹 Tree 11. Earth 之1 South Rd. 新生南路2段30巷35號 No.35-1, Lane 30, Section 2, Shi Shen ) Shop e Coffe Kang (Yung 永康階 12. The Green Steps 巷27號 No. 27, Lane 243, Jin Hua St. 金華街243 13. California Grill 號之1 No.53-1, Yong Kang St. 永康街53 January 2008 SOUP 5 14. Boite de Bijou 巷19號 No. 19, Lane 33, Li Shui St. 麗水街33

Rd.

Snacks

Feeling peckish?

A QUICK GUIDE TO CONVENIENT STORE SNACKS Junk food. Understanding the dangers and consquences of these colorfully wrapped substances is the key to not acquiring a new habit. So when the desire to indulge yourself on snacks from the local convenience store next strikes, arm yourself with this chart and munch away. A snack a day never hurt anyone.

1 2 3 4 5 6

SOUP January 2008

Pea Crackers

KE LE GUO No peas in here. But rather crunchy, garlicky and MSG-loaded twists. Pass on the Lays. These go well with a Subway Turkey Breast.

Lonely God

LANG WEI XIAN Despite the goofy name, a deliciously light, onion flavored potato crisp that does the melting in the mouth thing.

Flavored Rice Crackers

WANG WANG Soy sauce flavored rice crackers fried in veggie oil with a solid crunch. Inside the wasteful packaging is a delicious alternative to the bland rice-cake.

Shrimp Chips

XIA WEI XIAN As the name implies, these chips taste and smell like shrimp. Great for seafood lovers, hideous for those who get queasy at first whiff of anything fishy.

Sweetened Corn Chips

GUAI GUAI Not sure if this should be classified as a chip. Tastes rather like a breakfast cereal.

Works well in a bowl of low-fat milk.

Horse Bean

CAN DOU An all-time favorite. Deep-fried salted broad beans with garlic cloves. Excellent with Taiwan Beer. Word of caution: these beans cause severe wind.

MSG Buzz Strong Addiction Level

MSG Buzz Mild Addiction Level

MSG Buzz Mild Addiction Level

MSG Buzz Strong Addiction Level

MSG Buzz None Addiction Level

MSG Buzz Strong Addiction Level

7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Fried Cookies

JIAN BING A sweet, milky, peanut-buttery flavored cracker fried in palm oil. A bit dry but an absolute treat for peanut butter lovers.

Ball Cake

WANG ZAI XIAO MAN TOU They are what they are. Sweet balls. Apparently a snack for toddlers as they are easily digestible and obliterates completely at first bite.

Squid Chips

ZHEN YOU WEI Just like its big brother Shrimp Chips. This a fried, fishy-flavored chip with a surface contour closely resembling…well…squid.

Dried Fried Noodles

MUO FAN SHEN DIAN XIN BING Salty, deep fried noodles with a subtle smoky, bordering on burnt flavor. Tastes similar to that last bite of Canton style chow mein.

Original Green Peas

CUI GUO ZI Unlike Pea Crackers that do not taste anything like peas, these are the real deal.

Salty, sweet and deep-fried in palm oil. Boasts of peas imported from England.

Instant Noodles

KE XUE MIAN Instant noodles disguised as a mouth-watering snack. Or is it the other way around? If you are into MSG you will love this stuff. Comes with an additional sachet so you can sprinkle MSG seasoning onto the MSG based noodles.

Asian Sunflower Seeds

XIANG GUA ZI Salted, shelled sunflower seeds marinated in a potpourri of traditional Chinese spices. An interesting liquorice taste that takes some getting used to.

Fish Crackers

KONG QUE XIANG SU CUI Not just another fishy snack. A mix of sweet and salty spices and a touch of peanut flavoring. A bizarre combination that actuallyworks.

MSG Buzz None Addiction Level

MSG Buzz None Addiction Level

MSG Buzz Mild Addiction Level

MSG Buzz Mild Addiction Level

MSG Buzz Mild Addiction Level

MSG Buzz Severe Addiction Level

MSG Buzz None Addiction Level

MSG Buzz Mild Addiction Level

January 2008 SOUP 7

Fashion

Handmade Blogging BLOGGING AND ZAKKA nydialo.net

Nydia Lo is a graphic and web designer based in Taipei, Taiwan. Amongst many projects, Nydia produces a range of handmade procuts under her own label, Early Summer. Nydia’s work is nfluenced by the Japanese Zakka.

Nydia’s been blogging for a while now, so we decided to ask her a few questions about her Zakka, blog and what’s going on.

Tell us a little about yourself?

My job is about web designing. I like to make some handmade stuff (room shoes, bags...), take photographs and draw. Currently, drawing picture books and illustrations are my new challenges for this year.

Where do you find your inspirations for your designs?

Anytime and anywhere, especially when I walk alone. It’s easy to discover different things happening around. I like to read, but at the same time I am also afraid that my design will be similar to what I like or read. I don’t stuff all the information from books into my head but remain some room for creativity.

What’s the future of your blog?

I want it to reflect my life and I also want to share my works with people. I would be very happy if people see my blog and start to learn little things interesting happening around them.

Tell us 3 of your favorite websites/blogs:

When did you start blogging?

I’ve been starting it since 2005.

http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/mymilly-zakka2008 http://www.wretch.cc/blog/fionmama

Has blogging changed your life in any way?

I have some friends who are bloggers, too. We have the mutual interests in handmade stuff, art and photography.

http://www.wretch.cc/blog/sera019

We not only share these things online but also sharing some thoughts/ ideas in daily life. They make my life more interesting.

Has blogging changed the way you look your design?

I think it is inseparable among design, life and one’s personalities.

