維克是台南人，目前在台南開一間提供輕食和漫畫的店Mon Ga。
Vic comes from Tainan. His cafe and bagel house, Mon Ga, serves light meals with manga.
你為什麼會在台南？
Why are you here in Tainan?
我是台南人。大學的時候離開台南七年去桃園唸書，之後回來台南當兵，退伍以後就決定繼續留在台南了。
I grew up in Tainan. I spent 7 years away from the city to study in Taoyuan, the came back for my military service. I decided to stay in Tainan after fulfilling my obligation.
那你喜歡台南嗎？
Do you like Tainan?
很喜歡。在上大學之前，基本上每天的生活就是通勤在學校和家之間，對台南並沒有什麼感覺。是在念大學以後才開始有了一些想法，退伍之後就決定要在台南生活開店了。我覺得台南的地理位置很好，離海邊很近，我很喜歡去海邊。步調很慢但是不會無聊，而且有著一種古老的風格，街巷的模樣，生活的感覺和頻率都很適合我。
I like Tainan very much. Before I went to university, my daily life was nothing but the journey between home and school and I had little chance to take a look at the city. The days in Taoyuan, I started to have some ideas about Tainan. After serving the army, I decided to stay and open a business. I like Tainan’s geographical location as a coastal city and I really enjoy spending time by the sea. The tempo of life is slow but it is not boring. I like the aged feel of the city, as well as the looks of the street corners. I enjoy the overall atmosphere and feel the city’s frequency to be in sync with mine.
那有什麼是你覺得來台南應該要做的事情或是去的地方嗎？
What would you suggest to people visiting Tainan that they should do here? Where should they visit?
騎單車逛台南吧。東西要吃，但是不一定都要照旅遊書寫的，可以問問在地人的意見。現在觀夕平台很紅，所以我就比較少去了，我比較喜歡漁光島。漁光島的沙灘上有一個外國人蓋的竹棚，週末還滿多外國人聚集的，沒想到這些外國人比我們還熟門熟路啊。
Riding bike around Tainan. The food is fantastic, but you should try going beyond the guidebook and ask local people for advices. Guanxi Pintai is very popular now, so I don’t go there that often, I prefer going to Yuguang Island over it. On the island’s beach there’s a bamboo shed built by some foreigners, and the spot is quickly becoming a focal point for Westerners on weekends. They seem to know Tainan better than us locals!
大概是因為他們都熱愛曬太陽和海吧！
Perhaps they all like sunbathing by the sea!
可以開的店有很多，為什麼是貝果店？
Why a bagel house and cafe but not others?
其實一開始是想要開餐飲和漫畫結合的店，但是因為找到的地方比較小，後來就決定做我比較擅長的餐飲這一塊，讓漫畫成為一個輔助的主題。一開始其實也不是只有麥貝果，而且我自己比較喜歡吃的是熱狗堡。但是因為當時住在樓上的你們的學長在bbs上說他們家樓下開了貝果專賣店，於是就這樣誤打誤撞地變成了貝果專賣了。不是過其實提供什麼食物我都可以，我自己現在也不斷的在推出新的東西，就像最近推出的墨西哥雞肉酥餅。對我來說重要的是客人喜歡，接受度高。
Well, the original plan was to open a manga-themed restaurant but I couldn’t find a space large enough for it. So I decided to focus more on the food itself, for which I have more confidence on, and have manga play a supporting role in my cafe. We are selling quite a lot more than just bagels, and our hot dogs are just as delicious. The story of a bagel house begun when some students living upstairs posted a blog on the BBS, which referred us to be “the bagel house downstairs.” That’s why we are famous for bagel. We actually have a wide selection, and we keep experimenting on new items like the very latest Chicken Quesadilla in Mexican Style. For myself, only customers’ acceptance and appreciation matters.
那店跟海賊王的關係是什麼？
But then, what’s the relationship between the cafe and the manga ONE PIECE?
