What kind of image do you think Taipei conveys? Director Hsiao Ya-chuan portrays the city as a place where even the barter trade system can spur an exchange of emotions, and this is the motif of the film. Doris and her sister Josie run a cafe. One day, a middle-aged customer asks them to sell him a Thai recipe book that is on display. As it is not for sale, Josie suggests bartering with him. He agrees and unclogs the drain in return. Since then, trade becomes the hallmark of Doris’ cafe. When Chou Chun-Ching brings a collection of soaps he gathered while traveling across the world, Doris begins dreaming of traveling to various foreign cities. Although the film first revolves around the city of Taipei, it eventually delivers the universal theme of personal interaction, which is unfortunately losing its significance in modern society. (KIM Ji-seok)