One of Thousands of 7-11's

One of Thousands of 7-11’s in Taipei

Convenience is a wonderful thing.  Let’s not make life too difficult, after all.  But it is often over-promised and under-delivered.

Take the so-called convenience stores that are liberally sprinkled across the United States.  What exactly is convenient about them, anyway?  More often than not, it is just a fancy name for a gas station that will sell you some fried sodium or a super-sized cup of syrup.  If you are really lucky, they might have last week’s tube shaped mystery meat conveniently resting under a heat lamp

And then there are the automated customer service phone systems, available 24 hours a day. For your convenience.  Press 1 to stay on hold.  Your call is important to us

If that is convenience, I’ll take arduous

That is, until now

With one on nearly every street corner, the Convenience Stores of Taipei are a cornerstone of daily life.  7-11, Family Mart, Hi-Life, OK Mart, there is a unique brand for every lifestyle

Of course they offer all the staples, like quick cups of decent coffee, soft serve ice cream, individually wrapped packages of chocolate, dried shrimp flavored potato chips, and Hello Kitty themed stationary and yogurt, but they do so much more

Maximum Calories Per Square Meter

Maximum Calories Per Square Meter

When you need an ATM that will work with nearly any card from any country, you go to 7-11

Need to print out some concert tickets?  How about some photos?  Maybe a legal document?

They have you covered with their full print, scan, and copy service, all accessible online

7-11 Print Center - So Easy Your Dog Can Do It

7-11 Print Center – So Easy Your Dog Can Do It

Don’t want that important package to get stolen or left out in the rain?

They will accept package delivery’s from all the major carriers.  You can even pay on delivery

Maybe you want to pay your public utility or cell phone bill?

They will process payments for nearly anything you can imagine, even your taxes and credit card bill

Would you like some fresh organic fruit, veggies, and eggs?

You have come to the right place

Whole Foods, Taiwan

Whole Foods, Taiwan

Need an air-conditioned oasis, where you can sip an iced latte and use the free WiFi while you relax and unwind for a few minutes?

Why go to Starbucks when you can go to to 7-11!

Maybe it’s 3 am and you need a bottle of wine and some protection

Say hello to your new wing man

Ate too much spicy hot pot and stinky tofu and had a little accident?

There is no better place to buy disposable underwear

Yes, 7-11 really does it all

Post Office, bank, grocery store, liquor store, and everything in between, we find ourselves stepping foot inside a convenience store once or more per day.   Isn’t that convenient!

ChurchLady_Convenient