Candy Yiu- Hong Kong, Gary Hirsch robots, Educational Jouney

Today’s guest is Candy Yiu who lives in Portland and Astoria.  She owns a Boutique Hotel called Near the Pier on Franklin St. and also began, along with her husband, Slurpalicious, a local food delivery service.

If you’re a local, you might have noticed the cool white building with the robots mural on Duane Street with the food carts. Gary Hirsch, the artist has an interesting story. To encourage a kid with cancer, he painted a little brave robot on the back of a domino and gifted it to him. It worked. So, hospitals all over the world asked him for a few thousand robots. Then he realized he couldn’t paint so many, he had the idea to have other kids paint the robots to gift to kids in the hospital. 

It ended up helping two kids at once- both how to give and how to care.  So far, he’s painted more than 60,000 dominos. Candy asked him to come to bring Astoria joy in the form of the botjoy mural.

Candy tells her inspiring story of growing up in Hong Kong, a city of 3 million, where education for girls was not important and where the value of women was nearly nonexistent.  

Let’s lean in to her journey of grit to go to college and obtain her PhD.

Subscribe to the Women of the Northwest podcast for inspiring stories and adventures.
Find me on my website: jan-johnson.com

Transcript

Interview with Candy Yiu

LINKS: Near the Pier, Gary Hirsch, Slurpalicious, Tracie Heskett

So can you tell me about where you grew up? 

Candy

0:03

Well, I grew up in a really, really crowded city. When I left is 8 million in a little island called Hong Kong 

Jan Johnson

0:12

8 million people. And then you came to Astoria.

Candy

0:16

Right it's completely opposite

Jan Johnson

0:19

A bit of a contrast.

Candy

0:21

I love it.

Jan Johnson

0:22

So, what was your journey to getting here? Tell me what it was like growing up in Hong Kong. It's just a whole different idea for me.

Candy

0:30

Right. So, my parents originaly they come from mainland China. Well, that's another story how they actually get to Hong Kong, which I was lucky to be born. So, when so I have two sisters, two brothers. When I was born, I was told that I'm already really lucky because my family situation has changed significantly. But at the point when I was born, we live in 100 square feet. Studio. 

Jan Johnson

1:02

Oh, my word.

Candy

1:03

I have two sister two brothers. So, a family of 7 in 100 square foot studio means there is a bunk bed for my brother and my mom and dad in a lower bunk, and in a second bunk in the L shape. So, the top is my second brother, and then my sister. And then the lower bunk which you pull out, which is my sister. And then there's no more space left for me, because that is 100 square feet. So, I grew up, pulling out of matrress, but most of the time because it's too hot, I just live on the floor. That is our, my first house apartment when I grow up. The interesting part about the apartment that I think other people would be interested in as the toilet. So, it is four square feet. There is a toilet, and the shower is hanging on the wall behind the toilet. So, when you stand there, you take a shower, you close to toilet cover, shower, and everything will be wet. Oh, which you really used it to it. I mean, because it happened every day. And there's seven people waiting to go to the bathroom.

Jan Johnson

2:19

We have only one bathroom here. Oh, so with my 10 children and we had one bathroom. Yes.

Candy

2:29

Wow. 

Candy

2:30

Yeah. And so, it was waiting. Fortunately, we live in the country so the boys could go outside. That's right made it easy. But the way you describe your bathroom, my daughter taught in Korea, South Korea for three years. And so, when I went to visit her that was the same style of bathroom that she had with it showering, right.

Candy

2:51

Yeah, that in Asia is very common. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. So that is the place that I grew up with.

Jan Johnson

2:59

What did your parents do?

Candy

3:01

My mom are sold. So, when you have a shirt, part of it, like the color or you know, and sometimes she has to do some side job for like putting plastic flowers together? 

Jan Johnson

3:13

Oh. Okay. 

