It was a cloudy afternoon and I took my camera to the old streets around Shida University. Had a few cups of coffee at Mo!Re cafe, which was much like the infamously hip Norwegian Wood cafe near National Taiwan University, only friendlier -- cigarette haze, books stacked everywhere, green library desk lamps, superb Italian coffee. I sat at the bar and chatted with the barista about 黃凡's newest short story collection. Sounds colossally pretentious I know but it was actually very genial and fun.



This is the view of the cafe from the front.



I've read much about the Taishun Alleys in short stories and travel diaries and it seems like where a lot of neat old stuff could be found. Too bad it was a rainy day so none of my daylight photos turned out well :(. Basically, a lot of cool plant pots lining the streets, old trees, Japanese colonial-style wooden houses...



Shida nightmarket caters mostly to college students. A lot of little young hole-in-the-wall eateries with huge glass windows. Feels very much like the Hondae district of Seoul.



Random shot of purdy spices and glass cups at a restaurant. Testing the macro function of my cam.



I somehow ended up at the Red House Theater at Ximending. In my absence, Riverside Cafe opened another live music venue behind the theater and a bunch of skater boutiques and bar & grills opened up in its alleys. There were also a shit ton of new indie design venders. Overall, it seems like the old teenybopper mainstay is gaining some cultural complexity.