Pub Team Human Interest Articles
By Ali Woo
From people whose voices ring out when red flags are won, to people whose red flags are picked up from LKF, everybody in SJC has a unique story to tell. We want to hear all about those experiences, which is why this year the Pub Team will be initiating our first written publications — “HI Table”, a series of (H)uman (I)nterest interviews of three of our fellow St Johnians every few months.
The theme for our first batch of interviews is Daisins! Some of us have been here longer than others (in both hall and life), but that shouldn’t stop us from making “friends in high places”, at least temporally speaking. To start off, we have interviews with Sunny (8F), Mark (4F), and Alice (7F).
Sunny Jung (@sunny_aeyo)
Sunny is a Year 5 Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education in Language Education (English) student who will be finishing her studies this year. Despite her Korean descent she was actually raised in Hong Kong for all her life, making her completely fluent in basic conversational survival Cantonese. While freshmen may know her for her stunning performance on 82 Night, this 8F sister is much more involved in the world of arts and entertainment than you might think.
What made you want to pursue Education in the first place?
Initially, I wanted to do Business, but in the last year of high school I led a volunteer program teaching English to kindergarteners. That experience inspired me to give back what I could offer to the community and to local society. I feeI like I have the ability to change a person’s life in a more subtle way, and although it might not lead to a HUGE impact, it’s still a progressive process.
Also, when I was younger I’d have to say that my school teachers weren’t that nurturing towards me. Especially when you’re young, you need a lot of guidance outside of just academics, which is what a lot of my teachers failed to do. I want to be able to offer that sort of support, since lessons are important but having a happy and fruitful childhood is equally significant.
That’s mainly why I want to teach kids in upper primary school. They need a lot of support because they’re experiencing a lot of emotional and physical changes in their lives, and I think that teachers really need to guide them during the transition from being a child to being a teenager. To achieve that, I want to be the type of teacher that kids see as a friend, while also setting clear boundaries so that I can just stay the way I am, and so they understand that I’m also a mentor in their lives.
What do you pay most attention to when listening to music?
I usually find myself engaged with the lyrics of a song. Right now, one of the songs that really resonates with me is Adele’s ‘Love In The Dark’. Especially when I sing, I want to compare the message that lyrics are trying to bring with my personal experiences. That way, the song gains a new meaning from the way I’m singing it, and not just the original intent by the artist.
I wasn’t always like this though, since I grew up having stage fright. I’ve never really liked being the centre of attention, but that all changed throughout my undergrad since I realised that I should just do what I wanted to do, otherwise people would judge me for it. That’s why I started singing in my second year, and since then I think my stage fright has gotten a little better, but I still wished that I could’ve done better on 82 Night… I find it easy and natural to lead a class of children, because I naturally like children, but I feel a lot more scared when I’m in front of an audience.
A song that I really wanna perform? ‘Back To Black’ by Amy Winehouse.
Do you find painting to be more of an escape from the real world, or an immersion into it?
I used to do a lot of painting, but I got rid of all the old ones since they were just lying around and I didn’t really see any purpose to them. It’s still an important part of my life though; it’s been my form of expression since high school. In particular, I’ve always liked mixed media and acrylic.
I think that painting isn’t an escape nor an immersion of the real world, but a perception of it. It’s usually highly dependent on my emotions at the time. Looking back at my old paintings, I recognise now that in the past they’ve always been a lot darker, reflecting my emotions. Now, the colour palette and vibe has improved, since I used a lot more bright colours. Then again, it always varies.
You’ve mentioned that you like watching Ghibli movies and crime documentaries — what’s so special about these completely contrasting genres?
My favourite Ghibli films are ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’ and ‘Spirited Away’, with my first Ghibli movie being ‘Totoro’. These films had an impact on me since they brought a lot of peacefulness to my life, but at the same time always had a deeper meaning hidden behind them. I really like that after watching these films, I kinda find myself reflecting on life more in-depth.
As for crime documentaries, I’d recommend ‘Three Identical Strangers’. The film was made in 2018, but it talks about psychological experiments that have been around since the 70s. It’s about three triplets who were born and brought to three different families of different socioeconomic backgrounds. There’s lots to do with the emotional and physical damage these kids suffered, and their difficulties of being engaged not just with their family, but with themselves.
In every documentary I watch, the antagonists are not born as bad people. Society makes them bad, because they’re brought up in societies that neglect them. Their childhoods are sculpted by the way they’re treated, and many of them grew up being abused by adults and their surroundings. This makes me reflect on how childhood is so crucial; I want to protect children from having to experience these sorts of terrible emotions, although I won’t really have any sort of control outside of a school environment. Once they’re in school and I’m able to guide them, I can help to my best ability.
What’s the most important value that you want to teach your future students?
As a person, an important quality to have is being empathetic and compassionate. It’s something that I see very rarely in life, because a lot of the time life is really difficult, and people accept things for how they are. People don’t really put their feelings or consideration into things, and they just push away feelings just because life is the way life is. I want to teach my kids to have this sort of quality, since it’ll make the world a little better when they grow up.
