When Children Age Quicker than Their Parents
The intellectually disabled age more quickly than other people. This means they need services aimed at the elderly before they are officially entitled to it. Activists are campaigning to redefine old age for this group, so that they too can enjoy social benefits for the elderly.
The Childcare Gap
Hong Kong faces an aging population and a shrinking workforce, yet many women are deterred from rejoining the workforce and families put off having children, due to the lack of affordable and accessible childcare services. Varsity meets some of the mothers struggling to strike a balance between working and looking after their children.
PMI: A Better Choice For Chinese Teachers?
As more and more schools choose to teach Chinese in Putonghua, many local teachers and teachers-to-be fear they will be passed over for teachers who speak Putonghua as their mother tongue. There are signs that some schools would rather hire native Putonghua speakers to teach Chinese even if they have no university training in Chinese language. But should this really be a criterion for picking Chinese teachers?
Customise your Ride
Varsity meets the motorists and bikers who go to extraordinary lengths – including possible brushes with the law - to modify the form and function of their cars and bikes.
Zoroastrians in Hong Kong
Commonly referred to as the "fire-worshipping religion" in Chinese, followers of the ancient Zoroastrian faith have a long and illustrious history in Hong Kong. Yet most Hong Kongers know little about this community of business people and philanthropists whose numbers are falling. Varsity takes a look at Hong Kong's Parsees.
The Behind-the-scenes Heroes of Hong Kong TV and Movies
The lives of stuntmen are a mystery to people outside the film production industry. The daredevil moves and seemingly impossible stunts performed by your favourite actors are often the efforts of the stuntmen and stuntwomen who put their lives on the line day in, day out. Varsity looks into this behind-the-scenes industry and the joys and pains of being a stuntman.
Building a City without Walls
Government proposals to import more foreign labour to make up for the shortfall in manpower for the construction industry has sparked fierce debate. But it seems the potential of the local workforce has not been fully utilised. Many of Hong Kong's local ethnic minorities are employed in the construction industry. Yet, discrimination is rife and prospects for career advancement limited by the language barrier.
The last letter-writers of Yau Ma Tei
Tucked away behind the busy streets of Yau Ma Tei, Hong Kong's last professional letter-writers ply a trade that has existed in Hong Kong for more than a hundred years. Their heyday was during colonial times, when many hired their English translation and writing services. The field is in decline now, but the letter writers say they'll keep on writing.
The Perfect Mix
Some Hong Kong parents pay high school fees to let their children have an international education in the city's international schools but at one government-aided primary school in Mid-levels, local and expatriate pupils learn with and from each other in a setting that mixes local and international elements. Varsity meets and teachers and children of this multicultural school.
Villages without Water
It's hard to imagine life without tap water in modern, affluent Hong Kong. But for those that live in the 20 plus villages that do not have treated water supply, this is a daily reality. Varsity meets the villagers who are fighting to have this most basic resource in their homes.