Manicure Service for the Elderly

November 17, 2023

Volunteers provide free manicure service for the elderly, making them feel touched.

By Nicole Li

Tang Woon-kuen gives heartfelt hugs to volunteers with teary eyes after receiving their manicure service.

“I have never experienced such happiness in my entire life. Thank you very much to all the volunteers. Thank you,” the granny says.

*Tang Woon-kuen* *is teary-eyed and gives heartfelt hugs to volunteers for their effort in providing free manicure service.*

For the 91-year-old lady who lives alone, a simple thing in life like clipping her toenails is a big challenge.

Suffering from thick toenails for more than ten years, Tang has never consulted a doctor. She just accepts that it is a part of her life.

“I never thought of tackling this problem. It is too luxurious to see a doctor just for nails,” the silver-haired lady says.

Tang finds it difficult to clip toenails by herself. “My back can’t bend over to touch my toes,” she says.

She has never fixed her nail problem until Min Zhang Xiao-min, a volunteer who helps her clip and tend her toenails with a set of manicure kits.

*Manicure kits, including nail scissors, nail clippers, nail files and an electric nail polisher are sterilized.*

She gently lifts Yang’s foot and places it on her lap. “Be careful. No hurry. Are you taking any medication now?” Min asks each time before starting to fix Tang’s nails.

Min takes extra care in cleaning and removing dirt from underneath Tang’s toenails, as they are the source of an unpleasant odour.

“If the nails are stuck with dirt, it is easy to get infected and make the elderly feel uncomfortable,” the volunteer says.

Min understands the plight of the elderly and enjoys doing voluntary manicure work. “I will be old someday. I just want to do whatever I can to help them because I understand that it is hard for the elderly to handle nail problems,” she says.

“Doing volunteer work is rewarding. It gives me a sense of accomplishment,” she adds.

*Min Zhang Xiao-min* *cleans and removes dirt underneath Tang *Woon-kuen*’s toenails*

Min learns manicure and self-healing nail techniques from Fannie Yung Ching-han, a manicure instructor at the Employees Retraining Board. She invites Min to be a volunteer for the service.

“Tang’s case isn’t the worst. There are other cases that are far more serious. That’s also why very few people join this industry, as they have to deal with smelly and dirty toenails all day long,” Yung says.

“I hope that my students can apply what they have learnt to help those in need. This also helps them further improve their skills,” she adds.

Engaged in the beauty and manicure industry for over 40 years, Yung is cautious when handling manicure services, especially when the clients are the elderly.

“We usually ask them a day in advance to provide a picture of their nails that need a manicure to get a better idea of the severity of the problem,” Yung says.

The number of elderly people in Hong Kong will rise from 1.45 million in 2021 to 2.74 million in 2046, according to the Census and Statistics Department.

SilverHub, a social enterprise that offers manicure services to the elderly, was set up in August 2022 with 15 volunteers.

Kennis Chun Yin-ping, one of the founders of the organization, hopes the service can provide more support for elderly people.

“There is a growing demand for elderly nail care services due to the rapid increase in the ageing population. The elderly, especially those who live alone, may struggle to take care of themselves,” Chun says.

“They tend to overlook the health of their fingernails or toenails. They may think it is just a bone problem, but in fact, it can be ingrown nails causing bleeding,” she adds.

The group offers two types of services: free and paid. Free services are available to those referred by social workers in community centres or elderly homes.

For the charged service, the group charges HK $250 (US $32) for either hands or feet and HK $380 (US $48) for both hands and feet.

“We have noticed that many elderly people have such needs, but not everyone can afford to pay for a service. Many nail salons charge high prices. I have seen places charging HK$1,000 (US$128),” Chun says.

“Most people learn manicure primarily for beauty purposes and do not want to treat nail problems like fungal infection, as they find it repulsive,” she explains.

