Shopping with a Twist: Stuff from the Int'l Community

By Courtney Donovan Smith,
Douglas Habecker and Michael Schram
Translated by Alicia Yu

Taichung's vibrant Western community is very dynamic, producing plenty of art, crafts, activities and even markets. This community is also a great source of items that normally can't be found in Taiwan, which are sometimes sold off second-hand.

Morrison Academy Senior Flea Market
This annual market is Taichung's oldest and largest international flea market with at least 100 vendor tables, mostly run by international community members plus some non-profit organizations and traditional art/handicraft vendors. For-sale items include clothing, books, appliances, toys/games and other household items, as well as some food and drinks. Saturday, May 16 (8 a.m.-2 p.m.) at Morrison (136-1, ShuiNan Rd, Beitun Dist.). Vendor tables (NT$600) go on sale May 1--email Alysha, edwardsa@mca.org.tw.

Charity Book Exchange & Bazaar
This charity event, now in its 11th year, is making a big step forward this year. As always, this event hosts live bands, kids performances, food and drink vendors and a huge selection of books. This year the event is expanding to two days (Mar. 21 & 22, Sat. & Sun., 11 a.m.-10 p.m.) and is moving to a new venue, the Caowu Square between YingCai Road and People's Park, across from Hotel ONE. The new semi-indoor venue allows for adding a new bazaar area featuring tables (NT$450) and ground spaces (NT$250), allowing for a wide array of items to be made available. Two more "mini" events are planned for later in the year. For information: Donovan (cds@taiwanfun.com) with subject line "Book Exchange".

Ai Wu Yuan (Love Animals Garden)
Ai Wu Yuan is a charity second-hand shop that stocks just about everything. Among the treasures, one can find retro, funky, vintage and "misunderstood" items. The friendly owner, Surbrina, does a tremendous amount of good for animal welfare in our community. This place is the epitome of guilt-free shopping, everything is inexpensive and all proceeds are donated to local animal welfare efforts as Surbrina also runs a dog shelter and cat house. Volunteers wanted. 150, MinSheng Road, B1, (04) 2221-9035 or search for "Ai Wu Yuan" on Facebook.

On Facebook
If you can read English, two Facebook pages are worth checking out, "Taichung Swap Shop" and "TAICHUNG - Buy and Sell second hand" (search those names on Facebook). Please respect their rules, and read their page descriptions for guidelines on posting.