American Theater Director John Maloney Adores Shoushan
◎English translation: Hou Ya-ting ◎Photo by Pao Chung-hui
American John Maloney has been residing in Chaishan's Taoyuan Village for the past 11 years, having discovered it to be a marvelous coastal area at the back of Shoushan (also known as Chaishan). This neighborhood is adored by many who come here to appreciate ocean scenery. The side of Shoushan that faces the city has a number of tourist attractions, including Shoushan Natural Park, Shoushan Zoo, and Martyrs' Shrine.
The back of Shoushan has a crucial geographical location. Because it faces the Taiwan Strait to the west and guards the Port of Kaohsiung and the city to the south, access to this area has been restricted by the military since the Japanese colonial period (1895-1945). Because this military zone covered the coastal area, the scenery and appearance of Taoyuan Village hardly changed until the lifting of military restrictions a decade ago. Nowadays, many tourists flock to the area to look at the sea, enjoy the gorgeous sunset, and sip a cup of coffee. Many Kaohsiung residents take advantage of the well-planned hiking trails that criss-cross Shoushan Nature Park, a place treasured as the city's backyard.
Maloney is a theater director. He used to lecture at National Sun Yat-sen University, near his home. He now lectures at Tainan University of Technology. Apart from teaching and participating in theater events, he regards himself as a homebody. "Some may feel it's inconvenient to live here, but I enjoy living in a suburb," he says.
Actually, Taoyuan Village is not so far from Kaohsiung's downtown, but here Maloney enjoys some respite from the crowded urban jungle. On weekends, he often takes a leisurely walk from Taoyuan Village to a market in Hamasen.
Explaining the joy of living where he does, Maloney points out the intriguing ocean scenery beyond his window. Despite having lived in big cities such as New York, and also in California, he says residing in Taoyuan Village is a sweet home incomparable with others. "Taoyuan Village is a quiet community on weekdays, but on weekends boisterous visitors bring a vibrant ambiance to the community. Yet, overall, the place is calm and peaceful," he casually mentions while looking out his window.
Maloney's favorite aspect of Shoushan is without doubt his home, from which he can appreciate beautiful sunsets. Since his home is not open to public, he highly recommends the entire Shoushan Natural Park as worth visiting, yet feels a little sad that some nearby areas continue to be off limits for military reasons. Maloney also recommends the nearby Coast Coffee Shop, where visitors can take in magnificent seaside views and drink a delicate cup of coffee.
柴山裡的美國導演
◎文／盧昱瑞 ◎攝影／鮑忠暉
柴山後方有一處臨海秘境，長年受軍方管制而維持其天然風貌，近年開放後已成高雄市民的後花園，每到假日就有眾多遊客到此看海景、喝咖啡、欣賞美麗的夕陽彩霞。這裡是柴山桃源里，來自美國的馬龍(John Maloney)已在此聚落生活十一年。
馬龍是位劇場導演，曾任教於中山大學，目前則在台南應用科技大學授課。平常除了到台南上課和參與劇場活動之外，大多數的時間都還是喜歡待在家裡。「可能有些人會覺得生活在這邊很不方便，但我很享受住在近郊的生活，不喜歡人太多的地方，這邊離市區有一點距離但又不會遠，我假日會從這邊散步走到哈瑪星的菜市場買菜，買完後再走回來這邊，這樣也有運動的效果！」馬龍坐在客廳的沙發上分享著生活在柴山的樂趣。「從這個窗戶看出去就是美麗的海洋，以前我住過許多大城市，像是紐約、加州等等，但我還是最喜歡這邊，平常日都很安靜，今天因為是假日人潮較多，會吵一點，不過通常都是很靜謐愜意的。」馬龍看著窗外說。
關於柴山的私房景點，馬龍很直接的說：「就是我家吧！哈！在這邊喝咖啡也是可以看到美麗的夕陽喔！」除了馬龍家這個外人不便參觀的景點，他另外推薦整座柴山都很值得探險，只是不太明白為何最美麗的視野都被軍方包圍；還有一間鄰居朋友開的「海岸咖啡」，除了可以看到美麗的海景，咖啡也非常好喝！訪談結束後，他就帶我們一塊去「海岸咖啡」品嚐咖啡，順便欣賞全高雄最美麗的天然海景。