Dr. Florence Fong Meng-soi, the Deputy Director of the Asia-Pacific Institute of Ageing Studies, believes that the government has many concerns in policymaking.

“The government hopes to follow the principle of home-based elderly care, providing a range of services focused on the local community and their home through the Social Welfare Department,” Fong says.

Apart from the general daily services related to clothing, food, housing and transportation, there is another category known as specialized emergency services.

“The government needs to assess the imminence of the issue – Can the market fill the gap and provide services?” she points out.

Fong thinks that it is hard to define the responsibility for providing specialized services for the elderly.

“The demand can be infinite. But who is responsible for taking care of the seniors? Is it the responsibility of the family caregivers? the market? The elderly themselves? Or the government? This can be an ethical question,” she says.

Sub-edited by Kossy Chen

SEN Kid Opens Up with Football

November 17, 2023

Football helps a boy with special needs with his physical and mental development.

By Chloe Tam

Primary school pupil Kevin Chan*, who suffers from attention deficit, used to keep everything to himself instead of sharing with others. But now he is willing to tell his parents and teammates about his everyday life after joining a football programme.

“Kevin is not good at communicating with others. He never responded even when I asked him. He just kept crying, shouting and having tantrums to seek our attention. But after joining football class a few times, he started to tell me what he wants,” says Peggy Lee*, mom of Kevin.

Chan joins ‘Play to Thrive’, a three-year football programme, organised by Save the Children Hong Kong, a non-governmental organisation dedicated to the protection and development of children.

Launched in June 2023, the programme aims to improve the wellbeing of children impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is expected to serve 224 children this year and bring the total number of participants to 1,100 children by 2025.

“He proactively shares everything about his classes. I am very happy about the change. When I ask him a question, he now responds with a few sentences instead of just saying one word,” the mother says.

“My son now prepares his football, uniform, socks and puts them on the table one day before every football class. His smile on his sweaty face tells me he loves playing football very much,” she adds.

*The students are listening and following the coach.* *(Photo courtesy of Save the Children Hong Kong)*

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the 7-year-old did not have any team activities.

“He did not seem to like it when he was three or four years old. But after attending more classes now, he starts talking and finding coaches and teammates for help to solve problems,” Lee says.

“Football is a sport that requires teamwork. The course provides a golden chance for Kevin to spend time with other kids. Competition helps him understand team spirit which he had no concept at all before. Playing football is a good way to force him to express himself more and have better anger management. Otherwise, he can’t even touch the ball and play the games,” she adds.

Carol Szeto Yan, Chief Executive Officer of Save the Children Hong Kong, says underprivileged families or children with special education needs are their service target. They hope that an environment of cohesion can be built.

“During the past few years, many Hong Kong children’s mental and physical health was badly affected due to the pandemic. They could not spend time with their peers and teachers. We hope the programme can improve their social emotional competence,” she says.

Savio Wong Wai-ho, an associate professor of the Department of Educational Psychology at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, points out that teamsport is beneficial to children both physically and mentally.

He elaborates on it by breaking down the word “teamsport” into “team” and “sport”.

“It is commonly known that sports can improve our physical fitness and well-being. Healthy body causes a healthy mind. For “team”, there are rules required to follow and a well-organised way to train players’ social skills,” he says.

“As a team, every player shares a common goal such as winning. There is no way but to cooperate with other teammates in order to achieve the goal. It means they have to socialise among themselves,” Wong adds.

*Name changed at request of the interviewee

Sub-edited by Eve Qiao

Two Tales of Japan in WWII – Editor’s Note

November 16, 2023

Nearly eight decades after the Second World War, a “world war” of cognition and ideology is still ongoing. While it is often said that history is composed by the victors, great efforts should be made to learn the story of the “defeated”.

Periscope section of this issue takes readers to two museums in Nagasaki, Japan, where an atomic bomb was dropped on to bring an end to the WWII. Five minutes’ walk away from each other, the museums are telling two strikingly different tales of this city. The two tales of one city during the war illustrate the unique role of museums and tricks played by careful curation that has great impact on public perception and education.

