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Beck Jiang

@beck_jiang

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So I'll be traveling to Ireland with Brenda later this month! What a crazy thing to say, after all this hiatus. It'll only be 9 days sadly but a return is a return. I always thought I was not ready to return to Ireland, but Brenda kept pushing for it having putting up with all the wee Irish reference from me over the years, and then I thought that shouldn't have been a question in the first place should it. Whoever sees this post and bears a slight interest please hit me up with great spots, eateries and of course pubs around Glendalough, West Cork, Dingle and Dublin! by @beck_jiang

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a month ago

尾鷲 (Owase), 3.12-14. This is probably the least known destination of our whole trip, and it turned out to be the real gem. To put it into a few sentences and 20 photos is really hard.
The city itself is almost engulfed in mountains covered with primitive forests, and is fully exposed to all kinds of freely wandering sea birds. This has made the dusk and night vibes of the area extremely enchanting in a very subtle way (P2&16). We'd feel like we were blessed in an otherwise haunted place. We initially came up with the idea of going there, though, because of 九鬼駅 (Kuki Station, P12), one of the most "hidden" train stations in Mie Prefecture, so there we went and organized another hike around the mountains. The tricky ups and downs from a deserted middle school (P5), through primitive forests (P6-8), all the way to the most extraordinary coastal views we had over the trip (P1,9&10) were pure magic and spiritually fulfilling.
After a well-deserved and exquisite coffee break in town at @cafe_scale (P14), we went back to Kukicho for a one-of-a-kind dinner at @sukinamonowo.sukinadake (P17-19). By then, it was probably the only place with its lights on across the neighborhood, and the 15min port-side walk from the Kuki Station to the restaurant through darkness and comforting silence will dwell in my memory for a long time. As for the food, the young couple running the restaurant knew exactly what they were doing, with some very creative touches onto the rich local seafood and meat selections. The beef was so milky that an Okayama Sauvignon Blanc would actually make for a perfect pairing wine, which was truly eye-opening for us.
Before leaving the next day, we made sure there was enough time to snatch some local sweets, especially manjus, for our next train ride. After trying a daifuku while walking, I ended up making a second visit to that same shop (P20) simply because it was too freaking good. It was not even 48h and Owase had completely spoiled us. taken in Owase, Mie by @beck_jiang

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7 months ago

伊勢 (Ise), 3.10-12. Ise is just beautiful. It perfectly merges the traditional architecture from the Edo/Meiji periods, the aura of a major locality for worshipping, and lots of interesting modern tweaks in between. The Nipponia hotel that we dwelled in and its surrounding areas are perfect examples. We also went for our first long hike of the trip, heading towards 朝熊山 (Asama) at dawn before visiting both major shrines of the Jingu in the afternoon. The contrasts between the two halves of the day couldn't be more exciting (and suffocating) - the tranquility and refreshments from the hike were completely neutralized by the buzz and hustle outside the inner shrine of the Jingu. But at least inside the worshipping areas, people were genuinely worshipping with respect and earnestness, which is certainly not the case at a lot of popular temples in China. taken in Ise, Mie by @beck_jiang

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7 months ago

答志島 (Tōshijima, P1~12) & 神島 (Kami-shima, P13~20), 3.8-9. We made a bold decision to spend the second night on Tōshijima, a fishing island off Toba , and it turned out to be so correct. We had enough time to not only savor the delicate seasonal seafood at @kikuya104 (the fried oysters with Tabasco in P3 was outrageous), but also be blessed with perhaps the best sashimi I've ever had at @daiharu_sushi (P9), which we learned about from the niche TV program 離島酒場. The ever raucous wind on the island plus the starry night sky also made the experience so uniquely enjoyable.
Another bold decision was made the following afternoon, when we decided to take another boat ride to the tiny Kami-shima. We only just knew before setting off that the island is gaining popularity for being one of the locations of a red-hot horror game (伊勢人魚物語), and it's easy to find out why. The place was very lovely itself, and surprisingly still full of neighborhood life, despite some weirdly worded signs. I'd suppose the magic there isn't that dark after all. taken in Toshijima by @beck_jiang

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7 months ago

鳥羽 (Toba), 3.7-8 & 3.9-10. There could hardly be a better way to start this whole trip than being greeted by a gigantic kappa (P10) upon our arrival at the inn. Our stay there was fragmented by trips to nearby islands, and every time we walked from the ferry terminal into the city we'd marvel at the tidiness and tranquility of this resort town. It's got its old-school side so very intact. It might also be one of the few places where one can so easily access both freshest seafood and top-notch beef, every meal there had been a delight. And of course the aquarium is tremendous - I could watch the dugong munching sea grass all day long! 💕 taken in Toba, Mie by @beck_jiang