However, my blog is more individual, tends to daily life. It’s more like a sketch book which records the little thoughts risen from life. These ideas do inspire me with creating and organizing things.

How long do you spend each day blogging?

Averagely, one piece a week, but I don’t make it a rule. Usually I spend about 2-3 hours for one piece, including doing pictures and writing an article.

ZAKKA One of Nydia’s hand made bags.

8 SOUP January 2008

www.nydialo.net Nydialo.net is a wondeful mixture of found objects, put together in Nydia’s own world.

WHAT IS ZAKKA? Zakka (from the Japanese ‘zak-ka’| （雑貨）or ‘many things’) is a fashion and design phenomenon that has spread from Japan throughout Asia. The term refers to everything and anything that improves your home, life and outlook.

Early Summer Nydia’s products range from cool ipod sleeves to children’s clothes

Illustrator Nydia is also a fantastci illustrator, showcasing some hand crafted work, displaying her mixed styles of fantasy and hand made.

January 2008 SOUP 9

AVISUAL TA K E O N TA I WA N Genie Chen is an avid photographer and consumer of fine food. Genie is always snapping pics around Taiwan. He is currently the print manager is a successful design firm. Genie loves to eat, and loves take pictures.

Chang Hwa Lu Kang Four dragons crunch the four corners of the censer, for the symbol of the peace world!

10

Nan King E. Road, Taipei On-going construction for the better future!

11

Tamshui Fisherman Wharf Shading lights over the Lovers’ Bridge shows bonding love between the immortals and the mortals.

12

Yi Lan Even the worn-out roof can’t take away the magnificent moments of the over-fifty-year-old home.

13

Decon

Cover Story

structing Jonny AN INDUSTRIAL ENGINEER FROM THE LEAFIEST PLACE IN THE WORLD CAMBRIDGE, LONDON. JONATHAN BIDDLE HAS SPENT FOUR YEARS EMBEDDED IN TAIWAN. HE SPEAKS OPENLY ABOUT HIS TOUR OF DUTY HERE OVER A PINT OUTSIDE A CAFÉ NEAR HIS SUPER DOWNTOWN APARTMENT IN TAIPEI.

WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO RELOCATE TO A DIFFERENT COUNTRY? I graduated from my master’s course and in that year I had made the decision to travel. I had always had a faint fascination with Asia. Even though I had never been here. I always had a fascination with Japan and China. These kind of exotic places you look at when you’re back home. When I graduated as an industrial designer I wanted to pick something fresh, new and changing. That meant sustainable design or a move to Asia. Fifteen years ago I’d move to California Silicon Valley. But right now for my style of design it’s got to be Asia and Taiwan is one of the hubs. I also wanted to learn Chinese. Which is slowly getting there. And basically have a full paid adventure. Paid to go backpacking. I had always wanted to go live abroad.

DID YOU ENCOUNTER ANY PROBLEMS SETTLING INTO A NEW COUNTRY? Nothing at all. I was lucky I got a job with one of Taiwan’s biggest and most important companies. It was frustrating to work with our HR but I had no problems. Getting a scooter license was hilarious and I got that a few months after I bought a scooter. Finding a house was stressful. I had some help from some friends. Real expats have their people looking for them. The first place I looked was a pokey hole-the-wall. It was horrible. That was difficult. I gave myself two weeks to walk around north Taipei. The first character I learnt was zhu fangzi. It was the only character I could recognize. I walked around with a digital camera and at the end of each day I’d give my colleague my camera and he’d call the numbers. I was looking on Forumosa as well but in the first two weeks in Taiwan I got hundreds of photos of ‘to rent’ signs. Which I had always wanted to print out.

THAT WOULD BE A FANTASTIC EXHIBITION. Yeah. All in a grid. Rent rent rent rent rent rent rent….and a few of them for sale because I didn’t really recognize the characters or renting bicycles or renting other things.

HOW DID YOU FIND WORKING IN A TAIWANESE COMPANY? I was at ASUS for 16 months in a notebook computer team of 45 Taiwanese guys. I had a lot of experience for my age so I knew about working environments and I was pretty open minded to what a new working environment might be like. And actually at the end of the day offices are still offices, design departments are still design departments. It’s just the language that’s a bit different. Some of the culture is a bit different. There wasn’t anything too culture shockey about the ASUS design department.

And the real phone is the [CELLGI HOTLINE PHONE]

January 2008 SOUP 15

[At the end of the day offices are still offices, design departments are still design departments.

It’s just the language that’s a bit different.]

WHAT WAS ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING PROJECTS AT ASUS? As well as doing the daily bread and butter stuff. They have bonus projects. ASUS spends a lot of time looking at what the future of technology might be. So we were looking five years in the future at what a children’s cell phone might be and what the huge booming aging population and what they might need in the future.

16

LIKE THE CELL PHONE WITH OVER SIZED BUTTONS AND LARGE SCREEN FOR THE OLDER GENERATION. I think that its fantastic but one thing I have to say is that Mick Jagger is how old? 65 years old?

He is an old guy. Also my dad has been using computers for 20 years.

If I gave him a cell phone with a big yes or a big no that looks like a medical device they’re not going to accept that. They are as tech savvy as you or me. Our ideas of old people are not quite the same as the post war generation age. Giving them a medical device, they’re not going to appreciate that too much. Equally with kids if you give them a Fischer Price yellow and orange thing. Kids are just as discerning as anyone else. If you give them an iPhone or Motorola Razor they know which one they want. So making assumptions about people is tricky sometimes.

AND AFTER ASUS? I joined Chiang Kai Shek’s great grandson’s company DEM in 2005. It was an amazing experience of really seeing the beating heart of how to sell product in Taiwan. It’s very different to the west. You have to engage people’s hearts and tie it into the hype and the celebrity. You have to cause a commotion. If you simply sell a good product, you need more than that. You need an angle. You need an edge. That’s what DEM does.

