Analog: Da’an District (大安區) in Taipei, Taiwan

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Analog: Da’an District (大安區) in Taipei, Taiwan

October 2, 2016 by Chris Dunn

In my earliest, most coherent memory of my grandparents, they were visiting my family for a few days in Houston, and I brought my grandmother a small vase of flowers for their room.

When I was in fourth grade, my grandparents retired from a life of diplomacy and public service (read: constant moving) and bought a house 20 minutes away from us. It was then that they became a regular presence in our lives: Every week, Sunday meant a big family dinner, and Western holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas were spent at their house. Once summer came around, though, they returned for a few months to Taiwan, and it was up to us to keep their plants watered and mailbox empty until they returned in September.

This summer, my grandmother returned to the Taipei apartment she and my grandfather have owned for decades. When Jeff and I heard my Uncle Doug was planning a surprise visit to coincide with her birthday, we invited ourselves to come along for the week.

Needless to say, my grandmother was surprised to find the three of us at her door early one morning a few weeks ago, but soon enough, we were all off to breakfast together.

© 2016. Chinese breakfast in a Da'an District street food stall. Portra 160+1, Pentax 6x7.

My grandparents’ apartment is located in the Da’an District. Here’s some film from the general vicinity:

© 2016. 台北市公有成功市場, an indoor market near my grandmother’s apartment. The vendors inside sell anything from butchered meat and fish to household goods to ready-to-eat food items. I’ll have more film of the inside, later. Saturday, Sept. 3, 2016. Portra 160+1, Pentax 6×7.