August breifing

Places visited and activities in August

Kaohsiung Caishan
Given the precipitous geography and the excellent panoramic view over the Taiwan strait, Caishan used to be bases of military barracks and a radar tower that was resticted to the public. A few local Taiwanese restaurants were the only treat for soldiers who were let out from bases for a half day and now this secret garden hosts restaurants and bars that serve exotic cuisine cooked by foreign chefs--onwers of the restaurants.

The specialty of the Ocean Side Café aka the big bowl café (Tue~Sun, 13:00~23:00) is its 1200ml Salvadoran coffee (NT200) served in a big bowl as the name indicates. "It's called big bowl café in Chinese but I prefer the name lover's café. The café is for lovers, families and for those who like to pass time alone liesurely" said the Salvadorian owner.

The escape 41, a restaurant and bar, is the place to go if you are craving some western delicacies. The menu covers burgers, lasagna, pizzas and quiche etc., making ordering a tough choice. Finding the exact location of the escape 41 is another challenge, the bar was built against the cliff with a wooden platform reaching out into the ocean. Escape, the name of the restaurant fits the amosphere of the restaurant perfectly. Cliffs, waves of the ocean and the golden hue of the sunset create the illusion of the twelve apostles in Australia, I wonder if that's the reason the Australian owner set foot in this very spot in the first place.

The Ocean Side Café:
Add: 31, CaiShan Rd, Gushan district, Kaohsiung City. (Lat: 22.644393, Lon: 120.254127)
Tel: 0928345607

The Escape 41:
Add: 41-2, Caishan rd, Gushan district, Kaohsiung City (Lat: 22.643667, Lon: 120.252472)
Tel: 07-5250058
Other info:
Open from 12 noon on weekends and 3:30pm on weekdays. Open until 11 pm or later and 12 pm or later on Friday and Saturday.
Minimum charge per person: NT$100+10%. /Please don't bring outside food or drinks Free wireless internet / 10% service charge.

Taipei
It's not fair that so many resources are restricted to Taipei; the Broadway musical show Lion King in Taipei Arena, the mammoth exhibition in Chang Kai Shek Memorial Hall, and the only IMAX theater that plays Hollywood movies, etc are only in Taipei.

The Dark Knight is now playing in the Miramar Cinemas, even though the movie wasn't presented on the full screen of the 8 floor tall silver screen at all times, it didn't hurt the IMAX experience: crystal clear images and wraparound digital surround sound, an illusion of being there. Staff in the theater take orders before movies start and deliver popcorn and drinks to your seat without being noticed, another privilege in Taipei cinemas.

The mammoth exhibition (July 14~Nov 4; 09:00~18:00 daily, NT200) was mediocre. I followed the suggestion on their website: avoid 11:00~12:00 and 15:~16:00 for being crowded, and showed up around 10:00 yet I had to line up to get in already. I rented an audio guide (NT120) which turned out to be a waste because all information in the audio was displayed on posters(only in Chinese). In fact, the number of posters seemed larger than fossils displayed, the name "Mammoth Poster Exhibition" would be appropriate. I would rather stay in an air conditioned room surfing online for info regarding mammoths than fight my way in to glimpse at boxed fossils.

I have never spent NT5800 for a show before and my first time was given to the broadway musical show: The Lion King. Not because I love the show so much and am willing to spend that much for a ticket, tickets lower than NT3200 had all sold out and remaining seats in the rear of the so called nice areas were NT3800 to NT5200.

All the animals walked from the aisles to the stage to celebrate the birth of the baby lion as a joyful opening, a gazelle sang next to me making the seat worth the price; the naughty lion's advanture led to the death of the old lion king and exile; process of denail, acceptance and finally embracing his destiny as the lion king; restore the glory of the lion kingdom and celebrate a new life. The circle of life was told through piercing vocals, vivid masks and costumes, perfect stage settings and great music; I had goose bumps during the whole show. From a distance I was conviced of the authenticity of the gazelles, zebras and giraffes. Blending in local customs and language made the show one of a kind.

