A Seed of Perspective, a Roar in Numbers

Tuesday March 25 2014 1:53PM

I am near the Shandao Temple MRT (subway station) in Taipei, Taiwan in the middle of a Democratic revolution.  The youth (and seemingly beyond) have been banding together for the last week or so, speaking out in protest to an approaching trade agreement between Taiwan and mainland China.  On a micro scale, it's a matter of opening the floodgates wherein "the sharks will eat the little fish."  But in a much larger sense, it's about democracy.  It's about being a country.  It's about knowing that no matter what, you have a voice.  The people are here to show the sharks living in their own land that little fish matter and refuse to be eaten.  It's about banding together as humans and being one.  It's beautiful and it's heartbreaking and my heart is alive and beating right here with them.

In the middle of it,
-LS^2


And now, a look at some of the protester's art and passion, put into a kaleidoscope and shouted into the boom...

 Your unreliable narrator.

Ethan, in shades, for levity.

Voices of Taiwan

Last night, I went down to the Legislative Yuan to see firsthand what was going on with these protests.  I felt that I really needed to see-at least see, and at least once-what was happening in arguably the most politically charged time in Taiwan's history.

It was surreal to say the least.

I skipped out on the entire Occupy movement in Los Angeles 4 years back.  TO be totally honest, I felt no connection to it.  Not necessarily because I felt it didn't affect me or because I didn't support my fellow youth, but simply because I was just...disconnected.  I've always been disconnected.  If we've ever spoken, you'll be hard pressed to find a time when I said anything along the lines of "Hey, you know what?  Politics!"  And also, to be more of a dick, I felt many people were talking as loudly as they were about the Occupy movement because it was in vogue.  It was downtown, where many people my age are already looking to be seen being different by being the same, and this news media whirlwind gave them an excellent chance to do so.  So I never made the effort.

Last night, I went.  To be in the middle of such a widespread protest-thousands of students sleeping and sitting in the streets, compacted into the median lines in a respectful fashion while their contemporaries gave passionate speeches (of which I understood "Hello" and any numbers 1-999)...it felt very alive.  I even talked to two individuals who between them could find the words to get their ideas across to me.  "It's not about trade," they said, "it's about democracy."  I thought it was a very objective way of looking at it.  Of course, it's a little about trade.  "We (this gentleman's theatre troupe) are small fish.  And they want shark to come eat us up."

Well go, little fishies.  Organize and unite.  You've got support.  I'll see you again soon.

Fight the Powah!
-LS^2

The view from afar.

A newspaper article detailing some

of the violence so far.

I don't know what he was saying, but

the street vendors all agreed. 

A sample of the sea of sit-inners and media.

I some instances, police beat protestors.

In others, they were applauded at shift change.

Stilt-walkin' protestors!

Rendol & Ben Shan.

They laid it down for me Democracy-style.

A view from the ground,

where plenty of people were sleeping.

"Taipei is calling!  Taipei is calling!

Not just Taipei!  Everyone!  Fuck!  Fuck!" 

Pretty self-explanatory.

Da'an Quixote

Sup, butts?  Just takin' a quick second to toss some pictures up now that Ryan has shown me how that all works.

I was supposed to go to church this morning with Kin, but she slept through God's sermon and left me to fend for myself on the mean streets of the Gongguan district.  So I bought some eggy ricey cheese meat and walked around wanting to praise His holy name.  So if you're out there, Lord (if), it's not my fuckin' fault I can't read Chinese.  You programmed me on a discount.  Lame.

So I'm'a go to Da'an Park and waltz around.  Not much else you can do with $30 to last the next 20 days.  Am I right, ladies?!

In flash news:

• I work at Forest of Wisdom English Academy.  It's all right.
• I got 2nd place at a Story Slam on Thursday night (docked crucial points for reading from my notebook).
• I drink beer.
• Ocean scented incense is lovely.
• Lolita is a hell of a book.
• Chinese is a hell of a language.
• Cocaine is a hell of a drug.

I love you most, ______.
Thank you.
-LS^2

You see the pandas, Brown Eyes?

Kin, not giving the peace-sign-thing.

I always like to look distressed in photos.

Temporary roommate #1: Cole.

he used to be in significantly worse physical shape.

Temporary roommate #2: Jon.

He likes Nancy.

The climb to our apartment.  While it resembles

a death march, it smells of a bakery.

The votes are in: Lucas is the storiest!

This is Claire.

She. Is. Always. Laughing.

This is essentially what all of Taipei looks like.

This is Yates.  While the li'l fucker wouldn't stay

still long enough for a good picture, I assure: he's adorable.

 Kids on a Slide II: Electric Boogaloo

This video is pretty rad.  This song is pretty "Eh."