surprise

I have been here for three weeks now as of today. Today I am missing lots of things about home.

1. my cute flat and motorway view
2. my family - well - not unexpected but i do really miss them :)
3. english on signs in the street
4. english conversation.
5. Barney
6. cheese and biscuits
7. lovely friends who send me texts and emails to make home feel not so far away.
8. walking down Harris st every day.
9. straight men in general
10. techies. And techie style conversation. Thank god some arrived today to save me from the horrible rats!

so its all about the karaoke!

Party world, Ximending, Taipei. All about the Karaoke!
10 floors.
15 booths per floor.
fucking hilarious.
bring it on!

Party world!

In the last day or two the vibe has changed in the workroom. New people have come in and people are interacting differently. Now that there are 7 people other then me, obviously they speak a lot more Chinese then they did when there were just 4 or 5 of us. Because I am able to understand when they speak in Chinese, I have no idea why the vibe is changing, I can just feel that it is. People tend to move off more into little groups and I can sense that one of my favourite girls, Elaine, is feeling a bit left out in the group now. She is quieter and keeps to herself more.

I am quite fascinated, but also getting a little more bored. As there are more of them, they make less effort to speak to me in English, which I completely understand. Linda, Elaine and Vivianne still make a big effort but the others are a little more likely to just talk amongst themselves. I have noticed more gossiping in groups and it is fascinating to see how people behave when the circle is widened. It will be interesting next week when we have 15 people including Linda and I.

Unfortunately, right now, it is getting a bit dull sitting a listening to people speaking and only being able to guess what they are talking about. It feels a bit like being an alien! I suppose in many ways I am. I am starting to crave conversation.

Its Matt (the Director)’s birthday today. We had cake for breakfast in the hotel and all the local principals joined us for the buffet. It was nice to have everyone there at once. There seemed to be hundreds of people but I would guess there was about 25. He was presented with heaps of great gifts, especially from the locals, and a few amusing ones from the Aussies - especially beautiful was a tight hot pink long sleeved t-shirt. It was a bit tight but Richard (Don Jose - American) and I were particularly amused that the colour actually suited him.

Tonight the plan is to go to Party World! Hooray! I have been dying to go there since I arrived almost 3 weeks ago. It is a huge 12 story number near Ximen with the words “Party World” emblazoned across it. What is inside? I could only wonder! Lots of escalators. Not many people. Turns out Karaoke is in there. I wait with baited breath to find out if the whole building is karaoke. That would be hilarious. We are meeting after rehearsal at 9. I am excited - it feels like a long time since I have done something fun!
xxx

Taipei Life!

The days here are busy. The girls work from 10 am till 10 pm sewing. We finished our last fittings today, finally seeing our gorgeous Carmen A (there is also a Carmen B) and our Toreador. We only have one or two checks to go and then its all down to the alterations, although today I have noticed that the alteration racks are looking considerably clearer so lets hope that we are on track to have it all done for Friday. Then the fun starts - fireproofing with limited ventilation. EWWWW!
















I am really enjoying working with the girls: - Linda of course, but also Elaine (good English), Vivienne (quite good English), Pink (quite good English, crazy and sometimes rude taste in T-shirts), Pei-june (now nicknamed Austin - no English but amusing) and I-cheng who comes in to power on the machine after her day job ends every evening (no English and very shy). Every day a combination of these girls comes in to work, sometimes 2 sometimes 4. They have been hugely accepting of me, they make jokes with me and teach me chinese words. They are endlessly patient and pick out tasty vegetarian options for me at restaraunts. They bring me presents - sometimes small charms or a small morsel to taste. Yesterday I-cheng brought me a bag of fresh lychees. I am constantly in awe of their generosity and good nature. They never seem to be pissed off or fed up, even though they work such long hours. I have really enjoyed their company.

