By Peter WangTime in Dulan seems to stand still. Every second slides by without causing much fuss. I look over my shoulder to the right and squint against the light reflected by the diamonds scattered on the sea. Another beautiful day. I lay on a rainbow-colored, comfy but cheap-looking hammock on the rooftop and gently swing myself from side to side, in mourning for that copy of Eat Pray Love I lost last night, when everyone was here for the party.
I met Joe in the yoga session before the party started. She came from Australia but surprisingly didn’t have a strong accent. I still regret that I haven’t got, and probably would never get, the chance to ask for her social media ID so that we can stay in touch. I had so much fun joking around with her through all those torturous yoga poses while we strived real hard not to look like some scary creature in The Exorcist. She had that easy-to-talk-to vibe but was super cool at the same time. Blonde hair, black nail polish, tattoos on her back and a nose ring. Joe told me she once lived in London, and hated it. She said “the weather is shitty, everything is expensive, and the water tastes like crap.” I cackled. Now she stays in another hostel in the neighborhood and doesn’t know what’s next. Sometimes we just need to stop planning for life, I suppose. As to the party, well…, I was, and still am, a person way too uptight for these occasions. And yes, I do feel the sudden need to apologize to my friends, who sat just beside me that night, for being an unbearable source of depression. Man, this hostel has way too many foreign faces. And by foreign, I mean Western. Look, not that I don’t like it, …, but it does, in some way, stress me out a bit, especially when they all flock to one place. I admit I could be overly, let’s say to an unnecessary and annoying degree, self-conscious sometimes. Bands playing, tambourines ringing, people chattering, and the smoke of the barbecue slowly ascending and eventually blending into that tremendous patch of gray. Chaotic peacefulness. Really bohemian, I’d say. I looked around–a typical thing people like me do when pretending to be finding something or someone but actually are just alone–and realized that I was the only one being quiet. That was when I thought I should take some special classes, if there were any, for incapable-of-socializing-in-crowded-places people, given that I do talk and make friends with others–just not on certain occasions. Plus, I came here with my wonderful friends Justine, Rich and Lauriel, which I think can somehow be counted as an evident proof of that. Speaking of Justine, my story in Dulan started because of her. Watching the band playing, I laid my head on her shoulder, arms crossed, and then looked up to the ceiling, rusty, dusty under the dim lights, and all those memories came dragging me down. I thought of Remy. I smiled. Everything we did just came floating in front of me and the air started to become hazy. A summer fling is never too sweet, never too bitter. And I thought of those words I wrote for him. They even rhymed. Maybe one day I would publish them. I laugh upon this thought. At least that’s what I was thinking about. It’s always good to write things down, isn’t it? Everyone, I believe, has the urge to put things down for the simple reason that memory, quite inexplicably, fades. Just that we always have numerous excuses to keep putting it off. Unaware of the time, I yawned and the music and noises of the party came washing into my head again. I felt like I was so detached from the environment. I pulled myself up, and looked around, as usual. Everybody seemed to be in their own world too. In groups, I mean. Beers clinking, laughter echoed. I inconspicuously moved my way through the crowd to the stairs leading down to the second floor, lowered my head a bit, squeezed myself into that tiny rabbit hole, and left the joyful chaos behind. Ecstatic. I turn my attention back to the diary and notice the book lying quietly on the tiny wooden table by the hammock. With Billie. Emil recommended it to me earlier in the morning when I whined about my loss of Eat Pray Love. He seemed to be just back from the beach surfing. Danish, short dark hair, hazel eyes, tall. He’s forty, but simply doesn’t look it. A really nice guy. Really, really nice. Always energetic, always smiling, always greeting people. The kind of person you just feel comfortable to be around with. I think that’s the magic of old people–he always calls himself old although I think he is not. He kept using the word “raw” to describe this book about Billie Holiday, a jazz singer I’d never heard of before, and would always clench his fist in front of his chest to show how powerful he felt the book is. Well, not exactly my cup of tea. I smiled, slightly shook my head, as if finding myself lost in his personality, and went on with my writing. But I guess that will be it for today. I haven’t told you about Tim and Arthur yet, and the people we met on the beach, and of course, Remy, from this summer. I really want to, but I’ll save it for next time, not that I am running out of stories though. I will be leaving tomorrow, like some other people as well, which makes me a little sad. But that’s traveling. The thing about traveling is that you meet a lot of people, but it’s rare you meet people with whom you just hit it off and suddenly become good friends. And when you become closer with them you start to panic about the day when you eventually have to say goodbye. The struggle is real, I can say, but that’s another story.
