Very interesting shops in this arcade. Snakes, seafood, novelty items and finger nail trimming etc.
Huge drums were a feature.
Tag Archive: Asia
The author of this blog
Space below for 1000 cars and container trucks.
One of the 70 million sharks killed this year. How terrible. Are the other fish black trevally (known for their stinging spine that will cause agony – I think).
“Rare fish” is really raw tuna. The very large prawns were US $15 each! Brother and sister ran the show. Almost opposite the Dianji Temple in a famous area known as Keelung Miaokou (page 126 Lonely Planet TAIWAN 8th Edition 2011).
RED FISH. Very small coral trout (or lunar-tail trout) probably from aquaculture.
The name (species) of this fish had me baffled. Look carefully – then it’s suddenly obvious.
Mackerel selling at NT$85 for a pack of three. Some of the canned tuna is better quality. Albacore tuna is a light color, often called ‘chicken of the sea’. Some time ago I looked at the website of a cannery and was very impressed by their attitude toward quality.
Greenpeace is currently conducting a campaign in Taiwan concerning tuna fisheries and catch quotas by various countries in the western Pacific.
I saw some teenagers this week in Greenpeace logo shirts collecting or doing a survey in the street.
I have not seen any red salmon or sardines canned in Taiwan.
Still pictures and video show Yan Ping Road North (window shopping) – a walk from the old city North Gate north to the first MRT (new one) with an unpronounceable name. Yan Ping Road is significant as it was once the most fashionable area of Taipei – before Zongshiao East Road began.
Presumably the retail prices in Yan Ping Road would be good – if only for the cheaper rents for the buildings. The variety from one shop to the next is entertaining and far beyond the scope of this simple video. This only shows one side of the street too – the east side. I’ll eventually explore the west side and see if anything outstanding was overlooked.
NIGHT scenes are a protest organized against the importation of beef containing the leanness enhancing drug Ractopamine.
I read about the protest in Taipei Times and considered it might be worth a look.
The newspaper said protesters ‘would march to the President’s building’ – well, they marched in that direction, but did not get there.
At a point near the 228 Peace Park a wall of police stopped the crowd in its tracks. Senior police stood in front of their troops and the crowd quietly dispersed.
Everyone should have been happy with the results, except the media perhaps (who love to report otherwise. They can’t help it).
Footnote: (The TT newspaper is always available in the 7-11 and Family Mart type stores with TWO copies being delivered. Recently only a single copy – not a good sign of circulation figures).
Taipei Times sample story on local food for Americans.
http://taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2012/06/14/2003535266
North Gate – when Taipei was surrounded by a wall, and when the city was far smaller. Thousands of people passed through this tunnel gate – many with hopes of a better life ahead. For some this was not going to be the case, for others – fortunes were to be made.
There is little doubt that the local Taiwanese had a rough time when Japan surrendered in WW2 and the Chinese Nationalist KMT government arrived and installed martial law for the next 38 years. How many Australians understand what martial law is?
Today Taiwan is the first Chinese democracy. View below is overlooking Liberty Square from the CKS memorial.
(Picture looks like a postcard with retouching by an artist….. it’s not).
I find an art form in old brick walls like this one near Guting MRT, this week.
Australian’s would go crazy for a pile of historic bricks like these, and use them to build a modern dwelling. Old Taipei will see more demolishes like this one near Zhongshan MRT on Nanjing E. Road.
The story by a Pulitzer Prize-winning author is available on-line at Taipei Times.
http://taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2012/03/13/2003527643
Kaohsiung Tourist Night Market <HD VIDEO – Click title to play
This is the night market featured at the top (masthead) of this blog – that original picture was in 2003 with a 5 MP Sony digital, a just released camera.
Clicking the picture should enlarge it – also view the HD video of my Facebook friend selling his Turkish ice cream. The expression on his customers faces is priceless. Good entertainment value with an equally good product.
Asian kids in Australia are ‘over the moon’ with a new TV show featuring foreign produced music videos gets them out of bed at 8:30 AM Sunday.
Many kids would have an earlier night on Saturday to catch the show next morning.
Taiwan actor and singer WILBUR PAN had good air time this week. Taiwan getting some good public relations in the process.
Instantly broadcasted SMS and Twitter messages voice opinions of the viewers. The joy shown in text is obvious.
Korea is well represented with videos. (This November, a 12-act live show of Korean performers coming to Sydney).
This is modern diplomacy – via music video.
Broadcaster SBS is government-owned, independently controlled television for mostly foreign films and shows with English sub titles (except for news).
LUNCH at the Astoria – previous visit. (click this text)
Address:
2F #5 Sec 1, Wu Chang Street, Taipei 100
See “Lunch at the Astoria”, top of this page for a link.
