Taipei Exchanges (2010) - full transcript
Doris manages to fulfill her long time desire to own a coffee shop. In the first days of her business, she receives a lot of useless gifts brought by her friends. As some customers get interested in buying some of them, she suggests a bartering system for her coffee house. And so... business starts going up as people come with different gifts to exchange. Doris and customers become close to each other, and people decide to exchange not only gifts, but also personal stories from their lives...
This is a latte
Taipei people's favorite coffee
Doris doesn't like
decorating the surface
If there's a pattern...
you can't see how the cream blends
with the milk foam
It's different each time
These are eclairs
Doris's best dessert
Look...
Each one is slightly different
Because food is much like people
Not all the same
If you fancy tasting Doris's eclairs...
you'll need to come
to Doris's Cafe on a Wednesday
See, the dessert menu changes daily
This is Doris
The owner of Doris's Cafe
She's long dreamt
of having an elegant coffee shop
A year ago...
when her aunt emigrated to Shanghai...
she knew the moment had come
She told her former boss
she was quitting
This thing is really not bad
And really expensive
Many people want one
You want to see?
You...
Look closely at the joints
It's so well made
Take a look
Take a good look
Explain to her, Ah Kuo!
Now watch...
its best feature!
One, two, three...
The Flying Fist!
This is Doris's Cafe
Now you see it...
Not all that elegant
Why does the coffee shop look like this?
Before we go on with the story...
let's just listen in for a moment
These are Doris's latest thoughts
As I see it, a beautiful cup...
is worth more
than a baseball signed by a star
I'm telling you
The picture isn't worth that much
In that customer's mind...
the picture is worth more
than the action toy
If we hadn't lived here before...
I wouldn't swap it
And in my sister's mind...
the picture isn't worth
the price of two coffees
That's enough talk
Another coffee, please
I'll have another too
Okay...
If you really want it that much...
I'll swap with you
Really?
What matters most is
its inner value
She's exhausted.
Take a rest yourself too.
Oh absolutely, thank you.
I'm come back here
tomorrow morning at 9:30.
Let me show you how to lock the door.
It's very very easy.
Just...
Of course, of course.
I'm not bothering you anymore.
Good night.
Have a nice dream.
Thank you.
Bye.
One Year Earlier
Tastes good!
It's chocolate
Really good!
Look how you're eating it!
Great!
Not bad, today's isn't bad
I don't like cheesecake
Lots of people do, though
Everywhere sells cheesecake
Then why ask me?
I'm just asking
I don't like cheesecake
Must have a sofa
A really soft and comfy one
Nope, that'd give you less loading
"Loading"?
Customer loading
But look,
there'll be a huge table at the bar
That'll have really high loading
Ever been to a shabu-shabu place?
"Loading"?
Refills
This is Josie
Refills?
We won't do refills
Did you really major
in Business Studies?
If Doris could make up her own mind,
she wouldn't get Josie involved
But Josie's mother asked her
to do something constructive
And Doris's mother told her
she'd need a helping hand
As it happens,
their mothers are the same person
So even if Doris doesn't really want
Josie working in the cafe...
it's not her call
Doris's dream finally came true
From now on...
there's a place
where she can make all the decisions
She sees herself...
taking a step towards freedom
Hello?
Sweetie!
I'm in the mountains, reception's lousy
I'm buying some calla lilies
Don't you remember?
My cafe is about to open!
Come, and bring a gift!
You absolutely have to come
Young lady,
don't you know how to drive?
You hit my truck!
Mister, you hit me first!
Look at the state of my bumper!
Come on,
you know how much it will cost to fix it?
- You've dented my truck, too
- My headlight's shattered!
Mister, I was going uphill
and you were going downhill!
I had the right of way
Says who?
My ex-boyfriend
Uphill? Downhill?
Hello, is that Mr. Hsu?
I can't deliver the flowers today
It's pouring with rain up here
There's been a mudslide,
the road's blocked
Nothing changed after this collision
Neither of their wallets
got fatter or thinner
The calla lilies that were on their way
downhill kept going downhill
But now in Doris's car
Sis, put this vase on the bar table
What'll we do with all these flowers?
I don't know either
This one?
Uh-huh
Listen, all of you, Doris's Cafe opens
the day after tomorrow
What'll we do about gifts?
Send one big one together?
Or all do our own?
Gifts?
Better ask Hugo
Ask me?
Sure, aren't you the 'creative' one here?
I'd say...
Send something useless,
doesn't matter what
Hello, hello, friends arriving!
Hello
Hello, Auntie
Hi, Erock, have a flower
Thank you!
Hi there, congratulations
Hi, Eggie
Is the dog a gift too?
No, he's just here for fun
This is for you
Thank you!
Come in, welcome
Doris is inside
- Auntie...
- Hello, welcome
Congratulation
Nice to have you here
This place is beautiful!
And you are...?
Tora
Tora
Okay, let's chat later
Okay
Why did no-one bring anything normal?
Hugo, what on earth is that?
Weighs a ton...
Welcome, Hugo
Help me with this
It's not heavy at all!
You're just showing off, go on in!
Welcome the boss
of Doris's Cafe... Doris!
Speech, speech!
Give her a big hand
Thank you all for coming today
Can't hear you!
Turn on the mic!
Louder!
Hello... is that better?
Can't hear you!
Okay, okay, that'll do
Thank you all for coming today
I hope I'll be running this Caf?
for years and years
You said that
about working in our office!
Yeah, you did!
This is different
This time it's my passion
You said art was your passion too!
And playing darts!
- And being a street artist!
- Okay, okay
Doris has so many friends...
Enough to keep this place going
for years
That's right,
come here for your coffees!
We came here for the calla lilies!
Calla lilies...
Don't be embarrassed
You guys brought so many gifts,
I feel blessed
Don't mention it...
Didn't have space
at home for all thatjunk
When Doris asked for gifts on MSN...
it was because
she had too many calla lilies
Too many to deal with
So she invited her friends...
to her opening day
Made her feel popular
Now she has a new problem
Surveying all the junk they brought...
she wished she'd known
they'd take her at her word
What she should have put on MSN was...
"I have a truckload of calla lilies"
"If you want some
and would like to see me..."
"bring some superfine flour
or Arabica beans in exchange"
Of all your friends...
Hugo sounded the most sincere
Ma, you must be kidding!
He's so glib!
But he didn't skirt the issue
"Didn't have space
at home for all thatjunk"
Shouldn't you have
just asked for money?
Why all those calla lilies?
Just shut up
Shut up
"If it were you,
would you have taken cash? Or calla lilies?"
I'd definitely take the lilies
With calla lilies...
you can use some
to decorate your home
And give the rest to your friends
Cash, of course!
What use are all those flowers?
I'd take the calla lilies
I could set up a market stall!
I'd sell all the calla lilies...
and use the money to fix my car
I'd take half and half
First see how much cash
he has on him
Then take the balance in flowers
I guess I'd prefer him
to pay me off in cash
What could I do
at home with calla lilies?
"Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,
old time is still a-flying"
Calla lilies are good
Cash
Give'em to your friends or sell'em
Because I need to get my car fixed
Well, I'd go for the calla lilies
How many kilos in one catty?
Welcome!
Sorry, I'm just here for my friend
Thanks
What are you doing?
Throwing it away
Throwing it away?
Three eggs: NT$15,
sugar: NT$18,
cocoa powder: NT$7...
Half a pack
of ladyfingers alone is NT$125!
Not forgetting the powdered coffee,
the coffee and the cream!
You know how much
I spend making tiramisu?
Around NT$600!
Then what shall I do with it?
Give it to Uncle
He already has some cheesecake
Then give it to that guy on the third floor
He's abroad
Then eat it yourself!
I thought all your friends
were coming here?
Not one of them has shown up
At least I have some friends,
unlike you
It's actually quite good
Bin it
The problem isn't
the tiramisu
The problem is all thatjunk
I'll get rid of it all tomorrow
Hey, Borough Chief!
Need a hand with that?
No, thanks, we're fine
Come on in
Sorry about the mess
ltjust opened, nice coffee smell
- Have a seat
- Thanks
I'm sorry...
Let's sit here
So what's your latest recommendation?
Kundali in Mainland China
Kundali? Where is it?
Exitjunk, enter customers!
We can lose that wooden horse too
Sis, how can you add an?
Clair to the bill?
He won't mind
A Thai cookbook
What's a Thai cookbook doing here?
