November 22, 2021
November 22nd
night ride to the pub
Debbie was right about the cold front. It rained last night and the mercury has fallen quite dramatically since our ride into town yesterday. In fact the forecast says it'll be as low as 13°C tonight. Many of you will scoff at that, but it's pretty cool for Taiwan.
I cycled to the main post office today and sent another Christmas package to the UK and it was drizzling slightly. It felt too cool to sit outside the big Louisa so I got a seat inside and looked out the window.
The weather might be cool and damp, but my Monday night ritual continues: Ralph and I will meet for a couple of beers at about 9:30. I'll just wear a couple of warm layers.
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I'm not sure what it's like where you live, but here in Taiwan claw machine arcades have sprung up in the last few years. The pandemic seems to have helped their growth, with many shops closing and becoming empty and the arcades are literally everywhere. On my block there are three. Two more are just down the street and there's another one near 7-Eleven, on the block opposite. I've read that there are more arcades than there are convenience stores here.
Their appeal is lost on me and with them being so ubiquitous, you'd imagine they are really popular, but there's rarely anyone in them and maybe they're just some form of get-rich-without-doing-anything enterprise.
During the day they don't stand out, but at night their colourful lights cast a distinctive glow over the sidewalk. With that in mind, I'm taking my camera and tripod out tonight and plan to take snaps of a few, starting with the ones near home.
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I've put on a thin down jacket and on top is my red rain jacket, which has reflective strips on it. There's a bit of drizzle in the air, a bit like mist.
You can see my bike (below) is covered in tape to make it more visible at night. There are two front LEDs and two on the back -one of them attached to my helmet, which also has some reflective tape stuck to it. As long as motorists are not fiddling with their smartphones, I reason they're bound to notice me riding along the road.
It's disappointing to find my main front light has run out of power, but I know the pub can recharge it.
My camera goes in my rack-bag as it won't stay in place on my shoulder like it does when I wear a shirt, while the mini tripod is in a small musette. I now wish I'd used a big musette and put both in.
After going up and down my street and around the block to snap the nearby arcades, I set off and get on the 114 at the end of the main road. The 114 goes directly into town and it's another hour before I meet Ralph, but this'll give me some time to stop and take photos using the tripod.
I cycle past one claw machine arcade before getting to Carrefour, then cross over the ring road and approach town and spot another I've not noticed before. My eyes haven't been on the lookout for them.
Inside it I see the contents close up and about half of the machines are filled with boxes that have sexy looking women on them. I imagine local young men who are too shy or embarrassed to buy whatever it is inside from a brick-and-mortar store will come here to try to claw up a box with some degree of anonymity. The place is empty and it feels a bit sad.
I continue cycling along the 114 into town and once there have over 30 minutes to spare before Ralph will get to the pub, so venture down some small streets, which is where the arcades are usually located. The rent is obviously cheaper.
After taking a few snaps, I'm still 10 minutes early when I lock my bike outside the pub.
The Hop In is up some steps and on the stairs is where customers have to register to comply with Covid regulations. My initials, the date and the time get written on an A4 log sheet and it makes me smile that the previous nine entries are all me, going back a couple of months. Everyone else obviously scans a QR code with their phone.
There are a few people sat at the bar and Jane takes my temperature and sprays me with some alcohol disinfectant. It's rarely busy on a Monday night. Sometimes it's just Ralph and myself.
The blackboard on the wall lists half a dozen draught beers that are currently available and I go for an IPA that's 6%. Anything much stronger than that is not for me. Ralph likes fries, so I order some and sit at a table in the far corner, near a window.
A flat screen TV is showing some kind of e-sport. It's weird and very repetitive and makes me feel a bit dizzy watching it, with the young players seemingly flying illuminated drones around a circuit. Maybe it's all VR or AR. Whatever. There are usually basketball or baseball games on.
Ralph arrives and has the same IPA and he says it tastes a bit too fruity.
We chat about all sorts and he also finds the e-game on TV annoying.
Our second beers are smaller ones and it's his turn to pay and as usual the bill is over US$35. Drinking out is not cheap in Taiwan.
Back outside the air is moist and Ralph checks the online forecast, which says it'll be damp until late morning and we both wonder if it'll be OK to ride tomorrow. It's looking doubtful.
Jane comes down and gives me my front light and it's sad that it hasn't charged up. Maybe it's broken.
On the way home I detour through the streets near the university, as I know there are claw machines there and at this time of night - getting on for 11:30 - the other shops will be mostly closed. Shops are usually open until 10:00 every night here and 7-Eleven is actually 24-7.
Some people call the area a night market, but to me it's just a few streets that have food stands that become busy once it gets dark. There are quite a few people walking around and most are young and many vendors are still selling food from their stalls. My guess is they'll stay open for another hour.
My tripod gets used for a few more photos and I ride a couple of blocks back to the 114 and soon find a couple of arcades with claw machines after crossing the ring road. There are no customers inside.
As I get to the junction of my block, I spot yet another arcade near the corner. It's a small one and a young guy is looking inside. The light turns green and I pedal home.
Today's ride: 8 km (5 miles)
Total: 896 km (556 miles)
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2 years ago
The arcades are very similar, except in size, and I was hoping for a more of Edward Hopper's 'Nighthawks' type of feeling.
2 years ago