Singapore

So far Singapore has been great.  I'm writing from our hotel room whilst watching the Premiership.  A nice reminder of home!  Weird that it's free here and not at home.  It underlines what a global brand the premiership is.  It also accounts for any mistakes found in this blog entry - I always seem to write when I'm annoyed or tired!  

We have been put in touch with a great church thanks to our friends in Taiwan.  Sharon and Allen have looked after us really really well.  They picked us up from the airport in 2 cars, showed us around the city at 11pm and then took us to Crispin Hill's place (Pete Hill's brother).  He's a real dude.  We stayed in his place in a nice suburby type area of Singapore.  It's near the east coast.  Me and Julianne slept outside on the veranda in a hammock-like sofa.  

I went to pastor Kong He's church today.  We attended one of the 4 services that are held over the weekend with 5,000 passionate Singaporians.  Everyone was praying in tongues for 30 minutes before the meeting which was so powerful.  Then in the worship it was like everyone just gave everything.  Sharon and Allen then took me to see their singing dog!  So funny.   

Airport Blues

Airports have the potential to be fun places with a nice environment.  They could enhance the nice feeling of going to an exciting new place.  Sadly they so often fail to do this and do the opposite.  After a wonderful week's relaxation by the beach, it's often in the airport that any last warm holiday feelings are unceremoniously removed.  For instance, take the last couple of hours.  We checked in nice and easily thanks to some good packing and traveling light.  We got through the security and decided to have lunch.  The only cafe the other side of check in was a French style one.  So Julianne bought a sandwhich for 4 times the price of the centre of Taipei.  She bit into the sandwhich and tasted raw mushy chicken and soggy bread with watery tomato skins!  So then I had an argument about changing the sandwhich - the Taiwanese waitress tried to convince me that this was French style!  The cheek!  I was eventually given a new one!  GRRRRRRRRR!  Our flight is boarding, I better go.  GRRRRRRRRR...

Another Mad Weekend

 

It’s been a few days since we’ve had internet and since I’ve had any time to write anything.  We completed the 4 concerts in 2 days.  That was pretty crazy.  The first church was full of young people who were up for expending some serious energy.  After setting up our equipment (15 minutes to do this and then it was unplugged and the worship band came back on) I had a blood sugar crash.  I think I’ve worked out what this is now.  I feel really hot even if it’s cold and my head starts spinning a bit.  Adrenaline may play it’s part in sucking some blood sugars out of my system, but whatever it is - I went out to the café and took some dextrose and glucose tablets and some sushi.  This seemed to work, although slower than I wanted.  Sugar even if absorbed quickly doesn’t make me feel instantly better. 

 

We walked onstage and played the songs.  Everyone seemed excited and clapped and sang along.  Much to the consternation of some of the leaders, our friend Bobo who is training to be a dance teacher grabbed a mic from the stage and started shouting to everyone to go more crazy.  Ha ha ha ha ha.  Brilliant.  One of those things that you can’t stop and that I wouldn’t want to.  It all happened too fast.  So the temperature in the place rose higher and we had to respond.  By the end of the concert it was all a big melee around the front of the stage.  I was somewhere in the middle of it. 

 

Then we were bundled into a taxi and rushed off to another church to play another gig.  There was 30 minutes on our schedule to get to this gig, set up our equipment and start playing.  Needless to say we got lost.  In trying to find the right place we walked into a building with a big red cross on it that said there was a church on the second floor.  We ended up hauling our stuff there only to find that it was a residential building and the look on the face of the Taiwanese guy that walked out of his flat as we were walking up was definitely one for the cameras.  He ran back into his flat and slammed the door.  Then a mum and a girl came walking downstairs obviously on some errand.  Probably going to 7/11.  I smiled at the girl who was probably 5 or 6 years old and said “ni hao” as with all the kindness I could muster.  She promoptly burst into tears.  So we retreated and eventually found the church… ate dinner… played the concert…signed cds...ate more dinner that the church gave us…then went to another place with Bobo and Pei Chun and supper.  aaaaaa Taiwanese food.  It’s the best. 

 

The next day, we arrived at New Life at 1:15pm.  The church was so packed it was untrue.  2,000 people plus were there and the church had put in a huge order to the local McDonalds, Burger King and other fast food chains in order to feed everyone.  I was reading the story of feeding 5,000 and 4,000 the other day.  It’s a big enough mission with willing restaurants that you can pay to do the job!  We hung out with quite a few musicians, actors and producers from New Life before playing “good day” with Wing and then a new song that we had collaborated on.  The people seemed to love it.  So did I.  I felt very at home and relaxed as lots of the crowd know us by now.  I even sang a verse of “good day” in chinese.  Thanks Wing. 

 

Then we raced straight from there to the high speed rail.  Pretty much the same as France’s TVR.  It goes 300kmh.  We arrived in Kaoshung and found a very very different set up.  20 local churches had collaborated to create a kind of circus/market.  We featured alongside a friend of ours from the record company.  that was good.  It was an outside gig though - very sweaty as the temperature was in the 30s.  The crowd were pretty small and hardened Taiwanese.  They seemed to enjoy the show though.  I have to admit this one was pretty stressful.  Trying to win over a crowd can be tough sometimes.  You have to smile and engage even if you feel like leaving the stage and going to a quiet secluded place away from all the darn noise! 