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by Chienn Tai1. 送終/Paying Last Respects
A large group of people flooded in my grandfather’s house, strangers and relatives alike. They chanted scriptures for eight hours without stopping, taking turns to help to pay their last respects to the deceased. I joined them for the last hour after my classes were over. I was asked to kneel down and press my forehead to the floor with my hands on the ground. I hesitated a little—for in my church we either fall on one knee or, during mass, kneel with our body remaining upright. Am I allowed to do this, bowing down even further than I do before the God I believe in? But then I remembered that Catholic teaching is tolerant, and that even our priest holds incense on Chinese New Year to honor our ancestors. So I knelt down, pressed my head against the floor. 2. 頭七/Rites for the First Seven Days After Death The ritual takes place every 7 days in the 49 days (7 times 7) after death. It is said that the dead enter into a state of “Bardo”(中陰身), which indicates an intermediate period of experience between death and rebirth. Every 7 days is a struggle of change, much like undergoing suicide over and over again. The descendants of the deceased are expected to recite scriptures repeatedly so as to help the dead spirit go through its suffering. It was a long process that lasted about 2 hours each time. Lights were turned off, leaving only one lamp that illuminated the memorial tablet that represented my grandfather. It reminded me of a gloomy, spooky summoning ritual in a movie, but it also had to be done. 3. 哭喪/Wailing- the Keener Wailing not only has to be done, but it has to be loud enough and gut-wrenching enough to inform the neighbors. Keeners are hired if there is not enough wailing. It doesn’t have to be genuine, but it has to be audible. This part was not included at my grandfather’s funeral, but on the day of the farewell ceremony I did witness it. 4. 入殮/Encoffining Ceremony There are two different kinds of this particular ritual, a minor one (小殮) and a complete one (大殮). The former includes bathing, dressing the body as well as applying makeup, while the latter is the act of encoffining. When the two rituals are performed separately, it means that in between there is a chance to view the body one last time before the coffin is sealed. I remember that almost all the funerals I had attended as a child required me to stare at the dead body, which I always found shocking. For my grandfather’s funeral, on the other hand, the encoffining section was completed all at once, since Taoism prefers not to have the body frozen for preservation. 5. 封釘/Sealing the Coffin This involves a symbolic action in which the master leads all participants to circle around the coffin several times, then pause at the four corners, allowing the firstborn son to press a nail into the top of the coffin lid. Finally, when every corner is nailed down, a closing nail is stuck in the head of the coffin. The firstborn kneels down, showing respect and filiality, and then picks up this last nail with his mouth. This completes the sealing of the coffin, and, finally, the body is cremated. As I left my grandfather’s house, my job was to walk down from the fourth floor to the first, tearing down pieces of small red paper we had pasted on his neighbors’ doors. This paper was supposed to ward off bad luck from the funeral. Inwardly I supposed that there was no such thing as bad luck just because your neighbor had passed away, but then again, how different is it from a Catholic painting the door with agnus dei’s blood on Passover? by 林持一 Chris LyndWe live in an era where technology advances at the speed of light. As humans’ imaginations thrive, new concepts and designs dominate every next moment of our lives. However, in a part of the car industry, things are going backwards.