2008 Tainan International Chihsi Arts Festival

The 2008 Tainan International Chihsi Arts Festival: the coming-of-age (16) celebration will be held from the 1st to 7th of August in various locations in Tainan. Maybe because of budget cuts or the bad weather experience from last year, but the shows this year are cut down to 6 days.

Schedule and translation below:

Groups:
1. Jin-Tai-Xun modern dancing group, Korea
2. Heaven and Earth drum sound, Japan
3. Folk dancing group, India
4. Blue Abo dancing group, Japan
5. Shang-He Taiwanese opera

Date	Time	Locations	Groups
8/1(Fri)	19:30~22:00	Confucius Temple	1、2、3、4
8/2(Sat)	16:30~17:15	Culture Center Holiday Square	1(45ms)
	18:00~18:45	FE21' Mega	4(45ms)
	18:00~18:45	Mitsukoshi (New life square)	3(45ms)
	19:00~20:15	Train Station	2(45ms）、4（30ms）
	19:30~21:00	Former Tainan Meeting Hall	5（Tickets req.）
	19:30~21:00	Confucius Temple	1
8/3(Sun)	14:30~15:30	Luermen Sheng MuTemple	3、4(30ms)
	16:30~17:15	Culture Center Holiday Square	2(45ms）
	17:00~17:45	Mitsukoshi (Chungshan)	4(45ms)
	18:00~18:45	FE21' Mega	3(45ms)
	19:30~20:15	Train station	1(45ms)
	19:30~21:00	Confucius Temple	2、4
8/5(Tue)	18:00~18:45	FE21' Mega	2(45ms)
	18:00~18:45	Mitsukoshi (Chungshan)	3(45ms)
	19:30~21:00	Confucius Temple	1
8/6(Wed)	16:30~17:15	Culture Center Holiday Square	3(45ms)
	18:00~18:45	FE21' Mega	1(45ms)
	18:00~18:45	Mitsukoshi (New life square)	2(45ms)
	19:30~21:00	Confucius Temple	3
8/7(Thu)	16:00~16:45	FE21' Mega	2(45ms)
	16:00~16:45	Mitsukoshi (New life square)	1(45ms)
	19:30~22:00	Confucius Temple	1、2、3

Adapted from the officail website
In case of rain locations change to JenShin Junior High or Tainan Culture Center

Erliao and Hill 308

Moon World is a classic example of a chalk badlands terrain. In geological terms it comprises highly saline limestone with a sandstone and shale structure, so that in an area of several hundred hectares no plants grow and the highly eroded ground is bare, creating a "lunar" landscape. The area is also interspersed with mudstone strata containing large amounts of natural gas that forces mud out of the ground in "mud volcanoes." In winter, moisture evaporating from the chalk leaves behind patches of powdery white salt crystals on the surface. Well known scenic spots in Moon World include Erliao Pavilion, Hill 308, Mt. Tsao Suspension Bridge, the Crocodile, and the Lion's Head. At Erliao Pavilion at dawn, when the first rays of sunshine fall upon the chalk, moisture starts to evaporate out of it to form mist which shrouds the hills, creating a scene like a Chinese ink-wash painting.
http://www.gio.gov.tw/taiwan-website/gogo/goen_44.htm

For this dreamy picture, I woke up at 3:00AM and drove about 16km on confusing foggy country roads to Erliao Pavilion where photographers have to bear the fierce mosquito attack and fight for a good spot among a bunch of tripods, and those aren't the only challenges for photoshooting in Erliao. The timing is the trickiest part, it is believed that 2-3 days after a pouring rain during May to September is the best time to make the trip: too much moisture evaporation veils the tiering hills leaving nothing but a white mist in sight; without mist shrouding the hills, the masterpiece of a Chinese ink-wash painting washes away into a barren land.

Hill 308, named after its height above sea level, is famous for its magnificent panorama over a huge area of barren, eroded soil--a Grand Canyon landscape that comprises countless gullies, ravines and peaks. The 308 meters in altitude doesn't diminish the majestic sea of clouds wafting up and down the peaks at dawn, nor make it more easily accessiable.

Sunrise in Erlaio is good practice for High Dynamic Range (HDR) imaging, whereas Hill 308 is best visited in late afternoon, when the sun brings out the red orange hue of the cliffs. Open Invitation to anyone interested, just send me an email or leave a comment with your contact information, and you can join me (free ride!) the next time I plan to go.

