sculpture and shave ice

Yesterday, went to the gallery on the 5th floor of XinYi Chen Ping (Eslite) where Szu-Minhad her sculpture. Incredible folded stainless works, some in bright yellow or red lacquer, others sanded and brushed on one side, polished on the other, with welds that were surgical and precise. One piece was a faceted mobius strip where… Continue reading →

plants, food

After a wonderful brunch at Qun Xui Tang of black sugar moji, tea cakes, xuimai, mushrooms, dried squid, edamame and bubble tea, Toma and I took the metro to the botanical gardens, marveling at the familiar houseplants now of gigantic proportion. Later we wandered the nearby lanes with combinations of ruined Japanese houses and ostentatious… Continue reading →

living walls

Tom really enjoyed all the living walls you find throughout Taipei. Not only did they look great, but they cool the environment, and add moisture and oxygen to the air. And they take up very little space. I don’t even really need a wall just spacers sufficient to hold the pots.   

wilbeck

First stop after landing at 5:30am with little to no sleep on the 12 hour flight was to head to Wilbeck Coffee, which is my personal world favorite. Kevin roasts the beans in a little copper roaster almost one bean at a time, and the steam milk is a close cousin to whipped cream. Then… Continue reading →