我的興趣是看漫畫，所以一開始才會有想要結合餐飲和漫畫的想法，但是因為漫畫店現在也幾乎都沒落了，有時候會覺得還好當時沒有決定開漫畫店。我自己喜歡很多不同的漫畫，但是海賊王是其中最能引起共鳴的一本。這裡很多客人都是海賊王的迷，然後大家就開始會互相分享收藏。左邊櫃子裡的收藏不全都是我的，有很多是別人的放在這裡，因為不想孤芳自賞，拿來這裡就可以和更多人交流，所以店裡就慢慢變成了海賊王主題了。
I enjoy reading manga, a lot. And that’s why I wanted to have a shop combine food and comics. But as you see, the manga store business is dying and I was lucky for not putting my money into one. I have many favorites, but the story of ONE PIECE is one I found myself attached to. Many of my customers are fans of ONE PIECE, and they brought with them their collectables to share with the others. I do not own everything in the leftmost shelf, and many items are on loan from my customers. A collection has no value when it is not shown to anyone else, so it’s better to share and create interactions with others. Over time we are becoming a ONE PIECE-themed cafe.
I remember that your cafe was on fire. What’s your thought at that time?
那是在2012年。當下真的是茫然，腦中浮現出究竟要不要關店的想法。但是還好身邊的朋友都很支持，房東人也很好，再加上其實知道自己很適合這個工作，不適合去上班。老實說，我光是想到打開電腦要寫履歷，就覺得非常痛苦了。但其實這個時候對我也是一個機會點。因為其實我腦中一直都有想要改變店裡裝潢的想法，但是因為工作一直在忙碌，也就沒有真的去實現，剛好藉著火災，就順便把店裡的裝潢重新弄好了。
It was in 2012. My mind went completely blank right after it and I even considered closing business. But I knew I am better off with my cafe. I don’t fit well in an office; even the idea of switching on my computer to write a résumé frustrates me. Thanks to the support from my friends and the nice landlord, I gathered my courage to continue. It was also an opportunity for me, as I have always wanted to renovate our space but couldn’t find the time to realize it. In the end, we reopened after having a redesign of the interiors.
那你有什麼開店甘苦談嗎？
What are the ups and downs of opening a business that you would share with the readers?
其實快樂比較多。大概在開幕兩、三年後有一陣子的低潮期，因為在那一個時期有很多的美式漢堡店開幕，大部份的人都會有嘗鮮的想法，所以那一陣子的營業額就很低，但是那個時候其實已經很清楚知道自己店的定位、知道怎麼做人事成本的控制，並且相信客人不久就還是會回來，於是就硬著頭皮撐下去了，到現在也已經八年了。
I am lucky to have more ups than downs. We went into a bit of a trough two or three years into the business from the competition of burger joints that popped up around us. Most of our customers went off to try something new, and we did not make as much sales as we want. But knowing my market segment and being experienced with cost control, I was confident that my customers would eventually come back. With persistence, it’s been eight years since we’ve opened.
店裡有什麼之後的計劃嗎？
What are your next plans for the cafe?
我其實沒有什麼動力去做改變，朋友們都笑說我很懶散。但是我有很強的應變能力，所以其實當時遇到火災，當下雖然情緒上是很茫然的，但是也就馬上把它變成了改裝潢的契機了。因為有調酒師的證照，之前有在思考要提供調酒，但是這樣勢必就會把工作時數拉長，有違我健康生活的宗旨，所以可能要在思考一下應該怎麼做吧。
My friends always joked about me being lazy, as I am not really motivated to change unless something breaks. I think my advantage is that I’m good at dealing with any situation that comes up, like in the case with the fire I was briefly at loss of what to do, I quickly gathered myself to turn it into an opportunity to renovate. I have a bartender license, and I have thought about offering cocktail. But if it is going to extend my working hours, it will be against my healthy living principles.
So, let’s wait and see.
那你的日常生活是怎樣的？
So, how do you normally spend your day?
