夢想，心要有一團火
Live Your Dream: Gear up your Passion

每一代總有為追尋理想而勇往直前的人，在理想和現實之間，踽踽前行。Alan 曾經是全職舞台劇演員，現在是獨立咖啡店老闆，兩者都是許多年輕人羨慕的工作，然而，Alan的藝術和咖啡館生涯，並不浪漫。
In every generation, there will always be people who are unable to proceed freely in the pursuit of their ideals, as they struggle between reality and the ideal. Alan was previously a full time theatrical drama actor, but is now an independent café owner. Both careers may be something that many youth envy, but Alan’s path in both was neither easy nor romantic.

Alan 中一時隨父母移民多倫多，大學時曾參與一齣思索移民身份的話劇演出，激起他對戲劇的興趣，亦讓他重新思考自己的「根」在何方。
Alan came to Toronto with his parents in grade 10. In university, he participated in a drama that explored immigrant identity. It was this experience that stimulated his interest in drama, as well as renewed his thoughts on where his “roots” laid.

幾年後，他決定回流香港，報讀演藝學院，主修戲劇。「讀藝術？十個有九個父母聽到也會想殺人吧！」Alan笑言當年自己的父母也不例外，父母是商人，從小對他說「工字不出頭」，讀藝術更保證餓死。
畢業後，他在香港舞台劇界工作長達十年，曾在多個大型戲團演出，亦在中學從事戲劇教育工作。婚後，女兒出生，考慮到香港的政治氣候，為了女兒有好的教育環境，決定舉家回流多倫多，重新出發。如何給家人更好的生活，成為Alan 現在的首要目標。
A few years later, he decided to return to Hong Kong and study drama at the College of Performing Arts. After graduation, he worked in Hong Kong’s theatrical drama industry for more than a decade. He participated in many large drama group performances and, at the same time, was also involved in high school drama education. After getting married, and with the birth of his daughter, he decided to go back to Canada with his family for a new beginning. This decision was made in consideration of Hong Kong’s political atmosphere at the time, and to give his daughter a better education environment in the future. How to provide his family with a better life was his primary focus.

華人在西方社會做生意，與在香港從事藝術相比較，路會寬一點嗎？
“Would running a business in western society as a Chinese give him a better path than performing arts in Hong Kong?” he asked himself.

Alan 坦言，藝術路是艱辛的，要全心投入，是一條不要回頭望的路，一回望便會輸。太太亦同為藝術工作者，兩口子各自努力，經濟不成問題，但有了孩子之後便有更多考慮，尤其自由工作者 (freelancer)，收入不穩定。他亦想過自組藝團，不過一旦與商業掛鈎便很多制肘；即使獲得資助，亦要迎合要求，難以維持自己的藝術路向。相比之下，經營咖啡館的生意有多一點空間，雖然也要配合巿場，顧客的口味，不過，總可以自創一條路，靠自己的賣點突圍而出。
Alan admitted that a career in performing arts is a very difficult path to walk. You must immerse yourself completely, and cannot think about giving up or retreating; or you would lose. His wife was also an artist, and they did not have any financial problems as they both worked hard. After having a child, however, there were more factors to consider. Being a freelancer especially meant that his income could be unstable at times. He also thought of creating his own performance group, but there were many business-related constraints. Even if he did receive government funding, he would have to follow their direction and this would make maintaining his own artistic direction difficult.

開店前1年，Alan與妹妹走訪多倫多市中心每家咖啡館搜集資料，發現在多倫多極少專為30-50歲顧客而設的中高檔型咖啡酒館，尤其在華人聚居的萬錦市，可以在晚上小聚閒談的咖啡酒館更是少之又少。Alan 看準這個年紀層的顧客市場，決定在連鎖式咖啡店與珍珠奶茶店之間，找出新路，為他們提供不一樣的選擇。
The year before the opening of his café, Alan and his sister visited every café and coffee shop in metro Toronto for research. They discovered that in Toronto, there were very few mid-grade cafés and bars tailored to customers of 30-50 years old. In Markham especially, where most Chinese congregate, there were few cafés and bars at night for friends to gather and socialize. Alan saw market opportunity for this age group and decided to provide an alternative between chain coffee shops and bubble tea stores. Alan’s café opened at the beginning of this year. He named it “Zen”, which, as the name suggests, means comfort and tranquility were the main design concepts. The café provides organic professional coffee, red wine, and western style dessert items. The second floor has an independent VIP room that is very suitable for small gatherings. The café does not provide Wi-Fi.

從追尋藝術到創業，Alan感激父母多年來的體諒。他成長時觀察父母營商的經驗，沒想到今日可以應用。父親更成了他生意上的師傅，處處指點迷津。不過，父母明白他對藝術的熱誠，還未完全冷卻。Alan的心願是待咖啡店穩定下來後，與太太開設工作室，透過藝術活動，培養下一代。
From pursuing art to entrepreneurship, Alan thanks his parents for their support and understanding over the years. “Study Art? Nine out of ten parents would probably kill someone if they hear that!” He jokingly said, suggesting that even his parents were no exceptions. Alan’s parents have business backgrounds, and believed that you cannot find success working for someone else. He never would have thought that the business knowledge and skills he observed and learned from his parents while growing up could be of use today. Now, his father has become his teacher in business and often gives him sound advice. Even so, his parents understood that his passion towards art never faded. Alan wishes that once the café business is stable, he would open a workshop with his wife to nurture the next generation through art activities.

Alan 直言自己對藝術的一團火，曾經為了生活而熄滅，回加拿大後決心開咖啡店，而心中的藝術火種又再重燃。他強調，無論是當年報讀戲劇抑或今天開店，在追尋理想的路上，最重要的是敢於踏出第一步，離開自己的安樂窩(comfort zone)，否則只會原地踏步。面對現實的限制，要不忘心中的火種，才可活得豐盛。
Alan admitted that the fire he had towards art was once extinguished due to the realities of life. That fire was ignited once again after opening his café. Regardless of whether it was deciding to study drama in the past, or opening a café today, Alan emphasized that the most important thing was to take that first step when pursuing your dream. If you don’t step out of your comfort zone, you will only stay where you are. You need to face the limits of real life but you should not forget the sparks in your heart, so that you may live an enriched life.