Astronomically, much is afoot. Tomorrow evening at 18:03 in Taichung (subtract 3 minutes for Taipei) the full moon that marks Mid-Autumn Festival will rise. It will reach its fullest all across the island at 21:59 that same night.
Sunday is the last day of summer, according to the solar calendar. According to ICRT's "100 Days of Summer," Sunday is only the 93rd day of summer. Sticking with the solar calendar, autumn begins Monday at 04:48 universal time (UT), which is supposed to be the exact moment when the sun crosses the celestial equator. Universal time is what time it is in Hawaii, which is near the Greenwich Meridian. In Taiwan time, the end of summer comes during Monday lunch at 12:48pm. The celestial equator is just basically the equator, but it's extended into outer space. Next time you fly from Taiwan to Australia you can tell everyone you're crossing the celestial equator, if that kind of thing makes you happy. On Monday, which is also known as the autumnal equinox, in Taipei the sun will rise at 05:43; it will set 12 hours and seven minutes later at 17:50. Taipei will not see a perfect 12-hour day until Sept. 28, which is ICRT's 99th day of summer.
To celebrate all this, there are beach parties. The biggest will be a Chifunk affair Friday and Saturday nights at the Tunghsiao Beach, a white-sand stretch of coast near Miaoli. Friday night will be electro-percussive around the fire, with three DJs, drums, didgeridoos, and a sitar. Saturday will hold the regular Chifunk mix of house, techno, tribal and progressive, led by RainboWarrior and K Fancy.
For transportation, Tunghsiao is accessible by rail. There will also be a party bus leaving from Soundgarden in Taichung. Admission is NT$300 Friday, NT$500 Saturday, or NT$700 for both nights. For more information, check out the Web site, http://www.inorbitt.com.
In Kenting, the Cactus Cafe will host two bands, Milk and a second band consisting of bunch of guys from Kaohsiung. Performances begin at 9pm and admission is NT$100. The Cactus is located at 126 Tawan Rd. and can be reached by calling (08) 886-2747.
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