Last week, Porsche’s one-off “Project Gold” 911 Turbo sports car went under the hammer at the world-famous RM Sotheby’s auction. Within ten minutes after the bidding started, the car was sold for an eye-watering £2.6 million, with all the net proceeds donated to charity. Built by Porsche’s Classic division, this golden Porsche 911 Turbo (Type 993) is a specially restored version of the original car, which was introduced in 1995. It took Porsche one and a half years to complete the construction. The “Porsche Classic” is a classic continuation programme which allows Porsche to help customers preserve old cars as well as “reintroduce” some special models such as the Project Gold. In early 2016, Jaguar announced that they were producing the 1957 Jaguar XKSS again, the road-going version of the famous Jaguar D-Type Le Mans racing car. The new Jaguar XKSS is a faithful replica, properly built according to the original blueprint with genuine Jaguar parts. However, each Jaguar XKSS costs £1 million. Later that year, Aston Martin started the production of the beautiful 1959 Aston Martin DB4 GT again, with a price tag of over £1 million. This year, they decided to continue the production of the renowned 1963 Goldfinger DB5 and the 1960 DB4 GT Zagato. These are the “continuation cars”, new cars built to old standards. Unlike any restored cars, they are not just built to preserve the car itself, but the precious skills in classic car production, car culture and racing culture. According to Mike Fernie at DriveTribe, companies such as Jaguar Land Rover, Aston Martin and Porsche are now in the process of going electric; hence why they’ve sprouted these Classic sectors to keep the diehards happy. These continuation and restoration programmes remind people of the “good old days” while moving towards the future at the other end of the business. But of course, these cars bring about huge profits, too. Apart from the continuation cars, there are also new cars that pay homage to particular old cars. Ferrari, for instance, released the “Monza Icona Special Series” a month ago. The first batch of the series, the SP1 and SP2, are models based on the current Ferrari 812 Superfast supercar paying homage to the original Ferrari Barchetta, the 1947 166 MM, the 1955 750 and 1956 860 Monza models. The Icona series reminds us of the glorious racing successes of Ferrari. Each of them costs at least £1.6 million. Recently, Porsche introduced the brand new Porsche 935 track car, a modern version of the legendary 1978 Porsche 935 “Moby Dick” racing car, based on the current production 911 GT2 RS sports car. Limited to only 77 units with a price tag of £730,000, they were all sold out before the public unveiling. The thing is though, a standard Ferrari 812 Superfast is priced around £250,000, only 15% of what a Ferrari Monza SP1 may cost. Well, the Porsche 935 is just a bit more affordable. The current Porsche 911 GT2 RS road car costs £207,500, but it’s still just nearly 1/3 of what you pay for the Porsche 935. And remember, the Porsche 935 is a track car, which means it’s not road-legal. As Tim Rodie of DriveTribe puts it, Ferrari and Porsche use existing platforms that they’ve already spent most of the development money on to make them millions. It costs relatively little money to design a different body and sell it for 5 times the original price. However, if you have no problem about budget, that’s a choice. In addition to culture preservation, it seems that going retro is really an ongoing trend. With £1 million, you can buy nearly 18 Jaguar F-Types, 6 Aston Martin DB11 V12s or 3 McLaren 720Ss, and these are luxury sports cars and supercars. But clearly, it’s all about taste and how would you like to empty your bank account. Regardless of the huge profits, what the carmakers are doing is truly phenomenal. The continuation cars help us preserve the greatness of industrial design. Rather than mere transporting vehicles, they are art pieces based on nostalgia that we can actually use in our daily lives. They should not be stored in a garage collecting dust, but be driven, enjoyed and admired. All the threats in the booming car industry, automation, electrification, the death of diesel etc, are immediate and dreadful to classic cars. Countries including Austria, Costa Rica, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Norway, South Korea, Taiwan and the United Kingdom will ban petrol and diesel engine cars in 10 to 20 years. And in the Netherlands, all vehicles will be banned thoroughly by 2030. The future doesn’t look quite friendly to vintage car culture. Or is it? In September 2017 Jaguar released the one-off E-Type Zero electric sports car, marking a new page of classic car preservation. In brief, the E-Type Zero is a standard 1968 Jaguar E-Type Series 1.5 Roadster with the XK engine replaced by an electric motor. It is the most beautiful car in the world reimagined, adapted to the future. One day, we will be out of petrol. Going electric is the definite future. The continuation cars will show the next generation what humans have achieved before engines and gears fade into history. And cars like the Jaguar E-Type Zero further promise that the automotive greatness from our past will live on. by Aria HsiaWith temperatures cooling down and winter just around the corner, curling up with a good book while sipping hot tea seems like the perfect activity on a cold rainy day. Pair it with a slice of banana cake, and the world suddenly seems much better. While I love to bake, I am not the biggest fan of spongy, fluffy cakes. Something about the light, airy texture just doesn’t satisfy me, and whenever my friends put in requests for me to bake cakes, I could never enjoy them myself. To solve this problem, I resolved to baking pound cakes and banana bread. Rather than a conventional sponge cake or a solid loaf of bread, banana bread falls right in between — it has the softness and sweetness of cake, yet the density of quick-bread (bread not leavened with yeast). Banana bread is easy to make, sweet, dense, moist, and full of flavor — what’s not to like? It’s also the perfect afternoon snack to pair with a cup of coffee, or a great on the go breakfast to grab on your way out the door.
