Saturday, June 09, 2007

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April 5, 2007 - Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 真愛碼頭 (True Love Wharf - I'm thinking of a t-shirt with a googly-eyed Klingon in love on it, yuck). This is part of Kaohsiung's waterfront urban renewal project. It's at the mouth of the Ai River. I'm not sure it is anything yet, if you know what I mean. Urban renewal, public park-age, recreational space . . . but, what is this here? It's a big open concrete space with a Singaporean ship docked next to it, and a clique of socially awkward palm trees.


This is a little better. This area used to serve the Port of Kaohsiung, which is still Taiwan's main shipping port (I think Keelung in the north of Taiwan is still smaller). So this area used to be totally industrialized, but when activity shifted away from this specific area, it fell into disuse and became dilapidated urban ruins. Part of the urban renewal made bike paths out of the old railway. There are still signs of the old railroad as you ride along the path.


April 7, 2007 - Ferry from 新光碼頭 to 真愛碼頭. It's a very short ferry ride, and even though it goes from one wharf to another, I'm not sure it's coming from somewhere to go somewhere in either direction, if you know what I mean. It shortened my walk home, but I'm the only one nuts enough to walk that sort of distance in Kaohsiung. Too hot!

iTunes soundtrack:
1. Silica (Kristin Hersh)
2. Red Light (U2)
3. Teenage Wildlife (David Bowie)
4. High On Sunday 51 (Aimee Mann)
5. Mr. Me (They Might Be Giants)
6. Slipstream (Jethro Tull)
7. I Me Mine (The Beatles - McCartneyed)
8. Tabako ga Suitai (Sekiri)
9. Mali (Charlie Hunter Quintet)
10. War at 33 1/3 (Public Enemy)

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