很規律啊，就是工作還有運動。其實一開始我店裡面下午是沒有休息的，但是後來在低潮期的時候真的感到很倦怠，就有請人來幫忙顧店，然後我自己就利用時間去運動，游泳啊、健身房啊、或是騎腳踏車。而這樣的改變對我影響很大
It’s a routine of work and exercises. Back in the beginning we had no break in the afternoon, and during the time when we had little customers it was tiring and depressive. So I hired someone to take this shift and I began a ritual of exercising using the time. I might go swimming, riding a bicycle or working out in a gym. The change had a huge effect on me.
我覺得不管是什麼工作都一樣，都需要有另外一個事情讓自己去轉換心情 。
I think whatever job you do, you always need something else to change your mood.
一來身體變健康了，二來心情變愉快了，工作上的表現也就更好了。後來我決定下午開始有休息時間，利用這段時間我會去看電影、運動或是和朋友見見面，我現在工作幾乎沒有什麼倦怠感了。
I became healthier, happier and more efficient at work. Later I decided we should have an official break in the afternoon, and I could use the time to see a movie, exercise or meet a friend. Now I never feel tired or bored with my work.
開monga的宗旨是什麼？
What are your personal goals with MonGa?
大概是三個吧。第一個就是要賺錢，讓我可以生活，也能存一些錢，偶而出國去玩，我自己覺得不必執著賺太多錢，因為往往就會迷失自己，忘記生活的滋味了。第二個就是交朋友，我是一個很喜歡交朋友的人，我在台南的朋友幾乎都是我店裡的客人。第三就是分享喜歡的東西吧，把我喜歡的漫畫和大家分享。
I guess there’s three of them. First, I need to earn money to live, perhaps saving a little to visit other countries once in a while. on running a very profitable business, as I don’t want feel lost and forget the taste of living. Second, I want to make more friends. I enjoy making new friends, and most of my friends here in Tainan were my customers. Lastly, I love sharing and I am happy to share my favorite manga with everyone.
請你描述自己。
How would you describe yourself?
在場的朋友們說：客套一點的是外冷內熱、很悶燒，實在一點就是很白目，是一個搞怪的白目猴。
(There were some friends of him here.) Friends said: Politely speaking, Vic looks cool
on the outside but can be warm when you get to know him better. But frankly, he
is just dumb, a wacky kind of dumb.”
其實我以前不是這樣的，當初念大學的時候一開始就是因為成績也不錯，就平平順順的照著家人的想法然後念了建築系，念大學的時候開始有了很多刺激，對自己的未來有了很多的思考，念到大四的時候我真的覺得我自己沒有這麼多的熱忱在設計上，既然想通了這一點，我就決定轉系，因為我自己很喜歡旅遊也滿喜歡陌生的文化的，就想說轉到外文系似乎不錯，那又是另一段瘋狂的故事。
Well, I was not like that before. I did quite well in my
studies and ended up in the department of architecture to the expectation of my
family. But the days in the university was a stimulant that evoked a lot of
retrospective thinking on my future. When I was in my senior year, I realized
that a designer or an architect is not what I really want. Therefore, I decided
to transfer to another major. I like traveling and learning about other
cultures so I picked the English department. That began another crazy story in
my life.
但是我覺得在我做了轉系的那個決定以後，我的人生就好像開竅了。
The decision to transfer to the English department was the
moment of enlightenment in my life.
我自己和朋友在一起的時候還滿不正經的，算是一個瘋狂的人吧。不過真的要我描述自己，我想我是一個知道自己要什麼的人。
I am usually quite casual when I am
with my friends, perhaps even crazy. But when I have to describe myself, I
would say that I am one who knows what I want.
Mon Ga Bagel Facebook
台南市東區府東街128號1F
Tainan, Taiwan 701
Tel:+886 6 276 1856
週一～週六 10:00 - 14:00, 17:00 - 21:00
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