October 14th, 2006
Changbing... The sound of a windbreak forest
October 24th, 2006
Changbing... The sound of a windbreak forest
I've found it
October 16th, 2006
Chenggong... The sound of a fish auction
October 26th, 2006
Chenggong... Site of the fish auction
I've found it
Madam
Hey
Sorry to bother you
Please listen to this sound
Listen to what?
It's a tape
Have a listen to see if you know where it is
They're aboriginal people
They sound like old folk and children
There are so many windbreak forests
They sound all the same
But I have been to Changbing
I think it's the same sound
Miss Why are you listening to that?
For no reason really
I just want to go to...
...the place where that sound comes from To feel it
Miss, why do you want to feel it?
Just to feel it
What's the point of that?
It's too vague
It's impossible to find a place just its sound
Madam
This envelope...
Is it yours?
Yes, it's ours
Then do you remember...
...a sound recordist staying here before?
A sound recordist?
Was he holding something very big...
...like a big microphone.
Very furry at the front
I guess so
He said he came to record the...
...the sounds of Taiwan
What kind of person was he?
He was very nice.
Pleasent talking, nice attitude
What did he look like?
Look like...
He was gentle looking, thin...
...very handsome, easy going
Are you his...
Why are you asking so many questions?
We are friends
Really?
If you are his friend...
...how come you don't know what he looks like?
Well...
Excuse me
I'd been with Yazhu for five years
From the time I graduated...
...right through my military service...
...until I became a sound recordist
I thought we were meant for each other
When I was with her...
...I felt peaceful and happy
I thought she felt the same way
Maybe she did, once
I really loved her very much
And I really needed her too
There were many things that I understood...
...only after we broke up
Actually she broke up with me
That night,
as usual...
...I called her before going to sleep
We both had jobs by then
So we didn't meet so often
We were chatting away...
...when she suddenly said...
"Don't you think
we both need a change?"
I thought she was kidding
So I tried to laugh it off
But she went on...
"I want to break up with you"
"I'm serious"
Yazhu really wanted to stop seeing me
She wasn'tjoking
I'd always thought our world was stable
With her...
...I could take
all the pressures
Difficulties...
Setbacks...
Depressions
Even pains
Because I knew...
...with her understanding...
...just her being there...
...she'd support me
She'd believe in me
She'd give me strength
And that would be enough
Since the break-up,
my life has been a mess
Why can't I remember
all the details?
I'm thinking of the months before...
...I couldn't accept...
...that we'd seen
our last movie together
That we'd slept in each other's arms...
...for the last time
That we'd had a meal together...
...for the last time
There were so many things we hadn't yet done together
We hadn't been abroad together
We hadn't seen snow together
We hadn't made
"Sounds of Formosa" together
Now you are Yazhu
I am you
I expected...
...to feel sad...
...after the break-up
I'd be heart-broken
But I thought...
...after the pain...
...life would go on
My life would still move forward
I've realized only slowly...
...that since you left me...
...I don't know how to go on living...
...without you
You have to be strong
You know?
Silly...
I'm also on my own
I have to take care of myself too
If you truly love me...
...you have to remember what I told you
Be good
Don't make me worry
Don't make me sad
You got that?
I will
I'll be good
"Girl, your boyfriends..."
"...are all leading lights"
"Ugly guys like us..."
"...don't deserve your love"
"There's no place for me in your dreams"
"It drives me to drink every day!"
"My dearest girl..."
"...goodbye from the bottom of my heart"
"How can I forget you?"
"Grandpa, Grandma..."
"What am I to do?"
"How will I ever forget her?"
Miss!
Sing with us!
I can't sing
It doesn't matter
Just let it out
"If you don't believe..."
"...God knows"
"Believe it or not..."
What's your name?
Ruoyun
"Ruoyun, Ruoyun..."
"There's no true love"
Open your mind!
Okay
Just sing along, alright?
Then, when I sing...
...you follow
Okay
Go for it
Ruoyun!
Now you can sing!
Take care!
Goodbye!
Take care!
Goodbye!
Hey...
What about you?
What happened between you and your wife?
And what's that wedding invitation in your hand all about?
The girl I liked in college got married here
So you came for a wedding in Taidong
Hey...
This was three years ago
I didn't go to her wedding three years ago
So you're three years late
The wedding's probably over by now
It was only after she got married...
...that I started to miss her
I've been wondering whether or not...
...she's been happy since then
I haven't seen her in ten years
Surely it hasn't taken you ten years...
...to find out she's your real soulmate?
Very possibly
But she's already married
So even you shrinks
have shitty storylines!
Shitty storylines indeed
Gensheng Road... 577
What number is it?
591
583
587
589
We're there
595
How can that be?
Where's 591?
Sir...
Excuse me
Where's 591, Gensheng Road?
591?
You're in 589 here...
...but that's 595 over there
Why is there no 591?
Well...
Some houses were demolished a while back
It's an alley now
So you might not find it
Oh, I see
So there's no longer a 591
That's right
Do you know of a woman
who got married there three years ago?
Was there?
In her thirties
160 cm tall
Good-looking
Light-skinned and thin
I really don't know
No-one comes to mind
You're sure it was in Taidong?
You go ahead
Then take care of yourself
Bye bye
I want to talk to you so much
So why couldn't I do it?
Why can't you care more about me?
Why don't you ever know
what I need?
I'm so tired
Do you know...
However much physical contact we have...
...it doesn't fill the emptiness in my heart
We never really get to where
I want to go
Now I'm sitting by the sea
Recording the words I want to say to you
But you won't hear them
November 2nd, 2006
Do you know where I am?
Please choose which service you require
Please choose the amount of cash
Your transaction is in progress, please wait
Please take your card
Your receipt is being printed, please wait
Please take your receipt
Your account is now overdrawn
Thank you using this service
Please come again
Please insert your card later
"Southern Most Point"
Yazhu...
Listen...
This is the sound of the southernmost point
There's still a lot I'd like to say to you
But...
I think...
I will end...
...the recording of "Sounds of Formosa" here
It takes the most distant course
To come nearest to yourself
And the training is at its most intricate
When it leads to the utter simplicity of a tune.
We have to knock at every alien door
To finally come to our own
To find ourselves
It takes the most distant course
To come nearest to yourself,
Come, come, come...
It takes the most distant course
To arrive at the place where one started
It is the final climb
To arrive at absolute pastoral beauty
We have to go through each illusory dream
To finally come to our own door,
To our own field
It takes the most distant course
To come nearest to yourself.
It takes the most distant course
To arrive at the place one misses most.