The heat didn't break the ton but it was a close run thing. I spent another morning getting asthma meds ("it is normal for westerners to develop breathing difficulty after a few years in Taiwan". I'm going to die when they open the new coal plant. It's going to be as bad as living in the south. Nuclear doesn't seem like a scary option compared to Taiwanese coal plants). Anyway, I did a lil working then hit the bridge. It was rowdy and crowded. About fifty bboys were busy blocking the back of the park and watching two guys dance to kpop and the worst that america has recorded in the last 40 years. I got my 28 and a couple of other little things, while bigt ******d the rail and hb and the other guys whose names I dont know tore up and down the length of hte place. Gratefully, a big gust would come through from time to time, but by lights out, I was soaked to the cornhole. I didn't quite feel like going home, so I cruised up to hte three stair and skated teh curbs long enough to piss off the resident hobo, who was dressed in a suit with a bolo tie.
Edit: After some asahis, I realized that years from now, I'm not going to be pissed at people dancing at the bridge. It's part of what makes Taiwan, and Taipei in particular such a good place to live. Not because otherwise decent people don't nonchalantly get in the way and do their thing oblivious to whoever it annoys, but because they're outside and not robbing adn stealing. The bridge would fucking suck if it was full of theives and you had to watch your back there. If anything, the concentration camp green fencing has kept out the sketchier folk from going in there. So fuck it, I'm glad they were sitting on the little rail and manny pad. I would have been the only one skating it anyway.
Tuesday, July 31, 2018
Sunday, July 29, 2018
My favorite review on all of the internet. No skating is involved.
We went south and I left my skateboard in Taipei. I never complain, but this was a mistake, because my beloved roommate left me with her kinfolk (whom I love but would rather spent at least part of the weekend loving while I skated) while she went to a baby party. The most memorable moment was walking the war dog around town so he could piss and shit on things as yokels jumped out of the way, and when we got near home, he savaged a dozy security who had been sleeping hidden behind a pillar on some lawn chairs. I appologized to him as best I could.
The next day, we drove home (driving in taiwan is for morons, because the trains are so cheap and convinient and clean and reliable and safe - on otherwords, everything that driving here is not) and the traffic was horrible, so we wandered towards the west coast.
In everyway, the west coast is the opposite of the east. It's a filthy, raucous crowded catastrophe of milling people and scooters and chaos and cars and flashing binlang stalls and general shittiness and airpollution and factories next to decrepit cement housing. We went to a mudflat, where the tide falls 5 to 7 km away from teh shore, and we got there when it was all the way out. It was a strange thing to see, with millions upon millions of fiddler crabs and mudskippers vying for territory against sexual rivals.
We went to an "approved" oyster restaurant (meaning, the online reviews were generally positive; taiwanese women, at least the one I live with, won't dare to go anywhere with less than 4.3 stars on google maps or whatever she reads) but then she realized that we were missing the sunset, so after making an ordeal of it, as though it had been my idea all along, we went back to the shore to watch the sun sink into the mud. It couldn't, because by then, clouds were blocking it. So we selfied ourselves as the sun sank into the clouds above the mud, and then we went back to the oyster restaurant.
I would trade landing a new flatground trick for the chance ot eat there again. It was a total dive, with oysters laying about in plastic baskets in teh muddy crap all around the place. However, there was no smell whatsoever, which I took to be a good sign in an otherwise dingy and nasty looking restaurant. The tables were low and plastic, and so were the stools. The beers were cold, and the oysters were insanely cheap and delicious. So were the shrimp and clams and other oysters, and then another order of oysters after that. Three lanes of highway traffic roared by the whole time. The whole thing cost about $25 usd. I will be back.
On the drive home (lyzk took the wheel because of the amount of beer I had been required to drink with the oysters) I tried to give them a review, and stumbled on my favorite bit of text of all time. Admitteldy, the ocean line people of taiwan live up to their reputation as being a bit less curteous than the rest of the country, but this place didnt suffer for it much, at least when we were there. Behold another opinion:
The next day, we drove home (driving in taiwan is for morons, because the trains are so cheap and convinient and clean and reliable and safe - on otherwords, everything that driving here is not) and the traffic was horrible, so we wandered towards the west coast.