 

The church bundled us all in a van afterwards and we were given an extremely nice meal and taken to a flat that we have been leant for 2 days. Then today (Monday) we had the day off.  Min Nian and Ben drove us to the beach in Kending (over 2 hours drive away).  Julianne and Hannnah were so excited abou that.  They’ve heard all the stories about Spring Scream and how beautiful Kenting is (the location for Spring Scream).  Lots of palm trees and beaches.  More nice food…racing karts…and a jeep ride.  One of the most fun and scary things I have done.  You stand up in the back of a 4 x 4 while it races up and down extremely steep sand dunes and along the beach.  The finale is a high speed dash through a river.  I was surprised at how much water was thrown into the air by this part.  We were soaking.  We might as well have swum in the sea! 

 

So now I’m sitting here in our room in Kaoshung (the south part of Taiwan) with the fan blowing hot air at me.  A bit like Celine Dion on Top of the Pops.  All I’m missing is dry ice.  Tomorrow we might go to a water park.  That would be great as the strain has been immense on Vanga (our friend/manager).  She loved going to the beach today.  She will love going to the water park as well.  Then it’s more concerts and off to Singapore on Friday for a headline slot at the biggest rock festival in Singapore.  I hope that is the business.  We’ve worked hard enough on our set by now it should be red hot! 

Taipei

Here's a little taste of Taipei city culture. 

They often use drink cartons to weigh down the roofs so that they don't fly off when a typhoon comes. 

Nantou and Village parties

 I've been enjoying the time here. It feels like we've been here a month already. It's nice to have a broader picture of Taiwan from Travelling around, there have been many contrasts as there always are... from City glamour to rural simplicity.  We have met lots of  different people in a short space of time  which has been exhausting, but it is fun if we just go with the flow.

Nantou was a highlight for me. It's such a beautiful place, mountainous,  and tropical, our hosts Yun and San San who are good friends of Evangeline, have been absolute stars! So

generous and friendly. 

It's been interesting to hear about the work they're doing with the youth in Nantou, and how the church is getting involved in the community.  I'd definately like to go back there again sometime.

 

We went for a short walk in the mountains. This was the view...

The best views were driving in the car, unfortunately the pictures didn't come out well, so you'll have to imagine loads of interesting shaped mountains and palm trees.

The two gigs we had here were probably the

 most energy filled ones. The youth conference crowd had glow sticks which were being waved around madly. It was great fun to have a colourful concert in the dark.

The gig in the evening was in a smaller Village, they made a huge effort with a massive stage backdrop with Transitions faces on it. The event was like a village street party, apparently Transition are the first western band ever to come to their village, so they went all out to make it a special event. It also gives you an idea of how rural it was.

It was probably my favourite gig so far despite it being outside in the heat and being eaten alive by mosquitos.  The crowd were hillarious, and so loud!  It was great fun, when the band were signing CD's at the end at the end some of the youths from the local church were fanning the boy's backs, whilst singing a funny song.  I will try to upload a video of it. So yes a fun trip.  We have a couple of days back home in Taipei now ( our flat feels like we're coming home) Then we're off to Kaochung again on Sunday for a couple of days.  It's all go!

Taiwan Adventures

Taiwanese fans Love to get CD's and posters signed. The signing can last as long as the gig! Occasionally Hannah and I get asked to sign things, but we tell them it might devalue it if Transition become famous one day. Ha ha. We almost always get roped into photos with fans. Its quite a weird feeling knowing there's lots of photos of you floating around.

Nantou

Yesterday I realised that I need to learn to read the Chinese characters.  Well, I need to at least learn the ones on menus!  It's a bit frustrating having to rely on restaurants that have pictures on the menu or the things that I can remember.  

2 days ago we travelled to the middle of Taiwan to play 2 concerts.  The first was a youth conference that was being held in a university campus.  The campus was on the top of a mountain so we had to drive through a massive sequence of valleys to get there (a little bit like Switzerland except the mountains were covered in jungle and not snow).  It's a relief to get out of the concrete jungle of Taipei and find some vegetation and nice clean air.  On arrival we felt very welcome, we were fed well and even given a sound check!  The 300 youths (people up to 25 are youths here so I'm still technically one!) were so mad.  The concert was one of the most crazy I have ever played.  There were some powerful moments of worship as everyone sang together and rocked out in the 'rock out' moments.   I felt as if it's the reason we've written some of these songs, they come alive when people engage with them.  

So post-gig we went to a night market and ate some junky food.  Mine was Japanese fried something or other.  All I could tell when I ate it was that whatever it was was fried!  The woman who cooked it also couldn't understand my Chinese so instead of adding just a small bit of sugar like I asked, I got wasabi sauce, soy sauce, pepper, and something that looked and tasted like wood chippings.  If there's one thing I've learned in Taiwan it's trust your instincts and never be too surprised!  

The next day I was pretty inspired.  We were given a tour of a friend's factory.   Her Dad is an inventor.  He loves triathlon so loads of the products are designed for athletes.  The company came up with the idea for Air cushions in shoes that Nike is famous for.  I got given an air pad for my guitar strap.  It makes having my guitar a lot more comfortable.  

Skipping a few episodes (I have to get up and shave, have breakfast and try to look presentable and my time is running out for writing this blog) - we had a street gig outside in another town the next night - it was outside and the whole town came out for the event.  It was set up by the church and the government was also involved.  The combination worked well and we played to 700 -800 people in a big street party.  I think we did well because we got 3 encores.  Either that or it's culturarl!  I haven't been so sweaty for a very long time!  Well, we have a radio interview this morning - our 7th or 8th followed by a tv show that involves 7 hours filming.  I hope I'm still alive after that!  As long as I eat enough I'll be ok!  

Julianne is doing so well.  I'm very proud of her.  She's' been engaging with all these new people all over Taiwan and lugging equipment around on trains, planes, taxis and buses all in the 35 degree heat.  We've had fun together and I'm sure there's some more shopping in store!