18 May Laptops and cafes
Many people seem be annoyed at people who bring their laptops to coffee shops such as Starbucks. "What are they really doing there?" some may wonder. "Are they really working, or are they just browsing social media sites?" To some, it may seem weird to bring a laptop to Starbucks. After all, tablets were introduced as the device to have for content consumption. But for me, bringing a laptop to a coffee shop is more than just for browsing the web.
Often, I find myself wanting to find a place where I can just open my laptop and work on a project. Why not work at home? Don't get me wrong: working at home is great. I have dual monitors and a very comfortable mouse and keyboard, so productivity is through the roof. But sometimes there are distractions, such as wanting to play the piano for a bit. For me, working mobile means I need a power source for my laptop and some air conditioning (it's **hot** in Taipei). It's also nice to be able to have a snack of some sort when I want to. Taipei's public libraries would have been a great choice, but unfortunately eating or drinking is prohibited. My favorite choice is the [Mr Brown coffee shop](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Mr.+Brown+Coffee/@25.041716,121.5349513,20z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0000000000000000:0x4bb263acc4f6c677) across from National Taipei University of Technology (Zhongxiao Xinsheng station).
This Mr Brown is different from other coffee shops because it's very big and has many power outlets. Nearly every seat by a wall has an outlet. I've been there several times, and it's very easy to sit there for an afternoon working on some project. The service there is really quite nice too: I once ordered a drink that didn't taste good and they let me exchange it for a different one!
That said, there's still no doubt that being able to work at home is really great. Sometimes though, I just want to be somewhere different to stimulate more creativity or productivity. In these situations, coffee shops are one of the best places to get some work done!
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