Reach for the stars, astronauts tell the young
Follow your dream and shoot for the stars - that was the message the two Shenzhou VI astronauts had for young people on the last full day of their four-day visit to the city.
'Set your own goal, and you will have a clear direction about how to live your life and pursue your dream. My next goal after my first space mission is to fly to space again,' Colonel Fei Junlong said at a meeting with 300 young professionals at the Space Museum yesterday.
He and his partner Colonel Nie Haisheng repeated this message when they met primary and secondary school pupils and athletes in the afternoon.
'Go for your dreams and remember you will be stronger after overcoming every problem you face,' Colonel Fei told another forum at the Tseung Kwan O Sports Centre. Among the athletes they met were Olympic silver medallist Ko Lai-chak and Paralympic gold medallist Lai Wai-ling, both table tennis players.
Colonel Nie said his goal was to acquire advanced skills and master new technologies to handle more challenging tasks ahead.
Apart from sharing their secrets for building a successful career, they also gave tips to the athletes about physical training.
'I like running and playing table tennis. I also like fishing a lot, and I do that with my son,' Colonel Fei said. When the two spacemen met 2,000 secondary and primary-school students from 400 schools at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium, Colonel Nie's family life was the main topic of interest.
'My family is very supportive to my work and they never bother me with family matters. My mother and my wife are very supportive. My wife takes good care of my daughter and also manages everything well in the house,' he said.
He also praised his daughter for being understanding.
'My little girl loves me dearly. The television news showed her singing a birthday song for me when I was in space,' he said.
The astronauts end their visit in Hong Kong today, as they leave for Macau at noon.
