Kenny with my son Herbie, behind the bar of his pub Mexico
Had I not known Kenny Hsieh, my life may have turned out a lot different. It was in his old bar Scorpions, the only decent boozer in Miaoli at the time, that I met my dear wife a couple of months after my arrival in Taiwan in 2001.
“I want you,” she said as I squeezed past her high chair at the bar en route to the toilet. Of course she denies it but that’s what she said. She was drunk; I was marginally more of a catch then.
Last Monday morning when she called me at work to give me the news that Teacher Kenny, as he was known, had passed away at the way-too-young age of 65, I cried in the office. He was one of two close Taiwanese friends I made in my first few and sometimes lonely months. “James Two,” he continued to call me, years after One had left. I would sneak behind the bar to try and replace the Eagles with Zeppelin. “No, James Two,” he would remonstrate. “Issa good one.”
I will miss him tremendously. Miaoli will just not be the same without him. He was an institution.
cheers, baronessa. a good one for me first (public) comment. Jx
I was going to do my own piece on this, but then I thought that you’d do a better job of it so I’d better keep my mouth shut until you’ve had your say. Kenny’s was the best place in Miaoli. 21, just out of university, and with money to blow for the first time in my life, his place was always the first choice to hit after I finished work. When my parents came to visit Miaoli, Kenny’s was the one place I was sure I had to take them to, and in latter years when I occasionally visited Miaoli, he would remind of this time on every occasion.
I’ll never forget that last night back in 2002 when you, I, and Roisin all got hammered at Kenny’s before going out in Taizhong (or was it Xinzhu?) for a solid night. Yeah, there were times when I did wonder a bit about the tab, but whatever we might have lost in the billing we always made up when he would hand around gratis drinks – “Kenny Specials”.
After I went to the mainland I only saw him a few more times, but each time it was like being back in the Miaoli days of yore – he would put “Gene Genie” on the stereo and make us all feel welcome.
I always used to tell folks back home that my perfect pub would probably be the White Heart in Bouth (a really cosy place up in the Lake District), but if there was a guy behind the bar, it would be Kenny.
It was a real punch in the gut when I heard the bad news. I know he’s got a family, and their loss is great, especially as he wasn’t young but he went before his time. All I can say is that they should be proud to have had known such a great guy – I am.
Thanks G. I was a bit late on this one because I was waiting for his son to send a pic. Eventually trawled through some my own old snaps on discs and found. Joanna, Hudie and I went to the funeral last Thursday.
Finally made it by, eh Yuhu? Nice one.
I first started hanging out at Kenny’s back when he owned Scorpion. He might have had his quirks, but the fact that the following owners only needed a few months to run the place into the ground goes to show how much heart Kenny put in the place. And imagining Miaoli without him is very difficult.
When you walked into Scorpion or Mexico, the first thing you noticed was that the walls were covered with pictures of the people who, even years ago, had hung out there. And you know he meant it as well.
After I moved to Hsinchu, I rarely went back, but I’m very glad I spent most of my last night out in Miaoli at his place.
Cheers Patrick. Yeah, it really made sense for the last hurrah with Jibeilu!
Wow such sad news indeed. It was great reading this. Brought back so many memories. Some of my fondest memories in Miaoli were getting nicely toasted at one of Kenny’s establishments. Scorpion is what I remember the most. It was the only real cozy pub back then to get drunk and listen to some good music. There were many nights where I just needed some good tunes and good company and I’d fly up to the door on my scooter and then of course drive off pissed (usually on my own scooter though eh James) There was no place like it and it gave me a break from everything…and provided a familiarity that I needed. He was an individual…an old rock n’ roller…there was no one like him in Miaoli. I guess through the music we felt some bond that made us feel at home and allowed us to escape into our own place in Miaoli…..an open invitation to his place. He was different and he always made the expat crowd feel totally welcome. I spent my birthday there on one occasion. We had a cake and celebrated throughout the night. Very sad to hear of his passing. He will be missed. Individuals like him are so rare in communities. People who do there own thing, stand out from the rest…these kind of people are not so easily come by. Thanks Kenny.
Thanks so much for sharing the memories Josh. You remember the old wrong bike home eh? I remember you leaving my place after a gargantuan amount of imbibing. Dear me. I’m going to send his son a link to this so he can see how fondly his dad is remembered. Cheers.
別管以後將如何結束，至少我們曾經相聚過~~~
老師~唉，真的很難過，老師跟我們有很多很多酸甜苦辣的回憶~~
想到老師就一陣鼻酸，真的好不捨好不捨.
永遠的懐念….謝老師！
老師~每次有機會回台灣都一定會跟Joanna到你的店裡報到~喜歡跟你鬥嘴~喜歡跟你凹酒喝~喜歡你的爆米花還有咖啡豆!喜歡你放我跟Joanna最愛的歌,不用提醒您~你就會偷偷的找出這片CD( Hey Jude)在您的店裡我有很多很美好的回憶!每次到您的店裡~一定要找牆上我們的照片!很謝謝您給我這樣多美好的回憶!老師一路好走~!我會永遠記住您對我們的好!
Thanks Guay! Popcorn, coffee beans and Joanna wailing “Hey Juuuuuu!” Fond memories. My Beatles song was “Lady Madonna”.
Every now and then, you hear a whisper through the wind that a great man has past. Kenny was one of those men; he was funny, compasionate, and most of all, inclusive. He was a man that would take a conversation, and include the whole room. He gave more than he took every time, except of course on the odd tab? He was a man that the second you walked in the door his smile told you that you were back.
I remember walking through the door of Scorpions for the first time, a scared white boy, with no idea where I was, only that I was well into the sauce, had lost track of my landmarks a few minutes ago, and that my 50cc scooter chauffer, well beyond my level of inebriation and laying a sound foundation for a good bout of the gout, was holding opened the door and screaming into the smoke pouring out a language still foreign to me. I was lost, and James was pissed. How the hell was I getting home?
Enter the world of Scorpion.
I have not seen Kenny in more than two years, and its been eight since I frequented his pubs, but I will always remember him fondly. He was a champion of a man, taken way before his time. The day my wife said to me “Do you remember Kenny from Scorpions?” I knew. Tears welled in my eyes as I realized that another great candle has given way to darkness.
Kenny, I will miss you. You were a pillar in your town, and did your best to make us all feel at home, a world away from wherever that may be. Thank you, and may your rest in peace.
Cheers Bryan.