This Seven Goes to Eleven

“Need to ship an international package, get clothes dry-cleaned or download a government tax certificate at 3 a.m.? Want to buy a train or movie ticket, then grab a tray of noodles you can heat and eat? How about a cold draft beer while you’re at it? In Taiwan, convenience stores have you covered. What began as an American innovation has flourished across Asia. In high-density cities with compact apartments, the humble convenience store has been reinvented as a public and civic lifeline. Here in Taiwan, it’s an essential part of daily life.” WaPo (Gift Article): How Taiwan took the American convenience store — and turbocharged it. “Customers can pay bills, ship packages, eat a nutritious meal and — in some locations — work out.” (I can do all that at home. I just need to get a Slurpee machine.)