In everyway, the west coast is the opposite of the east. It's a filthy, raucous crowded catastrophe of milling people and scooters and chaos and cars and flashing binlang stalls and general shittiness and airpollution and factories next to decrepit cement housing. We went to a mudflat, where the tide falls 5 to 7 km away from teh shore, and we got there when it was all the way out. It was a strange thing to see, with millions upon millions of fiddler crabs and mudskippers vying for territory against sexual rivals.
We went to an "approved" oyster restaurant (meaning, the online reviews were generally positive; taiwanese women, at least the one I live with, won't dare to go anywhere with less than 4.3 stars on google maps or whatever she reads) but then she realized that we were missing the sunset, so after making an ordeal of it, as though it had been my idea all along, we went back to the shore to watch the sun sink into the mud. It couldn't, because by then, clouds were blocking it. So we selfied ourselves as the sun sank into the clouds above the mud, and then we went back to the oyster restaurant.
I would trade landing a new flatground trick for the chance ot eat there again. It was a total dive, with oysters laying about in plastic baskets in teh muddy crap all around the place. However, there was no smell whatsoever, which I took to be a good sign in an otherwise dingy and nasty looking restaurant. The tables were low and plastic, and so were the stools. The beers were cold, and the oysters were insanely cheap and delicious. So were the shrimp and clams and other oysters, and then another order of oysters after that. Three lanes of highway traffic roared by the whole time. The whole thing cost about $25 usd. I will be back.
On the drive home (lyzk took the wheel because of the amount of beer I had been required to drink with the oysters) I tried to give them a review, and stumbled on my favorite bit of text of all time. Admitteldy, the ocean line people of taiwan live up to their reputation as being a bit less curteous than the rest of the country, but this place didnt suffer for it much, at least when we were there. Behold another opinion:
(Translated by Google) 2018/4/18 Tonight, this male clerk does not know that he is fierce, small, fiercest and fiercest. The staff is angry at the other side and eats and eats. The boss is not the boss? I want to see the giant bully want to see how big the size, the price, the female clerk will show it to me, then the male clerk came over fierce niece clerk: Why do you take it out? I did not say not take it out?. My OS: The fierce three small guests think about the meal in front of you, you are in the fierce why do I ask the staff to come out with Ah? Since they have come out I am also ashamed to point it 260 oysters, 260 yuan oysters to eat Those who are unhappy are reluctant to listen, and they must listen to the men’s staff for dinner. Then the female employee answered the phone to have a guest to make an appointment, and the male clerk was very fierce and said that they would come to the scene to see, but also to speak several times, the female employees would also tolerate no temper, my friend and I heard Very anxious and embarrassed, the most taboo to eat in front of the guests fierce, not to mention the guests did not make things difficult for you, I took friends to sit in front of your baking table to eat. Before going to the boss for the first time, she was very cordial, and I thought it was quite good to bring friends to eat. As a result, my friend and I had a very embarrassing experience. What happened to the boss was not playing on the boss? Rotten, 600 eat a belly fire. Two stars are for the boss and food.
Thursday, July 26, 2018
Getting back in touch
Tonight, I reconnected with Taipei like two magnets smacking together at the last second. I couldn't rouse any troops so I went to the place where you go in such hard times; the bridge. I got some water and was in the cross walk the by the green prison bars the city has so thoughtfully installed to keep us out after hours, and saw a crowd of people, some of whom apparently know my name, because they shouted it. When I got around inside, I couldn't believe it; it was BT and LPJ. I hadnt seen the latter in at least a year, and not much of the former. I only had about 30 minute sbefore lights out but I spent it catching up instead of skating. The lights went out, and we kept talking, becuase the security was cool. I threw down my skateboard as we left, and heard them shouting my name again, but I was really anxious to get going so I didnt turn around. Somone kept shouting my name, so I turned around and it was SRU, and we chatted some more.
The social key bump got me going for some solo skating through the city of my dreams. I went for optimistic flatground and smashed myself a few times inthe crosswalks as taxis and scooters and weirded out pedestrians watched. Within 30 minutes, I was ready to call it quites, but I ran into a dude I remembered from way back, who sells fruit on the street late night. This is not a euphemism. I got some watermelon ($50/box and had to choke down the end of it because it was so much food) slammed a tb at middle mountain station (there is no mountain anywhere nearby but i guess it's a pretty central station) and went with the traffic and the chaos. The whole point was to cruise flatground and get 27**s, which I did, although some of them were suspect.