Varsity takes readers to Thailand in the Our Community section to learn how Thai farmers are struggling to mitigate the impact caused by droughts and keep up with rice production, and then to China, where outcry burst out among diners because of ubiquitous pre-made food, the industry which the government boasts as a momentum to save the communist state’s sluggish economy.

Despite the declining property market in China, Varsity learns flat prices in districts with elite schools are still popular among parents who are willing to pay high price for these purchases. Varsity reporters also investigates how children bypass the China’s rigid internet regulations to earn pocket money by speculating NBA trading cards. Also in China, Varsity examines why girls pay to date other girls dressing up like male mobile game characters rather than real boys.

Coming back to Hong Kong, Varsity finds out how Qi Gong helps to alleviate pains suffered by cancer patients, how sports help with the growth of children with special education needs, and how students and colleges react to consecutive alleged crimes happened during university orientation.

Varsity also learns the importance of civil society. A Hong Kong NGO helps elderly with manicure, and another charity helps retired race greyhound start a new life.

Enjoy your read!

Leopold Chen

Chief Editor

Empowering Children with Special Needs Through Football

November 16, 2023

001 — A coach is guiding a child to kick a football.

Football coach teaches children with special needs to build social networks and inclusive learning environments through a free football programme.

By James Cheang

Football coach Poon Kwok-kai has learnt that patience and a big heart are the keys to help children with special educational needs (SEN) when teaching them how to communicate better by learning the ball game.

“When teaching them, I have to be more patient and kind-hearted. Some of them were a bit hard to control when they first joined my class. But after getting familiar with them, I find it easier to communicate with them,” he says.

Poon joined “Play to Thrive”, a programme launched by “Save the Children Hong Kong” in June this year. It is free of charge and for children aged six to 12 years old including children with special needs such as those who are autistic.

For Poon, the event means he can promote football to children with different backgrounds, particularly to students who need more care.

“Children with special needs might not be able to fully demonstrate skills I teach them. But they try their best to do so. I have a very strong sense of gratification and satisfaction in the programme,” Poon says.

Rather than grooming children to become professional football players, “Play to Thrive” helps them build social networks, learn the importance of team spirit and manage their moods through participating in a team sport.

“The programme can also provide children with special needs an inclusive learning environment. Some students might be neglected in traditional schools. We want to help them with football so that they can learn and play together happily,” he continues.

*Poon is teaching the children to control a football (Photo courtesy of Save the Children Hong Kong).*

Poon points out football is a team sport that requires whole body movement such as feet, hands, eyes – are all essential elements in playing it. It can train children’s body flexibility and coordination and encourage children to build their own social network.

“This is not the first time I teach students with special needs. I taught a few courses before, arranged by other non-government organizations,” he says.

The experienced coach started playing football when he was a Primary Three pupil. “I used to play football with my neighbors and classmates after school. I did not receive formal training,” Poon recalls.

When Poon was 13 years old, he represented Hong Kong as one of the members of the Hong Kong Under-20 Football Representative Team in various international competitions for almost six years.

“I dreamt of becoming a professional football player. But I gave up the unrealistic dream at last,” the coach says.

Though Poon has not become a professional football player, he keeps playing football. He became a football coach in 2012.

“That is how I started my career as a professional football coach. Now I am a ‘B’ License Coach, Goalkeeper Coach (Level 1) and Futsal Coach (Level 2) of The Asia Football Confederation (The AFC),” Poon says.

*Another coach with the kids (Photo courtesy of Save the Children Hong Kong).*

“I can’t say football is the most popular sport in the world. But if I say it is the second most popular, I doubt anyone will disagree with me,” he adds.

The coach points out football can help develop children’s social skills, communication ability and master the spirit of team building.

