https://www.scmp.com/rss/15319/feed Mabel Sieh is a former journalist and documentary producer. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com [Sponsored article] The global race to find a vaccine for the coronavirus disease, Covid-19, has scientists and medical experts in 30 countries working around the clock. Even with a vaccine, life as we know it may never be the same again. Experts say the future is reliant on the strategies of governments, and how people adapt their daily lives. The battle against the Covid-19 pandemic requires the effort of individuals from all professional fields, including social sciences and humanities, says... https://www.scmp.com/presented/news/hong-kong/education/topics/edtalk-cityu-class/article/3095469/social-sciences-humanities?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/presented/news/hong-kong/education/topics/edtalk-cityu-class/article/3095469/social-sciences-humanities?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Aug 2020 02:34:26 +0000 [Sponsored article] Whenever Professor Huang Xu of Hong Kong Baptist University talks to company executives about the recruitment challenges they face, he often hears the same comment: university graduates fail to meet their employee requirements. As programme director of the university’s master of science in business management (MScBM) programme, Huang has been hearing the same complaint from companies in Hong Kong and mainland China for the past 15 years. The primary school and secondary... https://www.scmp.com/presented/news/hong-kong/education/topics/edtalk-hkbu/article/3064547/why-students-right-stuff-good?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/presented/news/hong-kong/education/topics/edtalk-hkbu/article/3064547/why-students-right-stuff-good?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2020 03:26:35 +0000 [First published on 31 January, 2011] Island School has shown that action speaks louder than words by installing solar panels and wind turbines on its rooftop. The devices have helped the school reduce its carbon footprint and boost environmental awareness among its students. The Solar Panel and Wind Turbine Project is the first of its kind among ESF (English Schools Foundation) schools. The devices are connected to the school's electricity supply to power its lights and equipment. The... https://www.scmp.com/presented/news/topics/esf-first-50-years-news/article/2101564/skys-limit-green-warriors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/presented/news/topics/esf-first-50-years-news/article/2101564/skys-limit-green-warriors?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Jul 2017 09:03:21 +0000 Eric Chan Kwun-tat and his wife often visit the local park with their daughters, four-year-old Maeve and two-year-old Mysha.  It’s a fun time for the girls, who play on a swings and slides without constant reminders from their parents to be careful. “Children can do a lot of things on their own, despite what many parents think,” Chan says. This laid-back attitude is a radical change from two years ago, when he would attend all kinds of parenting workshops to learn how to groom Maeve to be a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/families/article/1858083/why-hong-kong-parents-are-choosing-homeschool-their-children?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/families/article/1858083/why-hong-kong-parents-are-choosing-homeschool-their-children?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Sep 2015 22:00:15 +0000 Understanding the rule of law and being able to formulate an opinion of our own based on facts are important for our personal development and Hong Kong society at large. This is why Chong Chan-yau launched an introductory course on legal studies for secondary students in April this year. "The rule of law is relevant to our daily lives; it is a core value upheld in Hong Kong. It is very important we uphold it and not let any political power override it," says Chong, director of EL Education, a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/families/article/1826831/secondary-school-course-promotes-critical-thinking-rule-law?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/families/article/1826831/secondary-school-course-promotes-critical-thinking-rule-law?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Jun 2015 22:15:45 +0000 A report about a teenager's suicide caught Raymond Wong Fook-lam's attention two years ago. The businessman couldn't fathom why young people would give up on their lives, especially when they had many more opportunities than when he was growing up in the 1960s. "I wondered why he wanted to end his life when everyone is trying to live a better life," says Wong, managing director at SOCAM Development, a subsidiary of the Shui On Group. His son was 12 at the time, and the tragedy set Wong thinking... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1642142/novel-addresses-teen-suicide?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1642142/novel-addresses-teen-suicide?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Nov 2014 02:29:59 +0000 Having more than 100 cellists play together can be a stirring spectacle. For Charis Chan-ching, a first-year medical student at Chinese University, it was even more thrilling because she was part of it. "It was amazing. I was thrilled to play alongside the professionals. I have only performed in some school competitions and with smaller groups. It was nothing like this," 18-year-old Chan says of the Celebrating Cello event, which marked the 10th anniversary of Hong Kong International Cello... