Poagao's Journal

Absolutely Not Your Monkey

Jun 27 2008

At night in Gongguan

Last night after work I was in a Gongguan copy shop printing out a book on photography that I’d downloaded when a young white guy walked in to ask the clerk about some name cards. He noted the cover of the book I was printing and asked, “You a photographer?”

“Just an amateur,” I said.

He said he found it impossible to take pictures in Taipei. “The haze, the light just don’t work.”

“I’ve gotten a couple that turned out alright,” I said. He nodded noncommittally. The a/c was off, and the shop was melting hot from all the printing machines venting into the air.

“I know one guy who takes really good pictures here; his name is Wayne.”

“I know Wayne.”

I had dinner at the Sababa around the corner. I’d forgotten how much I like that place as I usually end up at the Yongkang branch these days. Later I walked over to Witchhouse to see Chalaw Passiwali play a show. They were warming up and doing a soundcheck when I arrived, but the hostess told me to get out and wait to buy a ticket like everyone else, so I walked around the area taking pictures for a few minutes before coming back. This time I found my college friend DJ writing at one of the tables. Later we were joined by a friend of his.

The show was very good. Chalaw told me that his album, which David Chen and I played on, was up for a Golden Melody Award this year. The ceremony is in a couple of weeks.

I didn’t get home until after midnight, frustrating yet again my attempts to go to bed earlier so I can get up and get more editing work done in the mornings, but it’s good to get a night out once in a while.

posted by Poagao at 5:59 am  

3 Comments »

  1. Ha. Now I’m curious as to who this is, whether it’s a friend of mine or one of my millions of secret online admirers.

    Downloading and printing books? How’s the page quality?

    Comment by wayne — June 27, 2008 @ 10:50 am

  2. Dunno, I think he said you were a friend of his. Brown hair, glasses, clean-cut, passable Mandarin. We didn’t talk long.

    Comment by Poagao — June 27, 2008 @ 11:25 am

  3. just saw you on tv at the gma. cool stuff!

    Comment by andres — July 6, 2008 @ 5:29 am

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