The end of the residency in Taiwan

40 days went by so fast; I enjoyed my last dragon fruit in the morning before departing. The last day here was absolutely magical. I got a call from my friend Rocky the day before, saying that we managed to get a meeting with a very unique female choir, the 'Taiwu Ancient Ballads Troupe.' I had heard their singing in videos, and their sound really moved me. They perform aboriginal music from Taiwan, which I had no clue existed until this year! Discovering that I would be able to attend their rehearsal felt very special. As we were coming up the stairs to their rehearsal room, I heard the song that was the first one I heard from them. 'Lalualumedani' is an ancient indigenous song of the Paiwan tribe. The song tells the story of a young man named Lalumedani and his journey to find his beloved sister, who has been taken away by the sea. It's an emotional narrative that reflects the Paiwan culture and their connection to the sea and nature.

As they sang, their voices filled the space and made the air vibrant and dense, to the point where I stopped breathing for a moment. It's an interaction between the soloist and the rest of the choir members. First, one of the singers sings it, and then others join. Their voices are so strong that it blew me away to first hear the power of one voice and then the force of multiple voices when the other singers joined. What is remarkable is that they can't read music, and they have passed down over 40 songs with incredibly detailed phrasing, dynamics, and harmonies, orally.

I sat there and listened to their playing, and the musician accompanying them on the guitar was the brother of Camake Valaule, the person who formed them. 

I even got a chance to join them, and we played a couple of songs together, including my favorite, 'Lalualumedani.' I was so moved by our playing and singing together that tears started pouring out. They were tears of joy, love for life, love for music, and appreciation that I am able to travel the world and meet these remarkable artists. It was a very strong, complex emotion that manifested itself through tears of life. I also felt that I needed these tears. They make my heart light and open, and love starts pouring out like an endless stream.

After this wonderful gathering, we returned to Hengchun for the last dumpling dinner. We wrapped it up with a stop at the bar where I had performed a week earlier. The owners brought out a bunch of guitars, and we sang and danced until 4:30 in the morning. An unforgettable evening filled with joy, music, appreciation for life, new people, and friends I had met in Hengchun.

A big hug and thanks to my new friends and people who made my stay in Hengchun, Taiwan, so very special: Launcher Lab people, Stella, Thomas, Evy, Sherry, Mali, Shauhey, Jason, Jez, Kaio, Nini, Joe, Rocky, Hamu, the choir from the troupe, the grandmas and grandpas from Hengchun and Manzhou, the grandma at the market where I bought the delicious fruitAchang, Summer, Atsumi, you made my stay here remarkable and rich. Thanks for all the scooter rides, picking up food, the laughs, and the bridges we built.

And as my friend Thomas said, 'you never really say goodbye to Taiwan.' You will be back again eventually. The people, the country, and the nature take a piece of your heart forever. So let's just say until next time, dear friends.

I would also like to thank my sponsors and donors who made this residency possible. Thank you: Launcher Lab, Mestna občina Velenje, and Kevin and his - Win-Global Technology Inc. Thank you for your trust and support.