Search me
There's a lot of weird stuff here
Is this for sale?
I'll ask her
Miss...
Can you come over?
Is this book for sale?
We didn't pay for it, so we can't sell it
You can't sell it?
It's not for sale
Why do you want it?
It's in Chinese too
Why won't you sell it?
Why not?
You can exchange something for it
Exchange?
It's for exchange only
That's a pity
What do you want in exchange?
Well?
Our backyard drain is blocked
My sister is asking me to unblock it
But if I go and do that...
there'll be no-one to serve you
Unblock the drain?
In exchange for this?
My son can do it, it's easy
Is it a deal?
I'll see to your drain...
and you give us the book
Fine
So we have a deal?
Just take it
I'll sort out the drain
Hello,
Madam...
I'll give you this
Thanks, take one of these
Boss!
Boss!
I'll give you this
Boss!
What is it?
I'll give you this
"Exchange goods at Doris's Cafe"
That's hard work!
Visit Doris's Cafe!
Visit Doris's Cafe!
Oh, yes...
Everything's up for exchange?
- Mm, you can look around
- Okay, Thanks
There are too many coffee shops
We need to stand out
You're so annoying
I don't want to goddam stand out
Your Caf? Is special,
full of strange things
Mr. Lin, I'm the one who called you
Hello, I'm Josie
Don't you want a set of bone china?
Not for me, it's for Ma
Give me a few months and I'll get a set
The reason I called you is...
we want to make a website
for exchanging things
I'm not spending money on any website
It doesn't have to be a website
A blog will be good enough
Why this exchanging thing?
Because I need some bone china?
Yup
And?
And I'd like a car
My family used to run a pawn shop
The house was always
crammed with pawned goods
I know how to give them a headache,
make them hesitate...
You're giving me a headache already
So where's the stuff now?
What stuff?
The pawned goods
You know what people do
when they need to stop and think?
What?
Your sister won't like this!
They order another coffee!
Sis...
I think we need an extractor vent
There's air pollution
What about the pollution
of all yourjunk?
All these things are exchangeable?
Have you brought anything?
There's no light bulb
Doesn't matter,
just put one in and it'll work
What can I swap for it?
You didn't bring anything?
No, but I'm thinking...
At home,
I have another lamp I could bring
Exchange one lamp for another?
Yes, and mine has a bulb in it
It's not working out
as well as Josie said it would
Lots of people come and look around
But not many of them exchanged things
The bone china and the car
are still nowhere in sight
I don't want another lamp
I don't know...
One lamp for another!
Josie defends her position
She says people are still looking for
the right places to put this stuff
They just haven't found them yet
It's good
You like it?
What? Too bitter?
I like it bitter
I like espresso, too
None of these things is for sale?
Only for exchange?
It's my sister's idea
I like the barter system
Do you know Sofa Guests?
I'm a member
Everyone has a sofa at home, right?
You just offer it
to a backpacker guest
Maybe someone
from Europe or America
He gets to save on the cost of a hotel
And next time you go abroad...
you get to sleep for free
on someone else's sofa
In a way, that's a kind of exchange too
I'll add some water for you
The exchanges didn't net anything
valuable for Josie...
but it definitely helped the business
Isn't that
what Doris wanted at the outset?
Then why is she upset now?
It's a question of skills
People care about their skills
Doris doesn't like her skills
taken for granted
While people ponder
where they'll put a lamp...
they don't notice her skills
You said you wanted
to study art design
And you?
You said you wanted
to study business trade
Later you said
that art design wasn't for you
And you?
You said business trade
wasn't for you either
I think both of you
lack staying power
You give up
No strength!
You want stronger massage?
No, I'm talking to my daughter
The one at the end!
You took a pastry-making class...
Then a coffee-making class
And what did you say?
"If it's good,
we'll get lots of repeat business"
And now? Are you in profit?
You've even started a sideline
I had nothing to do with that!
That was Josie's idea
I spend all day doing my job...
making coffees and desserts
She told me to unblock the drain
Same old thing
Business trade wasn't for you
Unblocking drains isn't for you either
So what's this thing
about running an exchange?
Doesn't it sound like another
form of business trade?
Good morning
Aren't you rather early?
We're not open yet
I've brought some things to exchange
Take a look...
See if you want any of it
don't think
there's anything here I want
So I don't know what exchange to make
How about this...
I'll leave these here
And you help me decide
what to exchange them for
I decide for you?
They're all soaps!
If nobody wants a bar of soap...
I can throw in a story with each one
A story?
Throw in how?
You'll write it down?
Where's Madagascar?
Off the south-east coast of Africa
It's an island
I sort of remember...
Deep in the forests there...
you can find the Devil Tree
Why's it called that?
They say that if you smell its fragrance...
They say a group of people
set out to find the Devil Tree
They were determined
to smell this unique fragrance
Nothing in their whole lives
mattered more
to them than this
So...
I guess you could call it...
the inner value
This cafe is very interesting
Come on, it's cool inside
Come in, all of you
Come on,
come on
Let me explain
This cafe is really interesting
Of course it serves coffee...
which you can pay for
with NT$ or Mainland Chinese yuan
But everything else you can see...
Just look at all this stuff!
You can't buy it,
even with US$ or Japanese yen
You have to bring something
of your own and exchange it
You're from...?
They're special guests
from Mainland China
Anything you want to know, ask me
Feel free to look around
Okay, thanks
Two cappuccinos
Okay, thanks
Take a seat
What's going on?
Sis...
We could give these dumplings
to the third-floor guy
He's had plenty
Really?
He gets them every time
Fourth floor?
Why did you make so many?
I'm stuffed
You know what?
That stewardess with short hair...
She has a pug strap on her mobile
The kind I told you about before
The one you couldn't find in Taiwan?
Yes, I really want one
Excuse me, can we have some water?
Thank you
I'll check it out for you
It's so great that you get to fly every day
It's not so great, just makes you old
Really?
But you get to visit so many places
My sister says...
you can't buy those in Taiwan
This?
I bought it in France
See? That's so cool!
Could you buy her one
next time you're there?
Your sister likes them?
Then it's hers
I couldn't take yours
Could I take a look at it?
Nice to see a real one at last
It's so cute
I used to have a pug
Then you can have it
Oh, I couldn't do that
It's alright, take it
Let me buy it from you!
No way
All we sell here is coffee
Everything else you can see here...
Like all that stuff on the shelves...
That's all for exchange
Exchange?
How about telling her a story
in exchange?
Good idea
You have no other customers right now
Make yourself a cup of coffee...
and tell us a story
I haven't heard a story in ages
I'm not that great at telling stories
Never mind,
don't make her feel awkward
If exchange is the rule here...
how about giving me another coffee?
That would be an exchange, right?
Not such a fair exchange...
Three coffees, then?
Okay, okay
I'll tell a story on her behalf
And you give it to her when I finish
I only finished junior high school
Dad died when I
was about to go on to senior high
He left us some money
Anyhow, Ma made out two slips of paper
One said: "Travel round the world"
The other said: "Study"
We two kids drew lots to decide our future
My sister picked "Study"
So when I should have
gone to senior high,
I was sent off to Australia
I stayed
with a relative, a journalist
When he went to work,
he brought me along
And he took me scuba
diving in his free time
Six months later...
I went to India
The start of a counter-clockwise
round-the-world trip
I had a restaurantjob there...
and met my first boyfriend
But...
Time ran out
I had to move again
Next it was the Maldives
By then I was really hating Ma
Why should she decide how I lived...
and where I went?
I had a good friend in junior high
She was transferred in for three months
And then sent on to another school
I remember very clearly...
how she sobbed that day
She told me that
always changing school like that...
meant that she never had a real friend
Daddy comforted me
"He said..."
"Everyone's life is different"
She'd been to far more places that I had
But I had closer friends
than she'd ever have
When I left for Madagascar...
all I could think of was her face...
and what Daddy had said
Hey, did you know that
in the forests of Madagascar
there's a Devil Tree?
You've flown
to more places than we have!
How many languages do you speak?
Now I'll tell the story again
My dad died
as I was about
to enter senior high school
He left us some money
Anyhow,
Ma made out two slips of paper
One said: "Study"
The other said: "Travel round the world"
I got the "Travel" one
Since we were little,
my sister's always
had better grades than me
Ma was delighted
that she did so well
So she did all she could
to support her education
And my sister?
She studied day and night...
