My Trip To America. Part 6 - A day in Taipei

Arriving in Taipei, Taiwan at 5.30 am with no sleep and 12 hours of jet lag after my flight from LA. I stumbled to the information counter running on pure adrenalin and quite dehydrated and malnourished from the minimal food and beverage served on the flight. The lady behind the desk was really helpful. They offered free tours of the city for the passengers who were in transit and as my flight would be leaving at 8.30 PM I had plenty of time for a day tour of the city but was keen to be my own guide and director. "Good Morning, Where can I buy professional Chinese Flutes and other musical instruments?" A quick search and she had a few places and wrote them on a piece of paper and then marked the subway stations on a map for me. Great start I thought. I then made my way around the airport to the bus terminal to board a bus to the city. About 40 Min's later I boarded a bus bound for a main subway station near the city. And off I went on my search for some nice Chinese flutes, particularly the Xiao which my friend Sahayak recently introduced me to. I board a train and make my way to a part of the city that I was told to go on the map by the lady. A long walk from the station I find the street and walk up and down the street twice and there is nothing but shops selling wedding dresses so after finding a nice fruit shop on a side street and buying huge mangoes and smearing them allover my bearded face in an attempt to sufficiently nourish myself, I decide to head back to the station but find myself curious about this interesting building on the opposite side of the street. I go to explore and find out what it is, I assume it's a temple. But it's actually an art gallery and museum.

Gates to Museum

From gates you then walk to the entrance, amazing building inside and out.

Inside I find a pottery and art exhibition, but with limited time I rush myself through feeling that it would be great to have more time to spare and do it more slowly. I snap a few pics of the pottery.

Pottery display.


Big and small Blow Fish.

Interesting cracked Pot

Nice piece, a house in the Chinese style.

By now its really warming into a humid day that feels like a sauna. So I head back off to the station where I somehow lose the details of where the other shops are located. Well time is ticking away now and its 11.30, frustration and disparity tempt me to feed them but I refuse and with a positive attitude and intuitive guidance of the Great Spirits powerful homing device, I decide to head a few stops back up the line to find a big famous and expensive department store I am told by a lady at the Museum sell musical instruments, maybe someone can steer me in the right direction there. I find myself there a half hour later. I ask at the information desk. No sorry Sir we don't sell flutes here. OK well where might I find professional quality Xiao please. The lady says please wait and very kindly calls someone on the phone and comes back to me with a positive response, not far away apparently and draws me a map. Great this is exhausting and realising my huge mistake of wearing Levi Jeans and a thick hemp T Shirt which is literally stuck to me now in the highly humid weather of Asia, I again set off on the search. I locate the rough area and walk into a camera shop for help with the directions, the man shakes his head with confusion and walks outside, I follow then he smiles and points to a doorway to a building. Upon approaching I see a sign with all these lovely instruments and flutes on it. Feeling relief as I am now in the right place and moments from looking at some real Xiao's I proceed up the lift and open a door into a bright Air conditioned room. I greet a Man a d a lady both with warm smiles and friendly personalities. It turns out I have found the best maker of Xiao, Shakuhachi, Chinese Gourd Flutes, and many other Chinese flutes and wind instruments Lin Ku-Jen. Lin is the Director of The Chin Yuan Chinese Orchestra.The lady I mentioned Lydia is a teacher at the shop which is also the location of Lin's workshop where he makes the flutes. Lydia I believe plays in the Orchestra also.

I am very impressed by the quality of his flutes and stay for some time talking and playing the flutes.They are very welcoming and honoured to have another flute maker present from another part of the world. I ask to have him finish a flute I chose that needs only fine tuning and signing and he happily does then plays a song with Lydia who is more than happy to demonstrate for the camera some of her playing. See the YouTube video here that I made of Lin and Lydia playing together. Coming soon.

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Matt and Lin meet, Lin passionately demonstrates his love and skill for the end blown Xiao and and other Asian flutes he makes like the Sahkuhachi and many others.

Lin Playing the super long Xiao, way too big for me!

Quite impressed in the presence of another master.

Lydia, Matt and Lin

Lydia Plays the Pipa and shows the skills she has acquired in some thirty years of study with this instrument. More Info on the Pipa and all the Chinese Stringed instruments here.

Chinese Gourd flute.

