Baking a sweet companionship
Prior to the closure of Pâtisserie Rivière, Huang had made 200 desserts and sent them as Christmas presents to Kids’ Bookhouse in Taitung. He was invited to demonstrate his craft there, which unexpectedly led to a much longer stay: after closing down his shop, he moved to Taitung to become a volunteer.
Huang even thought of opening a charity pastry shop in Taitung, where children who didn’t wish to go to university could acquire professional skills. But before long he dropped the idea. Some children were playing with their phones during the lessons. Some arrived at the kitchen in shorts and flip-flops. Huang felt very frustrated.
However, he has come to realize that while adults may be keen to teach, children do not necessarily want to learn. He says that what children in cultural backwaters really need is companionship. Instead of blaming the children for not living up to his own aspirations for them, he came to adopt a more positive, friendlier approach, seeking to understand their lives and their visions for the future. Sharing his own story with them, he wanted to encourage them to explore various possibilities in life.
Curiously, after Huang had jettisoned his didactic persona, the children started to wear proper trousers and shoes to class, arriving early to make preparations. They began to enjoy learning pâtisserie. On the last day of the course, the children presented a card to Huang—they were sad to see him go. Huang read it in tears. He says that it will all have been worth it if one day these children look back on those nine months and feel that someone has loved and cared about them.
Huang gains inspiration from his own experiences. Environmental concerns lend his desserts a special interest. Shown here is one of his creations: Whale Shark (photo by Huang Airan)