./11. Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000

./11. Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000
Trip to Yang Ming Shan -- 23 November 2000 Here's where it gets unbelievable: Yang Ming Shan is pronounced almost exactly like "Yang Ming Shan." You should pronounce the Yang like the short-o rather than short-a. Otherwise, use your English skills and do it. The point of this day's journey was to go back to the hills of yesterday (22 November 2000). However, at the last minute, we changed our minds and decided to come here.
Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 001 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 002 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 003 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 004 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 005 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 006 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 007 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 008 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 009 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 010 Incidentally, I've never photographed a Taiwanese girl in front of a waterfall before, either. Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 011 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 012 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 013 This is a serious matter. Ignore the large mosquito bite on my right temple. That's a leftover from the Journey Into the Hills(tm) from yesterday. I didn't mention the mosquitos. No matter. There are a few. Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 014 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 016 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 018 Nature is as nature does. Fear not. My obsession over this waterfall is about over. Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 019 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 020 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 021 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 022 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 024 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 025 No, really. The obsession is almost over. Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 026 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 027 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 028 Moving on. I tries to get the exposure right so you could see the tiny misting water droplets coming down in the sun. It really looked cool when I was there. I think I got some videotape of it. Maybe y'all will get to see that later. For now, just look at the cool red-pillored thing. Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 029 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 030 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 031 Fenny. Cool red-pillored thing. Life. Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 032 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 033 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 034 It is a trip with a couple, after all. Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 035 At first, Fenny didn't understand the seriousness of our journey... Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 035a Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 036 But then she sobered up, and we were able to meditate carefully and solemnly. Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 037 Errr. Or so I thought. Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 038 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 038a Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 039 Alright, enough with the sobriety. Let's get crazy. Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 040 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 041 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 042 In theory, we were wearing hiking gear. But the damp moss and the misty rain coming down made just about everything slicker than snot. I swear I almost fell on the ground with my $2,000 worth of audio-visual electronic gear about eight times. I have one of those times on video. All sliding down this walkway. MPEG2 will allow everyone to revel in my misery. Until then, deal with the still photos. Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 043 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 044 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 045 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 046 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 047 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 048 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 049 I am at one with nature. The mosquitos are recycling my blood into the soil. Trust me on this one. Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 050 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 051 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 052 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 054 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 055 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 056 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 057 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 058 A couple of posed photos, and we'll be on our way! Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 058a Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 059 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 060 Dogs tend to do less posing, but you can still get some good photos of them. All ye photography buffs, please ignore the horrible shadow in the lower-right of the second picture. It isn't really there. Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 061 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 062 Mr. Yang Ming himself, hangin' out with his Shan. Shan means 'mountain' -- so it's hardly surprising when on Yang Ming Shan, to find statues of the dude Yang Ming. Funny thing is, Fenny was reading this, and she says: "Oh, that's Yang Ming. Wait a minute, maybe that's why they call this Yang Ming Shan." Having been here once before, I knew this trivia already. But it made me laugh that a Taiwan citizen didn't know this. I guess I'll get my turn when we're on some obscure street in San Francisco, and I say something like: "Green Street. Mr. Green's Restaurant. Oh, look, there's a statue of Mr. Green. Waait a minute..." and Fenny laughs at me. Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 063 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 064 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 065 Fenny. Me. Mr. Yang Ming. Life is good. Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 066 Nature photos. Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 067 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 068 Fenny photos. I especially like that last one. Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 069 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 070 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 071 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 072 Uhmmm. No comment. Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 073 Here. Look at the park. Look at the pretty pictures. This is one of those times when the pictures actually look better than the real thing. Framing is everything. Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 074 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 076 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 077 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 078 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 079 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 080 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 081 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 082 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 083 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 084 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 085 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 086 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 087 Coool staircase thingy. Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 088 More cool pictures. Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 089 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 090 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 091 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 092 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 093 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 094 The bird THAH BIRD! THAH BIRD IS THAH WORD! THE WORD THE WORD, THE BIRD IS THAH WORD! I had happily forgotten that song until I watched Full Metal Jacket all the way through, and they played that damned song. I hate that song. Really, I do. Now, when I see innocent pictures of birds, or even if I see a bird in the wilderness, I start babbling: "The bird bird bird, the bird is the word!" and the passersby, most of whom in Taiwan have never heard that song, look at me with a bit of fear. No matter. I'm mostly harmless. Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 098 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 100 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 101 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 102 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 103 Here, you can tell how harmless I am. Not more than 24 hours after these photos, I had my hair cut, so the shagginess has been lost. Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 104 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 105 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 107 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 110 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 111 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 112 Someone diverted the stream across these steps. Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 113 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 114 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 115 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 116 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 117 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 118 These are the final pictures. Nothing special, I guess. We're going home. -- Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 120 Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 121
Created with makeIndexes.pl by Philo Vivero.