Mark Cheung (@markcheung_kw)
Mark is a final year Bachelor of Science student from Hong Kong with a passion for the environment. His involvement with climate change is embodied in his NGO ‘NESS’, which JMs may know from Climate Week back in September. Of course, this brave 4F brother brings more than just activism to the table, having experienced first-hand many wonders of nature as well.
What got you interested in sustainability?
During one of the summers in high school, I had the opportunity to go to Costa Rica and Fiji to do environmental conservation voluntary work with the locals. In Fiji, I did coastal conservation and management work, setting up marine conservation areas, planting mangroves, and building water tanks. From there, I observed the first-hand impact of intense climate change caused by natural and artificial disasters. I was struck with the realisation that I never really needed to deal with these sorts of problems here; it would take more than a few months for these countries with emerging economies to recover, unlike in Hong Kong. This was the first-hand insight that I got on our privilege, and how climate change is causing different problems for people.
In university, I started making some changes to my lifestyle like changing my diet, and reducing my consumption of beef and seafood. That being said, I think that while doing small things which add up to big changes is the right mindset to have, it doesn’t really change anything in wider society. Intergenerational and cross-sector collaboration is the only way that things can really happen, especially with transparency, passion, and proactiveness.
Doing all of this sustainability stuff is definitely exhausting because there’s so many barriers to action in less advanced areas. Not only do we face a lot of hardships and stigma because we’re part of the youth generation, but that also leads to a massive lack of funding, causing a lot of burnout especially for people who are full-time studying.
Regardless, I think that the hardest step is always the start. Once you get into it and know the way, and have connections and a brand name and image, it’ll become easier.
What’s the overarching goal that your NGO strives to achieve? How are you doing that?
We started with a group of six people, and I was actually pulled into it by an acquaintance I met through a climate training program. We started this organisation because we saw a lack of all-encompassing organisations in Hong Kong, with most being very fixated with what they’re doing. The education system told us to focus less on interdisciplinary disciplines, and that’s unfortunately translated into the way we think. I think this is a major flaw in our system, especially on the topic of sustainability, since it’s given way to a lack of conversation amongst peers — especially compared to abroad.
That’s why we want to build capacity, raise awareness, and connect stakeholders with youths, so that youth can understand that these big companies are doing something. Besides workshops, we also recently started on providing “green jobs”, which is a globally emergent trend. In the rest of Asia, the market is really growing, which means that somebody has to help Hong Kong catch up.
We want to bring together all universities and high school students for this cause, providing a platform to link industry representatives with interested youth. That way, youth can get to learn what’s happening in the sustainability sector, and employees can learn more about youth. This enhancement of understanding and knowledge of the market allows youth to better prepare themselves for the future. At the same time, we can make sure that resources aren’t overlapped within the existing industry.
In what ways has going to Antarctica changed your life? Are there any other exotic places you’d want to travel to in the future?
One specific moment that I remember from my trip to Antarctica was when I was walking across the ice to the top of a mountain — a slope that seemingly went on and on forever. Standing on top of the slope and seeing absolutely nothing but icebergs and snow and broken ice and the vast ocean altogether was breathtaking. They all looked the same, but not really, if you know what I mean. You feel immersed and really in the moment just thinking about how small we humans are on this planet.
And that view was just a tiny portion of Antarctica — stats say that there’s enough size for every person to own a football pitch’s worth of space. When I was standing there, I realised how powerful nature is, and I felt really reconnected and grounded with nature. I realised that what we’re doing is gonna affect this place, which motivates me even more.
I went to Geneva and Iceland right after, and experienced something similar during my hikes. Standing on the edge of a cliff with all these waterfalls coming down and canyons and greenery was another stunning scene. I actually went on another hike in the Himalayas earlier this year in January, and I felt the same too.
I’d say that after Antarctica I’ve gotten a deeper connection to the spiritual aspect of nature. I travelled quite a bit with family in the past in southeast Asia, but all of these more rustic, authentic locations were by myself. I really enjoy places where I can immerse myself in the surroundings, and really experience the local culture.
In terms of places I wanna go to in the future, I want to go on: 1) An overland expedition (jeep driving) from North Africa to South Africa; 2) a trip back to Nepal or Pakistan to go hike again in the mountains; 3) a 6-month sabbatical from Ushuaia to Canada by bus where I’ll spend two weeks at my indigenous friend’s retreat to learn how to survive in the wild; and 4) sail to the Arctic.
My next trip? It’s gonna be a 3-week trip to Mongolia in June after graduation.
How important do you think the sense or thrill of adventure is in your life?
I’ve always liked to be free-spirited, free from rules and stuff. So I’d say it’s really important.
Is there anything missing from your life right now that you want to achieve before graduating?
To be more present, not just physically — grasping the moment that I have as an undergrad with free time and stuff.
Alice Beveridge (@aliceebeveridge)
Alice is a PCLL student from the UK taking the HKU-UCL Dual Degree Programme in Law. Though she moved to Hong Kong only three years ago, some of her large community achievements include inspiring her 7F sisters into adopting more English into their daily lives. An avid baker and history fan, her interests are as wide as the smiles on the faces of those who get to eat her delicious cooking.
