Treasure Hill Details, Taipei 2012

I am striving to complete this Taiwan travelogue before the end of the year. I have only about 2 more posts left, let's hope I can make it!

Have a good end of the year, folks.

Treasure Hill Artist Village, Taipei 2012

If you enjoy clambering around, searching for hidden nooks and crannies, you are going to love Treasure Hill Artist Village. There is so much to discover! I left it too late and only arrived in the late afternoon when most of the artists' studios were closing or had closed. I heard there were also cafes in the area but I didn't see any. So much so much left to see.

I am quite disappointed with the grainy and gloomy quality of this film, ironically it's theKodak Ultracolour 400. I popped in the only 400ISO film I had with me, thinking that it would help combat the darkening sky but it seems like it wasn't enough. I look forward to going back there again in sunnier weather to capture more of the little details.

On The Way to Treasure Hill, Taipei 2012

I got incredibly lost trying to find my way to the Treasure Hill Artist Village. I exited from the Gong Guan MRT Station and immediately lost myself in the hustle and bustle of the place. It didn't help that Ting Zhou Road was an incredibly long stretch with many different section. It took me quite a few wrong turns before I got myself on the right path. Then all you have to do is follow the murals.

Huashan, Taipei 2012

An abandoned former winery in the middle of Taipei, turned into a cultural centre through stealth and acclaimation, Huashan Cultural Park was a place I looked forward to exploring. On the day I visited, Canada Day was taking place and the compound was teeming with expat Canadians and locals eager to sample a taste of Canada. Don't let my photos fool you, the place was incredibly full of energy, I spied wedding photoshoots in progress, a travel fair, a toy (or perhaps cartoon) convention, an outdoor market, cafes and artist nooks scattered all over the site! Phew, just remembering that day makes me feel tired!

Simple Market, Taipei 2012

A farmer's and craft market set in the heart of Taipei City, Simple Market was a must-visit on my solo day's itinerary. It runs every Sunday at the Xinyi Public Assembly Hall, outside Good Cho's 好丘 and is organised by Simple Life 简单生活, the company that runs Good Cho's 好丘 and the Simple Life Festival 简单生活节. Stall tenants change up regularly and most items are hand-crafted from baked goods, to coffee roasted and brewed on the spot, camera straps, bookmarks and many other little goodies. Not surprisingly, I spent a good amount of my money buying little souvenirs for my friends and family. Many of the shopkeepers are college-aged students and were so friendly. Most of them were surprised to know that I was a foreigner and wanted to know all about how my trip had been and what Singapore was like. I really wished I had more time to stay awhile to talk and to take in the indie music performances that were scheduled for the afternoon. Well, there's always next time. I already know that whenever I am in Taipei, my Sunday will be reserved for a jaunt to Simple Market.

Lomography Home of the Day

I recently found out that two Tuesdays ago, I was selected as Lomography's Home of the Day! (that's the archive shot of the LHOTD write-up). I had missed seeing the tweet announcement and not visited the main Lomography website that day. I only managed to figure it out when I realised I was receiving more likes than usual and I saw the little awards medal in my LomoHome. Thank you, Lomography for thinking me worthy of this prize!

As an LHOTD awardee, Lomography gave me 50 piggies points. For Singaporeans, that translates to a whopping $100! Since Lomography was running a 10% discount on the entire store, I immediately began shopping around, trying to get my money's worth of cameras & accessories. In the end, I got a new Fisheye 2 Python (my original Fisheye had a scratch on it that's why I didn't bring it on trips this year), a Fisheye Submarine Case (for a possible trip to Bali next year!) and a Colorsplash Flash (finally, a proper working flash). I also saved $130! Go me!

I have a little bit of piggies left and with the Lomography Advent Calendar being activated, I am excited to see what other new Lomography goodies I can add to my collection. For now, I am eyeing the Cityguides and more film is always good news!