By Richard Saunders

      It's great having so much disposable income, something I only dreamed of when only a lowly office clerk. Where to spend all that money? On trips to exotic Southeast Asian destinations, rounds of drinks in Taipei's trendy bars...and CDs! Comparing prices here with my native England, Taiwan is a British CD lover's paradise, with prices sometimes almost half that back at home. True, prices aren't as cheap now as five years ago, but for me CDs remain an outstanding bargain.

      The only problem I've had here is finding what I want. The big companies like Rose Records and TCR are great if all you want is the latest top twenty or the flavor of the day from Japan or Hong Kong but, once you've visited one store, the selection at all the others is guaranteed 99% identical. What they lack in originality, however, they gain in convenience, as both chains have stores throughout Taipei as well as in other. In the capital, look around the main train station, in Roosevelt Road at Gongguan MRT, and near Jiantan MRT for the biggest concentration of CD stores.

      Taipei City, does, however have an excellent range of CD stores catering to those after the more esoteric titles. As an explorer of little known classical music, I make it my duty to make a trip, at least once a month, to Chia Chia on Chung Hua Road, a short stroll from Ximen MRT station. This CD store, in my opinion, rules supreme among the capital's music stores, both for its huge selection of classical music, jazz, new age, Canto pop, Japanese and Taiwanese idols and, yes, even stuff from the West. The collection of VCDs and DVDs is more mundane, although classical buffs will find a bigger selection of opera here than just about anywhere else. Chia Chia has a further two stores, including a useful one in the mall below the main railway station, but this branch is King. If you want something they don't have, they'll gladly order for you, and are pretty reliable too.

      Another prime source of unusual repertoire is the Eslite Music store, which lies in a corner of basement two (takes awhile to find) of the Eslite flagship store on Dunhua South Road. If you're looking for classical, new age, experimental, jazz, movie themes, world music etc. there's an enormous range of stuff here, but take care, as the big selection comes hand in hand with some of the highest prices in Taipei.

      Much of the stock at Eslite Music comes from a pair of wholesale stores (open to casual customers), both situated near Shuanglian MRT station and both noticeably cheaper than Eslite. Sunrise acts as Taiwan agents for a whole host of independent CD companies, and on its two floors offers a host of unusual stuff from most genres. The classical section is great. The world music section has the odd CD from such out of the way places as Chad and Burkina Faso, and there's a good Japanese section on the first floor. Nearby, just outside Shuanglian MRT exit two is Wind Song Music. This place acts as agents for tiny, independent labels and there's some really esoteric stuff here. It stocks mainly classical, jazz and historical classical recordings but, if you actually find something you want, the boss often gives foreigners a discount.

      Finally, for that out-of-print CD, there are a smattering of second-hand shops dotted around Taipei, which give you the option of exchanging your unwanted CDs or simply buying. Two of the best are in the student area near the main train station, with another in Ximending. None of them are very big, but each repays a visit once in a while. I've turned up some interesting stuff here, and at bargain prices.