Tell us about an object you care about
It is a miniature copy of the Koran! It is, however, the last item I have among the items I brought with me from my home country. I’ve had it since I was fifteen years old. It was given to me by a dear friend as a memento of our childhood together when his family moved to a different city.
Tell us about a place in Hong Kong
I once took the wrong ferry during my sightseeing and got stuck in heavy rain and a T3 typhoon in Whampoa. It was my first day out in Hong Kong. I ended up spending nearly two hours wandering around in the rain, uncertain of where I was or where I was going, searching for an MTR station. As I was running round the place, I came across a memorable landmark: a white building that resembled a cruise ship. It struck me and stayed in my memory. I still go there sometime now to recall how strange and foreign this city once felt when I first arrived.
Tell us about yourself
There is not much to know about me, but if there is one thing that defines me it would be my nomadic roots and upbringing.
I was taught early in life to always be forward-thinking and to assess challenges in a larger context. This has been a mechanism that allows me to approach current challenges as a finite problem with a solution rather than thinking of them as insurmountable odds. An outlook on life that my nomadic forefathers lived by.
Tell us about your work at Learning together
What projects were you involved in at Learning Together?
I have been teaching English and Computer classes in Learning Together. I have taught English as a second language to adults who are new to Hong Kong, as well as leading a computer/programming class that introduces high school students to coding.
Can you share the highlights of your time at Learning Together?
During my time at Learning Together, there are many highlights. Some involved educational experiences such as participating in a summer programming Bootcamp and a hackathon with Global Goals Jam. I enjoy most the ties I have with the Learning Together family. It’s worth remembering that the friendships we cultivated at LT will be with us long after many of us take different paths.
What would you like to tell future members of Learning Together?
One thing to keep in mind, as our name implies, this is a place where everyone brings something to the table. We work together to empower one another to work towards our aspirations. In that spirit, it’s important as a first step we make sure we are putting our best forward. Be active, upfront, and involved so that we can build on our strengths as we work towards a fulfilled future for ourselves.
If Hong Kong was a human…
If Hong Kong was a human, she would be a young twenty-something woman struggling between her family’s restrictive and traditional ties and her personal desires for autonomy to follow her own path. A young person weighing the possibility of autonomous selfhood against a predetermined future, two divergent options that could both have their own merit in pursuit of long-term prosperity. Outside influences further complicate her decisions, making it difficult to determine the right course of action.