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off season

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It’s been an amazing first day at 池上Chishang, a rice farming town on the east coast of Taiwan. I saw this Hokkien “poem” on an outdoor mural made of broken orange coloured ceramic pieces - 這是日出也是日落 似心起落要如何 管伊日出也日落 來到池上心情好 This is a sunrise as well as a sunset What can you do if your feelings rise or fall Who cares if it’s sunrise or sunset Come to Chishang and you will be in a good mood How true! An elderly couple walks past a mural of 4 Taiwanese artists. The man jokingly asks his wife “who do I look like?” - I cannot hear her answer but he laughs and puts his arm around her shoulders. I am at Chishang at an off peak season. It’s great because the town is not crawling with tourists by the busloads. The rice has been harvested last month. And I suppose even the locals must be taking a break.  The town is extremely sleepy. The sun sets about 5.30pm and most of the eateries close at about 6pm. The sound of birds returning to roost fills the air at this time.  The inn manager pic...
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that first cuppa

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  It’s not even been 12 hours since I arrived in Taipei, but I am already super relaxed! “Hey”, the barista raises a pretty vintage coffee cup from behind the counter so that I could see it, “it’s a pretty vintage cup right?”  He proceeds to make and serve me a lovely cup of coffee in it. At the first sip, I could taste a floral note! In the past, whenever I read on a menu or packaging that there are floral notes in the description of a particular bean, I have never actually tasted it. But this time it was unmistakable. That surprise when realise that’s what it was, it was a kind of joy!  I told him that. He looked pleased. And that’s how we got to chatting.  Barista AY’s wife is actually from FuRong in Seremban. They visit every Chinese New Year but have not been back since air tickets from Taipei to Malaysia doubled in price. AY says he loves the tropics, although like me, he is not a fan of kopi. He puffs his cheeks and says “you know I am already so chubby, when ...
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mad moments (and lessons from art - updated!)

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At the spur of a mad moment, I signed up for a certificate programme in oil painting at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA).  Almost 20 years ago, I had done the same thing - completed a certificate in printmaking at NAFA and boy did I struggle to get there after work on time each week! What made me think I can do it now? 
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one-woman Taipei

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Are you romanced by the idea of solo travel? Solo travel seems to be the rite of passage for some folks. But I don't fully understand this romance....Perhaps for some, they need the distance and independence from not just family and friends, but also from all things familiar to create an awareness of one's singular existence and identity. Or maybe it’s just the encounter with the exotic and what it promises. 
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the love of poetry

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The “good” thing about falling sick is that I can be stuck at home reading poetry.
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A House in the Forest - the book

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  And finally, “A House in a Forest” the book itself! An old fashioned hardback, clothbound book, and with a dust jacket of sorts - that has been a dream of mine. 
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A House in a Forest - the drawings

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The decision to ask @messymsxi to draw for the story was instinctive. Because I knew these things: she loves nature (and plants!); she is serious and extremely thoughtful about every project; and there is a softness about her work.
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A House in a Forest - the story

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  My new book with MessyMsxi called A House in a Forest will be out from the printers and available late December.
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happiness is a bird (or "A Song for H")

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Yeah, it's confusing why this image is used for this post.... Sometime last year, in the middle of dinner, a friend asked me - "are you happy?" I didn't give it much thought and answered with whatever was at the top of my head.  Happiness is a bird.
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there must be more to life than cats

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Last evening in Taipei I decided to drop by a bar I haven’t been before, a speakeasy-style place.
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Some Dreams are like Country Music

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Some Dreams are like Country Music  is a kind of secret book and soundtrack made for all you lonesome cowboys/girls/humans. It’s made small so you can tuck it into your saddle bag, together with other desert essentials, such as a photo of grandma and a sweet harmonica. And on a sleepless night as you lie down under a moonlit sky…you can reach for it to keep you company.
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A Year Made Object

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  I have been neglecting this blog. Most of the action have moved on to IG: yampulets . But things have also been pretty mad at work....and then there was this - A Year Made Object. Where should I start?
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Sweet nothings

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The cleaner looked at it and declared - “沒戏了”. 
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See you on the other side, babe

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When I visited Seabreeze Books with a writer friend WW some months ago to deliver copies of Furrie and Shortie , I met with one of the owners. The result of our chat was that he invited both of us to contribute pieces to a book they were publishing "My City My Streets".
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A whimsy

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  “If you had known when you started you may not eventually get to know.” 😬
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