Helping hand

While most of us lie in bed most mornings wishing we didn't have a busy day ahead of us, former singer Cally Kwong Mei-wan wakes up with the fervent wish that her day is a busy and fruitful one.

After all, Kwong has already lived the life of a busy Hong Kong artist with public appearances, concert tours and filming schedules that left her as little as two hours of sleep a night.

'At every stage in life, you have to enjoy being busy,' says the former beauty queen, who now designs and markets her own line of high-end jewellery.

'It's like nutrition. You have to put your time to good use each day. When I was an artist, I had to find time to do other things that would help me improve my performing career. Now I have other priorities.'

Kwong's jewellery business caters to a very select clientele and most transactions are done by private appointments. The remainder of her time is spent 'finding the right balance'. This could mean spending time with her family and friends, keeping herself in good shape and, more importantly, making sure she uses her limited time to 'do as much good as possible'.

Since quitting show business, the devout Buddhist has devoted her time to philanthropic pursuits. Besides using her fame and connections to help her Buddhist group and the Polytechnic University to raise funds, she regularly visits and cheers up residents in homes for the elderly. She is most passionate about the schools she has financed and opened on the mainland, which enable children in the poorer regions of the country to benefit from an education.