3D Trick Art @ Taipei Science Centre, and afternoon tea with Joy's family. (Jia)

We seen other peoples pictures from the 3D Trick Art Exhibition online, and deciding that we wanted to go.  We arranged to meet Joy and her little sister a week before we actually went, but we originally had planned to go there in the afternoon.  Joy then called Jen when we were on our way there, and said there is a 3 hour wait so we ended up just buying tickets and going 1 week later than we had planned to.


So another week rolled by and it was a Sunday again, we had arranged to meet Joy and her sisters earlier this time, at 9am.  Needless to say I think I had the latest night staying up all night to watch football but I was the first one there waiting outside of Shilin MRT station for Jen.  When she called me to say she would not be there for a while, I decided to go outside and get some breakfast.  I got one of those Chinese Pizza things from near Shilin MRT there so damn nice, and I wish I could one around here in Xiemen.  I ordered in Chinese and tried to have a small conversation to practice my Chinese even though I still felt like I was half asleep and really tired.  


Then as I was sitting waiting at Shilin eating my breakfast Jen called me and told me to walk back to the MRT exit so she could find me easy enough, I told her there was no point because where I was sat I would be able to see her easy enough, and where I am is on the way to the bus stop but she was having none of it.  That meant I had to get of my fat lazy arse and go and stand and wait by the exit.


When she arrived we walked along to the bus stops, which were the same as the ones I used to stand at when I stayed at Olivia's when I arrived here in Taiwan so I knew where we were headed for those little bad lads.  When we got there Jen scouted out which busses we should take, looking at the Chinese and everything but it was me who seen the sign for the bus.  Happy days, I thought I was amazing because I had found the right bus stop, but Jen just yelled, I know!  I am seeing if there is any others!  Wonderful eh?  And there was me trying to help out, I know what I have to do next time, just chill and wait.  As it happens when we looked down the road the bus we needed turned up straight away.  


When we got there we went inside, and I thought it would of been a quick flash the tickets and in job, well it seems I have never learned.  The reason I say that is because you have to bloody que for every kind of attraction and exhibition like this in Taiwan, and especially Taipei because there is that  many bloody people.  Not only did we have to que, but we had to que for bloody hours.


At this time it was just me and Jen in the que, but then she seen Joy and her sisters.  She shouted at them and then helped them jump the que to come and stand with us.  I don't really condone que jumping but we were supposed to be going together, and it wouldn't be right to enter the exhibition 1 hour before them so I guess it was ok that we let them get in line.  Otherwise me and Jen would of seen nearly everything inside and Joy and her sisters would be just beginning.  The problem is I think after the 3 hour wait to get inside everyones feet were killing and people were starting to get sick of waiting which is a good job we didn't have to wait any longer otherwise I think there would of been some killing going on down the front of the que.

Part of the 3 hour long que to get inside.

So once we got inside I was quite disappointed to see more ques to take photos with the different pictures.  The first one we qued to get our picture taken with was a chair.  This chair picture was drawn on the corner of the wall, and I don't how they managed to get the effect to work but if people pretended to sit on the chair while their friends took a picture the chair looked completely real. The que to get to each picture was not actually that long and before I knew I was pretending to sit on a chair that really was just a picture.  The effect looks great though, I really liked the chair picture.  

Sitting on a chair, that looks very real.

I thought the chair was really awesome, but not every picture in the exhibit was that awesome.  It was a mixture between the excellent, and poor.  With no real middle this proved a small problem inside because it was obvious the ones that people thought were excellent everyone was queing for and the ones people didn't like so much no one was really milling around those.


After the chair, I went to the very next picture, mainly because I wondered why people were taking pictures through a very tiny pin hole.  When I got closer I seen the exact reason for this, because when you looked through the pin hole, the picture at the other side looked like a candle, on a table with its reflection showing on the table.  If people pretended to sit on the other end of the table it looked like they were sat at a candle lit table.  I really liked this one, and the effect the small hole makes on your camera kind of gives it a little spying effect.  That your peering through some little peep hole or something to see what the occupant is doing inside....anyway less babbling and let me just show you the picture.

Jen sitting at a candle lit table.

Right next to this picture, there was another awesome exhibit.  There was a room done out a the same on both sides.  One side however was reversed to the other side, making look like a mirror effect.  The key thing in this one was there was no mirror, what they had done is they got the people to pretend to be at either side of the mirror, making it look like the person who was looking into the mirror saw something completely different to their self.


I thought this was such a simple idea, but the different poses and stuff people were pulling inside were great fun to see and I wanted to try and get some pictures in here too.  While I was queing for it though, Jen came a long and stole my camera because she had forgot hers.  I was thinking bloody hell I hope she comes back in time before I get to take some pictures of this one though, because it would be shit if I qued and got right to the very front then had to let other people go before me because Jen was taking pictures too.  In the back of my mind though, I had a feeling she would keep an eye on the que and be back when she needed to be.


While Joy, her sisters and Jen were wondering around they took pictures in different parts of the exhibition that they liked.  Took pictures pretending to be captured, pictures with clocks etc etc.  Anyway none of them were really amazing to see some just ok, but I did really like the clock.  When you looked at it even for ages it still looked like a real clock, and then when you got closer you realised it was just a picture on the wall. 

