💕「愛台灣，我的選擇」系列第15發：臺虎董事長黃一葦(Peter Huang) 要讓臺虎精釀 Taihu Brewing成為台灣年輕人才發光發熱與實踐夢想的平台

「儘管我有著東方面孔，但我不是台灣人，家族根源也不在台灣。一直到我念大學時 (美國麻薩諸塞州的威廉斯學院，非常棒的學校)，我才透過普林斯頓北京中文培訓班的機會，真正到東亞來闖蕩。

大學畢業之後，我埋首於數字和表格之間，精釀啤酒陪我撐過了這段辛苦的歲月。我的職涯始於紐約，但後來輾轉來到亞洲 (名義上是去新加坡，但主要是在印尼、緬甸和馬來西亞)。

在數字間打轉從來不是我的夢想。身為一個負責任且典型的千禧世代，我一直很想獨立開創自己的事業，如果能將個人興趣和創業機會相結合，那就太完美了。而精釀啤酒就是那完美的交集點！精釀工藝的精神我深有同感，這是一種對未來可能性充滿嚮往、不盲目接受現狀的精神；同時也代表著與一群優秀的人才，一起開發令人驚喜的產品，並打造屬於自己的社群。

成立臺虎精釀的契機出現之後，我立刻想到台灣。之所以選擇這裡，不是因為台灣文化很吸引人 (雖然確實是)，不是因為台灣有著厚實的文化傳統 (雖然確實有)，更不是因為台灣的好山好水。

我選擇台灣的主要原因是這裡遇到的人。很多人會說，人生中有兩個家庭，一個是你的原生家庭，另一個是你自己選擇的家庭。對我來說，那個我自己選擇的家庭，似乎就在台灣。

臺虎精釀的商標 (由台灣傑出設計師Jess Lee設計) 由老虎、啤酒花和葫蘆三個元素組成，葫蘆是古代盛酒的容器。

葫蘆就不需要多加解釋了，但啤酒花是當代精釀啤酒的基石，代表著創新創意的精神。事實上，我們使用的絕大多數啤酒花都來自美國，畢竟美國是精釀啤酒的中心 (過去20年一直都是)。美國的啤酒花產業 (還有麥芽產業) 可以說是世界之最，也難怪經典IPA啤酒中最受歡迎的啤酒花都來自美國。

商標中的老虎是為了向早期台灣作為「亞洲四虎」(亞洲四小龍) 的年代致敬。當年台灣經濟快速起飛，產業朝氣蓬勃，民眾無不對未來充滿樂觀和期待。

老虎代表的正是那樣的生機勃勃、神采煥發。臺虎167名員工幾乎都是台灣人。我們認為，與其說臺虎是一個釀酒廠，不如說臺虎是讓台灣年輕人才發光發熱、實踐夢想的平台。

我們的目標是吸引並培育人才，最終目標希望能夠在台灣發展出欣欣向榮的創業生態圈。Sway是我們成立初期的成員，她一開始是在吧台工作，非常優秀。在小公司工作的好處就是，你可以盡你所能所想去做，Sway後來開始慢慢接觸進口通關業務，現在是我們全球物流的主管 (很不簡單)。

也許有一天，她會開創自己的事業，進而將這份育才的信念在台灣新創圈繼續傳承下去。」— 臺虎董事長黃一葦 Peter Huang

💕Why I chose Taiwan #15 – Taihu Brewing Founder Peter Huang leads Taihu to become a platform for Taiwan young talents to carry out their dreams and express themselves

“Despite appearances, I’m neither Taiwanese nor have roots here. It took college (Williams College in Massachusetts – phenomenal place), to really bring me out to East Asia via Princeton’s immersion program in Beijing.

Post-graduation, I paid my dues shuffling numbers around in a spreadsheet. Craft beer made it bearable-ish. Working life began in New York, but ultimately landed me in Asia (nominally Singapore, primarily Indonesia, Myanmar, Malaysia).

Shuffling numbers was not the dream. So, as a responsibly stereotypical millennial, I had an urge to venture out on my own. Ideally, to try something at the intersection of opportunity and interest. Craft beer! The craft movement itself struck a chord - a yearning for what could be, rather than blind acceptance of what is. It is about building communities around delightful products and, critically, wonderful people.

When the opportunity to start Taihu appeared, my mind immediately went to Taiwan. Not necessarily because the culture is fantastic (though it is), nor because it has a strong cultural heritage (though it does), and not even because the island itself is a magical composition of mountains meeting oceans.

Ultimately, I chose Taiwan because of the people I met here. There’s a tired trope that you get two families in life, the one you’re born into and the one you choose. For me, that chosen family, well, it seemed like it could be in Taiwan.

Taihu Brewing’s logo (designed by brilliant local artist, Jess Lee) is comprised of a tiger and hops within a hulu (traditional Chinese alcohol vessel).

The hulu needs no explanation, but hops are the cornerstone of modern craft beer. They represent the innovation inherent in the space. In fact, the vast majority of the hops that we use are from the United States. Since the US is the epicenter of craft brewing (and has been over the last twenty years), the American hop industry (malt too, actually) is arguably the best in the world. It is for good reason that the most popular hops in category-defining IPAs are American.