The last ones ended up being done as I passed an old haunt and smashed myself into the asphalt and decided to land 24-27 and circle the block and come back from some grilled meat and beer. I didn't know they had all seen me do it, but when I came back, I got a welcomed with some tipped beers and nodded heads. I was soaked to the anus and smelled like it, so I sat outside.
Old Place (now called Good Place) goes a long way explaning why I can't leave this city. It's a small, indoor/outdoor izakaya that serves decent grilled skewers, like pork, beef, mushrooms, asparagus wraps, corn, chicken small intestines, pork large intestines, an assortment of fish and fish balls, and beer on yellow plastic folding tables, surrounded by black plastic low stools. The owner (I'm pretty sure he's the owner, but a good sign for places like this is you can't tell who actually works there and who is just helping out) greeted me and slapped hands and poured me a beer, inspite of my filthy state. Then I ate and drank as much as I could fit in my gullet for $650, and then the staff came outside to talk, because some how, they fucking remembered me even though I havne't been there in a year. I ate and drank with some restaurant staff from next door til they switched off the lights. I mostly skated home.
The social key bump got me going for some solo skating through the city of my dreams. I went for optimistic flatground and smashed myself a few times inthe crosswalks as taxis and scooters and weirded out pedestrians watched. Within 30 minutes, I was ready to call it quites, but I ran into a dude I remembered from way back, who sells fruit on the street late night. This is not a euphemism. I got some watermelon ($50/box and had to choke down the end of it because it was so much food) slammed a tb at middle mountain station (there is no mountain anywhere nearby but i guess it's a pretty central station) and went with the traffic and the chaos. The whole point was to cruise flatground and get 27**s, which I did, although some of them were suspect.
The last ones ended up being done as I passed an old haunt and smashed myself into the asphalt and decided to land 24-27 and circle the block and come back from some grilled meat and beer. I didn't know they had all seen me do it, but when I came back, I got a welcomed with some tipped beers and nodded heads. I was soaked to the anus and smelled like it, so I sat outside.
Old Place (now called Good Place) goes a long way explaning why I can't leave this city. It's a small, indoor/outdoor izakaya that serves decent grilled skewers, like pork, beef, mushrooms, asparagus wraps, corn, chicken small intestines, pork large intestines, an assortment of fish and fish balls, and beer on yellow plastic folding tables, surrounded by black plastic low stools. The owner (I'm pretty sure he's the owner, but a good sign for places like this is you can't tell who actually works there and who is just helping out) greeted me and slapped hands and poured me a beer, inspite of my filthy state. Then I ate and drank as much as I could fit in my gullet for $650, and then the staff came outside to talk, because some how, they fucking remembered me even though I havne't been there in a year. I ate and drank with some restaurant staff from next door til they switched off the lights. I mostly skated home.
Tuesday, July 24, 2018
A Homecoming, of Sorts
You can't skate everyday, and as you age, you can skate less and less. You have to change how you skate in order to skate for longer. No matter how careful you, how much you stretch, how few risks you choose to take, how little motivation you have to progress; you're going to reach a point where it's all downhill from there on out. At this point, some people do a hemingway or a thompson, but most are cowards and ride that wave down from the long long crest, for many years, towards the shore.
This is a lot more dramatic than I meant for it sound, sorry. I just didn't skate tonight, there is no self destruction intended, other than the etoh. The humidity was unbearable, and I had only slept 2 of the last 48 hours, so after a morning at the hospital for respiratory nonsense, and an afternoon at work so that I can pay for electricity, beers, blank decks and paint, I got home, fully intending to skate, and lost the spark.
MW also bailed but made up for it by suggesting we hit up jiangdu, which we did. Then we went to the promised land, and wandered up and down through the scantily clad maniquins and the nean flashing signs for sex toys and the neon flashing taxis and the neon flashing things I can't read and the palm trees and the banyan trees and the indian figs and the grilled meats and the mcdonalds and the gangsters adn the skate spots and the pig parts. I hadnt been back since I left for America a year ago, but they remembered me, and I almost got emotional about it, but I wanted to be be tough infront of mw. Sadly, hte old man across the street wasnt there, but his kids were.
