This is a rarity: a post about LOVE on my blog. It's true. Believe it or not, the word/idea does cross my mind quite often, in various forms. Now, I shall make transparent one of these thoughts.
Today on the MRT, I sat across the train from a young couple. Now, this couple was a bit older than the usual highschool-hold-me-tight-I-hate-my-life couples you often see coming home at night. They were a bit more refined, yet active in their interaction. Thus, it was quite plain to see that this couple was in the early stages of love. Everything about them spoke clearly of their budding obsession: the way they hung on each other's every word, the way the managed to be oblivious yet incredibly acute to your surroundings at the same time, the way they forged excuses to be closer...to touch cheeks (which then granted an excuse to sneak in an all-too-short kiss) as they pointed out something to each other outside the window, even the clothes they wore. It was throbbing in their hearts and painted on their faces. It was refreshing. It was cliche. It was warming. It was nauseating. It was ....well, many of us have been there before.
My recounting of their actions and my musings on their joy is not the point of this discussion. No, it is more about the road my mind eventually waddled down while observing them...the road of thought of this time of relationship development. Now, my thoughts on the subject were fueled by my recent reading material: a short book called Lust, by Simon Blackburn. More specifically, my thoughts found themselves pondering a section of the book that describes the process referred to as "crystallization". It is exactly this stage of love in which this process is in fullest effect. But first, to quote on crystallization:
"'At the salt mines of Salzburg, they threw a leafless wintry bough into one of the abandoned working. Two of three months later they haul it out covered with a shining deposit of crystals. The smallest twig, no bigger than a tom-tit's claw, is studded with a galaxy of scintillating diamonds. The original branch is no longer recognizable. What I have called crystallization is a mental process which draws from everything that happens new proofs of the perfection of the loved one.'(Stendhal)"
This description gives us a lovely metaphor for this process. However, in my opinion, this metaphor leaves a bit t be desired.
First, as Blackburn points out, "...Stendhal's image seems a little overdone...If a partner sings out of tune, the lover does not so much hear it as in tune, as finds it strangely untroubling....They do see each others' cellulite, warts, and squints, but the strange thing is tha they do not mind them and may even find them enchanting." In my case, surely the young man has noticed that the boots she's wearing are a few months too soon, thus making them unpractical and ridiculous, but he probably views them as a charming quirk of her get-up.
Secondly, Stendhal's description of the branch as a "leafless wintry bough" seems a bit off. Using the metaphor as our lens, this image suggests that the relationship is tried and old, a stage at which point this 'crystallization' is no longer in full effect (or perhaps no effect or even the opposite). Anyway, anyone who claims to have been in love knows well of this stage and its consequences. Am I suggesting that these are negative consequences to be entirely avoided? Nay, this is perhaps the most enjoyable sage of love, and who knows if 'falling in love' would even happen without this process.
However, certainly there are some pitfalls to be vaulted in the area. High and clouded expectations lead to great disappointments as the crystals begin to dissolve over time. I dare say it is the duty of both the loved and the lover, the salt mine and the branch, to clarify a more balanced account of character. I would hate to see the lovers across me (whose company I'd grown fond of, or at least amused with, by the end of my metro journey) end up as another Taipei metro statistic, another wear-my-hood-and-hold-me-tighter casualty.
A trash heap of updates, ramblings, and general nonsense on the projects of Pengy Poo Productions and the life of Scott
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
South Coast Lovin'
Well, this past weekend marked my last weekend to be spent in Taiwan. And a good weekend it was, as it was spent in the southern area of Taiwan (notably Kaohsiung and Kenting) with friends. Don't worry, this write-up will be shorter than the one following the east coast weekend. Also, pictures from Sunday have to be transferred to me (my camera wasn't on me so I used someone else's). In brief, here's what took place:
A-wei took Friday off from work, so we left Taipei around 9:30am. We took a bus, the cheapest option. The ride was somewhere around 4-5 hours...which seems like a lot, and yet, it is nothing..considering that we essentially went from one end of the island to the other. Our plans for the day were: " ". That's right, absolutely nothing...my favorite kind of plans. So, upon arriving in Kaohsiung, we grubbed up and headed to the nearest MRT station.
From there, we picked the first stop that looked interesting...not surprisingly, I picked out 'Martial Arts Stadium' as our stop. Fortunately, it turned out to be a good choice. The martial arts stadium itself consisted of a gym that served as the venue for all the martial arts events during the 2009 World Games that were held in Kaohsiung. Apparently, there was a traditional dance competition going on during our stay. We stuck around for a while and watched a couple dancers before becoming both bored (traditional chinese dance is not always very...captivating, in my book) and disgusted (at them all being as flexible as pre-teen asian girls....granted, some of them WERE pre-teen asian girls).
