city of glass noodles

any second-grader could tell you, taipei is surrounded by mountains that form the walls of a basin, and that the city sits more or less at the bottom of the bowl.

i’ve been away for decades. people kept asking me if i remember anything. yes, but what i remember is nothing like what’s around me.

however, i was buzzed to discover taipei is familiar in all the ways modern metropolises are familiar; technology and consumerism are the twin strands of their shared dna.

i didn't anticipate this obvious connection. clearly, my memory of taipei had held me back.

i was traveling to a conference in taichung, near the center of the island. i was lucky to end up with a group where the mix of personalities and quirks worked and all of us were in a good mood.

but what really bonded us was the food. it was an adventure every time we sat down. from dizzying array of dishes at the east-meets-west breakfast buffet, to ice monster’s instantly addictive 4 mangos-shaved ice, or the fluorescent gastronomic freakshow at the nightmarkets, we just ate and ate and ate, and at times, shared involuntary grunts and gutturals to further that team spirit.

*** *** ***

i met chloe and her brother just outside of the nightmarket. it was late but we decided to hit one of the teahouses on yangmingshan, the popular mountainous park just to the north of the city.

chloe is daphne’s friend from college. she’s been back in taiwan for a couple of years, but we’ve kept in touch. she even sent ione several beautiful chinese picture books last year.

having tea at a taiwan teahouse was something new, especially at night, and on yangmingshan. as we twisted our way up the mountain, past chengchi university, the city sprawled below us a bit l.a.-like, except for taipei 101, one of the tallest buildings in the world, jutting into night sky like a mutant asparagus.

about half way up the mountain we stopped at a modest but cozy place with a great view from the second floor. it was slightly damp, and the city glistened like glass noodles. when we walked in, a middle-aged man at a corner table littered with empty beer bottles was sobbing uncontrollably. "ah, don't think that way," several of his friends were trying to console him.

“men and alcohol,” chloe sniffed, and ushered us upstairs.

i found most of the mandarin-pop on taiwanese radio unlistenable. in fact, songs posted with this and the next couple of entries are not necessarily made in taiwan. but beyond’s oasis-like chord theft, at17’s lounge flourishes, and wang leehom’s peking opera hip-hop (with the korean idol rain) speak to a irreverent pop culture driven by ravenous consumption of anything within reach.

Posted by cellpharmer at January 13, 2007 06:21 AM