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FYI SOUTH Magazine, December 2002. VOL.2 ISSUE 12

3388 134, BeiMen Road, Section 1, Tainan City (06) 226-0975 Hours: 10am - 10pm, daily

        Part of an island wide chain, 3388 is the kind of store where shoppers move carefully for fear of knocking delicate items off the shelf, or treading on the toes of teenagers searching for the latest in trendy gear. The first floor is dedicated to relatively practical items: Stationery, handbags (size suggests they're intended for five-year-olds), nail polish and a vast range of photos of Taiwanese and Japanese teen idols. The second floor is more eclectic with ribbons of every conceivable shade, art supplies (unusual inks such as metallic pink) and candles. If you're looking for a holiday gift, these are worth checking out. Some candles are elegantly mounted in wine glasses or champagne flutes (costing NT$200 or more), others are delicately perfumed. Miniaturization seems to be the common denominator. Whatever it is (and sometimes that is not apparent), the smaller it is the greater the appeal. There are tiny trinkets for personalizing your cell-phone, figurines of cartoon characters, key chains, and more than a few entirely mysterious curios. By Steven Crook