Put on weight...
Got pimples all over her face...
Didn't get a second glance from boys
when she went out
The better her grades became...
the more she lacked self-confidence
She got into a very good school
But she wasn't at all happy
Sometimes she'd come home...
and find postcards
from my travels in the mailbox
While studying alone late at night...
she'd find herself remembering...
the days when she could
just go around with her puppy
She'd talk to the puppy...
"Look, that's a cloud"
"Look, that's a gutter"
"Look..."
"those are traffic lights"
So she hated our Ma
Why couldn't she let her travel?
She hated me too
Why hadn't I picked the "Study" paper?
It's through all these things here that
she sees the world
She's never been abroad
The reason she
runs this exchange system...
is so that she can hear more stories
she's missed out on herself
That puppy strap is French
And it looks
just like the pug she once had
The moment you stepped in here...
she knew that your puppy strap
had many stories
for her
I'm speechless
Here, it's yours
Thank you
I think I'm going to cry
Sis...
Is it a good idea to write love letters?
Why shouldn't it be?
You two can't decide...
So it's down to me
Madrid
Reykjavik in Iceland
Iceland...
That's crazy...
How can he get to so many places?
I got it!
Didn't you say he couldn't write?
Because his parents
didn't send him to school?
Let's say they
used his tuition fees to fund his travels
If only...
If my tuition fees had been spent
on air tickets...
then I could have travelled
everywhere too
Yeah, you wish
Burkina Faso...
You have no business sense!
If you want to exchange things, you can
Nice gimmick
But put a price on it!
I'm about to give you a rinse
Tell me...
How much time each day do you spend
explaining to customers?
Well...
We can't give you a hot rinse
without a word of warning
No, no, I was talking to my daughter
The one of the right
What?
How much time do you waste
on bargaining every day?
Your sister says
you don't help in the cafe
That's nonsense, you ask her
Do more people come in for a coffee
and then pause
to exchange something...
Or do they come to exchange things
and pause for a coffee?
Just put a price on it
I'm not saying
you should actually charge a fee
It wouldn't be an exchange if you did
And you'd lose the gimmick
But if you put a price on it...
you can calculate
when people bring things to exchange
Add a bit, subtract a bit...
to even things out
Wouldn't that be more cost-effective?
Then tell me...
What's the price
for helping to write love letters?
Anyhow, it's a waste of time
"The owner of these soaps
wants to swap them,
plus 35 stories
from different places..."
for 35 love letters"
Does that grab you?
Too bad, you can't exchange with him
He wants a girl to write them
I think he's really after a girlfriend
- you know him?
- Of course
Tell you what, he's never been to school!
And his parents are supernice
The drain's blocked again
Oh, there you are
Whatever else you negotiate,
get the drain fixed within two days
No-one wants to swap with you yet
What are you having today?
Same as last time
Sis, same as last time
What did he order last time?
Espresso
I'll tell you a story from Phoenix
Once upon a time...
there was a small town in Arizona
One year, there's a severe drought
The local people,
one by one, move out
One boy in particular is very sad to go
So he buries something
under a cactus
Was it this bar of soap?
Too long ago!
Anyhow, he keeps on walking
for about two weeks
Now, there's the boss of a restaurant...
lying on his bed, about to die
He looks up and sees the boy
All of a sudden, tears start
from the boy's eyes
And all along the tear-tracks on his face...
thorns start to pop out
He becomes a cactus!
Out come long thorns...
Long thorns from his eyeballs...
He cries and cries and cries...
and more and more thorns
keep coming out
Seen from a distance...
he looks just like cactus...
beside the bed, covered with thorns
Yes, and posing!
Right, posing
Miss, excuse me...
My friend would like to have this book
He knows it has to be exchanged
But he didn't bring anything today
And he goes back to Japan tomorrow
So he wonders if he can buy it?
Sorry, no
He'll have to come back next time
Excuse me, Miss...
His mother
is an elementary school teacher
She's retiring this year
She used to teach these songs
to her pupils
I'm sorry, but we can't allow it
If I bend the rule for him...
it'd be unfair to other customers
Sorry
In point of fact...
I took the rocking horse in exchange
for a guitar in the first place
I know that your guitar
isn'tjust any old guitar
You serenaded your wife with it
But that only makes it special for you
For me, it's just another guitar
But my boy loves that horse
I know he does
Last time he was here, he sat on it
But I don't want another guitar in
exchange for the rocking horse
I want something else
I'm really sorry
Can he sing in exchange for it?
I don't think that's on...
That book is decades old
He thinks singing for a couple of
minutes is a fair exchange?
How about two songs?
I'd like to hear that
Me too
Me too
If he sings...
I can play too
How about that?
There've been some interior decorators
working round here lately
If you help them paint the wall...
you can get the rocking horse
Okay, I'll paint the wall!
Let's listen to the songs
"The hillside
where we chased rabbits..."
"The riverbank
where we fished..."
"They're always in my dreams"
"The unforgettable place where I was born"
What's the purpose of exchanging things?
If you were to ask Josie...
she might not have an answer
But that's not to imply that
she's in any way illogical
Just that her logic works something
like this cartoon
And what about Doris?
She used to think exchanges were
unprofitable and a waste of time
But the concept of 'inner value'
has lodged in her mind
So things have changed
"If you could choose,
would you use the money to study
or to travel round the world?"
I'd travel round the world
Because compared with what school
teaches me about the world...
I'd learn more
by traveling
I'd choose to study
Because when you're young...
it's easy to remember things,
so studying is better
Travel round the world!
Explore on your own...
Find truth...
Study! Plenty of time to travel
when you get older
Travel broadens the mind
I'd travel round the world
I'd study
I think I'd go on studying
Study other languages first...
Then you can have fun anywhere you go
Better to do well at school first
and get rich
Then we can go where we like
For myself, I like to play
I'd like to play all round the world
Do you know your own goals in life?
Without goals,
there's no point in doing good business
No point in doing business?
What goals?
My goal is to bring up my kid
Buy her a house!
I'm talking to my daughters,
these two next to me
I'm sorry
At the time I divorced your father...
my life was completely aimless
Your aunt told me...
I needed goals
Now, your lives are settling down
So I want to ask you,
do you have goals?
Yes, I want to save money
And you?
I want to travel
Be realistic
You can't even take care of yourself!
How are you going to travel?
Take advantage of your free time!
Learn how to make desserts
from your sister
Get your head out of the clouds!
Strange how saving money is a goal...
while traveling round the world
is just daydreaming
That's how it is
The drain's unblocked
lmpressive!
You didn't even dirty your shoes!
Low fat, low salt, better
for an old person's diet
He won't eat it?
We can buy it for him
You're always making pictures
What do you paint?
I'm not talented, just doodling
You have no idea how small it is
Not much more
than 500 square meters
But you know
how many people live there?
Probably twenty to thirty thousand!
Sorry, one moment...
Josie Chuo!
What?
You're making a flood
Point it at the flowerpots!
I'll drown you all
- Can you do it?
- Yes, I can
Let me try one
My turn!
Hang on, how will we get home?
That one might hit someone
Hang on, what are we eating?
Did you hear me?
Okay, I'll swap with you
Thank you
Thank you
By the way, what'll you use it for?
Don't know yet
But don't you think...
it's rather childish?
Pardon me, isn't that childish?
When we get
hold of a phoenix feather...
we can have eternal youth
Say "cheese"
One, two, three... Congratulations!
There's something I want to ask you
Do you know that your name
is also the name of a color?
You mean ultramarine?
I had two favorite colors in senior high
One was ultramarine,
the other was cobalt blue
One, two, three... The Flying Fist!
No, you...
Can you at least take a look?
Wow, so cool!
Forget it! Listen...
That picture is worth less than this
Then don't exchange with me
It's just an old, yellowing picture
Then let's call off the exchange!
If I hadn't lived here before,
I wouldn't want to exchange either
But we're in here now
No exchange
Another coffee please, boss
Me too
Alright, if you want it so badly...
I'll make the exchange
Really?
- Are you sure?
- Positive
We're looking for Doris.
Yes, I am.
You're Jonah?
Yes, I am.
And you are Ala...
Alamela
Alamela Hello,
Nice to meet you.
This is really nice.
Thank you.
Take your seat, please.
Thank you very much.
Do you want some drinks, coffee or...?
Water will be fine.
Hello, this is my business card
A travel agency?
