It took me a while to get to this, but several months ago, an acquaintance I met through the band made me a mix CD of Taiwanese music. I asked her for it because watching MTV here is a total waste of time, very little Taiwanese music that is popular enough to be on MTV fits my taste.

I didn't expect a whole lot from her mix, although there was hope since she seemed like the type who would listen to cooler music than what gets aired on MTV. Turns out I really liked a vast majority of it, even though it also turns out this stuff is pretty popular on MTV and karaoke. I just miss it because so much of the other music is smarmy, ballady, romantic crap music and I quickly change the channel.

Although I have to admit that a lot of this, if I encountered it on MTV I wouldn't like. Something in particular about music someone, not MTV execs, has specifically chosen, I guess.

I made her a mix in response and posted it in October. Here, for anyone interested in Taiwanese music, is the mix she made (the translations of the titles are my own interpretations):

1. 屬於(范曉萱) ("Belonging to")
2. 那種女孩 (范曉萱) ("That type of girl")
3. Self (陳綺貞)
4. 旅行的意義 (陳綺貞) ("The meaning of travel")
5. 嫉妒 (陳綺貞) ("Jealousy")
6. 陌生人 (Soler) ("Stranger")
7. 禮物 (黃立行) ("Gift")
8. 分開旅行 (黃立行 & 劉若英) ("Travelling separately")
9. 寶貝 (張懸) ("Baby")
10. 女爵 (陽乃文) ("Noble woman")
11. 崩塌了我的世界 (八三尤) ("My collapsed world")
12. 來去夏威夷 (八三尤) ("Blue Hawaii")
13. 早安,晨之美 (盧廣仲) (Welcome, beautiful morning)
14. 思念 (蔡建雅) ("Longing for")
15. 晨間新聞 (蔡建雅) ("Morning news")
16. 思念是一種病 (張震嶽 & 蔡建雅) ("Missing (you) is a kind of sickness")
17. 謝謝你的愛 (李心潔) (Thank you for your love")
18. Friday Night Girl (糯米團)
19. 我懷念的 (孫燕姿) ("What I cherish")