This month marked the tenth anniversary of the Pat Sin Leng hill fire, which caused the deaths of two teachers and three students from HKCWC Fung Yiu King Memorial Secondary School and left 13 others injured. Stanley Cheung Yun-Hang, now 22, was among the seriously injured on the fatal school trip and suffered from severe burns on his hands and face. He takes some time out from his university life in San Francisco to tell us about life after the fire.
HK: Your book, "Transition," was published two years ago. How do you deal with the day of the fire in it?
Stanley Cheung: Even though it's an autobiography, I start the story after the incident. It’s mentioned, but I chose to focus on the experience of life during the eight years after the fire, instead of the experience itself – the road I took towards recovery, the pains… I think it’s more important to talk about how the incident has shaped me into who I am now.
HK: How did you recover from the trauma? Are you still recovering?
SC: It was hard at first, but I’m just going on with life now. I still have a lot of life to live, just like any 22-year-old, and I’m going to make the most out of it. I don’t think I’ve fully recovered – the incident had a great impact on me and might always be a part of me – but I know I’ve made great strides over the years and I look forward to what lies ahead.
HK: Has your outlook on life changed?
SC: The fire happened when I was only 12, so I suppose any change in my outlook in life is just part of growing up. I’m still learning and growing every day, but the incident has definitely forced me to mature a lot faster than other kids my age. Before the fire I was just a child, not knowing what I wanted and dreaming of becoming a pro soccer player. The whole recovery process made me realize what I'm capable of and has set a clear direction in my life. Life is short and there’s really no time to lose – I need to set goals for myself and plan ways to achieve those goals.
HK: What are your plans for the future?
SC: My passion is writing and my dream is to become a writer. I guess I’ve already taken my first steps toward that with "Transition." My first novel will be published this summer. I'm also studying psychology and want to be a pychologist.
HK: Do you still go hiking?
SC: Actually I don’t, but not because of what happened. I’m just too lazy and afraid of being mugged! I’ve heard too many stories of illegal immigrants hiding out in the countryside, ready to pounce on you and rob you of everything you’ve got… it’s scary! (Laughs.) Yeah, most people think I’d be haunted by what happened, but practically speaking, there’s a very slim chance of that happening again. I don’t think I’d be scared until I actually see a spark!