Linda is a total blessing. She is good humoured and hugely knowledgable both about wardrobe work and about the city of Taipei in which she grew up. She told me how when she was a child, she thought all roads ended in a mountain. Taipei city lies in a basin surrounded by mountains. They describe it as like a bowl. It was only when she was a bit bigger and finally went to another place, she discovered that not every road has a mountain at the end of it! She takes me shopping for the show on the back of her scooter, and we load it up with boxes of shoes and huge bags. This doesn’t faze her - she just straps it all on the back. I hang on for dear life and try to remember to wear a skirt. We wander in and out of alleys and laneways - button street, fabric market, ribbon shops, flower specialists, habadashers - Taipei is a dressmakers paradise. We climb the stairs to the dyers premises which has only three rooms and a huge fish tank. In the back there is a couple of large dye pots and shelves full of buttons. It is sparse and ramshackle but clean and the people are welcoming.

Friday was our last day off. Linda wanted to take me out on an adventure to the countryside. I was reluctant but only because I was exhausted and brain fried from trying to understand pseudo English/chinese for the last week. But I decided I would go because I was so appreciated that she had asked me and was prepared to give up her day off to spend even more time with me (like 10-12 hours a day isn’t enough!). We were going to go to Beitou which is a hot springs town on the back of Linda’s scooter but then she rang me at the hotel late on Thursday night to tell me plans had changed - I had to be in the lobby at 6am to go on a tour with her that her friend had organised. I had to tell her my passport number and bring some money.

I had a bit of a fitful night - I had no idea where she was taking me, why we had to get up so early, and then I also realised that no one in Taipei or Sydney would have the faintest idea where I would be. I also didn’t know if I was going to be riding on the scooter or not (great fun but a little harrowing and probably not the best option for long distance travel).

As I wake up at 5am the sun is rising over Taipei. It has not yet started to get hot and from my window I can see the streets are deserted. I decide to dress for the scooter and when Linda turns up to collect me from the lobby I am glad I have done so. She hands me a helmet and we criss-cross the city , wide open streets clear for a change. I am excited but apprehensive.

We park the scooter near Lindas house and she explains that we will be walking to the bus. We are going on a tour to the country region ofYilan which is about an hour and a half away. It used to be 4 hours but they built a tunnel through the mountains and now you don’t have to go all the way around. We grab some breakfast from 711 (always open and on every corner) - a banana and a juice. Linda has an unidentifiable sandwich in a packet. I decline.

She explains that her friend has organised for us to go on this tour. It is for Taiwanese people only and is very cheap - I realise it is the Taiwanese Governments version of the Stimulus Package. They give people a cheap tour to the country but when we get there we have to spend money to get into the attractions they take us to. It is still very inexpensive (I am a cashed up Aussie). I am to tell anyone who asks that I am Taiwanese. I wonder at the probability of anyone believing this - I have only seen one light haired person in two weeks and I was looking in the mirror at the time. I am also about a head taller then most of the women here. Apparently they have told the organisers that I can speak some of chinese. Hmmmm. Only if you count the words “thank you” “sorry” “breast” and “soup” as some.


We arrive at the bus terminal and I am introduced to Linda’s friend Nicky.
Nicky is as vivacious as Linda and speaks very clear English. Linda tells me that Nicky has lived in London. We are given a ticket, sign our names on an form, and climb onto the purple tour bus. Airconditioned. Orange drapery with pompom trimming. It reminds me of a cake. At least it’s a cool cake!

Our first stop in Keelong which is a smaller town just outside of Taipei. One of my girls Elaine is from Keelong and comes into Taipei to study and work. We get off the bus again and wait for about half an hour until more people join the tour. Then we have our photo taken with the tour sign. It turns out that we have to do this at every stop we make as proof to the Taiwanese Government that the tour company are actually taking the people to where they say they are going to. We can email for a copy of the photo if we would like a souvenir. I attempt to hide in the back.

