H.W.Chen Life blog: April 2015

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Living in Tainan x interview 010 : 放放堂店長-微笑大叔/ FUN FUN TOWN in Tainan

微笑大叔來自台中，目前是放放堂台南店的店長。

Uncle Smile is from Taichung. He is the store manager of FUN FUN TOWN in Tainan.

你為什麼會在台南？

Why are you here in Tainan?

大概五、六年前就有人問我要不要來台南發展，當時有飄過一下那個想法，但好像少了那麼一點重要的東西去行動，所以也就沒有下文。兩年前我離開待了七、八年的工作，開始放大假尋找自我。然後有個朋友在台南，聽說我整天閑晃，就邀請我來台南過暑假，就這樣我來到了台南。暑假過後，就莫名奇妙的在這裡開始了店長生活。

I’ve been asked to move to Tainan around 5 or 6 years ago, and the idea had been in my mind for a while before I put it off for the lack of a specific motivation. Two years ago, I left my job at a company I worked for almost 8 years and started a long vacation of self reflection. A friend in Tainan had heard about my situation, and invited me over for a summer. That was how I ended up in Tainan. By the end of the vacation, I became a store manager and started my new life here.

那你喜歡台南嗎？

Then, do you like Tainan?

喜歡啊。很多人只喜歡台南，不喜歡臺北，但我兩個都喜歡。我在臺北生活了二十年，畢竟它是一個大城市，有很多不同的面向，其中也有像台南的部分，只是一個是某部分，一個是大部分。搬來台南以後變得比較空閒，這裡的生活節奏比較緩慢，我自己做事也是慢慢的，所以好像會比較適合我也說不定。不過台南好像又跟表面上看到的不一樣，可能是這幾年不斷有新的元素加入，新、舊或者新的與更新的不斷地撞擊刺激，還有許多東西要再觀察看看。

Yeah, I like it! Many people prefer Tainan over Taipei, but I like them both equally. I’ve spent 20 years in Taipei and discovered many facets of it as a big city. A part of it has the same atmosphere as Tainan, but it is only a part of it, not the whole of it. I am living a more relaxed life here, in line with the slower-paced city and my own tempo, so I guess it suits me better! In addition to what it is known for on the surface, the city seems to carry other faces too. Maybe it has something to do with all the newcomers to the city and the never-ending clashes between old, the new and the newest. We’ll wait and see.

那有什麼是你覺得來台南應該要做的事情或是去的地方嗎？

What would you suggest to people visiting Tainan that they should do here? Where should they visit?

少吃多走。去的地方：在鹽田靠海邊布袋的台61線濱海快速道路-173甲縣道（全台灣最靠海的縣道）那附近有許多已經荒廢的鹽田、魚塭，開車經過那裡的時候會有一種世紀末的荒涼感。

Eat less and walk around more!

Place to visit: in Yantian near Budai, take Provincial Highway 61(West Coast Expressway) to Route 173A. It is the County Highway that comes closest to the sea in Taiwan. You will go past many abandoned salt pans and fisheries, and the desolation feels like being at the end of the world.

Living in Tainan x interview 009 : 從馬來西亞流浪到台南的小葉

小葉，來自馬來西亞。三年前暫停了學業，在台南開了一間專門提供馬來食物的餐廳「流浪魚」，目前已將餐廳轉手，再度回到了學生身份。

Xiaoye is from Malaysia. Her restaurant Lungfish, specializing in Malaysian cuisine, was opened when she took a sabbatical leave from her studies 3 years ago in Tainan. She recently sold her restaurant and became a student again.

你為什麼會在台南？

Why did you move to Tainan?

我在這裡念大學啊。來到台灣八年，在這裡生活了七年了。

I came here for my studies. I've been in Taiwan for 8 years and 7 of them were in Tainan.

那你喜歡台南嗎？

Do you like Tainan?

喜歡啊。剛來的第一年在臺北念僑生大學，同學來自世界各地，生活很有趣，可是在臺北出門就一定要打扮，不然別人會覺得我很像怪咖，可是台南是一個我可以穿著T恤、短褲，很輕鬆的就出門，可以很隨性的地方，這種舒服的感覺跟我在馬來西亞的家鄉有點像。我覺得台灣人真的很有人情味。這裡大概是唯一一個會給外國人折扣的地方，我有一次帶朋友去夜市買東西，殺價的時候就跟老闆說我們是外國人，老闆很豪爽地就給了我們折扣。去菜市場買菜的時候也是，因為不會說台語，只能用奇怪腔調的台語跟他們說：「我是外國人，我不會說台語」，但他們依然很熱情地招呼我。

Yes. I went to NTPU in Taipei on my first year and had schoolmates from all around the world. It was fun and interesting, but it felt stressful having to dress up every time I am out on the streets or get glances like I am a weirdo. But Tainan is where I can be very casual and be at ease, like going out in T-shirt and shorts. This reminds me of my hometown in Malaysia. Plus, Taiwanese people are exceptionally warm and hospitable towards us foreigners, and we would even have “foreigner discounts” which is not heard of anywhere else in the world. I remember once I took my friend to a night market, and I asked a shopkeeper to give us a discount for us foreigners. And he gave us discount immediately! They were equally friendly at traditional markets when I was doing my groceries. I would tell (in my strange sounding Taiwanese) vendors that I am a foreigner and don’t speak Taiwanese, and they would treat me like a VIP!

不過我不喜歡這裡的天氣，太悶熱了，夏天感覺身上永遠都黏黏的。

But I don’t like the weather. It is way to warm and wet, and it feels sticky all the time in summer.

那有什麼是你覺得來台南應該要做的事情或是去的地方嗎？

What would you suggest to people visiting Tainan that they should do here? Where should they visit?

沒有吧。我覺得台南所謂好玩的地方沒有很多，不過這裡你可以很便宜的玩。不用特別去什麼地方，就很隨興的在路上逛逛，看到不錯的店就走進去、坐下來、聊聊天，就很舒服。可以很單純的懶，享受一種不用特別規劃什麼的自在感。

Not that I can think of… There aren’t a lot of fun touristic places to go to in Tainan, but the nice thing is that you don’t have to spend a lot to enjoy the city. Take a leisurely stroll around town, step into a nice shop of interest, sit down and have a chat with the shopkeeper. Or, be carefree and enjoy the freedom of not having to prepare anything special for your trip.

你為什麼會決定暫停學業先開店啊？

Why did you put off your studies to open a restaurant?

大四的時候，系上老師開了一堂很特別的課，讓大家各自決定課程內容。我一直都想創業，所以我就用這堂課的時間開始規劃，然後就這麼做了。

During my last year at university, there is one special class that let us do whatever we want to do during the time of the class. Starting a business had always been something I wanted to do, so I took the opportunity to play a around with the idea. Then, actually starting it was a natural thing to do.

你覺得念設計跟做菜這件事有關係嗎？

Did you find any relevance between your studies in design and cooking itself?

有吧。我想是在審美觀這件事情上。不管是選盤子、杯子甚至是吸管的顏色都有差別。我覺得食物的第一眼很重要，長得很美麗就會讓人覺得好像很好吃，有想要吃的衝動，這就是加分。

Yes, most definitely. I guess they are the most relevant in terms of aesthetics. The choice of the plate, the glass, and even the color of a straw matters. And the first impression of a plate of food in front of your customer is also very important. If it looks delicious, there would be an impulse to try it!