Routes to Erliao and Hill 308

View Erliao and Hill 308 in a larger map

Fun HCM City

Despite the fact that I was staying in HCM City only for 3 days, I still managed to try out two restaurants in town and watched a water puppet show in a brand new theatre.

Water puppet show
The origination of the water puppet show can be traced back to the Ly Dynasty, 1010-1225. Given the geographic advantages, the water puppetry set stages on natural lakes in northern Vietnam where audiences could sit around the stages to enjoy the shows and wonder how puppeteers could breath and control the puppets under water. This unique art form has become one of the cultural heritages of Vietnam and stages can now be found not only in northern Vietnam such as Hanoi but also in HCM City.

Located at 55B Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street District 1, the Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theatre together with the Labor Cultural Palace form a complex recreation ground where not only water puppetry is performed; you can work out in the gym, play tennis and volleyball etc. in the backyard of the theatre. The theatre started its business in August 2007 with a seating capacity of 200. The show is played at 18:30 and 20:00 daily for a duration of 50 minutes with no intermission (VND$65,000, USD$4, 10% discount for groups). Daytime performances can be arranged by contacting the theatre at http://www.goldendragonwaterpuppet.com/

Staff wearing traditional costumes usher audiences to their seats and give them brochures in which programmes are printed in Vietnamese, English, French, Japanese, Korean and Simplified Chinese. Traditional Vietnamese living styles, customs and fairytales are told by 17 acts that begin with raising the festival flag then, Teu, dragon dance, on a buffalo with a flute, argriculture, catching frogs, rearing ducks and catching foxes, fishing, returning to the native land after winning the first place of nationwide exam, lion dance, king Le Loi on boat tour or the legend about "restored sword", children playing in water, boat racing, unicorns play with ball, fairy dance and dance of four holy animals. 3 folk music performers on each side of the stage dub for puppets in Vietnamese and with traditional instruments that accomodate the movements of puppets harmoniously.

I don't know how these puppeteers control puppets in open areas where the water level of lakes were high back in the Ly Dynasty. I do know that in this theatre puppeteers control puppets behind dark green colored curtains on the stage with cloudy water to disguise the movements of puppets by poles and strings under water.

The Vietnam House
Located on bustling Dong Khoi street with English speaking staff, English menus with photographs for each dish and live-music performences by girls wearing traditional costumes makes the Vietnam House one of the popular foreigner gathering restaurants for Vietnmese cuisine in HCM City. The restaurant is one block from my hotel and I was invited to a free dinner by Dr. Wang from the department of pediatrics NCKUH on my last day staying in town.

This restaurant is a 3 level restored French colonial house with large French windows that allow diners to watch the bustling street from the relaxed air-conditioned room. Photographs of George Bush Sr. and Former Philippine President Cory Aquino were hung on the wall of the staircase to the second floor where a stage for live traditional instruments performence is set.

Comparatively it’s more expensive than the average Vietnamese cuisine restaurant and the food was mediocre. I wonder whether the restaurant tried to westernize the flavor of these Vietnamese cuisine to fit foreigner's appetite. I had a delicious lotus root with shimp and pork salad in Mekong Delta once and the dish here was not comparable.

Address: 93-95 Dong Khoi street, District 1, HCMC.
Tel: 8291623

The Refinery
The area enclosed by Hai Ba Trung, Le Thanh Ton, Thi Sach and Nguyen Sieu was the legal opium manufactory in the early 20th century. The Refinery was one of the prestige opium manufacturers in Saigon and the sign of Manufacture d'Opium was hung on the entrance arch blatantly. It was until 1954 when the French military retreated from Vietnam that brought a closure to the factory and now the only hint that tells its secret past is the poppy symbol of the restaurant and the metal poppy ornament on the yellowish arch.

Over shadowed by the neighboring constructions and distractions, it takes courage to walk under the arch that seperates the bustling street from a quiet atrium that hosts 3 adjacent restaurants and the refinery is the middle one. I was disappointed with decoration in the restaurant--it looks no different from a cozy bistro in Paris. The poppy symbol on block prints, napkins and T-shirts of waiters is trying to unfold the history of this venue, however, without help from other accessories such as smoking pipes or opium refiners, the message vanished in the air leaving people to wonder why the restaurant would choose this unknown flower as its symbol.