SOME PEOPLE MAY RECOGNIZE YOU AS THE GUY PLASTERED ON THE SIDE OF BUSES. Yes. Thanks. I was promoting one of my cell phone designs. This is for the very famous high-end brand Mashimaro, which is a Korean rabbit cartoon. It was basically cell phone for teenage girls. Simple, plastic, and they were very much in with the idea of promoting that the design was made by the DEM team, Ching Guo’s team with a western guy. Which is sometimes a phenomenon in Taiwan with some people. DEM is like a hype machine. It does a very good job at that. As part of that they like to hype up their designers and I was their lead designer.

HOW DOES THAT COMPARE TO PROMOTING PRODUCTS IN THE WEST? I can compare it to Dell. When we work in China or India they can be very different in terms of how you go about selling something. Maybe in China you need to align yourself with a good celebrity. Do a lot of PR. Get some face time with the customers. I think in the west my impression is you do your research, talk to some of your friends, read the magazine review and check the Internet. The decision process is a little different. Here it’s more of a peer review and a lot more status involved in product sales. And hype. People want to be excited and entertained by a product launch. So bouncing girls at Computex just wouldn’t work in the UK. A lot of companies come to Taiwan and think they can sell using their old models and they simply won’t work.

AND THEN FROM DEM YOU MOVED TO… Another short DE word. Dell.

They just opened up a completely fresh design office in Taiwan. I am leading the small to medium business computer design department.

It’s a completely fresh design team. It’s very exciting. It’s not often a big blue chip fortune 500 company opens a completely new design team with a new set of people that have never worked at Dell before.

I REMEMBER YOU WERE ON T.V AND INVOLVED IN SOME WEDDING RING FIASCO. Yeah that was another DEM deal. Living in Taiwan generates stories. And this is one of those stories. My boss, Chiang Yu Bou, the great grandson of Chiang Kai Shek was on a game show.

Peach, quite a famous t.v show here. Somehow he lost a bet and the bet was to design a wedding ring. And the obvious person to approach to design the wedding ring was British design engineer with zero jeweler experience. So we built this up in software that is usually made for building automobile parts and computers. Its called Pro Engineer. The concept we came up with was basically to get an enormous diamond. Cut it in half and give each half to each ring. This caused a complete stink because half the girls in the office thought it was the most romantic thing they had ever heard and the other half thought what are you doing you crazy English. And we hit the nail on the head. I was on three news channels in one night. Newspapers across the region and interviewed on the show. That’s the kind of

thing that happens when you come to a fresh environment. I would never have the chance to design Oprah Winfrey’s wedding ring. It was a complete wild ride.

HOW MUCH TIME WERE YOU GIVEN TO COME UP WITH THE DESIGN? It’s Taiwan. It was reasonable. Probably in the realm of a week or two.

We had to show them the concept and get the ring made. Only Hong Kong had the facility to cut a diamond that big in half. No pressure. I even went to the wedding. We also designed the cake for them.

WITH PRO ENGINEER? Actually don’t joke. Yes. Sadly, under the studio lights it melted. Which was bit of a heart sinking moment. All the icing on top of the cake slowly started melting just as they were approaching the part where they wanted to cut the cake. It was an excruciating moment for design. I can now have wedding cake design in my portfolio.

HOW DO YOU SEE THE DEVELOPMENT OF TAIWANESE DESIGN? With each month that goes by there is an increased profile of Taiwanese design and is going through an interesting development. When I first arrived it was very difficult to find cool modern Taiwanese things just for Christmas presents whatever but now there is so much stuff. There is a real pride in what being Taiwanese might mean. And it’s not like it’s in conclusion yet. That’s been one of the nice things to be involved in. At the end of the day Japan has an identity, Britain has an identity, and Italy has an identity. For right or wrong, good or bad there is strong identity for each country. One of the tough things for Taiwan designers is to separate identity from politics. You have all these talented designers wanting to express themselves in a Taiwanese way but if they do that it’s only half a step before it becomes political.

So that has been a fascinating development just in these last four years. That’s one of the big things that’s going on is that it’s defining what Taiwan design is. It seems like the last people to know what Taiwanese identity is are the Taiwanese themselves. They have these fantastic building blocks of a few different elements of Chinese culture,

[Half the girls in the office thought it was the most romantic thing they had ever heard and the other half thought...]

January 2008 SOUP 17

[Sure designed in California but enabled by Taiwan. Without Taiwan there would be no iPhone.]

Japan, south pacific, inch of America, tiny dash of Europe. Shake it all up in the centre of Asia equidistant around Japan and Singapore. It’s a fascinating development to see the Taiwanese identity develop and hopefully not necessarily played into politics.

HAS TAIWAN’S IDENTITY GROWN BY ITSELF OR HAS IT BEEN HELPED ALONG THE WAY? At the moment one of the problems it has and same with the media is that’s it very inward looking. So Taiwanese designers will rate themselves. If you look at graphics design and industrial design you can see things referencing each other. Then a new mega product will come in like the ipod and it will reference that and then they will reference each other again.

SO THE TALENT IS THERE? Yes. If you look at the iPhone it’s got designed in California. But that is the cumulative result of, sure it’s the great minds of America but that’s like 1000 vendors in Taiwan over 25 years contributing microscopic systematic improvements to all those components that create that amazing form factor. Sure designed in California but enabled by Taiwan. Without Taiwan there would be no iPhone. If you want to create a world-class product in quite a lot of industries you don’t go to Germany or Japan unless you want to bankrupt yourself. You come to Taiwan.

