Quoc Pham Bicycle Shoe Film

Quoc pham fixed shoes from breakbrake17 on Vimeo.

Bugsy and his gang at oneinthree production did a great job on the film, hope you enjoy it.

Quoc Pham Bicycle Shoes website

Hello... 

Long time no blog, just want to let you guys know that i have a website up and running, well it's been up for a while now.  Hope you like it.

Planting Trees

Last weekend i had the pleasure of planting some trees all 420+ of Mahogany, I've being wanting to do this for such a long time. I often flight between the Far East and London, adding a few centimeter to the ozone hole plus my products coming via ship, this also do not help.  

It was hard work but well worth it, i can now wash a little bit of my carbon foot print.

 

oh yeah.. also pick some bananas...

Moon Festival

Last week was the moon festival, this is the time of year where people bring out their paper lantern. The lanterns are normally shapes of animal, made of a bamboo or wire structure then covered with colour sugar paper (colour tracing paper), attached to a bit if string then tied to a bamboo stick, held at arm length and in the middle of all this is a candle.

These ones below are government commissioned.

Am not sure what are these figure representing.

Traditional DRAGON.

Dragon fish??

and me..

Long lost friends

Hey guys, check out my long lost friends, Wadada. I haven't spoke to them for over 5 year and it was in London. They are now in Canada and enjoying a lot more life. 

Thanks for the email Leanne and Robi.

Taichung

Twice a month i travel to Taichung to work with my supplier on my designs. Taichung is south of Taipei, about 1 hour journey on the High Speed Train. This is 7 am, as the train just leaving the Taipei city. There's something really nice about traveling in early hours of the morning. 

Weird weekend

A few weeks ago Wendy and i went to the coast for a bit of fresh air, we came across some weird and beautiful site.

After a long period of farming the farmers have to re-nourish the land by planting flower for a few season.

Someone left a shoe on the horizon....

Taiwan is a Chinese culture, we have been driving for an hour then this pop up?? It is not a theme park nor a middle eastern country embassy. Close up, the craftsmanship is beautiful, it is original...  I need to investigate what or who is inside.

Normally, this temple would have been made out of wood, clever joints and layering technique where no nails, screws or glue to fix the structure. Now it just one quick fix of cast concrete, it looks really weird because you have an image of concrete as a modern material.

Happy New Year

A bit late but HAPPY NEW YEAR everybody..... Hope all your wishes come true.

Charm

As some of you may know that i am into shoes, men shoes but just look at this detail on this lady's shoes... beautiful.

I am launching my own range of soon and it's not going to be world changing but just i hope it possess a curtain charm and magic like the shoe below.

20/12/08

Last thoughts of London before i head back to Taiwan.

The Last Stand

I join the TBC crew on their last ride of 2008, we went for a hot curry before burning it off with some tricks. Check out Roy's blog for more images.

London lights

I have been back for a week now and it feels weird, this is the first time where i came back and feels not at home. I think this time in Taiwan i have planted my roots and ready to accept Taiwan is my new home.

I have made new friends, my own friends and not through Wendy.

Am learning mandarin, found new suppliers and now switching my production to Taiwan because i want everything to be locally produce. Taiwan is about 20 years ahead of China. The people appreciate and understand about quality therefore it is more expensive. The most important things for me is making my customers happy so quality of my products is the first priority.

Anyway back to the lights, in Taiwan i get up at 7 am and go for a run, the sun is already up and the temperature is nice.  

This light is 3 pm in the afternoon and it is messing up my body clock but i still love coming back to London because most of my best friends are here.

Hong Kong Skyline

My travel to and from Taiwan always via Hong Kong because there are work need to be done.

I am glad this has happen as there are so many thing which i enjoy doing in HK.  I love catching the Star Ferry because it remind me a scene in a Bruce Lee life story film when the HK film producer is running through the Star Ferry dock, wanting to make a movie with him before he head back to the US.   

It is one of the most romantic thing you can do with your partner but make sure that you catch the Ferry after dark because then the whole HK skyline light up.

Star Ferry

Hong Kong Lunch Time

If i was in Hong Kong, in Central and it's lunch time, i will go to this place. 

Hong Kong has many barbecue cafe where your basic meat get roasted really well.

What is going on??? Am like the travel food blogger.

This is one veg and two meat, simple and delicious.

House Project

Why does all projects get really busy towards the end, this was the the week before i have to go back to London and here i am sanding the master bathroom wall.

BTW. cam anyone tell me how to rotate the photo? 

Country Boy

Saw this water tank in the woods, the ladder look like a Donald Judd work but this has a real propose.  I love seeing things where someone did something so beautiful but not knowing.

Muddy Volcano

Wendy and i drove pass this type of landscape many time but not knowing what it was? So we decide to investigate.

This is a Mud Volcano. 

I did put my hand in the bubbly top, maybe it will be something interesting?  err... No just a dirty hand. 

Taipei Fine Arts Museum

There is only about 5 art gallery in Taipei, this is the biggest.

Top of the hill

Wendy and i meet some friends for diner in the hill, this is our view.

Shame as this is the best that my phone camera could do.

Dumpling again..

Last saturday lunch time we went to a famous dumpling house for some... Dumpling.

These are the mens behind every delicious lump, they are skill technician, they make thousands of these everyday, look at the guy in the bottom left hand corner, he is actually weighing each one. Every single one to look and weight the same... also very good steam line, production, good  business system.

These guys are well paid, they are the premiere of the Dumpling world.

Red Bike

When i was about 5 we were still in Vietnam. There's not much i could remember but one thing stuck in my mind. 

