my first leap

After an exciting tussle of football; Ronaldo and Figo are two guys girls drool over. Sophia has been keeping track. She was mighty upset (we were all asleep) when Argentina lost to Germany and Martina (tennis) lost on the same night. You might have heard her scream that night wherever in the world you may have been.

Sausages here are great. You get a variety. There are stalls selling sausages of different flavours eg chocolate, wasabi or with rice inside. And exotic fruits are plentiful. Every day, it gets so hot, you have to have yourself fresh real fruit crushed into mush – yum.

The transport infrastructure here is much more developed than China but not yet surpassing HK. In terms of tourism, if China scares you in terms of being tourist non-friendly (remoter areas); Taiwan would be a good start because in terms of architecture and scenery; areas in Taiwan offer a touch of raw China and a more than a touch of HK in more developed parts.

Sophia and I found the cinema showing films at the Taipei Film Festival in Ximen so when she flies back to HK tomorrow, I might catch a couple of films. Having met people here involved in many films; I’ve been given a list of must-watch-when-I-get-a-chance films. Sophia tells me I should push it more and try to get representation here in Asia. It made me think.

So France beat Brazil; we can’t believe it here but I’m glad.

***

To Em: It’s the people I hang around with; really, really trully.

To Simon: Good to hear from you; I’ll try call mum soon.

To Nick: Congratulations on getting in the scriptwriting course brainbox; how is that holy head of yours?

To Graham: Yes, it may have been me you saw on TV, it seems I’m appearing in the first episode of ‘Silent Witness’ on 10th and 11th July.

To Joao: Your guys beat England, I can’t believe it!

To Seb: You set for Singapore? It would be cool to see you. Are you ready for the heat?

***

Photo $5.99 (92 x 115 in)

We all have our time machines. Some take us back, they’re called memories. Some take us forward, they’re called dreams. – Jeremy Irons. British Actor, b.1948

I’m back in Taipei at another location. Sophia and I are staying tonight at Yating’s new place. This internet cafe is nearby near Taipower Building Station and a famous night market near Shudah Road, trendy, full of students and all types of food stalls; like living smack in the middle of Covent Garden but more of the student variety.

It’s 3.25am. I’ve just watched England lose to Portugal. I’ve never been so excited about a game; I guess it’s got to do with the fact that Yating, Ling, Sophia and Ling’s sister were all cheering for Portugal and I felt I had to show a little for England. We went to a bar near the 101 Tower (tallest building in the world until next year when Shanghai will outdo Taiwan) where football supporters were very polite and tame and we girls were one of the few noisier tables. For the first half, all you could here from our table was ‘Not Rooney again!’ You know I’m not into football but today I cheered England on and felt rotten when they lost. My girl friends’ only consolation was ‘now you can support France’ who played Brazil straight after.

On Wednesday night on the way from the MRT to our hotel in Ximen, we got out of Ximen Exit No.6 and found a film crew there filming a Taiwanese film called, yes you’ve guessed, ‘Ximen Exit No. 6’. It seems that the exit is famous for old men looking for young school girls and young girls looking for old men and other ‘interesting’ people.

So, some amazing things have happened since I wrote last. The last few days the temperature has been from 29 – 36 degrees. I’m getting used to it though I’ve got a rash on my neck and legs at the moment and I don’t know if it’s the detergent used on the clothes, the materials themselves (in this heat and non-breathable) or just plain heat rash – it’s bugging me.

On the Thursday; we arrived at Taitung after a relaxing journey – the trains are great, air conditioned, spacious, slow – you can enjoy the view – and went straight to the film set of the film ‘The Drummer’. We hired a car and in that sort of temperature, the air conditioning was very much appreciated by all. Taitung is not a place you can just walk around.

On set, near the Chihpen Hot Springs and the Royal Hotel Chihpen high up in the mountains, I met Alex (art director), Long (production manager), Kenny (director) and Jack (very popular wardrobe person) and others who I didn’t get a chance to speak to. Chihpen is covered in mountains of a such deep lush green that you can’t see the soil or small dirt roads that weave in and out of it. Alex tell us it took 20 days to build the bamboo huts that make up the village that are part of the set and as it’s up high in the unreachable mountains, they had to pave the road to get their vehicles up there. We left feeling quite chuffed after Alex gave us a guided tour.

Chihpen Hot Springs was our next stop. Ling tells us on our first day that we’ve got to try their hot springs before we go. You can do it naked (indoors) or with swimming costume (outdoors). Yating and Shihmen wanted to go starkers. I’m a prude so Sophia and I opted for outdoor and not starkers. We had to purchase a towel and cap (compulsory for outdoors). There were different pools separated by large pebbles with levels of hotness and there were different areas where water bubbled and you just put your body against the bubbles or bursts of water to massage whichever part you want to massage. Very refreshing and relaxing; and when you’re swimming and gob in a bit of water, it’s pretty cool to not taste salt or chlorine but spring still water.