Bicycles, electronics, communication equipment, digital medical equipment, even yachts, Taiwan is a world leader in medium sized yachts. But the problem they have is sticking their own name on their stuff that gets shipped off. In any industry, if you’re a designer you know that Taiwan is going to be a world center. You have to come here to make stuff. If you are serious about starting a technology business, hardware you will be engaged with Taiwan.

HOW LONG DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN TAIWAN? I think you ask this question of any foreigner and they’ll give you this kind of you can’t live in Taiwan but you can’t live without. I love Taiwan and I love the Taiwanese and I love living here but also it’s infuriating because some days you hate it as well. Maybe that’s the same in any culture. It’s the same in London. All the complaints my friends have in London I basically have the same here. It’s raining. It’s Tuesday morning. I have a deadline. I didn’t have enough sleep last night. That’s pretty universal.

A lot of the issues I have here are the same as back home but the key thing is back I have the support structure around me. I don’t mean friends and family necessarily. I mean I can go buy myself a Mars Bar and watch Eastenders. Maybe get a cheeky wink from the bus driver.

It’s society around you looking after you. Living in Taiwan you don’t have that. You can’t have some banter with a bus driver. I think the highs are very high here. I never experienced highs like in Taiwan but also my lows are low. It’s a very extreme existence.

18 SOUP January 2008

HAVE YOUR FAMILY COME TO VISIT? Yes, my parents have been twice and my sister has been twice. They loved it. In fact I don’t think I’ve heard of any one coming to Taiwan and not loving it. The easiest thing to forget when you arrive here is that it’s such a blast. Even getting on the bus is amazing. Even walking along the street is amazing. Looking at all the Chinese characters. Everything is interesting. After you have lived here for a while you forget that everything is amazing. I think even if you were sitting right here it would be quite interesting listening to the chitterchatter of Chinese. When I first went to Hong Kong and Japan this would be enough for me. I’d be happily drinking my beer. But I do agree, not from a lack of effort, there are zero street ways for attracting people to Taiwan. This “let’s be friends” campaign. I don’t know. That’s not the type of traveler that comes here. Who do you want to attract with that? Cub scouts? The guys that are going to come here are here for Computex and business events. You need to encourage them to get out into the hills.

[WEDDING RING] [INTEL BONIN]

[CELLGI HOTLINE PHONE] [GIANT CLIP]

PEOPLE SAY THAT TAIWAN IS NOT VERY TOURIST FRIENDLY. DO YOU AGREE? There isn’t much tourist infrastructure but you arrive at the airport some Taiwanese person will help you get on the bus. You will get to Taipei. The MRT is easy. Trains may be a little more difficult but if you have an ounce of entrepreneurship you can get around Taipei super easy. If you want a package holiday go to Thailand. [•] WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SOUP? Broccoli and Stilton. My mom makes it at home. Loads of pepper.

Check out:

http://www.heresjonny.com

[INTEL SCROLL]

[PENCILS FOR GAMBLING / KOKUYO DESIGN AWARD 2007]

red shutters [COPENHAGEN

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DONT THINK

JUST SHOOT A SHORT INTRODUCTION TO THE WORLD OF LOMOGRAPHY Words & Photographs by Ghostkamera

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[Don’t worry about the rules]

last mtr home [HONG KONG]

In 1991 a group of Austrian students discovered the Lomo LC-A. As the company states, they were “charmed by the unique, colourful, and sometimes blurry” images that the camera produced.

Originally manufactured in St Petersburg they managed to secure the rights to sell the Lomo outside of Russia. What started as a mild obsession quickly turned into a worldwide phenomenon.

Within a few years an empire of Lomographers had arisen the world over, addicted to the unpredictability and user-friendly functions of the LC-A. Even professional photographers would keep a Lomo in their pockets as a back-up to add a little sparkle to the mundane and ordinary.

What attracted me to the camera at first was the amazing colours and range of moods that it managed to capture. It was unlike any other camera I had used before, creating magic-like atmospheres in the most basic settings. The unpredictable nature of the camera works both for and against it, but it means that you truly don’t know how the shots will turn out until you develop them. Very often the one’s you thought would turn out worst end up being your favorites and vice versa.

The Lomographic Society has come out with the “Ten Rules to Lomo”, a number of which I follow and the rest discard.

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end of a musical [MONG KOK HONG KONG]

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Train station [AMRITSAR INDIA]

OFFSHOOTS Due to the phenomenal success of the LC-A, the Lomo Society began manufacturing or licensing other models for their roster. These included the “plastic fantastic” cameras: the Holga (a medium format camera made entirely out of plastic), the supersamplers, the fisheye, and more recently even the Diana. These cameras have become incredibly popular among the younger demographic with their sparkly colours and kistch appeal.

Sadly the Lomo Factory in St. Petersburg stopped making the LC-A camera a couple of years ago. Recently a Chinese version called the LC-A+ was unleashed on the rabid public, but it didn’t live up to the perfection of the original. That left people scouring internet sites such as Craigslist or Ebay for cheap deals on second hand or new Lomo’s from places such as Russia and other Eastern European Counties.

MY LOMO LIFE I was one of the lucky few. I happened to be travelling in Pakistan back in 1997 and went to a small camera market in the middle of Karachi. After spending almost one hour walking through stall after stall asking for the Lomo finally one man lit up and announced that his friend had one further down the road. I literally ran after him through the crowded hallways filled with fake Rollei’s and broken Polaroids. We arrived at his friend’s stall and immediately he took out a brand new, old Russian LC-A. I managed to bargain with him and ended up paying 15 US Dollars.

