What better way is there to wind down the Labor Day weekend than with hearty food and soulful music? Taipei Potluck and Music Circle has been organizing outdoor gatherings at Da-an Forest Park for more than seven years, where on the first Sunday of every month, foodies, music lovers and artsy types congregate to share vegetarian meals (homemade or store-bought), beat drums and engage in whatever activities they fancy, whether it be yoga, juggling, belly dancing, martial arts or henna art.
Brian “Funshine” Alexander, the event’s organizer, was inspired by vegetarian potlucks he attended in Tampa, Florida, as well as “rainbow gatherings” across the US, which, he says, “promoted alternative energy, acceptance of others, kindness, sharing, community arts, and amazing drum circles.”
Alexander, a musician who has been living in Taiwan since 1999, where he met his wife, an artist, says that the potlucks have been providing a fun and relaxed way to bring locals and expats together. For some, it has also been an opportunity to practice language.
Photo courtesy of Taipei Potluck and Music Circle
“Food and music are key elements in any culture,” Alexander tells the Taipei Times. “This event is a good opportunity to bring people together and share their unique cultures and original creations.”
While the potlucks are strictly vegetarian, you do not need to be a vegetarian to attend — although no junk food is allowed since the idea is to encourage healthy eating and to be respectful of the surrounding environment. Potluckers are advised to bring their own utensils and to use minimal packaging since it could be a hassle to clean up without a kitchen (there is a public bathroom with a sink though).
Alexander says that while the group will “casually discuss healthy eating and other environmental issues,” the main emphasis is still on having a good time.
“I want it to be simple, free, convenient, and relatively dogma free,” he adds. “Potluck is a family friendly alternative to meeting people in clubs and bars.”
CREATIVE EXCHANGE
The other component to the potlucks are the music circles. If you’re not the best cook (or don’t have the time to rush to your local vegetarian store), another option is to bring hand drums and acoustic instruments to participate in a “community drum circle.” The mood is relaxed and more experienced musicians are happy to give drumming lessons to beginners.
As Alexander says, “our goal is creating community with drumming, not performing or impressing anyone.”
The impromptu aspect of the gatherings is what makes them so appealing: “The concept of potluck is to bring something to share,” Alexander adds. “Each time is different.”
In addition to veggies and drums, in the past, attendees have also brought with them frisbees, juggling pins, body paint and yoga mats. At the end of the day, creative exchange is what Taipei Potluck and Music Circle is about. Alexander also mentions that a couple of their friends have started doing acu-yoga (a type of healing therapy that combines techniques from acupuncture and yoga) nearby, something which he thinks adds to the holistic vibe.
Attendance is steadily increasing — in fact, the potlucks have become so popular that it even received a shout-out from Lonely Planet last year.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a health nut or on a “diet” but can’t help indulging in the occasional steak or two — the potluck will help you bring right back on track. Neither does it matter if you can belt out tunes like Beyonce or are tune-deaf. Head over the Da-an Forest Park on Sunday and be prepared to bond over great art, music and veggies.
In late October of 1873 the government of Japan decided against sending a military expedition to Korea to force that nation to open trade relations. Across the government supporters of the expedition resigned immediately. The spectacle of revolt by disaffected samurai began to loom over Japanese politics. In January of 1874 disaffected samurai attacked a senior minister in Tokyo. A month later, a group of pro-Korea expedition and anti-foreign elements from Saga prefecture in Kyushu revolted, driven in part by high food prices stemming from poor harvests. Their leader, according to Edward Drea’s classic Japan’s Imperial Army, was a samurai
Located down a sideroad in old Wanhua District (萬華區), Waley Art (水谷藝術) has an established reputation for curating some of the more provocative indie art exhibitions in Taipei. And this month is no exception. Beyond the innocuous facade of a shophouse, the full three stories of the gallery space (including the basement) have been taken over by photographs, installation videos and abstract images courtesy of two creatives who hail from the opposite ends of the earth, Taiwan’s Hsu Yi-ting (許懿婷) and Germany’s Benjamin Janzen. “In 2019, I had an art residency in Europe,” Hsu says. “I met Benjamin in the lobby
April 22 to April 28 The true identity of the mastermind behind the Demon Gang (魔鬼黨) was undoubtedly on the minds of countless schoolchildren in late 1958. In the days leading up to the big reveal, more than 10,000 guesses were sent to Ta Hwa Publishing Co (大華文化社) for a chance to win prizes. The smash success of the comic series Great Battle Against the Demon Gang (大戰魔鬼黨) came as a surprise to author Yeh Hung-chia (葉宏甲), who had long given up on his dream after being jailed for 10 months in 1947 over political cartoons. Protagonist
Peter Brighton was amazed when he found the giant jackfruit. He had been watching it grow on his farm in far north Queensland, and when it came time to pick it from the tree, it was so heavy it needed two people to do the job. “I was surprised when we cut it off and felt how heavy it was,” he says. “I grabbed it and my wife cut it — couldn’t do it by myself, it took two of us.” Weighing in at 45 kilograms, it is the heaviest jackfruit that Brighton has ever grown on his tropical fruit farm, located