Candy

3:14

Just anything that requires a little bit of labor, assemble them, my mom would get like a bag of it. So sometimes my sister has to do 100 of them before they go to school. My dad working in a toy factories so my dad doesn't live with us. Many days of the week. He live in mainland China, because that's where the factory located. He come home, usually on a weekend. My dad is really really traditional. Like, how to describe it. I hardly see him smile. We hardly had any conversation like very, very few conversations. But he's kind He's nice. I always look up to him. I think like his image. I always think that you know, he's a very hardworking man. But unfortunately, when I grew up bigger, I discover I created those images myself because I actually don't know my dad. Well. I just kind of created my own. My dad used to gamble a lot. And like when I realized the truth is he took money for my mom. So, my mom pretty much single handed making like few cents, you know, per 100 on those colors or laying and raise me. Yeah. And my dad is good now. He is not the same anymore. He's changed. So yeah, now now has changed significantly, but not when we were growing up.

Jan Johnson

4:50

Yeah, yeah. Wow. Okay. All right. Well, then how long did you stay in Hong Kong?

Candy

4:57

My whole life. So yeah. So, my parents, they don't have, I would say, they don't have any education. They grew up in the daytime that in China, they had their revolutions and they burn all the books and they don't believe in school. So, my mom grew up in a farm. So, there are like, no value, pretty much to women.

Jan Johnson

5:27

Like a lot of countries,

Candy

5:29

right man is always the center of the family, women is

Jan Johnson

5:33

the subservient.

Candy

5:36

And then when it comes to education is totally out of the picture. Because my family, I think, because they're really poor. When I was little, they struggle even to provide food for everyone. So, everything has to be really practical, um, school is definitely not one of them. So especially my mom and dad can read. My dad actually, later on taught himself how to read. My mom still can't read until today. Oh, so both my sibling like two brothers and two sister. They never gone to college.

Jan Johnson

6:17

But all of you kids went to like elementary school in high school. Yeah.

Candy

6:22

In Hong Kong is compulsory, the nine years basically, you have to go to school,

Jan Johnson

6:27

you were fortunate?

Candy

6:29

Yeah, that was the lucky part. Because of that, you know, I got the idea of what a school look like. And that's where I always call it luck come from when I grow up, I always have amazing teacher. I'm not smart. I would say not that hard working either love or hate working, you know, for the things that I like. But, or like this, every single year, there will be at least one amazing teacher change my life like to take me to another steps. There's, like he or she, they're always there.

Jan Johnson

7:05

Because we must have seen something in you that encourage them to encourage you. And bring you

Candy

7:11

Yeah, or they just have like a very special heart. So one of the thing that I like still until today, I love math. And I think it's because of one of the influenced by my elementary teacher. He in some ways bad though. Okay. So, he picked 13 top students, that they're really good at math. And they let us to stay back to have like, after school, like a program or like it's informal, like a club. Yeah, like a club. Yeah, look at Math Club. But what you did is that he make this card, and has math question in this card. And he makes so many of them. And each stack is by level. So it, it grew from level one to two to three. And he actually doesn't need to teach any of us like we don't actually sit down and have an underclass, we don't do that. So, we just basically stayed back and then we will take one card, and they will try to do it. And they will have instructions, then you know, you go either go to another one, you got another colors, you know, level. And we really enjoyed it. Like all 13 of us become like a family. Yeah. And then we play ping pong. So, I really like because, you know, we just play a lot of ping pong, in my elementary life So that made me just, like, learned so much fun about math and fundamental. I don't know how he created I don't even know, like, I wish those cards can be replicated. So yeah, you know, and I just not only learning how to do the math, but also like the reason behind it, you know, how, for example, like how, how we like do integration or do like the areas and all that, but sometimes, maybe not so much in the US, but in Asia, they just force you to memorize. And you just apply it and get the answer.

Jan Johnson

9:12

Get really the fundamentals. ,

Candy

9:15

Yeah not not my teacher. After I graduated from elementary school, in Hong Kong, we ran the British education system, so we don't have middle school. So we jumped to, we call it Secondary School, which is equivalent to like high school, right? The first three years, I already know everything, like the math is I already learn everything from those cards, you know? Yeah, yeah. So, it's kind of starting where I started loving the books loving the school.