What made you want to pursue Law in the first place?
A lot of people do it because the other things they’re more interested in are not as viable. For me, I wanted to do Geography for a long time, but wasn’t a fan of statistics and modelling. I liked English and History class, which sorta made me fall into Law.
It’s honestly not as bad as you think it is. I like the application, but not so much the studying of the subject. Over the years, I found myself becoming increasingly fond of the argumentative aspect. It’s a very collaborative discipline, and I don’t think that you can properly study it yourself. I like that you can work together and argue things with others, and that works even better for dual degree students since we’ve known each other for four years now.
One of the drawbacks is that it really invades so much of your life, especially when people know that you take the subject. That’s why I like the people much more than the degree — law students in SJC, people I’ve met, they all add up to a legal community in Hong Kong that’s incredibly small. I’m actually already working in a law firm right now, so I’m sure I’ll meet more people in this community as time goes on.
Even though it’s my last year as a law student, something that I want to get better at is issue spotting. All of law is about this, and I’ve fallen into the mindset of wanting to just get things done and rushing through things in the past. It’s also generally just good advice for everybody taking law — read your cases properly, take your time, and don’t just cross things off a list but actually understand everything that’s going on.
Has your baking journey always been naturally gifted, or would you say that it’s been more of a gradual learning curve? What sort of advice would you have for aspirational bakers?
I’ve been baking for as long as I can remember. In the UK, it’s a very common thing for kids to have baking books, and you learn how to do all of it yourself. When I was a kid, I would make little things from books, and I’d do the same in home economics classes too.
A lot of people join hall in Hong Kong and get their first baking experiences, which are usually either by baking with others, or talking to other people about it. Lots of people do it to relieve stress, and sometimes people ask me why I know so much about baking — I’ve been doing it for 18 years longer than you have laughs. Generally, it’s a lot more of a thing in the UK.
What I’m proud of baking? Well, I feel happy less so with individual dishes, but more when it gets a lot easier to batch-bake something. My record right now is 80 cookies in two hours for aquatics, and I have to make siu as well which helps train that skill. I’m proud of the increased prowess and the overall improvement — plus, it’s pretty cool to bring a large tray of stuff down, isn’t it?
Something that I wanna bake? The pantry is air conditioned, but it’s still too hot to do some things. I used to make meringues in the UK, but the temperature here makes it impossible to do. I’ve also wanted to try pastries, but it’s basically impossible because the butter starts melting way too quickly. I also really want to make a proper birthday cake (sorry Atilla).
In terms of advice for aspirational bakers, you should be patient with it not working out, and don’t be afraid to ask your friends about why stuff doesn’t work. I still ask Abby and Hanna why things go wrong sometimes, and it’s nice to bring everybody in on it. There was a girl who was here last year, Joey, and she helped me change all my British recipes to adapt to the hotter temperature.
What part of history are you most interested in? Do you think it’s important for more people to know about it today?
I really like Victorian history, especially British Royal history. The reason for this is bcause it’s one of those things that’s linked to the way things are in the UK. For us, the Victorian era is the foundation of the modern UK (and it’s a reminder of when the UK was a place of prosperity). It’s interesting to see how big figureheads changed within one lifetime, and everything is interconnected at that point. It’s all before the formation of countries, and it’s essentially the beginning of the modern world.
That being said, I don’t think it’s “important” per se, but it’s good for people to have an awareness of the past. I feel like we value high levels of social awareness in the UK, and honestly it’s a bit surprising to see people in Hong Kong who don’t know about important historical moments.
How hard was it to adapt to living in an entirely new place?
In my batch, not very many of us were international, and we were all from super different places. In other years, it was (and still is) pretty common for people to stick to their comfort zones, primarily hanging out with people from the same place. That wasn’t really the case for us though, and it was pretty frustrating.
During my first two years in uni in the UK, I got to see a lot of the students from Hong Kong experiencing things for the first time, while I had grown up there all my life. But when I first came to Hong Kong, it was a very lonely experience to be one of the only new people, and to be older than the other freshmen too.
Thing is, people don’t always understand or realise how difficult it is to adapt to Hong Kong. Besides the language barrier, sometimes I’d hear people say words which I had absolutely no clue what they meant. Carousell? Gogovan? It forces you to explain to people what you’re going through, and that’s probably the biggest changing experience that I faced.
Then again, there’s no point in saying that people don’t understand, since in reality it’s more likely than not that people are sometimes just not realising that the world is bigger than just Hong Kong. To put it more aggressively, you’re forced to assimilate. People aren’t purposefully mean, but it’s just not a thing that people think about.
The biggest change can only happen when you then start to either explain to people, or when they realise that it’s different. It’s give and take, since the most ignorant thing that you can do is barge into a place and assume people will change to suit you. You can’t expect that people are gonna change just for you — you need to learn to appreciate people’s different cultural understandings.