The Experimental Theater was packed on Saturday night for French choreographer Thierry Bae's Journal d'Inquietude (Diary of Worries), mostly it seemed, to see the not-so-short film that was the centerpiece of the play. And Journal d'Inquietude was definitely more of a play that a dance performance.
Act One was a solo by Bae that has half dance, half monologue, as he described his movements, directed his movements, berated himself and bemoaned the fate of an independent choreographer just trying to survive. Or at least that was what I got out of it, since Bae was speaking French and while Chinese subtitles were projected at the top of screen on the back wall behind him, my reading comprehension is not very good.
Act Two was the video (shot by Francois Lejault), which opens with Bae lying on a floor, talking on his cellphone. His conversations are the main thrust of the video, which supposedly follows him over a 20-day period as he tries to find both a place to put on his dance and someone to perform it.
In the beginning there is a little local flavor added as Bae meets a French friend at a night market food stall for some Taiwan Beer, followed in quick succession by his visits to Chinese medicine doctors for a cupping treatment (with a quick pan of the camera down his much-bruised back at the end of the session) and moxibustion treatment to treat his chronic lung illness. But much of the film is spent in featureless corridors or rooms that could be in any city, any country.
Among those making cameo appearances were dancer Sheu Fang-yi (許芳宜), dancer/choreographers Chou Shu-yi (周書毅) and Lin Wen-chung (林文中) and choreographer Yau Shi-fen (姚淑芬). Bae gets so desperate he even tries to convince film director Hou Hsiao-hsien (侯孝賢) to join him. The sly in-jokes about Taiwan's dance world and the life of an artist were much appreciated by the audience. The film ends with Bae getting ready for the performance - apparently on his own - after reassuring the promoter that he does have a local star.
When the lights came back up on Saturday night for Act Three, Bae was directing Lin, late of the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, in a solo.
In the film, the two men never met, as Bae runs all over Taipei trying to find the coffee shop where Lin is waiting. The deadpan expression on Lin's face as he waits for hours before giving up (the passage of time shown by the parade of couples at the table next to Lin's) was priceless - and a wonderful counterpoint to the fluidity of his body in the solo later on.
Many in the audience (including some members of the Cloud Gate family) knew that Chou had been the uncredited "special guest" on Friday night and there was speculation as to who would dance the Sunday matinee. Several were sure it would Sheu since Yau doesn't even dance in her own troupe's (Century Contemporary Dance Company, 世紀當代舞團) shows - but the theater staff were keeping mum.
A: I want to go to Neihu to see the cherry blossoms. B: Do you want to go by YouBike? A: Well, how much does it cost? B: The Taipei City Government just announced that riders can use the bicycles for free for the first 30 minutes! A: Great! Riding bikes is also more eco-friendly than driving. A: 我想去內湖賞櫻花耶。 B: 那要不要騎YouBike微笑單車去? A: 車費怎麼算? B: 台北市政府最近宣布︰前30分鐘免費! A: 太棒了,而且也比開車更環保。 (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張聖恩)
One of us is a murderer. The terrifying thought fills your head. There’s a corpse in the next room, and one of your fellow diners put it there. As the evening progresses, you learn disturbing secrets about everyone, and you’re forced to confess to a few yourself. You all have motives for the crime, but who committed it? Fortunately, it’s just a game. Murder mystery games are multiplayer role-playing games designed to be played over the course of an evening. The concept likely originated with “wink murder,” an amusing pastime that became popular in the early 1900s. In this game, a “murderer” kills
A: How does Taipei’s YouBike service charge after the free ride for the first 30 minutes? B: It’s NT$10 every 30 minutes within four hours. A: What a bargain. No wonder Taipei is listed by Britain’s “Time Out” magazine as one of the best 50 cities in the world. B: But I spotted a few English mistakes on YouBike’s Web site. A: I guess that aspect of it still has room for improvement. A: 台北市YouBike前30分鐘免費,之後怎麼算? B: 4小時內每30分鐘10元。 A: 真劃算,難怪台北市會入選英國《Time Out》雜誌全球最佳的50座城市。 B: 不過我在YouBike的網站上看到了好幾個英文錯誤。 A: 看來這個部分還有改善的空間。(By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/ 台北時報張聖恩)
Mullet roe is a highly-priced delicacy typically served during special occasions like wedding banquets or Chinese New Year’s dinners, where families come together in celebration. The mullet roe can be prepared in various ways. It is usually pan-fried but can also be roasted or torched. To cook a pan-fried mullet roe, soak it in liquor or wine and peel off its membrane. Then, it is browned over a low fire and turned several times. Finally, the fried mullet roe is cut diagonally and is ready to be served. This dish is usually served with garlic scapes and daikon slices, but