Roger Wu Wai-chung: “Sawadee Krub!”

November 21, 2022

A Thailand expert from Hong Kong shares his experience after 20 years living in the country.

By Carrie Lock

In every episode of “Thai Rogered”, a Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) programme introducing many tourist attractions and restaurants to Hong Kong people, the host Roger Wu Wai-chung always says “Sawadee krub!” with a big smile.

“Many places in Thailand are yet to be known and explored by Hongkongers as there are 77 provinces in the country, and new trends emerge every day. So, I have a lot to shoot and share with the audience,”says Wu, who moved to Thailand 20 years ago.

His programme was broadcasted on Hong Kong’s television channel J2 in 2016. Its seventh season was aired in September this year. Two Thai television personalities, Phakkasupat Pecharawiwat Aomzaa–nicknamed “Tom yum mui” or “Tom yum sister”–and Sirilak Kwong, cohost the show with Wu.

Roger Wu Wai-chung and another TV host of “Thai Rogered”, Phakkasupat Pecharawiwat Aomzaa at Wat Bang Chak, a monastery in Thailand. (Photo Courtesy of Roger Wu Wai-chung)

“I am happy to film the programme with the two cheerful hosts and collaborate with the Thai production team. Working with Thai people is different from working with Hong Kong crews. They do not complain about having no meal breaks during shooting, whereas Hong Kong crews want to have sufficient time for rest,” says the 58-year-old travel expert.

Roger Wu Wai-chung’s YouTube channel has over 188K subscribers.

“The local production crews and I have worked together for over ten years so we became close friends. As for the hosts, I recruit people who are not camera-shy, fluent in Thai and willing to wear weird T-shirts,” Wu says, noting that he sometimes wears a T-shirt printed with six-pack abs when filming.

The show was forced to stop amid the pandemic in 2020. Wu still tries to share updates on Thailand with Hongkongers via Youtube.

“I have been uploading at least one YouTube video every day since the start of the pandemic. I read local news and see if anything is worth doing a story, then I shoot a video and release it on the same day,” he says.

Forming Ties with Thailand

Wu’s love for Thailand began when he first visited the country in 1990.

“I visited Thailand when I had my annual leave. I thought of visiting Japan, but it was too expensive. So I joined a 12-day tour to Thailand, visiting numerous cities including Bangkok, Pattaya and Hua Hin,” he recalls.

“Thailand has beautiful beaches and sunshine, which I love so much. The low living cost and the polite locals impressed me a lot during my first visit,” he adds.

Wu worked as a researcher at the now-defunct broadcaster Asia Television Limited (ATV) and produced travel programmes. He also wrote for Apple Daily’s travel news desk when it was established in 1995 as a freelancer.

He published his first travel guide about Thailand in 1997 for River Bank Culture, a publishing company specialising in travel books.

“I was shooting a travelling programme called ‘Thailand Has It All’ (泰國乜都有) for ATV in 1993. I could fly to Thailand and gather first-hand travelling information, like the latest tourist spots and local trends so I decided to write travel books about Thailand,” he says.

“My first book was so popular that a second edition was published. At that time, many travel authors confessed that they wrote their books simply by copying descriptions printed on brochures of travel agencies without leaving Hong Kong. Unlike them, I have first-hand information,” Wu recalls.

Roger Wu Wai-chung’s travel book, introducing the tourist spots of Bangkok to the readers, was published in August 2019.

His contribution to tourism in Thailand is recognised by the Tourism Authority of Thailand. He was given the “Friends of Thailand” award in 2000.

“Many Hong Kong people still see Thailand as a poor country and a hub of sex, drugs and gambling. I want to change people’s perception and present an authentic Thailand to them through my work,” Wu says.

“Many Hong Kong people still see Thailand as a poor country and a hub of sex, drugs and gambling. I want to change people’s perception and present an authentic Thailand to them through my work.”

After seven years of countless flights between Hong Kong and Thailand, Wu decided to settle in Thailand in 2002.

“To update information on my travel guides, I had to travel to Thailand very often without sponsorship during the seven years. Those frequent trips cost me a lot. Considering the affordable rent and my strong interest in the country, I decided to relocate to Thailand,” he explains.

Thailand vs. Hong Kong

Roger Wu Wai-chung enjoying his time in Pattaya. (Photo Courtesy of Roger Wu Wai-chung)

Moving to a foreign place may be difficult for many people, but Wu blends in easily, highlighting that patience is the key.

“Language is not a big problem in Thailand. Many expats in Thailand do not speak the local language but still live happily,” he says.

“Thailand’s living pace is slower so it may be hard for you to slow down in the beginning. As time goes by, you will get used to it,” he continues.

In recent years, some Hong Kong residents have been considering leaving the city for Thailand, one of the popular emigration options in Asia, as the cost of living is much lower. But Wu reminds them that they should also need to consider the country’s business environment and political situation.

“If you plan to start a business here, you are legally required to find a Thai national to be your business partner who must hold the majority of the company’s shares. Where can you find such a person? That’s why I know some Hongkongers operating restaurants in Thailand do not abide by the law as it is too hard to find a local partner,” he says.