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1631196/hundred-cello-event-gives-young-players-chance-enjoy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1631196/hundred-cello-event-gives-young-players-chance-enjoy?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Nov 2014 02:14:27 +0000 For a growing number of youngsters these days, the question: "Where are you from?" may not be as straightforward or easy to answer as others might imagine. Rotem Steinberg Wiersch is one of them. "If I am in Hong Kong or anywhere else overseas and someone asks me that question, the answer is Israel. However, when I am in Israel, I'd always say: I am from Hong Kong," says Wiersch, a 17-year-old student at Sha Tin College. Born in Rehovot, Israel, the teenager moved to Sri Lanka with her family... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1582965/home-and-cultural-identity-difficult-pinpoint-third?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1582965/home-and-cultural-identity-difficult-pinpoint-third?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Sep 2014 09:30:00 +0000 The prospect of communication and cultural barriers did not deter Eduardo Jose Andres Medina from becoming an exchange student in Hong Kong. Hailing from Mexico, he is 1.9 metres tall - much taller than his peers in Form Four at the SKH Lam Woo Secondary Memorial School in Kwai Ching. He chose Hong Kong to experience a different culture. "Hong Kong is interesting as it has both Chinese and Western sides," he says. "Everybody was looking at me [like they're saying]: Who's this weird tall guy? The... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1513563/international-exchange-students-broaden-horizons-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1513563/international-exchange-students-broaden-horizons-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 May 2014 01:21:34 +0000 In case parents are worried that it might be too taxing for children to learn more than one language while they are young, studies by American brain development experts Andrew Meltzoff and Patricia Kuhl show otherwise. In fact, the husband and wife team, who are co-directors of the Institute of Learning and Brain Sciences at the University of Washington, say learning a second language is beneficial for babies and toddlers. Bilingual brains show a higher level of cognitive and executive... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1499201/its-never-too-early-children-learn-second-language-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1499201/its-never-too-early-children-learn-second-language-say?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Apr 2014 03:08:28 +0000 Being able to study at a university outside Myanmar is a dream come true for Aye Thein, Thet Hnin Aye and Khine Lynn Thu. Three years ago, they came to study at the University of Hong Kong under a scholarship programme co-sponsored by the university and a number of NGOs. This overseas education can boost career prospects enormously. A graduate with a degree from abroad may earn up to 10 times more than a local graduate - with salaries of US$1,000 a month compared to US100, the students say. "The... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1486983/scholarships-open-door-burmese-students-some-struggle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1486983/scholarships-open-door-burmese-students-some-struggle?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Apr 2014 02:05:34 +0000 For Jacqueline Sun, Zenaida Cabello is much more than just the Filipino helper who took care of her from the age of four. "She is part of my history and my family," she says. "When I was a child, Zenaida took me to school, piano lessons and grocery shopping. We had lunch together; we played together in her room. She was there when I learned to ride my bike, and when I got married. She's a comforting figure and a part of my life," says Sun, who has two daughters of her own. Her parents were busy... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1482167/employers-help-their-domestic-helpers-times-need?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1482167/employers-help-their-domestic-helpers-times-need?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Apr 2014 02:30:00 +0000 Dignity sounds like the lofty subject of a philosophy lecture, but many ethnic minority students have experienced how it is something that can be violated on a daily basis. Talha Muhammad Qureshi, a Form Five student in Delia Memorial School (Hip Wo) in Kwun Tong, vividly recalls an ugly encounter while commuting to school. "A woman sat next to me on the MTR and she started waving her hand, gesturing that I was smelly. She was well dressed and looked educated. I didn't know why she had to do... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1429661/global-dignity-initiative-helps-young-people-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1429661/global-dignity-initiative-helps-young-people-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Feb 2014 02:19:00 +0000 In a painting on display in the atrium of Sunshine City Plaza in Ma On Shan, three generations of a family sit happily together. The Chinese caption reads: "Because of him, there is you. Because of you, there is me. Thank you for your love." This and other paintings are the work of local artist Yim Yee-king, otherwise known as Ah Chung. "The culture of family life has changed over time. In the olden days, fathers were strict authority figures and sometimes unreasonable, and children were... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1414959/how-unhappy-cartoonist-became-one-hong-kongs-leading?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1414959/how-unhappy-cartoonist-became-one-hong-kongs-leading?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Jan 2014 01:42:49 +0000 Anthony Browne is a great advocate of picture books, but that's not just because he creates them. He believes picture books are a crucial platform for stirring children's imaginations. "We see images before we understand words. Images are everywhere; they are direct and universal ... Pictures are very good in conveying feelings and emotions. They can tell what words don't," says Browne, a multi-award-winning author and illustrator of children's books and the British Children's Laureate for 2009... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1365446/childs-eye-view?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1365446/childs-eye-view?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Nov 2013 03:30:45 +0000 Students are used to being graded and appraised on their efforts in the classroom, and standard evaluations are second nature for them and their teachers. But the city's school-based assessment (SBA) system - which serves as a key, compulsory component of the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) university entrance examination launched last year - has introduced unexpected, and often burdensome, elements into those evaluations. The HKEAA needs to simplify the assessment... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1345398/teachers-and-pupils-struggle-school-based-assessment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1345398/teachers-and-pupils-struggle-school-based-assessment?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Nov 2013 02:18:16 +0000 THE DREAM OF THE RED CHAMBER Hong Kong Ballet   Best known for its tear-jerking story, The Dream of the Red Chamber has been adapted for screen and stage many times. But choreographer Wang Xinpeng's ballet version of the popular Chinese literary classic promises to give the doomed romance a more conceptual take. "It's a story about human fate and destiny," says the Dalian-born artistic director of Germany's Ballett Dortmund and ex-principal dancer of the Peking Central Dance Company. Written... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/48hrs/article/1334648/arts-preview-hong-kong-ballet-brings-conceptual-touch-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/48hrs/article/1334648/arts-preview-hong-kong-ballet-brings-conceptual-touch-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Oct 2013 14:45:00 +0000 It's a sunny morning in the village of Sok Kwu Wan on Lamma Island and kindergarten principal Orlando Salazar and a teaching assistant are taking preschool children to the park. On the way, they meet a group of volunteers cleaning up the beach. Salazar seizes on the chance to teach the children a life lesson. "Do you know what they're doing?" Salazar asks. "They're here to help clean the beach and make it more beautiful. Do you want to give them a hand?" His pupils eagerly pitch in. We want to... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1326478/lamma-kindergarten-heads-outdoors-teach-children-through?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1326478/lamma-kindergarten-heads-outdoors-teach-children-through?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Oct 2013 16:00:00 +0000 It was not just the story about a little frog trying to find his mother that had the audience captivated. It was the way Chen Chin-ching told it. Pictures on a little wooden stage showed the different parts of old Taiwan the frog visited and when the boy and his mum were finally reunited, Chen took the pictures and placed them on the floor. All of the sudden, a visual map of Taiwan appeared before the audience. The response: "Wow!" I can see it being used in a classroom to boost students'... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1297784/create-expectations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1297784/create-expectations?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Aug 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Nine students at eight schools across Hong Kong scored top marks in the Diploma of Secondary Education examinations, as many awaited their results - some with trepidation - on Monday morning. Queen's College in Causeway Bay had the most top scorers, with two students getting seven 5**. Saint Paul's Co-Educational College and Good Hope School each had a student with seven 5** and one 5** on mathematics extended, the highest possible score. (See list and map below.) Angel Tsui Yan-ki of Good Hope... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1283004/queens-college-high-scorers-top-university-entrance-exams?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1283004/queens-college-high-scorers-top-university-entrance-exams?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Jul 2013 00:23:32 +0000 The Merry Widow Hong Kong Ballet The Hong Kong Ballet last staged The Merry Widow, an adaptation of the operetta of the same name by Austro-Hungarian composer Franz Lehar, six years ago. It was a very different company then, recalls ballet master Liang Jing who danced one of the lead roles. "In 2007, the dancers were older and more mature; now we have younger dancers with good figures and techniques, but not as experienced in life," says the 43-year-old Hunan native. Liang sees the need to guide... