Xi Men Ding....

In all this time I have never mentioned Xi Men Ding in Taipei. I have to admit it is quite difficult to describe what it is like to a foreigner...I guess you could compare it to Harajuku in Tokyo although that place obviously rocks ten times harder than Xi Men.

So lets start from the begining...Xi Men used to be an older cinema place where young people used to hang out, in fact my mum used to go and watch movies there! cool man...over the years its been changed into a Taiwanese young persons paradise selling everthing from clothing from japan and the u.s. to mini motorbikes to random crap that even camden market would not sell. Its the only place I have ever seen that has restraunts, pool halls, go karting places, cafes, bars, clothing stores, and fitness centres all within 1 minute of each other. Most of these places open at around 12 noon and all of them, escpecuially the clothing stores close between 11-12pm.

Over the past couple of months, well since I first stepped onto Taiwanese soil I have basically always hung out in Xi Men. I think its the atmosphere I like around there, although most people my age think the place is childish and hang out in the 'fashionable' East side of Taipei.

I have experienced many a strange experience there...being chatted up by some shop sales guy in a random clothing store whilst Albert and Anthony laughed at me, talking to an owner of a tiny trainer shop for two hours about Xi men, kicks and cars, being told by a shop guy who works near the L-Bar that he remembers seeing me last December head to toe in A-P-E (Bape for all Taiwanese) and that I had great dress sense and finally of course getting a VIP card at the L-Bar!

Long live Xi Men Ding!