There are thousands of different recipes out there, and very confusing for someone like me, who only bakes as a hobby. Thus, I set out to find the top three best banana bread recipes on the internet. I will be ranking these recipes based on the level of skill, taste, and overall audience reception. Whichever recipe fulfills all of the criteria above, will be crowned the title of best banana bread. Recipe One: “Best Banana Bread” from Genius Kitchen The first recipe I tried was from Genius Kitchen, an online platform that allows users to share their favorite recipes through videos. The recipe called for:
I had used this recipe before, but I always used half vegetable oil, combined with half the amount of butter. This recipe has never failed me before, but for some reason, I noticed the banana bread browning on top around 40 minutes into baking. I was slightly worried that it would be over baked and burnt on top, so I took it out of the oven once it had baked for 50 minutes. That was a mistake on my part, as once I cut a slice after letting the banana bread cool down, I noticed the center was still a bit sticky and slightly underbaked. I stuck a few of the slices back into the microwave for a few seconds, and they were cooked immediately. I suspect the browning on top had something to do with the replacement of brown sugar, as brown sugar does tend to result in baked goods being darker in color. This recipe was well-received by my friends, especially those who had a sweet tooth and loyal fans of my baked goods. One classmate claimed he tasted longan, though I’m guessing it was just the vanilla extract. Another thought the butter was too heavy and overpowered the taste of bananas. Overall, it was well received among my friends and family alike. This recipe receives a score of 3 out of 5 stars, as although the flavor was good, it was too greasy and difficult in terms of grasping the baking time. Recipe Two: “Healthy Banana Bread” from Cookie and Kate For my second recipe, I opted for a healthier recipe that claims to be “sugar-free” and lower in calories. The second recipe I attempted was from a food blog called “Cookie and Kate”, run by a self-taught photographer and cook from North Carolina. Her website features recipes that promote whole foods, and all of her recipes are vegetarian-friendly. The recipe is as below:
I split the loaf in half, and took one half to class while I left the other half in the department club room, where students come and go in between classes. I left a note that encouraged them to grab a slice and to leave me feedback. My classmates enjoyed this recipe much more than the previous one, although a few classmates weren’t fans of the cinnamon. Opinions on the cinnamon seemed to be split down the middle — people either loved it, or hated it. The nuts were a good addition, and many of my friends recommended I add even more next time. According to my professor, he was surprised that the banana bread was not as sweet as he expected. It seems that substituting honey for sugar was a good move, as it contributed to the taste without making the banana bread sickeningly sweet. The final verdict on this particular recipe is 4 out of 5 stars, as the flavor was good and the ingredients definitely contributed to the taste, but the texture was slightly too dry for my liking. Recipe Three: “Vegan Banana Bread” from BBC Good Food For my final recipe, I wanted to go above and beyond my usual baking comfort zone by tackling a vegan recipe. I am used to baking with butter, milk, and eggs, so attempting to bake without those ingredients is something quite new to me. More and more people are becoming health-conscious, so it seemed like a good idea to practice making recipes that target unique diets. To my surprise, this recipe had the simplest ingredients out of all three. I was expecting some peculiar replacements for ingredients such as milk and eggs, yet the recipe just completely excluded them. The recipe calls for:
The resulting banana bread was far more solid and bread-like than any of the other banana breads. It looked just like a loaf of toast when I first pulled it out of the oven. I noticed that the loaf was much shorter than the others, and the top had the most even coloring. Once the loaf cooled down, I helped myself to a slice and immediately fell in love with this recipe. The texture of the banana bread is soft but dense at the same time, and I was reminded of a traditional Chinese cake called Fa Gao (發糕) which is steamed instead of baked to achieve the chewy texture. As for flavor, it maintained the right balance of sweetness, and I could taste hints of the nuts and cinnamon coming through the taste of banana. My friends were shocked when I told them that this recipe was vegan, as I think they were expecting all vegan food to be bland and dry. However, this recipe completely opened my eyes to a new world of vegan baking that I had never explored before. I have nothing but praise for this recipe, and I’m ranking it with 5 out of 5 stars. In conclusion, I’m giving the title of Best Banana Bread to the