Jan Johnson

9:45

Yeah. And so, um, how did you end up in the United States?

Candy

9:50

Yeah, so that has to wind back to my college life. So, my brother and sister they never gone to college, but they're really successful. In a way that measure by make money, so my parents never really value education, which is understandable because they have to be practical, right? They think that women's just grow up get married. Yeah, it's cool. Which is also related, I'd never really brand them. Because if I had that background, and I've never really go out, right, I will have the same mindset,

Jan Johnson

10:28

because you don't even know what else was available.

Candy

10:32

Yes. So, but I think I'm also by nature really rebel kid. And in some way, I think that drives me to want to do the opposite. Kind of. So, and because the love of books, the love for school, I try really hard to get into college. But in Hong Kong is really hard go to college is not like. So, in Hong Kong, the education system is different, it's really hard to go to college, unlike in the US. So, the way how it works is that there is a single public examination, that all the kids have to take it at the same time, the same paper, and everything's exactly the same. So the first public expects emulation is form five, which is around 16. And that willeliminate 75% of the students, okay, so only 25% can go to form six. So, when you and then you will go to form six and form seven. And after form seven, you take another exam, which is the similar structure. And the exam is, each subject is three hours. Yeah, so and you have the continuous writing really fast in order to actually even complete the whole paper like you can have time to think so but then after that, they eliminate another 50%. So pretty much there are around like 12.5% that actually go to actually go to college. So, when I took my first exam in form five, I failed. So, I felt pretty badly. And my school taught me that well, we don't think you can move on to form six. And you but you're grade is good enough to repeat another year. And even in Hong Kong, when you repeat they count it, so when you have the exam, it's not like overwride So the university will look into Oh, you have repeated. And if they have enough students, they may not want the students that have repeated you know,

Jan Johnson

12:51

So that was an obstacle.

Candy

12:54

And so, I have a choice I have to choose, should I repeat one year? Which my mom probably gonna be so mad, and she probably would not support me.

Jan Johnson

13:05

But she would really not have any idea of what it was like to go through because she didn't go to school?

Candy

13:13

No, she did not. And every time I would say I go to the library, she said no, no your life. Really. So, but I decided not to repeat. I kind of have a weird, strange thought, then I think I can I deserve to go to the next grade. And I I am not very good at taking exam. Like I notice up check. I understand maybe not like, really 100% Or, but I felt that I need to move on. I can't repeat you know.

Jan Johnson

13:52

And that's true with a lot of people, you know that it's just, I mean, having to take an exam is first of all is full of anxiety. Right? So that affects how you're thinking and whether you can actually think clearly enough to answer correctly.

Candy

14:07

And except it's really tricky. It really depends on how the teacher make the question, right. And sometimes they expect you to know like the answer or the process to the answer. Right? So it's really really different in Hong Kong is more about the answer. Did you get it or not? So I made my first hard decision. I decided to go to night school. Oh, okay. Could you imagine high school there's like less than 1% Go to college like no one could go to high school pretty much is like the parents force their kids. If they can't go to day school, then you're like, No, you just have to go to school and go to next like next impression of okay. And night school start at night. You know, at six o'clock. You have two hours a day and the teacher is random. Quality is also random. But I ended up having really, really good classmates, you know, we become friends, we form our own study groups. We help each other out. 

Jan Johnson

15:12

And that was good. 

Candy

15:13

Yeah, after the night school when I tried exam again, and I passed. Yeah, so I got admitted to one of those smallest University in Hong Kong, not one of the good one, like, there is like, those is like ivy league, right? United States, you know, very good, you know, which one of them is my dream, but they, told me that my English is too bad. You know, I don't make my minimum,

Jan Johnson

15:40

because you have to do your TOEFL. Right?