Staying in Taitung and in the mountains you need to spray yourself with insect repellent. Sophia has a HK-made one which has only natural ingredients and smells like lemongrass (one of the ingredients). I like the smell. I did buy a brand that Yating uses called ‘Off!’ which also has only natural ingredients and smelt of orange. I prefer the lemongrass smell. They both seem to be working just fine. But I’ve been told if they want your blood, they will find a way – bloody buggy bliters!

We stayed at the guesthouse called (literally translated) ‘Overlooking the hut’; the owners grow their own tea and lemongrass and on Friday we drove around the Taitung area. We did the tourist destinations cruising about; traffic is almost non-existent and everybody just seems to be taking it easy as well. Driving in Taipei is a mad affair. Yating and Ling are crazy wild drivers. My sisters would tell you I’m a dazed driver but my friends are mad! Ling did a U-turn on a busy road, then decided it was the wrong direction, then another U-turn, making a huge circle! She calmly tells us ‘It’s easy as long as you’re not scared’. Crazy woman! But we do appreciate her driving us around in her air conditioned car of an orange. 

The tourist attractions: The Flowing River is a pretty, fake river of clear blue built for some purpose but seems forgotten about – we surprised a man in his swimming brief coming out of the water. We snacked on some stones near a restaurant overlooking the sea and Sophia thought she saw a whale – but as we watched the same spot for half an hour and it looked like it wasn’t moving (though the waves were breaking at the same point giving the impression it was moving) – that became our fake whale. We drove to Chu Lu Ranch and tasted fresh cow’s milk and saw some real and fake cows. (In Taiwan, same as in China, drinks tend to be sweetened and if you ask for coffee, the assumption is that you want 2 sugars and milk with it so if you don’t, specify.) We went to a place called ‘Water Running Up’ to see a stream of about 15cm where the water ran upwards. Yating tells us it looks like it but due to some geographical logic it really isn’t, so that was our fake 15cm water running up. Then that evening we went to a seafood restaurant recommended to us by the owner of the guesthouse – very nice. A group of people sat on the table next to us; one of them looked like Jane Goode, the famous woman in the film ‘Gorillas in the Mist’, according to Yating and Sophia. At the end; while they got more snacks from the local 7-11, and being egged on, I returned first to the scene of the crime to get an autograph. Yating and the rest came along soon after and we had this incredible meeting with this woman that they admired. Later in the car, I looked at the autograph, it didn’t say Jane Goode, but Elizabeth Something!! So that was our fake Jane Goode. We’ve been meaning to google this Elizabeth woman as we’re convinced she’s famous for something. We laughed about it; at least we made her feel special for a whole 10 mins! That was our fake Friday.

Saturday, after breakfast, we drove back to the film set. I’m blind and can’t take small hints from Sophia who kept pointing at her eye. I thought she was bitten and was in some sort of eye fit or something. But no, Sophia and Yating had to tell me in a loud and obvious manner that over there in the distance is Sinje Lee (main lead in the film ‘The Eye’). I got closer and sure enough it was her. They were shooting a scene in the village right there and then. I took some photos. Then Sophia whispered into my ear that the guy who was sitting just on my left is Jacky Chan’s son and he’s the male lead. I nod to this. I mean what can you say to that? As we were about to leave, I can’t remember what I said but Jacky Chan’s son, Jay Cee, must have heard my accent and jumped up and asked me if I was from England. I said yes and asked him ‘has he been?’; he tells me (in front of everyone) that he has. Then he asks me what sign I am. I say ‘What do you mean sign (you know, I’ve been ranting about signs, what signs does he mean)? so after a little confusion he tells he meant Star sign. I tell him I’m a Pisces. Then he turns to this pretty girl who I find out later is his assistant and tells her ‘I told you so, didn’t I tell you she’s a Pisces’. I’m a little surprised to say the least, that this guy has been discussing my star sign with others and we were only there for an hour or so. I ask him how he knew. He tells me he’s allergic to Pisces. I explain to him that the word ‘allergic’ suggests that he doesn’t like Pisces. He explains he’s likes beef like Pisces but they’re not good for him but he likes them. He tells me he’s allergic to Aquarius as well and his mother is Aquarius. Imagine, we are having this conversation in front of everyone. Then he tells me I’m a super Pisces, very graceful and feminine etc. Whatever he’s saying he’s really happy he was right about me being a Pisces. Sophia tells him she’s a Pisces as well. He proceeds by telling me that his assistant and the director Kenny are both also Pisces! He asks me my birthdate; I tell him 1st March. His assistant tells me hers is 9th March. Then he asks me what my boyfriend’s star sign is!

Being kicked off. Will respond to comments tomorrow!

Nobody holds a good opinion of a man who holds a low opinion of himself – Anthony Trollope.