While Thailand has seen political turmoil for nearly two decades, including protests and two coups, Wu says it is not a big deal.

“There were several coup d’etat that took place, but so what? After all, that is only a change of leadership and people’s daily life remains unchanged. The society is stable; if not, foreigners will not keep coming and residing in the country,” he adds.

Cultural differences between Hong Kong and Thailand is another factor that should be considered by people planning to emigrate, as Wu says Thai people are very superstitious.

“In exchange for luck, wealth and better lives, the superstitious Thai people raise child ghosts, wear phrakhrueang (a Thai Buddha amulet) and visit masters for advice frequently,” he says.

“To me, I believe in my God–the God of the singer Sam Hui,” Wu says. Hui’s Drifter’s Song, which sings ”If something is meant to happen in life, it will. Otherwise, don’t push it”, is Wu’s motto.

His motto is similar to the belief of many Thai people. “The Thai always say ‘jai yen yen’ (ใจเย็นๆ), which means chill out. When you get annoyed by a traffic jam or get in an argument with somebody, just say ‘jai yen yen’,” he says.

Sub-edited by Gabriella Lynn

When Fashion Meets Function

November 21, 2022

By Charmaine Choi

Hong Kong fashion designer Tsang Mei-sze creates ergonomic industrial workwear durable and safe for blue-collar workers.

Striving to make better clothing for blue-collar heavy-duty workers, or “industrial athletes”, Tsang Mei-sze is determined to shake up the industrial workwear scene with ergonomic industrial pants.

“Many heavy-duty workers are performing repetitive physical movements during work. They also have great endurance and persistence. These qualities echo the essential traits of athletes. Therefore, workers’ uniforms should be athletic, flexible and protective, just like sportswear,” says the fashion designer.

Interested in drawing and working on hands-on art projects, the 28-year-old takes her passion and talents in art and design further. She studied fashion design at the Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong from 2012 to 2016.

After graduation, she dipped her feet in the industry, serving various retail fashion brands like Aitour Throup, Toogood and ASOS for two years.

Soon, she learned that pure fashion was not her calling.

“The term ‘fashion’ often limits designers’ ability to create because you need to cater to the taste of the masses in order to fit into the retail ecosystem. It is a bit old-school to create fashion just for the sake of aesthetics. As a designer, I wish to launch products that can help make the world a better place,” says the Hong Kong-based fashion designer.

Her dedication to making better workwear stems from her father, who worked at construction sites in the 1990s. With many fond memories of her father and his fellow workers during her childhood, Tsang considers industrial sites to be her “second home”.

Tsang’s father, a former construction site worker (Photo courtesy of Tsang Mei-sze)

“To me, these heavy-duty workers are like my friends and family. They construct the beautiful Hong Kong that we live in and I want to offer my design skills in return for their contribution,” she says.

A Gap In The Market

Tsang knew at a young age that existing workwear designs do not offer enough comfort and protection for heavy-duty labourers.

“I find it ridiculous that workwear for heavy-duty workers has barely changed over the past three decades,” she says.

She points out that workers often wear ill-fitting and bulky pants drenched in sweat and dirt. Coupled with multiple rips and tears, the pants make their lives even more miserable, especially under the scorching summer heat in Hong Kong.

“It is too despicable to only take fashion inspiration from workers without catering to their actual needs.”

“There is insufficient well-designed workwear in the market. The few well-thought-out designs usually cater to the needs of a colder climate, but still incompatible with the sweltering weather in Hong Kong. As the climate gets hotter, there is a need to introduce [a design] lightweight yet durable,” she adds.

“It is too despicable to only take fashion inspiration from workers without catering to their actual needs. If no one is taking the responsibility to provide better workwear for these workers, I will. I know I can create something better,” she continues.

This is why Tsang flew to London to study the Master Programme in Fashion at the Royal College of Art in 2018, which she considers “not only a fashion course”. Covering a wide range of social issues such as gender, culture and race, the programme has offered her a chance to ponder the relationship between society and fashion.

From Drawing Board To Life

In 2020, Tsang launched the “Brickman” collection as her graduation project, featuring a workwear set with a T-shirt, a jacket and a pair of trousers designed specifically for bricklayers.

Tsang Mei-sze’s graduate project, “Brickman”, features a full-set industrial workwear for bricklayers. (Photo courtesy of Tsang Mei-sze)

Incorporating the concept of ergonomics into workwear by reducing the use of fabrics for greater flexibility and mobility, the collection laid a solid foundation for Tsang’s workwear brand, TMS.SITE., founded a year after she returned to Hong Kong in 2021.

Based on two prototypes she developed in her graduate project, Tsang continued to refine the industrial pants named “3.0 Industrial Athlete Pants” with the help of three steel fixers, Em Pong, Ka Wai and Stone, who she met during a lunch break in front of a convenience store in Tsuen Wan in 2021.

The three workers told her about their feedback on the wearing experience during their lunch and cigarette breaks.

