Vegetarian in Taipei

Vegetarian food is easily available in Taipei. For those who know Chinese, there should not be any problem finding vegetarian food.

For the English speaker who can't read Chinese, it may be difficult to identify them. There are very few English signs.

Lonely Planet says to look for the Buddhist swastika sign, (卍) usually in red. But I found that few vegetarian restaurants actually have that sign.

Thus, the most important way to to identify vegetarian food, the important Chinese character to recognize is the word su 素 (see the picture if you can see this word on your computer) , its pronunciation is similar to "shoo".

However, do note that some stall or restaurants have the word "可素食", meaning "vegetarian available" or "suitable for vegetarian". In most cases, that means the food may not be pure vegetarian, but can be made without meat upon request.

As milk is normally not used in Chinese cooking, vegans should not have any problems too. I was a little surprised that eggs was used in some vegetarian places where I ate, they will always asked if it is alright to use egg. However, there are a few vegetarian restaurants selling Italian fare like pasta and spaghetti. Milk and cheese would be used in those restaurants.

As most people are vegetarian for religious reason, onion and garlic are normally not used in vegetarian food. Some snacks food such as the onion pancake (葱抓饼)do not contain any meat, but as it contains onion, it is not labeled as "su" 素.

For cheap vegetarian eats, vegetarian noodles can be had for NT$30 to NT$40 at road side stalls or small eateries.

There are also "buffets". These simple restaurants have many dishes laid out at the counter and you help yourself to the dishes you want. The price of the food is either based on weight or based on the owners "discretion".

Then there are the type of buffets in which you pay a single price and you eat all your can. Those are more expensive and nicer restaurants. Prices starts from NT$200 per person. I had an all-you-can-eat hot pot buffet which worked out to be NT$400 per person. That's about S$20, which is quite alright.

台北游之书乡书香

说台北是书乡，一点也不过分。

书局到处都是。出版刊物也多得目不暇给。

晶晶书局是慕名已久的书局。第一天抵台，就马上往晶晶跑一趟。书局比印象中还要小。书籍刊物也没想象中的多。但是，新加坡毕竟没有同志专门书局，我还是第一次看到这么多中文同志书刊。我很自制地、有选择性地选书，但结帐时，还是超出预算了。

重庆南路果然是名不虚传的书街。短短一段路里，不知道有多少间书局。我根本无法每间都逛。因为我有其中两间的优惠卡，所以就只专攻这两间。三小时后我背着满满的背包，提着一大袋的书刊离开。

中山捷运站和双莲捷运站之间的地下书街是看到捷运站中的广告才知道的。一整条地下街，尽是书局。不过，这里的书局都是小型的，卖的多数是流行文化、奇趣、食谱、消闲书刊。这里多数书都有85折，有些是倾销书，十分便宜。

原来并无意去诚品买书，因为诚品书局没有折扣。但是诚品这么出名，不买也得看看。到了诚品旗舰店逛了一下，还是买了几本书。这书局有够大的。好几层楼都是书。地方宽敞，又有桌椅，可以坐下慢慢看。相比，重庆南路的书局虽然起码都有九折，但是地方狭窄，人多时并不容易找书。慢慢看着，看见几本喜欢的，还是买了下来。因为懒得跑回重庆南路找。其中，《张先生。曹先生》是六年前出版的，之前在重庆南路找不到，竟在诚品这里看到了。诚品的畅销榜的书有85折，所以我也买了上榜的《柜子里的彩虹》。

逛旧书店的的乐趣就是无法预料能找到什么书，所以找到喜欢的书时，确实是有种惊喜。

在公馆夜市附近看到几间旧书书局，进去逛逛，却没收获。或许是靠近大学的关系，这里的书多数是学术性的。反而是在士林夜市有意外的收获。剑潭捷运站旁的士林临时市场里有一间旧书书局。这里意外找到几本同志文学，一些书3本才NT$100。在这里找到了《盛夏光年》。虽然我家里已有了一本，但我还是买下来了，因为想捐一本给Pelangi Pride Centre。

在九分，我意外地找到九份乐伯二手书店（地址，九份佛堂街31号，基山街221号旁）。这间书店的小说散文集还真多。书价是标价打五折，再来85折，真的很便宜。这里的惊喜还真不少。

我进来第一眼就看到了席慕蓉的《七里香》。我两天前才在重庆南路以NT$190买了新的，这本像新一样才NT$105。我买下了，如果遇到喜欢席慕蓉的诗的，可以送人。 在二楼的旧书堆里，我找到了安克强的《我恋你依然如昔》。这可是十多年前我在图书馆借过的一本书，是早期接触到的同志文学之一，印象挺深。买！还有找到了许佑生的《男婚男嫁》和《最佳单恋得主》，李月华的《红颜男子》，蔡康永的《那些男孩教我的事》。

