We're in Beitou Baby.- Museum #7

So this museum was also over a week ago....just posting it late. What can I say, I got all involved in a couple of books and blogging kind of got pushed to the side..I'll quick type this up until I download another book onto my kindle...then I'll see you all in another week.....
So, now that we're all up to date on why I'm blog-tardy... the Hot springs Museum in Beitou was a bit of a "bonus" museum. I had been in the area before with a hike that I had been on, but I honestly had  no intention of going there with my six year old...to the Museum that is. HOWEVER, as it happened, Wyatt got called for a modeling shoot and TA DA! it was held at a museum. BAHAHA. Poor Wyatt. He can't get away from them. He got over it when he had some cash in his pocket and Lego guys at the end of the day though. He's got it tough, that one. In all actuality, he was a trooper. He was modeling a fall/winter line..outside in 90+ degrees with a bajillion degree humidity index. Tough indeed.
But yes- the Hot springs Museum was pretty cool- architecturally and layout wise. In fact the whole area is pretty neat. I'd love to go back on a weekend NOT in 100 degree weather and enjoy the hot springs/park/library area as a family. There's a lot to do and tasty food to be eaten.  Within the museum, there was a room dedicated to then and now pics which was neat to look at. Wyatt of course enjoyed looking intensely at the map and ordering me around. You know just a typical day. Oh-After the catalogue comes out I'm allowed to post pics of Wyatt's shoot. He's so stinkin' cute. Seriously. CUTE. I digress. (I'm a mess in this post, sorry)
Back to the Museum- this pretty much sums it up better than I could (or really knew how to...)

"Built in 1913, the Beitou Hot Spring Museum was originally the Beitou Public Bathhouse, the largest bathhouse in the East Asia at the time. Now it serves to recount Beitou's hot spring history. The whole building resembles an English country house. It marks the beginning of Beitou's hot spring era. On display are historical relics and documents, which tell stories of the sulfur mining, the hot spring and Taiwanese films, providing the public a window to Beitou."
http://www.taipeisprings.org.tw/english/scenic/hotspring-museum.htm

There's a special MRT line that you take (XinBeitou) which has monitors on the MRT that you can look at interactive maps and stuff. It was quite entertaining. 

The one that got away....

Museum #3 Bust. -Li Tien-lu Hand Puppet Historical Museum

 Let’s just say, each day when I open my eyes to start the day, it all begins with good intentions. I intend to be cheerful without coffee. I intend to not snap at Wyatt for not doing his morning routine that he has done  380 days consecutively, prior to this 381st day, and that this 381st day is no different than the past 380. I intend to pluck my bike keys out of the drawer on our way out….oops. I had intended  to put said keys in drawer the night before…..you catch my drift. My intentions are good, whether the end result is or not.

That is why on this particular Friday, the puppet museum trip with my girlfriend and her two kids was intended to be SO much fun. How could an adventure to Danshui and a quick cab ride from there not be fun? The website for this museum looked intriguing, with promises of DIY,making your own puppets,an exhibition area, musical area, puppet drama, computer zone…I mean- HOW FUN!!!!!

The MRT ride was fairly uneventful and the kids were just grateful we didn’t make them walk given the temperature outside. When we showed the cabbie our destination, he seemed to know where it was. What seemed like 30 minutes later, I repeated the address and he nodded affirmatively that we were indeed going in the right direction. Fearful that we were moments away from hearing Banjo music (which I believe can happen continents away from the US as well) we chose to have faith in our driver. Finally he pulled up in front of what I thought was the place. As we all peered outside of the cab it looked…….well, it looked closed.

Perfect.

The cab driver, ever the gentlemen, called the number posted outside and spoke to the owner. After some discussion, he began speaking to us in Chinese. I picked out a few words and realized fake it til you make it doesn’t apply to the need for a Chinese response. As my friend and I looked at each other, we ascertained that the guy was coming up to the museum. Great! The trip was not a waste! Our adventure panned out! Yes, we nodded to the cabbie, him coming to the museum would be great! The cab driver spoke to the owner, then proceeded to drive.

Wait. What? Why are we not waiting? Why were we moving? Where the crap were we going? After another interesting discussion, it was our NEW understanding that the cab driver was driving to pick up the owner of the museum. BAHAHAHAHA. WHAT?!

Yes. That is true. I have no idea how the guy would have gotten back but, uh, no. ix-nay on the free cab-bay ride dude.

We had the cab driver, who totally scored in the NT department with our ride, bring us back to the MRT.

We pacified the children for the lack of puppetry by feeding them  ice cream. They seemed to get over their disappointment.

I too will live through not having seen a puppet, though my disappointment is palpable. Yeah. Not really. 

Museums across Taipei ...Take 1

Taipei Children's Art Museum

 

I have lived here about 2 1/2 years give or take some math, and I have never been to this museum. I kid you not when I tell you this place is like a 10 minute bike ride from my apartment. 10 minutes!!!! What a travesty. Ugh. Enough of the dramatics. We went, we toured, we liked, we will go again. In all fairness our guide (who was a newbie) said that the exhibits slowly change and transform over the course of the year. That makes me feel a tad better. I mean how much could we have missed?.....Anyway, one of the first sculptures we saw is the one pictured above. It was awesome. The sculpture if you look closely, (though some may be looking til the end of time and not see it).....is a baboon. Yeah. I had my suspicions as well,  but that's what the guy said and we believe what random art museum guys tell us right? Yeah. So Mr. Newbie says to Wyatt , "Can you pick out the objects that make up the baboon?" He asks this while pointing towards the head. For Pete's sake. The head is a $%&% tape deck. Holy Crap. My son has no idea what a tape deck is, and even worse, I had no idea how to explain it. Newbie( who was.... what? no more than 19 tops??) was like, yeah, they're pretty old..blah blah bah.....Shut UP!!!! Oh man. rough start to the afternoon. Eh Hem....BUT Moving right along..........This museum, this childrens’ museum was really cool. Wyatt was digging it, as many of the exhibits revolved around creating new sculptures, figures, objects out of re purposed items. Floor fans turned into rib cages, spoons transformed into mums….it was all incredibly innovative .To my junk sculpture king…well, he was transfixed. Mr. Newbie Tour Guide was fantastic with Wyatt- interactive, talking to him as if he were a smart, talented young man (which he of course is, how did that guy know that?)…Wyatt was engaged and interacting quite a bit. I was duly impressed to say the least. The guy had Wyatt looking critically at paintings and sculptures to see what he could find, decipher what the artist may have had in mind…and Wyatt responded with thought provoking answers. Again….color me impressed. 

Paper flowers

Almost like a play therapy room- All about colors. Wyatt had to pick where he wanted to put the furniture- in the cool, medium or warmer colored houses. Wyatt felt compelled to put the corresponding colored furniture in the same home- We have a man who is a rule follower.

More paper flowers

It was my understanding that children came up with the design, which was then executed by museum staff

It was my understanding that children came up with the design, which was then executed by museum staff

All paper!

The mirrors made this handmade forest look expansive!