Come Along!

Hello there, it’s Sharon. Today I got to chat with Sasha Dees, curator of the exhibit “NEXUS-Video and New Media Art from the Caribbean,” which is on at MoCA Taipei till July 16 this year. Sasha shared with us how this opportunity came about, and how the seven artists and their work come together. When thinking about the Caribbean, what image comes to mind? Through NEXUS, the artists and curator i...

Hey you, it’s your host Sharon Lin. Today we are continuing our nerd out session about all things early music and more with Martin and Shio of The Gleam Ensemble. Make sure to check out part 1 if you haven’t. What’s the music performing scene like in Taiwan? What are some challenges and opportunities as musicians performing European early music? Wait, did you say early music and historic tunes are...

Cue music, please. Not just any music, but that from a Baroque violin, historical bassoon, recorder, and beats of drums that take you back in time. The Gleam Ensemble has arrived at our show! Hey, it’s Sharon, and today I had the great pleasure of chatting with Martin Chiang, Director of The Gleam Ensemble, and Music Director, Shio Ohshita. The Gleam Ensemble is a young Taiwanese early music platf...

Hey you, it’s your host Sharon and we’re back with Renaissance dance master Ozan. Tune in to learn more about the dances in the workshops Ozan hosted in Taiwan, and what’s next for him. Let’s hop right back in. Towards the end of the show, we prepared a surprise for you, so stay tuned!

Hi there, it’s your host, Sharon Lin. Today we have a very special guest coming all the way from Türkiye. Meet Ozan Karagöz. Ozan is an early music musician, dancer, singer, and harpist. Ozan was invited by The Gleam Ensemble to Taiwan for several musical performances and dance workshops. I was in two of his wonderful Renaissance dance workshops and it was so much fun. How did Ozan step into the w...

Hello, it’s Sharon. How was your week? A new one ahead, and we got this! Today, I had the pleasure to chat with Andrea Lin, host of Afternoon Girls’ Club, a podcast that she founded with co-host Julie Wang. Since their foundation year of 2019, Afternoon Girls’ Club has had over 4 million accumulated listens in total. Whenever I listen to their shows, I’m often inspired by how the 2 hosts, Andrea a...

Are you ready to go to another night market in Taiwan? We’re heading to Shilin Night Market today! For many Taiwanese people growing up in Taipei, Shilin Night Market is often THE night market that comes to mind first. Join host Sharon as we talk about things you can do at this fun night market. We'll also talk a bit about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and gentrification on local markets...

Hey you, it’s your host, Sharon Lin. Today, we’re continuing our chat with artist David Claerbout, who currently has a solo show at the Taipei Fine Arts Museum till June 25 of 2023. How do we as humans perceive time and images? What is “real” and what is not? Does digital technology alter how we think about “reality?” Let’s chat more with David. Make sure to check out part 1 of the interview if yo...

Hello there, it’s your host Sharon Lin. For today’s Come Along, I got to chat with Belgian artist David Claerbout. David is having a solo show at the Taipei Fine Arts Museum from March 31 to June 25 of 2023, titled “Meditation in Peace, Meditation in Pieces.” What could visitors expect from the exhibition? What are some surprising behind-the-scenes secrets of David’s video installation at the Muse...

Hey you, it’s your host, Sharon. Today, we’re continuing our chat with BaoBao Chen and Tim Cole of Small Island Big Song. Make sure to check out part 1 in case you missed it. Yesterday was their performance at the National Concert Hall in Taipei. Were you there? No worries if you didn’t make it, you can follow Small Island Big Song on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and their Website.

Hello there, it’s your host, Sharon. Have you ever heard of Small Island Big Song (小島大歌)? If you haven’t, you should take notice of them from now on. Their music is something to behold. For today’s show, I had the pleasure of chatting with BaoBao Chen, Producer and Co-founder, and Tim Cole, Co-founder and Artistic Director of Small Island Big Song. Small Island Big Song will be performing at t...

Hey you, Sharon here. It’s another Monday, and yes, we are going somewhere fun. Today we’re taking you to one of my favorite historic sites and museums in Taipei, the National Taiwan Museum. Do you know they have free multilingual tours and Taipei City walking tours? They also have an active international docent program, which I participated in a couple of years ago. We have a wonderful guest who’...