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/48hrs/article/1255719/arts-preview-merry-widow-marriage-two-cultures?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/48hrs/article/1255719/arts-preview-merry-widow-marriage-two-cultures?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Jun 2013 16:00:00 +0000 New Inspiration: Comics Concert Hong Kong Arts Centre Reviewed: June 7 As part of its 35th anniversary celebrations, the Hong Kong Arts Centre brought to the city Concerts de Dessins, or "comics concert", a popular event at the annual Angouleme International Comics Festival in France. New Inspiration: Comics Concert featured local and French comics artists and musicians in performances that combined live drawing with music. This cross-cultural, cross-media programme was an extension of a trip... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/1257840/new-inspiration-comics-concert?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/1257840/new-inspiration-comics-concert?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Jun 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Sarah Webb, author of the popular teen-advice series Ask Amy Green, has been shortlisted twice for Britain's Queen of Teen awards and the Irish Book Awards, and her other books have won acclaim worldwide. But surprisingly, early in Webb's life she wasn't always recognised for her storytelling skills. If not for her parents and good books placed her way, she says she would have never discovered the joys of literature. "[Growing up] I was not good at reading or writing. I could never do my... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1226031/how-parents-can-inspire-love-books-among-children?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1226031/how-parents-can-inspire-love-books-among-children?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Apr 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Dirty Dancing Lunchbox Theatrical Productions HK Culture Centre Grand Theatre Reviewed: Apr 20 Dirty Dancing -The Classic Story on Stage has everything you'd expect from a musical - and more. Written by Eleanor Bergstein, the story is about 17-year-old Frances "Baby" Houseman from a wealthy New York family falling in love with a handsome blue-collar dance instructor Johnny Castle during a family vacation. The show also tells of the American civil rights movement as it is set in the summer of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/1221543/arts-review-dirty-dancing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/1221543/arts-review-dirty-dancing?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Apr 2013 09:41:23 +0000 It's like watching a flower blossoming, with its petals slowly unfolding, as Australian choreographer Terence Kohler whispers his free-flow creative ideas to his team of dancers at a dance studio inside the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. He instructs the male dancers to lift up their female partners and let them sway from side to side slowly, like branches in the wind. Then the 28-year-old observes, quietly: "It's always interesting to see how the dancers take the idea and develop it into something... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/1099913/choreographer-terence-kohler-promises-innovative-take?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/1099913/choreographer-terence-kohler-promises-innovative-take?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Dec 2012 16:00:00 +0000 When Rick Lau first met Marsha Yuan, both knew it wasn't just by chance. In May, the two veteran performers sat down at a cast meeting for the theatre production I-Ching, which premiered in Los Angeles in September, and they connected immediately. "I believe we all meet people in our lives for a reason," says Yuan, a Chinese-American singer, dancer and actress, and former Miss Hong Kong first runner-up in 1999. "When we met, I knew we were meant to do something together," says Lau, a locally... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/1089129/arts-preview-when-rick-met-marsha-cabaret?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/1089129/arts-preview-when-rick-met-marsha-cabaret?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000 End Stop Line Fringe Club Just like poetry, choreographer Kirsten Ho Sien-ying's latest offering is peppered with contemplative pauses. End Stop Line comprises six vignettes, each beginning with a line of text. "They are some feelings and thoughts I had over the past few years, when I was making moments of pauses. I want to put them together in a literary form, like six short stories in a book," says the 28-year-old, founder of Dance Kho, a contemporary dance company. This is their first... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/1049499/kirsten-hos-dance-piece-inspired-random-thoughts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/1049499/kirsten-hos-dance-piece-inspired-random-thoughts?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Sep 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Hong Kong street markets are a feast for all our senses, says Douglas Young Chi-chiu, founder and chief executive of local retailer G.O.D. The 47-year-old designer, who set up his company Goods of Desire in 1996, is so proud of the city's heritage that he is helping to celebrate its markets in a new exhibition. "In a wet market, you can smell the fresh fish, see the colours of the vegetables, hear the shop owners shouting about their produce, touch and hold things in your hands and feel the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/1041616/hong-kongs-heartbeat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/1041616/hong-kongs-heartbeat?