Joy with the clock

Then they seen that I was right near the front of the que and they came back just in time for me to take some photos, and them to be my models.

Top picture, Joy's little sisters, bottom picture, Jen and Joy.  I love this idea of the mirror effect

I loved the idea behind this mirror effect, it seems so simple but I guess not everyone would think about it.  The final effect in the picture is pretty cool.  Its really funny to see how people pose and try and match each others pose to really get a good mirror effect.


This is the first thing that came to Jens mind when I told her to do something quick:

Jens first thought for an 'action pose'

Yes thats right folks, she really did give me the finger.  So I did the gentleman like thing and give her the finger back ha!


The second last main part that we walked past was like an animal area.  First I seen a big massive giraffe this one looked brilliant because it really did look look like its head was coming out of the wall. The que was quite big for this though, but when I was waiting I seen one that really amused me.  People were putting the heads in what looked like the pouch of a kangaroo to show that they were the kangaroos baby.  Now that I was firmly in the mood and enjoying the exhibition I decided I wanted my head as a baby kangaroo.  If I was a baby kangaroo I would look good I tell you, feast your eyes on this sexy kangaroo:

Yes I would make a sexy baby kangaroo.

While I had my head in the kangaroo, a big group of mainly girls and one fat lad....were saying hao ke ai (how cute in Chinese.)  Anyway Jen told me mr fat lad was saying how sad and stupid I was.....I think he was just jealous because they were saying how cute I was.  Yes I know I am not thin, by any means but trust me folks this lad was fat.....like super huge fat and maybe the only reason he was criticising me is he was jealous I could still fit in the small gap to walk in to the putting my head in the kangaroo part, or he was jealous I still done these kind of things while being some kind of fat.  Either way MR. Fat Man if you see my blog and know who you are I don't give a shit what you think, lighten up and have some fun.


By this time, Jen, Joy and there sisters were next for the giraffe so I was thinking bloody hell what can I do that would look good to the giraffe, so I thought I know I will kiss it, yes kiss it.  I didn't know how it would look on the picture but what the hell like I said by this time I was having a lot of fun with the different pictures and how good they looked.

Me kissing the giraffe, Jen stroking it.

The other best picture for the animal part of the exhibition was the huge giant gorilla, with a spoon.  It looked like it had its mouth open and you could sit on the spoon and look like he was about to eat you.  People were making all different kinds of imaginative poses.  I wanted to go in there and make it look like I was having a massive struggle with the gorilla so that it would not eat me.  I really loved this picture, I thought it was definitely one of the best there.

Top Picture, one of Joys sisters looking happy to be eaten, bottom picture, me struggling to stay alive, this gorilla obviously has a big appetite. 

The last exhibit we qued for pictures with was the head in the box.  This used the old trick of cutting a hole in the table behind and using mirrors underneath the table and around to hide the fact that our legs would of normally been shown out.  I think this one looks hillarous too, like we have only a head in a box on a table.  Its a good idea but I think when people originally see the picture they think, bloody hell how have they done that.  Then when you actually think about it for a little bit it becomes quite obvious how its done.  The picture however still plays, and tricks with your mind.


We all took turns with our head in the box, I must say if your a big lad its quite a small hole.  I banged my head on the way out and everyone thought it was amusing even me.  These things happen in life I guess, and my head is used to it from time to time so its ok don't worry about that.

All of us taking turns with our head in the box.  Let me know who you think is the best.

After we all had our heads in the box it was pretty much time to leave because Joys parents had invited us to go and have afternoon tea with them at some fancy hotel called the Ambassador.  At first I thought this was going to be a bit crappy like afternoon tea in England where to just sit and sip tea and eat cakes.  


When we arrived at the place the hotel just looked like any other building in Taiwan.  Like most buildings in Taiwan it looked a bit drab, and not very inviting from the outside.  Once we got inside that opinion quickly changes because it was so fancy and designed wonderfully inside it felt amazing.  Then on we marched to the afternoon tea.  It was more like a fancy buffet.  The food they had there was excellent.  They had quite a few different options of meats, fish, salads and rice dishes, as well as this they had a nice selection of delicious fruit and cakes.  They also had fruit juices, teas, and every bodies favourite end to a meal, ice cream!  It really was lovely there and I totally enjoyed a lot even though Jen thinks it is not worth the money I had a wondeful time eating there and Joys family seemed really nice and friendly.  

The lobby area in the hotel.

Jen and Joy in the hotel.

The meal together was a wonderful end to a truly great day out.  Only thing that put a little downer on the whole day was the queing at the beginning to get inside the exhibition its self.  This can be expected with anything that is kind of cool in Taipei though because there are so many people here, I just don't know what time the people at the front of the que got there because we arrived at 10, so I still believe they would of qued for 3 hours too!!!!






I just want to add some more pictures from the 3D art:

The houses on the street were the same picture and An an, got really excited to show me it.  Was great though when you moved from side to side it actually looked like the houses were moving.