The tiger is a nod to an earlier era when Taiwan was one of the “Four Asian Tigers.” Taiwan’s meteoric economic rise was accompanied by deterministic optimism, vibrancy, and general excitement about the future.

The tiger represents that energy. That sense of opportunity, positivity, and hope. Taihu’s 167 employees are almost entirely Taiwanese. Internally, we think of Taihu as more of a platform for young Taiwanese talent than as a brewery, a medium for that energy to express itself.

Our goal to attract and develop talent with the ultimate goal of developing the burgeoning entrepreneurial ecosystem here in Taiwan. One of our earliest team members, Sway, came on board as a bartender -- a fantastic bartender. At a small company, you do what you can, where you can, and Sway ended up taking up some of the slack in our logistics. Now she runs all of Taihu’s international supply chain (no small feat).

With luck, one day she’ll be running her own successful Taiwanese business, and, in doing so, perpetuate the cycle.” — Peter Huang, founder of Taihu Brewing

去年的案子中我選了這幅參加美國ADC Award，雖然沒有得獎，但報名的時候滿心希望這幅台灣的作品和這個計畫能讓更多人看到。畫中其實有很多細節，有興趣的話下方是參賽時寫的作品描述（我還沒翻中文版）：

The illustration visualized an eco-political project that advocates for environmental protection, conservation and encourages people to search for their identity by walking into nature. The image not only depicts the project concepts, but also comprehensively shows 6 primary missions: The Green New Deal, Nature Protection, Carbon Valley, Rite of Passage, Soft Power, and Geopolitical Cornerstone. This enables the client to propose the project to the government, and promote ideas of environmental and political changes to the public.

Taiwan is an island divided by the Central Mountain Range. Located to the west of the range are the large cities inhabited by the majority of the population. In contrast, located to the east of the range are the natural sites and homes of the indigenous population for thousands of years. The 3 hikers depicted on the left are a metaphor for people searching for their identity. By walking through the Japanese Shrine, they cross over Taiwan’s complex history of colonization by many different countries. On the right side is an imaginary city called “Carbon Valley,” which is the idea of a sustainable energy research centre. The Formosan Sika deer is the endemic species in Taiwan but became extinct in 1969. In the illustration, it symbolizes and raises the awareness of nature conservation.

The commission was delivered in August 2020, however the project is still ongoing.

#illustration #illustrationartists #ecofriendly #ecology #greennewdeal #taiwan #nature #taiwanese #mountains #mountainrange #deer #indigenous #culture

【Joshua Wong speaking to the Italian Senate】#意大利國會研討會演說 —— 呼籲世界在大學保衛戰一週年後與香港人站在同一陣線

中文、意大利文演說全文：https://www.patreon.com/posts/44167118

感謝開創未來基金會（Fondazione Farefuturo）邀請，讓我透過視像方式在意大利國會裡舉辦的研討會發言，呼籲世界繼續關注香港，與香港人站在同一陣線。

意大利作為絕無僅有參與一帶一路發展的國家，理應對中共打壓有更全面的理解，如今正值大學保衛戰一週年，以致大搜捕的時刻，當打壓更為嚴峻，香港更需要世界與我們同行。

為了讓各地朋友也能更了解香港狀況，我已在Patreon發佈當天演說的中文、英文和意大利文發言稿，盼望在如此困難的時勢裡，繼續讓世界知道我們未曾心息的反抗意志。

【The Value of Freedom: Burning Questions for Hong Kongers】

Good morning. I have the privilege today to share some of my thoughts and reflections about freedom, after taking part in social activism for eight years in Hong Kong. A movement calling for the withdrawal of the extradition law starting from last year had escalated into a demand for democracy and freedom. This city used to be prestigious for being the world’s most liberal economy, but now the infamous authoritarian government took away our freedom to election, freedom of assembly, freedom of expression and ideas.

Sometimes, we cannot avoid questioning the cause we are fighting for, the value of freedom. Despite a rather bleak prospect, why do we have to continue in this struggle? Why do we have to cherish freedom? What can we do to safeguard freedom at home and stay alert to attacks on freedom? In answering these questions, I hope to walk through three episodes in the previous year.

Turning to 2020, protests are not seen as frequently as they used to be on the media lens, partly because of the pandemic, but more importantly for the authoritarian rule. While the world is busy fighting the pandemic, our government took advantage of the virus to exert a tighter grip over our freedom. Putting the emergency laws in place, public assemblies in Hong Kong were banned. Most recently, a rally to support press freedom organized by journalists was also forbidden. While many people may ask if it is the end of street activism, ahead of us in the fight for freedom is another battleground: the court and the prison.

Freedom Fighters in Courtrooms and in Jail

Part of the huge cost incurred in the fight for freedom and democracy in Hong Kong is the increasing judicial casualties. As of today, more than 10 thousand people have been arrested since the movement broke out, more than a hundred of them are already locked up in prison. Among the 2,300 protestors who are prosecuted, 700 of them may be sentenced up to ten years for rioting charges.