From there, we headed across the street to a 'Teenager Sports Park', which was essentially a pretty nice skate park. We decided it looked like an excellent place to train and just goof off, as we had the whole place to ourselves. So, we did just that. During this time, Jeff (whose chinese name is also A-wei) arrived and met up with us. At said park, we discovered that one of the ramps had an attached pit full of soft foam bricks, for skaters to practice their more dangerous jump maneuvers. Thus, it was a perfect place for us to practice some of our more dangerous maneuvers as well. After a stressful week, it was great to just hang out and drink a few brews with the guys (and yes, flipping repeatedly into a foam pit is my idea of drinking a few beers).
After our bodies had had enough, we met up with Jeff's cousin, and we all went to eat at a great DIY all-you-can-eat barbecue/hotpot place. Yum. After a satisfying (over-indulging) meal, we headed to the cousin's house for the night. In the late hours that followed, there was a good bout of much-more-hilarious-than-it-should-have-been card playing, which consisted of a game similar to Egyptian Rat Race (much slapping was involved). Bed.
A-wei leaping into the pit-o-bricks
Despite our early start, much of the next day was spent just trying to get to Kenting, which is the famous beach town in the southern tip of Taiwan. Basically, we ended up taking a train to take a bus to take another bus to get to Kenting, which took much longer than expected. We didn't arrive in Kenting till around 2:30. From there, we rented scooters from an awesome lady (who also hooked us up at the nearby hostel). After checking out our new digs ('twas a pretty nice room. Clean, two beds, private bath, cost us 1000NT total for the night), it was off to hit the beach. Unfortunately, the clear skies and sun from the morning had been replaced by lots of dark clouds. But, fun was still had. We also checked out a scenic park with a lighthouse. Not surprisingly, most of our time there was spent having fun down along the coast, jumping among the oddly-shaped rocks. That night, we visited a scenic spot, where there are ever-burning natural fires, due to natural gas deposits in the area. We also went to a few spots where the famous Taiwanese movie 'Cape No. 7' was shot and hit the night market before calling it a night. Sleep.
Coastal view in Kenting
We were up early again the next morning, to get back to Kaohsiung. The boys had to get back to Taipei for something that afternoon, and I was supposed to meet Ashlee, a student of mine, in Kaohsiung for some sight-seeing that day. Fortunately, getting back to Kaohsiung proved much easier and less time consuming, as we found some shady taxi service, that cost us about the same amount as getting to Kenting. Back in Kaohsiung, I waved the boys off and was picked up via car by Ashlee, Ashlee's sister (Renee), and Ashlee's sister's fiancee (Stone). As Stone owned a car, they were kind enough to volunteer to drive me around to a few spots in Kaohsiung. We went to a few places that had great scenic overlooks of the city and harbor, a historical place or two, on a ferry to a nearby island, some famous places in the city, and some great places to eat. I definitely filled my tourist quota for the month. Though it wasn't my preferred way of doing things, it was great having people familiar with the area chauffeur me around and introduce me (in great English, I might add) to the sights there. I'm quite grateful for their generosity.
Around 8, we arrived at the station to catch our train back to Taipei. Unfortunately, a lot of trains were more booked than usual, due to election weekend, so we had to wait till the 10 o'clock train. Fortunately, this gave us time to take another lap around the city, seeing the city at nighttime, which was quite beautiful. Then, it was a quick ride (only 1.5 hours!) on the high speed rail back to Taipei, where I was confronted by the reality that I only have one week left in Taiwan. Yikes!
Jeff, water, rock
Well, 'twas a good way to spend my last weekend in the country. It was great to see some of the southern coast and cities. Though Kaohsiung is also a very large city, I was surprised at how different it felt from Taipei et al. Anyway, here's to adventure...to hoodies being used as pillow and blanket, to plans being devoid of plans, to unfortunate events building friendships.
A-wei took Friday off from work, so we left Taipei around 9:30am. We took a bus, the cheapest option. The ride was somewhere around 4-5 hours...which seems like a lot, and yet, it is nothing..considering that we essentially went from one end of the island to the other. Our plans for the day were: " ". That's right, absolutely nothing...my favorite kind of plans. So, upon arriving in Kaohsiung, we grubbed up and headed to the nearest MRT station.
