I've been living in Nangang, Taipei for over a year now. Every time I pass by "Yi Coffee" on Nangangroad Section 3, I can't help but peek inside, because there's a staff member there who always wears a surgical mask, constantly moving back and forth between the front and back of the shop, pouring freshly brewed tea into containers for keeping warm. Even when there are no customers, he never stops—he's always standing at the counter keeping watch, worried he might miss the crowd, constantly wiping the counter with a cloth or sweeping the shop.
Directly across from Yi Coffee is 50Lan, and just a few steps away are ChaXin FuQuan and Tea Soup Hui. These three major bubble tea chains surround the area, and during lunch hours when nearby office workers come out to eat, crowds constantly flow into those shops. Only Yi Coffee has fewer customers, appearing somewhat quiet and lonely. Yet Mr. Wang, who works as a staff member there, remains diligent, carefully handling even the smallest details.
Who Says a 35-Dollar Coffee Can't Be Good? Monitoring Temperature, Controlling Sweetness—Mr. Wang Is Meticulous About Every Detail
That slogan back then made Yi Coffee an instant hit, and Mr. Wang is no exception. "Yi Coffee is really delicious and affordable," he says, moving beverage containers back and forth, working up a sweat with barely time to chat with me. Yet when talking about the shop's drinks, his eyes sparkle with pride.
Mr. Wang is in his fifties. Every day from 7:30 AM to 8 PM—a full 12 hours—he stays in the shop. He commutes by motorcycle between Neihu and Nangang, with only four days off per month. Yet he accepts it all willingly, without complaint, and is actually quite happy, because he's doing what he loves.
He's not the owner, just an employee earning a monthly salary. Over this past year of observation, I've never seen him playing on his phone or sitting around chatting. He's always organizing the shop or brewing drinks. Once when I bought a drink from him, I watched as he pressed the caramel dispenser all the way down, then waited for it to spring back, repeating this solid, deliberate motion three times to ensure the caramel really made it into the cup—not like some staff members who just press a few times carelessly.
Mr. Wang always wears a mask in the shop, dressed neatly in his uniform and hat, maintaining his appearance and ensuring the drink station stays hygienic. Even when there are no customers, he never takes off his mask. No matter how hot it gets, he remains consistent. These things may seem simple and basic, but looking around at beverage shops nowadays, staff members rarely wear masks.
Someone so diligent and steadfast, working hard to do everything right—just observing him is inspirational. Yet Mr. Wang humbly says the shop actually has two other employees and he's not that amazing. He even jokes that "the boss must be very happy if he heard you say that."
(According to the Food Safety Hygiene Standards Article 6, Section 6, Item 1: "Food operation site workers should wear masks when necessary.")
Rushing Out From Behind the Counter—Carefully Picking Up a Polystyrene Fragment—Treating the Beverage Shop Like His Own Home, Because Life Is His Own
"Wait a moment!" In the middle of our conversation, Mr. Wang suddenly stopped and hurried out from behind the counter. Curious, I looked over and realized that a tiny piece of polystyrene had somehow landed on the shop floor. It was really just a small piece, but his sharp eye caught it. He quickly picked it up and threw it in the recycling bin, worried about how the shop looked.
"I'm already in my fifties," he says. The beverage shop is filled with young students working part-time, yet he's already past fifty—quite a unique position. When I pressed further, I learned that Mr. Wang used to be a senior engineer, working in that field for about 20 years. Because he loved Yi Coffee so much, he made the decision to switch careers. Even though his salary dropped significantly, it didn't diminish his enthusiasm.
Over a decade ago, Mr. Wang switched from being an engineer to working as a staff member at Yi Coffee—quite a brave decision. For many people, changing career paths requires considerable courage. Fortunately, his family didn't oppose it; they actually supported him. He believes that work is simply something that sustains life. As long as you can be happy and make a living, it doesn't really matter what you do. There's no need to specifically chase fame and fortune. He's quite optimistic: "It's really just about doing what you can within your abilities. There's no need to compare yourself with others."
Mr. Wang says he doesn't have grand ambitions. In today's society, it's no longer a time of "all pursuits are lowly except for studying." Many people with PhDs still can't find jobs. Chasing ever higher positions, like becoming a company executive where you have to manage and deal with office politics—he doesn't feel he has those abilities, and frankly it would exhaust him mentally. There are too many worries, and it becomes hard to actually experience life.
"What's most important is to have interest, then you won't feel tired," he says. When he worked as an engineer, he had high work pressure. He was good at planning, so his health didn't suffer, but his mind and body weren't free. Now that he's switched to making drinks, even though it's repetitive work, he feels very at ease. "Mindset is very important"—how you view something determines how rich your life becomes.
Someone like Mr. Wang, who takes every task in life so seriously, truly can inspire many people. Like myself, I often get lost in other people's lives, thinking I could do what they do, so I drift about aimlessly, coming and going, losing myself in the process. This kind of life is not only tiring, but over time you lose your sense of self. Once you have a goal, move forward with it, persist and repeat it. No matter what you do, you'll succeed. And this success—its definition comes from yourself, not from others.
I'm Karen, currently conducting interviews for a "100 Hardworking People" project, documenting stories of people who work hard. If you have dreams, you're welcome to contribute your story so more people can share it. Submission email: 100powerpeople@gmail.com