From Keelong we drive for about an hour to the county of Yilan. Our first destination is a lake, called Swan Lake even though there is only one swan. Apparently it is shaped like a swan. After a side trip to a rather dubious toilet, we are life jacketed and herded onto a barge like boat. It is being driven by a rather surly teenager and we are given a commentary by a more charismatic and larger man with a microphone, of which I understand pretty much nothing. The tour is punctuated by Linda’s exclamations of delight - it turns out she is quite a nature lover - every bird and flower is a wonder. Her excitement is gorgeous to watch. I spend half the time gazing at the scenery and half the time enjoying my companions enthusiasm.

The lake is beautiful and is a protected area with lots of rare birds, fish and turtles. I am just enjoying seeing a different and more peaceful side of Taiwan. The forest is beautiful, lush and green. The area beneath them is flat and cultivated - everywhere you look something is being farmed. Fruit, vegetables, all grow here in abundance. The air is hot and humid, the sky overcast. My clothes are sticking to me under the life jacket.














When we climb off the boat we walk around the lake, following our jovial host. We see plants, butterflies in shades of brown and blue, fruit trees and finally we end up at a mountain spring. We are encouraged to take off our shoes and bath our feet. They give us cloth wipes to dip in the water and mop the sweat from our bodies. It is deliciously cool and enticing. I feel much better.

Back on the bus we head off to the Honey Farm. It is only a ten minute drive down a long straight road. The building is square and white. After the ubiquitous group photo, we follow the guide to the second story where they turn all the lights off and play us a film. It seems to be about the people who make the honey. Linda whispers a translation but I can’t really understand her and besides, it seems pretty self explanatory. I smile and nod to save her feelings (and the fact that she is probably disturbing everyone else’s enjoyment of the experience with a running English commentary!).

After the cinema experience we wander out to a balcony, across a little bridge and down a flight of stairs. There our purple suited and rather glamorous tour guides provide us with net covered straw hats and we go out to meet the bees (apparently of the stingless variety) . We taste pollen dust, and then the honey. They show us lots of bees. We remove the hat and return to the shopfront where we sample various kinds of honey, honey biscuits, honey cake, honey sweets….. Linda persuades me to buy some icecream and offers me a choice of peanut or milk. I am bemused - where is the honey? Turns out its milk and honey or peanut and honey. We buy one each. Both are delicious and taste more like honey the more you eat.


After all the honey guzzling its time for lunch and our next stop is the Whisky Distillery. Here we take a photo, and then are ushered into a huge dining hall for lunch. I eat vegetable stew with rice and soup on the side. It is surprisingly tasty, despite the Taiwanese’s penchant for fake meat products. Apparently that is all we get to do at the Distillery. Unfortunately there seems to be no free whisky on offer despite my expectations to the contrary. I toss up buying a small bottle but decide not to - I’m not that fond of whisky as it is and I’m not convinced that Taiwan is the place to buy it.



Stuffed full and in need of a nap, we are off for a walk in the forest. It starts to rain heavily and we seem to drive for miles. I start to hope that the rain has diverted us homeward. I am knackered and have been up since 5 am. Then we pull into a dirt road. It appears not. The forest is beautiful. We eat fruit (more food) and walk in the woods to a waterfall. About a 2k walk all up and surprisingly nice despite the rain. I start to feel better. On the way back we pass a man with a huge block of peanut brittle. I ask Linda and she explains it is for traditional Taiwanese ice cream. She insists on buying one for me to try - the little man shaves the peanut with a plane and we end up with a thin tortilla wrapped icecream with peanut and parsley. It is amazingly delicious. I wish I had bought one! The little man laughs and makes me pose for photos with his peanut brick.

Back on the bus, then the last stop on our exhausting tour - the hot springs. The spring is in the middle of town and this one is strictly for feet only. It is also damn hot! We have to wander a long way from the source of the spring to prevent feet scalding. Then we slip off our shoes and sit for a while dangling our toes in the warm bath. Its kind of pleasant in a “feet in a slow cooker” kind of way.