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Sep 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Emerging Choreographers - 2012: The Beginning or the End? Hong Kong Ballet The Mayan prophecy - which predicts the world will come to an end on December 21 - has inspired the latest collaboration between the Hong Kong Ballet and the Hong Kong Dance Company. Presenting seven interpretations of the prediction, the show is part of the Ballet's annual emerging choreographers' workshop, which promotes the creative talents of young dancers within and, for the first time, outside the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/1036737/dance-companies-join-forces-mayan-prophecy-pieces?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/1036737/dance-companies-join-forces-mayan-prophecy-pieces?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Sep 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Giving up a habit isn't easy, but it can be a good thing for our mind, body and soul. The Young Post team challenged themselves to give up one thing throughout July. Whether it's for a health reason, to train our mind, or for fun, we've all got an experience to share. Mabel Sieh I chose to give up meat. I'm not a crazy meat-lover, but once in a while, I indulge myself with a plate of Buffalo chicken wings or a good American-sized hamburger. During the first week, I felt deprived of my comfort... https://www.scmp.com/article/1008351/can-you-change-your-ways?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1008351/can-you-change-your-ways?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Aug 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Five junior reporters received scholarships from the Richard Ivey School of Business Asia to join its summer business programme last month. They all agreed it was a fun-filled, eye-opening experience. Here they tell you why they liked it and what they learned. Gabriel Yiu The Ivey programme was truly an inspirational experience for me. In stark contrast to the spoon-feeding that goes on in most Hong Kong schools, the course encourages active participation in a lively and captivating learning... https://www.scmp.com/article/1008350/getting-down-business?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1008350/getting-down-business?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Aug 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Six teenagers stepped into the shoes of a CEO and made strategic moves for his company. Boy, did they succeed. The winning team, Prestige Worldwide, came first in the case competition in this year's Ivey Summer Business Programme held by Richard Ivey School of Business Asia. The two-week summer course, which is in its second year, is tailored for secondary students. This year's competition featured 30 students aged between 16 and 22 from Hong Kong and elsewhere. In their two weeks, the students... https://www.scmp.com/article/1008062/fine-ceos-day?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1008062/fine-ceos-day?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Jul 2012 16:00:00 +0000 We have to work on the relationships in our lives. Each relationship needs love and attention. The same goes for our relationship with our clothes, says Swiss fashion designer Laura Locher. 'We have a relationship with our clothes: we need to wear them - like our second skin,' says Locher, 26. 'We need to know the story behind them: who made them, who wore them, what happens to them when we don't want them.' Locher has been in Hong Kong for the past three months running a programme for students... https://www.scmp.com/article/1007698/cast-offs-are-reborn?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1007698/cast-offs-are-reborn?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Jul 2012 16:00:00 +0000 HONG KONG - Twenty secondary and four university students will make an expedition to Mount Everest, the world's highest mountain. The group will study the environment while going mountain trekking. They will also visit local schools for a look at Tibetan culture. Vincent Fan Ka-chun, 15, says the training was hard, but that didn't stop him. 'I want to explore the world and learn more about how to conduct scientific research. I am also looking forward to meeting other students and local people.' https://www.scmp.com/article/1007629/kids-are-ready-climb-mount-everest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1007629/kids-are-ready-climb-mount-everest?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Jul 2012 16:00:00 +0000 There has been no honeymoon period for Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying since he took office on July 1. His integrity has been questioned over numerous illegal structures at his home on The Peak. He has demolished them and apologised, but demonstrations were held on the day he took up the post and many questions remain. Young Post asked Hong Kong students what they would like to say or ask him, if given the chance. Here are some of their comments. Nicole Liang, 15, PLK Choi Kai Yau School As... https://www.scmp.com/article/1007626/its-matter-trust-cy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1007626/its-matter-trust-cy?