Colours in the Sun

An eclipsed Sun seen through the filter of my blackened lenses.

New TV

When some people have asked me why I do not look for a new apartment and then I will be able to know different parts of Taipei, a very strong argument against it has been, apart that the one I have now is close to work and well connected, that the landlady is very (too much?) nice to me. From giving me special food in special dates or bringing a pot of Oolong tea, to, like today, making somebody bring a new television set they were given, because it is too large for their place.

And it is truly big. I do not see too much tv, but at least this one will not have the sudden changes in volumen that the other one had.

Zebra and a Dog

On a mid-May early morning, I was walking back home after an observing session surrounded by a strange peace in this stressed city.

Somebody else was also enjoying the quiet moments.

Taipei 101

It has been more than two months since I went, but now that I finally remembered to do it, I am putting up some pictures I took from the top of the Taipei 101 building at the beginning of June. I went with some of the visitors that came to Taipei for the international conference. It was my first time up there and, unfortunately, the view was not extraordinary, because the visibility was poor close to the horizon. At least, I could make out the buildings where I work, see how big the Taida campus is, and contemplate Taipei from up above.



We could also enjoy a fairly diffuse sunset


Even if it is still the tallest building in the world, I think the viewpoint is not the highest I have visited. Even then, it is a privilege to be able to be outside at such a height and I am sure it has the most spectacular counterweight.

Accumulated rain

A spectacular image obtained by NASA's satellite TRMM showing the rainfall originated by the Morakot typhoon de la NASA from August 3 to 10. Impressive.

Good-byes

Xavi and Anna, the first two visitors I have had at home in Taiwan, left yesterday. As I write, they must be flying back to Barcelona after spending almost three weeks in Taiwan. I think that they had a good time here in the end, with all the hikes, trips and natural phenomena.

It is not surprising that having somebody staying at home changes the usual pattern of my life, and everything becomes a little bit more disorganized, but I think it was really good for me to have them here these last few days and be able to talk with them or just go out. I think I will miss them now, specially if I look at the pathetic state of my social life here. It still amazes me that after so many years of saying goodbye —even if it was generally me the one leaving— I still have a lump in my throat when the moment arrives. In any case, the experience has been positive and that is the important thing.

New Office

Yesterday, I spent my first full day in my new office in Shida. It is in the same building, but in the sixth floor. Why the change?. I was told that new people were coming and they ran out of space and had to reshuffle the office distribution. So, I had to go to an office where I will be able to stay for at least one year, and they can put two more girls in the office I was before. Why do it this way and not the other way around?. I did not want to ask, I was not in the mood. And maybe you wonder, what about in a year?. I do not know, they could not tell me, but I am not worrying about that. First, it remains to be seen if I will be here next year.

My first impressions of the office are not particularly positive, even if it has a similar disposition and it is placed in a similar place. But the view from the window is not so nice and I find it empty and cold. Of course, I have many good memories from the other office and it makes me sad to say goodbye —as I closed the door last Thursday, when I moved my stuff to the new office, I felt as if I was leaving behind a part of my life... I overdo it sometimes.

Mixed emotions in difficult days. Nothing new.

Floating away

Yesterday evening, I was in my office, where I had gone to organize my ideas a little bit and not much else, and I went up to the roof to send the worries away.

And there I found a show of an amazing calm. The sky was very clean; a warm but very pleasant wind was gently blowing around me; the place was very silent, strangely for its location; and several small clouds were passing by overhead, unravelling as they floated away, as ships disappearing in the sea.


and on top of it all a gibbous moon that shone more intensely than usual at that last moment of daylight.


We have had three beautiful days in a row —without any typhoon nearby, which is not so usual— and this looked like the final act of the show.

Well, there were other special lights shining later in the night, but that is a different story.