Since that day I have been documenting my life through pictures. I always have my Lomo with me, everywhere I go, at the ready. I have taken it to over 40 countries and in return it has immortalised those places in colours unspeakable. I look back at those temples and cities with a slightly unrealistic memory, because as I said before, the Lomo takes the mundane and adds a little sparkle. It takes photos of the world, as it should be, not as it is. [•]

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The 10 rules of lomography 1. Take your LOMO everywhere you go & whenever you go.

2. Use it anytime — day or night.

3. Lomography is not an interference in your life, but a part of it.

4. Shoot from the hip.

5. Approach the objects of your lomographic desire as close as possible.

6. Don’t think.

7. Be fast.

8. You don’t have to know beforehand what you’ve captured on film.

9. You don’t have to know afterwards, either.

10. Don’t worry about the rules.

The blurs [BANGKOK]

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FO EDI

GNOK

26 SOUP January 2008 tai wan [HONG KONG]

Travel Abroad

IS REHTO EHT

GNOH

THE OTHER SIDE OF

HONG KONG AN INSIDERS GUIDE TO ENJOYING HONG KONG. Words & Photographs by Ghostkamera

Deep in the decaying, peeling backstreets of Kowloon lies the (in)famous Temple Street Market. A long street crammed with stalls bursting forth with products hanging on ropes and laid out on tables. Steam rises from the street-side restaurants where seafood and noodles are served on plates to the customers sat on plastic tables by the pavement. The buzz in the air is infectious. The smells invoking. Silence and quiet are two qualities not usually associated with this part of town, however, if those feet are aching and the tongue is parched then there is a spot which can act as a soothing tonic to those street-torn ears.

Mido café sits on a corner affording views of the small park outside where old Chinese men sit and gamble, smoking cheap cigarettes. The façade speaks of years gone by where the smog and smoke of Hong Kong has slowly decreased the splendour of colours painted in times past. The park over the road is sheltered by many trees and is popular for the elderly and those passing from Tsim Sha Tsui onto the other side of Temple Street Market.

Menus [TEMPLE ST HONG KONG]

I visited this café on my second visit to Hong Kong. A local friend of mine took me here due to my immense love of Wong Kar Wai (the café could almost have been taken out of a 2046 scene). As you enter the mezzanine floor it seems like a typical Hong Kong café with the sturdy tables and scent of tea in the air. However, upstairs is where the café meets the outside world with the entire wall consisting of iron windows open to the sights on the street. The tiling on the walls up to the first floor is a photographers dream. One could almost imagine how many bands would have posed in front of the wall if they allowed photography inside. The narrow staircase takes you up to the spread out seating area with both sides of the building lined with windows. The booths are spread out along the window-filled walls, the panels painted dark green, and just outside you can see the trees

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THE OTHER SIDE OF

HONG KONG

[As authentic as you will get in this part of the world, and a price to suit even a hostel shaped budget.] bending down to where the cars pass ever so gently. Hordes of tourists pass by with spectacled wonder at the goods on offer, furiously converting HK Dollars to US, British Pounds, Yen. The humid air hangs low on the pavement making an almost dense fog to weave through in the low light of dusk. The sound of sirens passing around the corner emanate as the Hong Kong Police hurtle off to solve disputes between neighbours or locate a missing cat.

I sit in the window, watching the world pass underneath, the majority of people painlessly unaware that a crowd of revellers are watching their every move from the safety of windows.

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When the tea cup lays empty and the cheque has been paid its down the staircase and onto the streets once again. My usual route is to walk up to Nathan Road, past the park, mirador mansions, and down to the newly digitalised exterior of Chungking Mansions. The ghost of Kowloon. The crumbing, decrepid, haunted palace where drug deals and backpackers hustle in the cramped elevators and leaking hallways.

However, my journey is not to the heightened violence upstairs, but to the ground floor where a multitude of Indian restaurants battle for custom amongst shops catering to people’s hankerings for wigs, Chinese bags or mobile phones. Amongst the chaotic spread of booths and take-away windows lies a truly remarkable restaurant.

As authentic as you will get in this part of the world, and a price to suit even a hostel shaped budget. Even more remarkable is that it has survived years of custom sporting its fantastic name high above the curries.

Welcome to Butt Fast Food.

Salman Butt stands. Trousers tucked into and around his protruding stomach.

Moustache finely oiled. Hair receding but perfectly combed. He stands monitoring the 4 other employees who frantically spoon ladles of gorgeous dhal and chicken karahi onto bowls that disappear for a moment into a microwave only to re-appear steaming and fit for consumption. The roti’s piled high. Fresh

parota’s made to order. Rice and raita ready for the plate. Outside a couple of tables placed along the hallways where diners eat with the passing crowd as company. Long tables filled with Pakistanis, Indians, Bangladeshi’s and the odd backpacker who finds his way down this hidden corner. Everyone licking their lips in anticipation, and completion.

I have eaten here over 50 times. It has never disappointed me. I even wrote a feature article about it in a Hong Kong newspaper once (though received no free curries since I wasn’t living in Hong Kong at the time). I have nothing to recommend except all of it. The food is as authentic as I have tasted outside of Pakistan and India and at 40HKD for a meal its hardly going to set you back. The shop opposite sells cold beers by the can, which you can conveniently bring over and enjoy in the plethora of tastes and sensations.

If the weather is calming and the smog is not too thick, then my advice is to grab a bag of samosas, lots of mint sauce, and head down to the pier to sit and watch Hong Kong Island come to life at night with a little bag of Pakistan settled beside you and a cold beer from 7-11 in your hand! As the lights of Hong Kong Island transform the skyline to a glittering waltz you can sit there, numb with joy, tucking into your paper bag. Now that’s perfection. [•]

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Drinks

after hours Best enjoyed at your favorite bar however these classic drinks are simple enough to concoct right in your own kitchen.

