A truly convenient store

I have not been interested in maintaining this blog lately. I'm not alone among my friends who must be tired of updating on the comings and goings of their random lives. Not to belittle them, but hey, it is a random bunch.
I leave you today with a tribute to convenience in Taiwan.
There are a few major chains of convenience store in Taiwan, most notably the 7-11 and the Japan-based Family Mart. Others with more unusual names include the "Hi-Life," the "OK," and the "Niko Mart."
Americans are used to stopping by these kinds of stores for an item or two. And though they are often more "convenient" than the local supermarket or mega-store, you usually drive to get to one. In Taiwan, nearly all of the thousands of these stores have no parking. You walk up, or pull off the road a little bit (unless you're an ass, in which case you just block traffic). Or drive up on your scooter.
There are places in the bigger cities that would have 50 or more convenience stores in a square mile. And half of those would be 7-11s. Sometimes they are right across the street from each other. Or you can stand on a corner and see one down the road in every direction. I am not exaggerating.
I don't understand the reason for the sheer number of them, but they are truly wonderful.
Need whiskey, ice, and coke at 3:30 a.m.? 7-11.
Need a newspaper and a pack of smokes? 7-11.
Need to make some photocopies? 7-11.
Need blank CD-Rs and a computer game? 7-11.
Need to pay your electric/gas/water/cable/phone bill? 7-11.
Need a truly awful sandwich and some corn on a stick? 7-11.
Need to receive an international fax? 7-11.
Need to send something by express mail? 7-11.
Need to pick up your on-line shopping purchases? 7-11.
Need a nice gift-box for Chinese New Year? 7-11.
Need a vacation? Hell yes, I do.
Happy New Year.