From there, we picked the first stop that looked interesting...not surprisingly, I picked out 'Martial Arts Stadium' as our stop. Fortunately, it turned out to be a good choice. The martial arts stadium itself consisted of a gym that served as the venue for all the martial arts events during the 2009 World Games that were held in Kaohsiung. Apparently, there was a traditional dance competition going on during our stay. We stuck around for a while and watched a couple dancers before becoming both bored (traditional chinese dance is not always very...captivating, in my book) and disgusted (at them all being as flexible as pre-teen asian girls....granted, some of them WERE pre-teen asian girls).
From there, we headed across the street to a 'Teenager Sports Park', which was essentially a pretty nice skate park. We decided it looked like an excellent place to train and just goof off, as we had the whole place to ourselves. So, we did just that. During this time, Jeff (whose chinese name is also A-wei) arrived and met up with us. At said park, we discovered that one of the ramps had an attached pit full of soft foam bricks, for skaters to practice their more dangerous jump maneuvers. Thus, it was a perfect place for us to practice some of our more dangerous maneuvers as well. After a stressful week, it was great to just hang out and drink a few brews with the guys (and yes, flipping repeatedly into a foam pit is my idea of drinking a few beers).
After our bodies had had enough, we met up with Jeff's cousin, and we all went to eat at a great DIY all-you-can-eat barbecue/hotpot place. Yum. After a satisfying (over-indulging) meal, we headed to the cousin's house for the night. In the late hours that followed, there was a good bout of much-more-hilarious-than-it-should-have-been card playing, which consisted of a game similar to Egyptian Rat Race (much slapping was involved). Bed.
A-wei leaping into the pit-o-bricks
Despite our early start, much of the next day was spent just trying to get to Kenting, which is the famous beach town in the southern tip of Taiwan. Basically, we ended up taking a train to take a bus to take another bus to get to Kenting, which took much longer than expected. We didn't arrive in Kenting till around 2:30. From there, we rented scooters from an awesome lady (who also hooked us up at the nearby hostel). After checking out our new digs ('twas a pretty nice room. Clean, two beds, private bath, cost us 1000NT total for the night), it was off to hit the beach. Unfortunately, the clear skies and sun from the morning had been replaced by lots of dark clouds. But, fun was still had. We also checked out a scenic park with a lighthouse. Not surprisingly, most of our time there was spent having fun down along the coast, jumping among the oddly-shaped rocks. That night, we visited a scenic spot, where there are ever-burning natural fires, due to natural gas deposits in the area. We also went to a few spots where the famous Taiwanese movie 'Cape No. 7' was shot and hit the night market before calling it a night. Sleep.
Coastal view in Kenting
We were up early again the next morning, to get back to Kaohsiung. The boys had to get back to Taipei for something that afternoon, and I was supposed to meet Ashlee, a student of mine, in Kaohsiung for some sight-seeing that day. Fortunately, getting back to Kaohsiung proved much easier and less time consuming, as we found some shady taxi service, that cost us about the same amount as getting to Kenting. Back in Kaohsiung, I waved the boys off and was picked up via car by Ashlee, Ashlee's sister (Renee), and Ashlee's sister's fiancee (Stone). As Stone owned a car, they were kind enough to volunteer to drive me around to a few spots in Kaohsiung. We went to a few places that had great scenic overlooks of the city and harbor, a historical place or two, on a ferry to a nearby island, some famous places in the city, and some great places to eat. I definitely filled my tourist quota for the month. Though it wasn't my preferred way of doing things, it was great having people familiar with the area chauffeur me around and introduce me (in great English, I might add) to the sights there. I'm quite grateful for their generosity.
Around 8, we arrived at the station to catch our train back to Taipei. Unfortunately, a lot of trains were more booked than usual, due to election weekend, so we had to wait till the 10 o'clock train. Fortunately, this gave us time to take another lap around the city, seeing the city at nighttime, which was quite beautiful. Then, it was a quick ride (only 1.5 hours!) on the high speed rail back to Taipei, where I was confronted by the reality that I only have one week left in Taiwan. Yikes!
Jeff, water, rock
Well, 'twas a good way to spend my last weekend in the country. It was great to see some of the southern coast and cities. Though Kaohsiung is also a very large city, I was surprised at how different it felt from Taipei et al. Anyway, here's to adventure...to hoodies being used as pillow and blanket, to plans being devoid of plans, to unfortunate events building friendships.
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