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Jul 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Twenty secondary and four university students will brave an expedition to Mount Everest, the world's highest mountain with a peak at 8,848 metres above sea level. Their trip to Tibet, from July 28 to August 12, is sponsored by local charity Yan Oi Tong in collaboration with the University of Hong Kong. The charity has taken students to the South and North Poles. Joining experts from HKU, the group will conduct surveys related to environmental protection and learn about the concept of 'Leave No... https://www.scmp.com/article/1007556/all-ready-everest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1007556/all-ready-everest?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Jul 2012 16:00:00 +0000 You would never think an MBA graduate from a top Indian university, who worked as an investment banker for 11 years, would advise young people: 'Don't take life too seriously.' The advice comes from Chetan Bhagat, the author of five blockbuster novels, including Five Point Someone (2004) which was turned into the hugely popular movie Three Idiots in 2009, breaking the box office records in India. The film also did well in Hong Kong. The 38-year-old writer, who lives in Mumbai with his wife and... https://www.scmp.com/article/1007494/dont-worry-be-happy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1007494/dont-worry-be-happy?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Jul 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Summer, to me, means a happy time when the sun is shining and the birds are singing, with no worries in my head. So I have decided to fill it with all the songs and lyrics I love. Whenever I Say Your Name by Sting, featuring Mary J. Blige This song from his album The Best of 25 Years is a classic with beautiful and reassuring lyrics: 'Whenever your memory feeds my soul/ whatever got broken becomes whole/ Whenever I'm filled with doubts that we will be together ...' What else do I need to say? In... https://www.scmp.com/article/1007377/silent-soothing-passions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1007377/silent-soothing-passions?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Jul 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Ashley Chung Hoi-lam loves to draw. She started scribbling as a one-year-old and has been taking drawing lessons since the age of four. 'I love drawing because it allows me to be creative,' says Ashley, 15, a student at GT (Ellen Yeung) College. 'To produce something from scratch on a blank piece of paper is amazing. It makes me feel really good.' Ashley's artistic passion - and 11 years of continuous practice - have helped her to earn her many awards. Her latest works have won the Best Young... https://www.scmp.com/article/1006249/ashley-pictures-olympic-glory?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1006249/ashley-pictures-olympic-glory?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Jul 2012 16:00:00 +0000 While many people think that old things have little value and should be forgotten, a group of secondary students at Sha Tin Methodist College believe otherwise. Ken Chan Wai-kin, Vicki Wong Wai-kiu and her older sister, Vienna Wong Wai-yan, and Erica Cheng Chun-ho made a five-minute documentary on a sunset industry in Hong Kong, featuring a traditional style cafe in Sheung Wan. The students are members of the school's Campus TV team, who have learned about video film-making after school since... https://www.scmp.com/article/1005271/treasure-trove-past?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1005271/treasure-trove-past?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Jun 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Iceland - Recovery success REYKJAVIK - The Icelandic financial crisis from 2008 onwards is a major economic and political problem involving the collapse of the country's three major commercial banks. The banks were unable to pay their debts in The Netherlands and Britain. Unemployment tripled in a few months and 14 per cent of workers had to take a pay cut. Seven per cent had their working hours reduced. The major issue here was that the government had acted as guarantor to the banks and found... https://www.scmp.com/article/1005072/money-troubles-still-giving-ailing-world-blues?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1005072/money-troubles-still-giving-ailing-world-blues?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Jun 2012 16:00:00 +0000 The mayor of Seoul, Park Won-soon, may look like an ordinary citizen with an ordinary face and an ordinary haircut, but he is no ordinary government official. He is 56 and was the first to set up an Innovation Bureau for his city. The mayor embraces innovative technology. He even has a Twitter account with half a million followers - and counting. He calls it his 'Twitter administration'. 'I use Twitter to communicate [with citizens] because it can reach out to a lot of people. I have been... https://www.scmp.com/article/1004992/people-power-key?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1004992/people-power-key?