Cafe Heaven

Photo by Kris Atomic on Unsplash

“I go to work every day at Cafe X,” I said to my aunt, half-jokingly. I could still hear my grandmother saying, “We have coffee at home. Why don’t you drink coffee at home? Are you lonely?” Well, grandma, something is soothing about leaving the house every day and having a routine that includes the outside world.

Taipei has a high density of coffee shops. In some neighborhoods, there is one or two every block. Starbucks is here. Louisa and Dreamers are well-known chains. But what I love the most are the small independent cafes, each with unique characters and personalities.

The smallness here is unimaginable in Boston. A cafe famous for its scones has three small round tables with six seats. The sitting area is about a decent-sized walk-in closet. The scone flavors include original, Earl Grey tea, taro, lemon, matcha, berries, etc. The scones can be served warm with a scoop of whipped butter. The shop imposes a one-hour limit on sitting if there is a line outside. Luckily, I can go during quieter hours and avoid the lines.

Besides pastry with coffee, books and coffee are often paired together. In downtown, a bookstore and cafe were converted from a townhouse. The old architecture with its wooden window frames, skylight opening in the middle, and stone facade let me imagine life fifty or sixty years ago. On the first floor, the books focus on Taiwan, its history, culture, and people. On the second floor, world history and culture. Then, on the very top floor, a reading and meditation space. The owner hopes to create a space to inspire more reading and book buying. So far, I have enjoyed the books I bought there and will go back again.

A classmate suggested we meet at a cat cafe in an old converted Japanese-style home. I was required to wear socks to prevent damaging the wooden floor. The cats, at least six of them, roamed freely. They could be petted but not carried. These cats were beautiful with shining and healthy fur, relaxed and unafraid of humans.

Other cafe themes include a shop filled with anime figures and posters (with a no-talking rule), a gramophone with a full wall of old records (Frank Sinatra was playing when I was there), or a West Elm-style high-end living room ambiance.

We can’t talk about cafes without discussing coffee. Typically, Americano and latte are on the menu with the lowest price points. But specialty cafes often have at least twenty or so (a whole page in small fonts) coffee beans that one can choose from for a hand-made dark coffee drink. Taiwan also has local beans, but I was told that the quantity is fairly small. The price of these can buy a proper meal at a night market. Starbucks can’t top these.

I write best in a cafe. I have found a cafe within walking distance that I like. It’s big enough that I don’t have to worry about not having a seat or waiting in line to get in. It has wifi and outlets, doesn’t have a maximum sitting time, and offers simple, healthy meals. Plants stand in different corners. Wooden square tables and sturdy chairs line up neatly. I love the vibe of being surrounded by other people who also type away in front of laptops. Often, different languages are spoken. Friendly servers recognize me and give me the discounts.

I feel good about sitting here for four to five hours a day. And you know, sitting still, or butt in a chair as some writers affectionately say, for a long time is a required step for writing.

I started an outline for the nth time. The new document is simply called Novel 4. The beginning has two sisters separated by an ocean.

What will happen next? I’m eager to know.