Finally its time to go home. I am exhausted and although I have had a wonderful adventure with my two new friends, I am kind of relieved. They certainly cram a lot into a day tour! We watch strange cartoons of ancient Taiwanese mythology all the way back to the city. I doze and have strange dreams of snakes and hunters and whales….

'













It is 8 pm when we get back to Taipei. Linda wants to go to the night markets for dinner but I decide to go back to the hotel - we’ll leave that experience for another day!

The only other news is that I had two stupid accidents yesterday - I fell off my chair when my foot slipped out from underneath me. Everyone went silent until they realised I was only mildly hurt. Then as I was running to catch up with Ben and Sue, I did a full on face first onto the ground banana peel stylie slip and really banged my knee. Now I am in pain and look like a kid in a schoolyard scrap. I am so tragic…..


PS Sorry for the tragic photo layout. I hate sticking photos into blogger - it takes ages!!! This is the cute little girl who we met on the tour. Linda said "She think I am toy!" She was as cheeky as she looks!

After it rains...

I am all ready for bed and turning out the lights. I make my way slowly around the room, one by one, and then I walk towards the window. There are three glass panels which take up one whole wall. I push aside the gauze and reach for the heavy curtains bunched up near the wall. Then I notice. The sky has cleared. For the first time the whole city appears before me as if at my feet. I rush to turn out my bedside light and stand in the darkness gazing out at the beautiful carpet of lights before me. I am in awe.
The colours twinkle on the horizon in waves, following the curve of the mountains. From the distant hills the buildings seem to cascade down a slope towards the river, garlands of colour. The city has the shape of an old roman ampitheatre and I am standing all alone on the stage looking up at it. In the distance, like a watchtower, I can see Taipei 101, a lone guard surveying the sweep of the city.
I can do nothing but sit and watch and wonder at the millions of lives that surround me. I am lost in the spectacle of this bejewelled night.

When the world reminds us that we are alive....

Yesterday I went out all on my lonesome and decided to go up Taipei 101 - currently the worlds tallest building (with the worlds fastest elevator). It was very very cool. I caught the metro and then a free shuttle bus. The ground floors are a big blingy shopping mall with lots of designer shops (fabulous sweetie) which I couldn't afford to buy anything from obviously. So I ate ice cream and wandered about.
Then I caught the super dooper elevator to the 91st floor - 5 to 91 in 25 seconds. The lights went out and the roof lit up like constellations. Hilarious. I think it was to take your mind off the fact you were going up really really fast.
When i got to the top the view was fabbo...


The very cool thing about Taipei 101 as opposed to other really tall buildings (ie. Empire State) is that nothing else in this city is anywhere near as tall. There are hardly any other sky scrapers at all! You feel like the whole world is at your feet. I walked around for a while feeling pretty happy with myself for being up so damn high and sent some postcards (I love sending postcards from dumb places). Then they announced that the outside level above was closing in 15 minutes due to the weather (!). I hadn't noticed anything particularly about the weather so I went up (with everyone else) and it was definately starting to get a bit wild. Then this happened: -





My pulse was racing, and I had that excited feeling you get at the pit of your stomach when something good/big/exciting/important is going to happen. I always think of it as the Kerouac "...the too big world vaulting me..." feeling.
I love the shot of adrenaline that comes from being reminded that the world is a fucking amazing place and I am so so lucky to be allowed to play in it.


On a lighter note, today I had to go to work and fit 12 boys into their Carmen costumes. The first one came in and looked like he was about to cry! I felt like I was torturing Taiwanese children. He looked so unhappy I had to laugh. Out loud! After the third one I got them to come in in pairs. They were happier after that. Apparently there is a Taiwanese childrens story about a witch who eats the ears and fingers of children when they are asleep. The girls said we were like that witch. I felt very mean!

