Talking Movies: Locke and Last Train Home

Saturday August 16, 2014
(Spoilers)
 
I have the movie Locke on my mind this morning. I enjoyed it. It’s a very thoughtful movie – something that you could discuss afterwards for a long time. At least, I could. I forget about most movies almost before they’re over. Movies like this stick with me.
My one complaint – if I had to come up with one – is that …

A Walk to the Weather Radar Station

I had plans to leave Guiuan yesterday, but I woke up to rain and it continued to rain off and on all day. Today, the skies are clear and blue, so the plan is to leave in an hour or two.
After I had breakfast yesterday morning (at Sanley Express Meals again), there was a break in the rain and I set off on foot to …

Vaccinations and the Human Race as Bread Mold

Things that come up in this post:

travel vaccinations for Japanese encephalitis, rabies, and polio at the NTU travel clinic
cycling around the world
the life cycle of the human race is like the growth of bread mold
woodblock prints exhibit at the National Museum of History in Taipei
Changsha porcelain exhibit at the National Museum of History in Taipei
the eight deities in ivory, oracle bones, and silver ingots that …

“The Moonlight in Jilin” at the Spot Taipei Film House

The Taiwanese movie The Moonlight in Jilin is currently playing at the Spot Taipei Film House. If you want to see it, you’ll have to move fast. It’s only playing until May 25th.
Tuesday May 22 – 18:40
Wednesday May 23 – 12:50 and 20:50
Thursday May 24 – 12:50 and 20:50
Friday May 25 – 11:00
So, we’ve established that you have to move fast if you want to see it. But …

Jiping Zhao – Film Score Concert at Zhongshan Hall

Zhao Jiping is one of the best-known composers in China. Among his work are the film scores for several famous movies, such as Raise the Red Lantern and Farewell My Concubine. He’s known for his ability to combine traditional Chinese instruments and music with conventional western orchestral styles. On Saturday night, the Taipei City Chinese Orchestra performed some of his most famous pieces in a …

Sherlock Holmes & Ferries to China

Not much of interest happened this past week. I passed some time reading two Sherlock Holmes novels. I read A Study in Scarlet and The Sign of the Four. As far as I know, A Study in Scarlet was the first story that Arthur Conan Doyle wrote about Sherlock Holmes. I found it interesting partially because I could contrast it with the first episode of …

Bike Touring and Cycling in Taiwan

Recently, two people who are cycling around the world asked me if I had any tips about cycling in Taiwan. They were in China at the time, and asked me if I knew about the ferry that was supposedly running from Kinmen (a group of small Taiwanese island off the coast of China) to the main island of Taiwan. They also asked about the possibility …

World Biking – Quest to Cycle Every Country on Earth

On Sunday, the weather finally cleared up a bit and it stopped raining. That’s good news for Amaya and Eric, two people I know through the Internet who are currently cycling in Taiwan. They are on a quest to be the first couple to cycle through every country in the world. I believe Taiwan is country number 81 for them.
They began cycling in June of …