Candy

15:43

No, so it is an English exam. Same thing is the public exam they have, but the minimum they wanted is a D in English. And I got an E. I know people is a lot of us shock in the US that what do you do? Is, okay, good grade in Hong Kong. So, C it's like a brilliant, great. V is like, Wow, you're amazing. A is like, you're like, you're just, you know, there's not so many in the you're just must, must be genius. So that's how the grading work. Okay, Hong Kong. So, the university, I really, really want to go has a minimum requirement. I meet, every other legal requirement, but not the English requirement. So, but in some way, I felt lucky I didn't get in. Because it's a really good school is a really big school. Lots of smart kids inside means that I will not have a lot of resources, I'll have to, like, be really good to stand out to be found. One of the reason that I can come to the US because I actually admit to the small school. Because, again, I have amazing teacher or this teacher, they are, the class size is 40 students, instead of in a good school, you have like 100. Exactly. And all the teachers know your name- at a big school they don't. That is the first time I get introduction to something called research. Oh, and I have never know anything about research. Okay. I have a very good professor. Describe to me, this is a project. This is some core research, would you like to do it. And I say, Sure. So, I do it. And I love it. Like, I don't know what I'm doing. But I just love the process of it. I love the creative part of it. There's a lot of freedom not set in stone, like book, you have to memorize equations.

Jan Johnson

17:59

It's just, it's the whole process of understanding something. My last interview was with someone who's a researcher, and it was fascinating. Yeah, she just loves it.

Candy

18:10

i Yeah, I like to invent part of it. And then you and then you combine with statistic and just amazing, fascinating. That is where when my last year of my college, I go through three years college. And then my professor told me, Well, would you like to continue research to get a master degree? And there's not in a million year, I would imagine that I would do a master's or not even like, when I get into the college, I already feel like I'm so lucky. Like, you know, go to college. 

Jan Johnson

18:45

Like this was your endgame. 

Candy

18:46

Um, and I have no idea. But I know I love research. So, I say yes. But then my grade. My grade at college didn't meet the minimum requirement. So, the master degree in Hong Kong is different from the United States. You don't take classes. So, we call it like math. Like it's a research master. There are only somewhere around between three to five spots a year. It's fully funded by the government. You actually get paid. You get paid actually a lot of money. 

Jan Johnson

19:25

Oh!

Candy

19:26

You get paid actually more than if you graduate and get a freshman job.

Jan Johnson

19:31

Really? 

Candy

19:31

Yeah. So that also mean is very competitive, really top student do it. And I didn't actually make them anymore. So, my professors say if you really want so badly, you will have to work really hard. In the last semesters you had to get all A's to get the minimum and no partying. And I just worked so hard, so hard. and I try and try and try. And I did it. And I get into like the minimum, like people would laugh at my great if they know the minimum like, like not in a million year, people would think that this can ever happen. And he, of course, also with his help, he fought for me. She presented and the projects and he got me a spot. So that is the first time I yeah, I started my research and high degree journey. And during the master degree, we publish paper in a lot of conferences,

Jan Johnson

20:38

And what was the subject of research? 

Candy

20:40

Yeah, so that's another interesting story. So, the subject is how to solve the complicated part of Chinese character. So, in high level, okay, English, you have 26 letters, right? You combine them in different way in a linear form, right? You create words. But Chinese character, each of them is actually an image, people draw a sun. And then they found that, well, if every time I have to draw a sun to say, sun is too complicated, so I simplify it to be a circle and a dots in the middle. And then he walked into the Chinese character today. So, every Chinese character has a story behind and actually is a drawing. Now, in total, there are more than 60,000 Chinese character. Not even in a font set that representing computer can actually have enough memory. Most fonts that you know, how you have different style each of them, to design our English font only create 26 letters. But in Chinese, you have to actually draw all of them. And usually people only do like two to 3000 of them.

Jan Johnson

22:04

Even two to 3000— 1000 would be. . . 

Candy

22:07

Most of the time, you know, you still miss character. And sometimes you just you want to have one font and it's like, ah, it doesn't have that one, you have to choose another one. That's how you know we had. And on top of that, the worst is my first language is Cantonese. Cantonese is a spoken language that doesn't follow written. So, the way how we speak is different the way how we write. And we create slang word every day, new words pop up every single day. And newspaper, they always want to write like, for example, like this star, he said, blah, blah, blah. And then they really want to write exactly the sound. So, they invent a new character. So that become even more and more complicated. So, my research basically, is to study and research how I can deconstruct Chinese character into super fun, like books. And I found that there's only 41 of them. No, and I created a Chinese synthesized system that can take a language that you describe each character and can generate on the fly the Chinese character.