I'm motivated to skate street tomorrow. Doomed User.
ps I forgot to mention the discussion about the young thugs in front of mcdonalds methin out on their parked scooters, which the australian bearded neo-hippies in grizzly uniforms smoked cigarettes and chatted up the hookers while showing off their mardi gras beads. Seriously, if you come to Taipei, come to Linsen Bei for a night. It's like Taiwanese Las Vegas vs. Taiwanese Buford Highway vs. Taiwanese Heaven.
This is a lot more dramatic than I meant for it sound, sorry. I just didn't skate tonight, there is no self destruction intended, other than the etoh. The humidity was unbearable, and I had only slept 2 of the last 48 hours, so after a morning at the hospital for respiratory nonsense, and an afternoon at work so that I can pay for electricity, beers, blank decks and paint, I got home, fully intending to skate, and lost the spark.
MW also bailed but made up for it by suggesting we hit up jiangdu, which we did. Then we went to the promised land, and wandered up and down through the scantily clad maniquins and the nean flashing signs for sex toys and the neon flashing taxis and the neon flashing things I can't read and the palm trees and the banyan trees and the indian figs and the grilled meats and the mcdonalds and the gangsters adn the skate spots and the pig parts. I hadnt been back since I left for America a year ago, but they remembered me, and I almost got emotional about it, but I wanted to be be tough infront of mw. Sadly, hte old man across the street wasnt there, but his kids were.
I'm motivated to skate street tomorrow. Doomed User.
ps I forgot to mention the discussion about the young thugs in front of mcdonalds methin out on their parked scooters, which the australian bearded neo-hippies in grizzly uniforms smoked cigarettes and chatted up the hookers while showing off their mardi gras beads. Seriously, if you come to Taipei, come to Linsen Bei for a night. It's like Taiwanese Las Vegas vs. Taiwanese Buford Highway vs. Taiwanese Heaven.
Thursday, July 19, 2018
Absolution Gaps
I had a nasty day of working and decided to cut the deck and draw a card and it came up Wooden Bridge. Luckily, RMJ and about two dozen other homies were there on a windy and not unbreably hot night. The ledge is the best in Taipei, which means it's the best in Taiwan, and therefore the best on Earth. It's a long long low pink marble one, with plenty of smooth flatground all around. As I went up the escalator, I tried to do some math. If it's been here ten years (conservatively; I think I heard it's been 12) and if ten dudes skate it every day (I think it's more like 20) and if each skater does 100 tricks per day, then we're looking at 1/3 million tricks per year, rounding down and using bad math. So maybe every three years, rainy days and whatnot, a million tricks get done here. I think something like 4,000,000 tricks might have been done on this ledge. And it just as smooth as the day it was born - no - it's smoother. It slides so fast that it takes some getting used to. It roars for grinds, and hisses for slides. There are benches on the other side of the walkway, so everyone can drink and clap and cheer and shout when something good happens, which is frequently. We line up at one end and the other and froth back and forth at each other, but in a friendly way, unlike certain other spots. It helps that the ledge is so long, that if two skaters from opposite ends go at the same time and at full speed, they can easily still make their tricks by going around each other. The ledge is just that long. It's the best ledge in the world.
I've been trying to improve my *******s, by doing one more than before, each session. This time, I got to 26, but it was in record time. I easily made more than 50 % of them. Last few times, I easily spend hours getting to 23, 24, and 25. Maybe, I'm getting to peak skate on this deck: it's bendy, but only just enough to enable consistent flat ground. This isn't a popular opinion, but I hate a deck with too much pop. I don't a limp noodle either. It needs to be al dente. Most of the paint is gone on this one, and the nose is chippping. It's getting there.
We also skated the back of the plaza, with some pink marble ledges that would be a spectacular spot in their own right, but no one ever goes back there because it's a full 20 second skate away, and in Taipei, that's too far, because we have a lot of skate spots.
I got tired, and beered up, and chatted. Everyone left but me and rmj. I have to say, the wooden bridge crew are the most friendly in taipei city. And the motherfucker doing the ** *** **** to ** ********* was an inspiration. I skated harder because of that dude. They peaced out and we drank up.
I vomited everywhere, which is embarrassing, because back in the day, I used to be able to consume an unlimited quantity of beer in a single night. This time, RMJ went for another round and I tried to skate little in the interim. heineken doesnt sit well with me anyway, and it came spewing up.
