Tesla

Saint John's Eve. Night festival for some, with firecrackers and rockets. For us two, Tesla at Razzmatazz. I had seen them before when I was in America, and we witnessed another great gig last Tuesday. This time, in company of my brother. We have been listening to their songs for years; very emotional.


I know what I will be listening to in the near future.

Back in old Europe

A long flight, not uncomfortable, and fairly uneventful —apart from a rollercoaster-like fall due to turbulence in the first leg of the trip that left most of us breathless. Upon arrival, worrying health news in the family that, fortunately, seem to have turned to nothing today after the cause has been found. And at the same time, great joy seeing the two babies, grown up and doing their stuff. There are some smiles, toothless still, that really wash away all the worries in the world. All together a day of reunion with my brothers, around some tables, as it should be.

One day in Barcelona already; one day back in Europe and I am not used to seeing so many westerners in the street yet. My first impression, in the plane or here already, was not too positive. Cultural shock?, it could be. I am too used maybe to being in Taiwan. It has a gentler side. It was called Formosa for a reason. And it is for a reason that I am missing a little beautiful thing too.

First day, then, and I have already done some work. Happy about that , too.

Tourists

Most of the visitors that we had around here since more than a week ago have left today. Due to an international conference that took place in Taipei, organized by the ASIAA, a lot of people from Barcelona landed in Taiwan two weekends ago. I do not know why so many came, but I took them around the city a few days, because as a local I know more how this is.


But then, between doing a little sightseeing on the weekend, attending the talks in the morning and the afternoon during all week, meeting people to go for dinner and, maybe, having a beer afterwards, my life has been too chaotic for several days. So much that I forgot to update this blog or I was too tired to write anything late at night (or in the middle of a talk).

As I was saying, all have left today, except a student with whom I will try to do some work during these three days that we have left. Maybe I can still go back to the good old times. But I am not complaining. I got something from the talks and the following discussions; and the long conversations with some of my collaborators have given us some new ideas to try and a more accurate planning on the (lots of) work that we must do in the next two or three months.

Back to the right track, then.

Sanctuary

And one day you wake up.

And you know what you must do.

Look for the CD where you stored the files. Copy them to the laptop. Load the song into the player

... and wait for the guitar to play the first accords

....

The sparkle in your eyes
Keeps me alive

She Sells Sanctuary

(Wolf child dixit)

After the rain

We finally had a thunderstorm this afternoon. It did not last long and it did not carry too much rain, but it is the first storm that I can remember recently. From my window, I could see the dark sky towards the South and the lightning criss-crossing between the clouds. It is very strange how dry is the weather on these last few weeks. The best thing was the sky after the rain.

Back to study

People are too nice here when I manage to say any word in mandarin. The answers range from the utter surprise at me being able to say or to read anything, to the ones that very kindly appreciate that I might know some more complicated word and praise me for doing so. If you ask me, I think I should know much more after staying one year in Taiwan. Of course, I only started studying a little by myself in the summer and I sure noticed I was getting better; but I had not done too much after Christmas. Progress is then very slow.

One good thing of this linguistic immersion that I am experiencing is that I continuously reinforce through different channels what I learn and, little by little, I get better. Besides, I am very used to listening to mandarin and I am sure that that helps, even if I only understand a fraction of it. In fact, since several months ago, I can make out parts of sentences and, sometimes, full ones. Maybe I am too critical with myself, but I must spend more time studying mandarin if I want to break through, because it is too different from the languages I know and it does not seep through so easily.

So, a couple of week-ends ago, I started again with the lessons I was taking. It is not the first try I make, and it is not going so well lately, but I intend to get farther than the last time, because now I should be able to practice more. The goal is to get into the habit and then it will be easy to keep. Until I reach the rudimentary level that I can manage to get, of course.

Covers

I am sure that somewhere somebody is maintaining a blog on manhole covers or the covers of service tunnels, electrical wiring, etc. Or maybe not, but after years of walking up and down streets, and of seeing all kinds of designs and decorations, I am beginning to think that it would be a good idea to collect all the variety of tastes and ideas out there. As a sample, the manhole covers of the water company in Taipei.

Fish below, trees above. Or this picture I took of another one in the Old Street in Sansia; one of the many different types that were along the street.

Maybe I have found a goal in life. I hope not.

Plants

We have new lifeforms in my office since yesterday. It is one of those things that it could be said are a consequence of the so-called feminine touch: three plants to improve the decoration and to cheer up the place.




Yesterday afternoon, we made a short visit to the plant and flower market that is placed midway between my apartment and work. The choice was quite fast, even with all the variety of interior or exterior plants, and many flowers; some very beautiful. It was funny to see some plants or flowers that are almost an institution in my family. Well, I am not sure if some were exactly the same, but they sure looked like it.