Sue Kerr, Hong Kong tour guide Age: 49.
Career path: Everyone else at school in Tunbridge Wells, southeast England, just wanted to get married, but I wanted to see the world. When I left, I worked as a secretary for a few years and then, aged 21, went to live on a kibbutz in Israel for six months. Once there, I met people from all over the world, which gave me the taste for travelling.
I emigrated to Canada, but it was too cold there, so I backpacked all around the United States, Canada and Mexico. Since then I have travelled all around Asia, Australia and Africa, working in bars and fruit-picking; I even worked in a fish factory once.
When I came to Hong Kong in 1981, I fell in love with the place. I moved here permanently in 1987 and became the manager of the Big Apple and then Mad Dogs, but the hours started to bother me. Then I saw an ad from the Hong Kong Tourist Association (HKTA) for guides and they trained me. Now I even do tours out at Chep Lap Kok. I think I have found my vocation, I love being a tour guide.
Sue's day: If I'm doing a 'Land Between Us' tour in the New Territories I have to be up at 6 am, go to the office in Tsim Sha Tsui and then pick up the tourists at the YMCA or Star Ferry. I never know until I get there what kind of crowd they are. Sometimes it's like talking to a brick wall, other times I get a lot of questions and feedback. I love it because I'm out and about, moving around, and once we are on the bus, I am my own boss in charge of everybody.
Doing airports tours is different - the visitors aren't tourists. They are businessmen, engineers, Customs and Excise staff, flight crews from the airlines and even diplomats. About five times as many people apply for the tour than we can show round.