http://pics.livejournal.com/woquinoncoin/gallery/0000ffks.xml http://pics.livejournal.com/woquinoncoin/gallery/0000ffks A Sunday visit to Taiwan's Postal Museum, and an outdoors bellydancing exhibition on the way home. http://pics.livejournal.com/woquinoncoin/pic/0003p5r0.xml Barbed wire around the presidential building, on 愛國 Road. http://pics.livejournal.com/woquinoncoin/pic/0003ggcw.xml b0e9d41b47ea733ceb48cd44feec5856 image/jpeg 300 400 63680 http://pics.livejournal.com/woquinoncoin/pic/0003ggcw Closeup of the earliest uniform they had on display... check out those glowing, golden eyes under the hat brim! Yowza! http://pics.livejournal.com/woquinoncoin/pic/0003h6wk.xml 4ad381c5fada725cfeead8c4964a457e image/jpeg 300 400 44682 http://pics.livejournal.com/woquinoncoin/pic/0003h6wk This was a Qing Dynasty-era mailbox, in use around 1905. I forgot what the caption said though, and now I'm a little confused... this must not have come from Taiwan, since it was under Japanese rule by 1905. Anyway, it was hard to get a good picture of this thing. It was as tall as me. I had to stand on tiptoes to try and get a full shot of the top. http://pics.livejournal.com/woquinoncoin/pic/0003kr0w.xml 06fa7ad6b0c2d9f68b6613765e9d6b93 image/jpeg 400 573 83678 http://pics.livejournal.com/woquinoncoin/pic/0003kr0w The evolution of Taiwanese mailboxes throughout the past century http://pics.livejournal.com/woquinoncoin/pic/0003p5r0.xml 3f0ab75e2c2461f0c000c7d6b525bcc3 image/jpeg 700 282 55934 http://pics.livejournal.com/woquinoncoin/pic/0003p5r0 I was enthralled by this tiny, detailed diorama showing what goes on in the central mailroom. http://pics.livejournal.com/woquinoncoin/pic/0003q19r.xml 085137eebea36c7b7eb07ec74a61afae image/jpeg 600 399 52111 http://pics.livejournal.com/woquinoncoin/pic/0003q19r Zip code sorting machine http://pics.livejournal.com/woquinoncoin/pic/0003r5he.xml 27fb74c83168d6bc06626ca713c28549 image/jpeg 800 600 116541 http://pics.livejournal.com/woquinoncoin/pic/0003r5he On August 23rd, 1958, the Commie mainlanders sent a hail of missiles raining down on our troops stationed at Kinmen. Our soldiers had no warning of this dirty attack, but what can you expect from those Commie bastards? This bombed out mailbox stands as a testament to the severity of the destruction, and also to the relentless, untiring mettle of our soldiers and mailmen who bravely carried out their duties!! http://pics.livejournal.com/woquinoncoin/pic/0003sxat.xml 16e42897542bf8cf3c4c52720bcc4a20 image/jpeg 700 544 77578 http://pics.livejournal.com/woquinoncoin/pic/0003sxat ... What the plaque actually said. It's not far off from my interprertation. http://pics.livejournal.com/woquinoncoin/pic/0003t6y9.xml c368ec2b4b267721152fc4781fc67702 image/jpeg 800 207 105170 http://pics.livejournal.com/woquinoncoin/pic/0003t6y9 I'm surprised they mentioned the short-lived Republic of Formosa (which some have recently appropriated to bolster Taiwanese independence agendas). Perhaps it's okay to talk about the Republic of Formosa because it was established in the name of countering Japanese rule. And they DID issue stamps, despite the fact that their postal system only operated for 81 days. http://pics.livejournal.com/woquinoncoin/pic/0003wq3h.xml 06b985cb0a37f974ef2af840d8728f7a image/jpeg 800 472 80771 http://pics.livejournal.com/woquinoncoin/pic/0003wq3h Taiwanese postal uniforms through the past century http://pics.livejournal.com/woquinoncoin/pic/0003x0tz.xml f0043e690e119a70f5d5b8adf9314759 image/jpeg 750 488 93136 http://pics.livejournal.com/woquinoncoin/pic/0003x0tz This was the dance troupe teacher. http://pics.livejournal.com/woquinoncoin/pic/0003ysbk.xml 19fb5e457148d785fd5123afc693ad0d image/jpeg 800 668 187095 http://pics.livejournal.com/woquinoncoin/pic/0003ysbk http://pics.livejournal.com/woquinoncoin/pic/0003zqzx.xml 3c9e190d81aacc0378d714e215a87f23 image/jpeg 800 563 123289 http://pics.livejournal.com/woquinoncoin/pic/0003zqzx http://pics.livejournal.com/woquinoncoin/pic/00040p1z.xml 39262868c2054056644dcb92c3717ea0 image/jpeg 800 460 102090 http://pics.livejournal.com/woquinoncoin/pic/00040p1z http://pics.livejournal.com/woquinoncoin/pic/00041fd2.xml ff97ba6836c2cd19d74d00c1a07ea88b image/jpeg 800 600 134764 http://pics.livejournal.com/woquinoncoin/pic/00041fd2 An abandoned computer store on the way to the busstop http://pics.livejournal.com/woquinoncoin/pic/00042qdc.xml 69782db2dbddeeb227be71e74886f85f image/jpeg 800 600 182158 http://pics.livejournal.com/woquinoncoin/pic/00042qdc Colorful old wall on the way to the busstop. The words ask you not to dump trash in that area. http://pics.livejournal.com/woquinoncoin/pic/000439pd.xml 00ab847ab7f8d51637ed2ad5017e931d image/jpeg 800 600 146108 http://pics.livejournal.com/woquinoncoin/pic/000439pd Busy intersection at 西門町, the teenager district of Taipei. Yet, I've seen some of the most beautiful old men here, as it's also one of the oldest districts. The blurry lady in the foreground was really annoying. Each time I took out my camera, she would move and block the old man with the white, flowing beard, whom I was REALLY trying to sneak a picture of. http://pics.livejournal.com/woquinoncoin/pic/000447ye.xml 666eb9eb7319b657f83704b5c2cf47de image/jpeg 800 600 117607 http://pics.livejournal.com/woquinoncoin/pic/000447ye Anna in an old 60's-style diner up in Bali/Tamshui. http://pics.livejournal.com/woquinoncoin/pic/00045szp.xml 425437885343e65782c41ce7ac98f890 image/jpeg 800 600 149087 http://pics.livejournal.com/woquinoncoin/pic/00045szp