im writing from the comfort of a hotel room in zhiben, taitung, a town known for their hot springs but most of the outdoor ones are still closed at the moment because of covid. im here because one of my classes that im taking from the documentary film department has a field trip here for 3 days 2 nights where we will learn how to repair old video film tapes, the VHS or cassette types. we will help repair some of the old tapes from one of the tribal communities here. im also here with fellow students im unfamiliar with since im not from their department. this is how i welcome december, and how i know im in the middle of the sagittarius season, where im offered the opportunity to literally travel ie move my body to a different place, but also travel in my mind, expand my existing worldview.
the nature on my campus
its 2 months since ive moved into my new school and new community. ive become familiar with the environment, the natural greenery around my campus, the darker quieter corners when the sun sets, where i can continue to make my documentation movement films (see below). ive become familiar with the daily chores of what and where to eat, where to do my laundry (i have to run the dryer twice to fully dry the clothes), when the classes happen (so i know when i can come out from my studio to smoke with friends) and what to expect from them. ive become much much more familiar with chinese and im beginning to realise as i write this that it is now taking me longer than before to write with english. is this assimilation?
then in the hangup of updown
one thing im having to encounter and acclimatise to now is winter. i love the sun. i love heat and sweat. the cold is not something my body is used to having grown up in summer singapore. some weeks ago when my friends talk excitedly about how it is time to buy new clothes as the weather changes, i thought maybe i will get a nice windproof jacket and it will be enough. no. i feel inadequately prepared. i am recognising the limits of my body. i miss my bare feet on ground since now i will have to wear socks to weather the cold. i miss not having to consider which jacket to put on. i know winter has just begun but already im looking forward to the summer in taiwan, the dipping into water in the sun, the ices we will eat, the bodies that will not be encumbered by clothing. because its not just temperature, its also shorter days and longer nights, a seriousness permeating. my new buddy said winter is time for new kinds of romance, a romantic feeling with lights at night and christmas coming. i dont know. im still learning to live with the cold.
the view from one of the paths at dakeng when the sun just rose
some weeks ago yipeng came down from taichung to see me, to meet me in my world and the peoples in it, even witness an online class and share the disappointments associated with the school (of course there are, every place has these). then we firmed up a collaboration we will be working on and showing early next year, and another exhibition with some of my schoolmates, both of which im very excited about. we also spent some hours with a friend's cat. quite soon after i went down to taichung for another weekend with him, a rooftop barbecue with the gallery that he opened with Lydia called Carp Gallery, and i brought with some friends from my school. this time also i went hiking with some new friends at dawn, just in time for daybreak. often we are so deep in the relationships and circles that we live and work and play in that we forget to imagine, or we stop ourselves from imagining, that these circles can touch. its a luxury to see my friends from different areas of my life cross paths, and to like each others company, for that to be easy. im thankful for these, for yipeng with whom its always easy and efficient to work and play with, for friends outside of my school bubble who remind me how big and how many different kinds of people exist in taiwan, and in the world.
im experimenting with making painting-like objects with my old clothes
the last time i wrote i talked about my first exhibition with the school. now im already preparing for another, this time our semester end exhibition. this time im experimenting with using my old clothes to make objects that are painting-like and sculpture-like. its something ive not done before and not something i could have done before since ive not had or lived in a space that i could project myself being in for a long time to hold these objects. the exhibition-critique is on the first week of january 2022, a fairly exciting way to start a new year. i have about a month left. we will see how it goes.
as the last month of the year starts, people are beginning to talk about what they will be doing for christmas or new years. most of my friends from school will be going back to spend these with their partners or other loved ones. its moments like these i remember im a foreigner here. the last time i spent new years in taiwan was 2018-2019. a getaway. a breather before my final semester in yale-nus when i was working on my capstone. this time i will be doing new years in taiwan and will possibly be for the next few years. i cant believe there are still new beginnings and traditions for me at this time in my life. that i just recently rode a motorcycle independently from my studio building to the nearby 7-11. or that i am preparing to apply for and receive creative opportunities in taiwan since im based here now. or the first hug you share with a new friend. all these. i want them and i will take them. perhaps i will want my life to be composed entirely of them.