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Jun 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is a feel-good romantic comedy with a positive message. Based on the 2006 best-selling book, the film revolves around Harriet Chetwode-Talbot (Emily Blunt) and Dr Alfred Jones (Ewan McGregor), who are working on a water management project in the Middle East. The director is Lasse Hallstr?m, who made Chocolat, Dear John and The Cider House Rules. Alfred is an unhappily married scientist who's dragged into a British government-backed project to bring salmon fishing... https://www.scmp.com/article/1004683/salmon-fishing-yemen-film?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1004683/salmon-fishing-yemen-film?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Jun 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is a feel-good romantic comedy with a positive message. Based on the 2006 best-selling book, the story concerns two people, Harriet Chetwode-Talbot (Emily Blunt) and Dr Alfred Jones (Ewan McGregor), who are working on a water management project in the Middle East. The film is directed by Swede Lasse Hallstr?m, who also filmed the hits Chocolat, Dear John and The Cider House Rules. Alfred is an unhappily married scientist who's dragged into a British government-backed... https://www.scmp.com/article/1004266/positive-message-poor-plot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1004266/positive-message-poor-plot?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 Jun 2012 16:00:00 +0000 When we face a difficult problem, someone will often tell us to 'sleep on it and you'll find a solution tomorrow'. Now, such a suggestion has been scientifically shown to be good advice. 'Aside from making us feel better, sleep helps our brain find creative solutions to everyday problems,' says scientist Russell Foster, who gave a talk to students in Hong Kong last month. 'Recent research shows that sleeping the night after learning a task helps us to solidify what has been learned.' Foster... https://www.scmp.com/article/1003952/sleeping-boosts-our-brain-power?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1003952/sleeping-boosts-our-brain-power?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Jun 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Burmese human rights campaigner Aung San Suu Kyi is recognised around the world for her tireless efforts to encourage democracy and freedom in her home country, Myanmar. Having spent 15 years under house arrest, the Nobel laureate set off last week on her first trip abroad for 24 years, helping to promoting business growth in Myanmar at the World Economic Forum in Bangkok. Two Hongkongers are playing a small part in promoting Myanmar industry, too - by promoting traditional Myanmese lacquerware... https://www.scmp.com/article/1002908/crafty-way-help?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1002908/crafty-way-help?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Jun 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Entering prestigious or Ivy League universities is the dream of many students. However, with growing competition in the global education scene, gone are the days when schools are only looking for top graders. 'You have got to see what else you can bring to the table,' says Jon Mills, a manager with Harvard University Asia Centre, who has worked in Southeast Asia for the past 20 years. Acting as a think-tank to the university, the centre conducts research and programmes focusing on international... https://www.scmp.com/article/1002693/keep-it-real?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1002693/keep-it-real?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000 When you believe in something, says Martin Sklar, believe in it all the way. Sklar should know what he's talking about. The 78-year-old is a Disney legend. He even worked side by side with Walt Disney himself, and he has designed many of the best Disney theme parks all over the world for the past 50 years. 'I've seen lots of dreams come true in my career,' says Sklar. He joined Disney a month before the first Disneyland opened in California in 1955. He was in Hong Kong earlier this month to... https://www.scmp.com/article/1002481/best-advice-i-ever-heard?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1002481/best-advice-i-ever-heard?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000 News International fashion magazine Vogue has made a pledge not to employ models who are too young or too thin. Earlier this month, the 19 editors of the magazine decided to project a healthier image of women by banning models under the age of 16. Models who are so thin that they may be suffering from an eating disorder will not appear on the pages of the magazine, either. The US, Chinese, French and British editions of the glossy magazine will begin following the new guidelines starting with... https://www.scmp.com/article/1002383/battle-rages-over-girls-image?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1002383/battle-rages-over-girls-image?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000 From the summer of 1998 until January 2010, British photographer Simon Wheatley found himself captivated by a run-down council estate surrounded by derelict shops and inhabited by disconnected youth, south of the River Thames in London. Over the 12 years, he returned again and again to take photographs of the place and its people. Wheatley was born and raised in Singapore and was the 1996 winner of the Time Out London's Travel Photographer of the Year. In 1998, he was in London pursuing a career... https://www.scmp.com/article/1001860/eye-urban-grime?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1001860/eye-urban-grime?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000