David with the hugest Krull at Secret Base, Harajuku...I need it!

Love and Hate...

So I don't usually talk about this type of thing on my blog...but I guess I must say it as I feel it.

I received a dare I say it sharp remark from a guy today who I very much respect and always will respect. It really made me quite angry...angry at him? No and yes. Angry at myself? Yes and no...disappointed? Yes, deeply disappointed and saddened.

I like so many people am interested in the urban culture whether it be vinyl, sneakers, clothes, art, skating...there are too many elements to name.

There used to be a time when no one else talked about this kind of thing, the mainstream had not tapped properly into this niche market, there were no internet sites / forums to discuss and show each other products we were all dying to see and could only randomly hear about. At that time in the mainstream people still saw skating as skating, DJing as DJing, graphitti as graphitti...now it seems everything has all come under one banner...urban culture. There is nothing wrong with it at all, I enjoy the crossover very much at times as it seems to add another dimension to things.

Today there are internet sites, magazines, books, and forums, all sorts of things dedicated to rooting out the newest, freshest and best news out there. The internet especially has added a whole other dimension in how we receive information and how it is dispersed to the masses. Again this has been debated and damned by so called 'heads' as just a bunch of kids showing off their clothing...or frankly just redistributing news from prominent sites...so what!? If thats their thing then leave them be...shouldn't we all think positively and collaborate rather than creat tension and competition?

To me urban culture is more than just about the latest Nikes, Visvims, Futura artwork, Bape clothing...and most importantly more than about money/business and the pressures which come with it. It is about expressing myself, what I love and frankly how I feel. I have seen what resellers/hip hop artists/so called sell-outs have done to the urban culture market...bape anyone!? Who would have thought it would have gotten this big...but does that mean I hate on it...no...but it does make me disappointed that everyone has turned to profit ahead of love.

People who I see around me hating on other internet sites / brands / even on other people...saddens me...everyone in the beginning had some sort of love for an aspect of urban culture and now suddenly everything is about money...business and love don't work...it just creates mistrust and promotes hate...its sad but a fact.

So what is this term Love that I keep relentlessly mentioning?

I am a child...thats how I will always see myself...I am child in a sweetshop every time I go to bape, hideout, visvim, BXH...its fascinating for me to see things in their original form and surrounding and I grin, my heart jumps as I feel this is it...its as though a wave of nostalgia grips me...I am home...

One of my best friends loves CI Boyz...not the coolest toys out there on the urban vinyl market...the company behind it is not Medicom or Michael Lau...but my friend truly loves them and the concept of it...he goes on the internet looking for rare CI Boyz and when he speaks about them in detail there is such exhilaration in his voice...he is willing to travel thousands of miles and go to shops which sell them...that is love...that is passion...there is no financial gain in what he is doing.

I bought a Milo hoody a while back, their original multi camo...I saw it...fell in love and that feeling will always remain. I could have sold it for triple maybe quadruple what I originally paid (or so I've been told) but I don't. I don?t care if people say Bape is dead; I don't care if I can make money off it now...all I care about is I LIKE it, I LOVE it...and that goes with anything that I buy. I am not a fashion guru, I am not the worlds leader in street fashion/urban culture, I don't know everything about every facet of urban culture...I just know what I love and I have respect for it...if a day comes when I take any of this shit seriously is the day the love I have will die...not when everyone else jumps on the bandwagon and it becomes mainstream.

This isn't some random post made out to settle personal vendettas; I am not judging anyone or any group in particular...its just the way that I see things right now. True this is not the most coherent of arguments...but I feel it has justified how I feel.

There are so many out there who run internet sites, who are artists, own clothing labels or who are just consumers all linked to urban culture...I have the deepest respect for you all. Maybe I am too naive and believe in something that was long dead...we are though facing a huge, new and possibly exciting future and I hope the love I have talked about still remains in your hearts too...

"In this great future...we can't forget out past..."

Taipei...a goodbye through pictures...

If only I could put every photo I wanted on here to represent my last year and a half in Taipei...these are but a few which best represent this time...some have been painfully obviously left out but...well...we can't have the best of everything in life...acceptance is needed...

These photos mean alot to me...I hope you can all feel the passion and energy that I felt there...

...Taipei...thank you for your rudeness, hospitality, love, girls, crazy nights, humidity and kindness.

The flag...

Nutty ass scooters everywhere...

Smokey nights playing pool...

The mastery of MOD...

Anthony...the claw master of Taipei...

Sleeping...Albert is/was a party monstor...

Bing Lang truck...

First night out with my class...Grandma Nittis...

Taipei...never sleeps...

A repressed society...protect your youth my arse...

Crazy graph in Xi Men...

A crazy room...

Mbc prez...repping the bape...

Water dumplings...my no1 food in Taipei...

Jamaica...nuff said!

101...a building of economic hope...

Romance...its in the Taipei air...

Family...always remember family...

Taipei from an MRT station...

Crazy kicks everywhere...

Skateboarders outside a 7-11 in the East side...

David playing pool...with the boys!

I shall miss our conversations my friends...farewell Taiwan, farewell...

So this is it...I have said my final goodbye to so many people...I sit here now and sigh so easily at the things I have done the passed year and a half...like I have said so many times on this blog I have been blessed by the people I have met and blessed to have been given the opportunity to do these things by those who love me and those who frankly have had no reason too...I owe too many people, but I am glad I do as the experience has been 10,000 times worth it. Noone will ever truly understand everything I have done in Asia, those things wil remain forever in my mind and heart...this blog has been some kind of record of some things I have done...still...there are certain things that can only be experienced through living the dream...

