Saturday, May 15, 2010

you just never know

I've come to appreciate the perception of Taiwanese randomness and spontaneity. Without even putting my self in unusual circumstances (ok, discounting the fact that I'm living on an Asian island), the Taiwanese will surprise me with what I still consider to be adventitious.  My time on this island has never seemed mundane and this could correlate with the quirky things that are constantly occurring. Because I have lived in other countries and experienced other's cultures, I hope to not be ethnocentric or close-minded in regards to finding unusual things. 
My plain point is this is a peculiar culture but I ABSOLUTELY love it. 

Just a small sample luckily caught on camera (not in chronological order): 

Themed Restaurants:


The Modern Toilet in Taichung


Sitting on toilet seats at a bathtub table, eating our ice cream from a mini squatter.


Processions: 


This long procession was caught from my balcony window. 



In Taipei, this loud and grandiose birthday procession for a Daoist God distracted us from our street shopping. 

Exercise:


A natural hiking trail is an anomaly around here, they prefer staircases.


Hiking usually leads to a random physical activity at the summit (ie. weighted hula hoops).

Cute Apparel:


The only word to describe this is and most things here: cute


Bows are everywhere in Taiwan: on t-shirts, earrings, bags, headbands and apparently hair itself has adapted.


I am a sucker for some of that 'cute' stuff too. Just like this random local who paired her outfit with the white bunny.

Unplanned Events:


Upon visiting the famous Chiang Kai-Shek memorial building, we didn't expect there to be an earth day celebration where we tasted vegan foods from all over the world.


Or when we decided to get Cold Stone Ice Cream in Taichung and across the street a book fair offered free self-portrait sketches. 


One thing is for sure about Taiwan- you just never know what you'll find. That's why it is a requisite to leave the house with a camera and an open mind. 




2 comments:

  1. I love the staircase and hula hoops AND the hair designed in a bow. Brilliant. This looks like so much fun, Whit!

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  2. That's awesome. I love the toilets!

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