I wouldn't know or care about communism at that age, but a result we did not have much to play with, only when the tide has gone out so we had mud/clay to make figurine,.. but there's only so much you can do with mud.  

My father got us a bicycle, my brother hugged it, we fight but he was bigger then me back then. I wanted it so badly, up to the point when we left the country i still not have a go. I did not know how to ride a bike until i was 10 in England.

Anyway, that bike was RED. I now have two, my London and Taipei bike are both red. This is my obsession with the colour red for a bicycle. 

Final bike bits

I have been lucky searching for the bike parts, as i have found the final bits and it is very nice too. I've found the pedals and wheel hubs and they are both Japanese and they are both more then 30 years old.

They are Suntour Cyclons professional track bike pedals with the screw so the strap don't move.

These are Suntour hubs with steel ball bearing, they are old but so smooth. 

  

Riot van.

This situation is a political minefield, so i'll be short. There are two main political side in Taiwan, the Green and the Blue party.  The Green is for Taiwan to be Independent from China. For the last 8 years the Green have been in charge, near towards the end of their roll they have been naughty stealing the tax payers money.

Now the Blue are in charge and their are having secret talk with main land China. While the China representative are in town, martial law is force on the people. This is why the protest is about, the people's voice is ''Taiwan is my Country" 

Finally....

Long over due... check out and-i new website.

www.and-i.co.uk

Roast dinner.

Last weekend a few of my friends and i went to 'Yilan.' it is on the coast, north of Taiwan.

It is about an hour drive from Taipei. This place is famous for its hot and cold spring and sugar cane smoked duck. Also last time i was here i did a bit of Surfing too.

We stopped at this restaurant for dinner, a famous place specialize in chicken.

The chickens get roasted and smoked in these clay ovens with wood.

It is moist, sweet, perfectly cooked, free range, organic.... Delicious

I have the pleasure of curving the bird, no knife, just have to tear it apart.

hot bath.

Yilan is famous for its hot spring, also it is one of a few places in the world which has cold spring. After breakfast, i went for a bathe, luckily i had the whole place to myself, so commando i did.

bike update.

These are some other bits i got for the bike, slowly getting there..

I think a chain is like a neckless on a person, so you have to made it a little special or 'bling bling.'  I assembled these three colours together.

Orange is for the first shoe colour which i design and made.

Blue is my favourite colour at the moment.  

Pink, don't ask....

brake lever.

Seat post.

Stem.

Today...

Today, i will mostly be eating Dumpling...

Frame, Fork and Crank Set.

Taiwan has a very weird culture on push bike, they produce 90% of the world bicycle, the biggest bike company is 'Grant.'  They don't have an Olympic cycling team, Most local bike shop sale western or Japan bicycle brand with western prices but most parts are made in Taiwan. The people prefer to buy from brand new, they think if it does not have gears then it is not a proper bicycle, this include bike shop owners. The growing trend is folding bike,.. what's that all about??? the house is smaller, they think is cute? 

Most fixed gear parts we get in London are mainly European. Over here Taiwan are heavy influence by Japan so my bike will be mostly Japanese parts.

There are many rusty bicycle but for me trying to get some nice old parts will be a bit tricky, i have to really dig deep. Fixed gear culture is very small here.

I have been here and searching for about 3 weeks and this is what i got so far, I manage to get my hands on this old Japanese Tange frame, amazingly it is my favourite bike colour, i will explain why later when it is complete.

 


Beautiful stainless fork.

Also mix and match together this cranks set.

Mr. Topper

Every other morning i do about 45-60 mins run, still exploring the nicest rough to jog.

So each morning i take a different turn and yesterday i ran pass Mr. Topper of Taipei. Mr. Topper of Tottenham Court Road, London. is £6 per cut, that's pretty cheap for a shave.

A short back and side with Mr. Topper of Taipei will set you back $100 Taiwan Dollar... which is about £1.70, I was tempted but No.

mmm...?

Taiwan is well known for their food, so many family run eatery, street food venders and night markets.  They have more convenient store, i.e 7eleven then any other city on Earth. I promise you, after your visit to Taiwan you will gain weight because everything is so tempting.  

This is one, to my right is Tofu with red bean in a sweet syrup. To the left is my bowl, it looks pretty crim.... But in fact it is heathy for you, it's red beans, brown rice and the little lumps are sweet potatoes and yam.  mmm...

New Stadium

This is one of my many passions and this is the new playing field.

All around us is motorway/highway, the lights automatically come on when it gets dark and i don't know what time it goes off. Last Thursday my new friends and i meet up at 8:30 and did not leave until midnight.  It was magic. 

Beautiful blues.

10 days ago, i was in Hong Kong and i captured this out the window of my friend's apartment.

I left grey London behind and this is what awaits, beautiful blues and sunny shy.... 

Wish you were here....

Local ride

For now this is my ride around town.

Don't be fool by the photo, she's cheap and rubbish but no complaint because she only cost around £25 from the super market.

Bike bits.

In London i get around on my fixed wheel bicycle.

Now in my new setting i am looking forward to building one for Taipei's road.

These are the bits i got so far, i brought them from London.

The most important is to have a good saddle... we don't want to get 'numb nuts'

A solid break, it is Campagnolo, Athena Monoplaner Front. 

This is a must have for all chain and cogs.. 

hello everybody......

If you haven't heard already, i will be launching my own shoes label soon.

Below are some of the press which i have for my designs so far, also check out my web holding page to get a rough idea of what is more to come.

http://www.quocpham.com

The orange pair

The Black patent pair with the blue circle saying 'very hot label.' 

The Burgundy suede which Roy is supporting. 

Thanh has this Blue suede style which the name happens to be called 'prince'