Jan Johnson

23:23

Fascinating.

Candy

23:24

So is a lot of fun. Yeah. And we presented in a lot of conference, which provided me the opportunity to actually leave Hong Kong because there's no way I can identify out. And so we have conferences in Hawaii, we have conferences in like, you know, Asia, and it's just so many places, and I got to meet all this professor, all over the world.

Jan Johnson

23:50

Inspiring!

Candy

23:51

And they are super nice to me. They're like all of them. I can't thank them more. They are the big part of it. Why I can learn in the United States because every time I met them, they tell me you have to do a PhD. And don't do it in Hong Kong, you have to leave Hong Kong. All of them say that. And that's like, how, I don't know how and it's not possible. First, I don't have money. And second, I'm not that brilliant. Like I don't have the straight A's, you know, transcript I just don't know how is possible and then they said that you just have to try. So, in one conference that I presented in Hawaii, back in those days a really long time ago airline, they are really nice to give you a free stop, along the way, you can pick one, so I get a free stop in Portland.

Jan Johnson

24:48

Okay.

Candy

24:50

So, I don't have money. So, the only way I can do is that just go to every single university and present my research. I make a pretty cool presentation with limited resources back then to do a little animation. And I presented to so many university and even I end up getting an invitation in Berkeley. But they all really fascinated, but they still asked me to go through the standard procedures to apply. And most of the school has to pay $100 US dollar for application fee.

Jan Johnson

25:30

Oh, I know.

Candy

25:31

Which I don't have. And so, I did not do any of them. And the last day, I was almost giving up. But this man, like, a random man that I follow his music. I don't know why randomly we chat. And he hear my story. And, and he told me that, you know, well, if you really love something so much, and if you want it so badly, you need to try every minute. And every second, and you never give up. So that is the time that's the day, almost like, two days before I leave my flight to Hong Kong, and I almost give up. And because of that I didn't thought about Portland State actually never is actually on my list. Because it's not a research university. And you know, right. So, I sent an email to the chair, and I got an appointment next day. And I presented my paper, because I need to try every second because I want it so badly. And the chair that time her name is Cindy Brown, she say yes. And she say we'll admit you. And I was like really?

Jan Johnson

26:48

I would have been crying at that point.

Candy

26:51

And I literally tell her that, you know, wait, look, I really can't just come, you know. And I said, Well, I don't have money. I just can't, you know, just come. She's so kind and so nice. And she said, Well, we'll figure something out. And you just come where you know, she just kind of tell me that, you know, she will. If we don't have scholarship or funding make you a TA you teach and we'll figure something. She didn't say I would be comfortable. But so, and I fly back to Hong Kong. And the funny part is, that is exactly the first SARS outbreak in Hong Kong. 

Jan Johnson

27:36

Oh, my goodness.

Candy

27:38

happened in Hong Kong. I couldn't even get a part time job. I couldn't tell my parents because they will say no, because the story I didn't tell is when I get into my master program in Hong Kong. My mum was so angry and so upset with me. Did talk to me for a long time. But with my rebel nature, which is had the scholarship, I've no money. I did it anyway. But I know this time is going to be bad. So again, my rebellion kick in. I didn't tell my parents. I was keep looking and keep looking for jobs. I couldn't find one because the Sars, there was so bad. But suddenly, one day, I got a call. One of the schools need a secretary, the secretary suddenly disappeared for some reason. And I actually have to open that school before. And I know the system I know inside out and they were like, can you help for two months? I was like, yes, 

Jan Johnson

28:37

yes, I can

Candy

28:39

I save enough money for a one way ticket with $200 in my pocket, and I come to United State without very little advance notice to my parents. I was so upset. But they know, at the same time that nothing they can do about it. They know that my mom and dad, I have to say even though with all this story, if it is not the way how they raised me even though they're upset and angry, but at the same time, everything I do they allow that to happen. You know what I mean? I don't have to explain it. It's not like they don't find me or anything, you know, but it's still like I feel comfortable to be rebel. You know, I feel comfortable. Like sorry, sister, we take care of my parents. You know what I mean? Like they allow the rebellion happen. They allow me to have my space and do the things that I really like to do even though they disapprove. You know, so I would say if I want one thing I like to be my parents to treat my kid I want equality.