English speaking staff, English menus and delicious European dishes, the refinery is the place to go when you are sick of eating Vietnmese cuisine all the time even though the price is relatively high. It's easy to spend a half day sitting on the terrace drinking beer while surfing online via wireless connection. I ordered a pudding with melted chocolate covering the plate and with a final touch of ice cream and roasted almonds on top, for dessert. I was hoping it would taste like the Fondue au Chocolate that I had before, but the overwhelming sweetness kills all the flavor and the unique texture of the pudding that is made of almond dregs.

Address: 74 Hai Ba Trung, District 1, HCMC (across from the Park Hyatt Hotel)
Tel: 8230509
Fax:8248046
Email: therefineraysaigon@gmail.com

Palace Hotel
The inflation rate in Vietnam is rampant (25% in May) that's what I've been told and the impact of inflation hit when I realized that the price of hotels in HCM City has risen almost double from last year. By screening from my hotel survey posted in Hotels in HCM City and Hotels in HCM City 2, the Palace Hotel is chosen for its location, amenities and of course price. Palace hotel is one of the various businesses owned by the Bong Sen Corporation. Built in 1968, the hotel has been under several times of renovation and the latest renovation was as the end of 2006 and still going.

I reserved a suite room via their website but I didn't get a confirmation a week after the reservation. I wrote an email to the hotel and got a reply telling me that the room has been reserved, however there is no wireless internet access in a suite room. I told them on their website the WiFi is listed in the amenities of suite rooms and would like to amend my booking to a cheaper superior room which also has no access to WiFi system. The staff gave me a prompt reply telling me that they would upgrade my room to a signature superior which has wireless in room with the same price as my original booking. It's strange that nowhere could I find an electric kettle or tea bags for tea making, yet 2 tea cup sets were placed nicely in the room. The air conditioning wasn't cool enough and I didn't bother to complain that there was no bathrobes in the room as listed in the amenities.

The room was spacious and comfy. A high tech magnetic card is the key to the room. Be aware of the demagnetization; don't put the card anywhere near your mobile phone or you might ended up being locked out of the room. An open-air bar with outdoor swiming pool and gym on the roof top provides a panoramic view of Saigon river and leisure ambience for guests. The opening hours of the pool are from 6:00 to 20:00 daily. I enjoyed the cool afternoon breeze in the pool all by myself after work during my stay.


View Fun HCMC in a larger map

Vietnam impression

I thought my last trip to HCM City in April 2007 would be the finale, so I was relaxed and enjoyed my luxury Japanese lunch box in the Vietnam project meeting that was held 2 weeks ago. Before I could swallow a mouth full of tempura and express myself, my boss had announced that I would be going to inspect the preparation of clinical specimens and ship them back in mid-June. The news spread and I was assigned to multiple tasks including property inspector, technical specialist and a postman.

Currently, two Vietnamese are taking technical training courses in Taiwan. I wrote an email telling them my schedule in HCM City and asked if there were something they would like me to bring back to Vietnam. The next day, I got an email from a doctor who is going back to Vietnam in 2 weeks asking me to bring a rice cooker that he brought with him one and a half months ago back to his mother. An emergency document, of course; a small gift to a loved one, maybe; a rice cooker that takes half the room of a suitcase? That was something I didn't expect. I couldn't figure out how would someone ask me to bring a rice cooker to Vietnam on a business trip especially that someone is going back in 2 weeks.

On my way back to Taiwan, my suitcase was filled with sweaters, cosmetics, mosquito incense, gifts for professors in Taiwan etc., and I didn't even have room for clinical documents that concerned the project. Among all items in my suitcase, the sweaters puzzled me the most-- the last technician leaves in Sept. and it's still hot like hell in Taiwan.

Happy Birthday

This is my third birthday post on the blog. Happy birthday to me and to all Taurus.

