in asia again

Settled into Taipei this week where I feel the most comfortable of anywhere in Asia.  This is truly my home away from home and if one day I manage to base myself out of here, I will not be totally disappointed with that move.  I've said it before and I'll say it again, Taipei's just ridiculous.  In a good way.

I've been in and around the Taiwan Golden Horse Film Festival this past week.  It was interesting seeing Taiwan audience's reaction/take on PEOPLE.  It goes to Hong Kong next week for a run there and will be curious to see that as well.  I'll be there and as much as I don't want to leave TPE, I'm looking forward to being in hilly Hong Kong too.

While here, I've partook on a couple of things in the last few days that were entirely in Mandarin.  I'm not sure what I was thinking, but I guess I wanted to challenge myself.  One - a play I saw called The Village by accomplished playwright director Stan Lai - was amazing.  It ought to be mandatory viewing for anyone involved with the 1949 KMT revolt.  It was roughly 4 hours long and while I didn't understand much of the dialogue (like half?), I got the gist of the story and understood what was going on at least.  Not a dry eye around me, tons of humor, and all in all, another brilliant piece by the man who essentially put me on track to take up acting when I was in undergrad.

Stan Lai didn't know this, but when I was at Cal (where he got his PhD), the first play I ever performed in was a piece called Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land - the most famous play Lai has ever written and that is still performed every year all over the place.  After that experience, I was bit by the bug and essentially have never looked back.  (Lai also made a film from the play that was a success as well in the 90s.)

This past weekend, I had a chance to meet Stan Lai and his wonderful wife Nai-chu Ding at their club.  It was a surreal experience meeting the man who indirectly had a major influence in the path my life took.  I'm grateful for it.  I hope our paths cross again.

The second thing I partook in Mando this week was a panel at the Golden Horse Fest.  I went thinking there'd be a translator situation going on, but found there wasn't.  Eghads.  I sat through it, but unlike the play, not only didn't understand much of it, but didn't get the gist.  I've gotta beef up my Mando big time.  BIG.  I'm making it a goal.  That way, the next time Hou Hsiao-Hsien waxes poetic about the collaborative process of filmmaking in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the Mainland, I'll understand.