Riding to Dazhi

September 22, 2006 - Not sure which park this is, but it's up near the Taipei Fine Arts Museum. It's near the Arts Park, but I don't think this is in it. The map suggests it's Xin Sheng Park (新生公園). I was riding along, taking my time going to Dazhi, when I saw this sculpture and wondered if it wasn't a bit . . . obscene. Probably just me being preoccupied.


中山北路 Zhongshan North Road. When I first got to Taipei, it looked like crossing rivers on bike would be a problem. It didn't look like any of the river crossings accommodated bikes or pedestrians. Eventually I found one crossing. Then I found another. Then I realized from observation that bikes can cross any bridge in Taipei in regular traffic in the motorscooter lane (sometimes even without)! However, this isn't one of those. This one, although with ongoing construction, had a sidewalk.

Finally, I said I wouldn't do it, but weighing a bunch of factors, I did:

It's just as cute as the first one, although maybe not as cute a shot. It has a bunch of nifty features that make it worth it. For instance, just as I was complaining about Bebe's performance in low light, this one has a B setting to hold the shutter open as long as I want. The bulbous viewfinder is removable, but it's actually really cool.

iTunes soundtrack:
1. The Village Green Preservation Society (The Kinks)
2. Pennies (Smashing Pumpkins)
3. Loner Getaway Car (764-HERO)
4. Slow Country (Gorillaz)
5. Breakfast in America (live) (Supertramp)
6. Stop (Joe Henry)
7. Pride and Joy (live) (Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble)
8. Lavender Blue (Marillion)
9. It's Gonna Be Me (David Bowie)
10. Do That Stuff (Parliament-Funkadelic)