最近幾天，有了秋天的感覺，天氣變涼了一點，不過，這該死的天氣，可能說變就變，又會轉為悶熱難耐的天氣，我的印象中，就連十一月有時候，都感覺像夏天一樣，所以我還蠻好奇，能降降溫、滅滅火的快閃店有甚麼寶物呢？
首先，展場位於文創園區的男澡堂處，當然，男澡堂是之前的用途，現在已經轉為常態性的展覽場地，夏天到澡堂，洗去一身臭汗，不但降溫又放鬆，這倒是可以說得通，而快閃店我可以叫得出名字的只有 miffy（米菲兔）及 MOOMIN（嚕嚕米）又翻譯作姆名，米菲兔是由荷蘭插畫家迪克・布魯納（Dick Bruna）創作的，以辨識度極高的「X」型嘴巴，被人們認知，嚕嚕米則是芬蘭的插畫家朵貝楊笙（Tove Marika Jansson）所創作的，號稱芬蘭國民級童話角色，我沒有很迷它們，但是莫名其妙地就認識了它們。
店內人還不少，賣的也是店家精挑細選的文創商品，有不少人去玩三百元台幣一次的巨型扭蛋機，我看了一下，大獎是一個二十吋的旅行箱，不過，獎品都非常地有特色，還兼具讓人愛不釋手的療癒效果，讓人忍不住想試一下手氣，還有個 DIY 手作區，可以自製喜愛的掛飾或鑰匙圈，首先，先找到你中意的壓克力吊飾，再根據你的喜好，挑選珠鍊、開口環、登山扣或鑰匙圈等，再組合為獨一無二的掛飾，價錢還算合理，而且還蠻有趣的。
在開始挑選那些琳瑯滿目的文創商品後，我竟然漸漸忘了外面的高溫。看著各種充滿巧思的小物與可愛的設計，因為天氣炎熱而煩躁的心情，也跟著平靜下來，甚至有種莫名其妙「降暑」的感覺，算是炎炎夏日裡意外找到的一種消暑方式。
Over the past few days, it has finally started to feel a little like fall, and the weather has cooled down a bit. But, damn, you never know with the weather here. It can change in no time and suddenly become hot and humid again. As far as I remember, even November can sometimes feel like summer. So when I came across this pop-up store that was all about cooling down and beating the heat, I was pretty curious to see what kind of interesting treasures they had inside.
First of all, the pop-up store was set up in what used to be the men’s bathhouse in a cultural and creative park. Of course, it’s no longer a bathhouse. The space has now been turned into a permanent exhibition venue. Still, I have to say that a bathhouse is actually a pretty fitting place for a summer cool-down theme. Back in the day, taking a bath in the summer was a great way to wash away all that sweat, cool yourself down, and relax at the same time. So in a way, the location actually makes perfect sense.
As for the characters featured in the pop-up store, the only ones I could immediately name were miffy and MOOMIN, also known as Moomin. Miffy was created by Dutch illustrator Dick Bruna, and one of her most recognizable features is her simple but highly distinctive X-shaped mouth. Moomin, meanwhile, was created by Finnish illustrator Tove Marika Jansson and is considered one of Finland’s most iconic storybook characters. To be honest, I’m not a huge fan of either of them, but somehow, I just know who they are. They’re the kind of characters you may not actively follow, but you keep running into them everywhere, so eventually you become familiar with them.
There were quite a few people inside the store, and it was filled with carefully selected creative and lifestyle products. Quite a few visitors were trying their luck at a giant capsule-toy machine, which cost NT$300 per try. I took a closer look and found out that the grand prize was a 20-inch suitcase. That’s a pretty big prize for a capsule-toy machine! The other prizes were also quite unique, with plenty of cute and relaxing items that were hard to resist. Looking at all those prizes, I could understand why people were tempted to give it a try and see if they could get lucky. There was also a DIY area where visitors could make their own charms or keychains. First, you pick an acrylic charm that you like, then choose the accessories you want, such as a beaded chain, jump ring, carabiner, or key ring. Finally, you put everything together to create a one-of-a-kind charm. The price was fairly reasonable, and the whole process looked pretty fun. Even though the basic materials were already prepared, being able to choose and put together your own combination still gave it a more personal touch.
Once I started browsing all those colorful and creative products, I completely forgot about the heat outside. I was too busy looking at all the cute little items and clever designs. The irritation caused by the hot weather gradually disappeared, and my mood started to calm down as well. Before I knew it, I was actually feeling a little cooler.