Birthday Daily Taurus April 20 - May 20
Today is a fine day . . . your work benefits from your total concentration. This may be a good thing as you will be able to forget about personal plans for a while and relax your expectations of the day. Surprises happen all day long and, you are able to finish what you start in the work world. The noon break is fun with co-worker friends and somewhere in the visit there is talk of metaphysics, horoscopes and telling fortunes. You are also interested in the subject of writers and teachers that talk about self-help techniques. You might spend time in a bookstore after work for a short while. Young people want some of your time this afternoon and you enjoy their company. Laterthis evening you will want to have a camera handy--HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Birthday Weekly Taurus April 20 - May 20
From Sunday, May 4 2008 - 12:00amTo Saturday, May 10 2008 - 11:59pm Everyday You should know there may be a few surprises this Sunday morning. The more you go with the flow, the more positive those surprises will become. You are inspired and amused and may be thinking about some travel money you could be earning. You will be very pleased at the response from your writing. This Monday is a fine day . . . your work benefits from your total concentration. You are patient and determined to finish what you start this Tuesday. Someone is happy to help and results become easier to find. On the way in to work this Wednesday morning the verdict may be with regard to your thoughts on the weather. Many times you feel that weather is manipulated and there are definite feelings that you are right. Advancement in the work place may be a bit slow but it is certainly well deserved. A massage during the noon break this Thursday would be nice. You are so busy most of the time that you often forget to stop and smell the roses. This Friday is a good day to stop and smell the roses, tell or listen to a joke, listen to the birds around your office and shop in a book store. Everyone has good wishes for you this Saturday evening--HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Snowing in May--Tung Blossom

"Tung trees come in full blossom in areas where most Hakkas populate. This beautiful coincidence tells the wondrous connection between Hakka towns and Tung trees." I don't know how the Hakkas and Tung trees got connected in the first place. I mean the fact is Tung trees were densely planted in north Taiwan and Hakkas who inhabit the south of Taiwan in places such as Meinong township, have never stood out and claimed this wondrous connection. Nevertheless, I think the Tung trees are a gift that is given to people who live in northern Taiwan and most of the trails for Tung blossom are spots for firefly sighting too.

The 2008 Hakka Tung Blossom Festival website has all kinds of information regarding this 'snowy' May season. They even have a map that gives percentages of Tung blossoms all over Taiwan. The only thing missing in the map is that the trails for Tung blossom sightings are only in Chinese on their website. So I put these recommended trails into the google maps below. Enjoy your snowing season in May.

Quote from their website
"Every year in April and May, when driving from Free way No.2 or Tai # 3 Route, Aleurites Montana gradually budding, blossoming in the woods and under the Tung Tree. You can see purely white flowers swinging with the winds and when wind suddenly blows harder, the beautiful scenery before you is like having snow in the summer, just like snow of May.
As expected by the Hakka people in Taiwan, The Council for Hakka Affairs, Executive Yuan, earnestly cooperated with 8 counties: Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Taichung, Zhanghua, Yulin and Nantou, and lead 25 townships and 44 communities, together they organize more than hundred of art activities. Additionally, in order to enhance the development of Hakka industries in Taiwan, the Council associated with 92 companies that sell Tung's merchandises and sell more than 400 Tung's merchandises. The Council also cooperated with 78 Hakka restaurants and present some delicious Hakka dishes. With a handbook in hand and you can enjoy discounts on all these activities.
Hakka Tung Blossom Festival is a high-quality trip for everyone which enables everyone enjoys Hakka mountain city, culture and beauty of Tung. Besides, the Council specially associated with local traditional industries this year, and let everyone receives information on Tung viewing via 3G mobile phone and TV Channel. We welcome everyone accesses our website and establish their own Tung viewing blog, where everyone can share information related to Tung.
This season “Joyful spring with Tung; creative spirit in Hakka”, we welcome you to spend time in Hakka village; enjoy Hakka music, dishes and creative merchandise under Tung tree. You especially need to come down here and experience the beautiful scenery of Mother Nature!

Chairman of the Council for Hakka Affairs, Executive Yuan
Lee Yung-te"

Tung Blossom Trails(info from the 2008 Hakka Tung Blossom Festival website)

View Tung Blossom in a larger map

WuGongShan: Tung blossom biking trail in Kaohsiung County(made by Talent)