我正在知本台東，一個著名溫泉的小鎮的一個旅宿房寫這篇文字。因為疫情露天的溫泉還是關閉的。我在這是因為有一堂課，音像所的紀錄部舉辦了課外教學工作坊，來三天兩夜，學習正修錄影帶和卡帶。我們會幫這裡的原住名修一些他們的。我是跟了一些不熟悉的同學（因為不同所）來到這。這是我歡迎十二月的場景，能有機會旅行，移動到另外一個地方，也在腦裡「旅行」擴大我的世界觀，也因為這我才知道我正在射手季中。
校園裡大自然
我進入新的學校跟新的社群已經兩個月了。我對於環境已經熟悉，校園裡的自然樹木，太陽下山後又暗又靜的角落，我可以繼續拍我的記錄肢體動作片（看下）。我熟悉了日常的雜事，吃什麼去哪吃，去哪洗衣服（烘乾機要用兩次才完全乾），大家什麼時候上課（才知道什麼時候可以出來跟朋友抽菸）和課堂上的期待。我也對於中文熟悉很多很多，而且我開始發現我正在寫文字時，漸漸的用英文表達越來越慢。這算融入適應了嗎？
then in the hangup of updown
我現在需要接觸和適應的就是冬天。我熱愛太陽。我喜歡暖熱和流汗。冷是一個對我這個只有夏天的新加坡成長的身體很陌生的。幾週前當朋友談到變天了是時候可以買新衣服時，我還以為可能買一件好風衣就夠了。不。我覺得根本沒準備好。我正在了解我身體的極限。我想念赤腳碰地的感覺（現在太冷要穿襪子）。我想念不需要考慮要穿哪一件外套才夠。我知道冬天才剛開始但我已經在期待夏天的台灣，在太陽下把腳伸進水裡，會吃到的冰，不被衣服限制的身體。因為不只是溫度，也是因為白天縮短黑夜拉長，一個嚴肅的風氣的來臨。我的新伙說冬天是浪漫的時段，夜晚的燈光和神誕節的到來。我不懂。我還在學習跟冷相處。
太陽剛升起時大坑的某個步道
幾週前奕芃從台中下來看我，跟我的世界和我世界裡的人見面，還監視了一堂課和同時感受到對於學校失望的同感（當然，每個地方都有）。然後我們確認了一個明年的合作的計畫，還有跟一些同學的聯展，這兩個我都很興奮期待。我們還跟朋友的貓玩了很久。很快之後我又跟奕芃在台中週末會合，在他跟Lydia開的一間藝廊「鯉魚」頂樓烤肉，我也帶了學校的朋友去。這次我們也跟新朋友凌晨四點去爬山，剛好太陽升起時到頂。通常我們都太深入我們自己的感情關係和生活工作圈，我們會忘了想像，或阻止自己想像這些圈子能碰。能看到從不同圈子的朋友互動，也喜歡跟彼此相處，能讓這一切是容易的，是一種享受。我對這些很感激：對於輕鬆又有效力的工作和玩耍的奕芃，對於學校以外的朋友提醒我台灣有很多種人存在，世界也是很大很大的。
在實驗用舊衣服做像畫的物件
上次分享時我談到跟學校的第一個（新生）展。目前我已經在準備另一個，這次是期末（評圖）展。這次在實驗用舊衣服做像畫也想雕塑的物件。是之前都沒做過的，也是之前因為沒有能長住的空間所以不可能做的。評圖會是在2022年一月初，很精彩的跨年方式。我剩大概一個月了。再看會怎樣吧。
在今年最後一個月開始時，我周圍的人都開始聊到神誕節或跨年要幹嘛。大部分學校的朋友都會回去跟伴侶或親人過。這種時候我就會記得自己外國人的身分。上次在台灣跨年是2018-2019年。透透氣。在大學最後學期準備論文創作前休息一下時。這次在台灣跨年也應該這幾年也在這跨。真不敢相信我這個人生階段還可以有新的開始和新的傳統。像最近自己騎車從工作室到 7。或像現在正在準備投件申請和接受台灣的創作機會因為我在這。或像是跟新朋友的第一個擁抱。這些。我要我也收下。可能我會想要我這一世都充滿了這些。