#2 Imagining Taipei

On my first day back in Taiwan, just hours after stepping off my flight, I made my way to Eslite Bookstore uptown. I wasn't planning on buying anything, but bookstores have a strange way of enacting a magnetic pull on my bank account. I pondered whether to buy a Chinese translation of The Godfather (no) or Ulysses (god no) before spotting a copy of Italo Calvino's Imaginary Cities.

I adore this book, which works as a series of short prose poems about different, imaginary cities. They're all from the perspective of Marco Polo, who as part of the framing device, recounts them to Kublai Khan, the famed Mongol emperor. Many of these magical places have women's names—Esmeralda, Olivia, Chloe—and paradoxical attributes. There's Armilla, a city of no walls, ceilings, or floors that had been abandoned "before or after it was inhabited." Notions of desire and memory permeate the stories of these cities, but all of them feel out of reach. Calvino writes beautifully enough to make you believe they could be real, but of course, they are not.

Even Kublai Khan seems to think the Italian traveler's stories are too good to be true. In one memorable section, he asks Marco why none of the stories contain a mention of his famous hometown:

Dawn had broken when he said: "Sire, now I have told you about all the cities I know."
 "There is still one of which you never speak."
 Marco Polo bowed his head.
 "Venice," the Khan said.
 Marco smiled. "What else do you believe I have been talking to you about?"
 The emperor did not turn a hair. "And yet I have never heard you mention that name."
 And Polo said: "Every time I describe a city I am saying something about Venice."

In my first newsletter, I wrote about the idea of "home" for me and how Philadelphia remains my standard, the focalizing lens through which I view any city. For the Marco Polo of Invisible Cities, that reference point was Venice and everything he witnessed only reflected different aspects of Venice.

I won't ever be able to remove my own filter, but I can try to appreciate Taipei on its own terms. And, boy, did this week provide a certified crash course in enjoying Taipei! I saw a panda at the Taipei Zoo, took a gondola up to a mountainous Taipei suburb, and sampled the incredible food at Raohe Night Market. (I'm still thinking about that ice cream burrito I ate.) That already is a decent chunk of the standard Taipei tourist's wish list, but I still have so much to explore.

As I settle in to nine months of living in Taipei, I'm excited to see how my lens shifts and whether I ever will feel like less of a tourist. If Calvino's book is any guide, our connection to a place—however  potent—is always subject to change:

"Memory's images, once they are fixed in words, are erased," Polo said. "Perhaps I am afraid of losing Venice all at once, if I speak of it. Or perhaps, speaking of other cities, I have already lost it, little by little."

Here's hoping that I won't say the same anytime soon.

Odds and Ends:

1.

Before classes finally started, my housemates and I watched an episode of Nothing But Thirty, a Chinese drama, a documentary about Blackpink, and the Tottenham vs. Arsenal game. Please let me know if you have any other recommendations. I'm still recovering from the experience of watching Someday or One Day on the flight to Taiwan. This movie, which is an adaptation/continuation of a famous Taiwanese TV show, practically broke my brain. It's a  time travel story about a woman who after the death of her boyfriend finds herself back in time (in a different woman's body) with the ability to prevent his death. Spoiler alert: she's not the only time traveler.

The melodrama of it all made me feel like I was watching an extended Lifetime movie, but I did enjoy the performances and at least came away with an appreciation for Wu Bai's The End of Love album, which various characters listen to on a Walkman.

2.

While in Taiwan, I've mostly avoided eating American fast food, but my housemates and I made an exception last night to try Pizza Hut and...it impressed! First off, the price: only 650 NTD for two large pizzas (though the Taiwan idea of "large" is more like an American "medium"). That converts to roughly $20, which split among five people, was beyond cheap.

The other thing I enjoyed was the variety of toppings, where you'll find more creative combinations than on typical American pizza. We went with some fairly standard options this time: pepperoni, chicken, and mushrooms, but the next time we try Taiwan Pizza Hut, we'll have to see how their "popcorn chicken Oreo pizza" tastes!

Now, speaking of nontraditional takes on classic food...

What on Earth is This Abomination?

I don't mind an out-there take on a cheesesteak, but Good Lord, what am I even looking at here?

This...thing...apparently cost $15 and was served at an Orlando FC game. I have so many questions...

Is this purple cheese? What on Earth?

If you have or plan to try this abomination, please drop me a line so I can interview you about your experience.

And, on that cheery, purple note, I'll sign off! Lots of homework ahead of me this week and, unfortunately, no magic Walkman to send me back in time.

See you all in two weeks.