Fieldnote_0322_Naluwan_Charmaine

Listening to the passing trains slowly accelerating away made me excited for what was to come in Naluwan. Arriving at Xiangshan station was a whole new feeling, it was peaceful. The station was completely empty, except for our group and a little schoolgirl who alighted with us. The roads were pretty deserted and there were not many people walking on the road, unlike 30 minutes ago when I was on the streets in Hsinchu. It was a quiet walk down the empty big roads to Naluwan, and we arrived just in time to witness the fish market in Naluwan that opens at 2pm every day.

What struck me most was the housing development there. Ivan shared how the houses of the Amis people were not built all the same time, and that many elderly did the building with the help of some neighbours. I thought this act of coming together was very heartfelt, adding a depth of warmth to each house. They all had their unique characteristics, and Ivan mentioned using any suitable materials they can find around to cover the cracks of these old houses. Yet when I arrived at the communal building constructed by the Government, I was a little taken aback at the huge architecture, and how brutalist-looking it looked, which made it stand out coldly from the houses that I just passed by. I could clearly see the concrete being pieced nicely together, in direction of linearity. In huge contrast, the non-linear-looking row of houses of the Amis people that I passed by, gave me a very memorable warm feeling.