Wednesday, August 13, 2008

two pictures from a taiwan town

these pictures come from yuanli, taiwan. to look across the rooftops near the downtown is to think that you are in a city. but in such a densely populated country, one needs to look down to see the truth: even with so many buildings, there are still fields, and farmers tilling them.

today driving home from a camping trip, i saw two automated carts, the kind for old people, sitting by the roadside. they were empty. not far away, in bare feet in the mud, was an old man tending to his crops. that is some kind of retirement: you are practically unable to walk, but around your beloved crops you are filled with energy.

the other picture came when i was riding my bike in the evening on a road between fields. rounding a corner, i encountered a pudgy young boy on a bike with a look of utmost unhappiness. i soon knew the reason. just behind him, his mother rode a scooter, with her daughter behind her. the boy was being dragooned into exercising, made all the worse by the fact that those monitoring him would not deign to join in! instead, they would chug along behind him as he pedalled. at least they did not ride in front of him.

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