Taiwan – 2020 – A Year of Perfect Vision

Twenty Years On

I recently found myself thinking about an anniversary. Late September marked both my release from quarantine and the 20th anniversary of my joining Loughborough University. It came to mind, largely because of this picture, retrieved from my box of important crap, which has been stored in my room back in the UK ever since IContinue reading “Twenty Years On”

Oh, for fuck’s sake!

As previously, I should preface this with an admission, a disclaimer, a statement, if you will, of my deep love of Taiwan. The people, the food, the climate, the work ethic, the healthcare system (although, this has taken a bit of a dip of late as you will see if you read on, dear friend),Continue reading “Oh, for fuck’s sake!”

Two Weeks Barefoot

I know what you’re thinking. What would be your Native American name? For what it’s worth, I also considered 14 Days Shoeless and Fortnight Sans Shoes, but I had to settle for the Barefoot option. You know it makes sense, right? Honestly, I am somewhat conflicted. I woke this morning and thought about the realityContinue reading “Two Weeks Barefoot”

Plumbing the Depths

This is one for die-hard fans. Yippee ki yay, muthafudgers! Imagine me writing about a Willis/Rickman Christmas/not Christmas fillum tour de force, eh. The smart ones will notice the absence of a question mark. Yes. It’s not a question, it’s an instruction. If you want it (i.e. me writing about the quintessential American action filmContinue reading “Plumbing the Depths”

2017

If you say it, that could mean just after a quarter past eight in the evening. It’s of no consequence to this piece. It is irrelevant, but I just wanted to tell the truth about what I was thinking as I typed those digits. Right now it’s 2342. Four years ago today, I became theContinue reading “2017”

Exercising my rights?

I should preface this with a disclaimer. I recently returned to the UK to spend some time with my dear old wobbly mum and dad. I took the decision at fairly short notice, and was essentially free to do so because my tireless, lovely mother-in-law could stand in for me and take care of myContinue reading “Exercising my rights?”

57 is the Magic Number

I bet you thought it was three, or something to do with Heinz, but, no. I counted them all out and I counted them all back. 57 Harley Davidson lookalikes. I think they were actually Yamahas. This morning they were all together, in convoy; a long line in pairs, trailing two black convertible Mercedes BenzContinue reading “57 is the Magic Number”

It’s the Little Things

Sitting alone in my room, counting down the days, hours, minutes and seconds, I have plenty of time to think. So what? I spend most of my waking hours (minutes and seconds) thinking. Today, in a moment of intense clarity, I realised that I wasn’t thinking about the little things; I was simply enjoying oneContinue reading “It’s the Little Things”

Testing, testing, testing

My experiences of the last several weeks have raised a number of questions. I doubt I could find satisfactory answers to these questions, but they are questions which play on my mind, so perhaps it is worth writing them down, just in case anyone out there has something. Anyone? I should really start with whatContinue reading “Testing, testing, testing”

Quarantine

He’s back. He’s back in black. He’s back in black, without a snack. Who would have thought that in late 2021, I’d be sitting here, held in solitary confinement in some anonymous military establishment in north-west Taiwan? I thought quarantine was what happened to pet dogs on entering the UK from somewhere foreign, back whenContinue reading “Quarantine”