离开九份，我带走的不是游客的手信，而是一袋的书。

离开台北前，我又去了一趟晶晶书局，因为要为朋友买一本杜达雄的摄影集。这次发现了安克强主编的世纪同志爱读本系列。之前没看到。三本《青春放歌》、《爱恋无悔》和《第三者》都买下。同时，也买下张曼娟主编的《同辈》。我也买了《亲爱的爸妈，我是同志》，打算看完后捐给Pelangi Pride Centre。

若不是行李重量有限制，我可以买很多的书。但是超额的附加费太贵，加上去就不划算。因此，只能有选择的买一些新加坡找不到的书。

最后一天在台北，从中正纪念堂走到历史博物院时，看到了一间挺大的书局，全面85折，真想进去。最后还是打消念头，因为行李真的已经太重了。

这次，从台北带回来的，除了回忆，就是书了。

华健的歌

每个人心中都有一首华健的歌。
每一首华健的歌
都有一个我的故事。

取自《伤心的歌》MV

今天，天气特别阴冷。

今天，天气特别阴冷。
回想起来，我的青春岁月也多半和这种天气型态相去不远。
很晚启蒙，不像你。
不够自信，不像你。
不过，我仍会很努力活着的。
因为我知道还有很多值得追求的幸福。
除了那些璀璨的水男孩，和梦幻派对及健身房里，看得见却永远无法认识的男孩之外，我知道，还有还有很多值得追求的幸福。

《男湾》 垦丁男孩

一开始我们是简单的

一开始我们是简单的。

简单的高中制服跟白色内裤... ... 简单的书包放着他写给我那一堆密密麻麻丑丑的字... ...简单的毕业典礼送完礼物分道扬镳... ...简单的争风吃醋还有我曾经为你哭。

一开始我们是简单的，后来事情有了些变化... ...

取自《男湾》 推荐序二

寂寞公路、寂寞车站、寂寞旅人

2008年10月27日

离开野柳风景区时，天色已暗。

还不到六点，野柳小镇已打烊。除了几间海鲜餐馆，街上店门都已锁上。

冷清的街道，路人寥寥无几。港口里的渔船默默地晃着。昏暗的码头，几个孤寂的影子呆呆地望着暮色。我惊动了一只野狗，只见它冲忙地衔走一个袋子，生怕我抢走它的宝贝似的。

车站，就在路口，在一间7-eleven便利店前。整条街，只有这便利店还开着。店内只见收银婶婶和另一欧巴桑在闲聊着。

我一个人，站在车站前。路灯昏黄。便利店溢出淡淡白光。

寂寞的公路。寂寞的车站。寂寞的旅人。

我突然掉入了异度空间，有种时间和空间上的错觉。

公路静寂。久久，听到了逼近的引擎声，再看见车灯打在屋子上，最后才看见公车弯了过来。

是基隆客运。

我继续等。

后来，早先在野柳风景区看见的小两口也走来车站。他们俩亲密地在车站等候，牵着手，轻声哝哝。

车站前，独角戏变成了三人行。寂寞的人突然更寂寞。

不久后，往台北的国光客运来了。

小雨开始打落。外面一片漆黑，什么也看不见。公车似乎是在穿梭空间，把我从寂寞的异度空间带回霓虹光亮的台北，带回现实世界来。

A wild goose tale

If you were once crawling on the ground, and now having taken to the sky, when you look down and see your former peers, do you regard them with contempt and disdain, or would you have empathy and compassion for them? Or have you flown so high that they are out-of-sight and out-of-mind.

Sometimes, we forget where we come from. Perhaps it was because the past had been difficult and we would rather forget it. Perhaps our world has opened up so much that the past seemed so miserable and insignificant. Perhaps the heights have made us giddy and forgetful.

But I find it really sad, to see people turning their backs on those peers, the very people who supported and encouraged them, when they were similarly struggling at the bottom.

I understand that, having discovered a bigger world, and realizing it is possible to achieve higher, it can be frustrating to see those peers seemingly unwilling to make the effort to elevate themselves. I understand that having achieved something once thought impossible, there is the aspiration to achieve even higher, to fly to the limits of the sky. I understand that the breakthrough is achieved through great personal effort, through sheer determination and struggles. I understand, because I have been through some of these states at some point in time. But I realize these are never reasons to despise the same people who have helped us when we were in humbler situations.

I do not ask that people let their past and former peers hold them back from their potential, from soaring to the heights their ability can bring them to. I only wish that people would not forget where they come from.

Perhaps, it's because I am not a high-flyer. If I take to sky, I am alright flying low. I would help others to take flight, and be satisfied with seeing them soar to the sky, flying far and high.

The Chinese says that the sparrow knows not the wild goose's aspirations. But the sparrow was once friend to the goose before he took to the skies. And one day, when tiredness sets in and the time comes for the goose to leave his high-flying peers and come down to rest, it may be the sparrow who is still there to provide comfort and support.