Right, we heard about your cafe
Our manager wanted us to come
and take a look at it
So we've been sitting for a while
Is there anything special?
Was it the Borough Chief
who told you about us?
No, the airline people
Travel agencies
design packages for tourists...
just like restaurants have set menus
Our company wants
to design a special package for Taipei
So you're thinking of making our cafe
part of your Taipei...
Yes, we're here to evaluate it
But I just had a look around
Everything here is up for exchange
What could tourists buy
if they came here?
What could they buy?
All we sell is coffee
Will there be anything else?
No, we're fine
Thanks, sorry to trouble you
Thank you, goodbye
Your change
Thanks
How is the business doing?
Quite okay
Why were you so fierce
with those people today?
They wanted to use you to make commissions
Commissions?
As if you worked for them for free
They bring in guests...
and they take a higher percentage
cut than you do
Like the sound of that?
What's the connection?
There is one
If you put in the ugly black ones...
it will spoil the look of it
The ones you should pick are...
the round ones with no damage
The bright red ones
Now I'm going
to tell you a story set in Taipei
Won't that be boring?
Wait and see
lmagine a picture...
The whole of the city...
is empty, no-one's there
One day...
There's a painter
who wakes up in a hotel room
high up on the 40th floor
He stands at the huge picture-window
He realizes
that there's no-one down there
If you're god...
just create any two people
Then the story can begin
He thinks of something
He takes some paper and draws a girl
He carefully cuts her out...
and lets her fly away
The girl wanders alone through the city
She drinks coffee alone
She surveys the scenery alone
The painter thinks she's too lonely
So he draws a man too
Lets him fly away too
But the paper man...
flies off in a different direction
He lands somewhere else
So he also drinks coffee alone
And reads a newspaper alone
That's the last of the stories
And I've changed my mind
I don't want to exchange
these 35 bars of soap
After all, they represent my memories
Ah...
You can take back your soaps...
but you can't take my illustrations
Of course I can
I've told you 35 stories
I get the pictures
in exchange
He shouldn't have
taken your illustrations
Right?
What do you mean?
I can see you're upset...
because he took your illustrations
Right?
I'm upset?
Why should I be upset?
I let him tell all those stories
I sold him
all those coffees and desserts
I couldn't be happier
But you made so many illustrations
Don't be silly
Before you sell a coffee,
you have to buy coffee beans
Before you sell a dessert,
you have to buy flour
Anybody can tell stories
How can you tell if they're true or not?
But you don't care either way
it's true or not
You're right, I don't
Come on...
I drew the "Study" lot
Studied so long I grew pimply!
While my sister
traveled round the world
Where's your pug?
Hanging from my mobile
No, I mean the real one
What are you getting at?
The one Dad gave you
Are you crazy?
He died
No he didn't
Dad took him
What are you saying? He died!
No he didn't
One day you came home
and he was gone
You just said he was dead
when your classmates asked
You really get on my nerves
Dad didn't take him
Dad didn't even take us,
let alone the dog!
It was Ma who sent him away
Let's be frank, he
shouldn't have taken the illustrations
Or the soaps
He's such a jerk
What did he mean by his memories?
But they were his memories
Not mine
I'm talking about the illustrations,
which were yours
He can't even draw!
But if he hadn't told me the stories...
I couldn't have drawn them
I didn't have those images in my head
And now...
I can't go on and draw the next city story
Now he has my illustrations...
and I have his stories
I thought they'd come
and take the money
So I put my foot on it and stood firm
Why didn't you just pick it up?
If I'd moved,
they might have snatched it!
Welcome!
Hello... table for four?
Hello, this is my business card
- Hello
- Hello
Nice to meet you, sorry
we were eating when you came in
My two colleagues
here came by before
I remember
I'd like to reopen the discussion
of the 'package' idea
Because your Cafe is very special
Our clients ask about it
They want to know if a visit
can be included in the 'package'
But we don't sell the things here
So you wouldn't get any commission
Sorry...
Can we sit down and talk?
Of course we can, go over there
- Thank you
What will you have to drink?
Coffee
Coffee for everyone?
Iced or hot?
Our manager has an idea
about franchising
Franchising?
Let me explain
If a foreign friend visits you...
you'll guide them
around the place,
for sure
You'll most likely
bring them to your home too
So if...
So if this place
happened to be your home...
What could be better, right?
By 'franchising' they mean a takeover
They don't want commission,
they want the business!
No, that's not it
We're just here
to float an idea
What we'd like is...
for you to tell us what you think of it
In fact, our company is looking
for investments
If you were thinking...
of raising more capital by any chance...
And if we hadn't come here today...
Wouldn't that have been a shame?
We only sell coffee here
Didn't you two go back and tell them?
We sell coffee, not the business
Or you can bring something
to exchange
In this business...
my sister's share is larger than mine
But you can have my share...
if you bring me air tickets in exchange
I want flights to these 35 cities
May I take a look?
How could you do that?
Isn't it your baby?
It's yours too
You were right to say that
by running an exchange...
we'd hear lots of stories about things
we haven't experienced
But the more of them I heard...
the more I wanted
stories of my own to exchange
You, now...
You should've let me teach you more
about making desserts
That's the thing that
worries me most right now
Oh...
The Borough Chief's son can help
He says the reason the drain
keeps getting blocked...
is because
the neighbor's ground is higher
He'll make ours higher
He says we should open on Sundays
And he says we wouldn't need
to hire a new pastry chef...
if he came in to help me
It would save money too
You're that close to him?
It's freezing
Let's go down and tell Ma
Okay
Have you booked hotels?
My sister's a member of Sofa Guests
No need for hotels! Cool, eh?
A bit faster
Is he doing okay?
Much better than you
You know what?
We'll get Sofa Guests wanting
to spend the night here sometimes
So we'll need it
left clean and tidy, okay?
No. 393,
registered mail for Doris Chuo
Give me the stamp from the drawer
Top drawer!
What's a Sofa Guest?
You don't know Sofa Guests?
What is it?
What the hell?
Now he doesn't want them?
Let me see
"I used to be an auxiliary pilot"
"I exchanged many stories
for love letters"
"As I said, they were all about my past"
"I used to be an auxiliary pilot"
"Last month I left the airline"
"In future I like to make coffee with you"
Make coffee with you?
"Will you help me by drawing
the story of the 36th city?"
"Will you help me by drawing
the story of the 36th city?"
Ah, your favorite color!
You're so annoying
Last time he was such a jerk
What's he pulling now?
What?
Your heart is blooming with joy
Bloom, bloom, bloom
You're so annoying
You think I'm annoying?
Don't team up with him
- He's jobless now
- Give it back
He's jobless now
So you also like him?
I always thought you did
Give me 1000 bucks
and I'll give it back
Hey!
If you don't hand it over, I'll tear it
I earn so damn little here
Just give me spare change then
Come on...
Skinflint!
Hey, no slacking there!
"At heart,
What do you treasure most?"
My parents...
My brother...
Friends
To me, it's a happy family...
Parents, brothers and sisters
Giving my parents a good life
Making my parents happy
Growing old with my husband
Watching my kid grow up
To make my son proud of me
And to get his respect
I think what I treasure most
is safety and tranquility
So that I can see
tomorrow's sunrise and sunset
Health
Being happy every day
Having no regrets
Showing people a heartfelt smile
Being at ease, tranquil
Getting spaced out
Wild romance
I think what I treasure most is...
innocence
Because kids do all kinds of things
quite naturally
But when they grow up
and the world starts judging them...
Or when certain labels
get stuck on them...
Then what used to be innocent
becomes something more complex
Josie finally gets the car she wanted
She's embarrassed to tell her sister...
that she never found her
a set of bone china
Doris tells her,
that's just the way it is
You can't always get what you want
In this city...
there's surely someone
looking for bone china
And surely there's someone
with a spare set
Surely someone has an empty sofa
And surely someone else
is looking for it
They just haven't found each other
It's the city
These stories happen
in the city every day
You mean the paint-job?
I 've never heard of 'jungle color'
- you do paint-jobs, Right?
- Yes, we do
So can you help her with that?
I don't know about you two
Is it really such a shitty job?
It's not that great
But I can't complain
In a recession, no job is much fun
Ah, no, I was talking to my daughters
Those two in the back seat
One of them used to say
she wanted to save money
And the other wanted
to go round the world
But now...
One of them wants
to go round the world
And the other wants to save money
I don't get it
What changed?
