I think I have previously described Taiwan as a very unique mix of Japan, China with a dash of Hawaii. Now for the Jurassic Park fans, you’d know that the movie was partly shot in the island… and traveling through the southern part of Taiwan I’ve felt velociraptors are about to jump at me at any minute.
Hey, guys~ it’s nearly 9am in Peru time, nearly 10pm in Taiwan. Currently staying in Tainan… the longest we’ve stayed anywhere until now.
Visited three museums, including the History museum… the Fine Arts one (but that was another city) and some museum they’ve just setup, so we didn’t have to pay. Learned loads of stuff about Taiwan’s history with Mainland China, the Dutch occupation… and, of course, the Japanese occupation. Taiwan is a unique mixture of China and Japan, with a dash of Hawaii.
There’s loads of walking, and a lot of Taiwanese fearing us getting lost in the city, so we’ve gotten the reputation of the Peruvian tourists that can’t read Chinese. When we’re not walking, we’re eating ~ which is good to counter all the walking. I think I’ve literally drank my weight in bubble tea. Loads of milk tea, and I had some winter melon one today.
Same with street food… there’s just no stomach enough to try everything at least once. Though, I did go to a proper hot pot place tonight and had some very spicy soup. Luck is mine since I didn’t carry a camera then…
When we’re ready for bed — like I am now — there’s loads of TV. Funny thing is that MTV Taiwan and V channel are swamped with Kpop. I’ve never seen so many performances from Music Bank and Inkigayo. Similar with Kdrama… loads of them on air, even though they’re dubbed. Jpop is minimum, though MTV did show some Kat-tun mv like five times on a day.
Anyway, it’s getting late and I have an early start again. Will have to gather thoughts at a later date. Expect posts on Korean Air, American suing culture, Taiwanese tv shopping, and more~~~
Had a really REALLY early morning that started at 4am to watch the sunrise in Alishan. Now, I’ve never been a huge fan of sunrises and this time around… the sun refused to rise. I was met by a thick group of clouds…
Now we’re in Tainan, and finally staying for two days. My legs are killing me.
I gotta admit… with the cars, the scooters (the scooters!!!!!) the people, the noise, the smell of food and all the signs in Chinese… my first Night Market experience was a little overwhelming.
I think this is… Taichung. Not really sure what the name of the market was, though. Got some really exciting pictures with the Nikon camera… can’t wait for them.
I had sworn I had written a post on this a couple of years ago – but alas, untagged and improperly categorized. I can’t find it… or maybe my memory of it is that I wrote it, and I just ended up thinking about writing it…
The memories… or I guess, some memories of my past have come to hunt me these days. I can’t really stop thinking about it and that would’ve. Sighs, so many things going on.
Why did they have to come? I had already moved on… kinda. It only ever plagued my head once every two years, but alas… the surprise is never to be expected – hence the “surprise” part LOL
And oh you must know what you did~
This is a rant. xD
I’ve never been religious… I was as catholic as a 5-year-old could get when their aunts are catholic/christian. Every time we would cross a local church, I would do the cross sign, and I had at least once done the local church tour for Easter week.
I have the utmost respect for people and their selected religion.
However, it really irks me when religious people go on and put down other religion’s beliefs, which is the worse kind of religion and the preferred type churches want their followers to have.
It’s such a pity, because religion can be such a fulfilling experience to some. It makes your life lighter, and sometimes it can get you going.
Guys, you can be logical and have faith. It’s like that bit on Peter Pan. I do believe in fairies, I do! I do! It’s a wonderful thing to have, and to feel.
Raiou, based on the novel by Mari Ueza about tragic lovers, is set to open next week on Friday the 22nd. It stars idol-in-the-rise Masaki Okada opposite established-idol-transitioning-to-actress Yu Aoi. What does Raiou mean to their careers?
