This cafe and curiosity shop is one of many of the ShiDa area's hidden gems. It a charmingly refurbished space, savouring the rustic character of the building's shell and pitched country cottage-like roof and beams, but adding contemporary and retro elements for style and comfort.
There is a generously sized courtyard with a large timber deck, and the side of the cafe facing the courtyard has been glazed with floor to ceiling windows to afford light and a view onto the courtyard.
I was disappointed to discover a lack of op-shopping opportunities in Taiwan. I was expecting a treasure trove of asian curiosities to rummage through, but alas, not so. Either Taiwanese people don't value recycling furniture and clothes and throw them out, or they hoard them away never to see the light of day. Who knows? So it was of some delight, that I shuffled around this little magpie's nest, adjoining the cafe at the front of the building. It's only small, but the curiosity shop is full of fab knick knacks, gifts, homewares, and the odd pieces of furniture, both retro and contemporary.
The courtyard deck.
Retro bits and pieces.
Fun window display.
The cafe. Exposed beams, clever refurb.
Peaking through the shelves of the curiosity shop into the cafe.
You would never expect this quaint little neighbourhood to be tucked away behind the hustle and bustle of Gongguan. Treasure Hill was formerly a settlement for KMT veterans in the 1940's. It has since been rejuvenated as an environmentally sustainable arts village.
It almost has a Mediterranean feel, as you wander through the jumble of lanes, stairways and rooftops arbitrarily connecting the buildings stacked like building blocks. The hill overlooks the Xindian River and there are many vantage points to appreciate it from.
It remains a residential community, with a few of the homes still inhabited. Other buildings have taken on a new lease of life, some are galleries, studios, cafes and there is even a youth hostel. It is a very welcoming environment, I felt at ease to wander around and experience some of the interactive elements.
(left) View of the village from the base of the hill. (right) Interior of one of the cafes.
(left to right) Wandering up the hill through one of the lanes. Another cute cafe. Making origami
rabbits and eating PB&J sandwiches in the cafe.
(left) Designing an evening lighting display for the village skyline. (right) A painting class
painting landscapes of the village.
(left) Detail of a humourous art installation. (right) Getting interactive and tryingto be
I'm a bit of a fan for compiling lists of personal superlatives. It's a fun way of organising your personality into list form. I've wanted to make my own top 100 films list for a while, mostly to see what it looks like as a complete entity and what it reveals about me. Also, because I love to recommend films.
So what does it reveal? A few things. The most obvious is that I have a penchant for sentimentality; coming of age films, underdogs overcoming obstacles, geeks becoming heroes, ugly ducklings, etc.
It's interesting to note the majority of films are from the 80's and 90's, my formative years. On this note, I have to point out that I called this list my 'fav films', as opposed to 'best films'. Films I like, rather than films I think are 'good'. Hence, a lot of films on this list I have significant emotional connections to. But then others I just find particularly entertaining, gripping or plain funny.
The other interesting thing that came out of this exercise, was noting where and when I saw these films. I was able to categorise the films according to specific periods of my life. For instance; the 80's, on video in my childhood neighbours' living room; early nineties, late teenage years and the independence to decide what films I watch; mid 90's, when I first started working in the cinema in Canberra; late 90's, working in the Prince of Wales Cinema in London; early naughties, the Palace Cinema in Brisbane, late naughties; the Sun Cinema in Melbourne. The films I've chosen from these different periods often reflect who I was and what was going on in my life.
Despite this predominately being an exercise in self indulgence, I hope you enjoy my fav film list. I'm sure it will tell you something about me. I hope it might encourage you to see one of the films. Even better, I hope it might encourage you to make your own list. And if you do, please share it with me!
On the Saturday morning after Fred's surprise birthday t-shirt party, we went for a birthday brunch at VVG Bistro in DunHua.
I would describe the interior as stylish kooky/comfort. It is furnished with the usual mish mash of op-shop treasures that always do their part in making any venue halfway charming. The stand out features though, would be; the huge floor to ceiling windows at the front of the venue looking out into the patio garden, the open modern kitchen in the centre where the on-view food preparation adds to the lively bustle of the venue, and the use of unusual objects as wall decoration like, marbles, elastic bands, pasta, vacuum cleaner tubes, grappling hooks.
We ordered one of the famous set menus each. They were served on huge ceramic trays and consisted of a collection of dishes. Each dish is served in its own unique way, in small portions but together it all adds up to a very generous meal.
VVG encompasses a few venues; the VVG bistro, a restaurant VVG Table next door, a VVG B&B upstairs and an art and design bookstore VVG Something across the road. Their combined presence makes this patch of Taipei real estate ooze with style.
Chefs busy in the kitchen and a full house of dining punters makes for a lively atmosphere.
Huge windows looking onto the garden patio make for a conservatory feel.
Overwhelmed by the size and presentation of our lunch sets.
VVG Something, the art and design book store across the road.
Recently, I mentioned to Fred that I had a hankering to take a pottery class. I wasn't expecting much, maybe just an opportunity to sit at the back corner of a community college and fumble my way through with my limited Chinese.
One evening, Fred asked me to meet him after work in the Zhongshan area. He had a surprise for me. I had a hunch it might be a pottery class, probably at the Museum of Contemporary Art which was in that area. But my suspicions were dispelled when we headed into the shady little lanes off the main street. So curious!
The studio, when we found it, was a pleasant surprise. It is tucked away on one of the many unassuming, non-descript Taipei lanes with no sign, lighting, paintwork, nothing to distinguish it from anything else. It is not big inside, but the space is used economically and comfortably. Everything has its place. The walls are lined with shelves of work in various stages of completion. There are three pottery wheels, a kiln, a sink, bins of clay and glazes, and a work table.
We spoke with the teacher and got a run down on how the classes worked. Simply, you could come in once a week and work on whatever project you wished. He would walk you through the process. He suggested starting with the basic pinch pot and working toward throwing pots on the wheel. This was exactly what I wanted. The only problem was that he couldn't speak English. So Fred was roped into coming along as well. We signed up there and then, and started our classes a week later.
We've been attending our classes for a couple of months now. It is a welcome escape from the tedium and toil of the working week. Just last week, Fred took home our first completed piece, a vase. For an absolute beginner I'm impressed with his skill.
Fred's first two pieces were a mug and bowl using the pinch pot method. Great shape for only using his fingers and thumbs.
Finished pieces set out to dry.
I made a tea set for my first piece. I am in Taiwan, after all.
This little cafe/bar was a lovely surprise. Unassumingly tucked away on one of Da'An's many lanes. T.Loafer is an incey wincey place that is big on coziness and charm. It is owned by a group of young friends who share the responsibilities of running this sweet little venue.
Primarily it's a hang out, a place to have a cup of tea, coffee, a beer or a bite to eat. They also sell the wares of local creative types like, jewelery, zines, potted plants, postcards, etc.
The main design feature of both the exterior and interior is the mosaic mish mash of windows. There's something about the ramshackleness and the cosy glow from inside that feels fairy tale-ish. Like you've discovered Red Riding Hood's house in the middle of Taipei.
You can find T.Loafer here: No.20, lane 141, sec. 2, Jinshan S Rd, Taipei.