Jan Johnson

29:53

Yeah, I want to allow them the freedom to make mistakes or to choose their path.

Candy

29:59

Exactly. So, I felt like even though they were upset, but at the same time, if I want to do it, I will just do it. But this, this thinking is not easy. I know a lot of Asian family, they don't have that, in fact, many family kind of bury that culture in it, will feel like I can't do it because my parents, they will say no, you know what I mean? And I really appreciate, I think this is, one of the things that my parents could ever have, given me, or the fact that they keep saying that, you know, you're a girl you cannot do it, right, that pushed me to the other side,

Jan Johnson

30:41

Do you want to see? I'll show you what a girl can do.

Candy

30:45

Exactly. So yeah, that's how I ended up landed in Portland

Jan Johnson

30:50

Yeah. And so you ended up having your PhD?

Candy

30:54

Yeah, so that is that many PhD students probably disagree with me. But I think I have my best life, like my PhD life is my best time in my life. Yeah, just because of my supervisor is amazing.

Jan Johnson

31:13

So, what I keep hearing you say, all through your life, you've had people who mentored you, and believed in you and kind of pushed you toward the next thing to keep you going?

Candy

31:24

Yes, definitely.

Jan Johnson

31:26

So that just says to the importance of having

Jan Johnson

31:43

What I think is too, we need to realize how we have an influence on other people, you know, that when we encourage them for things, we may be just saying just something that is just an encouraging word that we don't even think much about, but it turns out to be a life changer for people. You know,

Candy

32:03

and, and I also say that there are so many people helped me along the way. But don't be afraid to grab any opportunity. Because I was actually really scared to come to United State.

Jan Johnson

32:16

Oh, yeah. 

Candy

32:17

Because I'm single, I just had to come in with nothing. I don't know what happened to me. But I always tell myself what the worst can happen. The worst is it didn't happen. Right. And I just go back to where I am, right, from zero. So, and I think that, you know, I know that it is really scared to leave your comfort zone, to go to another space. But at the same time, what drives me is that is the change is the difference, like it is the things that I have to look forward to, you know, and I just felt like, even though I have all my friends, all my family, which is really comfortable, at a time, but at the same time, like, I just feel like there's something more to it, you know, and I want to see outside, I want to see outside what Hong Kong also Hong Kong look like, and I want to see the world. And I felt like, and there's this opportunity for me, like for this like, little nobody. And, a just felt like of course, I would say I'm very lucky. But at the same time, like, in many instances, I have to work really hard right to make it happen. And I definitely get very lucky to get guidance to tell me, Hey, if you want this, you do this. This is what you need to achieve to get there. But you have to want it so badly that you work every day and to get there. Right, yeah, right.

Jan Johnson

33:57

Okay. Well tell me a little bit about now you're in Astoria. Tell me about the things that you're doing here in Astoria.