A rising-star and an established-idol starring in a period drama romance? If it succeeds, it means the rising-star will keep on rising, and the established-idol still has “it”. A period drama romance lays solely on its protagonists’ shoulders, and their chemistry. If it fails, it’s because of them. That’s a lot of scary thoughts right there~
Why does Yu Aoi need Raiou to succeed? She is indeed an idol still. She sponsors products, and she makes a living selling products. She’s young — to westerners, anyway — she’s cute, youthful… the whole shebang. However, the life-span of a Japanese female idol is short, some of them have retired at 20! So Yu, having turned 25 already, isn’t… well, a young idol any longer. She’s been away of major mainstream entertainment, she’s had relationships, she’s been on tabloids as people discuss who she really is dating. Everything takes its toll. She’s now a woman. An actress who is still an idol. Will people support her passed her prime-early-twenty years like they did when the hit Hula Girls came out?
Raiou holds Yu’s idol-hood future. Will it be a hit right away? Shoot to number one the first week to then drop the next? Will it slowly climb to number one in two or three weeks and stay there a week or two? Will it climb slowly up to stay there for several weeks? Will it never reach number one?? Whatever happens, it will change Yu’s bankability.
Film Business Asia is reporting that China Lion Film Distribution has made a deal with AMC to release Chinese films in the cities with most Chinese demographics in the United States and Canada the same day as the films open in China.
Now, that’s how you do distribution.
Sure, Hollywood’s kinda getting good in World Premiere business, but only the big-studio stuff. We actually have to wait a ton for a theater release, or the release of the DVD to catch a film that’s not mainstream. The Chinese film industry lacks distribution — only films that get distributed in the US, get distributed in Latin America. The last Chinese film I saw at the cinema was Curse of the Golden Flower~~~
So with this deal, China expands that ever-expanding Chinese film market with hopefully more than just Martial Arts Films and/or Arthouse Films. And HOPEFULLY, this will mean more Chinese films down here as well.
So guys! Get ready for Aftershocks (aka. After Shock) kicking off this new deal on October 29th in the cities of New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Houston, Boston, Seattle, Toronto and Ottawa.
You know I’m a numerology buff – bizarre, because I really hate math… or should I say, math was my worse course at school especially in my last two years of high school. But somehow, I like numerology. I think it’s because I don’t need to understand it, I just need to ponder.
We’re not talking about what it really means. We just wonder what it could be…
In theory, the number 10 does not exist – because it turns into a 1. However, also in theory… you could separate it like 1 and 0, thus having two numbers. xD Sure, you can get 10 by summing different numbers like 4 and 6, 3 and 7, or two 5s… right? But all those numbers sum up to 10, and then become 1 once again. Does that mean that the 10 is a whole number? It’s complete? It brings the harmony?
Harmony! xD
The 1 and 0 are opposites – but it’s not like opposites attract. Suck it! We’re talking about opposites, as in Yin and Yang – which in the end are two different halves of one whole.
And talking about Julz and your fanfic thesis – my final had also kinda to do with fandom. LOL
Harmony final!! xD Such an old video pimp ~~~
And you know, YAM Trivia!!!!!
The YAM Website’s opening on 15.12.10, which summing up (1+5+1+2+1) turns to 10, which turns to 1 – a whole! LOL While December 15th 2010 also marks my grandpa’s 5th anniversary of passing. Yup, it all has a meaning, people~~~
Ahh… Peruvians and Chinese, Peru and China – countries so far away, but with so many links. Almost a year ago I read a book called 1434 by some guy Menzies. He also wrote 1421 where he says China arrived to America first. It’s an interesting thought considering how similar our cultures can be.
I mean, sure – Peru has the biggest Chinese colony in Latin America. Many of us may not speak Mandarin or Cantonese, but it sure has caught on everyday life. I mean, not only do we have a dish called Lomo Saltado (Sautee Sirloin?) that’s made with soy sauce, and that’s now a landmark dish.
Obviously, we don’t call soy sauce “soy sauce,” Peruvians call it “sillao” [si yau in Cantonese]. Everyone in Latin America doesn’t — just saw some Colombian “chef” doing some ceviche with lime and “soy sauce” and “ginger”. As well as an Argentinean doing “Chinese noodles” with “soy sauce”.
