At The Zoo

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At The Zoo

A poem I wrote while traveling in Taiwan, a few years back. And random stuff.

David Deubelbeiss

Dec 06, 2025

A few years ago, I visited Taiwan (and I since returned, cycling around the island).

I intended it to be a short trip to drop off my visa application for permanent residency here in Korea (you needed to apply outside of S. Korea). Instead it turned into a 3 week trip - the embassy had my passport and just said, “tough”, you now got to wait until we do our thing. So, when life throws you bureaucratic balderdash, you make Barishnykov ballet.

I took to the road and spent some days in Hsinchu - Taiwan’s “Silicon Valley”. I just lazed about eating great street food, at night hanging out with one busker, drinking beer after beer outside in the warmth (cool for Taiwanese!).

During the day, I visited the Hsinchu Zoo. Mostly, just sitting in front of this guy’s pathetic cage and thinking about him. And here, 2 years later still thinking about him - Xiong-Da. No family, no friends. Lost. Kind of like how I felt at that moment too.

Xiong-Da the old man of Hsinchu Zoo, Taiwan

I wrote this poem, one of the days I visited. Recently, just found it while going through my notebook from that trip. I wrote about the zoo while there.

Here’s some shaky footage I took of the great man himself. He spent most his day, just picking away at the concrete wall of his enclosure. Piece by piece, day after day, trying to find a way out. If that ain’t a symbol for a life - I don’t know what is.

God bless him. Think of him often.

If you have the spine - watch this beautiful but disturbing footage … it speaks to the issue at my hand.