Using a breathable and moisture-wicking nylon material, the “3.0 Industrial Athlete Pants” are much more lightweight and dirt-proof than traditional woven fabric pants. The adjustable waistband design also wittily helps workers avoid “builder’s bum” by providing a snug hug around the waist.

Three steel fixers worked with Tsang on her latest workwear project.

On May 27, 2022, Tsang launched the new collection on Kickstarter.com.

In less than two months’ time, she received a total of HK$188,730 (US$24042.73) from 98 backers, successfully bringing her collection to life. The industrial pants have started manufacturing and are expected to reach customers in December 2022.

Yet her beloved father and her muse will not be wearing her designs.

“I would have wanted my dad to try them on for me, but he could not even fit into the largest size. He has gotten a ‘dad bod’ after his retirement,” the designer says with a giggle.

“Of course, he no longer has an athletic physique as he used to, but his endurance and perseverance make him an industrial athlete for life,” she adds.

Edited by Gabriella Lynn
Sub-edited by Felicia Lam

Glamping: A Lifestyle Being Sold

November 17, 2022

By Kossy Chen

The Call of Nature

Camping enthusiast Elvis Zhang goes camping three times a month and is upset about how nature has been damaged by people who go glamping.

“Many places have been damaged. I was angry when I found litter, broken wine bottles, and food waste all over a beach on Yanzhou Island last summer,” the 35-year-old office worker from Guangdong province says.

“I used to go for a walk in Shenzhen Bay Park during weekends before 2020, but it has become very crowded and noisy now. Some vegetation has been destroyed to make room for more camping sites,” he says.

“Many campers set up giant tents and barbecue equipment. They also grill steak and that makes the place smoky. Some grassland is even burnt,” he adds.

Zhang observes more people go camping during the pandemic. Campsites recommended by key opinion leaders (KOL) on social media have become very popular, leading to more damage.

“…They also grill steak and that makes the place smoky. Some grassland is even burnt.”

He always brings rubbish bags and reusable items like a water bottle or tumbler when he goes camping.

“Nature heals me. It helps me empty my mind and ease my anxiety. So I always go camping in quiet places with fine views to get fresh air and sunshine. Camping should not be about doing wild parties that pollute the natural environment,” he says.

Booming Outdoor Leisure Trend

As of October 2022, the country’s leading leisure and e-commerce platform, RED, had more than 4.7 million posts about “camping”. The search volume surged by 746% during the Labour Day holiday in 2022 compared to 2021.

Screenshot taken from the RED platform on October 5th, 2022.

Qichacha (企查查), a business data platform for China-based companies, shows that among the 41,000 campsite-related enterprises, nearly 30,000 were founded after 2020.

A Fantasy of Living in Wildness

Nature lover Iris Meng Yutong was impressed by camping-related social media posts by RED until she worked as an intern and was assigned to promote camping in May 2022 at the company.

“I became disillusioned about glamping in the first week of my internship after learning the marketing logic behind,” the university student says.

“Glamping is just about giving you a seat on the outskirts of cities. It has nothing to do with embracing nature but deceiving people to pursue a luxurious lifestyle and pay more,” she adds.

Iris Meng at a beach campsite near Zhuhai, Guangdong Province during her internship. (Photo Courtesy of Meng Yutong)

Meng cites a camping programme “Camping at Shanghai Tower” which creates a fancy camping scene on a skyscraper’s terrace as an example.

“Business operators use synthetic grass, green canopy for nature-like decoration, and camping equipment such as camping tables, chairs, and food to create the feeling of camping. It costs RMB ¥599 (US $82.19) to sit there for an afternoon,” she says.

“RED invites KOLs to create gorgeous camping-related posts on the platform to promote camping products and advertising. It’s often just an excuse to drink afternoon tea and to pose for idyllic photos that can then be shared on social media. Campers shape their middle-class identities from it,” she adds.

Get a Slice of the Cake

Riding on the trend, the founder of Shanghai Green Grass Camping Base, Wang Ergou, embraced the business opportunity in March 2020.

“I was a media practitioner before starting the camping business. All I want is to make money!” Wang says.

He operates a 20,000 sq m (215,278 sq ft) campsite in Shanghai, with monthly revenue of around RMB ¥300,000 (US $41,163.56).

“We mainly do theme camping for families, featuring cute pets like dogs, colt ducks, deer, alpacas, and lambs for kids,” he says.

A Child riding a bike in Shanghai Green Grass Camping Base. (Photo Courtesy of Wang Ergo)

Wang points out there were about 10 camping bases of the same size as his in 2020 in Shanghai, and the number is now more than 50.

He encourages people to protect the environment while camping and practice “no trace camping”. But he admits that it is hard to achieve.

“I was a media practitioner before starting the camping business. All I want is to make Money!”

“Some campers, particularly those who go glamping, burn the lawn or litter. People who rent or carry their own equipment are more environmentally conscious,” he says.

Take Actions Together

Greenpeace has also noted the threats that glamping poses to the environment.

Director of Greenpeace East Asia’s forest programme, Shuxuan Chen reminds campers to show care for nature, as the beauty of nature is vital for a good camping experience.