On an even lighter note, my crocs went down well at work. They said "you look cute like duck".
Fair.
The cool building in the background with the red roof is our theatre.
xxxxxxx

Retail therapy

Its day 5. Its been a long one. We had a late start at 10 but we didn't finish fitting till 8.30. We had 9 chorus and 1 principal today and other then one total nightmare it all went well. My assistant Linda is really gorgeous. She went out and bought me noodles for lunch and then taught me how to say "boobs" in chinese (which unfortunately I have now forgotten). I have more call to use the word "boobs" then you might think. Teaching modest Taiwanese women to hoik their breasts into a corset is pretty entertaining (and quite difficult!).

After a long long day in the workroom I decided to go and buy some comfy shoes. I have finally surcumbed and bought myself some yellow Crocs. I think Crocs look damn stupid so I have never gone there, but unfortunately my feet are now so fucking sore that I can hardly stand up, so I figured i better go for the comfiest option. Which appears to be aformentioned Crocs. I caught the metro train straight from work to Ximen station (we have nicknamed it X-men) which is where all the funky young thangs go to lurk in the street and giggle and buy shoes apparently. It turns out that it was the first time I had ventured out at night on my own (in particular, without Matt or Ben). Turns out I am more conspicuous then I previously thought. I have been going out for dinner and walking around every night thinking that no one noticed that I am western and blonde in a town where NOONE is western and blonde. Apparently they do notice but are too polite to react when I am accompanied by men. On my own they do not feel the need to be so polite. I have been told tonight (in a shoe store no less) that I have beautiful eyes. In another store the sales assistant went out to try and find me the shoes I wanted from another shop. On the walk back to the metro a large group of older men actually pointed and made odd animal grunting noises. Hmmmm. Maybe will stay close to Matt and Ben in the future!

That said, Taipei feels like a very safe city (other then the scooter danger that awaits you every time you cross the road). I haven't really felt uneasy yet. But then, i have always been with people. So I shopped for about 2 hours. 3 pairs of shoes and a camera later, I came home to the hotel to find a very cute apology waiting for me.


So goodnight. I'm off to eat my fruit xxxx

Water water everywhere...

I just had a flood in my hotel room. At 11.45 pm. I was brushing my tooths and the tap fell off in my hand. Well you can imagine what happened next! Think firehydrant on tv when a car drives into it and thats pretty much what my bathroom looked like. I was wrapped in a towel so I figured I might as well try and fix it - that or leave it and run for help naked. So I wrangled with the damn tap for about 3 minutes till I worked out that there was no fucking way that the tap was going to screw back in. Expecially since the water was still coming out. So I decided to call for help. DIAL 5!
Chinese receptionist guy listens and says "ok no problem". I wait. And wait. And wait. I call for help again. "ok no problem". I wait - in the meantime the bathroom has a fucking waterfall running through it. I try again. "There is a huge flood in the bathroom and its REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY BAD". The guy turns up with a towel to fix it. "REALLY REALLY BAD" I say. He looks at it and goes "Oh" and leaves again.
5 minutes later 4 guys and a plumber arrive. What a mission! I managed to get dressed somewhere in the middle so as not to shock their delicate sensibilites. They are not so good with blondes around here, let alone naked ones!

Other then that, my 4th day in Taipei involved - breakfast buffet, arrival of americans Todd and Richard, vegetarian dumpling gift from linda my assistant, fittings fittings fittings, fittings, fittings, fittings, fittings, fittings, dinner with sue and ben in noodle house in university district, an orgasm (cocktail not the real thing!) train trip home, train trip back on wrong train, train trip home again, cold shower to wash off humidity, FLOOD!

xxxxxxxx

First day at big school

Got to theatre at 9. 6 people have dropped out so replaced by new people. Costumes arrived at 12. My assistant Linda (not her chinese name) took me to funky vegetarian for lunch - upstairs above the vegetarian health food shop. Was brave - ordered something that i couldn't read the name of!
Back to theatre - Fittings arrived at 2. 7 chorus and 5 actors later and my feet hurt. I still can't speak chinese. Seemed to go ok though, as well as I expected. Debriefed late this evening with Matt, Sue and Ben over a tin of Heineiken in Sue's hotel room. First rehearsal was chaos. Can only get better from here! Now its late and my air con sounds like its breathing. Sleep for me soon.....

