Gettin' Cultured

Kaohsiung has a bit of a reputation in Taiwan for being an uncultured backwater, so the city government is always trying to promote cultural activities in the hopes that perhaps more people will come to see Kaohsiung as a sweet and happenin' place to live as opposed to a dirty industrial hicktown. This is a slow process; even Patty, a Kaohsiung native, has told me that Kaohsiung "has no culture." Part of the attempt to fill this perceived culture void is the Kaohsiung Cultural Center, which is essentially a big park with a performance hall in the center, and which is conveniently located directly outside of my apartment.

Yesterday, the Cultural Center was a bustling hub of activity as people set up for a big ballet performance. The performance was inside, but outside the hall there were gajillions of chairs set up in rows, along with large screens upon which the performance was broadcast. In this way, even random passerby could have the chance to witness an impressive ballet performance, totally free. I love living next to the Cultural Center! But it's not just a home for the fine arts; the Kaohsiung Cultural Center plays host to a wide variety of activities on a daily basis.

Good Things to Do in the Cultural Center, as based on my observations:
-ride a bike
-rollerskate
-practice martial arts, whether individually or in a group
-dance in unison with a posse of Taiwanese ladies (morning only)
-go to the Saturday night art market (more of a craft fair, really)
-get a massage from the blind masseuses
-breakdance
-walk your small, probably clothed dog/cat/rabbit (note: cat on a leash = unhappy cat)
-yell in unison (and in a tuneful interval!) with another person for as long as you can...this is probably good for your qi or something, cuz some guys were doing it yesterday
-practice your trick bartending skillz, like juggling bottles

and of course, you can always:
-stand around slapping yourself

Seriously, a common activity here. Purportedly gets your qi flowing and burns those calories! Now who would dare say that we don't have any culture?