Flats

Visited two flats today. The first one was in GongGuan, far away from everything and in a rather decrepit state. The second one was nice, has newly been renovated, located near the university and has the bonus of a rooftop. I like it but the energy isn’t right. Am I too picky? It’s like no matter how hard they may try to make the outside look good, the inside is decaying… The owner even started complaining about one wall that kept getting leaks in spite of her effort to renovate it. The other low point is that is has only one air condition machine, no lift (I’m thinking of the move and the piano that will have to be carried up five floors!)

The flat in Banciao that Chin-Hsin showed me was taken before we could visit it. There are many others, there must be.

Many friends have offered to help and ask around. That was only our second day searching so I’m confident we’ll find something good, especially when I think that Isabelle visited 80 houses before finding the one and only one… Then, Taipei isn’t like Paris.

It’s time to start working. The droid which will play the string instruments isn’t finished yet. Two more weeks, Huang-yi said.

But I have some music to score for Alo and his art project. I do hope to find small projects from Europe to help me sustain my life in Taipei.

I have been in touch with Matthew, a former music and movie sales manager in Hong Kong. He fell in love with my music and really wants to give me a hand. He spoke of some record companies that would match the type of music I do. I won’t hope nor will I start feeling excited about it. We’ll see what happens. But I’m delighted to see that this second album is getting very good feedback.

Now the second step will be to find a lyricist who can turn the album into this pan-Asian project I have in mind.

Byron introduced me to one from Hong Kong. Should I call Sandee Chan? Ha ha!

Since Byron is staying in Taipei for a full two weeks, we have time to see each other more often and spend time together. We spent on Sunday in Danshui. The seaside was a welcome escape from the stuffiness of the city. Byron, what an amazing fellow! His life didn’t follow the usual pattern so I jump from surprise to surprise when I speak with him. Actor, model, chef, martial arts, hypno-therapist… His ability to learn quickly, to seize what is to be seized in life. I found many similarities in our lives, the difference being that he externalized his experiences when I internalized mine and materialized them in creation. Now it’s maybe the contrary that happens, since I try to ground myself more and want to learn martial arts, go the gym, be more in my physical self, while he starts to write and create. Will we finally find our balance?

We laugh a lot. I didn’t expect him to be so witty and funny. The last time I saw him, I felt concern for him. As he was driving, I felt he could drive us off the cliff within a second – he was in depression then, he later told me. It’s good to see him in good spirit again. How I wish he lived in Taipei.

Byron Pang

It’s hot here. The city is a giant sauna. Cycling in summer is sheer madness, but I do it anyway. Two seconds on my bike and I’m soaked with sweat. 40°C during the day! I don’t even want to think of the people who have these food stalls and prepare the dish all day long with the heat springing at their face. I really admire them.

[…]

Ching-yao took me to the Xue Xue Building, near where he lives. The place was founded by an extremely wealthy man, and dedicated to the arts. Such people are few in Asia. As soon as I entered the place I felt at home. Two of Ching-yao’s friends work there as designers. Tsai Ming Liang has a coffee place and he bakes cookies for it every day! There’s a cinema, a music venue, galleries, a beautiful library, a restaurant. The thought occurred to me that paradoxically, such places make one feels that art is created by the elite for the elite. It’s located in a posh area of town and I don’t really think the average worker would think of going there or know about it to think to go there.

Nevertheless, I loved it. The wealthy man selects the artists he wants to help and only ask them 1000 NTD per month for the rent of the office. Think 23 euro…

Hopefully he can sustain that for a long time.