Will write of last night's amusing experiences (temple to brothel in 5 minutes) tomorrow when hopefully I will not be so broken!
xxxxx
Oh. And used gym this morning! I am legend.....

I arrive in Taipei

Here I am believe it or not. Its very warm and I think its sunny but its also smoggy so its a bit hard to tell. We arrived late last night after a 10 hour flight. Air China - suprisingly pleasant! I forgot to order veggie food so I smuggled a baguette on. Caught up on my girly trash - Bride Wars, He's Just not that into you, and a depressing film starring Joacquin Pheonix and Gwynnie Paltrow called Two Lovers. It was a good film but made you want to kind of slash your wrists.

We (being Matt - director, Ben - Stage Manager and Sue - project coordinator) were collected at the airport by one of those guys with a sign. Then we had a 40 minute drive into Taipei City which was less scary then driving in Manila but more scary then driving in Singapore. We were almost sideswiped by a truck thing and weren't furnished with seatbelts, but other then that it seemed relatively ok. They at least seem to drive within the lane and the speed limit here. The preferred mode of transport is the scooter - according to my guidebook there are over 1 million in Taipei. I think most of them drive down our street every day.

We are staying at the Taipei Garden Hotel. It has the only garden I have seen here so far, but that is not saying much. From my window I can see The National Theatre (big red roofs) where we will be working, and I think Taipei 101 (worlds tallest building - for now) on the horizon. The city is next to a river and on the otherside are hills which you can see sometimes when the smog clears. Everyone is wears facemasks to prevent influenza and smog inhalation. I even saw one in a louis vitton pattern. Classy!

There is a gym on the top floor and I am going to attempt to use it. I think I will need to keep fit and healthy to keep up with the intense schedule they have set for me. I will need all the help I can get as it seems I will be eating a lot of pot noodles.

Last night we went out for a walk. It was about 10.30 here (12.30 Sydney time) and we found a courtyard with lots of bars. Ben thinks its the gay area and from the look of the waiters I think he was right. We ordered Taiwan Beer - 6 for the price of 4, and some weird Taipei specialities - chicken wings with sesame, shaved dried shredded fish with dipping sauce, and cold liquorice flavoured tofu triangles. I hate liquorice and cold tofu ain't that appealing. I wish I was more adventurous with food! So on the way home we stopped at 7-11. The place smelt strongly of egg which turned out to be because they have a little boiling machine which boils eggs in a combination of tea and chinese herbs. I was not feeling that adventurous - in fact, the smell made me want to gag. So dinner was m&ms. I know, I know. I am feeble and boring.

I made up for it at the free breakfast buffet which may be the thing standing between me and starvation for the next 6 weeks. I accidently ordered a fish omelette and had to go back for a second try, but other then that I managed to eat bread, eggybread, fruit and cereal. So it looks like breakfast has just become the most important meal of the day!

Then I had a nap - yay nap - and went down at 2 for a meeting with the production manager (whose name I have since forgotten). She was lovely though and it seems like things will be very organised. I will have an english speaking assistant who I will meet tomorrow, 2 cutters and 2 sewers and possibly a buyer as well. So it is looking more promising then I thought. Unfortunately the chorus only work in the evenings and weekends so I am going to have a bit of trouble getting them for fittings, but we'll see. Matt has said he will let me take some out of rehearsals. Fingers crossed for first day tomorrow.

We are off to explore tonight and find some actual dinner. If I can find a power adapter I will update blog tomorrow!

Ciao!