Like Karen With An "M": TAIWAN - Day Four: Lost in Translation

Day four - we're on the home stretch! On my last full day in Taiwan I am sorry to say I didn't have any huge plans. If I could do it all over again I would have taken a train out of the city and visited something on the coast, or perhaps trekked around one of their beautiful national forests. However, there were several smaller sites I wanted to see still in Taipei and I wasn't feeling very adventurous that morning. (Read: I didn't feel like going on any big trips out of the city by myself and I was tired!)

I started my morning with a lovely little jaunt down to a 7-11, where I picked up some juice and snacks, and I enjoyed them at a little nearby park. There was exercise equipment in the park that several older people were using, which I thought was a pretty good idea. Why don't we have exercise parks in the States? It was a cool morning, and it sprinkled a little but not enough for me to bother getting out my umbrella. It was nice to just take things slow after previous long museum day!

As I walked around I took this picture of all the scooters parked as far as the eye can see. Everyone and their dog in Taiwan has a scooter. Seriously, they are EVERYWHERE and they are CRAZY. They seem to treat traffic laws as mere suggestions. It was so cool whenever there was a red light; all of the scooters would work their way to to the front of all of the cars and trucks. When the light turned green they would all zoom out as fast as they could, reminding me of a swarm of crazy insects. It was awesome.

Once I was done I headed off to what claimed to be biggest miniatures museum in Asia. (And second biggest in the world!) I had no idea what to expect, but admission was cheap and I figured at the very least it would be entertaining.

I was so right.

Oh, the miniatures themselves were kinda creepy/boring/weird in their own way. I mean, they were all really well done, as far as I know. This was my first time a miniatures museum, so what do I really know?

No, two things besides the miniatures kept me entertained for a good hour: the dozens of teenagers taking pictures of EVERY SINGLE THING IN THAT PLACE, and the English translations.

First, the teenagers. Seriously, they were picture crazy. They went from display to display, snapping pictures with their phones from every angle possible. Why in the world would anyone need so many pictures of miniatures? Were they ever going to really look at them again? Okay, I guess for all I know they all have blogs about miniatures and this was their Mecca. What do I know?

Second, the translations. Oh my gosh, some really made me laugh. (This could have been the jet lag; I was up early once again and was running on fumes.) I got a few funny looks from the teens as I took pictures of the signs rather than the miniatures.

Okay, so I did get caught up in the moment and took a few miniatures pictures myself. I'm interspersing them in with the pictures of the translations, which I know you'll read every word of. (Ha.) Okay, I'll highlight my favorite parts of each sign.

"That makes the whole room meshed up."

"Worthwhile to notice that this consulate used to be the birthplace of the Communist Party of the United States. Obviously, they did not do good job to spread the concept successfully in the US."

Okay, is it me, or is it not pretty creepy to have an amputee begging in your miniatures display? Weird.

"It is important to notice that France is a country that honors its own tradition; while ours are diminishing year after year." (Preach it, Miniatures Museum!)

"How cruel is the war to the human being. 'Stop the war!' You almost hear John Howard proclaiming from inside." (Who?...)

"No one will blame you if you dream a daydream." "Well, he grown up as an interior designer, as he dreamed, only that he still is longing to design his own retreat which, seems very, very far away." "Now you have evidence."

"Have you seen the popcorn maker in his room? Who is going to consume those corns anyway?"

"A pair of golf shoes depicts he is also and avid golf player. Who don't, if you have status, money and time?"

"While cooking dinner, setting table, and watching your beloved family having in the yard, this is called happiness." (I usually call it the Witching Hour.)