小葉，來自馬來西亞。三年前暫停了學業，在台南開了一間專門提供馬來食物的餐廳「流浪魚」，目前已將餐廳轉手，再度回到了學生身份。
Xiaoye is from Malaysia. Her restaurant Lungfish, specializing in Malaysian cuisine, was opened when she took a sabbatical leave from her studies 3 years ago in Tainan. She recently sold her restaurant and became a student again.
你為什麼會在台南？
Why did you move to Tainan?
我在這裡念大學啊。來到台灣八年，在這裡生活了七年了。
I came here for my studies. I've been in Taiwan for 8 years and 7 of them were in Tainan.
那你喜歡台南嗎？
Do you like Tainan?
喜歡啊。剛來的第一年在臺北念僑生大學，同學來自世界各地，生活很有趣，可是在臺北出門就一定要打扮，不然別人會覺得我很像怪咖，可是台南是一個我可以穿著T恤、短褲，很輕鬆的就出門，可以很隨性的地方，這種舒服的感覺跟我在馬來西亞的家鄉有點像。我覺得台灣人真的很有人情味。這裡大概是唯一一個會給外國人折扣的地方，我有一次帶朋友去夜市買東西，殺價的時候就跟老闆說我們是外國人，老闆很豪爽地就給了我們折扣。去菜市場買菜的時候也是，因為不會說台語，只能用奇怪腔調的台語跟他們說：「我是外國人，我不會說台語」，但他們依然很熱情地招呼我。
Yes. I went to NTPU in Taipei on my first year and had schoolmates from all around the world. It was fun and interesting, but it felt stressful having to dress up every time I am out on the streets or get glances like I am a weirdo. But Tainan is where I can be very casual and be at ease, like going out in T-shirt and shorts. This reminds me of my hometown in Malaysia. Plus, Taiwanese people are exceptionally warm and hospitable towards us foreigners, and we would even have “foreigner discounts” which is not heard of anywhere else in the world. I remember once I took my friend to a night market, and I asked a shopkeeper to give us a discount for us foreigners. And he gave us discount immediately! They were equally friendly at traditional markets when I was doing my groceries. I would tell (in my strange sounding Taiwanese) vendors that I am a foreigner and don’t speak Taiwanese, and they would treat me like a VIP!
不過我不喜歡這裡的天氣，太悶熱了，夏天感覺身上永遠都黏黏的。
But I don’t like the weather. It is way to warm and wet, and it feels sticky all the time in summer.
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?
沒有吧。我覺得台南所謂好玩的地方沒有很多，不過這裡你可以很便宜的玩。不用特別去什麼地方，就很隨興的在路上逛逛，看到不錯的店就走進去、坐下來、聊聊天，就很舒服。可以很單純的懶，享受一種不用特別規劃什麼的自在感。
Not that I can think of… There aren’t a lot of fun touristic places to go to in Tainan, but the nice thing is that you don’t have to spend a lot to enjoy the city. Take a leisurely stroll around town, step into a nice shop of interest, sit down and have a chat with the shopkeeper. Or, be carefree and enjoy the freedom of not having to prepare anything special for your trip.
你為什麼會決定暫停學業先開店啊？
Why did you put off your studies to open a restaurant?
大四的時候，系上老師開了一堂很特別的課，讓大家各自決定課程內容。我一直都想創業，所以我就用這堂課的時間開始規劃，然後就這麼做了。
During my last year at university, there is one special class that let us do whatever we want to do during the time of the class. Starting a business had always been something I wanted to do, so I took the opportunity to play a around with the idea. Then, actually starting it was a natural thing to do.
你覺得念設計跟做菜這件事有關係嗎？
Did you find any relevance between your studies in design and cooking itself?