An ancient man with trashbags came by to collect our empties, and we saw him again as we walked up towards the Xinpu.
At this point, I thought the night was over, barring maybe a beer or two and a cab ride through the psychedlic city that elevated highways in Taipei become after 02:00.
We stopped off at a spot I used to walk by before I started writing about Taipei spots. It's a three up, three down, marble/slate surface, but with two wheel chair gaps in between. Someone with more talent and pop than me could go up, across one and then across the other, and then back down to the sidewalk. It would be hectic, but I'm pretty sure the reason it's not on video yet is because it's in one of the denseist population centers on earth and somehow, no one has found it yet. Also, it's only possible between 03:00 and 05:00, because of human terrain. We didn't even try it. I was too tired, above all else.
Then we went by another spot. RMJ is the master of spots in this city, like a sailor who has been to every port. This one was a special port.
The rickety surface became smooth as silk, and we skated a 100m wall that had been used as urinal by an army of New Taipei City alcoholics, and smelled as such. The sidewalk opened into a tiny, downhill double ledge spot. Each ledge, on both sides, has a series of small ledges above it, making it possible to transition from the upper ones to the lower one, which is about 5m, and drops to a waist high sidewalk, then into a downhill, and outputting into the street.
We noticed a security booth at the far end, but this spot was somehow absolutely virgin, and sawty never left his booth. We slammed a couple of energy beers and went for it. RMJ got an upper to lower *********, several times. I got myself a ** **** to ***** and then maybe the best **_** of my life. Not that it was a good one, but I had puked, was exhausted, in the heat, and had a backpack on. Also, it grinded a respectable distance, although far from the whole thing.
The cab ride home was pretty trippy. I hate cabs here, but at least he had to smell me the whole way. He earned his $250.
I've been trying to improve my *******s, by doing one more than before, each session. This time, I got to 26, but it was in record time. I easily made more than 50 % of them. Last few times, I easily spend hours getting to 23, 24, and 25. Maybe, I'm getting to peak skate on this deck: it's bendy, but only just enough to enable consistent flat ground. This isn't a popular opinion, but I hate a deck with too much pop. I don't a limp noodle either. It needs to be al dente. Most of the paint is gone on this one, and the nose is chippping. It's getting there.
We also skated the back of the plaza, with some pink marble ledges that would be a spectacular spot in their own right, but no one ever goes back there because it's a full 20 second skate away, and in Taipei, that's too far, because we have a lot of skate spots.
I got tired, and beered up, and chatted. Everyone left but me and rmj. I have to say, the wooden bridge crew are the most friendly in taipei city. And the motherfucker doing the ** *** **** to ** ********* was an inspiration. I skated harder because of that dude. They peaced out and we drank up.
I vomited everywhere, which is embarrassing, because back in the day, I used to be able to consume an unlimited quantity of beer in a single night. This time, RMJ went for another round and I tried to skate little in the interim. heineken doesnt sit well with me anyway, and it came spewing up.
An ancient man with trashbags came by to collect our empties, and we saw him again as we walked up towards the Xinpu.
At this point, I thought the night was over, barring maybe a beer or two and a cab ride through the psychedlic city that elevated highways in Taipei become after 02:00.
We stopped off at a spot I used to walk by before I started writing about Taipei spots. It's a three up, three down, marble/slate surface, but with two wheel chair gaps in between. Someone with more talent and pop than me could go up, across one and then across the other, and then back down to the sidewalk. It would be hectic, but I'm pretty sure the reason it's not on video yet is because it's in one of the denseist population centers on earth and somehow, no one has found it yet. Also, it's only possible between 03:00 and 05:00, because of human terrain. We didn't even try it. I was too tired, above all else.
Then we went by another spot. RMJ is the master of spots in this city, like a sailor who has been to every port. This one was a special port.
The rickety surface became smooth as silk, and we skated a 100m wall that had been used as urinal by an army of New Taipei City alcoholics, and smelled as such. The sidewalk opened into a tiny, downhill double ledge spot. Each ledge, on both sides, has a series of small ledges above it, making it possible to transition from the upper ones to the lower one, which is about 5m, and drops to a waist high sidewalk, then into a downhill, and outputting into the street.