“During training, children can encourage each other to improve together. If I encounter sudden incidents in class, I always meet the kids involved. After comforting their emotions, I try to invite them to speak up and tell me what has happened,” he says.

“If the situation worsens, social workers can help and take care of students,” he adds.

“I hope I can run these football courses to help more children. Sport can help them develop their body and mind, build interpersonal communication skills and the concept of mutual respect,” Poon says.

Sub-edited by Christine Tang

Silent invasion of pre-made food in restaurants

November 15, 2023

As the pre-made food industry expands in China, consumer concerns about food safety and quality are on the rise.

By Kamun Lai

Joy Lyu* used to suffer from an irregular heartbeat and hypothyroidism, according to her body check results in 2022. But the report this year shows her health has improved, and she only lacks vitamin D after she stopped eating out and started making her own meals.

Hypothyroidism is a disease that leads to reduced metabolism due to decreased synthesis and secretion of thyroid hormones.

“I used to eat out when I worked at an internet company. The working hours lasted from 9 am to 9 pm and sometimes I had to work until early in the morning. So I usually ate fast food or take-away food and never ate on time. That took a toll on my health,” the office worker says.

Lyu now spends two hours preparing meals for the next five working days during weekends, and she has been cooking for herself for a year.

“After cooking for myself, I joined a weight loss competition in the hospital and followed their low-oil and low-salt diet recipes. I lost 20 pounds in 12 weeks,” the 33-year-old says.

*Lyu followed the recipes provided by the hospital, which featured a low-oil and low-salt diet. (Photo courtesy of Joy Lyu)*

“Why not make your own food at home, given the fact that what we eat outside is all pre-made food anyway,” says Lyu, who posts a daily homemade meal picture on social media.

Pre-made food refers to finished or semi-finished products in which ingredients have been pre-cooked and pre-cut. Pre-processed and pre-made food is packed into bags to extend its shelf life.

More and more videos revealing restaurants using pre-made packages, which are pre-cut or pre-cooked, to quickly prepare a dish in less than a minute, are being shared on social media platforms like Douyin. A video showing how packages of pre-made food are turned into dishes served at restaurants by a cook earns 6.3 million likes and 2 million comments. Comments below describe the practise as “horrible”. One of the comments, “Consumers have the right to know whether the restaurant is using pre-made food!” gains 3474 “likes”.

The cook at the restaurant is unpacking the pre-made food.
( Screenshot via Douyin)

Chinese restaurants such as Xibei, which Lyu used to visit, are also found to have been using pre-made food to serve diners, according to the China Chain Restaurant Industry Report 2022 released by the China Chain Store & Franchise Association.

“That is the reason I started to prepare meals myself. The cost of a pre-made meal with few vegetables is the same as my homemade meal. I just want to have a balanced and regular diet to become healthier,” Lyu says.

*Xibei’s mobile ordering interface promises that they will serve everything in 25 minutes. (Screenshot via Xibe’s food order webpage)*

But not everyone can change their lifestyle of eating out. “My colleagues tried but failed. Some complain that their fridges are too small, as they live with roommates or family. So, they are still having takeaway food,” she says.

The “No. 1 central document,” which the Chinese government released in February, identified the development of the pre-made food industry as a key task for 2023. The market size reached RMB ¥419.6 billion (USD $57.63 billion) in 2022, growing at a rate of 21.3 per cent. The market is estimated to reach RMB ¥510 billion (USD $70.05 billion) in 2023 and rise to a trillion yuan in 2026, according to the Development Report of the Pre-made Food Industry released by the research institution of People Daily in June.

Jack Zhang*, a manager in the food industry for more than three decades, questions the product quality as the regulations for pre-made food used in restaurants are still in their infant stage.

There is no national standard for pre-made food. Guidance documents for the industry are only available in 15 provinces and cities such as Guangdong, Shandong, and Shanghai.