third vegan recipe, for its simplicity in ingredients yet outstanding flavor. I’m sure my friends much preferred the second recipe, but as a baker, I am thoroughly impressed and satisfied with the results of the vegan recipe. I encourage you to attempt any of the recipes above to decide your own choice of winner, but after three weeks of baking and three loaves of banana bread, it’s safe to say that I won’t been approaching bananas for a while. by PeterTaipei is indeed a bustling city–a place where people all seem to compete with each other to see who walks faster. However, it’s also a basin nurtured by winding streams and green hills, providing its people easy access to nature. Sick of the sound of cars and scooters? Why not slow down a bit and follow my footprints into the woods?
Xianjiyan Trail (仙跡岩) How to get there: At Jingmei Station (景美站), take exit 1 and make a U-turn immediately to your left and go through the Jingmei night market all the way to the end. Behind the block you are facing is the start of the trail. Xianjiyan is most famous for an instagram check-in spot where you can have a picture of you sitting in a tree with spectacular scenery in the background (like my photo here!). Personally I would say the best time to visit is at night, since it would be less crowded and much cooler. However, please note that the trail is quite dark during nighttime and thus hiking alone is not recommended (be safe!). In terms of its difficulty, most parts of the trail are paved with concrete steps and are thus suitable for all ages. Although it doesn’t have the most promising-looking start, the view from the top is definitely worth the hike. Seeing the dazzling lights of the city below you is like drowning in a galaxy of stars. In sum, if you are seeking a sense of achievement but are not ready to sweat, Xanjiyan is the perfect hiking spot for you. *There are 13 starting/ending points in total. Hikers can freely choose where to get on the trail and where to get off. Jinmian Mountain (金面山) How to get there: At Xihu Station (西湖站), take exit 1 and make a U-turn immediately to your left and go through a traditional market. Turn right at the end and keep going straight. Turn left into the lane at the Family Mart. Jinmian Mountain is best known for its steep, rocky ridge and desert-like landscape. Another attraction of this trail is the splendid panorama of Taipei it provides from the mountain top, where you can see airplanes taking off from Songshan airport. Be sure to put on sunblock and wear a cap before you hike, since there is little shade along the trail and you can easily get sunburned. Unlike Xianjiyan Trail, Jinmian Mountain is a spot that guarantees its visitor an intense hiking experience. Although the total height of the mountain isn’t very great, this trail is definitely the hardest of the three. It’s a huge test of stamina and some sections may even require the work of both hands and feet. Make sure you bring enough water/sports drinks because it is rare that hikers don’t end up being breathless and soaked in sweat (stay hydrated!). In short, if you are looking for a chance to challenge yourself, Jinmian Mountain will definitely satisfy you. Sandiaoling Waterfall Trail (三貂嶺瀑布群) How to get there: Hop on a train heading toward Su’ao/Fulong at Taipei Main Station and hop off at Sandiaoling Station. Ask the station staff how you can get to the trail and be prepared to be told, “there’s only one way.” Sandiaoling Trail is probably the one that most qualifies as “a walk in the woods.” It’s a mild, relaxing hiking spot where you will automatically quiet down to listen to the sounds of silence. Roaming along the trail, the trees seem to bow at your coming and create shade for you. Although its total ascent is the highest among the three, most of the trail is surprisingly smooth. However, there are indeed some sections that are rather slippery or challenging (as shown in the photo). The greatest feature of the trail is the three waterfalls hikers will meet along the hike, Hegu Falls, Motian Falls, and Pipa-Dong Falls. My personal favorite is Pipa-Dong, since there’s a place below the waterfall where you can rest your feet in the streaming water and look back over at the valley you just trekked through. In sum, if you have a day off, why not leave behind mundane urban life and go check it out? by Takeshi UchidaWhere do you study every day? Please don’t say, ”I don’t study.” We are NTU students, so we have to study every day, right? Okay, okay. Maybe most students would say “at the library” or “at home.” These places are good to study, but we are university students. I would like to say, “I study economics in cafés” because it sounds so cool. I have decided on this topic because I go to coffee places and study hard, so I spend a lot of time everyday at coffee shops. The prices of cafés in Taiwan are about the same or more expensive than in Japan. So we have to find quality cafés worth the money. I have found good cafés so I will review them for you. Do you know some coffee places? Maybe I can provide you with some new ones.