We noticed a security booth at the far end, but this spot was somehow absolutely virgin, and sawty never left his booth. We slammed a couple of energy beers and went for it. RMJ got an upper to lower *********, several times. I got myself a ** **** to ***** and then maybe the best **_** of my life. Not that it was a good one, but I had puked, was exhausted, in the heat, and had a backpack on. Also, it grinded a respectable distance, although far from the whole thing.
The cab ride home was pretty trippy. I hate cabs here, but at least he had to smell me the whole way. He earned his $250.
Saturday, July 14, 2018
Un Ete Francais
I watched too many UFO documentaries and I couldnt sleep, so I took a nap from 8:00 to 4:00. Then I went by the bridge and it was good. A slew of homies were there, some old, some new, some inbetween, many of whom spoke french with me. I got my 24 and that was about it, but the newest of our group got four or five new things. Then we went to ximen hospital, where a man shaped like an egg tried to kick us out. It didn't really work, since there were about a dozen people skating. I got the first train back but missed hte connection and had to skate the rest of the way. My legs no longer work.
Wednesday, July 11, 2018
The typhoon was like a snowday when it never actually snows
23 on cruise mode. Even in such an excellent city for street skating at Taipei, flatground is so much more difficult on the tiles and wavy surfaces and traffic and pedestrians.
Tuesday, July 10, 2018
electric head part 2
Almost puked from day drinking hot beer in hot weather. More spitting rain and rude breezes now. There’s a crowd on a lower roof top. I don’t know what they’re doing. I flicked them off. Perhaps you had better start from the beginning. I know the supernatural isn’t supposed to happen, but it does happen. Spittle on my screen, a low rainbow to the east.
Walls of rain are closing in like zulus at rorkes drift. Affected by what you had lost
They're not the habits you'd protect
At any cost
Blur the details of your hand
Anything your barren conscience
Can't defend
The limits of attention span
Successive thoughts you don't have
But you still pretend
Keep on talking anyway
Protected by what you know
No one will ever say
Because you can't be pure
You're self-assured
At any cost
Blur the details of your hand
Anything your barren conscience
Can't defend
The limits of attention span
Successive thoughts you don't have
But you still pretend
Keep on talking anyway
Protected by what you know
No one will ever say
Because you can't be pure
You're self-assured
No sun in the city now, but some in the clouds. PEople are dancing in a roof top below me.
I know I might be wrong, but I’m sick of pretending.
The wind is cold now. 120 min eta.
I let you down again. What’s another harmless lie between friends? No you can’t be disappointed, I thought I gave you just exactly what you wanted.
Only the near mountains are visible, and when the sun bursts through, it’s not so hot or harsh.
It always feels good to be right, and if it helps you sleep at night, I’ll tell you what you want to hear, and act like I care.
First big raindrops hit, some cloud tops are still golden, some bottoms are almost black.
I like the way you set yourself goals
The blind ambition you sport like
New clothes
There's nothing bold in the posture
You wear
It's always stunning to show you care
You're so outspoken, the status quotient
Brought up to peak broadcast emotion
As calculated as the news is
At least you've got yourself impressed
Appropriated, the concepts you boast
You love the sound of your own voice
You're always vocal, affecting passion
Wholesale opinions will stay in fashion
The blind ambition you sport like
New clothes
There's nothing bold in the posture
You wear
It's always stunning to show you care
You're so outspoken, the status quotient
Brought up to peak broadcast emotion
As calculated as the news is
At least you've got yourself impressed
Appropriated, the concepts you boast
You love the sound of your own voice
You're always vocal, affecting passion
Wholesale opinions will stay in fashion
MOunyains are disappearing, swallows by the storm. The sky is hauling ass now. A wide wall of black grey rainnis sweeping in from the north.
In a moment, theountains are almost gone.
It’s so easy to get bored. It’s so easy to get bored.
I’m five seconds. 101 is gone, disappeared behind the rain. It’s colder. The diet aftertaste is rude.
Find something mindless I can advocate, make up the menu wanna be, the ln always keep a finger in the pulse, maintain high visibility.
Someone is still welding on unborn skyscrapers. Bright white blinks. More and more frantic. The attention that I crave is self esteem I can almost taste.
101 rips back out of the clouds, the mountains are almost gone.
Constant rain now.
I don’t know but I’ve been told, a big leg woman ain’t got no soul.
