Aug 8

This morning we leave Meinong. I must say that I am ready to go. I have enjoyed it, but in the few days left I am eager to see more of the Island. We are taking a bus to Pindong, then a train to Taitung, where we will spend the night (although we do not have rooms booked). From there we will go to Hualin, which is close to the Taroko Gorge. In Hualin w are staying at a Japanese style guesthouse owned by a friend of Jeff’s friend. Gina, one the girls I am traveling with, is good at making connections and accepting offers of hospitality. If I were on my own I know I would just follow the guide books recommendations, so this is a great experience for me. Usually I don’t like staying with people I don’t know.

Trailhead ammenities
The trail was covered in some places...
and missing in others.
lunch at the butterfly cafe

Aug 7-

On our last full day in Meinong Orange and Arthur offered to take us hiking. Once again the typhoon damage interfered with our plans. The trail was blocked by fallen trees and power lines, all of which we were able to navigate around. In retrospect continuing as far as we did may not have been the best idea. At one point when we were trying to climb above a blocked portion, I got the distinct impression that much of the ground was still liquefied, and that if I slid, I would take a chuck of hillside with me. Eventually we reached a section where the road had completely disappeared down the hill, and decided that it was time to turn around. I doubt we made it halfway along the trail, but as I see it this will be a more memorable experience than if the trail was clean and we reached the top, no matter how stunning the view may be.

Aug 6- Serendipity

Today was a pretty busy day. We had been invited on a trip to an aboriginal village south of Meinong by Orange and her husband Arthur. (of course these are not their real names) They are teachers who have been active with MPA since the beginning and have helped out several times during our stay. Now that there are only three of us left, as well as Dave’s girlfriend Kari, they have been kind enough to show us around. The six of piled into the car and head for the mountains, only to be denied entry at a checkpoint (you have to show ID to enter the aboriginal villages). Typhoon Haitung had seriously damaged the road in, and we would not be able to make it. Discouraged, we headed down the mountain. On the way down we stopped at a hillside restaurant/café owned by a famous artist, Sakuliu. The gate was locked, and we were looking at the building when some people drove up. They explained that they were not opened because of the typhoon that just past (another typhoon came through this weekend, but it was not as bad as Haitung)) but eventually agreed to make some coffee. As it turned out Sakuliu was there, and we ended up spending hours sitting around talking to him about art and architecture and aboriginal traditions. It was amazing. We aren’t quiet sure why he came out of his studio to talk to us, since he sent everyone else away that stopped in. By the time we left we had drank wine, ginger flower tea, and another tea he whipped up out of various leaves, as well as eating a rabbit he killed the day before.

Studio wrap up:

My project was to present a proposal for the reuse of the buiding we were using as a studio space. It was a former tobacco processing station, where farmers would bring in tobacco and get paid according to the quality. The market for tobacco in Taiwan has crashed due to the WTO, so the space has been empty for a couple years. Although we did come up with the design, most important thing was to communicate the potential of the site. The project went ok, not the best I've done. It was hard finding a balance between working as a PR project and actually designing the space, like in a normal architecture studio. I certainly don't feel as though we were able to design a project we believed in, because the instructor kept pushing us in a different direction. In the end I think he wanted something splashy and eye catching, rather than something thoughtfully considered. At least that was my feeling. I think that was the root of my frustration. He kept pushing for things that we knew would be a lot of work to resolve architecturally, but we didn't have the time to resolve them. But likeI said, I have come to realize that the focus of the studio was less on learning design than it was experiencing community activism/ participatory design. We were there to spark ideas and raise support for MPA.

Just a few fun images to keep you entertained.

It's not uncommon for the head and feet to come on the plate with the chicken. This one was a bit thirsty for taiwanese liquor.
astro turf helmet
taipei graffiti

The Next Generation students painted a sign on the side of the building. It means something like "future vision gallery", alluding to the idea of our presentations providing inspiration for future development in Meinung.

The final presentation is over and all the frustration has melted away. We had a long day, but it ended with a big party and everyone had a good time. We taught the Taiwanese students to play quarters, and made quite a ruckus at dinner. Fortunately the restaurant is somehow affiliated with MPA, so they didn't care. Most people have left for Taipei, or at least started the trip. I'm not sure how far they will get, because the last report said that Taipei was flooded. Another typhoon is moving through the region. This one isn't nearly as big or strong as Haitung, and it also didn't pass directly over the island. Still there is a lot of wind and rain, particularly in the north. Because of the typhoon I am staying in Meinung for the weekend. One of the local school teachers has offered to take us to an aboriginal village. Next week we (traveling with a couple friends) will go to Kenting, in the south. Kenting is a national park on the southern tip of the island, complete with mountains, beaches, and scooter rentals. After Kenting we will head up the east coast, but we haven't planned where to stay or what to see. It's a fly by the seat of your pants affair. I don't know what my connection opportunities will be, so this may be the last time I post before Taipei, which theoretically is a wireless city.

Exporting on the fly

Today our presentation posters were due. We had a 9am deadline, so I ended up holding my computer as I rode to school, because my files were taking a long time to export to PDF format. Now we have a model to finish before the open house tomorrow. We shall see how the day goes.

Wasabi makes the day bright

Today is a bad day. Today is the kind of day when you want to pull your hair out and throw things, when you begin to lose respect for your instructor and feel like its less important that you learn than be a tool. I feel like a tool, and today I am ready for the studio to be over.

Enough of that. On a more interesting note, I have conducted an experiment, based on the success of Taco Bell hot sauce for cleaning pennies. For those interested, Wasabi sauce does not work nearly as well. Score one for the Bell.