First is Barista Coffee. I usually order a hamburger and black coffee. This coffee place is a chain cafeteria, like Starbucks. To be honest, I come to this coffee place every day. This café opens at 7 a.m., and since I have a class that ends at 10 a.m. this is the only café that is open. Before 11 a.m, a combination of hamburger and coffee costs NT 109. Coffee only is NT 100, so the morning service is much better. There are a lot of electrical outlets and big tables, so it is very comfortable to study. Also, this shop has a lot of toilets, so I don’t have to wait for a long time to use the restroom. But after 11 a.m., food and drinks are a little more expensive, so please go before then. I usually stay for 5-6 hours, but it’s no problem because there are a lot of seats. I strongly recommend this place. Address: No. 88, Section 3, Xinsheng South Road, Da’an District, Taipei Address: No. 88, Section 3, Xinsheng South Road, Da’an District, Taipei City, 台湾 106 The Second coffee place is “Café Bastille”. This is near Barista Coffee. Between Family Mart and McDonald’s, you can find this place. This café doesn’t have much seating, so it is not noisy and not so busy inside. Also, the set of desserts and juice is cheaper than if you buy them separately. Only coffee is 100NTD and desserts are also 100NTD, but the set price is 165NTD. This shop has a calm and retro atmosphere, so you can concentrate on your studying. Moreover, during night time, this café changes into a fashionable bar. So, if you can drink, its also a good place to go at night. However, I think this has one bad point. The restroom is little bit dirty. But if you can focus on studying, slightly dirty toilets are no problem. Address: No. 91號, Wenzhou Street, Da’an District, Taipei City, 台湾 106 My third recommendation is Brass Joy café, very close to NTU’s main gate. Maybe you have seen it before. This place has a second floor and I like second floor better, because the first floor is little bit noisy. A very good point of the place is its food. In this café, there are many food options, including pasta, hamburgers, sandwiches, etc. If you want to eat something, I recommend this place. The prices are also cheaper than other cafés. For example, pasta is NT 150 and coffee is NT 70. The bad point is that it is a little bit noisy. Since the food here is cheaper, many families and students come here and talk. Maybe this sometimes bothers your studying. So if you want to focus on homework, I recommend the other places. Address: No. 96-1, Section 3, Xinsheng South Road, Da’an District, Taipei Lastly, my favorite café is not really a café. This café has only teas. Its name is C-tea loft. It serves many kinds of tea, including green tea, earl grey tea, fruit tea, and so on. Almost all the tea costs NT 150. When you study here, you can calm down and concentrate. Moreover, this tea house has Japanese style seats and seats like cradles. The shop manager is very kind and you can enjoy talking with him. Also, he likes pets. So sometimes when you are here, you can see cute cats. What I like best in this tea house is that you can drink unlimited tea and only pay once. So you can stay a long time. This spot is so beautiful that even some dramas have been filmed here! Address: No. 4, Alley 19, Lane 283, Section 3, Roosevelt Road, Da’an District, Taipei Address: No. 4, Alley 19, Lane 283, Section 3, Luosifu Road, Da’an District, Taipei City, 台湾 106 These are my reviews. Now do you want to go to cafés? If you think so, I am so glad. To be honest, I spend a lot of money on food and drinks, but depending on what you want to order, I really recommend going daily. When you need a change of scenery, studying in cafés is so refreshing. Thank you for reading! |
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May 2024
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