Greenpeace has organised offline workshops and developed camping guides to help rookie campers build good habits.

“Campers should avoid camping in areas with high ecological value. They should show care for plants and animals around campsites, and leave no rubbish, including food waste at camping sites. They should remind other campers to behave too,” she says.

Edited by Jack Deng
Subedited by Ella Lang

Domestic Helper: “Helpers are human beings, not robots!”

November 17, 2022

An Indonesian domestic helper becomes an influencer in Hong Kong.

By Leopold Chen

From a Helper to a Star

“Helpers are human beings, not robots,” Contrinx, a 39-year-old domestic helper in Hong Kong, says in a YouTube video.

The Indonesian helper, who only reveals herself as Contrinx, becomes well known after her video criticising employers went viral with more than 332,000 views.

Though willing to voice up for the many domestic helpers in the city with her YouTube channel “contrinx’s fansclub” since 2020, Contrinx declines to reveal her name due to safety reasons.

In the one-minute YouTube video published on March 18, 2022, the helper roasted Hong Kong’s many employers of helpers, “what is it so proud to be rich?”

“WHAT IS IT SO PROUD TO BE RICH?”

Contrinx roasts employers “what is it so proud to be rich?” in Cantonese in her viral video.

“I feel tired working for you 24 hours a day without any day off. But you are not paying a lot, just HK $4,000 (US $509.56) something, is that much?” she questioned in the video.

Hoping to arouse Hong Kong employers’ awareness about the well-being of foreign domestic helpers and let all employers in the city understand their helpers more in the city, she spoke Cantonese in the video.

“I uploaded that video because many employers have become mentally abusive to domestic helpers after the outbreak of COVID-19. Most Hong Kong people have the problem of being double-standard,” says Contrinx.

“Employers treated helpers as virus carriers and did not allow us to enjoy our days off, but they went out as usual,” she adds, citing that many employers did not allow domestic helpers to spend their days off outside amid COVID-19 outbreaks.

Coming to Hong Kong 16 years ago, Contrinx realises the importance of having a healthy relationship with her employers and communication is the key.

Contrinx learned Cantonese by watching local TV programmes with the elderly in her first Hong Kong employer’s home.

“I think it is important to learn the local language when you work in a place, and I like learning languages,” she says.

“At my first Hong Kong employer’s home, I used to watch TV programmes with the elderly and asked him to do the translation for me. That is how I learned Cantonese,” she adds.

“Arrogant” Employers

Contrinx has been working as a foreign domestic helper since she was 18 years old when she first left her home to work in Singapore in 2001.

Her Singaporean employer even came all the way to visit her in Hong Kong in 2017, a decade after she left the family.

Having worked in Hong Kong since 2006, Contrinx says her employers in the city are not as pleasant as the one from the Lion City.

Contrinx switches her job every two years as she is tired of staying in an environment for too long, and she finds all her employers in Hong Kong are arrogant.

Recalling her first employer in Hong Kong, she says when the whole family went out to have breakfast in the morning, they would lock all the doors to their private rooms.

“In the first month, I kept quiet. In the second month, I told them, ‘Excuse me, if you do not trust me. Please do not hire me here,’” Contrinx says.

“They said my main duty was to take care of the child, but they did not allow me to touch the baby, let alone feed her or take a shower for her,” she adds.

Contrinx hopes that employers could change their attitudes and treat migrant domestic helpers like friends instead of mere employees.

“The connection between us is person-to-person, but many employers do not have such a mindset and treat us differently,” Contrinx says.

“The migrant domestic helper community is an essential part of Hong Kong, but many people just ignore it and deny our value,” she adds.

Hong Kong has 339,451 foreign helpers, that which mainly come from the Philippines and Indonesia, according to the government.

Asked about tips for migrant domestic helpers, Contrinx says one needs to be calm and not take employers’ emotions personally when facing mental abuse from employers.

“Once you work in Hong Kong, tell yourself you are valued. You have your quality, skills, and standard,” the YouTuber says.

Speak Out for Migrant Domestic Helpers

With more than 9,100 subscribers, Contrinx’s YouTube channel covers various topics, including immigration regulations, cooking tips, her daily routine, and domestic helpers’ stories.

Contrinx’s 8.6-thousand-fan YouTube channel is full of videos focusing on MDHs.

Unlike the video that makes her popular, her videos are mainly filmed in English or Indonesian as they are mostly dedicated to domestic helpers.

“I started my YouTube channel because I want to change my way of conveying information with the help of audio-visual,” she says.

Before she started her YouTube channel, Contrinx used to deliver information to domestic helpers during her days off in physical venues and on Facebook.

In 2015, she used her Facebook page to criticise the Indonesian government for imposing too much burden on those who wanted to work in Hong Kong as domestic helpers.

“In Indonesia, before we become a domestic helper, we need to come through a lot of obstacles,” the Indonesian says.

“We have to go to private-run training centres, pay HK $15,000 (US $1920.68), and spend six months with no salary,” she adds.