Trip to Yang Ming Shan -- 23 November 2000

Here's where it gets unbelievable: Yang Ming Shan is pronounced almost exactly like "Yang Ming Shan." You should pronounce the Yang like the short-o rather than short-a. Otherwise, use your English skills and do it.

The point of this day's journey was to go back to the hills of yesterday (22 November 2000).

However, at the last minute, we changed our minds and decided to come here.

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 001

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 002

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 003

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 004

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 005

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 006

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 007

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 008

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 009

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 010

Incidentally, I've never photographed a Taiwanese girl in front of a waterfall before, either.

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 011

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 012

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 013

This is a serious matter. Ignore the large mosquito bite on my right temple. That's a leftover from the Journey Into the Hills(tm) from yesterday. I didn't mention the mosquitos. No matter. There are a few.

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 014

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 016

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 018

Nature is as nature does. Fear not. My obsession over this waterfall is about over.

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 019

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 020

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 021

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 022

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 024

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 025

No, really. The obsession is almost over.

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 026

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 027

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 028

Moving on. I tries to get the exposure right so you could see the tiny misting water droplets coming down in the sun. It really looked cool when I was there. I think I got some videotape of it. Maybe y'all will get to see that later.

For now, just look at the cool red-pillored thing.

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 029

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 030

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 031

Fenny. Cool red-pillored thing. Life.

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 032

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 033

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 034

It is a trip with a couple, after all.

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 035

At first, Fenny didn't understand the seriousness of our journey...

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 035a

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 036

But then she sobered up, and we were able to meditate carefully and solemnly.

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 037

Errr. Or so I thought.

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 038

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 038a

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 039

Alright, enough with the sobriety. Let's get crazy.

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 040

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 041

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 042

In theory, we were wearing hiking gear. But the damp moss and the misty rain coming down made just about everything slicker than snot. I swear I almost fell on the ground with my $2,000 worth of audio-visual electronic gear about eight times.

I have one of those times on video. All sliding down this walkway. MPEG2 will allow everyone to revel in my misery. Until then, deal with the still photos.

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 043

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 044

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 045

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 046

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 047

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 048

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 049

I am at one with nature. The mosquitos are recycling my blood into the soil. Trust me on this one.

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 050

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 051

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 052

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 054

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 055

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 056

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 057

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 058

A couple of posed photos, and we'll be on our way!

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 058a

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 059

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 060

Dogs tend to do less posing, but you can still get some good photos of them.

All ye photography buffs, please ignore the horrible shadow in the lower-right of the second picture. It isn't really there.

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 061

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 062

Mr. Yang Ming himself, hangin' out with his Shan. Shan means 'mountain' -- so it's hardly surprising when on Yang Ming Shan, to find statues of the dude Yang Ming.

Funny thing is, Fenny was reading this, and she says: "Oh, that's Yang Ming. Wait a minute, maybe that's why they call this Yang Ming Shan."

Having been here once before, I knew this trivia already. But it made me laugh that a Taiwan citizen didn't know this.

I guess I'll get my turn when we're on some obscure street in San Francisco, and I say something like: "Green Street. Mr. Green's Restaurant. Oh, look, there's a statue of Mr. Green. Waait a minute..." and Fenny laughs at me.

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 063

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 064

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 065

Fenny. Me. Mr. Yang Ming. Life is good.

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 066

Nature photos.

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 067

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 068

Fenny photos. I especially like that last one.

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 069

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 070

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 071

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 072

Uhmmm. No comment.

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 073

Here. Look at the park. Look at the pretty pictures. This is one of those times when the pictures actually look better than the real thing. Framing is everything.

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 074

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 076

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 077

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 078

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 079

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 080

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 081

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 082

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 083

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 084

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 085

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 086

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 087

Coool staircase thingy.

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 088

More cool pictures.

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 089

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 090

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 091

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 092

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 093

Yang Ming Shan 23Nov2000 094

The bird THAH BIRD! THAH BIRD IS THAH WORD! THE WORD THE WORD, THE BIRD IS THAH WORD!

I had happily forgotten that song until I watched Full Metal Jacket all the way through, and they played that damned song. I hate that song. Really, I do.

Now, when I see innocent pictures of birds, or even if I see a bird in the wilderness, I start babbling: "The bird bird bird, the bird is the word!" and the passersby, most of whom in Taiwan have never heard that song, look at me with a bit of fear.

No matter. I'm mostly harmless.