Our 'Sofa Guest' Doris is leaving now!
Okay, the car's waiting, hurry!
Looks great!
Anything you need to say?
Hurry up!
Take care of yourselves
And take care of the Cafe
Taipei people's favorite coffee
Doris doesn't like
decorating the surface
If there's a pattern...
you can't see how the cream blends
with the milk foam
It's different each time
These are eclairs
Doris's best dessert
Look...
Each one is slightly different
Because food is much like people
Not all the same
If you fancy tasting Doris's eclairs...
you'll need to come
to Doris's Cafe on a Wednesday
See, the dessert menu changes daily
This is Doris
The owner of Doris's Cafe
She's long dreamt
of having an elegant coffee shop
A year ago...
when her aunt emigrated to Shanghai...
she knew the moment had come
She told her former boss
she was quitting
This thing is really not bad
And really expensive
Many people want one
You want to see?
You...
Look closely at the joints
It's so well made
Take a look
Take a good look
Explain to her, Ah Kuo!
Now watch...
its best feature!
One, two, three...
The Flying Fist!
This is Doris's Cafe
Now you see it...
Not all that elegant
Why does the coffee shop look like this?
Before we go on with the story...
let's just listen in for a moment
These are Doris's latest thoughts
As I see it, a beautiful cup...
is worth more
than a baseball signed by a star
I'm telling you
The picture isn't worth that much
In that customer's mind...
the picture is worth more
than the action toy
If we hadn't lived here before...
I wouldn't swap it
And in my sister's mind...
the picture isn't worth
the price of two coffees
That's enough talk
Another coffee, please
I'll have another too
Okay...
If you really want it that much...
I'll swap with you
Really?
What matters most is
its inner value
She's exhausted.
Take a rest yourself too.
Oh absolutely, thank you.
I'm come back here
tomorrow morning at 9:30.
Let me show you how to lock the door.
It's very very easy.
Just...
Of course, of course.
I'm not bothering you anymore.
Good night.
Have a nice dream.
Thank you.
Bye.
One Year Earlier
Tastes good!
It's chocolate
Really good!
Look how you're eating it!
Great!
Not bad, today's isn't bad
I don't like cheesecake
Lots of people do, though
Everywhere sells cheesecake
Then why ask me?
I'm just asking
I don't like cheesecake
Must have a sofa
A really soft and comfy one
Nope, that'd give you less loading
"Loading"?
Customer loading
But look,
there'll be a huge table at the bar
That'll have really high loading
Ever been to a shabu-shabu place?
"Loading"?
Refills
This is Josie
Refills?
We won't do refills
Did you really major
in Business Studies?
If Doris could make up her own mind,
she wouldn't get Josie involved
But Josie's mother asked her
to do something constructive
And Doris's mother told her
she'd need a helping hand
As it happens,
their mothers are the same person
So even if Doris doesn't really want
Josie working in the cafe...
it's not her call
Doris's dream finally came true
From now on...
there's a place
where she can make all the decisions
She sees herself...
taking a step towards freedom
Hello?
Sweetie!
I'm in the mountains, reception's lousy
I'm buying some calla lilies
Don't you remember?
My cafe is about to open!
Come, and bring a gift!
You absolutely have to come
Young lady,
don't you know how to drive?
You hit my truck!
Mister, you hit me first!
Look at the state of my bumper!
Come on,
you know how much it will cost to fix it?
- You've dented my truck, too
- My headlight's shattered!
Mister, I was going uphill
and you were going downhill!
I had the right of way
Says who?
My ex-boyfriend
Uphill? Downhill?
Hello, is that Mr. Hsu?
I can't deliver the flowers today
It's pouring with rain up here
There's been a mudslide,
the road's blocked
Nothing changed after this collision
Neither of their wallets
got fatter or thinner
The calla lilies that were on their way
downhill kept going downhill
But now in Doris's car
Sis, put this vase on the bar table
What'll we do with all these flowers?
I don't know either
This one?
Uh-huh
Listen, all of you, Doris's Cafe opens
the day after tomorrow
What'll we do about gifts?
Send one big one together?
Or all do our own?
Gifts?
Better ask Hugo
Ask me?
Sure, aren't you the 'creative' one here?
I'd say...
Send something useless,
doesn't matter what
Hello, hello, friends arriving!
Hello
Hello, Auntie
Hi, Erock, have a flower
Thank you!
Hi there, congratulations
Hi, Eggie
Is the dog a gift too?
No, he's just here for fun
This is for you
Thank you!
Come in, welcome
Doris is inside
- Auntie...
- Hello, welcome
Congratulation
Nice to have you here
This place is beautiful!
And you are...?
Tora
Tora
Okay, let's chat later
Okay
Why did no-one bring anything normal?
Hugo, what on earth is that?
Weighs a ton...
Welcome, Hugo
Help me with this
It's not heavy at all!
You're just showing off, go on in!
Welcome the boss
of Doris's Cafe... Doris!
Speech, speech!
Give her a big hand
Thank you all for coming today
Can't hear you!
Turn on the mic!
Louder!
Hello... is that better?
Can't hear you!
Okay, okay, that'll do
Thank you all for coming today
I hope I'll be running this Caf?
for years and years
You said that
about working in our office!
Yeah, you did!
This is different
This time it's my passion
You said art was your passion too!
And playing darts!
- And being a street artist!
- Okay, okay
Doris has so many friends...
Enough to keep this place going
for years
That's right,
come here for your coffees!
We came here for the calla lilies!
Calla lilies...
Don't be embarrassed
You guys brought so many gifts,
I feel blessed
Don't mention it...
Didn't have space
at home for all thatjunk
When Doris asked for gifts on MSN...
it was because
she had too many calla lilies
Too many to deal with
So she invited her friends...
to her opening day
Made her feel popular
Now she has a new problem
Surveying all the junk they brought...
she wished she'd known
they'd take her at her word
What she should have put on MSN was...
"I have a truckload of calla lilies"
"If you want some
and would like to see me..."
"bring some superfine flour
or Arabica beans in exchange"
Of all your friends...
Hugo sounded the most sincere
Ma, you must be kidding!
He's so glib!
But he didn't skirt the issue
"Didn't have space
at home for all thatjunk"
Shouldn't you have
just asked for money?
Why all those calla lilies?
Just shut up
Shut up
"If it were you,
would you have taken cash? Or calla lilies?"
I'd definitely take the lilies
With calla lilies...
you can use some
to decorate your home
And give the rest to your friends
Cash, of course!
What use are all those flowers?
I'd take the calla lilies
I could set up a market stall!
I'd sell all the calla lilies...
and use the money to fix my car
I'd take half and half
First see how much cash
he has on him
Then take the balance in flowers
I guess I'd prefer him
to pay me off in cash
What could I do
at home with calla lilies?
"Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,
old time is still a-flying"
Calla lilies are good
Cash
Give'em to your friends or sell'em
Because I need to get my car fixed
Well, I'd go for the calla lilies
How many kilos in one catty?
Welcome!
Sorry, I'm just here for my friend
Thanks
What are you doing?
Throwing it away
Throwing it away?
Three eggs: NT$15,
sugar: NT$18,
cocoa powder: NT$7...
Half a pack
of ladyfingers alone is NT$125!
Not forgetting the powdered coffee,
the coffee and the cream!
You know how much
I spend making tiramisu?
Around NT$600!
Then what shall I do with it?
Give it to Uncle
He already has some cheesecake
Then give it to that guy on the third floor
He's abroad
Then eat it yourself!
I thought all your friends
were coming here?
Not one of them has shown up
At least I have some friends,
unlike you
It's actually quite good
Bin it
The problem isn't
the tiramisu
The problem is all thatjunk
I'll get rid of it all tomorrow
Hey, Borough Chief!
Need a hand with that?
No, thanks, we're fine
Come on in
Sorry about the mess
ltjust opened, nice coffee smell
- Have a seat
- Thanks
I'm sorry...
Let's sit here
So what's your latest recommendation?
Kundali in Mainland China
Kundali? Where is it?
Exitjunk, enter customers!
We can lose that wooden horse too
Sis, how can you add an?
Clair to the bill?
He won't mind
A Thai cookbook
What's a Thai cookbook doing here?
Search me
There's a lot of weird stuff here
Is this for sale?
I'll ask her
Miss...
Can you come over?
Is this book for sale?
We didn't pay for it, so we can't sell it
You can't sell it?
