June 15-18

FRIDAY, JUNE 15, 1:18 p.m. - Oft-shot subject, Xindian riverside bikeway to school. Treasure Hill to the right, Yongfu Bridge to the left, elevated freeway above that becomes double-decker behind me from this vantage point under the Fuhe Bridge.

1:19 p.m. - Taking shelter from the rain under the Fuhe Bridge. To the left of the column with the numbers, a person across the river is visible. Some might say a unique quality of photography is to capture details that were unseen at the time and that other mediums such as painting would overlook. Painters might say photography lacks imagination and a good painter would have included such details whether they were there or not, including the white dog right of center.

SUNDAY, JUNE 17, 12:11 p.m. - Birds hangin' around in a crick. I took a bus from Taipei Main Station to Jinshan township on the northeastern coast of Taiwan to visit Dharma Drum Mountain monastery. Jinshan, an hour and a half away by bus with lots of stops, is fairly considered rural.

Jinshan street shooting. I got off the bus in Jinshan town, neglecting to notice the bus actually goes all the way to Dharma Drum Mountain. It became an opportunity to shoot the walk to DDM. Pentax ZX-5n, Kodak BW400CN.

I do try to include a human element in photos when available. There's a person on the right-hand side of the photo. Some might say a unique qua . . . oh, nevermind.

12:31 p.m. - Finding the road to DDM off the coastal highway that goes all the way along the coast to Danshui. The Juming Museum is dedicated to a famous Taiwanese sculptor.

Living on the river creek.

12:44-12:45 p.m. - Taoist temple on the way to DDM.

Detail. Taoist temple architecture/art in Taiwan seem to be uniformly Chinese in character and aesthetic.

The snark in me has to capture the pile of trash outside the temple.

Jinshan water.

1:02 p.m. - Approaching DDM. The main Buddha hall is at the top. Most of the monastery complex is below it.

1:09 p.m 

2:13 p.m. - Reflecting pool.

Monastery reflecting water.

2:51 p.m. - Main Buddha hall.

3:28-3:41 p.m. - DDM main bell.

The entire text of the Lotus Sutra is cast upon the bell.

I'm guessing it's a scene from the Lotus Sutra whereupon the Buddha is mythically joined during the sermon by another Buddha from either some other reality (Buddha world) or time (past or future Buddha).

Lotus Sutra detail.

MONDAY, JUNE 18, 12:49 p.m. - I took a bus to Wulai, south of where I live in Xindian, where I had made overtures to go on bike but never got there. From the bus stop parking lot, there's a bridge that leads to Wulai old street, which is not unlike local markets all over Taiwan.

12:56 p.m. - Power station . . . 

. . . because electricity is important.

Wulai water.

1:04 p.m. - Aboriginal tribe identity is still strong in Wulai, as it is in other parts of Taiwan.

1:25-1:41 p.m. - Wulai waterfall is a distinct attraction in the area, a light hike past the old street.

1:54 p.m. - Mysterious cable car that I didn't venture to explore where it went.

2:07 p.m. - And it rained. I had an umbrella. Always carry an umbrella in Taiwan.

5:28 p.m - Back home from Wulai. Rainbow from my apartment window.