There is nothing special outside the window. Looking through a small
opening between the curtains, I just curious about today’s weather. In this
little but cozy hostel of Chiayi, I start wondering what kind of memories will
the next 2 days of Penghu journey give to me. The whole Formosa island almost
ready to welcome summer, however I still feel much more comfortable surrounded
by the morning air of this middle part of Taiwan. Clear sky yet friendly
sunshine, warm air yet not as humid as Taipei , I
sincerely hope that Penghu ’s weather will be
as friendly as Chiayi this morning.
It’s 7 am and I’m
amazed with how silent is this little alley still. Leaving the hostel’s door and
walk along the alley to the main road, the city’s busy atmosphere start to emerge.
I suddenly remember about a little disappointment I feel during a little walk
last night. Chiayi seems to share a similar city atmosphere with Changhua where
traditional mixed with modernity, walking along Changhua’s street during the day
and stroll along Chiayi’s street during the night makes me regret the fact that
I don’t have much time to stay in both places. I also realize that this little
time will soon passes when I slowly approach Chiayi Train Station, where I will
meet fellow friends here to continue our journey to Penghu .
This is just the third
time I met both of them, the chubby one who fully occupies taxi’s front seat
beside the driver is the one that I most familiar with, while the one that sit
on my left seems nice yet silent, I don’t know if it’s because he doesn’t like
to talk much or because he immediately sleep right after get inside the taxi. I
can’t focus my mind during around 50 minutes’ trip from Chiayi Train Station
to Budai Port
where we will take a ferry to Penghu . That
chubby friend and our female taxi driver start to endlessly talk in a mixed
language of Chinese and Taiwanese Hokkien which take a lot of effort for me to
fully understand. Give up trying to follow their conversation, I try to focus
my eyes to the scenery outside, but most of the time all I can see is a
deserted field surrounds us, nothing could help to eliminate my worries. I
worry about how well I could get along with six new friends, whom I will meet
four of them later at Budai
Port Budai Port
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Chiayi’s
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After collect our one-way trip ticket which cost NTD 900 and waiting
for our ship’s departure time, I cast a glance at all of my new friends here
and try to figure out why this group of people, just like me, is very
enthusiastically plan this trip in a hope to be able to meet one person, even
if just for a moment. The chubby man with whom I share taxi has been this
person’s fan for 17 years. The fact that he immediately welcomes me, who share
the same interest with him, to join this group even if previously we’re just
online friends shows how big his support towards this person is. The nice yet
silent man has been this person’s fan for 16 years before finally realize that
his mother is this person’s schoolmate at junior high. A piece of old photo
from this person’s junior high school yearbook complete with autograph has
become one of his treasures until now. There is a mother and her daughter who
both join this group and sometimes let me wonder how her husband (or father)
feels. There is also one mother who said that her daughter could never understand
why she joins this group, yet I can tell how happy and excited she is just from
her face expression. After all, she is a fan who watches one exactly same movie
for more than 15 times to show her support for this person as the movie’s
producer, director, and actor. The last one is a young woman who once told me
that his voice is very charming. Unfortunately at this point, my short daydreaming
must stops when everyone starts to walk towards departure gate. Our ferry to Penghu ready to sail!
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View of
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I start the ferry trip with amazement when I realize
that a mother who watches one same movie for more than 15 times turns out to
has another simple yet amazing way to show her support. She brings a piece of
white cloth, a thread, a needle, a scissor, and some styrofoam balls with her.
Look at my curious expression, she asks whether I know what she brings all
those things for. Find out that I have no idea of what the answer should be,
she start explains that she will make 8 sunny dolls, one for each of us, and we
will give all of them to that person who we hope will meet at Penghu
as a sign of support. By bring these sunny dolls, we all hope that Penghu ’s weather, which mostly rainy during that week,
will turn sunny and no longer delay movie shooting progress. Unfortunately,
after listening to her explanation, I have no choice but to try to close my
eyes for the rest of 1.5 hours trip since I feel a severe seasick!
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Our
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Our driver, also as our tour guide, is a thin and tall
man with cheerful face and spontaneous expression. I remember that moment before
I move to Taiwan , when I’m
still trying to figure out Taiwan
After enjoying our
first simple lunch at Penghu , we immediately
rush to our very first yet important destination, the filming location which at
that day takes a set at a place called Chikan Wharf of Baisha Township. At Chikan Wharf
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A Sunny Day at
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Taiwan Strait’s
View from
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At around 3 pm, that man finally come out from a small beach house
which specially built for filming purpose and walk toward us. His skin is
darker than the last time I saw him yet that pleasant smile still remain
unchanged. Wearing casual outfit of brown shorts and white singlet, his face
slightly hidden behind the shadow created by his brown cowboy hat. While busy
taking our sunny dolls present one by one, he said that he really appreciates
our support but doesn’t want us to stay there all day under Penghu ’s
fierce sun just to wait for him. Continue with his sincere voice, he softly
told us to take our time here to travel around so that he doesn’t need to worry
about us and able to focus on his job. Seeing him in person and listening to
his voice, just like when every time it happens, let me stunned and just stand
still there without doing anything. It seems that while I’m frozen there, all
of my friends already give their sunny dolls to him. Looking at the sunny dolls
at my hand, this friendly man smile and take the initiative to said, “It’s for
me, right?” This simple question, asked by a man who set unbreakable Asia ’s music album sales record by selling 26 million
copies for just one album, is what makes the whole journey valuable and definitely
unforgettable!
Don’t want to add more
pressures to the filming process, we have no other choice but to leave the
beautiful view of Chikan
Wharf Xiying Rainbow
Bridge to close our perfect day at Penghu !
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The View at
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Pescadores Hotel
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Yindi’an Best Price
Fresh Seafood Restaurant
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