It's not for sale
Why do you want it?
It's in Chinese too
Why won't you sell it?
Why not?
You can exchange something for it
Exchange?
It's for exchange only
That's a pity
What do you want in exchange?
Well?
Our backyard drain is blocked
My sister is asking me to unblock it
But if I go and do that...
there'll be no-one to serve you
Unblock the drain?
In exchange for this?
My son can do it, it's easy
Is it a deal?
I'll see to your drain...
and you give us the book
Fine
So we have a deal?
Just take it
I'll sort out the drain
Hello,
Madam...
I'll give you this
Thanks, take one of these
Boss!
Boss!
I'll give you this
Boss!
What is it?
I'll give you this
"Exchange goods at Doris's Cafe"
That's hard work!
Visit Doris's Cafe!
Visit Doris's Cafe!
Oh, yes...
Everything's up for exchange?
- Mm, you can look around
- Okay, Thanks
There are too many coffee shops
We need to stand out
You're so annoying
I don't want to goddam stand out
Your Caf? Is special,
full of strange things
Mr. Lin, I'm the one who called you
Hello, I'm Josie
Don't you want a set of bone china?
Not for me, it's for Ma
Give me a few months and I'll get a set
The reason I called you is...
we want to make a website
for exchanging things
I'm not spending money on any website
It doesn't have to be a website
A blog will be good enough
Why this exchanging thing?
Because I need some bone china?
Yup
And?
And I'd like a car
My family used to run a pawn shop
The house was always
crammed with pawned goods
I know how to give them a headache,
make them hesitate...
You're giving me a headache already
So where's the stuff now?
What stuff?
The pawned goods
You know what people do
when they need to stop and think?
What?
Your sister won't like this!
They order another coffee!
Sis...
I think we need an extractor vent
There's air pollution
What about the pollution
of all yourjunk?
All these things are exchangeable?
Have you brought anything?
There's no light bulb
Doesn't matter,
just put one in and it'll work
What can I swap for it?
You didn't bring anything?
No, but I'm thinking...
At home,
I have another lamp I could bring
Exchange one lamp for another?
Yes, and mine has a bulb in it
It's not working out
as well as Josie said it would
Lots of people come and look around
But not many of them exchanged things
The bone china and the car
are still nowhere in sight
I don't want another lamp
I don't know...
One lamp for another!
Josie defends her position
She says people are still looking for
the right places to put this stuff
They just haven't found them yet
It's good
You like it?
What? Too bitter?
I like it bitter
I like espresso, too
None of these things is for sale?
Only for exchange?
It's my sister's idea
I like the barter system
Do you know Sofa Guests?
I'm a member
Everyone has a sofa at home, right?
You just offer it
to a backpacker guest
Maybe someone
from Europe or America
He gets to save on the cost of a hotel
And next time you go abroad...
you get to sleep for free
on someone else's sofa
In a way, that's a kind of exchange too
I'll add some water for you
The exchanges didn't net anything
valuable for Josie...
but it definitely helped the business
Isn't that
what Doris wanted at the outset?
Then why is she upset now?
It's a question of skills
People care about their skills
Doris doesn't like her skills
taken for granted
While people ponder
where they'll put a lamp...
they don't notice her skills
You said you wanted
to study art design
And you?
You said you wanted
to study business trade
Later you said
that art design wasn't for you
And you?
You said business trade
wasn't for you either
I think both of you
lack staying power
You give up
No strength!
You want stronger massage?
No, I'm talking to my daughter
The one at the end!
You took a pastry-making class...
Then a coffee-making class
And what did you say?
"If it's good,
we'll get lots of repeat business"
And now? Are you in profit?
You've even started a sideline
I had nothing to do with that!
That was Josie's idea
I spend all day doing my job...
making coffees and desserts
She told me to unblock the drain
Same old thing
Business trade wasn't for you
Unblocking drains isn't for you either
So what's this thing
about running an exchange?
Doesn't it sound like another
form of business trade?
Good morning
Aren't you rather early?
We're not open yet
I've brought some things to exchange
Take a look...
See if you want any of it
don't think
there's anything here I want
So I don't know what exchange to make
How about this...
I'll leave these here
And you help me decide
what to exchange them for
I decide for you?
They're all soaps!
If nobody wants a bar of soap...
I can throw in a story with each one
A story?
Throw in how?
You'll write it down?
Where's Madagascar?
Off the south-east coast of Africa
It's an island
I sort of remember...
Deep in the forests there...
you can find the Devil Tree
Why's it called that?
They say that if you smell its fragrance...
They say a group of people
set out to find the Devil Tree
They were determined
to smell this unique fragrance
Nothing in their whole lives
mattered more
to them than this
So...
I guess you could call it...
the inner value
This cafe is very interesting
Come on, it's cool inside
Come in, all of you
Come on,
come on
Let me explain
This cafe is really interesting
Of course it serves coffee...
which you can pay for
with NT$ or Mainland Chinese yuan
But everything else you can see...
Just look at all this stuff!
You can't buy it,
even with US$ or Japanese yen
You have to bring something
of your own and exchange it
You're from...?
They're special guests
from Mainland China
Anything you want to know, ask me
Feel free to look around
Okay, thanks
Two cappuccinos
Okay, thanks
Take a seat
What's going on?
Sis...
We could give these dumplings
to the third-floor guy
He's had plenty
Really?
He gets them every time
Fourth floor?
Why did you make so many?
I'm stuffed
You know what?
That stewardess with short hair...
She has a pug strap on her mobile
The kind I told you about before
The one you couldn't find in Taiwan?
Yes, I really want one
Excuse me, can we have some water?
Thank you
I'll check it out for you
It's so great that you get to fly every day
It's not so great, just makes you old
Really?
But you get to visit so many places
My sister says...
you can't buy those in Taiwan
This?
I bought it in France
See? That's so cool!
Could you buy her one
next time you're there?
Your sister likes them?
Then it's hers
I couldn't take yours
Could I take a look at it?
Nice to see a real one at last
It's so cute
I used to have a pug
Then you can have it
Oh, I couldn't do that
It's alright, take it
Let me buy it from you!
No way
All we sell here is coffee
Everything else you can see here...
Like all that stuff on the shelves...
That's all for exchange
Exchange?
How about telling her a story
in exchange?
Good idea
You have no other customers right now
Make yourself a cup of coffee...
and tell us a story
I haven't heard a story in ages
I'm not that great at telling stories
Never mind,
don't make her feel awkward
If exchange is the rule here...
how about giving me another coffee?
That would be an exchange, right?
Not such a fair exchange...
Three coffees, then?
Okay, okay
I'll tell a story on her behalf
And you give it to her when I finish
I only finished junior high school
Dad died when I
was about to go on to senior high
He left us some money
Anyhow, Ma made out two slips of paper
One said: "Travel round the world"
The other said: "Study"
We two kids drew lots to decide our future
My sister picked "Study"
So when I should have
gone to senior high,
I was sent off to Australia
I stayed
with a relative, a journalist
When he went to work,
he brought me along
And he took me scuba
diving in his free time
Six months later...
I went to India
The start of a counter-clockwise
round-the-world trip
I had a restaurantjob there...
and met my first boyfriend
But...
Time ran out
I had to move again
Next it was the Maldives
By then I was really hating Ma
Why should she decide how I lived...
and where I went?
I had a good friend in junior high
She was transferred in for three months
And then sent on to another school
I remember very clearly...
how she sobbed that day
She told me that
always changing school like that...
meant that she never had a real friend
Daddy comforted me
"He said..."
"Everyone's life is different"
She'd been to far more places that I had
But I had closer friends
than she'd ever have
When I left for Madagascar...
all I could think of was her face...
and what Daddy had said
Hey, did you know that
in the forests of Madagascar
there's a Devil Tree?
You've flown
to more places than we have!
How many languages do you speak?
Now I'll tell the story again
My dad died
as I was about
to enter senior high school
He left us some money
Anyhow,
Ma made out two slips of paper
One said: "Study"
The other said: "Travel round the world"
I got the "Travel" one
Since we were little,
my sister's always
had better grades than me
Ma was delighted
that she did so well
So she did all she could
to support her education
And my sister?
She studied day and night...
Put on weight...
Got pimples all over her face...
