I know Taipei is not well-known for being at the top of many Asians’ travel bucket lists. I haven’t visited Taiwan since the last in 2013. But after almost two weeks affair with Taipei, I really love Taipei. So what made Taipei special to me? It’s just a feeling that I get; a feeling of knowing a place even though I’ve only been there for a while; a feeling of belonging somewhere. I collect such places, as someday I’ll settle down and I’ll do it in a place that I feel like I belong to. I stumbled upon a sort of street art park, the gray skies making the colorful murals pop. I knew then that Taipei and I were going to get along just fine. It reminded me of Tokyo, where as a foreigner you feel like a fly on the wall even when you're in the middle of the action. You overwhelm your senses trying in vane to absorb your surroundings. I remember thinking, "I should move here to live and work" with so little trepidation that it scared me. 这次的台湾行,其实是应该称作台北之旅,我在台北逗留了差不多两个星期。所有的目的地似乎都埋伏着一场回归。一次又一次向别人提起台湾的种种,一次又一次给别人写台北的旅行攻略。这是我的第四次台北之行。在四年后重返这座温情脉脉的城市,那些最初抵达的地方依旧朴素迷人,可那些日子的记忆如何寻找呢。我已经改变了。重新去和台北相认,交谈,惺惺相惜,重新触碰那些令人心意荡漾的行走线路,重新喜欢上一个城市,唤醒爱意,这就是旅行赋予我的,最奇妙的意义。走在台北再繁华的街道,可能会突然发现一幢古旧建筑,一侧是朴实的小巷,一辆鲜黄的机车正不紧不慢朝你的张望中开过来。 台北是这样,它具备一个城市令人心动的所有理由。 I didn’t have a set itinerary or a long list of things to see; I just enjoyed spending time in the city and studying every little thing that I happened to come by. Taipei amazed me with its lively streets, its brilliant cuisine, its relaxed atmosphere and its beautiful surroundings. I decided to spend all of my days in Taipei and the surrounding areas. Taipei blew me away with its friendly people and the endless list of things to do and see both in the city and around the city. The kindness of the people was another thing I noticed about Taiwan. This may not seem like a big deal but when you are deprived of a friendly smile or a simple “thank you” from the barista at the coffee shop, it starts to make you feel like a robot. 要是住在台北,我会每天背着小双肩包到处游拍。从来听游客说,台湾人很热情。记得每次坐出租车,都可以和司机聊好多。有人会讲他的上上辈从哪里来到这里,讲他的工作、他的生活;有人会把二十世纪的历史评论一遍,再说他最喜欢的“总统”是谁;有人会讲他遇到的游客、他去哪里的经历,或是计划中的旅行;然而在其它原本应该更熟悉的城市,却少有这样的交谈。就这样,我就是喜欢台北。 我喜欢的台北,是那样一个可以带给我一种从容的感觉的城市。它既保持着旅行目的地的疏离感,实际路程又非常支持周末往返,它清新文艺,同时底蕴深厚,它外表看似波澜不惊,实际暗涌澎湃。就像遇到了一位梦中情人,儒雅而幽默,善解人意并且愿意付出宽容。 Taipei is surprisingly peaceful, but it’s not dead by any means. Instead, the city clearly has a living and breathing culture. There seems to be something going on all the time. There are many great local art museums in Taipei - something that i would always look out for when visiting a foreign country. I continued strolling along different alleyways, changing directions at whim, when I stumbled upon a crowded pedestrian-friendly shopping area. Large groups of young people walked around laughing. Couples huddled under umbrellas as they queued up at a movie theater. Neon-lit shops and restaurants dotted the sidewalks. Taipei came alive in that uniquely Asian way, and with it, so did I. 要是住在台北,我会去台北当代艺术馆参观,去看看各种当代艺术作品。艺术是人类思想直接的表达,多看些艺术作品,不是要自己附庸风雅,而是能够让自己的心平静下来。对艺术馆的建筑风格,我很是欣赏。我喜欢台北的文化气息,也喜欢景美溪旁的风景。 曾在台北光点的咖啡厅里消磨了一个下午。就只是一杯咖啡,几张明信片,几本书,在那白色的漂亮房子里待一下午。邻桌有两个二十岁出头的年轻女孩,一口台湾腔的国语,也这样谈了一个下午。那时,我想,对未来的期望大概就是这样了吧,能在这样的周末下午,和好友一起喝一下午的咖啡,说一下午的话。 One thing that I had to see though was the Taipei 101. I initially wanted to go to the top to see the view of Taipei from above (even though I’ve seen it before), but I decided to go hiking to see it instead and have the impressive Taipei 101 in the view as well. 台北的超高层不是很多,这更让台北101有种鹤立鸡群的感觉,以至于在台北任意的一个角落,都可以看到101雄伟的身姿。一座足以改变城市的建筑,台北101代表东方艺术与西方科技完美融合,勾勒台北的天际线,象征将台北领向世界舞台。 In the coming days, I’ll be sharing more stories from my recent trips in Taipei, Tokyo and Hong Kong. I hope to publish all of them before my next trip in 2018 :)
台北是个充满浓厚人情味的地方,这些需要深入大街小巷去体会,所以台北适宜走着瞧,不宜走马观花。这次的游玩,让我非常喜欢台北,喜欢那里的人,也喜欢那里的环境,更喜欢台湾浓浓的中华文化。人都有怀旧情结,感觉台湾有好多新加坡没有。台北是这样,它具备一个城市令人心动的所有理由。 我在此写下我的感想:Travel, Read, Write, Eat, Love, Taipei。
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