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Drinks

Sour Peach 60 ml vodka 1 fresh peach a dash of sugar syrup Muddle peach into a shaker and crush.

Add ice and vodka.

Shake ingredients over ice and strain into a chilled martini glass.

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Drinks

Metropolitan 60 ml berry flavored vodka 30 ml triple sec 30 ml cranberry juice 30 ml lemon juice Shake ingredients over ice and strain into a chilled martini glass.

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Drinks

Margarita 60 ml gold tequila 30 ml triple sec 30 ml lemon juice 30 ml sugar syrup Shake ingredients over ice and pour into a chilled cocktail glass rimmed with salt.

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Woolloomooloo All restaurants need a personality and at Woolloomooloo this comes in the t-shirted, jeaned and sneakered form of owner Jimmy Wang complete with slight comic tone.

Chatty and upbeat Jimmy defies the stereotypes associated with doing business in Taiwan. Even just after the first encounter one is left with the feeling that he is more than just the guy who made your latte.

Jimmy left Taiwan at the age of ten and spent the next 20 years of his life in Melbourne.

He studied architecture at the University of Melbourne then trained as a barista in Woolloomooloo. Woolloomooloo is a suburb of Sydney, and apart from having a name that is more fun to say than to spell, is known for its industrial port, Finger Wharf. According

to Jimmy this is where coffee first arrived in Australia. Admired for its rough character, Woolloomooloo underwent a period of urban renewal and is now home to a famous Australian actor and boutique hotels. Jimmy and his wife Evon returned home to Taiwan and opened a restaurant and affectionately named it Woolloomooloo. And the reason?

Community service. They love people. They love handing out coffee. And they need to pay off gambling debts. Woolloomooloo’s doors open daily from mid-morning and stay open until people disappear.

Food

Jimmy is a talented man. Architect, chef and café owner, Wolloomooloo shows all his talents comined.

[They love people.

They love handing out coffee. And they need to pay off gambling debts.

Woolloomooloo’s doors open daily from mid-morning and stay open until people disappear.]

Nestled in the tree-lined Fujin Street of Taipei, the restaurant is purposefully open plan.

The large square table that greets customers can comfortably seat a party of nine. The veranda doors and windows swing open to circulate a calm breeze, also offering that connection to the stillness of Fujin Street.

Quiet conversation and background kitchen noise are cushioned with the sound of Triple R, an Australian radio station. The naturally wifi-ed restaurant has been designed to let customers hang out. Jimmy wanted it that way. One step into Woolloomooloo and you feel that you should stay a long time. “No one

is ever disturbed here…which means minimal service.” Jimmy adds cheekily. He suggests that you bring a book. For those who arrive book-less there is the air freighted Financial Times keep you preoccupied as you sip on one of Jimmy’s coffees grrrred and shhhed from beans direct from Woolloomooloo in Sydney. The hearty selection of wine boasts many Australian favorites from Wira Wira, Brown Brothers and Jacobs Creek. The beer and cider are also notably Australian –Victoria Bitter and Strongbow. When quizzed about the menu Jimmy is proud to say that he doesn’t skimp on yummy ingredients. His suppliers are the same ones that also provide for the high caliber five star hotels around the city. If you have ever wondered how the eggs of ginseng-fed chickens taste then order from the brunch menu. Woolloomooloo buys the most expensive eggs available.

Woolloomooloo also offers a dinner menu that includes fresh pasta dishes, big pizzas and bread that is made on site. Jimmy says the cheesecake, tiramisu and fruit tart are simply amazing and usually when someone

blows their own trumpet it is met with an air of suspicion but in Jimmy’s case it is difficult not to believe. The didgeridoo that sits in the corner of the restaurant, a gift from a Canadian customer suggests that Jimmy does more than just churn out coffees.

Jimmy’s Breakfast You will need one egg yolk, one teaspoon of lemon juice and five tablespoons of melted butter. Beat the egg yolk well. Add the lemon juice. Whisk again. Slowly add the melted butter while stirring the mixture over a low even heat. A pot of simmering water will do fine. After the sauce becomes creamy it can be seasoned to taste. Now add two strips of bacon and a lightly toasted muffin.

Check out: Woolloomooloo 95 Fu Jin Street, Taipei, Tel: 2546-8318

Café

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Rear Window AN INSIDE LOOK OF WHERE WE LIVE

Nelson Bilodeau is from St-Anselme, a very small village in Quebec.

So small that it does not have its own hospital. Nelson had to be born in the neighboring village of Levis. He has been in Taiwan for five years working in a major design consultancy. The wall-art was painted by Nelson himself. It changes every few months whenever he gets inspired or has a few too many red wines.

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A completely customized bicycle. A bicycle with all parts built to my own specifications.

Meet my dream

Words by Whit Hood-Lewis, Photographs by Genie Chen

Know nothing about bikes?

This one’s got all the good gear.

Meet Isabella. My dream come true. For two years, I worked as a bicycle courier and pedi-driver in the streets of Seattle. While in school, I never had the money to build the bike that I had always wanted. But when I established myself in Taiwan, my dream became a reality.

It all began in a skate shop in Ximen Ding. As I walked through the door I noticed a single speed bike sitting out front. It was black with red wheels. Very hot. As I browsed through the store I mentioned to the clerk that I liked the black bike outside. He said that it was his. I asked him where could I get one similar. He handed me the business card of a bike shop in Sanchong and wrote his number on the back. A few days later I made my way to the shop. It was down an obscure alley on the ground floor of an old building. Hallelujah played through my mind when I laid eyes on several very nice bicycles parked in front of the shop window that displayed even more bicycle frames and parts. I bypassed the strange looks shot at me

40 SOUP January 2008

from the local riders that were hanging around and showed the business card to a woman. I was told that he would arrive shortly. Ten seconds later my clerk came rushing in, looked at me and said that he had to go to the factory and I could wait. Sure no problem. I had no other plans for that evening and I did notice a comfortable couch facing a big LCD screen.