Didn't get a second glance from boys
when she went out
The better her grades became...
the more she lacked self-confidence
She got into a very good school
But she wasn't at all happy
Sometimes she'd come home...
and find postcards
from my travels in the mailbox
While studying alone late at night...
she'd find herself remembering...
the days when she could
just go around with her puppy
She'd talk to the puppy...
"Look, that's a cloud"
"Look, that's a gutter"
"Look..."
"those are traffic lights"
So she hated our Ma
Why couldn't she let her travel?
She hated me too
Why hadn't I picked the "Study" paper?
It's through all these things here that
she sees the world
She's never been abroad
The reason she
runs this exchange system...
is so that she can hear more stories
she's missed out on herself
That puppy strap is French
And it looks
just like the pug she once had
The moment you stepped in here...
she knew that your puppy strap
had many stories
for her
I'm speechless
Here, it's yours
Thank you
I think I'm going to cry
Sis...
Is it a good idea to write love letters?
Why shouldn't it be?
You two can't decide...
So it's down to me
Madrid
Reykjavik in Iceland
Iceland...
That's crazy...
How can he get to so many places?
I got it!
Didn't you say he couldn't write?
Because his parents
didn't send him to school?
Let's say they
used his tuition fees to fund his travels
If only...
If my tuition fees had been spent
on air tickets...
then I could have travelled
everywhere too
Yeah, you wish
Burkina Faso...
You have no business sense!
If you want to exchange things, you can
Nice gimmick
But put a price on it!
I'm about to give you a rinse
Tell me...
How much time each day do you spend
explaining to customers?
Well...
We can't give you a hot rinse
without a word of warning
No, no, I was talking to my daughter
The one of the right
What?
How much time do you waste
on bargaining every day?
Your sister says
you don't help in the cafe
That's nonsense, you ask her
Do more people come in for a coffee
and then pause
to exchange something...
Or do they come to exchange things
and pause for a coffee?
Just put a price on it
I'm not saying
you should actually charge a fee
It wouldn't be an exchange if you did
And you'd lose the gimmick
But if you put a price on it...
you can calculate
when people bring things to exchange
Add a bit, subtract a bit...
to even things out
Wouldn't that be more cost-effective?
Then tell me...
What's the price
for helping to write love letters?
Anyhow, it's a waste of time
"The owner of these soaps
wants to swap them,
plus 35 stories
from different places..."
for 35 love letters"
Does that grab you?
Too bad, you can't exchange with him
He wants a girl to write them
I think he's really after a girlfriend
- you know him?
- Of course
Tell you what, he's never been to school!
And his parents are supernice
The drain's blocked again
Oh, there you are
Whatever else you negotiate,
get the drain fixed within two days
No-one wants to swap with you yet
What are you having today?
Same as last time
Sis, same as last time
What did he order last time?
Espresso
I'll tell you a story from Phoenix
Once upon a time...
there was a small town in Arizona
One year, there's a severe drought
The local people,
one by one, move out
One boy in particular is very sad to go
So he buries something
under a cactus
Was it this bar of soap?
Too long ago!
Anyhow, he keeps on walking
for about two weeks
Now, there's the boss of a restaurant...
lying on his bed, about to die
He looks up and sees the boy
All of a sudden, tears start
from the boy's eyes
And all along the tear-tracks on his face...
thorns start to pop out
He becomes a cactus!
Out come long thorns...
Long thorns from his eyeballs...
He cries and cries and cries...
and more and more thorns
keep coming out
Seen from a distance...
he looks just like cactus...
beside the bed, covered with thorns
Yes, and posing!
Right, posing
Miss, excuse me...
My friend would like to have this book
He knows it has to be exchanged
But he didn't bring anything today
And he goes back to Japan tomorrow
So he wonders if he can buy it?
Sorry, no
He'll have to come back next time
Excuse me, Miss...
His mother
is an elementary school teacher
She's retiring this year
She used to teach these songs
to her pupils
I'm sorry, but we can't allow it
If I bend the rule for him...
it'd be unfair to other customers
Sorry
In point of fact...
I took the rocking horse in exchange
for a guitar in the first place
I know that your guitar
isn'tjust any old guitar
You serenaded your wife with it
But that only makes it special for you
For me, it's just another guitar
But my boy loves that horse
I know he does
Last time he was here, he sat on it
But I don't want another guitar in
exchange for the rocking horse
I want something else
I'm really sorry
Can he sing in exchange for it?
I don't think that's on...
That book is decades old
He thinks singing for a couple of
minutes is a fair exchange?
How about two songs?
I'd like to hear that
Me too
Me too
If he sings...
I can play too
How about that?
There've been some interior decorators
working round here lately
If you help them paint the wall...
you can get the rocking horse
Okay, I'll paint the wall!
Let's listen to the songs
"The hillside
where we chased rabbits..."
"The riverbank
where we fished..."
"They're always in my dreams"
"The unforgettable place where I was born"
What's the purpose of exchanging things?
If you were to ask Josie...
she might not have an answer
But that's not to imply that
she's in any way illogical
Just that her logic works something
like this cartoon
And what about Doris?
She used to think exchanges were
unprofitable and a waste of time
But the concept of 'inner value'
has lodged in her mind
So things have changed
"If you could choose,
would you use the money to study
or to travel round the world?"
I'd travel round the world
Because compared with what school
teaches me about the world...
I'd learn more
by traveling
I'd choose to study
Because when you're young...
it's easy to remember things,
so studying is better
Travel round the world!
Explore on your own...
Find truth...
Study! Plenty of time to travel
when you get older
Travel broadens the mind
I'd travel round the world
I'd study
I think I'd go on studying
Study other languages first...
Then you can have fun anywhere you go
Better to do well at school first
and get rich
Then we can go where we like
For myself, I like to play
I'd like to play all round the world
Do you know your own goals in life?
Without goals,
there's no point in doing good business
No point in doing business?
What goals?
My goal is to bring up my kid
Buy her a house!
I'm talking to my daughters,
these two next to me
I'm sorry
At the time I divorced your father...
my life was completely aimless
Your aunt told me...
I needed goals
Now, your lives are settling down
So I want to ask you,
do you have goals?
Yes, I want to save money
And you?
I want to travel
Be realistic
You can't even take care of yourself!
How are you going to travel?
Take advantage of your free time!
Learn how to make desserts
from your sister
Get your head out of the clouds!
Strange how saving money is a goal...
while traveling round the world
is just daydreaming
That's how it is
The drain's unblocked
lmpressive!
You didn't even dirty your shoes!
Low fat, low salt, better
for an old person's diet
He won't eat it?
We can buy it for him
You're always making pictures
What do you paint?
I'm not talented, just doodling
You have no idea how small it is
Not much more
than 500 square meters
But you know
how many people live there?
Probably twenty to thirty thousand!
Sorry, one moment...
Josie Chuo!
What?
You're making a flood
Point it at the flowerpots!
I'll drown you all
- Can you do it?
- Yes, I can
Let me try one
My turn!
Hang on, how will we get home?
That one might hit someone
Hang on, what are we eating?
Did you hear me?
Okay, I'll swap with you
Thank you
Thank you
By the way, what'll you use it for?
Don't know yet
But don't you think...
it's rather childish?
Pardon me, isn't that childish?
When we get
hold of a phoenix feather...
we can have eternal youth
Say "cheese"
One, two, three... Congratulations!
There's something I want to ask you
Do you know that your name
is also the name of a color?
You mean ultramarine?
I had two favorite colors in senior high
One was ultramarine,
the other was cobalt blue
One, two, three... The Flying Fist!
No, you...
Can you at least take a look?
Wow, so cool!
Forget it! Listen...
That picture is worth less than this
Then don't exchange with me
It's just an old, yellowing picture
Then let's call off the exchange!
If I hadn't lived here before,
I wouldn't want to exchange either
But we're in here now
No exchange
Another coffee please, boss
Me too
Alright, if you want it so badly...
I'll make the exchange
Really?
- Are you sure?
- Positive
We're looking for Doris.
Yes, I am.
You're Jonah?
Yes, I am.
And you are Ala...
Alamela
Alamela Hello,
Nice to meet you.
This is really nice.
Thank you.
Take your seat, please.
Thank you very much.
Do you want some drinks, coffee or...?
Water will be fine.
Hello, this is my business card
A travel agency?
Right, we heard about your cafe
Our manager wanted us to come
and take a look at it
So we've been sitting for a while
Is there anything special?
Was it the Borough Chief
who told you about us?
