Let’s just say I’m just mentioning that. Are you on a swivel chair, or on a rocking chair, or on a straight chair?

You’re rocking, by the way. You’re rocking back and forth. I don’t want you rocking when you’re doing your presentation, OK?

I want to be sure that you talk...not only did you do it, but what was the result of it. The result is what’s really interesting. The doing is fairly interesting. You’re obviously very smart and interesting.

You would think most of them would be very afraid. Is this a part of the thing you’re going to be showing?

They are not afraid of this, which is really interesting.

This is another reason you are an optimist, obviously. Seems like you’re actually getting career bureaucrats on your side at the same time.

Interesting.

What’s the effect of that?

Is this a radical position in Taiwan? Give me a little context here. You’re saying all this very matter-of-factly, as if I know a lot of this stuff, as if the audience knows a lot of this stuff. I think you need to provide a little bit of context, or ...

And that job is responsible for this, this, and this.

Perfect. That’s what I wanted to know. The presentation will go into the details of all this. I’m trying to just get you to, "Here I am. I dropped out of school at 15. I did this, I did that, I did this. Today I’m Taiwan’s digital minister." Are you ...

Very good. Really, you identify for this crowd Taiwan’s digital minister and what that entails. Is that correct?

I don’t want to hear the presentation, because I’m sure it’s great, but I’m still trying to finish who you are. There are three things you currently do in your life, in your job, or in your work. One is this Occupy Movement. What else do you currently do?

This is all presumably a part of your presentation, right?

Tell me the story, please.

Where? You sat in the lobby? You sat in the chambers?

Tell me what you did. You occupied the Parliament for how long?

Were you a beginner? Were you a starter of the Occupy Movement in Taiwan, for example?

You may have to walk me through a little bit, but continue, please.

I had no idea there was an Occupy movement in Taiwan. I live in New York. Obviously, I’m New York-centric. I’m not sure if anybody in the audience knows this, either. The mainstream media does not cover Asia very effectively, as you well know.

This is back to Occupy time? OK, very good.

Who is "we"?

There’s three things you said you did, and all of them have left my mind. I didn’t write them down, so I can’t...

Just bring me back. Today, you do three things. What are they? Break it down for me and explain it to me slowly, please.

I think you’re getting a little caught in the details as you go through this, which is fine. You have to unearth it. I think it’s important to tell me...and you tell me that you started this very large Internet company. Is it important?

That’s the framework, I think.

You’re a rare bird in that way, in that you actually think that this is an optimistic future, "Greetings from the future. Not only hours ahead, but I’m an optimist about where we’re heading. Let me tell you why."

I think that’s also a very nice place to begin, because not many people are today, especially in the West, as you know. That might be the most interesting place to begin, because all of this is making me feel very optimistic. I think there’s too much detail in what ...

You said you’re an optimist, right?

That’s a great observation.

That’s good. Keep going.

There you go. You get introduced to this thing called rough consensus. What happens next? You’re 16. I don’t want every year, but let’s get to some of the high points that you told me about. You co-founded a company.

That’s a very unusual thing. Let’s not forget the fact of drama. Drama’s very compelling to an audience who’s listening to a million speakers a day. Give me the drama of your story. Come on, there you are, you’re dropping out of school at 15. They’re letting you go, "Bye-bye."

Audrey, that’s very unusual. Was it public school or private school?

Maybe that’s a better place to start, "In 1996, I was 15, and I decided I was leaving school. So I told the principal..." I think you need to give me a little more detail here. It’s very interesting that the principal was actually on your side, don’t you think?

What year was it when you were 15?

What’d you parents think about this?

Whoa, we went from 15 to your introducing something to the national government. Give me a little more story there, will you please? By the way, your teacher just let you go?

"When I was 15."

Do you want me to give you a place to start?

You certainly don’t need to introduce your name. Everybody knows who you are, in terms of that. Everything’s there. Just start somewhere, interestingly.

I think this should go just for a minute or two. I don’t want to take away from what you’re doing, obviously. We have to figure out the right place for all of this, as well. Maybe it’s just in the beginning, when you are talking to the crowd really.

You’ll know what’s good. What’s good will stick. You know that, right? Just keep it in mind.

OK, terrific, fantastic.

I’m sorry. Why don’t you put on the voice recorder, so we capture what you say, if this is useful. If not, don’t worry about this.

Can I ask you another little favor? Do you have your phone near you?

We can come up with a much more interesting way of doing it, but can you please tell me how you got to where you are today? Obviously, the story is going to start at about age 15, maybe before.

I think that’s all really fascinating. You’re a very interesting person, obviously, but that needs to be coherent. Let’s do it simply, like from a beginning-middle-end point of view. Here you are today, "I’m Audrey Tang, and I’m doing this."

Keep going.

Why does that lead you to optimism?