Putting these figures into context, I wish to tell you what life is like, as a youngster in today’s Hong Kong. I was humbled by a lot of younger protestors and students whose exceptional maturity are demonstrated in courtrooms and in prison. What is thought to be normal university life is completely out of the question because very likely the neighbour next door or the roommate who cooked you lunch today will be thrown to jail on the next.

I do prison visits a few times a month to talk to activists who are facing criminal charges or serving sentences for their involvement in the movement. It is not just a routine of my political work, but it becomes my life as an activist. Since the movement, prison visits has also become the daily lives of many families.

But it is always an unpleasant experience passing through the iron gates one after one to enter the visitors’ room, speaking to someone who is deprived of liberty, for a selflessly noble cause. As an activist serving three brief jail terms, I understand that the banality of the four walls is not the most difficult to endure in jail. What is more unbearable is the control of thought and ideas in every single part of our daily routine enforced by the prison system. It will diminish your ability to think critically and the worst of it will persuade you to give up on what you are fighting for, if you have not prepared it well. Three years ago when I wrote on the first page of prison letters, which later turned into a publication called the ‘Unfree Speech’, I was alarmed at the environment of the prison cell. Those letters were written in a state in which freedom was deprived of and in which censorship was obvious. It brings us to question ourselves: other than physical constraints like prison bars, what makes us continue in the fight for freedom and democracy?

Mutual Support to activists behind-the-scene

The support for this movement is undiminished over these 17 months. There are many beautiful parts in the movement that continue to revitalise the ways we contribute to this city, instead of making money on our own in the so-called global financial centre. In particular, it is the fraternity, the mutual assistance among protestors that I cherished the most.

As more protestors are arrested, people offer help and assistance wholeheartedly -- we sit in court hearings even if we don’t know each other, and do frequent prison visits and write letters to protesters in detention. In major festivals and holidays, people gathered outside the prison to chant slogans so that they won’t feel alone and disconnected. This is the most touching part to me for I also experienced life in jail.

The cohesion, the connection and bonding among protestors are the cornerstone to the movement. At the same time, these virtues gave so much empowerment to the mass public who might not be able to fight bravely in the escalating protests. These scenes are not able to be captured by cameras, but I’m sure it is some of the most important parts of Hong Kong’s movement that I hope the world will remember.

I believe this mutual support transcends nationality or territory because the value of freedom does not alter in different places. More recently, Twelve Hongkong activists, all involved in the movement last year, were kidnapped by China’s coastal guard when fleeing to Taiwan for political refugee in late-August. All of them are now detained secretly in China, with the youngest aged only 16. We suspect they are under torture during detention and we call for help on the international level, putting up #SAVE12 campaign on twitter. In fact, how surprising it is to see people all over the world standing with the dozen detained protestors for the same cause. I’m moved by activists in Italy, who barely knew these Hong Kong activists, even took part in a hunger strike last month calling for immediate release of them. This form of interconnectivity keeps us in spirit and to continue our struggle to freedom and democracy.

Understanding Value of freedom in the university battle
A year ago on this day, Hong Kong was embroiled in burning clashes as the police besieged the Polytechnic University. It was a day we will not forget and this wound is still bleeding in the hearts of many Hong Kongers. A journalist stationed in the university at that time once told me that being at the scene could only remind him of the Tiananmen Square Massacre 31 years ago in Beijing. There was basically no exit except going for the dangerous sewage drains.

That day, thousands of people, old or young, flocked to districts close to the university before dawn, trying to rescue protestors trapped inside the campus. The reinforcements faced grave danger too, for police raided every corner of the small streets and alleys, arresting a lot of them. Among the 800+ arrested on a single day, 213 people were charged with rioting. For sure these people know there will be repercussions. It is the conscience driving them to take to the streets regardless of the danger, the conscience that we should stand up to brutality and authoritarianism, and ultimately to fight for freedoms that are guaranteed in our constitution. As my dear friend, Brian Leung once said, ‘’Hong Kong Belongs to Everyone Who Shares Its Pain’’. I believe the value of freedom is exemplified through our compassion to whom we love, so much that we are willing to sacrifice the freedom of our own.

Defending freedom behind the bars

No doubt there is a terrible price to pay in standing up to the Beijing and Hong Kong government. But after serving a few brief jail sentences and facing the continuing threat of harassment, I learnt to cherish the freedom I have for now, and I shall devote every bit what I have to strive for the freedom of those who have been ruthlessly denied.

The three episodes I shared with you today -- the courtroom, visiting prisoners and the battle of university continue to remind me of the fact that the fight for freedom has not ended yet. In the coming months, I will be facing a maximum of 5 years in jail for unauthorized assembly and up to one ridiculous year for wearing a mask in protest. But prison bars would never stop me from activism and thinking critically.

I only wish that during my absence, you can continue to stand with the people of Hong Kong, by following closely to the development, no matter the ill-fated election, the large-scale arrest under National Security Law or the twelve activists in China. To defy the greatest human rights abusers is the essential way to restore democracy of our generation, and the generation following us.

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