My favorite ... in May
May showers... in one of the rainiest cities in the world. Have you ever experienced rain that rained upside down? The kind that splashes up from the pavement with such kinetic vigor to drench your shoes and socks and pant legs.
Travel
Nearly all of May was spent in 基隆, my hometown. My favorite thing about Taiwan sound so mundane when I describe them -- go to the mall, eat sushi, read at a bookstore -- but it’s truly so difficult to do these things in Boston. My family and I took a trip to 台中 where we were surrounded by incredibly hot weather, good food at every turn, and one of the best bookstores I’ve seen in a while. Tsutaya Bookstore had a great selection of books, and I bought a couple about Japanese architecture. When possible, I like to read in the language closest to the one being translated, so I try to read most Japanese literature in Chinese. Most of all, this bookstore was organized beautifully, with a calming energy that encouraged me to read and browse, unlike Eslite (which I do love for its selection, discounts, and built-in restaurants) which feels more like a Costco of books. I also got spoiled & quite lucky this trip with a whole row for myself to lie down on during the 11+ hour flights, which made a huge difference. I slept soundly on both legs of the flight, and I do fear the day that I may have to make this trip without a row to myself. I am also at the age where apparently a travel pillow makes the plane ride more bearable. I have the one from Muji, which is almost completely useless save its aesthetic appearance, so of course that is the one I will continue to use. I like that the outer layer is 100% cotton and washable, and I more often use it as a log shape rather than around my neck. For some reason, I find that my neck hurts more when being braced by a neck pillow.
Media
I have loved reading more Mandarin books by Taiwanese authors. One in particular, 陳思宏 Kevin Cheng, has really captured my fascination. He writes beautifully, allegorically, metaphorically, in these winding mystery-thriller-dramas that circle around family, growing up, and identity. Always alluding to the next sharp turn in narrative, his storylines are complex and self-propelling, at times gross but somehow never unbelievable, and I’m impressed by some of the details he manages to think up into his novels. I finished the first two books in his trilogy: 鬼地方 Ghost Town and 佛羅里達變形記 Florida Metamorphosis. I preferred the first, as one does in most trilogies, for its unpredictable reveals and intergenerational storylines. This month, I’ve also started the MaddAddam series, a mind-bending science fiction trilogy by Margaret Atwood. I read a goodreads review that applauded her for her ‘command of the English language’ and I must say that sums it up. I am constantly in awe and fear of whatever is happening in this woman’s head, and for the guts and absolute mastery of writing she possesses. Also, allow me to juxtapose this by saying how much I despise A Court of Thorns and Roses -- it’s an insult to both the intellect of readers world-wide and writers such as Margaret Atwood that these collection of pages has been shot to stardom. I do not understand and probably never will -- how can one stomach the shallow character development, egregiously unrealistic characters, unbelievable dialogue, numerous plot holes... when one could be reading literal art instead?
Restaurants
I did not get to try as many places as I would’ve liked to, but here are some that stood out to me. All you can eat buffet at 饗食天堂 with the freshest seafood and very creative desserts. I had a beautiful bruleed orange wedge that almost made me tear up. I had a lot of sushi, and shrimp head remains my favorite umami flavor. My aunt’s hot pot place is unrivalled; in recent memory, I haven’t had as fresh, generous, and diverse selection of ingredients as the dinner we had.
Hobbies
I had the realization that language isn’t static -- which might sound obvious and probably was, since of course I’m learning to read and write better every day, but I never consciously thought this applied to Mandarin. I had a more visceral feeling this time back, that my speaking and reading skills noticeably improved over the month I was there, and it occurred to me that this was something I could put effort into. I really want to be able to write more fluently and eventually be able to journal in Mandarin. I also submitted my first non-scientific manuscript for publication! The architecture program runs an annually-published peer-reviewed journal called Thresholds, and I submitted a piece for this year’s theme Record. I’m looking forward to the revision process if it gets there, and either way I’m happy about my piece (& will publish/link it here depending on what happens with the submission).
VIEWS MY OWN
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I’m a 20-something year old living in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. I’m a lover of life - in particular, sunsets over the ocean, thunderstorms, niche playlists, long meandering novels, and all cats. Fieldnotes are detailed observations collected by anthropologists, sociologists, and ethnographers while situated in an environment of interest; the obsessive intensity to learn and grasp and make sense of phenomena during the collection of fieldnotes is the way that feels most reflective of the way I live life. My fieldnotes serve as reminders for me of how beautiful, short, and stunning life is.