“People are confused about the concept of pre-made food and processed food such as sausages and baked products. The regulations of food packages used in restaurants, the so-called pre-made food, are inadequate. But processed foods have been developed for more than 20 years, and classification and standardisation have been done very well,” Zhang says.

“Young people nowadays can’t tell whether the food they are eating is pre-made food because they don’t know what the traditional flavour of Chinese cuisine is,” the food industry practitioner says.

Adjunction associate professor Leung Ka-sing at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, believes the development of pre-made food has evolved due to the fast-paced lifestyle.

“Compared to previous generations, the pace of life gets much faster. In families where both husband and wife finish work at six or seven, it is difficult for them to cook for themselves,” Leung says.

“Also, the cost of freshly cooked food in a restaurant is several times higher than the cost of using pre-made food, including rent and labour,” Leung adds.

Leung points out that if pre-made food factories can get a licence to operate and follow current technological standards, there will be no difference in food safety and nutrition between pre-made food and freshly cooked food in restaurants.

“But the large-scale standardised production and low-temperature storage can cause the food to lose the unique flavour created by chemical reactions at high temperatures. So whether consumers are informed about a restaurant’s use of pre-made dishes is a matter of consumer rights,” Leung says.

The professor thinks that nowadays people generally suffer from obesity and high blood pressure due to the heavy use of oil and salt.

“The healthiest diet is still cooking by yourself because you can control your salt and oil intake,” he adds.

*Name changed at request of the interviewee

Edited by Eve Qiao
Sub-edited by Christine Tang

Knitting for Idols

November 15, 2023

British girl founded her knitting business in South Korea, providing knitted garments for K-pop idols.

By Sunnie Wu

Having K-pop idols including SHINee, StayC and Hyuna wearing her hand knitted clothing such as tops and balaclava gives Rebecca* the biggest satisfaction of her life.

The knitwear designer’s first major client was Emma Chamberlain, an influential figure in the fashion world with more than 15 million Instagram followers.

In July 2021, six months after she created her own brand Dainty Knit, Rebecca received an Instagram message from the influencer’s stylist, asking for a “Dainty Two-Piece”.

“At first I thought it was a prank. My sister encouraged me to pursue it. It was so unbelievable and amazing to see her wearing my garments on Instagram as Emma is well-known as a Gen-Z fashion girl,” she recalls.

The yellow and green halter top and striped mini skirt was shown in the YouTuber ’s Instagram post, earning more than one million “Likes”, in September 2021.

The 25-year-old knitter started her knitting journey in 2017 for a university project. She learnt knitting from her grandma and then made a series of small beanies and tops.

Rebecca started selling her products on Depop, a social e-commerce platform where users can buy and resell their items, during the COVID-19 pandemic, and established her brand in 2021 after she moved to South Korea.

The designer made her way to the K-pop fashion arena after customising a design for girl group StayC, who had her tailor-made black and white two-set shown on stage in August 2022.

*Dainty Knit received orders from K-pop idols group through Instagram. (Screenshot via Instagram)*

“It felt really fulfilling and I was finally seeing the payoff for all of my hard work. I think it is crazy because I just cannot believe I made the clothes when they were shown on screen,” she says.

The British knitter even managed to tailor-make 20 balaclavas in five days for Korean boy band SHINee’s music videos.

The balaclavas were worn by a group member Kim Ki-bum, who bears the stage name Key, and his dancers in a music video “Hard” released in June 2023.

“The job has to be done in a very timely manner. You have to be willing to sacrifice any sleep to finish something,” she says.

Impressed by the Korean’s “ppali ppali” culture, which means hurrying up and everything has to be done properly and fast, the knitwear creator thinks it motivates her to work harder.

“Koreans work really long hours. If I do not post on social media for a week or have not made something and completed it, I think I am very lazy. And if I do not work hard enough, I feel like I will get left out,” the fashion design graduate says.

