I watched a Porsche programme on YouTube last week. Surprisingly, the German car manufacturer invited Taiwanese rock star Wubai as the host to drive around Taipei with Chang Chen. Their task of the day was to take photographs with the theme of conflicts and contradictions.
Ren’ai Road of Taipei City has lines of coconut trees. This was what I learned from this episode. In the past, I used to think that in Taiwan we can see coconut trees only in my university NTNU, or other universities including NTU.
What’s admirable about Wubai is that he is always observing the people, things and events around him. He is a great observer of Greater Taipei and entire Taiwan. And his way of deciphering what he observed is always different from the public. Furthermore, he tries to understand history and looks for the connection between the past and the present. Among so many photo-taking spots in Taipei, he selected Lin An Tai Historical House and Museum as well as Municipal Guangfu Elementary School.
I feel like travelling around Taipei after watching his programme. Since electric cars don’t emit greenhouse gases, I need not feel guilty if I am to drive one to scout around Taipei.
I feel embarrassed when watching Wubai’s show because I don’t think I can be as observant as he is. He is always observing major and minor things in life and trying to understand them from different angles.
In the world before Covid-19 pandemic, Wubai was always leading his band China Blue to visit Malaysia and Singapore for concerts. He was even acting in a Cantonese-speaking movie in Malaysia with Hong Kong stars Simon Yam and Kara Wai. Wubai might have observed better and deeper than locals in Kuala Lumpur, but we might not know it before there is a chance for him to share his knowledge like what he does for this programme.
前幾天看了保時捷的優管節目，竟然是請來伍佰開車主持節目和張震一起趴趴走，之後的攝影主題就是衝突與矛盾。
看了這一集我才知道仁愛路有臺北市仁愛路有椰子樹。我一直以為在臺灣祇有大學校園如我的母校師大，或其他院校包括臺大才有椰子樹。其實伍佰最讓人敬佩的地方就是他對人事物觀察入微，對大臺北地區乃至於整個臺灣都仔細觀察，並且習得一套不同於大眾的解讀方式。更甚的是，他也嘗試瞭解歷史，從而找出以前與現在的連結。臺北這麼多地方可以攝影，偏偏就給他找到一座林安泰古廟，還有光復國小。
看了他的節目都覺得很想在臺北到處跑，尤其開著電動汽車就無須覺得有愧疚感，因為它們不會排放廢氣。其實看伍佰主持節目最愧疚反而是覺得沒有辦法像他那般注意身邊大小事物，而且還嘗試多番瞭解。伍佰在疫情前的那個世界常常來星馬地區開演唱會，也在馬來西亞跟任達華和惠英紅拍過電影，搞不好他對吉隆坡這座城市的觀察比我們這些當地人更為深入，但是在他還沒有機會像這節目這般分享知識之前，我們是不得而知。