We live in an era of instant gratification and mass production, where large retail conglomerates and corporations like IKEA and Walmart have secured themselves as an essential part of all our lives. Every household is a perfect example: living rooms and bedrooms alike are filled with generic factory-produced furniture and accessories. While undeniably convenient and low-cost, these products lack a sense of craftsmanship and personality. However, there still exists places that offers products with more human ingenuity.
在講求即時滿足感和大規模生產的時代，像宜家和沃爾瑪這樣的大型零售集團已成為我們生活中不可或缺的一部分。幾乎每一個家庭都是一個完美的例子，客廳和臥室都裝滿了工廠量產的傢俱及配件。雖然不可否認它們的便捷低廉，但這些產品卻缺少工藝和個性。儘管如此, 對於那些尋求更具創意和人文因素的產品的人們來說，仍有處可去。
Firefly Studio is one of those places. Tucked away in Taipei’s Da’an district, it’s a boutique that only sells customized lights. The small storefront has a horizontal window facing the street that displays a few of the more recent creations. At the same time, a warm inviting glow seeps from the ornate wooden door, beckoning passersby into the store. Upon entering, visitors will most likely find the owner hunched over his desk, engrossed with one of his new creations, tinkering away.
火金姑工作室就是其中的一個地方。它隱藏在臺北的大安區，是一家只銷售定製燈具的精品店。小店臨街的橫窗裏展示了楊先生最近的一些創作。同時，一簇溫馨誘人的光芒從華麗的木門溢出, 好似在招呼路人進店。進入店內，映入眼簾的很可能是楊先生伏案桌前正全神貫注擺弄著他新作的一幕。
The owner is the affable and down-to-earth Yang Kun Jin, a man who’s endlessly fascinated by lights and all things light-related. All of the lights being sold in the shop have been personally customized by him. Mr. Yang has created an extensive collection of ingeniously unorthodox lights through his meticulous approach of reconstructing discarded components, which he combines with an ever-growing collection of unexpected objects. His large stockpile of unusual curios ranges from vintage microscopes to camera tripods. Even various musical instruments like saxophones and trumpets can be spotted around the shop.
老闆是和藹又務實的楊錕金，他深深著迷於燈具以及一切與其相關的事物。店裡每一盞售出的燈都由他親手定制。通過精湛細緻的技藝將廢棄組件重新利用，他一手打造了大量獨特精巧的燈具，並將它們與他不斷收藏的怪物件們結合。他囤積的怪物件品類繁多，從古老的顯微鏡，到相機三腳架，一應俱全；甚至還有各種樂器，你可能發現店裏某個角落裡就有一把薩克斯管。
The inspiration for the name, Firefly Studio, is evident straight away. Countless lights, scattered throughout, illuminates the store in a soothing amber glow, like fireflies in the night. Chandeliers, lamps, pendant lights, and a multitude of other types of eccentric light fixtures fills out the space. Some dangle overhead, others occupy vacant spots on tabletops, and more are strewn about the room in what can be best described as organized chaos; the seemingly random arrangement feels exquisitely deliberate at the same time.
火金姑工作室，這個極具靈感的店名是非常顯而易見的。無數盞燈，通明透亮，整間店也隨之散發著琥珀色光芒，猶如黑夜中的螢火蟲。枝型吊燈，檯燈，垂吊燈和大量其他古怪類型的燈具裝置塞滿了整個空間。一些懸於頭頂，其他的佔據了桌面的空缺，更多的則零亂四散於屋內各處，但再定睛一看，所謂零亂又顯得別有一番精心打理的感覺。
Mr Yang’s creations have garnered praise from all over the globe, tourists and locals alike regularly visit the store. Many customers from abroad that visit the boutique will often end up purchasing something and have it shipped back home. But browsing through the shop, it is all too easy to forget that you are in a store. There are no price tags on any of the items and no pushy up-selling salesmen. The atmosphere in the space is closer to that of an intimate art gallery rather than a typical store, offering consumers a much-needed refreshing change of pace. This place is definitely one worth checking out the next time you’re in Taipei.
楊先生的作品为他赢得來自全球各地的讚賞。遊客和當地人一樣，都經常光顾他的商店。許多來自國外的客人到訪這家精品店之後，總能發現心儀之物並把它們運送回家。當你瀏覽這家商店，你會非常容易忘記你正在商店裏。沒有價格標籤和過分熱情的推銷員，這裡的感覺更像是一處私人的藝術畫廊，為典型購物體驗帶來一絲新鮮。如果下次再來臺北，一定要來光臨。
