Poagao's Journal

Absolutely Not Your Monkey

May 15 2006

We might have our first typhoon of the season, if …

We might have our first typhoon of the season, if it suddenly veers east and comes up the Taiwan Strait instead of heading for Hong Kong, as it’s predicted to.

In the meantime, the weather can’t seem to make up its mind. It’s been cool and rainy for the last few days, dashing any hopes I had for a ride on the Crazy Bike. I did take a ride in the rain last weekend, showing Sandman how to get to Gongguan, and then taking corners really fast until the front wheel lost traction and I crashed. Later I ran into some friends of mine who had rented some bikes. They were lost, and I tried to tell them where they were without making too big a deal about the blood dripping down my leg from the fall. I went on to ride up to Guandu and back, a nice long ride, if a bit wet, but it kind of put me off riding in the rain.

So, instead of a ride, I went to a Muddy Basin Ramblers rehearsal. In case you didn’t know, David has updated the site; it looks really cool. Go there for a visit. We’re hoping to have an album out by the end of the summer.

I sold my TV to my friend and Rusty the Cat’s mother, Chris. Her TV was kind of busted, and Futurama looks great on the new set. Slim and I moved the TV over on a trolley. You should have seen us two manly men, grunting and sweating to get the thing up her stairs to the fourth floor. Man, I’m out of shape when it comes to hauling awkwardly shaped things up stairways. Now I just watch DVDs on my computer. It takes some getting used to, but it’s nice to have completely paid off my credit card debt.

On Sunday I went over to Carnegies to meet with a few expat bloggers from around Taiwan, including the authors of Suitcasing and Doubting To Shuo. Maoman and Gus of Forumosa chaired the meeting, which was informal and often-interrupted by food and drink. Basically, they’re organizing a print/online publication and want to organize some content. It seems they’re interested in more Renegade Province-style fake news, but I’m not sure I could keep up. Maybe one article an issue or something like that. I made the point at the meeting that the current administration is basically coming up with far more hilarious stories than I ever could. Bastards put me out of business. Not that I was ever in business, but it sounds good. In any case, my laziness is a force to be reckoned with.

After the meeting petered out and we went our separate ways, I walked up to Sogo to redeem some coupons (got a new, mold-free shower curtain and the Matrix animated shorts on DVD) (yes, it seems I know the ingredients for a Good Time, eh?). On the way I passed by the old Chungking Mansions where I used to live. It’s still a nightmare of a place; I’m glad I moved out. It’s quite interesting, though, a little chunk of squalor plunked down right in the middle of one of the most expensive parts of the city. And yet there’s also something homey about the place, like a little whiff of Taipei how it used to be. They’ll find it hard to tear down, when and if they ever do.

Rather than going back home, I went to a cafe and did some writing on my Thinkpad while sipping a vanilla shake, occasionally glancing up to see ritzy people walking up and down Da-an Road, aka Fashion Central. After I ran out of battery I walked down the street taking pictures before going home. It was dry in the city; back in Xindian, it was raining.

posted by Poagao at 4:32 pm  

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