“I want to voice out for the community of domestic helpers and meanwhile educate them. That is my passion,” Contrinx says.

Edited by Ella Lang
Sub-edited by Jack Deng

Catch Me If You Can

November 17, 2022

Webtoon creators insist on pursuing their career despite content being stolen.

By Charlie Chun

Ivanna Choi* reads webtoons from pirate sites to catch up with the content published weekly.

“Most webtoons are in their original language such as Korean. I am not able to understand without any official translation, so I have to search for translated versions online,” the university student who declines to reveal her full identity due to legal concerns says.

She is annoyed by the quality of illegal translations, but still turns to pirate sites for quicker access to comics.

“I only want to get to the latest chapters. Official translations can lag behind for 80 episodes, so illegal sites are my only choice,” she says.

Creators’ Sufferings

Taiwanese webtoon creator Jennifer Chuu feels frustrated when she spots pirated versions of her work circulating on social media platforms and websites featuring counterfeit work.

“Some people have pirated my webtoon and posted them on Instagram, YouTube and pirate sites,” says Chuu, whose webtoon account has over 890k subscribers.

Cases of webtoons shutting down due to content pirating have been reported. Pirated work can affect up to 70% of their complete earnings according to other media outlets.

“I make about US $4,000 a month. I receive a fixed amount from webtoon and another source of my income depends on how many fast passes are sold,” the 33-year-old says.

Chuu uploads new episodes of The Witch and The Bull every Thursday on Webtoon.

Webtoon is a South Korean digital comic application launched in 2004 by Naver Corporation. The comic series are free to read and episodes are updated on a weekly basis.

The fast pass allows readers to read the latest episodes of certain series so they can read before the regular release day. Readers can purchase one fast pass with seven coins, with ten coins priced at US $0.99.

“The pirated version of my series discourages people from buying a fast pass and that hurts my income.”

Chuu has to pitch her story ideas to the webtoon company to seek approval and sign a new contract with the company for every project.

“Webtoon series are actually free to read, as long as readers are willing to wait. I do not understand why some people would rather go on pirated sites,” she says.

Webtoon counterfeit work appears in forms of screenshots and screen recordings.

“My fans inform me whenever they see pirated versions of my work online. Then I have to email Webtoon and ask the legal team to take action,” she says.

“The legal team is so busy that sometimes nothing is done even if a case was reported a year ago. We (webtoon creators) have to keep on emailing the team to check if any actions have been taken,” she says.

Another webtoon creator Coco Ouwerkerk from the Netherlands also shares Chuu’s frustration.

“Some people are not even aware that content pirating is illegal. They translate my content from Dutch to English without informing me, and post them on social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook,” Ouwerkerk, who started working as a webtoon creator in 2018, says.

A report from the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange states that over 1,300 scanlation aggregate websites are active in over 30 countries.

Her webtoon series, Acception, which targets teenagers in the Netherlands and covers topics such as sexuality and LGBTQ+, has been pirated and circulated on Instagram.

Ouwerkerk’s webtoon, Acception, has also faced content piracy issues.
(Photo courtesy of Coco Ouwerkerk)

“Whenever I see my work being pirated I alert Webtoon, then it will be gone in a few days,” she says.

“If I were alone, I would have to spend all my time dealing with pirated content. I have a team of interns and friends to back me up, I do not have to worry too much,” she adds.

Blurred Line of Responsibility

Paul Joel Schmidt, professional consultant at the law faculty of the Chinese University of Hong Kong says it is difficult to eliminate content piracy.

“Creators have to look out for pirated content and inform the content provider, then issue a notice of copyright infringing to ask the pirate to take down the content,” Schmidt says.

“The never-ending issue is, content pirates can change their username online and post the same material again. Creators are tired of going through the same legal process, therefore many pirated content just go unnoticed,” he adds.

He points out that both content creators and providers are displacing the responsibility of policing each other

“The industry has to figure out who is responsible to pay for the costs and burdens of policing. Until then, there will be no satisfactory system to solve the problem,” he says.

The International Criminal Police Organisation, Korean and Moroccan governments collaborated to combat digital piracy in 2022, they shut down an illegal webtoon site and detained a suspect.

*Name changed at interviewees’ request

Edited by Chaelim Kim
Sub-edited by Gloria Chan

Money for Assignments

November 17, 2022

Some Chinese students overseas turn to ghostwriting services to meet their families’ high expectations.

By Eve Qiao and Lily Wang

Jason Chen* is a freshman at New York University, which ranks among the top 30 universities around the globe. But he used to hire ghostwriters to do his homework back in high school.

“Hiring ghostwriters was popular among my high school fellows,” Chen says. The act refers to students paying someone to do their homework.

Chen came across a ghostwriting service agency on WeChat in December 2021, who later referred a ghostwriter to him.

The then Grade 9 student paid the ghostwriter, who was a Hong Kong University student, RMB ¥2,000-3,000 (US $280-420) per assignment to write three book reviews for him, in 2019.

“The HKU student promised me that the assignments would be finished with high quality and complete confidentiality. Most of the works got As,” he says.

