Transit Emotions

[molested_cow]

The train station always has important meanings in every culture. Ever since the Industrial Revolution, the train station has always been the particular place where one man leaves for a journey, a dream or escape. There's always sadness and anticipation. Sometimes it's just another daily routine, sometimes it's a life-long wait.

This particular train station is the closest one to my grandparents' place. Before the closer freeway was built, it took longer to drive than to ride a train. My grandpa would be there waiting for us on his old 125cc Kawasaki that he used to haul his farm produce. I would always ride on the gas tank.

Now that the freeway makes the journey a lot shorter, we no longer take the train to visit my grandparents. Advancement in other forms of long distance transportation has rendered this little train station to this small town almost useless for travelers. However it is still popular for inter-city commuting. Students who go to school in the city, or people who live in the country side and work in the urban go through this platform everyday. Little has changed, except that there's now LED signs and a convenient store in the station. The same old ticket and hold puncher, the same old uniform. Still, it's always is the train station where my grandpa greets me and say good bye at.

Ticket booths

The departure and arrival gate with the conductor waiting to punch the tickets.

Commuters

Students practicing their dance in the open square in front of the station.

A sea of scooters left by the commuters, waiting to take them home after a full day of work.

The infamous wait.

 

[mom2eight]

I loved your intro into this series of photographs. I felt as though I was reading the first chapter in a book. I'm gonna check out your blog.

 

[mom2eight]

OK, sign me up I wanna vist Taiwan! I couldn't believe that rest stop. You have some really wonderful photos.

 

[molested_cow]

Haha thanks!

Some of the photos were taken with Sony V1(point and shoot) and the rest taken with 35mm. I don't know where tourists are taken to when they visit Taiwan, but I dig the stuffs that the locals usually don't care about. Actually it's quite weird calling them "locals", because that's where I'm from.... oh well, I don't even think they see me as a local anymore.