Hohaiyan Rock Festival 2012

Because of the heat on the beach, I felt like a drained traveler in the Sahara dessert. I decided to call it a day when I saw the main stage at the far end. I left the 2012 Hohaiyan Rock Festival--Fearless ere the set of sun Thursday, June 12th. In stead of being fearless, I was full of fear, fear of the heat, fear of the sunburn, fear of the hyperthermia. I didn't buy a famous Fulong lunch box to please my stomach at the Train Station before I bid farewell to 2012 Hohaiyan Rock Festival. I just couldn't wait to lie down in bed at home.

I was totally exhausted when I made it to the jammed local train back to Taipei at 4:10PM. Without much of courtesy, I sat on an empty seat occupied by a teenager in organge flowery Bermuda with his hand. He was not happy, neither was I! Modesty was not in my dictionary at the moment. I simply wanted to rest! Then his group of friends approached him, one of them acknowledged me, "Auntie, how do you do?"

Who can complain when a person says greetings out of respect? I was sort of at lost without knowing what and how to respond on the spot. Look at me, I wore a sexy bling-bling pink hat and a matching pair of big framed sunglasses which covered at least one third of my face, how could the youngsters tell my age? From my bearing, from the wrinkles on my neck, in what way did I disclose my years of being!

It must be the sweat under the heat, the pheromone must play the trick on the young men to neglect a middle age woman. I'm sure in no time, I'll be addressed upon, "A Ma"! Oh, no, it's annoying just thinking of it! After the train left Fu-long station, the teenagers sat down on the floor and snuggled together. They fell asleep instantly to the slow movement of the local train, I felt like sitting among a wagon of war prisoners, ready to go home!

I took it easy to start my solo rock adventure with a huge plastic shopping bag full of bikinis, sunglasses, sandals, accessories, this morning! I got on the MRT at Jingmei at 10:30. In order to make the best use of my traveling time, I put on the makeup on the train as always. A young boy in grade school kept looking at me behind his father. He must be curious about the morning virtual of most women in private. Before he got to the MRT with his father at National Taiwan University Hospital, I was another woman with a full makeup on my face! I got on an express train to Chidu at Taipei Main Station at 10:58. After waiting for 30 minutes, I got on a local train jam packed with young people from Chidu to Gongliao.

At 12:50, I was the only beach goer who got off the train at Gongliao. I knew Gongliao. It was my second time to visit the small town of Gongliao after the 2011 Hohaiyan Rock Festival with Irene and Trini. It was like a homecoming to me. I knew my way in Gongliao. I took a photo on the bridge to the Gongliao old street. The moment I opened the door of the small eatery in town, the young lady owner recognized me and asked me if I was on my way to the rock festival. I ordered a can of chilled Taiwanese beer and a bowl of Seafood noodles. At 1:45, I got on the free shuttle bus at Gongliao High School. I was the only customer on the bus!

In stead of heading for the beach directly after I got off the shuttle bus, I went to a coffee shop near the Fulong Train Station with an intension to leave all my personal belongings there like I did in 2011. To my disappointment, I couldn't find the friendly lady shop owner I made friends with last year, so I ordered a cup of Tapioca Milk Tea to wait for her. But there was no sign of her after I finished my cup of tea in 20 minutes. Then I made up my mind to carry my huge shopping bag to the beach. I went straight to plunge myself in the Pacific Ocean. It was a lesson I learned in 2011, swimming was prohibited after 4.

the dangling fat on me 

Without taking off my hat and sunglasses, I swam all the way to the edge of the beach zone, not even a single young man looked in my way. Then I saw an ojisan lifeguard smiling at me beyond the line of red buoys. I didn't like the way he squinted at me, why me? Do I look like an obasan with most my body under the sea water? Okay, I'm overweight, no doubt about it, 58.9 kilograms. I need to trim off 7 kilograms on my tommy before I can stand tall on the runway!

Looking around the colorful people on the beach, the average age was below 20. I must be the only Taiwanese baby boomer there! If I were in Europe, half of the beach goers would be of my age and beyond. No matter what I was satisfied that I participated in 2012 Hohaiyan Rock Festival. It is my way to arouse the wildness at heart I cherish and I nourish. Being a faithful patron, I won't miss the 2013 Hohaiyan Rock Festival! See you there!