Advertisement from a ghostwriting agency in WeChat groups. Their service ranges from finance and economics to medical health and architecture.

Not a “Good Student” Anymore

Chen recalls he was “a good student” in both his parents’ eyes – being admitted to his hometown’s best junior high school, where he was a star student, until his parents sent him to study in the US when he was 14.

“My mother always has high expectations on me, hoping that I can be a top student in class,” he says.

“But when I failed a book review assignment in the first semester of high school in the US, my mom got mad at me. She cut my monthly pocket money,” he says. To sustain his way of life, he had to occasionally ask his friends to pay for his meals.

That’s when hiring a ghostwriter came to his mind.

Student searching for information on writing tasks

When Chen turned to a ghostwriter, his assignments were mainly book reviews of Shakespeare’s works.

He found Old English in classical literature, with different grammar and vocabulary, difficult to read and understand.

“They are so boring that I couldn’t finish reading them without falling asleep. I don’t like doing book reviews. I know hiring ghostwriters is bad and I miss the chance to learn,” the now 19-year-old student says.

But he still went ahead. “I did not want my mother to cut my pocket money again. I didn’t want to live like that anymore,” Chen recalls.

Pressure from Parents

Charlie Mi* used to operate a ghostwriting agency between 2017 and 2021. The agency refers students to individual ghostwriting service providers, acting like match-makers just like the one Chen came across on Wechat.

Mi approached students through WeChat to promote their services.

“I reached out to around 2,000 university students from all over the world. One-third of them eventually purchased the ghostwriting service,” Mi says.

He recalls the pricing for such service ranged from RMB ¥300 (US $41.7) to RMB ¥5,000 (US $695.3), depending on the number of words.

Mi quit the industry in October 2021 in fear of legal risks after providing such service was outlawed in the United Kingdom, as most of his clients studied at British universities.

The October notice from the UK’s Department for Education says that “essays for money” are “unethical” as it profits by “undermining the hard work” other students do.

Mi says some of his clients were just too lazy for homework, while others were overwhelmed by pressure from their families.

“I once met a student who has already done well, getting a B+ in most subjects. But his parents thought he should get As, putting him under so much pressure that he finally turned to us for help,” Mi sighs.

Professor Dai Kun of the Faculty of Education at the Chinese University of Hong Kong agrees that parents play a role in the issue.

“Students hire ghostwriters only to meet their parents’ expectations. Parents don’t really care about what they learn, or how knowledge would make a difference in their children’s future,” he explains.

He points out that Chinese parents are always making decisions and drafting life plans for their children, regardless of the children’s own will.

Dai also thinks it is difficult for schools to identify students who have hired ghostwriters to do their homework.

“No one else but the students themselves know that they have hired a ghostwriter. And as relative regulations do not exist in many countries, catching ghostwriting behaviors remains tricky,” he says.

*Names changed at interviewees’ request

Edited by Ryan Li
Sub-edited by Leung Pak Hei

Pandemic-Depressed Students

November 17, 2022

More Hong Kong secondary school students suffer from symptoms of depression and anxiety in recent years due to the pandemic.

By Yap Ying Ye

Secondary school student Hari Kishan* started suffering from brain fog, inability to keep track of commitments and tiredness in 2020.She was medically diagnosed with depression in November 2021.

“I couldn’t keep track of my deadlines. I missed a lot of classes. I was always late for hangouts or did not even show up and stopped responding to texts. At some point, my parents were really worried I was going to fail my classes,” the 17-year-old student says.

Kishan says that the pandemic and online classes had worsened his depression and made it hard to complete everyday tasks.

“I did not interact with anyone during online classes. I started talking to myself negatively as there was no one to talk to. My brain shut down when I had online classes. I did not do my work, as no teachers would check on me,” Kishan says.

Hari Kishan found it difficult to keep up with school work during Zoom lessons because of his depression

Kishan now takes medication for his depression on a regular basis.

Though Kishan is happy about meeting friends in physical class now, he still suffers from depression.

“My brain still goes into shutdown mode. When that happens, I don’t want to do anything which includes going to school, meeting up with friends, doing my homework,” he says.

Kishan is not alone. A survey conducted by the Baptist Oi Kwan Social Service regarding students’ mental health and well-being in 2022 revealed that 48 per cent of respondents had symptoms of depression and 51 per cent suffered from symptoms of anxiety.

The non-governmental organization (NGO) interviewed 1,192 secondary school students between October 2021 and June 2022.

The COVID-19 pandemic was found to be the top source of discontent in life for students who responded to the survey. About 40 per cent blamed the pandemic for their poor mental state. Parental relationship was another main factor affecting their mental health.

Like Kishan, secondary school student Alice Wong was also diagnosed with depression in April 2021.

Wong started exhibiting symptoms of depression such as excessive tiredness and sleeping, lack of motivation for anything, sadness and hopelessness in February 2021.

“I was sleeping six to seven hours during daytime on top of sleeping at night, and it was hard to get out of bed to attend my online classes. I felt like I had no passion for anything that I was doing, including school and my hobbies,” she says.

