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Space invaders

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LACK OF SPACE and financial burdens are concerns for big families living in Hong Kong, says Janet Liu Hon-yi, a 22-year-old masters degree student who is one of five children between 25 and 17. But there are benefits.

'My parents have never said why they had so many children, but I've heard them say they wanted to have one more son after me, so they'd have two pairs: one of daughters and one of sons,' Liu says.

'But I've never believed that was the main reason. They didn't plan at that time. They had as many children as they believed they could handle.

'Our family as big, but not very big. Most of my friends have one or two siblings. I think it's OK to have seven family members. I love having siblings, but in an ideal world I'd have only two or three.

'I want more than one child because single children have poorer interpersonal skills. When we were young, our mother taught us to share. We were told that teamwork was important. I see my siblings as part of me. Their money is my money. We've learnt how to love each other and to be more considerate.

'I also know my brothers' and sisters' friends, so I have a good network of friends of different ages. Another advantage is that the five of us have different strong points, and we're in charge of different things in the family.

'At festival times, our crowded home has a real festive atmosphere. We still manage to spare one of us to be a waiter or waitress while the rest of us play mahjong.

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