Hey you, Sharon here. Today, we’re continuing our chat with artist Tom Rook. What inspires him in his creation process? Which cities does he hope to draw next? What is home to him? We will find out more today! Take notes, local governments, cool arts organization people, if you’d like to collaborate with Tom, take this as a sign. Wait no more. Reach out to Tom! You can find Tom Rook on Instagram @...

Hello, it’s Sharon. On today’s Come Along, I have the great pleasure of chatting with a wonderful artist, Tom Rook. Tom was born in Exmouth in the UK, and has been living in Taiwan for more than 10 years. The winding lanes of Taiwan, locals going about their daily life, how a city has changed throughout the years, his drawings capture them beautifully. What brought him to Taiwan? What has he disco...

Never ending shops, food, drinks, bookstores, seating area, free wifi, clean restrooms to use, dance studio mirrors (?!), where is this place? Search nowhere else, welcome to the Taipei City Underground Shopping Mall. Connected right to Taipei’s metro system, the underground shopping mall offers locals and visitors alike a place to hang out, instead of just rushing to your next destination. The ar...

We’re heading to Taipei Guest House today. It’s another historic building built during the Japanese Colonial Era in Taiwan. They’re only open on selected weekends each month. In addition to several elements from Classical European architecture, there’s also a Japanese garden! I think it’s definitely worth visiting. Check out the official website of Taipei Guest House for visitor details: https://s...

Hey you, Sharon here. Look, if you didn’t have time to visit this building when you’re in Taipei, you would have definitely passed by it at some point. If you have yet made your way to Taiwan, you have seen this building in the news for sure. Welcome to the Presidential Palace/Presidential Office Building of Taiwan (cue majestic, dramatic music). I visited the Presidential Palace on a Saturday thi...

Get your sports shoes because we’re heading outdoors! Time to hike up Elephant Mountain. Elephant Mountain is located in Xinyi District, the same district where the iconic Taipei 101 is. The Mountain has become a well-loved place for locals and visitors alike, especially with the view it offers. The hike is fun and overall friendly (even to children!) but not without its challenges, like any chapt...

Ok, a trip to Taiwan would not be complete without visiting night markets. Today, I’m taking you to one, a famous one nonetheless– Raohe Night Market. A historic Mazu Temple built in the 18th Century near the entrance, two beautiful arches filled with lights, and never-ending food stalls are waiting for you here. Raohe Night Market is easy to get to, as it’s just right next to the Songshan metro s...

Hello, Sharon here. Hope you've had a great week and with another good one coming along. Today, yes, I'm finally taking you to places in Taiwan. Welcome to Xingtian Temple! (On the flyers from the Temple it's spelled "Hsing Tian Temple," and it's the same thing.) This temple has become a popular destination for locals and visitors alike throughout the years. Which god(s)...

Hi, it’s time for Come Along! Today we’re continuing our chat with Pieter-Jan Belder (check out Part 1 if you haven’t!) along with Alice Sheu. Alice Sheu holds a Masters in harpsichord performance from the Netherlands. She’s based in the Netherlands working with Pieter-Jan Belder. Alice is the organizer of this year’s Fitzwilliam Festival Taiwan, bringing together wonderful programs to the Taiwane...

Hello, hello! This show was produces during Taiwan's lunar New Year Holiday in 2023. Welcome to a Lunar New Year special of Come Along, where I bring you a full 30 min of program. Have you ever listened to the sound of a harpsichord? Today’s guest is a master of this instrument, and more. Let’s welcome Pieter-Jan Belder, award-winning harpsichordist and conductor from the Netherlands. He was h...

Hi there, it's a new week. How have you been? Today, we have another exciting guest for you, Emily Y. Wu, co-founder of Ghost Island Media, an award-winning multilingual podcast network sharing perspectives from Taiwan. If you listen to podcasts in Taiwan, about Taiwan, you know Ghost Island Media (right?). If not, add them to your list now, so you are the cool ones among your friends. Podcast...

Hello there, and welcome back to Come Along. How was your weekend? How are you feeling starting another new week? A bit nerve-racking? That's also how Howard feels when hosting events, despite having much experience already. Yes, we are back with our guest Howard. We talked about the movie watching scene in Taiwan and his recent event hosting experience with Dwight Howard, the NBA star who&#39...

Hello, welcome to the first episode of Come Along! We have a special guest for you today (drumroll please), Howard. If you are looking for someone at the top of their game with English and Mandarin Chinese hosting and interpreting, Howard is the one! In Taiwan, where English is not our mother tongue, what is the environment for English learning and using foreign languages in general like in Taiwan...