Xiao and Transverse Chinese style flutes.

Chinese String Instruments.

Stock of Xiao and Shakuhachi made by Lin

If you are considering buying a Xiao or any other Chinese instruments Please contact me for Lin's contact details, I certainly recommend the high quality of his instruments and his expertise in this field. Visit Lin's Website here.

More Info on the various Chinese flutes.

Lin's son then takes me to a near by vegan reaturant called love where I buy beautifully prepared vegan food that strangely for me is made from tofu to resemble all different kinds of meat. Isn't that why I became vegan! So hungry I hardly care, I load up on protein before jumping in a taxi to Taiwan's tool shop district to buy woodworking tools to bring back to Australia. I make it back to the Airport just in time. What a great day. Looking forward to a rest on the plane, before I arrive in Australia at 7 am, wow no darkness since I left LA. Thanks China Airlines for the Taipei stop over experience. Thanks Lin and Lydia for your friendliness and sharing your knowledge and music with me.

Solstice Circle A Great Success

Hi There Fellow Fluties,

The Solstice Gathering was a great success and proved to be a very transformational event for everyone who attended. About 20 people came to share the first gathering for the Northern NSW Flute Circle. Eve's 15 month Daughter Leela, the youngest member of the circle was keen to take part and played Eve's flute for us which was a blessing. Many other interesting people of all ages and backgrounds joined as we found together what it was like to be part of a Flute Circle.

We spent about 2 hours on the grass in circle which began with centering meditation by Sayahak and then some voice toning by amazing Sante, which really helped to set the energy. Then as the sun went below the mountains around 5 pm the prepared bonfire was lit, and once it was going well, which didn't take long at all being Camphor wood, we ate and socialised at the house before returning to the fire to sing songs and warm our bones.

The fire was a great idea as was the Spiral Mandala Walk, a meditation of prayer of our future journey's to the Creator, that all were keen to take part in. During the Spiral Mandala walk, a circle of glass candle lights placed in a spiral and a larger one at the center where you can then stop and pray before returning, flute songs were played to enhance the energy and healing. After we then returned to the fire which at this point was seriously raging and putting out a lot of heat, and continued our connections with each other, ourselves and our flutes.

On a whole it was an absolutely amazing event that all insisted they would attend next solstice as if there would be something wrong if we didn't do it again. So We surely will. What a great way to start a new group on a Winter Solstice, it was the most fertile time for us to come out and do this and assures a great power and future for this great sharing journey together. AHO!!

A big thanks to all those who attended and to Anna for generously welcoming us all to her place, thanks also to Eve for her committed help and beautiful energy, whenever I struggled Eve offered at least one suggested solution but usually many.

Enjoy these photos and please feel welcome to make comments on this blog.

Sante playing the flute

Me playing a tune.


Me, Eve, Cristiana. The group practicing a few new techniques like the trill, embellishments, tonguing, and flutter tongue etc.

Yu demonstrating her fantastic playing skills with Ben observing.

Ben accepts the offer to Play Yu's Lovely Drone.


Yu, Myself, Wan and Kaori share a group picture.

Anna's Friend, Anna, Eve and Cristiana.

The Fire.

Sahayak playing Cristiana's lovely snake medicine flute.

Sahayak in the moment with Sante looking on in awe.


Kaori and Yu, full tummies and empty plates.

Tending my fire keeping responsibility and enjoying the atmosphere of being amongst good friends.

Click here to see a video of Yu and Matt playing thier flutes around the fire after most people had left, a very special monment.

We welcome the help of those who would like to either help with the organising and admin. Work of future circles or those who would like to help by donating items to our raffles. The raffles are to raise funds for charity. Our current raffle is for an amazing collectible autographed flute and 3 Cd's, all the information including photos and sound sample are in the previous post down the page, titled What is A Flute Circle. Our current charity is Hands With Hands click here to see the website.

The next circle will be held in the lovely month of September. Details for next Circle will be available in late August. Again all are warmly welcome so please strongly consider joining us if it is possible to make it. I look forward to seeing you then. I will continue to post fortnightly so please do save this blog to your favorites and come back soon.

I'm off on a journey to the US shortly so wish me well and I wish you well on what ever you get up to until we join again next time.

Blessings on the journey

Matt