People

Mandy Cheng presents new possibilities to a traditional market by Emily Xu The bustling Mong Kok district is a shopping paradise. Argyle Centre is one of the most popular shopping centres there. Among the array of shops lies a unique photo studio. Fresh Studio, famous for shooting good-looking profile pictures for your passport photos and icons, was opened recently by 28-year-old Ms Mandy Cheng Ming-wai. "Like many people, I find my passport photos ugly, which inspired me to open this shop," said Ms Cheng. Her studio provides all-in-one services including makeup, clothing, photography and editing. As an entrepreneur, she described herself as ambitious, cautious and organised. "I have been brainstorming to start my business for a long time and considered it as a necessity of my life," she said. Although she had the plan for a long time, she waited for a suitable time to open the shop. She spent hours preparing. "I think working for yourself can give you a great sense of achievement and it is everlasting. Moreover, I want a more challenging life," she said. However, the expensive rent in Hong Kong and the lack of sufficient deposit stopped her until Argyle Centre introduced its zero rental plan. The plan is designed for people with creative ideas and can rent a shop for three months without paying rent. Ms Cheng handed in her proposal in July. After a successful interview in early August, she resigned from her previous job. The shop was finally opened in late August. "Nearly all the customers have been satisfied with their photo," she added. "Although I am busier than before and have had little time to rest, I really enjoy the moments. I am getting a lot of satisfactions from my business." Ms Joanna Tsoi, a customer of Flash Studio, said her …

The positive life led by the ordeal dealer by Celia Lai At the age of 67, Stephen Char Shik-ngor is still wearing different hats: a barrister at law, a mediator, a columnist. Straddling different fields, he is renowned for being an activist in the frontier of health protection. Having an abscess on his bottom lip because of sweltering, the grey-haired man laughed about his hectic but happy life. "I can take a break when I am taking the train," Mr Char said with a smile creasing his face. The wrinkles marked his ups and downs. Nicknamed the "expert of ordeals", he had experienced family loss, cancer and two divorces. However the misery in his life has never beaten him. "Life is a combination of sorrow and happiness. One has to accept the fact of life," he said. Liver cancer became a watershed in his life. In sight of no helping hand to turn to while he was suffering from the disease, the survivor set up the first organization for liver cancer sufferers in Hong Kong, during the year of 1994. Besides providing medical and spiritual support, the organization was running for liver transplants. He was crowned one of the top ten fighters of regeneration, for his contribution in 1998. For the sake of patients' rights, the cancer fighter even confronted the Hospital Authority (HA) himself, in 2003. To fight for the rights while minimising the adverse effects, Mr Char resigned from the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), where he had worked for 28 years. He negotiated with an HA official who wanted to close down the liver transplant centre in Prince of Wales Hospital due to a fiscal deficit after SARS. "Meanwhile there was a generous businessman offering HKD$40 million to continue the transplant centre. Yet, HA asked me about …

  by Nicki Wong Chong Chan-yau lost his sight when he was six years old. As a result, his childhood was one of tragedy, dependency, hopelessness and even superstition. But technology has redefined the way the world see Mr Chong, or more appropriately, how Mr Chong sees the world. He can surf the internet and use a cell phone just as well as any sighted person, with the help of a Braille note taker. Mr Chong  is the director of EL Education, president of the Hong Kong Blind Union, chairman of Carbon Care Asia, founder and chairman of Dialogue in the Dark Hong Kong. "I can go anywhere, play football and chess, study, and do all sorts of things that a sighted person can do ," said the 60-year-old. He is eager to improve society for people who are marginalized in order to maximise their potential.. "The loss of sight became my characteristic, not a limitation," Mr Chong said. He believes his optimistic personality saves him from feeling tragic. "Hong Kong has a lot of facilities for the disabled,for example,  audible traffic light signals, "said Mr Chong. But he doesn't want to take it granted when it comes to travelling alone. "Accessibility is a matter of interaction between people and their environment," he said. Mr. Chong has tried to prove that blind people can navigate the city without special facilities.   Back in the 80s, Mr Chong asked the traffic department to install audible signals road crossing, , but the department  said it was "too dangerous" for  blind people to cross the road on their own. But we weren't victims. We were actually the problem solvers," said Mr Chong. He believes visually impaired people should be treated just like everyone else. He approaches the problem from the point of view of …

  by James Ho "Which song should I sing?" Zoe Sung asks while yawning her partner. The 21-year-old girl is sitting on the sofa next to the electronic piano. She is preparing for a singing-contest-audition. People would probably be nervous if they were going to have an audition in two hours. Yet it was not the case for Zoe, who has run into top-three in three similar competitions before. Zoe Sung Wai Man is a fourth-year university student. She is an award-winning singer and one of the few, who has stepped on the stage of the Hong Kong Coliseum as a backup vocalist at the age of 19. "When the lighting and the Hi-Fi starts bombing, it feels like it is me who is having the concert in front of the audience," she recalled on being a backing vocalist in HK Coliseum in Hung Hom, the stage of which is regarded to be only prepared for the top singers in the industry. Zoe was a member of "Show Choir" in high school at that time. The choir opened up many opportunities for her to sing in concerts of many famous local singers, like Eason Chan, Gem Tang and Edmond Leung. Zoe has recently joined a monthly tournament called "Show Off Voice Challenge", where she has to compete with dozens of talented but amateur singers, for an opportunity having their own songs published. Before being an active member of singing contests, Zoe used to be one of the buskers on street, who performed simply with a guitar or electronic piano. But her band did not last long. "It was fun at the beginning, but then my partners started asking me to sing more popular songs to attract more audience, which in my perspective is inappropriate," she said. She believed that street …

  by Richelia Yeung & Tiffany Lui The photo "The World of A Wild Child Who Chases His Dream" depicts a young man staring at the breathtaking night view of the city. The image shot a young photographer to fame. Kelvin Yuen Sze-lok  was the winner of the 2015 National Geographic's International Photo Contest.  He also had an honourable mention in youth group of the Taiwan section. The 19 -year-old Hong Kong photographer took the picture at Kowloon Peak, one of his favorite shooting spots. The award came as a surprise. "I thought they sent the email to the wrong person," Kevin said. "Being a photographer is more than just pressing a button on the camera," . Kelvin did not plan to be a photographer. The year 2 student at Hong Kong Baptist University said it was a trip to Lion Rock nearly two years ago that first aroused his passion in landscape photography. He was attracted by the clouds over the hill that day and brought his camera to record the moment."I get to see a different side of Hong Kong."he said. He has since become a self-taught photographer, learning from online tutorials and articles. "I just keep trying and gain experience," he said. Kelvin s tries to strike a balance between school and photography. "I go to classes in the morning after shooting the sunrise on the mountain." He said his parents are more concerned about his safety than his academic results. "They are very supportive of my hobby," he laughed. "Landscape photography is full of challenges, "he said. "The weather can make a huge difference in the photos even if I go to the same location." Kelvin said it is tough to walk through rough terrains while carrying all the photographic equipment in his backpack. But the …