After 45 minutes of watching local BMX riders tear up some flatland, my clerk returned. And with him were two beautiful track frames still hot from the paint curing process. One was white and the other was black.

The owner watched me admire the frames and asked if this was what I was looking for. He was correct. And for the next hour we poured over catalogues picking out the parts that would soon become the bike of my dreams. The last decision to make was the frame color. I knew in my mind the color I wanted, but I wondered how that would be realized.

My fears were quenched when I was presented with a 130 page color book. Eighty four pages in I found the color combination I had always

Two Wheels

Who is Isabella?

The bike facts and numbers need to go in here.

wanted. Electric blue and anodized gold. We calculated the price and he told me it would take two weeks. Being a part of Isabella’s creation was important to me so I asked I could build the bike myself. He replied that there is no charge for building bikes. I still wanted to help. I left the shop with a deposit and began the two week wait. During that time Isabella never veered far from my thoughts. Waiting for something as important as this is never fun. On the due day I phoned my clerk and was told that the parts would be delayed by four days. Four days passed by excruciatingly slow and I had to wait until 8 o’clock before I could see my bike. One MRT to Ximen and a taxi to Sanchong later, I was finally back at the shop. I looked at my watch, eight o’clock exactly. The stork had arrived. My heart leaped when I saw the glimmer of the electric blue frame. It was perfect. I was a little disappointed though as one of the wheels was still in the process of being built. I knew this is the most difficult and the most tedious part of bike building so I was more

than forgiving. A few hours later, Isabella was finished. I said my thanks and goodbyes and embarked on the long ride home to central Taipei.

An excellent maiden voyage. Jump forward to now; I have never been more content. Riding fixed and fast through Taipei traffic is just as exhilarating as I ever imagined. My dream has come true.

Nice Ride!

Are you lusting for your own wheels?

Favor Bikes: Huan He Sth. Rd, lane 254, No. 57, Sanchong, Taipei.

Tel: 2973-1915

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my custom made bike

CHALKING IT UP What’s your favorite toy?

TECHNOLOGY PLAYS A BIG ROLE IN OUR LIVES. IN OUR CHALKBOARD SURVEY WE TOOK TO THE STREETS AND ASKED A FEW LOCALS WHAT TOY THEY COULD NOT LIVE WITHOUT.

[NAME] Whit Hood-Lewis [OCC] Teacher [TOY] Custom made bike Whit Hood-Lewis from Seattle speeds through traffic at 30 kilometers per hour. He dashes in and out of lanes, dances between cars, scooters and buses with only two inches on either side. He runs red lights while smiling at cops.

All the while listening to Bad Habit by the Offspring. He is at peace.

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apple ipod

[NAME] Sanchia Kumalija [OCC] Diplomat [TOY] Apple iPod Sanchia Kumalija from New Zealand was studying Chinese as part of her diplomatic requirement for the government. Current whereabouts unknown. She loves all kiwi music and has a soft spot for Jill Scott and Erykah Badu.

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commuter bike

[NAME] Victor Xavier [OCC] Designer [TOY] Commuter bike Victor Xavier from Toronto is an obsessive person. When he gets into something he really gets into it. Currently he is into designing brand user experiences and spending time with his girlfriend. His favorite toy is his super cheap, slick looking, street-riding bike. If he were not designing, he would be a bike courier.

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Nokia Phone

[NAME] Matt Reagan [OCC] Designer [TOY] NOKIA PHONE Matt Regan needs new clothes. If you know of anyone who has a spare wardrobe, please let him know. Besides the obvious, Matt divides his time between work and his true passion; Exploring the great Island Formosa.

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Floating mode 2008, 145.5*112 cm, oil painting on canvas.

This image is about a man floating in the water, sink or swim. By listening to the inner voice, to realize what exactly we want, instead of being controlled by external factors. It looks poetic and beautiful though=P

LOCAL ART

Local Art: Wan Ju, Liu Local, young fresh images. A local artist shows taipei how it’s done.

Wan Ju, Liu is currently undertaking a Bachelor of Fine Arts at Taipei Municipal University of Education. She is doing a double major in visual arts and Chinese literature. She has won awards in oil painting and video art and has contributed to annual international exhibitions and workshops for art academies. The most recent was the 2008 Taipei Drift organized by TMUE. For a taste of her video work check out youtube: “may you 15 years old forever” 1. Independent Mechanism 2007, 116.5*97 cm, oil painting on canvas.

Female always scanned by the society. She’s lying down the tub, nudity, deems herself a marvelous view, showing everyone her beautiful body; people may say it is valuable.

We are under such big system; the image of woman is to ingratiate man in the end.

EXHIBITIONS 2008 “Taipei Drift” International workshop for art academies.

2007 TMUE, Taipei Awards in oil painting /video arts, exhibition held by Department of visual arts, TMUE, Taipei.

2007 Group exhibition Who’s dancing on my grave?

2. This is how it goes 2008, 116.5*91 cm, oil painting on canvas.

After entering the community, we’ve learned how to pretend. We’ve been taught how to play this game, to pander mass, to survive.

3. Pure Land 2008, 130*97 cm, oil painting on canvas.

Last year, my dad lost his treasury Jeep; meanwhile, I lost his photos of traveling in Xinjiang. To make this up, I did this piece.

And it comes out a huge loneliness, giving expression to my art career.

1. Independent Mechanism

4. French electricity magic story 2008, 91*72.5 cm, oil painting on canvas.

There is a peephole in the center of the whirlpool; it’s a symbol of any relationship among human, keep distance to step closer.