有吧。我想是在審美觀這件事情上。不管是選盤子、杯子甚至是吸管的顏色都有差別。我覺得食物的第一眼很重要，長得很美麗就會讓人覺得好像很好吃，有想要吃的衝動，這就是加分。
Yes, most definitely. I guess they are the most relevant in terms of aesthetics. The choice of the plate, the glass, and even the color of a straw matters. And the first impression of a plate of food in front of your customer is also very important. If it looks delicious, there would be an impulse to try it!
你本來就很會做菜嗎？
Were you a good chef before having your restaurant?
其實沒有，決定要創業以後就開始在網路上找食譜，然後練習做。剛開始的時候都會在自己的臉書上貼文說我今天要做什麼菜，然後想吃的人就到學校工作室的頂樓來吃，覺得好吃的話就隨意的付錢，就這樣一步一步慢慢開始的。我覺得台灣人吃得很平淡。並不是說我們東南亞吃的很重口味，而是我們很重視香料這件事情。
Not exactly! I started practicing with the recipes I found online after deciding to start my business. In the beginning I would post on Facebook to tell everybody what I would cook that evening, everyone who wanted to try were invited upstairs on the roof of our workshop in the university to have a taste. They would tip if they like the food. Little-by-little I gathered some followers and it worked better than I thought. I found that Taiwanese people prefer something relatively tame. It doesn’t mean that South East Asian cuisines are always salty, oily and hot, we just pay a lot of attention to the spices.
剛開店的時候其實有很多不同的聲音。很多人覺得我在台灣開店，就應該要賣一些台灣人喜歡的菜色，例如說烤魚或是烤香腸之類的。但是也有另一派的人說，你就賣馬來西亞道地的食物就好。在口味上也是，畢竟是在台灣開店，所以食物的味道一定要能讓台灣人接受。我總是盡可能在台灣人喜歡的口味跟我記憶中馬來食物的味道之間找尋平衡點。最簡單的舉例就是對於辣的接受程度，我們的食物普遍都有辣，台灣人吃可能就會覺得太辣，但其實我已經把辣的程度降低很多很多了。
I got lots of feedback from customers when I first opened the restaurant. Some told me to adapt to the Taiwanese palate and add dishes that they like, like grilled fish or sausages. On the other hand, there is another group that suggested me that I should only cook real Malaysian food. Likewise, there were conflicting suggestions with regard to the flavors. In the end, I took both suggestions and adjusted my recipes to try to find a balance between what Taiwanese people like and the Malaysian food that I remembered having in Malaysia. I was opening a restaurant in Taiwan, after all. An example is the spiciness of the dishes. Almost all Malaysian dishes are hot, but I found that Taiwanese prefers a much milder taste than we Malaysians. I have reduced the amount of spices in my dishes, though Taiwanese still find them too hot.
我希望讓客人感受到我的誠意。
I hoped to impress my customers with the efforts I put into my dishes.
我們有很多特調的飲料，大部份的店家在擠金桔的時後會用機器，雖然方便但也同時把金桔皮上的苦味擠進了汁液裏面，所以在我們店裡都是用手擠，只有手可以控制力度，儘管做完以後手都非常的痛，但是我相信客人會感受到我們的用心。
We had lots of specialty drinks. Most of the other restaurants juice a tangerine in a machine, but the rind would get in the way and make everything bitter. At my restaurant, we hand-squeeze our citrus fruits. Although it was strenuous and painful, I was able to control what goes into my juice. I believe my customers would appreciate my efforts.
有什麼甘苦談嗎？
What were the most memorable experiences?
有時候客人很多，忙的真的都要冒煙了，可是結賬時客人一句你們的食物好好吃，我就會瞬間有被撫慰的感覺，心情馬上就變好！
Sometimes I felt I would burn out when there were too many guests, but it was all worth it. The soothing words coming from them “It’s so delicious!” would bring my mood back up again.