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7 months ago

Happy Saint Patrick's Day everyone! 💚 My St. Paddy's weekend was wild. A rush of blood to the head brought me and Brenda to Hamamatsu on the last night of our Japan trip for an Anúna Summer School reunion with @rintaro_kimura , @emily_gondo and @ufull_yuka after almost 8 years, who delivered a soulful gig alongside the marvelous @pangurbanfiddle and @ibassnote . Unfortunately I forgot my Anúna T-shirt at home, but I guess the 2001/02 Ireland home shirt would still do. The occasion for me was simply overwhelming, and it still is when I think about it now. I had no idea it was St. Paddy's weekend when I made the decision - maybe it was all destiny. I love these people so much, and they shed lights on so many things. taken in ビストロヒルマン BISTRO HILLMAN'S by @beck_jiang

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7 months ago

Such a night was DESTINED to happen. I haven't been to a jazz gig for I don't know how long, but when I saw the promo for @hackouttrio last week I was like why not? The lineup looked interesting, the former location of this venue housed so many of my fond memories, and the time was so right, so it was very much a naturally random decision to go. The show was immensely good, and afterwards while I nervously tried to engage with the band, it turned out that the drummer @riccardococetti is from Pavullo Nel Frignano, the small town where a fragile piece of my heart forever lies, and he justifiably has a connection to @anunacorp too, let alone all my friends in Pavullo. It ultimately turned out that piece of heart is actually unbreakable. Viviamo per notti come questa. 😭❤️ taken in DDC Dusk Dawn Club by @beck_jiang

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10 months ago

The delicate old town of Jianchuan (剑川), which is known for its wood-carving and background of traditional Chinese arts. I've never spent so much time taking pics of doors -- every one of them is decorated with well-written couplets (mostly about love and gratitude among family members and friends), some would lead our eyes to extremely fine internal space. People still very actively reside here in rather slow and tranquil surroundings, and the delicacy extends beyond the old town area. We were also blessed with a lane of phoenix-shaped clouds. In an era when a lot of China's so-called old towns got ruined by overcommercialization and terrible management, this one is definitely a gem. taken in Jianchuan Old Town by @beck_jiang

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a year ago

More recap. These are the 7 churches we encountered through this Yunnan trip. They are all unique in their own fusion of ethnicity and religion, and some left me in awe in a way no European church had ever done. Missionaries from mid-18th Century and onwards brought not only the religion to this border area of China but also played a big part in the initial development of quite a few localities before the country became strong enough to bother.

P1-6: the Catholic church of Cizhong (茨中), a village along the Lancang River.
P7-9: the Chongding Sacred Heart Church in the town of Bingzhongluo (丙中洛).
P10-12: the Catholic church and the main chapel of Dali.
P13-15: the Catholic church of the old village of Qiunatong (秋那桶), which can be seen from almost every household.
P16-17: the church of Laomudeng (老姆登), a picturesque hillside village.
P18: the church of Zhiziluo (知子罗), a semi-abandoned former main town of the local autonomous prefecture. It was under heavy reconstruction, unfortunately. taken in Yunnan, China by @beck_jiang

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a year ago

Yesterday we celebrated Brenda's birthday with a grand hike around the small town of Bingzhongluo and mostly along the hills and banks of the Nujiang River. We went from a misty morning to a sunny but breezy noon to a scorchingly sunny afternoon. Seeing the paths we started the trek from towards the end of the route from way, way afar across the river was adequately fulfilling. I felt like we learned a lot more about ourselves through the day, even after so many hikes and years together. taken in 丙中洛镇 by @beck_jiang

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a year ago

Today is all about Hanoi nostalgia. A half-day stroll across Baoshan was enough to fill us with rewinds, from the low benches at eateries to overdose of caffeine by the street to the subtle shabbiness in neighborhood corners and of course to the unbeatable fragrance of local limes. This city is so humble yet low key full of treasures🤯 taken in Baoshan, Yunnan by @beck_jiang

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a year ago

So I was back in the dreamy Dali for two days. I could never get tired of the ever-misty mountains and clouds and every magical thing in between. I also visited the most ridiculous cathedral I've ever seen which I'll post in a compilation a few days later when this trip ends. taken in Dali, Yunnan by @beck_jiang

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a year ago