*K-Pop girl group StayC performed in the tailor-made black and white two-set. (Photo courtesy of Rebecca)*

After posting a video of clothes she made for various idols on Tik Tok in March 2023, Rebecca shot to fame with her followers increasing rapidly from 3,000 to 20,000 on the social media platform. The video even reached 2 million views.

But the knitter has been repeatedly accused of paying idols to wear her garments, recreating clothes Idol wore before and claiming that she made it.

“They assume idols only wear designer brands and expensive garments. People did not believe it was me [that had made the clothes] because idols will not tag your brand on social media,” she says.

Rebecca refused to reveal her full identity as she has received many hostile messages on the internet after collaborating with celebrities.

When I read really negative comments regarding me or my products, I take it personally because they are all mine. I do everything, and I do not have any employee that can block that out.

“My comments and direct messages have been crazy,” she says.

Apart from dealing with accusations on the internet, she also needs to handle all the cyberbullying alone as she is all alone in her company.

“I only have myself, but a lot of people do not realise that. When I read really negative comments regarding me or my products, I take it personally because they are all mine. I do everything, and I do not have any employee that can block that out,” the brand owner says.

Instead of adopting setting changes such as limiting comments or separating direct messages to block messages from strangers, she still allows direct messages because it is the way she gets orders from clients including celebrities.

Despite the cyberbullying, the young brand owner channels negative vibes into motivation.

“I am more thick-skinned now. And I get more love than hate from my job. For example, most of my followers are K-pop fans,” she says.

“Even if my brand does not do very well, I will still continue to make stuff and sell it online, because I just cannot see myself not designing or not making anything. I am truly passionate about it,” she adds.

“When I first moved to Korea in 2021, I always saw Hyuna’s outfits and I thought that was so cool. I wondered what it would be like if she wore my outfit. And now it came true,” she says.

Hyuna is the mononym of Kim Hyun-ah, a former member of Korean girl band 4Minute and now a soloist singer, songwriter, and model.

*K-pop idol Hyuna wore the patchwork mini dress and brushed mohair beanie knitted by Rebecca. (Photo courtesy of Rebecca)*

The brand owner hopes one day she can knit clothes for Beyoncé and celebrities appearing in Met Gala or the MTV Videos Music Awards.

“I have these delusional thoughts sometimes and I never take it too seriously, but it is also a kind of motivation,” she adds.

*Name changed at request of the interviewee

Edited by Christine Tang

Sub-edited by Leopold Chen

Expensive School-district Housing in China

November 15, 2023

Despite declining property prices in Shenzhen, housing prices in districts with popular elite schools are still standing high.

By Molisa Meng

Emily Wu* spent about RMB ¥ 8.5 million (US $1,162,443) in March 2023 to buy a 70 square metre apartment in Futian District, Shenzhen so that her family can live near an elite school, Shenzhen Experimental School, while the overall housing prices in the city are falling.

Wu purchased the unit at RMB ¥ 120,000 (US $16,500) per square metre, far higher than the average price in Futian District at RMB ¥ 88,250 (US $12,133), and RMB ¥ 68,759 (US $9,453) for Shenzhen.

“I am pessimistic about the property market. I don’t expect this house to be a profitable investment. I think depreciation is inevitable. But the flat is nothing when compared to my child’s education. Although flat prices in other parts of Shenzhen are cheaper, I still bought a flat here,” Wu says.

*Emily Wu bought an elite school district house in Futian District at a high price.*

“My nine-year-old daughter, my only child, is in Primary Three this year. I want to move to this district so my child can easily attend the elite junior high school in the future and there are many cram schools here,” the 38-year-old mother says.

Many parents now want to buy houses in school districts to make sure their children go to the best schools and cram schools, she says.

Shenzhen authorities divide the city into various school districts based on locations of public junior high schools, and primary school pupils are primarily assigned to the schools centering the school districts they live in.

