El Paso TX 2007


Brazil IL 2007


Memphis TN 2007


Brazil IL, 2007




A strange country

Before I came to this country, America was a big image of beautiful suburbia houses, shiny yellow Mustang with black stripe, baggy pants, pistol, drugs, and a bunch of golden retrievers running all over places. America represents a ideal image, life value, heaven.

I formed the first impression about the country in Syracuse, NY. I saw a man walking with a supermarket cart under snow, his figure was gloomy and blurry; I saw a man with baggy pants and big headset, rapping and tapping along the street in the dark night. Those people are walker, they can keep walking and walking like there is no destination. The kingdom I had been adored for life turned out to be something I don't recognize.

Back in Taiwan, everywhere is developing economically and under construction. A place is either built up a tourist spot, industrial area, or a business center. People are trying to be competitive and productive in someway. Even a street vendor is competitive. They are frenzy about politics, buying stocks and talking about all kinds of investment. If there is a lake in Taiwan which is half big, half beautiful as Greenlake here in Syracuse, there will be tons of expensive cafe shops, souvenir stores, hotels, restaurants lining up all over the area.

Here, I have the imagination the city have been through the peak, now its economic level is sagging. People moved here probably because it was once a developing booming city, right now that incentive has long gone, the citizens are therefore displaced. I wonder if that is the term "post-industrial age" is about. The citizens of this city lost their position to be productive or competitive anymore. All they can do is walking and wandering, ghost-like.

Maybe the whole country has seen it's best day. Rambo is gone, Knight Rider is gone, MacGyver is gone, even the shiny Mustang began to appear rusty. Those who were left keep wandering on the street. I stand here as a tourist with camera at hand. I shoot them.