Candy

34:03

So, what bring us to Astoria first is the boutique hotel. So, during my PhD like one of the thing that drives me to do more research and publish more paper, sorry, Professor is the travel because I got an opportunity to travel a lot of places depends on where the conference is. So, one thing that attracted me the most is staying in different hostel. So, until today, I have to tell you that I still love to stay in hostels than five star hotel. Yeah. Because there are a lot more character. Definitely a lot cheaper. But more than that, I think people run hostel. They are so passionate love what they do, and then they create space for different traveler to meet each other. And I think that intersection just really fascinating. Yeah, and I didn't know I always wanted to. Until one day, this is something that I always thought you know, even though the pandemic is really sad and it created you know, sad story but at the same time, it opened up a lot of doors which Franklin Street was for sale and I saw it and I was like, wow, we can remortgage our house, buy it and I show it to my husband and he say no. And I show it to him every day which is my nature you know? And one day he just say yes and I think one thing that you know he forgot is that how much I want to do this and at the same time I do the same to him like if you have a dream go for it. It's a matter what happened. So I think this is something that he wants to do and and he know I want to do so we remortgage the house and bought this little house or Franklin Street are now called Near the Pier. And the pandemic allow me to furnish with antiques. Which fit into the era of Astoria. Yeah, and has six little rooms with bathroom on his own. Yeah, so that I want to provide a space for people to travel and enjoy and can bring back to old days to listen to like, tube radio, plastic red color. Yeah, all those things that we forgot. Which, lead us today.

Jan Johnson

36:40

That makes it fun. Yeah, yeah. Okay. And then you started a food delivery for your Slurpalicious.

Candy

36:49

Yeah. So yeah, Slurpalicious is a, funny story. So, the background is that we have opened with a partner, a restaurant in Portland called Malka. So, and we open kind of like, during pandemic time, we were all too picky, you know, we want everything to be perfect. As we hammer everything. It took us two and a half years to open. So, but then we didn't know pandemic come. Which, surprisingly, we have a lot of community support. We have been doing like very well. Until the pickup pandemic, people start not coming out, they start asking, Hey, you know, can you do delivery? So, we start looking into delivery. And then we look at, oh, my god, DoorDash. And all those company. They were charging so much money. They're charging 30% or 65%. And there's no way we can like our margin is so small, like, there's no way we can make it. So, what happened is that, you know, we decided, well, maybe we can do something different. So, my husband is engineer, I'm engineer. We thought that well, maybe we can build an app, just don't do delivery. We thought that we could save the world. Yeah, so we thought that well, Astoria is a small town is a testing place. And we already have business here, so why not? So, we temporarily move our family back in February to launch Slurpalicious has been really hard. I don't know. I think probably this is probably the hardest things I've ever done in my life. Like I, I maybe I forgot, but I felt like it's even harder than my PhD or something. But like, at the beginning, the first challenge is we understand in food delivery, it's not like you create something and then your people buy it. Right so they only need to focus on making something pretty so someone will buy it's like demand and supply. But food delivery has three, three parts. The driver, the eatery and the customer. Without the customer you don't have eatery. Without eatery you don't have the customer or driver, so it's almost like a chicken and egg problem. And then at the same time because we want to have a different mission than DoorDash so we want to have low cost delivery for eatery and fair driver pay. So, we won't we don't want to run into the regular software company direction which normally they will go to a fund for a millions dollars or 10s of million dollars and then you go from there. So basically we start out from our saving and then we are the marketing person, we are the developer, we are the everything. It was really hard to also introduce technology in a small town because it is new. Also, we understand because we have a restaurant. A restaurant is chaotic when it's busy is very difficult. Which that is the first challenge, which we kind of get through that in a way that I think Astoria has been amazing. The community has been so supportive. Slowly, slowly, we have more than 20 eateries. And all the customer they are extremely patient and I can't, I can't thank you much, for how much customer love us and we love them too. And driver because we pay family. We even with shortage of people, we never saw the shortage of driver until today. But every day we face different challenge when restaurant are busy, delivery is always secondary, which is understandable. But then when the order being place, if it is cancel driver doesn't get money that slot. And that customer didn't get food, which they thought they expected to come.

Jan Johnson

40:58

So yeah. So, it's meeting the expectations and how the functionality of it all works. That makes it difficult.

Candy

41:05

Yeah. And it ended up like is to come really challenged to try to make everybody happy. That is something which is very different of everything I have ever done in my life.

Jan Johnson

41:18

All right. Well, we should wrap this up. It's just been delightful to hear your story and I just want to keep listening and listening. But you've got some interesting things to do. But thank you for joining me and allowing me to do this with you.

Candy

41:32

Thank you so much for having me. This has been so much fun.