Taipei, Taiwan: Wings of Desire
During breaks from three hour afternoon classes, sometimes I stand by the ninth floor windows and look down at the people, the lives. What is their motivation? What are they doing and why are they doing it? I don't ask why I don't want what they want. I know I don't, and I don't have to ask why. I want to know why they don't want what I want.

What am I looking at when I look at these people? What were they doing last night? Did they have sex? Did they get into a fight with a loved one? Did they have an ordinary good time with friends? What is the next frustration they will encounter and how will they deal with it? What will be their next meaningful joy? How exactly are they moving through this world and this life?

I only see one ordinary moment, a slice, and they all look the same to me. They are all happy and satisfied with their lives. They are just moving from one thing to another thing, and everything is just swell, and if not, they will get through it. I can't imagine any of them having sex. I can't imagine any of them being fiercely and wildly in love. I can't imagine any of them having a major life crisis.

There was that woman on the MRT who was dressed hip, but looked like she had a long night and could have used a few more hours of sleep. Where did she sleep last night?

My classmates are the closest people to me. I see them every weekday for three hours. I'm not here to be social, I'm not here to be social with them. I don't have to put on any act for them. I don't need to try to impress them. They don't need to know me. I'm here to observe, and I'm tracking bits of information I gather about them as time goes on.

They have all come from different places to study here. They all have some story. I have tracked their countries of origin. I've gathered some cities. In my map of the universe, I still don't know where any of them live in Taipei. I don't know what they were doing before they came to class, I don't know where they go after they leave.

2 Japanese women, one from Sapporo, one from Tokyo.
1 Canadian man, father Chinese, mother French.
1 French man. He has studied Chinese before.
1 English man. He is dating a Taiwanese woman.
1 Taiwanese American woman from the Bay Area.
1 Korean woman from Seoul. She is moving this weekend.

iTunes soundtrack:
1. I'm On E (Blondie)
2. In Or Out (live) (Ani DiFranco)
3. We Love Your Apathy (Skunk Anansie)
4. The Fox and Hound (Mary Timony)
5. A Perfect World (Pizzicato Five)
6. This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody) (Talking Heads)
7. I Am One (live) (Smashing Pumpkins)
8. Gatekeeper (Feist)
9. Try to Remember (reprise) ("The Fantasticks")
10. Glory of the 80's (Tori Amos)