If I were to sum up Taipei in a color palette, it would be all greys and greens. So when I see little colorful things like this I can’t resist photographing them. This was taken outside of a rooftop cat shelter we visited to adopt a kitten.

A laid back, gritty, punk rock, Chinese version of Tokyo.

Getting out of the hustle and bustle of Taipei is a must. But sometimes you discover these little picturesque back alleys in a part of the city you never have reason to visit. Exploring Taipei and finding new things is sometimes a perfect day in itself.

It’s convenient to everything I need in a city, and I’m close enough to walk and bicycle to things.

The dire lack of good Mexican food and a proper deli sandwich.

Taipei has become more or less a destination, especially for its cuisine. But what surprises even people who return to Taipei after several years away is how fast the city is changing. Many people are coming back to set up new businesses influenced by their time abroad.

The animated character Totoro sitting on a bench on a rainy day.

I’ve been a fan of this Taiwanese band called Forests. Their lead singer is Taiwanese-American so their sound is not quite Taiwanese, but not quite western. A little hard to explain.

They played with this other musician I like, Dirty Beaches. Who, if I were to describe, is a mix of moody surf rock inspired by Wong Kar Wai, Tsai Ming Liang and Hou Hsiao Hsien films. Give the films some grit, dirty guitar loops and turn the lights off, and you have Dirty Beaches.

Finally, a young Taiwanese photographer currently based in Macau, Puzzleman Leung.