ampulets

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...

  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 ...