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SCMP Reporter

Do you think Discovery Bay has a problem with its teens?

Is this a case of parents blaming others for what are, in fact, their own errors and omissions?

Regarding the letter by Douglas Louden, of Hong Kong Resort Company Limited (Talkback, July 21), I agree with him that Discovery Bay is a great community. I know, as I lived there for more than eight years. I disagree  with the suggestion that there is a drug problem originating from Discovery Bay.

I get so tired of parents blaming schools, law enforcement agencies and anyone else under the sun for their children's abuse of drugs and alcohol.

The real problem is the parents. They don't grow with their children  and do not empathise with them.  Therefore, their children consider their parents irrelevant.

I made a very simple deal with my son. If he told me the truth, I would never get mad.  I could not protect him if I didn't have full information. My role as a parent was to nurture him and use my experiences to protect him from making big mistakes.  I kept my word, and my son is starting to appreciate the value of not lying.

Most of my son's friends felt free to do things in front of me. They always came to my house. My house was the main place for the schoolchildren to go to, and do fun things.

We had weekly poker games where they learned you win when you don't drink alcohol. I showed them how to cook. They were all good boys, and  none of them ever used drugs in my presence, as they respected me. They trusted me more than they trusted their own parents.

To blame Discovery Bay management for drug problems is a completely lame excuse by parents who are themselves just not doing their jobs respecting their children. Discovery Bay has some issues, but inevitably is a great place to live and raise a family. Those who isolate Discovery Bay as a drugs haven are wrong.

I think that the police do a good job in Hong Kong. For the most part, so do the schools. The drug abuse issue really is a parental issue. If the parents are too stupid to not know what their kids are doing or too lazy to find out, it is really down to their own failure.

Gregory Pek, Happy Valley

What do you think of the new style of funeral being offered by some hotels?

It is really interesting to see such a new, fresh style of funeral, which I had never thought of before. But    I doubt if, in a Chinese society, this kind of funeral would be widely accepted or  very popular.

But some people in Hong Kong are westernised and they might prefer to mourn their loved ones in this way, rather than in a traditional service.

Although, at the moment, only a small group of people will choose the new-style funeral for their relatives, I think the numbers will increase.   The new-style funerals can give people a chance to share their feelings with others.

Martina Ngai, Tseung Kwan O

What do you think of the quality of lunch boxes?

We have to accept that obesity is a problem in our society.  The main cause of this problem is that so many people do not have healthy  diets.

Raising awareness on the need to have healthy ingredients in a lunch box can help people appreciate that the problem of obesity is an alarming one.  Children and youths often find it difficult to avoid eating snacks and junk food, and this causes obesity problems.

Healthy recipes can help these young people, but they will not change overnight. They must be persuaded to switch over a period of time.

I know some students at schools will complain about being asked to eat healthy food, but I think they can be persuaded to do so  - if they are given more encouragement by teachers and parents. There could even be an offer of prizes for pupils who succeeded in sticking to a healthy diet.

It is important that students realise this is not something they have to do on their own. They can work together on their new diet and succeed through persistence.

Chan Hin-kiu, Tai Wai

What do you think of the new airport taxi pickup point?

The temporary fourth car park was suddenly cancelled, and taxi pickups were changed to Car Park No3,  which is farther away.  The distance passengers now have to walk has been doubled, and it takes almost nine minutes.

Some passengers have complained that, apart from the longer walk, directions to the taxi car park are inadequate.

In addition, passengers will have to pay the taxi drivers the HK$16 car park fee  they are being charged. So, before the taxi even sets out with passengers on board, they will face charges of  HK$31.  Further, there are no shelters in the third car park and it will be extremely hot for the taxis parked there.  Conditions for airport taxi drivers appear to be deteriorating. The government should allow taxis to use the fourth car park again, without delay.

Andy Chan Ka-ho, Sha Tin



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