SO backlogged: Typhoons, duck wings, cameras and gaudy art.
I actually have other entries before this explaining our adventures to White Sand Beach, Taipei 101, field trips with my kiddies and other sites, but I got super lazy and may post it later. I don't know. I suck at updating.
The Monday before last (July 28), we had a typhoon so all of the schools were closed. We stayed in for most of the day and when it cleared up in the afternoon, Steph and I went around (unknowingly) to the prostitute district. We grabbed some food from a snack store where I grabbed these vacuum packed duck wings..
Later we ate at this restaurant, where a group of men and women were getting drunk and playing drunken games out loud. All of a sudden one of the men yelled out to Steph (she's white) "Hello SISTER!"
We looked around and it's this guy who was red in the face from the alcohol, "Hello Sister!, I would like to treat you to something"
"Oh no no no", we kept on refusing.
He kept on implying that what we were eating wasn't a specialty at the restaurant. "Do you like spicy beef?" he asked.
We gave in to the spicy beef.
His name was Paul and he ran a construction company and missed living in New Jersey extremely so seeing Steph and I was a sense of home.
And his friend Bred ("like breakfast") kept on slurring his speech on how he needed English lessons after we told him we were English teachers.
The next day, I had to go to a film shoot that was set up by a Kristin's friend. But when I woke up in 5 in the morning, the duck wings haunted me. All day, I had to call off the film shoot and work at school because I had friggin' food poisoning. It was the first time I ever got it and I guess it was eventual I would get it in Asia of all places. It absolutely sucked. I was a slug staying in my bed writhing in discomfort.
Thankfully Kristin's friend Junie rescheduled me for Friday. I was running late that morning so Kristin's dad offered to scooter me to the nearest bus stop! Scootering in Taipei is insane but crazy fun! Although we would be doing less than 60 km/hour, it feels so much faster without a roof and doors surrounding us.
Anyway, when I arrived on set, I met Chris the director and the crew. Pretty much I had a non-speaking part (thank goodness), and all I needed to do was nod and smile. Easy enough, but on so many occasions I wanted to burst out laughing (scenes include an afternoon tea meeting? What? haha). As there was going to be a voice recorded over us, we could carry on a conversation without it being on the actual video.
The scene was a Taiwanese student (me) who's interested in schooling in the UK and we're looking at programs on university websites. Chris was playing the role as the advisor who's helping me look:
Chris: So what program are you planning to study?
M: Astronomy,
C: Oh Astronomy, so you want to study the stars, galaxies, planets,..
M: ...the milky way...
C: Oh okay well Nottingham has a great program in Astronomy. What courses are you interested in?
M: Oh, I would like to take neurology courses
C: Neurology?
M: Yes, I would like to do brain surgery in space.
C: Oh, that's somewhat a niche market.
M: I was hoping billionaires would catch on.
C: That is a very good business plan. I'm sure Nottingham would provide you with the education you need to pursue a career as a neurologist / astronaut, as you can see here...
This was all done with straight serious faces. We're srs actors y'all.
On the following Saturday, we went to the Taipei Fine Arts Museum, which kinda sucked (mountain paintings, yawn) except for the exhibit on the third floor, J.C. Kuo's Totem and Taboo. Incredibly gaudy and tacky but in a good way. He incorporated a wide variety of media including Sailor Moon, Disney and My Neighbour Totoro stickers in his work while mixing Chinese line drawing and pop art. Very cool.
The Monday before last (July 28), we had a typhoon so all of the schools were closed. We stayed in for most of the day and when it cleared up in the afternoon, Steph and I went around (unknowingly) to the prostitute district. We grabbed some food from a snack store where I grabbed these vacuum packed duck wings..
Later we ate at this restaurant, where a group of men and women were getting drunk and playing drunken games out loud. All of a sudden one of the men yelled out to Steph (she's white) "Hello SISTER!"
We looked around and it's this guy who was red in the face from the alcohol, "Hello Sister!, I would like to treat you to something"
"Oh no no no", we kept on refusing.
He kept on implying that what we were eating wasn't a specialty at the restaurant. "Do you like spicy beef?" he asked.
We gave in to the spicy beef.
His name was Paul and he ran a construction company and missed living in New Jersey extremely so seeing Steph and I was a sense of home.
And his friend Bred ("like breakfast") kept on slurring his speech on how he needed English lessons after we told him we were English teachers.
The next day, I had to go to a film shoot that was set up by a Kristin's friend. But when I woke up in 5 in the morning, the duck wings haunted me. All day, I had to call off the film shoot and work at school because I had friggin' food poisoning. It was the first time I ever got it and I guess it was eventual I would get it in Asia of all places. It absolutely sucked. I was a slug staying in my bed writhing in discomfort.
Thankfully Kristin's friend Junie rescheduled me for Friday. I was running late that morning so Kristin's dad offered to scooter me to the nearest bus stop! Scootering in Taipei is insane but crazy fun! Although we would be doing less than 60 km/hour, it feels so much faster without a roof and doors surrounding us.
Anyway, when I arrived on set, I met Chris the director and the crew. Pretty much I had a non-speaking part (thank goodness), and all I needed to do was nod and smile. Easy enough, but on so many occasions I wanted to burst out laughing (scenes include an afternoon tea meeting? What? haha). As there was going to be a voice recorded over us, we could carry on a conversation without it being on the actual video.
The scene was a Taiwanese student (me) who's interested in schooling in the UK and we're looking at programs on university websites. Chris was playing the role as the advisor who's helping me look:
Chris: So what program are you planning to study?
M: Astronomy,
C: Oh Astronomy, so you want to study the stars, galaxies, planets,..
M: ...the milky way...
C: Oh okay well Nottingham has a great program in Astronomy. What courses are you interested in?
M: Oh, I would like to take neurology courses
C: Neurology?
M: Yes, I would like to do brain surgery in space.
C: Oh, that's somewhat a niche market.
M: I was hoping billionaires would catch on.
C: That is a very good business plan. I'm sure Nottingham would provide you with the education you need to pursue a career as a neurologist / astronaut, as you can see here...
This was all done with straight serious faces. We're srs actors y'all.
On the following Saturday, we went to the Taipei Fine Arts Museum, which kinda sucked (mountain paintings, yawn) except for the exhibit on the third floor, J.C. Kuo's Totem and Taboo. Incredibly gaudy and tacky but in a good way. He incorporated a wide variety of media including Sailor Moon, Disney and My Neighbour Totoro stickers in his work while mixing Chinese line drawing and pop art. Very cool.