What a sly game.

2. This is How it Goes

3. Pure Land

4. French Electricity Magic Story

5. The Power of Will to Stay Suspended

5. The power of will to stay suspended 2009, 116.5*91 cm, oil painting on canvas.

This is my favorite; the color is so different from what I usually do before.

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Review: Books

Understanding Comics (1993): A 215-page comic book about comics that explains the inner workings of the medium and examines many aspects of visual communication.

It does not require that much effort to turn a hobby into a passion. And similarly having that passion cross over to become an obsession is not that more of a stretch. Comics attract an assortment of people.

At the hobby end there are those who have kept a few from their childhood and occasionally buy the ones that have made movie status. Then at the obsessive end, there are those who have a sizeable collection sealed in plastic envelopes and stashed away in a mountain of boxes. The pendulum swing between these two ends are not that far apart. Casual comic book use could easily be the doorway that opens to the gradual decline and sudden drop into the pool of obsession -where one becomes a geek.

[Casual comic book use could easily be the doorway that opens to the gradual decline and sudden drop into the pool of obsession]

A snapshot of the comic. Scott McCloud’s understanding and mastery of the written and drawn medium is truly amazing. All images ©Scott McCloud. (We borrowed them to show you.)

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But being a geek does not have the same connotations as it used to have. Gone are the days of depicting avid comic collectors as the Simpson’s Comic Book Guy who runs the Android’s Dungeon & Baseball Cards. He is drawn as an overweight, nerdish middle-aged guy who is receding but insists on having a ponytail. This stereotype is fading. And now that many graphic novels are exposed to film and have made it to the mainstream arena, the number of enthusiasts has grown. The annual comic book fan convention in San Diego lasts four days but attracts 80,000 people. And they all look more or less normal.

So having a comic book collection does not automatically equate to being a geek unless… you pick up a copy of Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art. This a comic book about comics. It is essentially a technical guide about the inner workings of a comic book drawn completely in the format it analyzes. A novel idea as it cleverly incorporates the cartoon figure of McCloud himself as the instructor slash model slash example. If you could transform one of your college lectures in to a comic book where McCloud is standing at the front of the lecture theater talking about comics then Understanding Comics would be it. When McCloud explains the techniques associated with color, the black and white pages become colored for that topic. Similarly when McCloud discusses shading, lines and icons, he empties out all the tools of the trade onto the page to help illustrate the subject. At a hefty 215 pages, this is surely a textbook for comic book geeks. And given that a host of fellow comic book artists applaud his technical brilliance on the back cover, it must be worth acquiring. One surely cannot be a geek without it. And what kind of geeks would we be if we did not try to imitate this in the review?

Review: Film

Dolls

Eureka

[The camera work is meticulous, poetic, breath-taking.

The acting, sublime.

The imagery sets it apart from anything Beat Takeshi has attempted before.]

[anyone with a bit of patience and a few hours of concentration will be hugely rewarded.]

There was a look of bemusement across people’s faces when David Lynch released The Straight Story back in 1999. It was a huge detour from the tried and tested route of macabre violence and unsettling atmospheres. However, in the complete absence of darkness or overt sexuality there rested a softer side to Lynch’s expression that he allowed us to discover. Much the same could be said about Dolls. A vast detour from the likes of Violent Cop or Sonatine, both films that bristle with extreme violence shown sometimes in slow motion for added effect.

Dolls is in practice three short films. The thread that holds them all together is the inability to truly capture love. From a couple unable to go through with their wedding, who end up wandering endlessly tied together with a red rope, to a retired Yakuza boss returning to the park in which he courted his first love, and a star struck fan trying to reach his favourite pop star after she suffered a horrific disfigurement.

The camera work is meticulous, poetic, breath-taking. The acting, sublime. The imagery sets it apart from anything Beat Takeshi has attempted before.

Images of leaves floating on the folds of a river, deep snow trodden in despair, A rose garden startles the senses, almost making you smell the spring blossoms. Takeshi’s attention to detail and casting of actors makes this a film that will stand the test of time. Already six years old, it seems as fresh today as it did in its conception.

Check out:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolls_(film)

Clocking in at just over 210 minutes makes this a mammoth task by anyone’s reckoning. However, being at my friend’s house in London with an empty room and a huge thunderstorm outside the conditions were perfect.

From the opening scene to the last second of this film it takes you on an incredible journey. The film is slow, dialogue is limited, the story takes time to unfold and draw you in, but anyone with a bit of patience and a few hours of concentration will be hugely rewarded.

The underlying current of the film is loss. More specifically, how people cope with the effects of trauma. Within the first few minutes we are introduced to the three main characters, all riding a bus in rural Japan. Moments later their lives are changed forever as a man hijacks the bus and takes everyone hostage.

Reeling from the events witnessed the rest of the film follows the three as they attempt to come to terms with what has happened. The film is meticulously slow, emphasizing silence and pauses to show the passage of time and the true extent of the suffering. The acting is sublime, the camera work magnificent.

Most of the acting is done in silence, through hand signals and facial expressions. This just further illustrates the immense trauma and effect the hijacking had on the victims. The (almost) four hours pass by like an experience you yourself are coming to terms with. Filming at such a slow pace draws the viewer in and almost makes him part of the film. This spellbinding effect manages to ward off any boredom you might fear from the outset.

A daring, brilliantly executed film with enough twists in its relatively straightforward storyline to confuse even an ardent film fan. From the bus hijacking, to a murder investigation and a road trip to the ocean this film stretches far beyond the normal confines of cinema. A truly rewarding work of patience and detail.

Check out:

http://www.artificial-eye.com/

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[TAIWAN CULTURE, ART & LIVING]

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