Wong thinks the pandemic was a major factor in her depression.

“I could not meet my friends, and online classes made learning a lot more difficult because of the lack of interaction with my teachers. My grades suffered and that made my depression worse,” Wong says.

The Form 6 student also shares her depression has affected her family relationship.

“My parents thought I was just being lazy and could not understand why I struggled to do simple everyday tasks. They thought it was my fault and we regularly argued about that. It is already difficult to function with depression, it is even harder without support from my parents. This was a huge blow to me,” Wong says.

Many secondary students said the COVID-19 pandemic was the top source of discontent in their life, an NGO survey from October 2021 to June 2022 says

Anna Lam Kit Sum, a psychiatrist who specialises in adolescent emotional and behavioral disorders, points out that the pandemic and online classes have a great impact on students’ mental health.

“Students are facing school restrictions such as online classes, which means little or no social interaction. If students are struggling with their studies, online school cannot help much because of the lack of direct interaction with teachers,” Lam says.

“It has not been officially investigated, but if we compare previous and current cohorts of young people, the current cohort (who has gone through the pandemic) seems to report more depressive symptoms,” she adds.

Lam says familial relationships are also prone to worsen during the pandemic, which would add more stress to students’ mental health.

“Spending more time at home naturally leads to more conflict and arguments with parents. The family dynamic can change negatively, and students will be even more stressed,” she explains.

To better support and recognise signs of depression, Lam advises parents to look out for changes in their children’s behavior.

“Be more sensitive to changes in behavior and listen to your children. Look out for any drastic change in patterns and encourage them to seek professional help as soon as possible,” she says.

*Name changed at interviewee’s request

Edited by Ryan Li
Sub-edited by Gabriella Lynn

Is AI Killing Art?

November 21, 2022

AI-powered drawing programs become double-edged swords to artists’ careers.

By Karmen Yip

Creating art is no longer a lengthy and tedious process that even professional artists and illustrators are mesmerized by stunning images generated by artificial intelligence.

“AI-powered programmes are additive tools for people who might not know how to deal with proportions but have the eye and the heart to produce art,” digital and computational artist Hassan Ragab says.

Used traditional drawing methods for a long time, the Los Angeles-based designer has been using Midjourney, one of the AI-powered tools to create a wide range of artwork since July 2022.

Any Midjourney user can create images on command. Simply typing a few words into a text box, the AI tool will return four newly created images within 60 seconds. Users can also request AI to improve, or “upscale”, the visual quality with new variations.

Steps of how users can generate AI-powered artwork using Midjourney

The startup Midjourney AI describes itself as “an independent lab that expands the imaginative capabilities of humankind”. It operates on the chat platform Discord, which has 3.6 million users.

Besides Midjourney, DALL-E, NightCafe, and Deep Dream Generator are other popular AI-powered programmes that allow users to generate AI art.

Ragab, an interdisciplinary designer with an architectural background living in Southern California, points out that artists and even people who know little about drawing skills can boost their creativity extensively with Midjourney and other AI image generators.

“AI is a democratic and powerful tool. Everybody can use it and using the tool does not require any advanced computational skills,” he says.

The Egyptian artist adds that these AI programmes are powerful for artists to explore and expand their imagination.

“AI-powered tools sometimes match your prompts unpredictably and within that, you try to explore another angle which is very hard to see as an artist. Human artists like me will have to spend months brainstorming mind-blowing ideas,” he says.

“But with these tools, I can go around my design from different angles in a few hours. That pushes your idea in ways that could have never happened before,” he further explains.

Praising AI tools are empowering imagination, Ragab noted some artists already fear their jobs will be replaced.

“That being said, I think a lot of the artists who do not keep up with the technology might be signing their own career death letters. You should know about current technology trends and keep up with them,” he adds.

“But with these tools, I can go around my design from different angles in a few hours. That pushes your idea in ways that could have never happened before.”

AI Winning Against Artists?

While Ragab feels excited about using Midjourney to create the artworks he likes, some artists think otherwise.

Artists were enraged after game designer Jason M. Allen won first place at the 2022 Colorado State Fair annual art competition with “Théâtre D’opéra Spatial”, an artwork generated by the Midjourney AI programme.

Sapphire Yuen Hiu-wan, who is now chasing her animation dream in Los Angeles, thinks it is unfair to other artists in the competition because someone with no art background and uses an AI programme to create artwork wins.

“The AI programme absorbs a lot of original content from the internet and previous artworks, then it redesigns according to the user’s needs. So these images are not 100 per cent original,” she explains.

“Nobody has ever used an AI-generated image to compete in that art competition. We do not even know if the game designer has credited the original artists that inspired the image,” says the freshman at Santa Monica College in the United States.

AI algorithms are advancing so fast that the Hongkonger is worried about her future career but believes it does not affect her as a creator for now.

“AI technology is growing extensively in different industries and you really need to keep up with it. It is a new challenge every creative person is facing,” she says.

The aspiring animator says AI programme users are buying themselves a ticket to the competitive arts industry and more people will generate AI-powered artworks with these programmes.