一開始的時候大部份的客人都是成大的學生，我還提供桌遊讓大家玩，可是有些學生們好像不太知道尊重別人，常常就直接大辣辣地躺在木頭地板上睡，桌遊玩完也不收拾。所以第二年，我調整了價目表，並且決定不提供桌遊了。第二年開始客人就逐漸轉變成上班族等等更有消費能力的人，店裡的狀況也越來越穩定。
In the beginning, most of the customers were from the university nearby, so I had boardgames available for them. Some of them were less considerate than I had hoped, and they would sleep on the floor or make a mess out of everything. After a year, I decided to take another approach and stopped offering boardgames. In my second year, my customers became white-collars who can afford to spend more and my business was much more stable than before.
也有遇過顧客酒喝多了以後就想要你陪他一起喝的狀況，我雖然好像很有江湖味但是我其實不喝酒，但是不管怎樣也不能兇客人啊，所以只能一直好言好語的跟他說：「我在忙，沒有辦法。」偶而客人會突然醒過來，然後問我說：「我剛剛是不是很煩？」我就會誠實的帶著笑臉回答：「是啊，你真的很煩。」
There were times when customers would get drunk and ask me to drink with them. I might look like I can drink a lot, but I am a non-drinker. I would have yelled at my customers if I could, but the only I could do is to tell them nicely that I was very busy and could not join them. After a while, they would sober up and ask, “Was I being irritating?” I always replied with a smile, “Yes, very.”
是說，哪一天生意最好？
Which days in the week were the best for your
business?
通常禮拜二、三都比較清淡，禮拜一的生意則是出奇的好，大概是因為台南很多店都是禮拜一公休，所以大家沒地方去吧！
We
were usually less busy on Tuesdays and
Wednesdays. Mondays were much better than I had expected, to my surprise. I guess
it is because many restaurants take Mondays off, so everyone was left with less
choices.
你的生活作息是怎樣？
Tell me a little bit about your day-to-day
routine.
我之前都在台灣過美國時間啊。 我每天下午五點營業到晚上一點，但是因為我不會趕客人，所以可能都要到凌晨兩三點才開始收拾清洗，四點多就去附近的菜市場買菜，因為早點去人比較不那麼多而且菜色也比較齊全，買好菜以後就開始醃肉、處理食材，大概早上五六點結束整個準備工作。然後就回家睡覺睡到下午四點多，起床就又要上班了。所以其實這段時間的生活很無聊，很難跟其他人見到面，過過所謂正常的生活。
I used to live in an alternative time zone from
everybody here in Taiwan. My restaurant officially opens between 5pm and 1am, but
customers often stayed until 2 or 3 because I was reluctant to ask them off. I may
start cleaning up after the last customer has left, and would head over to the
traditional market for groceries
around 4. There were much less people and more selections in the market at this
time of the day. Then I get busy with preparing the food for the next day and
finish off at 5 or 6 in the morning. I
would go home and sleep until 4 in the afternoon and get back to work. It was
kind of a monotonous life, and I don’t get to meet other people or to have a
so-called normal life.
已經經營了三年，會不會覺得捨不得啊？
Were there anything you miss when you sell
your restaurant? 3 years is quite a bit of time.
還好誒，因為我一開始就設定大概是經營三年左右。回去念完書以後還是會繼續創業，不一定繼續開餐廳，但是就是去創業吧。我覺得人要不斷地拼湊自己才能圓滿，就好像散落的拼圖一樣，不管去到哪裡，每一個經歷都是在找回真正的自己。
It is ok, as it was all according to my plan. After completing
my studies, I would probably start something anew, but not necessarily another restaurant.
I just want to do something new, and I feel that life is like a puzzle with
lots of missing pieces waiting to be completed. Every experience will help
finding you true self.
其實我以後想要住在鄉下，自己養雞養鴨種菜啊，過著平靜的生活，但是為什麼我現在不這樣做？因為我還在找尋自我，就算跌倒也沒關係。我不喜歡設定好的人生，唸書，結婚，生小孩，這樣好無聊。
My dream is live a peaceful life in the countryside.
