Happier Café is part art installation, part café, part social education centre and part fun!

The focus is on helping people take action for a happier world, based on the ‘Ten Keys to Happier Living’ which are ~ firstly how we interact with the outside world through our daily activities – using the acronym GREAT: 1) Giving – doing things for others 2) Relating – connecting with people 3) Exercising – taking care of your body 4) Awareness – living life mindfully 5) Trying Out – keeping on learning new things.  The second five keys come from inside us and depend on our attitude to life – using the acronym DREAM: 6) Direction – having goals to look forward to 7) Resilience – finding ways to bounce back 8) Emotion – looking for what’s good 9) Acceptance – being comfortable with who you are 10) Meaning – being part of something bigger, finding purpose in our lives….  The philosophy is one of positive thinking and well-being rather than the promoting of any religious faith, and is full of good ideas for people to put into practice.

The café is temporary, the lease is for 6 months – so they are making the most of it, and it’s based in one of the buildings on the compound of what used to be the HQ of the Taiwan Air Force (TAF), now known as the TAF Innovation Base in Taipei City.  Normally only open Mondays to Fridays during the daytime, I was fortunate to visit when they were preparing for an evening event last night, so I had time to wander around and take a few photos.  It’s the sort of place where you help yourself to what you want to eat and drink and then make a donation.  Not that I had time to do that, as I had to move along, but hey, maybe next time!

The art installation part is the use of huge rolls of brown paper which are draped and hung around the room, drawn on and painted on, used as spaces to socialize in or just for decoration. It’s quite amazing!

Highly recommended is for you to check out the following article here on a design website where there’s lots of really great photos of the café…. and the Happier Café Facebook Page here

Amazing what can be done just with rolls of plain brown paper!