Romancing Kaohsiung

With Valentine's Day upon us once more, FYI South asked five Koahsiung residents from five very different walks of life what they thought would be the perfect way to spend a romantic day.

---By Yuta Lee, Peiling Wu, Micheal Sterling, Vera Chen and David Barker (photo essay) Translated by Annie Liu

Peiling Wu:
I love the look on my mom's face when she recalls her most romantic experience with my dad - a walk from central Kaohsiung to Fengshan! And in my dad's words: "It seemed like such a short stroll back then!".

In all honesty, I would STILL recommend that route being trailed out on your handy FYI pull-out map. The measure of romance is, after all, arbitrary. Personally, the ingredients to a romantic experience is no longer just a candlelight dinner, watching the sunset or going for a record-breaking stroll! Ideally, romance should be excitement, spontaneity and a degree of idiosyncrasy. To start the day, you can choose to get a 'Dan Bin' (egg pancake) takeaway and picnic in a nice field (fields close by like the Kaohsiung Art Museum are recommended) while munching away with disposable chopsticks in hand.

Kaohsiung is not huge, but it is not limited to scooter paths. Think back to when you spotted a road / street / alley and thought to yourself: "Hey, I wonder where that leads to?" It is always amusing, especially if a nice piece of paradise awaits at the end. Believe me, if you set your heart to get to it, you will most likely find it. When you do, it's not just romance, but a satisfaction that you've both discovered an uncharted territory to mark on your map!

A movie to wind the day down? A drink at a top-notch lounge bar perhaps? Viewing the sunset from JhongShan University? Ever considered a couple of rounds at the Taroko Sports Plaza batting cage? At NT$30 per 20 hits, the excitement stems not from hitting the ball the first time, but hitting it after having missed it three times in a row! And to have your partner cheer you on and tell you how it's the pitching machine that is to blame for your misses...it feels kind of romantic!
In Kaohsiung the choices for where to go and what to do are unlimited! But I recommend taking the road less traveled, because it is where I usually find my private romantic space...off the beaten track.

Michael Sterling:
2 p.m. - Meet your date in the lobby of the Splendor Hotel (85 Sky Tower).
Go to the 74th floor Observation lounge to enjoy some gourmet coffee and point out JiChin Island and how beautiful the sunset will be.
2:30 p.m. - Return to the lobby of the hotel and board a hotel shuttle-bus to the island (the hotel will provide your rental bicycles).
3 p.m. - Arrive on the island and start your relaxed bicycle tour. Stop, take pictures and enjoy a few snacks. Then guide her to your pre-chosen ?ecret-sunset location?
4:30 p.m. - Stop at your ?ecret-sunset location?and offer her a cold mixed drink (since you have prepared a small bottle of juice, ice and alcohol). Enjoy a small drink and the sunset (5:15 p.m.).
6:15 p.m. - Arrive back at the hotel and tell her it's time to get ?leaned-up!?You might also ask her if she likes ?hocolate? Both of you will then go to BEING Spa on the 40th floor, where she can have a shower, a massage and a very special ?hocolate Body Treatment? 7:45 p.m. ?Take a taxi from the hotel lobby to restaurant La Maison.
8 p.m. ?eated in this exclusive and intimate restaurant you can enjoy a special meal of French-Taiwanese fusion cuisine.
10 p.m. - After dinner, take a taxi to a specially located apartment building of ? friend? 10:15 p.m. - Once there you'll take the elevator up to the roof, where you'll be able to sit and enjoy the view of the city while having a drink of her choice (already prepared).
10:30 p.m. - Suddenly another ?riend?with a guitar makes an appearance. He or She then plays some of your date's favorite songs. (If you are unable to find someone who plays the guitar, then at least have an IPOD and speakers ready.)
At this point, with the bike tour, sunset, massage, chocolate, and dinner behind you, a drink or two in you, and perhaps the stars and a full moon above you, the music now seems to be all around you?p>10:31 p.m. - ?so naturally you ask your date to dance!

Yuta Lee:
Valentine's Day is the one day dreaded most by the romantically-challenged. The two weeks leading up to Valentine's Day builds anxiety akin to an endless lunch session with Woody Allen. For those boys fortunate enough to have a significant other, the pressure to be creative (and yet not too clich? is nothing less than titanic. The success is relative to the expectations and at the complete pleasure of the significant other. That's girl power.

For those less fortunate, it is simply human to turn the cynical route by planning black Valentine's parties, burn pictures of past lovers or just mope alone at home in a vicious cycle of emotional self-battery. I urge these people to make the best of it. Ask someone out that you have never thought to before. You will be surprised. My point is that there is no perfect date. The perfect date is the result of one's creativity surpassing the expectation of another. So, instead of offering thoughts on what I consider to be the most romantic date in Kaohsiung, I offer tools for those less creatively inclined.
The basic elements are: (1) Location; (2) Environment; (3) Food and Drink; and (4) Activity. Here I provide a sampling of ideas in no particular order. Mix and match - you'll come up with something. Whatever you do, always bring candles.
Example 1: Go to the Meisuguan, bring candles, homemade sandwiches and wine and picnic!
Example 2: Stay at home, light your room full of candlelight, order pizza and beer, play music.
You get the idea. Now go forth, create and impress! And don't forget a lighter.

Vera Chen:
A wonderful day, with a warm breeze and sunshine in the morning, listening to my favorite music, can really put me in a wonderful mood on my Valentine's Day. After freshening up with a cup of black coffee, I visit "Flower Street" on XingZhong Road, where I often go. There's a breakfast shop next to the flower shop, and a guy who works there used to give me one rose every morning - just a little gesture expressing warmth and sweetness.

I believe red roses have the most significant meaning on Valentine's Day, so I bring a big bunch home. Then I browse some fashion magazines and think about a nice dress for tonight (as a nocturnal person, evening suits Valentines Day more than daytime). I decide to wear an exotic, dark ocean blue dress with obvious big flower prints, a pair of Nine West high heels, and of course, nice make-up to emphasize my eyes and lips. This evening I choose a small cafe named Strada to get away from the crowd. Their ambience pleases me, with warm and civilized designs, flirtatious jazz and nice food. Also, you can write down your feelings in their customer diary or do some reading, but you won't want to read in front of your man or he'll be bored. Have a decent talk with him. Be elegant. Don't show your wild side - yet.

Later he drives me to ChiJin Island and we sit on the beach drinking 20-year old Bruchladdich Single Malt Scotch wihsky (second edition called ?lirtation? that he prepared. He surprises me with a Tiffany necklace (Elsa Perettiwe) as a gift. We talk a bit more and share feelings. It leads up to an erotic moment where I invite him to my place - already set it up flowers and a comfortable bed. I light candles and play some nice jazz. Then we finally begin to...
I'll leave the rest, and your own Valentine's Day, to your imagination.