So for the final time...to the people who have been and who are in Taiwan; the Lin family, my family - Wang & Toshi family, my two brothers and their families, to all my friends at Sih Dah - too many to list their names are all over this blog...to Kyla, Wesley and Michelle...to my parents friends...to my bruvs Anthony and Albert...my class mates in all classes I took...to my teachers (much love!) and finally to my darling....

...THANK YOU...thank you...

Alun doing those drinks at MOD...ahhh...

David and....tah dah...DEREK at MOD!

David and the prez...forever MBC at MOD!

Finally the Visvims meet at MOD!

David and Pete at MOD...lapdog no more!

Ayumi, David and Mai-chan, aren't I the lucky one!

David and Anthony at MOD...bruvs for life!

Anthony...Mr French Lurve himself...I still love the beard...its great!

Mr Prez at MOD...too smooth...

Pete aka the Quiff at MOD.

Ayumi and Anthony sharing a 'special' moment at MOD...obviously both thinking about how much they are going to miss David!

David and Alun at MOD...smooth!

MTC is best! Damn straight it is!

Sih Dah grounds...way too many people take wedding photos here!

Sih Dah language centre...the place of dreams!

Sih Dah Library...so many memories...

So my full final day in Taipei had arrived...I met up with Kevin..Mr Prez himself for dinner at a spagehtti place at Sih Dah then onto MOD finally for a final drink. Peter and Ayumi, Maiko and even Derek and his girl made it down...oh yeah! Who could believe that it had been over a year since I last saw Derek...my my my how time flies...I was given a flaming drink my Alun my fave bar tender after Sam...

The final day consisted of me rushing to school for my exam results...oh yeah baby I passed...can you believe it!? Then onto Shintori...funny how my advectures in Taiwan ended in a Japanese bling restraunt...

A portrait of David in 2005 by Yoshi...Michiyo's old Japanese classmate...a legend...thank you my friend for this...

The final crew at Ktv...Kyla stop singing!!

Shirley and David going for it!!

Two cousins singing...look at those water dumplings going untouched on the table!!!! Why was I not eating them!?!?!?

The ever lovely and adorable vikki...she has a dog called Nike...and is a part of a university reunion group called Pure Emotion... nuff said!

Anthony doing something gangster for once...wait a mo...I see some ginger in that beard!!!

Michael and Kyla (she just had to be in every picture as well as hogging the mic!) hahahaha...just kiddin darlin~~

David and Kyla...awwww don't we look happy!

and...Kyla's still singing...hahahahaha...

Taiwan...the last few days...

So flying back to Taiwan was a pretty uneventful journey, although at the airport my darling looked me in the eyes and we said our love yous and said goodbye. sad stuff...

Upon arriving in Taiwan though I felt relieved in some ways...it really felt like I was returning home...and it felt really really good. I was excited...

The evening took us first to a nice cafe restraunt in the east village for dinner with Anthony, the place was pretty cool however the service was soooo poor...maybe I am used to Japanese high class service now!? So from thr bad curry we headed to our home away from homes the dodgy 24 hour pool hall above Luxy...cannot believe it had been over 6 weeks since we last played...and then onto anthony's cousins store where I was presented with an incredbile present! There was this super bling bling ring there for a huge price and I remember trying on a couple of times...but of course the price and blingness was wayyyy too much for the likes of a meer mortal like me. Suddenly Anthony presented me with one...david was speechless...thanks bruv...it shall be the shiniest large bling thing of my collection!

So from there ktv on Nan Jing East Road...yes we were back at the infamous ktv where the service truly sucks (two hours for 2 packs of cigs anyone!?)...we were put in a room so small for ten people but good ol kyla ordered about 20 songs for herself (seriously!) and hogged the mic for two hours!..."STOP SINGING KYLA!" HAHAHAHAHA...just kiddin...that girl can sing! so apart from Miss hog the mic Kyla, there was Anthony (of course), Vikki (Anthony's super fine hot fashion designing cousin), Ya-Li (Anthony's other super cool, super fine english teaching cousin), Michael (Anthony's uncle...who is younger than him...long story...), the ever lovely shirley (my cousin...finally my cousin!!)...saddest of all Judy aka Celine could not be there...stood up...well sad...hahahha...so as usual too many songs were sung, mostly by kyla (haha) and I completely embarrised myself by downing way too much beer and attempting to sing stuff like Shin which is five octaves above my voice (stupid idea believe me!). So at 4am we called it a night...well actually we didnt, Anthony and I and his cousin went onto Dim Sum in the east side until 7am talking about scary stories...yes we were nuts...and yes I may never have the opportunity to do that again in my life!

The next day started late (as expected) but I got to meet Kev (MBC prez in the house!)for a good natter about Japan at one of my fave cafe/bars of all time on Sih Dah Road, Mi Jiang...love that place! Anthony and Maiko joined us later and the next step was the nice Tibetan place opposite the S.D. night market. Random Curry with nice Tibetan bread later Anthony, Maiko and I heade to the East side to Mod for a final drink. Upon reaching the door however we were met with a sign stating that they were closed due to their annual Chinese New Year company bash (i.e. get completely plastered with your workmates, managers/ anyone, absolutley anyone you work with or have any working relations with in your company!) My smile faded for but a second as Anthony moved us onto a very nice cafe called Cafe 25...nice place...very European feeling to it.

David and Maiko...

Maiko and Anthony...yes they are weird...and yes thats why I love them...at Cafe 25