“AI technology is growing extensively in different industries and you really need to keep up with it. It is a new challenge every creative person is facing.”

AI Is Not Flawless

Although AI-based tools can help people create amazing artwork with ease, Chau Chuck-jee, a lecturer in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the Chinese University of Hong Kong says they cannot completely replace humans.

He notes AI merely extracts different characteristics from original data and then combines them into new ways to give an impression of reminiscence to the users.

“The computer simply tries to mimic and most likely does not have a mind of creativity, so this is a drawback if the user wants some creative value coming up from the algorithm,” he explains.

The expert in computer algorithms states that another problem of AI-generated artwork is data bias, an error that occurs because of the use of unrepresentative training data.

Lecture slides from Chau Chuck-jee explaining the process of machine learning and deep learning (Photo courtesy of Chau Chuck-jee)

“Most AI systems make decisions based on their training data that has been shown to them. If the data were not comprehensive enough for reasonable coverage, wrong decisions could be made by the AI. This is the problem of data bias,” he says.

“For example, if an AI system was trained only using data from Van Gogh’s paintings, it may be able to judge well the quality of paintings of similar style and it might generate artworks in similar style too. But the system would not be expected to generate, for example, Picasso-style art, using the current training set,” he explains.

Edited by Felicia Lam
Sub-edited by Ella Lang

Children Unwanted

June 7, 2022

Reporters: Kossy Chen, Fiona Dongye, Leopold Chen

More and more mainland Chinese are unwilling to have children due to economic pressure.

Mainland TV fans: Stop cutting “Friends”!

June 4, 2022

American sitcom Friends is censored in China for ideological unity.

Fiona Dongye

Loyal fan of American sitcom Friends Xiao Luxuan is disappointed when she finds that some scenes of the 1994 TV series have been removed, when she watches the show on Bilibili, a popular video website in China.

“Taking the first episode of the first season as an example, the duration of the original version is 22 minutes and 50 seconds, while the version available on Chinese online video platforms is 21 minutes 17 seconds,” Xiao says.

Though the TV series was globally launched in the 1990s, it was not available on Chinese mainstream video sites such as Tencent, Bilibili and Sohu until February 2022.

“Lines with sexual content are not translated according to original scripts, and plots about homosexuality are also deleted. All lines about lesbians are deleted,” the university student says.

“Lines with sexual content are not translated according to original scripts, and plots about homosexuality are also deleted. All lines about lesbians are deleted.”

“This is a sitcom launched in the 1990s. (But) the authorities in China censor content for audiences in this country in 2022. Some of the plots become incoherent and less funny after the cuts,” she complains.

Xiao first watched the American TV series when studying in high school in 2017. She got access to the TV show through cloud service at that time.

“A friend recommended it to me and shared the sitcom through Baidu’s network disk with me. The documents (such as video files) shared on this platform are rarely censored. I have watched it six or seven times in total,” the 21-year-old student says.

Xiao says disappointed fans have started discussions about censorship of Friends on Weibo, a popular social media in China. The tag #Friends Deleted# was once a hot search on Weibo, but the tag was quickly removed.

Mainland TV fans’ comments on the censorship of *Friends*.
(Photo courtesy of Xiao Luxuan)

Joe Sun worked as a video censor for Bilibili from 2018 to 2021. He finds that Bilibili’s censorship has become stricter in recent years.

“Bilibili used to be more liberal and did not censor videos much. But the platform started practising stricter censorship after China Central Television criticised Bilibili for allowing ‘inappropriate content’ on their platform in 2018. Many foreign TV shows such as Westworld and Skam have been removed,” he says.

“Censors will delete all content that criticises the Chinese Communist Party. There is no specific guidelines to follow. In many cases, censors have to make their own judgments. Most will just simply remove all contents which they fear it might cause trouble,” Sun says.

“The authorities always keep their eyes on popular TV shows and films because they believe that these contents have the potential of affecting the public’s thoughts and values. Friends is very popular in China. If Bilibili does not cut some content which is considered sensitive in China, American dramas including Friends might be totally removed,” he adds.

Bilibili was criticized by China Central Television.
(Photo courtesy of Joe Sun)

Fang Kecheng, assistant professor at the School of Journalism and Communication at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, says that censorship has widely existed in China for years.

“From a historical perspective, it can be said that censorship has existed since the time when the Party came to power. If mainland Chinese video sites want to import foreign films and television programmes, they need to buy the copyright and make sure that the imported versions can stand the censorship test,” Fang says.

The assistant professor points out that the Chinese authorities want what the people watch to be in line with what they advocate.

“In recent years, the mainland authority has increasingly stressed shaping and following a dominant value, rather than respecting diversity. The government has become more hostile to values from overseas. Even if the content does not directly criticise the party or the country, if it is judged to be inconsistent with the values advocated by the party, it will still be deleted,” he says.

“Even if the content does not directly criticise the party or the country, if it is judged to be inconsistent with the values advocated by the party, it will still be deleted.”

Edited by Alina Chen
Sub-edited by Kajal Aidasani