But the policy is not applicable to pupils attending schools with direct admission arrangement or those who plan to attend private or international schools.

Wu says districts like Futian are popular among parents due to the presence of elite schools and private tutoring institutions.

*The elite school in this district is Shenzhen Experimental School, considered one of the “ four most prestigious schools” in Shenzhen.*

“A good school has better teachers, facilities, and a good learning atmosphere. This is very important for the growth of children. I will do anything to secure all these for my child. My daughter can also make friends with kids from families that value education,” Wu says.

The mother says her family has long planned to invest in their child’s education and saved up in advance.

“We don’t know if my child can fit into international schools or whether she can handle studying abroad. Moving to districts with elite schools can help my child secure a place in a good school,” she adds.

Shenzhen adopts a point system for junior high school admissions, considering factors like property ownership, census registration, and length of residence to assign bonus points.

*Shenzhen adopts a point system for junior high school admissions. Requirements as outlined by the Education Department in Futian District.*

The Wu family bought the flat three years ago and moved in early to earn higher points to make sure her daughter can attend the elite school desired by the parents.

According to data compiled by CEIC, a global database, China’s overall housing prices experienced a price trough from late 2021 to early 2023.

Housing prices are falling across the country, but those in districts with popular elite schools only suffer a mild dip in pricing, according to an agent from Shenzhen property agency Leyoujia, who was approached by a Varsity reporter posing as a potential buyer.

“Flat prices in districts with popular elite schools are more competitive in the declining property market, as many families are still trying to move to these districts,” the property agent says.

“The flat sales in these districts was higher than other areas even during the pandemic,” he adds.

According to data from the research centre of Leyoujia, the recovery of the school district housing market has driven up housing prices in Shenzhen’s key residential areas from March to April 2023.

Professor Ako Tomoko of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at the University of Tokyo believes the housing prices in districts with elite schools show there is keen competition for educational resources among Chinese parents.

“It is understandable that Chinese parents save money and provide their children with the best education. However, parents want to send their children to elite schools instead of pursuing meaningful learning. They are focusing too much on school rather than education itself,” Ako says.

Ako, who researches on China and sociology, points out that the key measure to tackle the problem is to alleviate disparities in the public education resources and levels among regions and schools.

“As educational disparity narrows, housing costs in districts with elite schools should stop rising,” she says.

*Name changed at request of the interviewee

Edited by Kossy Chen
Sub-edited by Leopold Chen

Beyond the Classroom : A Childhood in Nature

July 22, 2023

Reporters: Charlotte Wu, Lilou Margueron, Kamun Lai, Molisa Meng, Nutcha Hunsanimitkul

Editors: Charlie Chun, Esme Lam, Victoria Fong

Some Hong Kong parents turn to education models focusing on outdoor practical learning.

The Start of Ventriloquism in Hong Kong

July 4, 2023

Reporters: Hannah Tang, Lorraine Chiang, Nicole Li, Sunnie Wu

Editor: Karmen Yip, Phoebe Chu, Lesley Lam

Hong Kong ventriloquist try their best to promote ventriloquism and bring happiness to the public.

Laughter is the Best Medicine

June 13, 2023

Former doctor Jason Leong shares his story of being a comedian.

By Ryan Teh

Doctor-turned-comedian Jason Leong is back on stage with a new show after the pandemic.

“It is nice to be working hard and to go through the process of creating a new show, it is something I enjoy,” he says.

Leong says that his current world tour is by far his most ambitious project.

“This year’s tour is the biggest one I have ever done. I will be touring around 25 cities in nine countries. Places like New York City, Melbourne, Indonesia. It is a good time to be a comedian and to be able to travel again” he says.

‘Brain Drain’, the title of Leong’s new show, is referenced to the slang term describing talents leaving their home country.

“The main theme is about how I want to leave Malaysia. This started last year when one of my fellow comedians was arrested and the comedy club was shut down,” he adds.