The sky is in ffwd
The city has an uncomfortable and uneasy vibe. The government just announced immediate cancellation of work and take shelter orders, but from my roof, the sky is still mostly blue. ETA is 2.5 hours. I just saw an egret fly by and realized it’s the first bird I’ve seen or heard all day. Now and then there’s a breeze, but mostly the air is sticky and still. Faces in the sidewalk look hurried and worried, which makes me feel apprehensive, since typhoon days are usually celebrated as unscheduled holidays.
I’m having a rooftopbeer. It is aggressively muggy up here. Squalls are sweeping over the city. The typhoon World Cup semifinal party has been cancelled at our local bar. This is equivalent to preemptive Waffle House closures.
The sun breaks through and reflects brilliantly off the glass of the buildings. I crack another beer. AC/DC on the roof. Times like these make me think of John Keller.
So I swap to misfits. We walk the streets at night, we go where eagles dare.
Spitting rain in my cell screen. I ain’t no goddam son of a bitch, you better think about it baby.
Patches of green hills, patches of rain. The sun lights up the top of some small clouds against the background of a black grey sky. I’ll be seeing you again.
Don’t cry to me now baby.
Water droplets are suspended in the confused breeze coming over the ledge on top of the building.
The hot sun breaks out. Twenty twenty twenty four hours to go. Still a lot of blue sky. Most mountains are obsucurred by rain now. It’s hot. I wanna be sedated. Flights still coming into the airport, under the hen mohntains, between the buildings. Mother, tell your children not to walk my way.
The sun burns fierce like Florida becUse all the pollution has been washed from the sky. The clouds are going the same way the wind is blowing.
This day is like graduation, except I’m alone on a rooftop in Taipei and halfway through life. Millions of people are below me.
Sunday, July 8, 2018
Blue sky/typhoon coming
Sleepless so I went out and got lzyk a fancy breakfast and got ready to skate the golden hours. She agreed to drop me off in teh north, where I could skate and then cruise home, but she took forever to get ready, so it was already blazing hot by the time I got to yuanshan river park. I piled up some orange cones and got going. Pigeons were everywhere, many of them with bizarre wounds and growths all over them. Pollutoin is really creepy here. I rung out 22, and tried the ampitheatre, but it was so hot that my feet got burned through my shoes, and I couldn't hold the skateboard because the griptape was so hot. I waxed up and slappied the downward yellow curb on the way back.
Wednesday, July 4, 2018
Dont look at me that way, it was an honest mistake
21. hard won.
hualienG was there, I thought I recognized him, he's been out with a busted ankle for a year. I forgot to ask for his line. Hope to see you soon.
CL was there. So was oscarmayer. I mistook an okinawan for one of the hotdogs, but he wasn't and I got a round for the house, including sawty whose name I even forgot to ask for, but whose committment I liked on the ********. She didn't get it, but she will soon. Maybe tomorrow. We huddled around the entrance of the bridge, mangling mandarin, japanese, english, and spanish.
I skated back towards home with noh and beered up for the roll home, but forgot about food. Now I have to hit up taiwanese waffle house, which is noodles and fried chicken and pidan for about $100.
Tuesday, July 3, 2018
On Patrol
Summer time and I'm working parttime. I finished at 21:00 and watched some world cup and went for a cruise. Skateboarding isn't about actually being good at skateboarding, but sometimes it is about being good at skateboarding and I want to get better at a few things. Tonight I was going for 20 *******s and whatever else I could manage, but the heat and the disease and the fatigue kept me from doing whatever else. Instead I cruised block by block, turning if I didn't land one, and going straight if I did. This is a great way to get very tired in about an hour. I went on home. Time for more world cup.
Monday, July 2, 2018
Oven turned up to Hi
Still sick, but on the mend. No sleep, so I flipped a coin so see if I should skate during the Golden Hour (which is about three hours right now) but the coin said no, so I slept til 15:00 because I didn't have to work. After feeling like a peice of shit for not leaving the house all day, I went by the bridge. I think it was officially 37 today, but since I don't get to skate much anymore, and gentlemen don't skate in the sunlit hours, it felt a lot hotter than that, if such a thing is possible. I migrated to the back, where the shade is thick, and met a guy from taichill and another from france. And another from xingtien. I cut it short after one water bottle, but I got 19 **'s. Not much else. Anything in the full heat of the day is an accomplishment though.
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