Well, for all the hoorah around the dragon boat races and the Dragon Boat Festival here, it is the world Cup that is taking centre stage in the big cities. In the south, where we are living, it is less pronounced and the festival is a higher priority (however, the population of the south is almost 100% indiginous and the Dragon Boat Festival is a Chinese holiday and memorial...soooo..some people are not too involved in it at all, but most are into it for the sake of entertainment but not for the historical perspectives).This weekend we took to Taipei to take part in the Dragon Boat race (get 20 foreigners in a dragon boat for their first time ever and see how well they do...) and then to have a city weekend watching some soccer and taking in the signts yet unseen in Taipei.
The race was decent - Crystal couldnt make our first race, and there was not to be a second because we came in dead last, so she did not get to play - but not a momentous occasion as I was expecting. The crowd was into it, but it is a little slow to watch heat after heat of boats of strangers do the exact same thing. Definitely not worse than watching golf...nothing could be...but not an experience to draw me back to it next year. After the race and the group downtime, we decided to break for the afternoon, go our separate ways and then meet up at night for a soccer evening in a local pub. All turned out nicely. I spent way too much getting lost with a taxi driver or two, almost paid $30 CDN for a small bag of flax seed (always check the bill twice!!) and got a triathlon-worth of exercise walking around the city and dealing with the subway system stairs. Totally worth every minute, and I got to explore a brand new part of the city. Night brought a soccer game on a tv, a few beers of Taiwanese origin and some good time spent with other foreigners (which is a total rarity for us!!).
Saturday, Crystal made it to Taipei, we met up and hit the city. Leaving the confines of our hostel we meandered around town, did some errands and saw some sights. I had the glorious idea of visiting the epic (by reputation) National Palace Museum. I thought it would be cool. It wasnt. It was a boring, run of the mill exposition of Chinese crafts and historical artifacts. That in itself was highly interesting, but when it is splayed out in such a dry fashion and 6.4 trillion (yes, trillion.....I know, I know...) other Taiwanese people also want to look at the same stuff, it is hot, crowded, boring and just overall a bad experience. So, we left. We saw the main piece - a jade carving of a head of lettuce which is truly stunning - and wandered through most other displays but took in rather little. The enormity of the Chinese history is just oo large to drink in so quickly. anywho, we up and left, hit the road and made it back to the hostel area for dinner, another soccer game and some really expensive peanuts. Sunday, home home home!
National Palace Museum. Long history that is currently the source of much debate - many, all in fact, of the materials in this museum were once part of China and when the Sun-Yet Sen and Chiang Kai Shek exodus to Taiwan took place, they brought with them all sorts of treasured historical items. Now, China wants them back, but Taiwan has taken them as their own national materials. So, the battle goes on and on.
The days are drawing to a close here....less than two weeks left and so much still to do. Packing, goodbye dinners, planning for next year.... . It will get done, it has to, piece by piece. We also want to enjoy the time we have left in this part of Taiwan so we are taking available opportunities to poke our heads in random places and see what there is to see.
Saturday, Crystal made it to Taipei, we met up and hit the city. Leaving the confines of our hostel we meandered around town, did some errands and saw some sights. I had the glorious idea of visiting the epic (by reputation) National Palace Museum. I thought it would be cool. It wasnt. It was a boring, run of the mill exposition of Chinese crafts and historical artifacts. That in itself was highly interesting, but when it is splayed out in such a dry fashion and 6.4 trillion (yes, trillion.....I know, I know...) other Taiwanese people also want to look at the same stuff, it is hot, crowded, boring and just overall a bad experience. So, we left. We saw the main piece - a jade carving of a head of lettuce which is truly stunning - and wandered through most other displays but took in rather little. The enormity of the Chinese history is just oo large to drink in so quickly. anywho, we up and left, hit the road and made it back to the hostel area for dinner, another soccer game and some really expensive peanuts. Sunday, home home home!
National Palace Museum. Long history that is currently the source of much debate - many, all in fact, of the materials in this museum were once part of China and when the Sun-Yet Sen and Chiang Kai Shek exodus to Taiwan took place, they brought with them all sorts of treasured historical items. Now, China wants them back, but Taiwan has taken them as their own national materials. So, the battle goes on and on.
The days are drawing to a close here....less than two weeks left and so much still to do. Packing, goodbye dinners, planning for next year.... . It will get done, it has to, piece by piece. We also want to enjoy the time we have left in this part of Taiwan so we are taking available opportunities to poke our heads in random places and see what there is to see.
