So, a few weeks ago Connie and I decided to spend a Sunday afternoon wandering around Taipei's famous XiMen-Ding shopping area. Ximen-Ding is near Taipei Main Station, and in the past was a major market area, but has since become a very trendy place for young people to hang out, buy clothes and check out other young people. Think of it as Taipei's trendiest mall, and you'll have the right idea. If you want to find youth culture in Taipei, it's the place to be. 
You can't see it here, but as we walked into the maze that is XiMen-Ding we found a long lineup of mostly teenage girls clinging desperately to CDs and posters that stretched nearly a whole block. Now, what caught my attention about these pack of autograph hounds was that a number of them had used tape or other means to give themselves pointed ears! It was like finding a bunch of kids waiting to get Mr. Spock's autograph! Did I pass through a time-warp back to the 60's?
When we got closer, we saw the reason for all the ears. A local pop-boy band who apparently have an elf-motif going on. I'd call them Vulcans, but they're way too cute and fluffy for that, so Elves it is! The giggly schoolgirls were anxiously skittering up onto the stage in groups to get their CDs and posters signed by their favorite Elf. If you look at the picture closely you can see the ears on this one as he signs autographs.
XiMen-Ding on a Sunday afternoon from the window of Starbucks at it's center. Connie and I spent a few hours here reading and watching the crowds. It was also interesting to watch the food-cart sellers plying their illegal trade of fruit, sausages and other snacks. One moment they'd fill this area, then they'd get word the cops were coming, and they'd all vanish like mice when you turn on a light in a dark room. A few minutes later, they'd be back again, and the game went on.
