contrary to popular belief i do not always wake up after midday. today i managed just 10 minutes shy of the magic hour. the sun dressed the neighbourhood in soft tones and i simply had to get outside and shoot some film. i loaded my lomo, my holga and my woca, grabbed my phone and headed to lungshan temple.
the walk to the MTR stop was pleasant, i watched a parade erupt with fireworks and people hanging off vans screaming- faces smiling absurdly- slogans aloud and exhaust a-plenty. one man stopped his van and proceeded to offer me the flag of his candidate. i accepted it to, rapturous applause, before hiding it in my bag when they had left.
lungshan temple stands two streets away from a line of whore-houses (which i accidentally stumbled on seeing a gorgeous wall that i wanted to shoot), the tourist night market and some strange green construction beast that they are erecting directly infront.
i entered the temple with the smell of incense immediately sending my senses slightly off guard. the temple was crowded with people lighting sticks, praying, offering fruit and flower baskets, lighting large dripping candles on black iron stands. i stood back and wound my film as something caught my eye and hand-raised-to-eye-camera-went-c.l.i.c.k.......
i then managed to stumble upon the aforementioned street of prostitutes, probably the saddest and oldest looking whores i have ever seen, all made-up too much and trying to squeeze into clothes that perhaps 20 years ago would have fit them. small, seedy looking men shuffled through the alleyway nervously looking over their shoulders and eyeing up the "goods". a few advances were politely turned down and i walked on, taking the next street out of there.
the streets then opened up in confusing directions. i took a few lefts, a few rights, and ended up finding some narrow meat market stalls, a temple hidden in a strange housing area and a few great photos of stairways, people unawares and decrepid houses of the forlorn. by coincidence the roads led me to shihlin, a glitzy, neon-infested shopping area with closed off, tree lined streets and loud wailing music emanating from every single shop. quite an insane place.
with tiredness setting in i opted for the MTR instead of walking all the way to dunhua, and sat in the cafe waiting for john and jared, and then hanna and aimee to arrive.
|