I would raise my own farm animals and grow my won vegetables. But why ain’t I
doing it now? I think it’s because I am still trying to find my true self, and
is not afraid of falling down from my path. I don’t like going through a
mundane life, to go to school, get married and have a children, like everything
has already been set up. It would be too boring.
我高一的時候，我媽媽對我說：「你不要念了，去工作賺錢。」我說：「我不要，我自己想辦法賺學費，但是我一定要唸書。」因為我想要走的更遠，去看這個世界，這也是為什麼我來台灣，我知道如果我現在就不念了，我以後一定會後悔。我還記得，高中畢業時我跟我媽媽說：「我想要去台灣唸書」她非常的生氣，但是我知道我一定要這麼做，並不只是因為文憑的緣故。經過這段路以後，我想媽媽的反對其實是我不斷進步的動力。
When I was grade 10, my mom told me not to continue
my study but to work for the money. I refused, and I told her that I will earn
my own tuition. I wanted to continue my education so I could go further and see
more of this world. This is also why I am
here in Taiwan. I knew I would regret if I had giving up my studies. When I
graduated from high school I told my mother that I am coming to Taiwan for my degree and it made
her very angry, but I knew I had to do it, not just for the degree but for my
self. When I looked back now, her disapproval was perhaps the motivation for me
to move forward.
最後一個問題，為什麼餐廳的中文名字是流浪魚而英文卻是lungfish（肺魚）？
Here’s one last question for you: why did you
call the restaurant Lungfish in English, but Wandering Fish in Chinese?
我很早就離開家了，所以我一直是流浪的狀態，我臉書的名稱就是流浪女。再加上我是雙魚座的，所以就這樣拼湊起來。不過你知道肺魚（lungfish）嗎？ 這是一種很酷的魚。平時用鰓呼吸，在乾涸時用鰾當作肺呼吸，這種魚會在乾旱的時候潛進河底下的泥土裡面，然後把自己包起來，不吃不喝，然後等待下一次下大雨的時候，他們才又會跑出來，是這樣一種不會死也打不死的精神，我覺得跟我自己很像。
I have been living away from home for a long time,
so it seems I am always wandering. In fact, I call myself Wandering Girl on
Facebook. My sign is Pisces, so I combine the two to become Wandering Fish. Lungfish,
on the other hand, is a very cool creature. It has both a gill and a lung. When
there’s water it would breather normally with its gill, but will resort to
breathing with its lung when the river is dry. In a draught, it would take a
dive deep below the river bed and wrap itself up until it rains again. It would
just never give up to the harsh environment. I feel that we are alike.
wikipedia about lungfish: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lungfish
肺魚類是硬骨魚類的一個類群的魚，頜為自接式，平時用鰓呼吸，在乾涸時可以用鰾當作肺呼吸，膘在食道處有一開口，可以叫做內鼻孔，背鰭、臀鰭和尾鰭癒合在一起，頜上沒有硬骨，有特殊的齒板。
每年夏天，部分河流（例如非洲的河流）會乾涸，成為乾裂的泥地。直到秋天雨季到來，河流才重新恢復生機。在旱季，肺魚為了能夠生存下來，就鑽進河床下面蜷縮起來，並使所在洞穴充滿粘液。依靠這種方法，肺魚能在沒有食物、水和只有極少的空氣的條件下，安然度過整個夏季。
----
訪問日期：2014.9.17
攝影&文字：Huiwen Chen
協助英文翻譯＆校正：Sanford Poon
----
訪問日期：2014.9.17
攝影&文字：Huiwen Chen
協助英文翻譯＆校正：Sanford Poon
----
有沒有辦法可以聯絡這位小姐，因為本人很有興趣在台灣開店，有很多很多的問題想問問她。
ReplyDelete如果方便的話可以給我嗎？因為本人剛來台灣不久，所以對很多事情都還不是很清楚。
我叫葉銘峰，現在就讀台北銘傳大學，電話號碼是：0984-455-052，電郵：yap.@gmail.com
謝謝