No, the airline people
Travel agencies
design packages for tourists...
just like restaurants have set menus
Our company wants
to design a special package for Taipei
So you're thinking of making our cafe
part of your Taipei...
Yes, we're here to evaluate it
But I just had a look around
Everything here is up for exchange
What could tourists buy
if they came here?
What could they buy?
All we sell is coffee
Will there be anything else?
No, we're fine
Thanks, sorry to trouble you
Thank you, goodbye
Your change
Thanks
How is the business doing?
Quite okay
Why were you so fierce
with those people today?
They wanted to use you to make commissions
Commissions?
As if you worked for them for free
They bring in guests...
and they take a higher percentage
cut than you do
Like the sound of that?
What's the connection?
There is one
If you put in the ugly black ones...
it will spoil the look of it
The ones you should pick are...
the round ones with no damage
The bright red ones
Now I'm going
to tell you a story set in Taipei
Won't that be boring?
Wait and see
lmagine a picture...
The whole of the city...
is empty, no-one's there
One day...
There's a painter
who wakes up in a hotel room
high up on the 40th floor
He stands at the huge picture-window
He realizes
that there's no-one down there
If you're god...
just create any two people
Then the story can begin
He thinks of something
He takes some paper and draws a girl
He carefully cuts her out...
and lets her fly away
The girl wanders alone through the city
She drinks coffee alone
She surveys the scenery alone
The painter thinks she's too lonely
So he draws a man too
Lets him fly away too
But the paper man...
flies off in a different direction
He lands somewhere else
So he also drinks coffee alone
And reads a newspaper alone
That's the last of the stories
And I've changed my mind
I don't want to exchange
these 35 bars of soap
After all, they represent my memories
Ah...
You can take back your soaps...
but you can't take my illustrations
Of course I can
I've told you 35 stories
I get the pictures
in exchange
He shouldn't have
taken your illustrations
Right?
What do you mean?
I can see you're upset...
because he took your illustrations
Right?
I'm upset?
Why should I be upset?
I let him tell all those stories
I sold him
all those coffees and desserts
I couldn't be happier
But you made so many illustrations
Don't be silly
Before you sell a coffee,
you have to buy coffee beans
Before you sell a dessert,
you have to buy flour
Anybody can tell stories
How can you tell if they're true or not?
But you don't care either way
it's true or not
You're right, I don't
Come on...
I drew the "Study" lot
Studied so long I grew pimply!
While my sister
traveled round the world
Where's your pug?
Hanging from my mobile
No, I mean the real one
What are you getting at?
The one Dad gave you
Are you crazy?
He died
No he didn't
Dad took him
What are you saying? He died!
No he didn't
One day you came home
and he was gone
You just said he was dead
when your classmates asked
You really get on my nerves
Dad didn't take him
Dad didn't even take us,
let alone the dog!
It was Ma who sent him away
Let's be frank, he
shouldn't have taken the illustrations
Or the soaps
He's such a jerk
What did he mean by his memories?
But they were his memories
Not mine
I'm talking about the illustrations,
which were yours
He can't even draw!
But if he hadn't told me the stories...
I couldn't have drawn them
I didn't have those images in my head
And now...
I can't go on and draw the next city story
Now he has my illustrations...
and I have his stories
I thought they'd come
and take the money
So I put my foot on it and stood firm
Why didn't you just pick it up?
If I'd moved,
they might have snatched it!
Welcome!
Hello... table for four?
Hello, this is my business card
- Hello
- Hello
Nice to meet you, sorry
we were eating when you came in
My two colleagues
here came by before
I remember
I'd like to reopen the discussion
of the 'package' idea
Because your Cafe is very special
Our clients ask about it
They want to know if a visit
can be included in the 'package'
But we don't sell the things here
So you wouldn't get any commission
Sorry...
Can we sit down and talk?
Of course we can, go over there
- Thank you
What will you have to drink?
Coffee
Coffee for everyone?
Iced or hot?
Our manager has an idea
about franchising
Franchising?
Let me explain
If a foreign friend visits you...
you'll guide them
around the place,
for sure
You'll most likely
bring them to your home too
So if...
So if this place
happened to be your home...
What could be better, right?
By 'franchising' they mean a takeover
They don't want commission,
they want the business!
No, that's not it
We're just here
to float an idea
What we'd like is...
for you to tell us what you think of it
In fact, our company is looking
for investments
If you were thinking...
of raising more capital by any chance...
And if we hadn't come here today...
Wouldn't that have been a shame?
We only sell coffee here
Didn't you two go back and tell them?
We sell coffee, not the business
Or you can bring something
to exchange
In this business...
my sister's share is larger than mine
But you can have my share...
if you bring me air tickets in exchange
I want flights to these 35 cities
May I take a look?
How could you do that?
Isn't it your baby?
It's yours too
You were right to say that
by running an exchange...
we'd hear lots of stories about things
we haven't experienced
But the more of them I heard...
the more I wanted
stories of my own to exchange
You, now...
You should've let me teach you more
about making desserts
That's the thing that
worries me most right now
Oh...
The Borough Chief's son can help
He says the reason the drain
keeps getting blocked...
is because
the neighbor's ground is higher
He'll make ours higher
He says we should open on Sundays
And he says we wouldn't need
to hire a new pastry chef...
if he came in to help me
It would save money too
You're that close to him?
It's freezing
Let's go down and tell Ma
Okay
Have you booked hotels?
My sister's a member of Sofa Guests
No need for hotels! Cool, eh?
A bit faster
Is he doing okay?
Much better than you
You know what?
We'll get Sofa Guests wanting
to spend the night here sometimes
So we'll need it
left clean and tidy, okay?
No. 393,
registered mail for Doris Chuo
Give me the stamp from the drawer
Top drawer!
What's a Sofa Guest?
You don't know Sofa Guests?
What is it?
What the hell?
Now he doesn't want them?
Let me see
"I used to be an auxiliary pilot"
"I exchanged many stories
for love letters"
"As I said, they were all about my past"
"I used to be an auxiliary pilot"
"Last month I left the airline"
"In future I like to make coffee with you"
Make coffee with you?
"Will you help me by drawing
the story of the 36th city?"
"Will you help me by drawing
the story of the 36th city?"
Ah, your favorite color!
You're so annoying
Last time he was such a jerk
What's he pulling now?
What?
Your heart is blooming with joy
Bloom, bloom, bloom
You're so annoying
You think I'm annoying?
Don't team up with him
- He's jobless now
- Give it back
He's jobless now
So you also like him?
I always thought you did
Give me 1000 bucks
and I'll give it back
Hey!
If you don't hand it over, I'll tear it
I earn so damn little here
Just give me spare change then
Come on...
Skinflint!
Hey, no slacking there!
"At heart,
What do you treasure most?"
My parents...
My brother...
Friends
To me, it's a happy family...
Parents, brothers and sisters
Giving my parents a good life
Making my parents happy
Growing old with my husband
Watching my kid grow up
To make my son proud of me
And to get his respect
I think what I treasure most
is safety and tranquility
So that I can see
tomorrow's sunrise and sunset
Health
Being happy every day
Having no regrets
Showing people a heartfelt smile
Being at ease, tranquil
Getting spaced out
Wild romance
I think what I treasure most is...
innocence
Because kids do all kinds of things
quite naturally
But when they grow up
and the world starts judging them...
Or when certain labels
get stuck on them...
Then what used to be innocent
becomes something more complex
Josie finally gets the car she wanted
She's embarrassed to tell her sister...
that she never found her
a set of bone china
Doris tells her,
that's just the way it is
You can't always get what you want
In this city...
there's surely someone
looking for bone china
And surely there's someone
with a spare set
Surely someone has an empty sofa
And surely someone else
is looking for it
They just haven't found each other
It's the city
These stories happen
in the city every day
You mean the paint-job?
I 've never heard of 'jungle color'
- you do paint-jobs, Right?
- Yes, we do
So can you help her with that?
I don't know about you two
Is it really such a shitty job?
It's not that great
But I can't complain
In a recession, no job is much fun
Ah, no, I was talking to my daughters
Those two in the back seat
One of them used to say
she wanted to save money
And the other wanted
to go round the world
But now...
One of them wants
to go round the world
And the other wants to save money
I don't get it
What changed?
Our 'Sofa Guest' Doris is leaving now!
Okay, the car's waiting, hurry!
Looks great!
Anything you need to say?
Hurry up!
Take care of yourselves
And take care of the Cafe