Alien Worlds...

[daveon]

As a science fiction fan I like reading about aien worlds and cultures. Not necessarily non-human, some of the most interest SF I've read is about alien human cultures on alien worlds.

The thing is you tend to forget just how alien some parts of this planet are. I'm in a car heading south of Taipei to the centre of the Taiwanese Silicon Industry. It's 30C out there and about as humid as it can be but not actually be raining. Dense, unfamiliar vegetation hugs the hills which flank the highway and a haze obscures mountains in the distance. Where you can see human settlement there are odd shaped buildings, radar installations and other un-identifiable technological artifacts.

I look like some freakish giant here, standing, on average 30cm above the crowds. just stepping from the car to the building leaves me a sweaty mess and small cups of luke warm tea don't cut it for me compared to water.

I wonder what the locals make of me?

(posted from my phone somewhere between Taipei and Shintu)

Comments

[pierre-fermat.livejournal.com]

"I look like some freakish giant here"

Yes, and this differs from elsewhere how?

[kate-schaefer.livejournal.com]

Oddly enough, that was approximately what I was going to say.

In Seattle, Dave can stand around with other freakish giants, while in Taipei, there are not so many of them. Send Andy Hooper and John Berry over to Taipei with Dave and he wouldn't look so unusual.... well, he'd look like a really tall guy with a coupla really tall sidekicks, even more scary.

[alces2.livejournal.com]

Ooh, a gang of tall aliens.

[daveon.livejournal.com]

We're not that tall damnit!

It's the rest of you who're too short!!!

I get scared hanging around with teenagers in the UK now, they're all freaks.

[fringefaan.livejournal.com]

Having spent part of my childhood on an underdeveloped tropical island, it's always pretty alien to go to someplace tropical that's also industrial. But in general I think it's salutary to go places where you are the "freak". Not necessarily comfortable, but, uh, perspectival. (And of course, they're all talking about you in that incomprehensible language of theirs. You just know it.)

[alces2.livejournal.com]

I think I've read articles about some people in various Asian countries actually going through the breaking-bones-lengthening-them operations in order to be taller. I believe that's done in the US too but usually those reports are about "small" people born with various unusual conditions and a desire to fit into the "norm" whereas in many countries in Asia it is considered unusual to be that tall. Admittedly there are people everywhere who are into body modifications.

[fringefaan.livejournal.com]

Admittedly there are people everywhere who are into body modifications.

And they make me feel like such a conservative! The idea of having my bones intentionally broken just makes my skin crawl. But then I know some people feel that way about tattoos and even ear-piercing, too.

[daveon.livejournal.com]

Well, to a degree Western Food and life styles are starting to impact the younger generation. Our Biz Dev guy from Korea turned up at breakfast, he's 6'1" and about 220lbs, but he grew up in California.