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’RεΡX in Taiwan</b><br>
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<p><font size="2">The’RεΡX, which I visited after a long absence, has been improved so much.<br>
How many years ago was it? The hotel suffered from a big fire, and the upper half of the building was burnt, leaving it looking very miserable.<br>
But now, it has regained its beauty once more. All the rooms had their interiors redone and are now very easy to use, but what was so wonderful was that they made half of the extraordinarily large lobby into a coffee shop.<br>
The lobby was big enough to fit four tennis courts into it, so you can imagine what it was like.<br>
I remember seeing people sitting down here and there, some resting, tired after their travels, and some waiting for others to come.<br>
The interior that reminds one of some really gorgeous former palace, can only be looked up at, nothing more.<br>
If one had nothing to do with the place, it was natural that one would simply pass on by.<br>
It only took some smart-looking chairs and tables and a simple enclosure to make the space into a coffee shop.<br>
During brunch time, when a set of Chinese buffet dishes is placed on a long table, the lobby transforms itself! "Splendid" indeed.<br>
<img height="151" width="220" src="image/tea.gif" alt="R[q[Vbv" align="right">Just as the coffee shop on the ground floor of the Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong is a showplace, this coffee shop of the’RεΡX will surely become one as well.<br>
You can enjoy yourself by imagining you are some kind of emperor while listening to a live performance on the Chinese fiddle.<br>
It was the highlight of my visit to Taiwan this time.<br>
Incidentally, I heard that Bill Gates stayed here as well during his stay in Taiwan.<br>
On assignment in Taiwan for the September issue of Katei Gaho (women's magazine).<br>
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