Taipei offers so many of the features a liberal-minded person would look for in a city. It's a gay-friendly place that boasts the largest Pride parade in Asia. It's also environmentally-friendly: plastic bags aren't free; you have to pay for them, and recycling bins for everything from glass bottles to grocery receipts are on nearly every corner. Even McDonald's has separate bins for card-board and plastic materials. Plus you could easily live here without a car because public transportation is convenient and cheap. If that isn't enough, Fresh organic produce is sold on the streets everyday (not just on the weekends) from local vendors who get much of their stock straight from local farmers. And if you like art-- especially the illegal, subversive variety created by teenage amateurs-- well, Taipei's got that too. Graffiti is huge, here. So this post is devoted to the different kinds of work we've seen around town. Interestingly, a lot of the messages are in English.
This magical mushroom is a common sight on walks through the Shida district...
Whoever is responsible for this display has an appreciation for the psychedelic (I'll show you some magic)... and The Who?
Some designs are sloppy...
Some are cluttered...
Some seem angry (kill bitch)...
Some look like they were created by gangstas...
and some look like they were created by children...
There are political messages...
depictions of love...
and frustration.
These are my favorites:
Alas, we must return home tomorrow-- back to a city that lacks many of the features a liberal-minded person would look for (except graffiti; there's plenty of that).
Luckily, we're returning to friends, family, and two sweet kitties who we've really missed. See you in 48 hours, St. Louie!
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