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FACE TO FACE | EASTERN HORIZON 39

The team organised a SWAP CLOTHES event at The Link Café Together with some friends, Siow Ching organised a volunteering trip
in Jan 2023. to a rural village in Malaysia.

volunteered at various temples occasionally. It was not convey the importance of the interconnectedness
until I joined the Buddhist Society in university and between healthy food, social relationships, environment
started learning about Buddha’s teachings that I decided and ourselves. I wish that The Link can play a role of
to become a Buddhist. connecting the community and continue to serve them
with delicious and healthy plant-based food.
I have been a vegetarian for the past 10 years. The
decision was motivated by my father’s battle with Zhi Yi: What have been your most joyful
cancer. Seeing the pain and suffering that my family achievement and difficult challenge while managing
endured while caring for him made me realize the your vegetarian restaurant?
importance of taking care of myself. Since then, I have
been committed to a vegetarian lifestyle and have found Siow Ching: I find immense joy in seeing customers
it to be a fulfilling and healthy way of living. enjoying the food and environment that we have
created at The Link Café. When customers have positive
My understanding of the Dharma has also contributed experiences, they are more likely to recommend us to
to my decision to pursue a vegetarian lifestyle. I believe their friends and family. This is how we are helping
that every living being is interconnected, and that our to save the animals and reduce our carbon footprint.
actions should be guided by compassion and non- Moreover, it is very fulfilling to build a strong and
violence. By choosing to live a vegetarian lifestyle, I am dedicated team to support the work at the cafe. I get
able to align my actions with my beliefs and do my part a huge sense of accomplishment when I see my team
to create a more peaceful and compassionate world. members grow and develop themselves.

Zhi Yi: What are your thoughts and mission behind Having said that, it is never easy to search for the right
establishing The Link Café? Do you have any long- team member. The process of recruiting and training
term aspiration? someone can be very time-consuming and yet the only

thing we can do is keep trying. Nevertheless, the greatest
Siow Ching: After finishing my study in Taiwan, I was challenge while managing this restaurant was during the
offered the opportunity to establish a vegetarian COVID pandemic, when we had to try every way to boost
cafe. I accepted the offer and founded The Link Cafe sales so that we could cover the overhead costs.
in 2018. The idea behind The Link stem from my
master’s dissertation, with the title of “The Impact Zhi Yi: Can you share with us your favorite
of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Training on vegetarian dish? Is there any story or significance
Different Life Relationship Dimension”. I wanted to behind the dish?