U-Theatre gave the first outside performance of their classic theater piece, Beyond Time, in the middle of rice fields in Taitung County’s Chishang Township Rice Field Cultural Scenic Area. The waving golden rice was a stage, the layers of mountains and hills and the famous Tiantang Road were the backdrop. While they performed, the wind provided the accompanying voice by brushing the waves of rice. Of the 2,000 seats, none were left empty. U-Theatre’s Artistic Director Liu Ruo-yu said this was the real stage that she was looking for. This is now the seventh year of the Chishang Autumn Rice Harvest Arts Festival.
After U-Theatre started their performance the whole audience was silent, adults and children alike all focused their appreciation on the performance onstage. The sound of U-Theatre’s drums rose among the light fragrance of the rice fields, at times like the surge of ten thousand galloping horses, at times trickling like water. The performance of more than one hour really made people feel as though they were “beyond time.”
Liu said, originally this theater piece combined mirrors and floor projections to create a feeling of four dimensions in the theater. However, because this was an outdoor performance, originally actions that were off-stage all became a part of the performance. They built enclosed areas with rice straws on both sides of the stage for the performers to change costumes. During the performance, the floor and projections which had been used in performances indoors were removed, because they wanted the audience to directly experience the beauty of the moment between the earth and the sky.
Photo: Wang Hsiu-ting Liberty Times
照片:自由時報記者王秀亭
(Liberty times, translated by Clare Lear)
優人神鼓在台東縣池上稻田文化景觀區的田中央演出,首度將經典劇碼「時間之外」移到戶外,以黃金稻浪為舞台,層層疊疊的山巒及知名的天堂路為背景,演出時還有風吹拂著稻浪的聲音為伴奏,現場兩千個座位座無虛席。優人神鼓藝術總監劉若瑀說:「這就是我們要找的真正舞台。」池上秋收稻穗藝術節至今已邁入第七年。
優人神鼓開演後,現場民眾一片靜默,大人、小孩專注地欣賞著台上的演出。優人神鼓在微微稻香的空氣中擊出鼓聲,時而如萬馬奔騰般急急前行,時而涓涓如流水,一個多小時的演出,讓人彷彿置身「時間之外」。
劉若瑀表示,該劇碼原本是結合鏡面地板及投影,在劇場裡營造四度的空間感,但這次演出的舞台是在戶外,原本應該是後台串場的動作,都成為表演的一部分,只在兩旁設有以稻稈搭建的遮屏,做為演出者更換衣物的場地。演出時,特地將室內演出時使用的地板與投影拿掉,就是希望觀眾可以直接在天地間體驗當下的美好。
(自由時報記者王秀亭)
A: Wow, three Taiwanese restaurants just won the 2024 “Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants” awards. B: Awesome! Which three restaurants? A: Taipei’s Logy at No. 22 and MUME at No. 34, and Taichung’s JL Studio at No. 33. B: Actually, there are many more great establishments in Taipei. How about other Asian cities? A: Singapore claimed nine spots this year, making it Asia’s new “food capital.” A: 2024「亞洲50最佳餐廳」名單揭曉了,台灣有3家餐廳上榜。 B: 好厲害,哪3家? A: 台北的Logy和MUME分獲第22和34名,台中的JL Studio獲第33名! B: 其實台北還有很多好餐廳,那其他的亞洲城市呢? A: 新加坡今年入選9家,可說是亞洲美食之都。 (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張聖恩)
A: From Logy and MUME to JL Studio, winners on the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list are all high-end fine dining restaurants. B: Really? I wonder how a meal costs there? A: I once dined at RAW, which used to be on the list: the meal cost NT$6,888 each plus 10 percent service charge. B: But fine dining establishments usually offer better food, decor and service, so they are more pricey. A: Let’s start saving money now, so we can go once a year. A: 獲選為2024「亞洲50最佳餐廳」的Logy、MUME、JL Studio,都是高檔的「精緻餐飲」。 B: 真的嗎?不知道吃一餐多少錢? A: 我去吃過曾上榜的RAW,每個人就要6,888加一成。 B: 不過精緻飲食餐廳的食物、環境、服務都比較好,自然也不便宜。 A: 我們來存錢吧,每年去吃一次。 (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張聖恩)
Food shortages have been experienced by people across the world throughout the centuries, but these challenges have driven people to cope, like the Taiwanese, who have found creative culinary uses for all parts of their animals, including blood. Pig’s blood cake, or rice blood cake, consists of sticky rice mixed with animal blood. After being steamed, the cakes are often cut into rectangles and skewered onto bamboo skewers so people can enjoy them while walking. It can also be braised or cooked in soup. 糧食不足是各國多少世紀以來的難題,但面對困境,台灣人學會善加利用牲畜的每個部位,包含血液。豬血糕又稱做米血糕,在糯米中混入豬血後,蒸熟後切成長方形,插上竹籤方便邊走邊吃,還可以滷豬血糕或煮湯。 shortage (n.) 缺少,匱乏 rectangle (n.) 長方形 There are regional variations in how pig’s blood cake is eaten. In northern Taiwan, people
Japan has long been a popular tourist destination for people worldwide. Travelers love to experience the country’s unique culture, stunning sites, and delicious cuisine. Springtime is a particularly popular period to visit. Cherry blossoms, or sakura, are in full bloom, and tourists and locals alike can take part in hanami. __1__ The word hanami literally translates to “flower viewing.” While hanami can be as simple as taking a stroll through a park with blooming cherry trees, the activity is typically much more elaborate. __2__ They can spend the entire day eating food, chatting with their companions, and of