Dr Jason Leong opening for Comedy giant Russell Peters in Leong’s home city of Kuala Lumpur.

Malaysian comedian Rizal van Geyzel was arrested and the operation of Crackhouse Comedy Club was suspended in July 2022. Both cases were due to separate allegations of religiously insensitive jokes by Rizal that went viral online.

“I also wanted to talk about how Malaysia has been crumbling and how this among other reasons has made Malaysia unappealing for me. This is how I came up with the name for the show,” Leong continues.

“It is the tour I travel the most extensively outside Malaysia so it is nice to call it the Brain Drain World Tour,” he adds.

One of the stops on his tour is Hong Kong and Leong says he is excited to be back.

“It has been three years since I have been in Hong Kong. I used to come almost every year. The city is one of my all-time favourite places. I love visiting the city centre and also hiking at Dragon’s Back. I especially love the dim sum at Fu Sing Seafood Restaurant (a local restaurant in Hong Kong famous for its dim sum). Thinking about it alone makes me hungry. Now I want some dim sum,” he says.

“And I am very happy to be earning Hong Kong Dollars as well,” he adds jokingly.

Screenshot Of Dr Jason Leong’s Instagram story about the Hong Kong show.

With 2023 marking his ninth year in the industry, Leong says he has no regrets about leaving the medical field to pursue comedy since making the switch in 2014.

“I tried balancing being a doctor and a comedian for two years and eventually stopped my practice to focus on comedy. Now my newest Netflix Special Ride with Caution has been getting good reviews, and I am in the middle of touring for my new show so I am enjoying my career to the utmost and definitely have no regrets,” he says.

The comedian also boasts a number of accolades to his name. Ride with Caution’s release in February added to the list by making Leong the first and currently the only Malaysian to have two Netflix Specials.

Leong was also selected to perform at the Just for Laughs Festival in July 2022, the largest international comedy festival in the world.

“These successes are meaningless if they do not spur you to achieve more. They drive me forward to do bigger and better things,” he says.

Behind the Jokes

The former doctor shares that his jokes are inspired by his own life experiences.

“To me, it is really simple. You just see something and then you make fun of it. At first it was mostly from my background, growing up in a Chinese household and growing up in Malaysia. Then as I grew older, I began talking about my experiences as a father, being married to an Indian wife,” he says.

“I have come to realise I really like to make fun of people who like to show off. My favourite joke from my first comedy special was about people showing off their business-class tickets and in my latest one, it was making fun of people who start cycling but honestly, they are just trying to show off their money,” he adds with a laugh.

Even while performing overseas in countries that have local taboos, Leong says that there is no restriction in his creation.

“My intention is to make people laugh, maybe even provoke their thoughts. I want to take their minds off their stress, and of course, be famous as well,” the comedian says.

Leong’s shows also feature a fair share of jokes about Malaysia, particularly the country’s political scene and its figures- a topic that is traditionally considered taboo.

“They give us comedians an endless supply of material to make fun of. It is also becoming quite common in Malaysia on Twitter. So, I am not worried about making jokes about our politics,” he adds.

The comedian does not feel the need to adjust his creation to cater to his international audiences and make sure they understand his jokes.

“Humour is universal… actually you do not have to be Malaysian to understand most of my jokes. Like my bit about cyclists, they are everywhere around the world and most people would get it so I do not ever change my jokes,” he says.

Dr Jason Leong wishes to continue performing comedy. (Photo courtesy of Dr Jason Leong)

As for his future plans, Leong hopes he can continue with comedy and have his own TV show.

“I (am) hoping to keep doing comedy until I can’t anymore. Maybe let’s try for two more decades. I also plan to travel more and do more shows or stand-up gigs overseas like in New York City. Another thing I really want to do is to produce my own sitcom and be on-screen besides just only being on stage,” he says.

Edited by Esme Lam
Sub-edited by Charlie Chun